Drunk on Madness - Chapter 70

Gu Ci set out early in the morning to attend to some matters. Just as his carriage entered the main road, a stone wrapped in a piece of paper was thrown into the carriage with a thud.

He picked it up and unfolded it. Recognizing the familiar handwriting at a glance, Gu Ci knew it was from Su Mo. The note read: “Meet me at the Moonlight Pavilion.”

Gu Ci immediately got out of the carriage and turned into a nearby alley, where the Moonlight Pavilion stood. After scanning the area, he finally took a seat in a corner.

“Have you lost your mind, returning to the capital without an imperial decree?” Gu Ci said, looking at Su Mo.

Su Mo poured him a cup of tea and got straight to the point. “I want to enter the palace to see Xiangxiang.”

Gu Ci withdrew his hand from the teacup. Trouble from the start. “Xiangxiang is missing.”

Su Mo’s eyes darkened slightly. “What do you mean, missing?”

Gu Ci explained, “She vanished from her palace the day after the Crown Prince took his consort. It’s been ten days now.”

Su Mo’s expression grew colder. After a moment, he said, “Help me sneak into the palace. I’ll find her.”

A dangerous glint flashed in Gu Ci’s eyes. “And then what?” When Su Mo remained silent, Gu Ci pressed further, “What do you plan to do after you find her?”

“Back in April, after you kidnapped Xiangxiang on Jingxi Street, what exactly happened? Why did you suddenly break with the Crown Prince?” Gu Ci already had an idea, but he wanted to hear it from Su Mo.

Su Mo’s eyes flickered with unconcealed disappointment. “It’s nothing. Will you help me or not?” Hearing this, Gu Ci’s face darkened. “If that’s your attitude, then there’s nothing more to discuss.”

With that, he made to stand up and leave.

Su Mo’s eyes dimmed, and he let out a helpless sigh. In the end, he recounted everything that had happened that day in detail.

After hearing the story, Gu Ci felt a tumult of emotions. He glanced at his friend, his eyes filled with pity. “Since Xiangxiang chose the Crown Prince, why come all the way back to the capital and stir up trouble? Let them resolve it themselves.”

Su Mo masked the gloom in his eyes. “I didn’t come all this way just to see her. The Crown Prince treats her poorly. I want to ask her if she’s still willing to leave with me.”

As if to reassure Gu Ci or himself, Su Mo added, “Just this once. If she refuses, I’ll return to Youzhou immediately.”

Gu Ci crossed his arms, furrowed his brow, and let out a sigh of resignation.

Disguised as Gu Ci’s attendant, Su Mo entered the palace without any hindrance. Gu Ci took him to Wanxiang Hall and informed him that Li Xiang’s last known location was her bedchamber. Since Gu Ci had urgent matters to attend to, they agreed to meet again at a set time and went their separate ways.

Since Li Xiang’s disappearance, the patrol guards at Wanxiang Hall had become much more vigilant. Su Mo found it difficult to move around and temporarily abandoned the idea of checking the most conspicuous bedchamber, deciding to explore other areas first.

Using the greenery for cover, he cautiously avoided the patrolling guards. As he made his way through, he suddenly stopped when he noticed an incongruous vegetable patch in the rear courtyard.

He quickly hid behind a large locust tree, lost in thought as he gazed at the swing set. Climbing up the old locust tree, he used the height to survey the guards stationed around Wanxiang Hall.

Li Yu tucked a meat bun into his sleeve, remembering his promise to Li Xiang the previous day to pick a cucumber for her to quench her thirst.

Seizing the moment when no one was watching, he plucked three or four cucumbers and stuffed them into his robe. After glancing around to ensure no one was nearby, he dusted off his clothes, pretending to be merely passing by, and walked away.

Su Mo, observing the guard’s strange behavior, decided to follow him.

Li Yu walked to the servants’ quarters. After knocking three times, someone soon opened the door and let him in. It was quite a while before Li Yu emerged.

At first, Su Mo thought nothing of it, but he found it strange how cautious Li Yu had been, as if afraid of being discovered. After Li Yu had gone far enough, Su Mo imitated him, knocking three times at the door.

However, no one answered. Su Mo lost patience and pushed the door open with force.

The room was small, a wardrobe, a bed, and a simple washstand stood in one corner. It was almost entirely visible at a glance.

The room seemed as if it hadn’t been inhabited for a long time. Cobwebs filled the corners, and fine dust particles floated in the air, irritating the nose and throat.

Su Mo opened the wardrobe, it was empty.

“Cough.” He waved away the dust in the air and lifted the thin blanket on the bed. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But when he crouched down and looked under the bed, the tension in his mind slowly snapped. Peering over the edge of the bed, his breathing grew heavier, his eyes reddened, and he clenched his fist against the bed frame, restraining himself.

Li Xiang was holding a small knife, glaring fiercely at the intruder. She looked filthy, her hair disheveled as she huddled under the bed, as if ready to fight to the death.

Hiding under the bed, Li Xiang didn’t recognize that it was Su Mo.

Su Mo lowered his head, knelt down, and said in a trembling voice, “Xiangxiang, it’s me. Su Mo.” His eyes immediately reddened.

Hearing the familiar voice, Li Xiang stiffened, disbelief flooding her eyes. “You’re lying. How could Su Mo appear in the palace?”

Su Mo then remembered his disguise. He tore off his fake beard and knelt a little further away, saying, “It’s really me, Xiangxiang.”

The moment she saw him remove the beard, Li Xiang finally recognized Su Mo. She crawled out from under the bed, her eyes brimming with joy, a smile she couldn’t suppress curling at the corners of her lips.

She looked at Su Mo, touching the side of his face. “It’s really you. The Crown Prince said you went to Youzhou and would never return.” At this, her eyes welled up with tears.

Su Mo pulled her into his embrace, as if an obsession in his heart had finally found redemption. “I’m sorry, I came too late.”

Hearing this, the grievances of the past days turned into tears, streaming down her face.

As if venting her emotions, she suddenly grabbed his arm and bit down hard, releasing the frustration she had bottled up over the last few days.

Su Mo watched her frantic action without stopping her. When she finally let go, he brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead and gazed into her reddened eyes. “When I was in Youzhou, I heard he had taken a principal consort. I wanted to come back and ask you.” He wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. “Will you come with me now?”

Li Xiang’s heart raced at his words, and she lowered her head in silence.

Su Mo tightened his grip on her cold, small hand and said bitterly, “After how he has treated you, do you still plan to stay by his side? Are you really that reluctant to leave him?”

Li Xiang shook her head, recalling past events with shame. “No, it’s just that I feel it’s unfair to you. What have I done to deserve such regard from you? I feel unworthy.”

Su Mo seemed taken aback for a moment, but only briefly. He took her hand, brought it to his lips, and said, “Then swear to me that from now on, your heart will belong only to me, and no one else will ever reside there.”

Li Xiang, after a few seconds of silence, hugged Su Mo tightly. “Momo, you’re so good to me. I will never like anyone else again, only you.”

Su Mo felt his heart swell like a spring pond. Unable to restrain himself, he held her close, as if she were his entire world.

The sky gradually darkened, and several figures holding torches hurried over from outside. The two immediately hid under the bed. The door was kicked open, and the intruders splashed diesel fuel all over the room. After emptying the containers, they quickly left, not even bothering to close the door as they moved to the next room to continue pouring diesel.

The room was filled with the smell of diesel. Su Mo sensed danger and quickly pulled Li Xiang out from under the bed. Taking advantage of the darkness, they climbed up the large locust tree.

The intense activity left Li Xiang struggling to cope. She held her stomach, enduring the discomfort without saying a word.

Su Mo watched as the men in guards’ uniforms set the house ablaze. Soon, the fire began to spread.

A heavy feeling settled in Su Mo’s heart. He couldn’t bear to imagine that if he hadn’t found her today, she would have been burned alive in this forgotten corner, unknown to anyone.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, he stared intently at the growing flames, an unprecedented surge of murderous intent toward Zhou Mingxuan rising within him.

Without time to inform Gu Ci, Su Mo carried Li Xiang through the night to a deserted palace. During his earlier invasion of the palace, he had learned of a secret passageway used by palace servants to escape. However, it required swimming through a dark channel for a stretch.

It was early spring, and the water was still bitterly cold. But there was no time to worry about that now.

Su Mo carried Li Xiang on his back, slowly swimming forward. Fortunately, the water wasn’t deep enough to submerge their heads, allowing them to breathe.

The path was long, an endless darkness.

Without any means of illumination, they had to feel their way forward.

Li Xiang was frightened. Gently wrapping her arms around Su Mo’s neck, she whispered, “Momo, I haven’t told you some good news yet.”

Su Mo carefully felt his way forward and asked, “What good news?”

Her faint breath brushed against his neck as she said, “You’re going to be a dad.”

Su Mo paused and asked, “What’s a dad?”

Only then did Li Xiang remember that this era didn’t use the term “dad.” “It means you’re going to be a father.”

Su Mo thought he must have misheard. “What did you say? I didn’t catch it.” Li Xiang was a bit exasperated and repeated, “I’m pregnant with your child, Su Mo. Did you hear me?”

Her voice was soft, but it echoed in the dark channel.

Su Mo stopped walking, wanting to see her face, but the circumstances made it impossible. Instead, he quickened his pace, eager to get out as soon as possible.

“Hold on tight,” Su Mo said. “We’ll talk about this once we’re outside.” Though he said this, he was more anxious than anyone.

His mind drifted back to their last intimate moment, how she had resisted, how he had forced her. Did she keep the child because she knew it was his? If he hadn’t come to the capital, would he never have known?

As he groped his way forward, lost in thought, he didn’t notice that Li Xiang, on his back, had already fainted.