I Faked My Death After Choosing the Wrong Protagonist - Chapter 14

Qi Ye sensed someone approaching and painfully forced his eyes open. Through the gloom, he saw a refined figure in white it looked just like Shen Qingzhuo, holding an umbrella and walking toward him.

A beautiful hand gripped the handle, as heavy droplets of water cascaded down the ribs of the umbrella. Only then did Qi Ye realize that it was raining.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared across the sky, illuminating Shen Qingzhuo’s pale, handsome face. As the umbrella’s owner drew closer, Qi Ye realized it wasn’t an illusion; Shen Qingzhuo had actually come to find him.

Wait!

The torrential rain lashed against his face, jolting him into full awareness. He frantically reached up to touch the top of his head.

Then, he let out a breath of relief. Before Shen Qingzhuo reached him, a faint smile appeared on his deathly pale face.

Thank goodness, they’re gone. Shen Qingzhuo won’t find out I’m a monster!

His eyelids grew heavier. Slumped against the corner of the wall, Qi Ye struggled to keep his eyes open as Shen Qingzhuo approached. He couldn’t help but think: I must look hideous right now. Will Shen Qingzhuo be disgusted by me?

Seeing the rain-soaked Qi Ye from a distance, Shen Qingzhuo quickened his pace. As he reached the boy, he tossed his umbrella aside and knelt to pick him up.

By now, Qi Ye’s consciousness was fading. He was in immense pain; part of him wanted Shen Qingzhuo to stay close, while another part was desperate for the man not to see him in this state.

Suddenly, he felt a soft touch. Realizing Shen Qingzhuo had pulled him into his arms, Qi Ye was stunned. He tried to push him away, wanting to tell him that he was “dirty,” but he lacked the strength. He used the last of his energy to open his mouth, but no sound came out.

Shen Qingzhuo is so noble, how can he hold someone as filthy as me and stand here soaking in the rain?

The rain continued to fall with no sign of stopping. In a winter that should have been quiet, the thunder shook the heavens, lighting up half the sky.

Shen Qingzhuo brought the boy to the nearest inn. “One room, hot water, and do not disturb us,” he commanded.

It was already the middle of the night.

The rain fell until dawn.

When he found Qi Ye, the youth had quickly lost consciousness. He was soaked to the bone, his forehead was covered in blood, and several visible wounds marred his body.

Shen Qingzhuo wiped him down and changed him into clean clothes. When he touched the boy’s forehead, he found him burning with a terrifying fever. Afraid to leave the boy alone to buy medicine, Shen Qingzhuo stayed by his side, channeling warm profound energy into his body to heal his injuries.

Gradually, the lines of pain on the youth’s face softened.

Shen Qingzhuo then produced the Spirit-Descending Pill and the Lotus Brilliance Vase. He fed the pill to the boy and used his power to guide the essence of the Lotus Brilliance Liquid into his meridians.

When Qi Ye opened his eyes the next morning, he didn’t feel the crushing agony that usually followed his body’s transformations. Instead, he felt refreshed, as if his meridians had been thoroughly cleansed.

He wasn’t in the broken temple from the night before, but in a clean, soft bed. He looked up and saw Shen Qingzhuo standing by the window with his back turned.

Qi Ye’s breath hitched. He instinctively gripped the edge of the blanket and looked down at himself in a daze. Then, he touched his head. A layer of gauze was wrapped around his forehead the exact spot where those strange things had sprouted. He remembered trying to rip the horns out, unable to get rid of them despite the blood he shed.

The window was open, letting the breeze toss a lock of Shen Qingzhuo’s hair and carrying his unique scent into the room. It was faint and pleasant, making Qi Ye’s heart race with confusion.

Noticing the boy was awake, Shen Qingzhuo turned and walked to the bed. While Qi Ye sat there dazed, the man reached out to touch his forehead. A gentle smile touched his face.

“The fever is gone.”

“How are you feeling?” Shen Qingzhuo asked. “Any discomfort?”

Qi Ye looked at him with an innocent, stunned expression. Suddenly, he reached out, grabbed Shen Qingzhuo’s hand, and pulled him forward with a sharp tug.

Caught off guard, Shen Qingzhuo leaned over, nearly pinning the boy to the mattress. Qi Ye didn’t let go; he seized both of Shen Qingzhuo’s hands and gripped them tightly as if afraid he would vanish, his face full of panic and insecurity.

“Hmm? What is it?” Shen Qingzhuo wasn’t angry; he simply looked at him with concern, his eyes flickering with warmth.

Qi Ye remained silent but refused to let go. A flicker of internal struggle crossed his eyes. He wanted to do more than this; he wanted to hold Shen Qingzhuo tightly, or perhaps have Shen Qingzhuo hold him again, just like last night.

But then he felt a wave of guilt for being so greedy. Shen Qingzhuo won’t truly be my partner; I shouldn’t harbor such fantasies.

Unconsciously, a sharp pain flared in his head again. Qi Ye gritted his teeth to keep from making a sound, but he didn’t dare reach up to touch the wound. He was afraid that if he let go, Shen Qingzhuo would disappear. Even if the man didn’t belong to him, he wanted to capture and keep this moonlight for himself.

“When I found you last night, you were soaked through, so I brought you back here. You fainted afterward,” Shen Qingzhuo explained, seeing the boy’s silence.

Qi Ye was in a daze. His lips, which had finally regained some color, turned white as he bit them. After a long while, he finally released Shen Qingzhuo’s hands.

“Thank you,” the youth whispered hoarsely.

Shen Qingzhuo shook his head; it was nothing to him. He moved on to the real issue. “Is there anything else hurting? What did Huangfu Ying do to you last night?”

Huangfu Ying that Prince.

At the mention of the name, Qi Ye’s eyes widened, and he was consumed by panic once more. He shrunk back into the bed, trying to hide himself as if facing a monstrous predator.

Huangfu Ying knows I’ve become a monster. Did he tell Shen Qingzhuo? Does Shen Qingzhuo also think I’m a disgusting freak?

Shen Qingzhuo, alarmed by the reaction, took Qi Ye by the shoulders and forced the boy to look at him. “It’s alright now. Huangfu Ying won’t have another chance to touch you. I will always stand by your side. Tell me, what did he do?”

Shen Qingzhuo stared at him intently. Forced to calm down by that beautiful gaze, Qi Ye could see his own reflection in the man’s eyes.

Shen Qingzhuo doesn’t look disgusted.

Did Huangfu Ying not tell him? Does he still not know.?

Qi Ye looked at the beautiful hands pinning him in place and felt as though he were being embraced again. After a long pause, he shook his head.

“Nothing. He didn’t do anything to me,” Qi Ye said, struggling to steady his voice.

He truly didn’t want Shen Qingzhuo to know. However, in Shen Qingzhuo’s eyes, this was the behavior of a “frightened little bird” who had suffered immense trauma in his absence.

Shen Qingzhuo stopped asking. He vowed to keep a closer eye on the boy from now on; as long as he was there, no one, not even Huangfu Ying would hurt Qi Ye again.

“It was Qi Anning who told me where you were,” Shen Qingzhuo said softly, his heart aching for the boy.

Qi Anning.

At the mention of that name, Qi Ye’s pupils contracted. Qi Anning saw me last night, too!

Qi Ye’s gaze turned to one of absolute despair and grievance. He looked up at Shen Qingzhuo cautiously, terrified he would see a flash of disgust. He leaned closer to the man, almost like a plea. “Don’t believe him…”

Shen Qingzhuo didn’t understand why the boy had started crying, but the sight of Qi Ye’s tears threw his heart into chaos. Panic-stricken and unsure how to help, he felt the boy pull him closer. He adjusted his grip, pulling Qi Ye into a full embrace.

One hand held the boy close while the other stroked his back in a soothing motion. “Mm, I don’t believe him. It’s alright now; don’t be afraid.”

It was an incredibly tender gesture.

This was a conscious, face-to-face embrace even more intimate than when Qi Ye had carried him. Qi Ye buried his face in Shen Qingzhuo’s chest, taking a deep, shaky breath of that natural cedarwood scent.

“Don’t believe Huangfu Ying, either.” the youth whimpered against him, his eyes red with fear.

“Mm, I won’t.”

Shen Qingzhuo continued his gentle comfort; his heart filled with pity. What could have happened to scare a boy who braved the Demon Mist Forest and the Secret Realm without flinching?

“If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t ask. Last night, I used the Spirit-Descending Pill and the Lotus Brilliance Liquid to refine your meridians. Do you feel any different?”

At those words, Qi Ye’s eyes widened in shock. He pulled back from the embrace, staring in disbelief.

No wonder he felt so light no wonder he felt an endless surge of power in his veins. He had assumed it was simply because Shen Qingzhuo was there, making everything better.

“Items that precious.” Qi Ye stammered. “How could you use them on me? I’m not worthy of this.”

Shen Qingzhuo’s hand paused. Seeing the boy was doing better, he loosened his hold slightly.

“Precious things are meant to be used on important people,” Shen Qingzhuo said casually. He spoke as if the treasures countless cultivators would kill for were of no consequence. His tone wasn’t flippant; he was being entirely sincere.

Qi Ye heard only one phrase: important people.

Am I important to him?

Of course not, he told himself. Someone as radiant as Shen Qingzhuo would likely be better off without him. But the thought of losing the man felt like losing everything like the whole world going dark.

He didn’t know why. From the first time he saw Shen Qingzhuo, he had been helplessly drawn to him. That day, dressed in pale blue and moon-white, the man looked like the moon in the sky. That smile was something Qi Ye had remembered for a long time.

He had kept the man’s belongings just to have an excuse to see him again. When he heard the rumors of an annulment, he had been devastated, even though he usually didn’t care about such things. But even then, he wanted to see him one last time, bringing the dagger along to return it.

Yet, Shen Qingzhuo hadn’t broken the engagement. Though he knew the contract was unrealistic and could be dissolved at any moment with a single word from the man, he couldn’t help but indulge in the fantasy.

Before meeting Shen Qingzhuo, Qi Ye had never felt so inadequate.

“Your item, I’m returning it to you.” Qi Ye lowered his eyes, not daring to look at him as he produced the frost-colored dagger inlaid with the large blue gemstone.