After the Pitiful Little One Seduced the Feudal Big Daddy - Chapter 24

The moment his wrist was seized, Xie Yunqing lost all ability to react beyond snapping his eyes open. He heard a dull thud beneath his skin—the sound of bone meeting bone, or perhaps the sound of his own heart being crushed in a fist.

The palm holding him was searingly hot. It was a heat so intense it made his entire body tremble. That temperature was clamped exactly around the thinnest part of his wrist, fingertips pressing into the soft inner flesh, right against his fragile, racing pulse. The grip wasn’t crushing, but it was firm enough to let him know this hand could tighten at any second.

With a snap, something in his mind broke.

By instinct, Xie Yunqing tried to wrench his arm away and flee. He gave his wrist a violent tug. The hand didn’t move. He couldn’t move. Only the skin on his wrist was pulled taut. It didn’t hurt, yet it brought a sense of despair, as if he were nailed to the spot with no hope of escape.

He could feel his pulse thudding against that palm. Thump, thump, thump. It sounded like a heartbeat, or perhaps a muffled drum a warning that everything had reached its final moment.

In the next heartbeat, the temperature at the point of contact began to change. It wasn’t the heat of that hand anymore; it was his own. His skin began to burn as if it were being branded.

He looked down into the covers. Though it was dark and blurry, he could see the hand—pale, powerful, with long fingers and distinct knuckles. It was shackling his wrist, shackling everything he wanted to withdraw, everything he hadn’t managed to pull back, everything he could never take back now.

In an instant, Xie Yunqing understood: to have one’s wrist seized was not merely about the hand. It was about the exit. He had no way out. He would never be able to save his father now.

Tears suddenly spilled from his eyes, tracing a path down his cheeks. They turned piercingly cold immediately, like a sharp dagger leaving bloody wounds on his skin.

“Why are you crying?”

A helpless sigh. The grip on his wrist was gently released, and the tears on his cheeks were softly wiped away.

Xie Yunqing’s consciousness was a blur. His eyes, swimming in tears, shifted toward the voice. He could see nothing. For some reason, the tears only intensified. The fingertips resting on his cheek paused. He faintly sensed a hot breath drawing closer to him, then suddenly stopping.

“I will help you.”

The voice was so close it was right at his ear, clear and distinct; yet it also felt far away, like a hallucination he didn’t dare believe. How was it possible… How could Pei Yanzhi know about his father? How could he say he would help?

It must be a fantasy. All of this must be a fantasy.

Tears fell, and for a split second, the face before him became clear. He froze. It was indeed Pei Yanzhi.

However—with a whoosh, a fire suddenly ignited within his body. It burned him until he was scorching hot. It burned away his last sliver of consciousness. It burned until his entire being was left with nothing but an unspeakable, shameful craving.

He could no longer think. He could only watch with wide, unseeing eyes. He watched as Pei Yanzhi slowly sat up and gathered him, quilt and all, into his arms. The man looked down with a furrowed brow. Their distance was unprecedentedly close. It seemed that if he just lifted his head, he would touch the man’s chin or his lips.

“How can you be so disobedient?”

He heard Pei Yanzhi sigh again. Then, the faint sound of footsteps came from outside the room. Someone was coming!

Xie Yunqing instinctively tried to struggle, but he was held even tighter. A muffled grunt sounded from above his head.

“Don’t move.”

the voice was as cold as ever, yet inexplicably raspy. Xie Yunqing found himself daring not to move an inch. Then he heard Pei Yanzhi speak a few words to the person outside. The person retreated.

After that, his final senses dissipated. That shameful craving grew even more intense, completely seizing control of his body. It was as if he had returned to his dream from the previous night. That hand appeared again. Without hesitation, Xie Yunqing grabbed it.

Hold me… please, touch me…

But the hand remained still.

“I… I want…” The craving drove him to let out a sticky, needy sound.

Finally—the hand moved, drawing close to him. But suddenly, a sound came from outside again. The hand stopped. Someone approached quickly and left just as fast. A heavy scent of medicinal herbs followed.

Then, a cold porcelain rim was pressed to his lips, and the medicinal scent filled his nose. Xie Yunqing instinctively turned his head away in rejection.

“Be good,” a raspy voice whispered in his ear. “Drink a little. You won’t feel bad once you’ve had it.”

It sounded like someone coaxing a child. In that moment, Xie Yunqing seemed to see a cloud in his mind—the kind of cloud one only saw while in a mother’s arms.

Almost simultaneously, all the terror, anxiety, heat, and unbearable craving vanished. They were replaced by an unprecedented sense of safety. Xie Yunqing parted his lips slightly. The bitter medicine flowed into his throat bit by bit.

The craving faded. A profound exhaustion hit him. Xie Yunqing fell asleep.

After setting the medicine bowl on the low table beside the bed, Pei Yanzhi made no further move. He merely looked down. Xie Yunqing, wrapped in the quilt, slept peacefully in his arms. The youth’s usual cold detachment was gone; his eyelids, brows, and cheeks still bore the lingering, lustful flush. His normally pale lips were as red as fresh blood, making it difficult to look away.

Pei Yanzhi recalled a legend he had once read about a lunar deity. Initially described as cold, ethereal, and noble beyond measure, she ultimately revealed a gorgeous and seductive state within the arms of a mortal.

Pei Yanzhi’s arm around Xie Yunqing’s waist tightened slightly. Outside the bedcurtains, a red candle dripped thick, sticky wax. The light in the room gradually dimmed. The moonlight from the window spilled in, finally outshining the candlelight, brushing over Xie Yunqing’s features like a bolt of white silk.

“Yunqing… Yunqing…” A soft calling sounded in his ear.

Xie Yunqing’s consciousness was hazy. Then, as the calls continued, he slowly opened his eyes. A blinding white light dissipated, and Pei Xuan appeared before him.

“Yunqing, why did you sleep for so long?” Pei Xuan sat on the edge of the bed, grinning. “Were you too tired from looking after my brother last night?”

Pei Xuan’s brother… Pei Yanzhi!

With a jolt, the memories of last night rushed back like a tide. They were incomplete, ending at the moment he heard Pei Yanzhi say, “I will help you.”

What happened after? He and Pei Yanzhi… No. Even without full memories, he could feel from his body’s reaction nothing had happened between them.

Xie Yunqing tried to sit up, but his body lacked all strength. He could only turn his head with difficulty, as if searching for someone. The figure from his memory was not there. Instead, he realized this was not Pei Yanzhi’s room.

“Yunqing, what are you looking for?”

“…No… nothing.” Xie Yunqing suppressed his inner turmoil. After a moment, he spoke again: “The Chancellor…”

“You’re asking about my brother?” Pei Xuan helped him sit up. “He left before dawn. Apparently something happened in Wu Commandery that required him to go and take charge.”

He’s gone… Pei Yanzhi is gone…

His mind was a whirlpool of emotions. He couldn’t think deeply about the events of last night. Finally, he could only fixate on that one sentence: “I will help you.” Was it real, or a hallucination?

“Yunqing, why are you dazing?” Pei Xuan’s hand waved in front of him. “Oh… I get it! You’re worried about whether my brother appreciated your wine!”

Pei Xuan looked proud. “I know the answer! My brother didn’t leave any instructions, but I saw his personal attendant standing guard outside your door earlier.”

“He definitely arranged that because he knew you worked too hard looking after him! So, you really don’t need to be afraid of him anymore. I told you, my brother is actually quite a good person; he just looks hard to get along with.”

Xie Yunqing was stunned. He couldn’t understand what Pei Xuan meant. Or rather, he didn’t understand what Pei Yanzhi meant. The man had caught him in his clumsy scheme, yet had not punished him. Instead, he had left his own attendant to guard his door. Xie Yunqing’s mind felt like it was made of wood; he could no longer process anything related to Pei Yanzhi.

“Really, you don’t need to fear him!” Pei Xuan continued to comfort him. He was about to say more when Cui Ji, who had appeared outside the door, called out to him.

“Pei Xuan, the Old Madame is looking for you.”

Cui Ji stood outside. While speaking to Pei Xuan, he shot a quick glance at Xie Yunqing. Pei Xuan jumped up, muttering about why his grandmother wanted him, and told Xie Yunqing to sleep a bit more. He promised to come back later so they could return to the Academy together.

The sound of footsteps faded quickly. Just as Xie Yunqing was feeling despondent and lost, the attendant from outside stepped into the room.

The attendant stood a short distance away and bowed respectfully. “The Chancellor instructed me to tell you something once you woke.”

“Do not worry,” the attendant said softly. “When the Chancellor returns, he will come to find you.”