The Beautiful Top Being Pursued Relentlessly [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 35

“Zijue, I thought that after you moved out to your own manor, it would be easier for me as your brother to invite you out. I never imagined it would become even more difficult.”

Inside a private room in the teahouse, tendrils of incense smoke drifted, creating a quiet distance from the bustling market outside. Crown Prince Xie Qi, dressed in casual robes with a jade crown securing his hair, was pouring tea for Xie Cheng while joking lightly.

His tone held an unavoidable hint of complaint. Hearing this, Xie Cheng listlessly lifted his eyelids and used his usual excuse. “I have been occupied with trifles and could not find the time.”

“Trifles,” the Crown Prince repeated. His gaze rested on Xie Cheng’s somewhat indifferent features, revealing a look that was almost indulgent. “A few days ago, Imperial Mother specifically called me in for questioning, worrying about what you were busy with outside the palace. I weighed my thoughts for a long time, unsure how to cover for you, and could only offer vague excuses to brush it off. Only then was I barely able to fulfill my duty.”

The Crown Prince’s tone was gentle, and his words were the typical idle chatter between brothers. He looked after Xie Cheng constantly, either pouring tea or handing him a piece of soft, sweet pastry.

As the sun rose higher, the summer heat quietly seeped into the room. The noise from the street market outside grew louder, surging like a tide. Only then did the Crown Prince set down his warm tea and give a slight nod to his personal guard, Lin Ji, who stood behind him.

Understanding the signal, Lin Ji gave a silent salute and withdrew to the outside of the room, carefully closing the door. The room fell silent; it was time to talk business.

Xie Cheng’s sitting posture remained unchanged, but his fingertips tightened almost imperceptibly around his teacup.

“Zijue,” the Crown Prince began, his voice lower than before. “When you say you are occupied with trifles, are there some thorny matters within the Hidden Pavilion that need handling?”

The Hidden Pavilion.

Xie Cheng turned serious and looked toward the Crown Prince.

The world said that Prince Zhao enjoyed the height of imperial favor and, due to his weak constitution, was a carefree and idle man. However, imperial favor meant more than just gifts of gold, silver, and jade, or being kept like a pampered pet. Beneath that surface, the ruler had granted him power he could truly hold in his hands.

Power.

The Hidden Pavilion under Xie Cheng’s command was a secret organization established by their ancestors. It existed independently of the court officials, specializing in monitoring the bureaucracy and gathering secrets. From the imperial nobility to the common citizens and even the lowest rungs of society, the Pavilion held the power of summary execution.

It was the standard equipment for many novels a high-status, mysterious intelligence organization. But in reality, the Eastern Li of today was at peace and the people were prosperous. The intelligence that reached Xie Cheng’s ears was mostly trivial gossip. For instance, a certain official’s concubine was having an affair with a guard and they had a child together, or a certain official had a preference for men, or another was badmouthing his boss in private. such cases were countless.

In the original plot, after the host’s death, the Hidden Pavilion fell into the hands of a eunuch, its power hollowed out until it was a mere shadow of its former self. That eunuch, however, was no simple character. He eventually discovered the complicated entanglements between the Protagonist and others and informed the Crown Prince. After a series of “dog-blood” drama and mutual torture, the leads finally ended up together.

In short, it was a tool for plot progression. Xie Cheng looked at the Crown Prince; he looked like a decent man, but who would have thought he’d have such a penchant for being cuckolded.

“Zijue?”

Xie Cheng’s gaze carried a hint of something indescribable. The Crown Prince sat up straighter, cleared his throat, and patted his sleeves. “Is there something on my face?”

“Nothing,” Xie Cheng uttered. He just found it a bit rare to see such a person. In the original plot, the Crown Prince knew about Ye Qing’s affairs early on but endured it in silence, even allowing Ye Qing to continue seeing those people.

The Crown Prince touched his face again before continuing with the business. “Zijue, have you heard of the Witch Clan?”

“I have not,” Xie Cheng replied.

“I learned of this by chance. Those of the Witch Clan are born with divine strength and can communicate with beasts,” the Crown Prince said slowly.

“And so?”

“Many in the Pingyang royal family belong to the Witch Clan; it is a secret among secrets. Now that Pingyang is weak and intends to surrender, we must still be wary of the Witch Clan.”

Xie Cheng saw nothing wrong with this. He asked, “If it is a secret among secrets, how did you come to know of it?”

The Crown Prince laughed, thinking his steady younger brother rarely had such childish moments. He explained, “Naturally, someone who is at odds with the Pingyang royalty provided the information.”

Whether it was an enemy of Pingyang or an enemy of Eastern Li, investigating the details was Xie Cheng’s job.

Xie Cheng took a sip of tea and lightly spat out four words: “Treacherous, petty man.”

“Indeed,” the Crown Prince agreed with a smile.

“Since he is a treacherous man, his words cannot be taken as absolute truth. I will investigate whatever is strange about this Witch Clan myself.”

“If you are willing to investigate, that is for the best.”

Xie Cheng gave a light response. The faint fragrance of tea lingered in his mouth for a long time. Suddenly, a clear, sharp bird cry came from outside the window.

The Crown Prince’s voice rose, sounding quite surprised. “Look, Zijue.”

Following the Crown Prince’s direction, Xie Cheng looked out the window. He saw several birds flitting out from the branches, flapping their wings as they flew toward the sky. No one was causing a disturbance, yet the birds were fleeing in a panic.

Suspicious.

Xie Cheng lowered his gaze slightly. Beneath an ancient pine tree outside the teahouse, two men were tugging at each other, their behavior eccentric.

One man was dressed in moon-white athletic robes. He was handsome, with spirited brows; even in the somewhat undignified struggle, he couldn’t hide his carefree aura. The other man looked. like a normal person.

The Crown Prince spoke leisurely: “What a coincidence, Zijue. That person is the Pingyang hostage, Jiang Yi.”

****

“Don’t pull me! Stop pulling me!”

Jiang Yi’s attendant, Shitou, was tugging hard at Jiang Yi’s sleeve, gritting his teeth. “The High Priest said you aren’t allowed to leave the Hostel. I must keep you locked up!”

“What kind of thing is the High Priest? If you keep pulling me, I’ll beat you!” Jiang Yi threatened.

“Abso-lutely-not !”

“Let go !” Jiang Yi used some force, and the sleeve ripped with a loud tear. He panted for a breath. “I’m going to find my Prince. Don’t stop me.”

The beautiful Prince was so afraid of the cold; if he didn’t have him to hold when he went to bed at night, he definitely wouldn’t sleep well. Jiang Yi glared at Shitou. “Honestly, I just bought these clothes and you ruined them.”

He’d just bought them, spending most of his savings! He’d specifically changed into them before coming out, braided the hair on both sides of his head, and fastened his best gold chain to his waist. The Prince hadn’t even seen them yet.

Jiang Yi tugged at the ruined sleeve and let out a huffy breath, muttering more complaints. Then, fearing Shitou would stop him again, he made a move to rush forward.

The moment he looked up, his gaze crashed into a pair of indifferent eyes in a second-floor room.

Behind the carved wooden window, Xie Cheng sat still like a painting of an immortal. The afternoon sun filtered through the frame, plating his silver-white hair with a layer of pale gold. A few strands of hair brushed against his perfectly lined jaw in the wind, making his skin look like jade cold and translucent.

He held a teacup, his fingers white and slender, almost blending with the fine white porcelain. Those eyes looking at Jiang Yi were deep and calm, currently veiled by a thin mist in the light.

Thump-thump-thump.

Jiang Yi clutched his racing heart. It felt as though it was being squeezed tight, then suddenly released, then squeezed again.  before it began to thrum wildly. All the noise around him faded; he could only see that one figure. The anger from the argument with his attendant and the annoyance over his sleeve vanished in an instant.

He gazed at Xie Cheng blankly, unwilling even to blink. Those eyes, usually full of spirit, were now wide, clearly reflecting Xie Cheng’s image alongside an irrepressible admiration and longing.

Longing…

In the second-floor room, Xie Cheng’s arm rested on the windowsill as he toyed with the cup, looking down to take a sip of tea. Leaving without a word. I should think of some severe punishment so he remembers this lesson well.

The thing to do now was to close the window.

At this thought, a hint of a smile touched Xie Cheng’s lips. While Jiang Yi was tilting his head back to look up, Xie Cheng’s fingers touched the window frame and, without hesitation, he pulled the two shutters shut.

With a soft click, Xie Cheng withdrew his gaze.

The Crown Prince was still immersed in thoughts of conspiracies and intrigue, his brow furrowed. “Zijue, what do you think of this person?”

Xie Cheng answered, “He is a fool.”

“Eh?”

“Look at that silly look of his. He won’t cause any trouble.”

“Throughout history, how many have used such a foolish appearance to hide their secret dealings?” the Crown Prince countered.

“So you also think he is a fool.”

Xie Cheng turned his head again, his gaze landing unerringly on a certain spot. Behind that window, the fool Jiang Yi was still there.

The Crown Prince: “?”

“Zijue, do not be deceived by his exterior.” The Crown Prince suddenly gulped down a cup of cold tea. He felt that what he was about to say was a bit difficult to voice, but he couldn’t stand to see Xie Cheng being tricked. He hesitated before speaking. “There are plenty of good men in this world.”

“People cannot deceive me.” Xie Cheng withdrew his gaze. “Brother, there is no need to worry. His thoughts are shallow; they are all written on his face.”

The Crown Prince sighed. “You and your stubborn temper.”

The “stubborn” Xie Cheng: 

“I’ll nag you a bit more; don’t find your brother annoying.” The Crown Prince said this, and then actually began to nag. “I remember when you were little.”

When you were born. When you were three. When you were five. When you were ten…

Xie Cheng set down his cup and rose amidst the Crown Prince’s nostalgic gaze. He grabbed his cloak from the back of the chair and draped it over his shoulders. “I have remembered a few trifles. We shall talk another day.”

“Zijue,” the Crown Prince said helplessly.

“I will have someone look into the matter you mentioned. I will let you know the results in a few days.”

“Don’t leave in such a hurry. I’ll go back to the manor with you.”

Xie Cheng didn’t refuse. The door had just opened when a familiar figure appeared unexpectedly.

Jiang Yi was standing there like a block of wood, craning his neck and looking around, frequently adjusting his torn sleeve to tuck the rip inside. Seeing Xie Cheng, Jiang Yi’s eyes lit up instantly, like a large dog wagging its tail. He used brute force to push aside the guard, Lin Ji, and strode in front of Xie Cheng, bringing a rush of air that sent his hair flapping into Lin Ji’s face.

“Your Highness!” Jiang Yi called out.

Meeting Jiang Yi’s burning gaze, Xie Cheng didn’t show much surprise. However, the words he spoke made Jiang Yi’s eyes squeeze shut.

“And who might you be?”

I’m the Big Tiger!

Jiang Yi only dared to say this in his heart. The apology he’d prepared was stuck in his throat; he couldn’t say it, and within moments, his shoulders slumped.

Xie Cheng’s voice deepened. “Speak.”

“Your Highness” Jiang Yi twisted the hem of his robe and tugged at the gold chain on his waist. He took a deep breath, his gaze flickering away as he didn’t dare look at Xie Cheng.Can I treat you to a bowl of noodles?

Awoo-woo.  inviting him for noodles. So stingy. But I really don’t have any more silver, waa.

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