After the Pitiful Little One Seduced the Feudal Big Daddy - Chapter 15

Xie Yunqing ran all the way back to the Imperial Academy, leaning against the wall outside the person’s dormitory.

As he gasped for breath, the metallic taste of blood rising in his throat, a wave of lingering fear washed over him—fear born from the way the people in the red-light district had looked at him. Perhaps out of a subconscious sense of self-preservation, he hadn’t dared to think too much at the time. Only after he had escaped the district did he realize, with a start, that his skin was crawling; he was even more terrified than when facing Yu Chen.

Whether those people were more frightening or Yu Chen was, it was hard to say. If he had a choice, Xie Yunqing felt it would be best to never face any of them ever again.

Just as Xie Yunqing was lost in these fearful thoughts, the dormitory door suddenly opened from the inside. Warm yellow light spilled out, landing at his feet.

Xie Yunqing looked up to find the person standing before him, their brow slightly knit as if they couldn’t fathom why he had returned, nor why he was standing outside their door gasping so heavily.

He felt a sudden surge of nerves and instinctively stood straighter, struggling to steady his breathing. With hands that still trembled slightly, he pulled the two packets of medicine from his robes and held them out.

Swallowing the blood-tinged saliva in his mouth, Xie Yunqing said, “It’s… it’s medicine for the fever. Remember… remember to drink it.”

The person did not take it, merely continuing to watch him with that same furrowed brow.

Fearing he had offended them, Xie Yunqing explained hurriedly, “When I was supporting you earlier, I felt your skin was hot. I guessed you had a fever, so I went to buy medicine. Once you take it, I’ll go.”

The person still didn’t take it, nor did they speak. A sudden night wind blew, making Xie Yunqing feel cold and awkward, standing there with nowhere to turn.

The light spilling from the room was dim, but it was enough to illuminate Xie Yunqing’s pale face, his sweat-damp hair, and the backs of his hands and knuckles, which were frozen red. He must have run for a long time through the freezing night wind just to buy this medicine.

Just as Xie Yunqing was considering leaving the medicine on the ground and fleeing, the person suddenly stepped aside. “…Come in first,” they said.

Xie Yunqing entered the dormitory again with some constraint. He took the water the person poured for him and sat down at their gesture. The person had clearly washed and changed their clothes. Although there were still bruises on their face and neck, they looked much more spirited than they had at the water pavilion.

However, that faint look of gloom had once again settled between their brows. Xie Yunqing gripped the porcelain cup tighter, feeling like he was intruding.

After taking a seat, the person glanced at the two packets of medicine on the table. Their brow knit even more tightly as they asked, “You went to the red-light district to buy these?”

“Ah…” Xie Yunqing blinked blankly, then remembered to answer. “Yes… I went to the red-light district…”

Thinking the person was disgusted by items from such a place, he pursed his lips and explained carefully, “Because… because all the other pharmacies were closed. You have a fever; it couldn’t wait.” After saying that, he couldn’t help his curiosity and asked softly, “How did you know?”

The person took a deep breath, looking as though they were genuinely angry. Then, they picked up one of the packets and pushed it toward him, staring into his eyes. “This is an aphrodisiac.”

Xie Yunqing’s head buzzed. His hands moved faster than his thoughts; he set down the cup and scrambled to shove the packet back into his robes, stammering in a panic, “I didn’t know it was an aphro… that shopkeeper said it was just medicine to make one feel hot…”

Before he could finish, he finally realized: the “heat-inducing” medicine the woman spoke of was indeed an aphrodisiac. No wonder this person was angry. He lowered his head, stopped explaining, and began to apologize: “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to give you an aphro… I bought the wrong one…”

“What are you apologizing for?” the person interrupted. They actually stood up, walked over to him, and pulled him to his feet. After looking him up and down for a long time, they asked, “When you went there, did anyone touch you?”

Xie Yunqing didn’t know why they were asking, but he answered honestly, “No… no one touched me.”

Only then did the person seem to breathe a sigh of relief. They made him sit back down and sat opposite him again, holding the cup of water to his lips while still staring into his eyes. “Drink.”

Xie Yunqing was still dazed, but he took the cup and drank obediently. However, for some reason, the person looked even angrier after he finished.

“I tell you to drink and you drink? What if I had put an aphrodisiac in it?” the person said, their words quite shocking.

“Ah… how could you…” Xie Yunqing was overwhelmed and stammered, “You aren’t a bad person. Why would you harm… harm me…”

The person continued to press him: “Was the person who sold you the medicine a bad person?”

Xie Yunqing thought back carefully. Although the woman’s behavior was a bit flirtatious and she had intentionally sold him an aphro… a bad medicine, she had ultimately been willing to sell him the fever medicine. She probably wasn’t a bad person. So, he shook his head honestly.

“Wrong!” the person said, looking frustrated by his lack of common sense. “That shopkeeper tricked you into buying an aphrodisiac; they are a bad person with ill intentions!”

Xie Yunqing was completely stunned, daring not to move an inch.

“You are simply too inexperienced and naive,” the person continued to lecture him. “You have no defenses against others. You won’t even know it if someone sells you off one day you’ll probably still think they’re a good person.”

Xie Yunqing had somehow earned himself a scolding, yet he still couldn’t fathom the person’s thoughts. He moved to apologize again, only to be interrupted.

The person sighed. “Forget it. Just remember: you must always be on your guard. And never go to the red-light district again.”

Xie Yunqing nodded obediently. The person fell into a strange silence for a moment, and when they spoke again, their voice was much lower. “We were total strangers before tonight. You were the one who helped me first. Why would you risk going to the red-light district to buy medicine for me?”

Xie Yunqing didn’t understand what was so confusing about it. He simply replied, “Because I knew you were sick.”

The person said nothing more. Xie Yunqing felt their mood suddenly turn low—like sorrow, yet not quite. It seemed they were lost in some memory. He didn’t want to intrude further. After softly reminding them to remember to take the medicine, he rose to leave.

“Xie Yunqing,” the person called out as he reached the door. “My name is Ruan Ci.”

“But from now on, when you see me, pretend you don’t know me. Do you understand?”

Xie Yunqing turned, wanting to ask why. Ruan Ci gave him a smile; the gloom vanished, and their eyes were as clear as autumn water.

“Just listen to me,” Ruan Ci said. “As you said, I’m not a bad person. I won’t hurt you. You must you absolutely must not let anyone know that you know me.”