The Beautiful Top Being Pursued Relentlessly [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 50

A full day had passed since they left the manor, yet none of the staff at “The World’s Finest” had come to urge them to leave.

By the time Xie Cheng and Jiang Yi finished their lingering playfulness in the private room, shared a few more cups of hot tea, and finally made their way downstairs, the main hall was nearly empty and quiet.

The waiter, who had been bustling about earlier, hurried over with a flurry of flattering words. He then pulled an abacus from his sleeve, his fingers flying across the beads with a rapid clack-clack-clack.

“The cover charge is twenty copper coins per person per hour. You two remained in the top-floor room for four hours and fifteen minutes. We’ll waive the fifteen minutes, so that brings us to a total of one hundred and sixty copper coins.”

“Wait.”

Jiang Yi pressed his hand down on the abacus, cutting him off. “One hundred and sixty coins just for the seats?”

Where did this bandit come from?

The waiter looked up, baffled. “That is correct, sir.”

“You never said it was billed by the hour!”

The waiter finally realized the situation: this man looked the part of a gentleman but didn’t seem to have a single silver scrap in his pockets. His tone turned sharp. “Sir, look at how busy we are. Seats are at a premium; people wait in line for hours just for a chance to sit here. Naturally, we bill by the hour.”

“Then you should have made that clear from the start.”

Jiang Yi wasn’t about to let himself be scammed.

The waiter sneered, abandoning his abacus. “If you’re feeling the pinch, there’s a noodle stall in the alley just to your left. It’s cheap and filling. Why bother coming here at all?”

“You!”

Just as Jiang Yi was about to snap back, a slender hand came to rest on his shoulder. The hand was a pale, cool white, and it carried an undeniable weight as it pulled him back a step.

“Keep calculating,” Xie Cheng said calmly.

Xie Cheng looked at the waiter with a cold, indifferent gaze that made the man’s knees turn to jelly. The waiter immediately ducked his head and went back to his abacus, his fingers trembling.

“The total comes to… one tael and three li of silver.”

“Barely over a tael,” Xie Cheng remarked. His fingers curled slightly, rubbing Jiang Yi’s shoulder to soothe the bristling “big tiger.” “And yet you act as though you have the heavens backing you.”

“Exactly! Did I say I wouldn’t pay?” Jiang Yi huffed.

With Xie Cheng backing him up, Jiang Yi’s tiger ears almost popped out in triumph. He rummaged through his coin purse for a moment and produced a small piece of broken silver about the size of a thumb, tossing it onto the waiter’s abacus.

Jiang Yi took hold of his magnificent Prince’s hand and tilted his chin up. “Go weigh it. Give me back the change.”

The waiter squeezed out a pathetic smile, though neither of them spared him a second glance. He weighed the silver and returned five copper coins to Jiang Yi. He tried to offer a few more fawning apologies, but by the time he looked up, the two young men were already far away.

The night was deep and chilly, but Shui Shi’s carriage was already waiting outside. Within a few steps, Xie Cheng was tucked into the cozy, warm interior.

“Where did you get that scrap of silver?” Xie Cheng asked.

He had actually been looking forward to the boy grabbing his sleeve and begging for help.

“The Great Priest gave it to me earlier,” Jiang Yi confessed.

“He gave you that as a household allowance because he felt sorry for you, and you just blew it all in one go?”

“How is this blowing it?” Jiang Yi grinned, patting his still-bulging purse. “I still have plenty of money.”

Xie Cheng glanced at the “plenty of money” purse.

“Next time I’ll take you out to apologize again,” Jiang Yi whispered, leaning in and counting the coins in his bag. “Though next time we might only be able to afford the noodle stall… but! As soon as I earn another piece of silver, I’ll bring you back to a proper restaurant.”

“You haven’t even messed up yet, and here you are talking about apologies,” Xie Cheng said, smoothing his robes. “Nonsense.”

“It’s just an excuse to go out.”

“Did I ever say I wouldn’t allow you to take me out?”

Xie Cheng’s casual remark hung clearly in the quiet carriage. Jiang Yi’s eyes lit up instantly. He shifted over, his knee pressing against Xie Cheng’s thigh as he grabbed the Prince’s hand. “Really?”

His palms were hot with excitement and the lingering effects of the wine, tightly enveloping Xie Cheng’s cool fingers. Xie Cheng looked down at their joined hands. He didn’t pull away; instead, his fingers twitched almost imperceptibly. He could feel Jiang Yi’s overflowing joy radiating through his skin like a warm current.

“Yes,” he replied patiently.

“You’re the best, Your Highness.”

Jiang Yi tilted his head and rested it on Xie Cheng’s shoulder. He was a bit heavy. The warmth of his breath and his sheer dependency made Xie Cheng hesitate to push him away; instead, he let his hand rest gently on top of the boy’s head.

The hair was soft. Xie Cheng stroked it for a while, and soon, a soft, bouncy tiger ear nudged into his palm, staying there obediently so he could knead it into different shapes.

Jiang Yi leaned his entire weight against Xie Cheng, counting on his fingers. “Next time you have a day off, we can find that Crescent Lake. I also heard there’s a new acrobatics troupe in the West Market everyone’s talking about them. And the riverboats on the East Street… they look so beautiful at night when the lanterns are lit.”

He rambled on, his warm breath brushing against Xie Cheng’s neck. Xie Cheng listened in silence, never interrupting.

As the carriage rolled smoothly toward the manor, Xie Cheng felt sleepiness washing over him again. Once Jiang Yi finished his list, Xie Cheng rested his head against Jiang Yi’s and slid down until he was pillowed on the boy’s lap.

The regular rhythm of the wheels over the cobblestones was like a lullaby. Jiang Yi looked down, tracing Xie Cheng’s features softened by the warm light and leaned down to press a gentle kiss on his closed eyelids.

The next morning, the “price” of the wine came due.

The faint morning light didn’t bring any clarity, only discomfort. Xie Cheng lay in bed, feeling every bit of the hangover. He woke to a dull, throbbing pain in his head.

The pressure points on his scalp felt like they were being pricked with needles, and his forehead was pulsing. His throat was parched, and a wave of nausea hit him. He wasn’t built for this; his naturally lean frame felt like it was falling apart. He tried stacking and re-stacking his pillows, but no matter the height, he couldn’t get comfortable.

He was good at enduring pain, though. He kept his eyes squeezed shut and didn’t make a sound, his pale fingers clenching the edge of the blanket.

“It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault,” Jiang Yi fretted.

He had noticed Xie Cheng’s state early on and had been rushing between the manor doctor and the kitchen. Before long, he pushed the door open, carrying a bowl of dark, pungent medicine.

“Water,” Xie Cheng managed.

“Water’s here, water’s here.” Jiang Yi set the medicine down and helped Xie Cheng sip some warm water to soothe his throat.

Seeing the Prince’s pale face and cold sweat, Jiang Yi wrung out a warm cloth and carefully—if a bit clumsily wiped his forehead and cheeks. Once finished, he brought the medicine over.

Xie Cheng took one whiff and turned his head away in disgust. “Why does this smell like blood?”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Jiang Yi stammered. “You’re just sick, Your Highness; that’s why your senses are off. This is the doctor’s prescription. It’s fine.”

“It smells like blood. I’m not drinking it.”

“Don’t be difficult, Your Highness. Drink up.”

Xie-Difficult-Cheng stared at Jiang Yi.

“Good boy, take your medicine.”

Xie-Good-Boy-Cheng frowned in confusion.

“Alright, don’t look at me like that.” Jiang Yi found a perfect angle and tipped the medicine into Xie Cheng’s mouth.

Xie Cheng tried to raise a stiff arm to block him, but the metallic taste of blood was already spreading across his tongue. With the bowl pressed against his lips, he had no choice but to swallow.

There was definitely blood in that.

Xie Cheng coughed a few times. Seeing the empty bowl, Jiang Yi let out a sigh of relief. “I didn’t take good enough care of you.  But you’ll be healthy and strong from now on.”

Xie Cheng pursed his lips and pulled the duvet up to his nose, leaving only his forehead exposed for Jiang Yi to stroke.

“Go back to sleep after this,” Jiang Yi whispered, tucking him in.

“No,” Xie Cheng refused.

“Then what do you want to do?”

Xie Cheng glanced at the book on the table. The meaning was clear: Read to me.

Clang! Jiang Yi jumped up from his stool, completely ignoring the request. “I just remembered I’m brewing chicken soup for you! I need to go see if it’s ready.”

“Be a good boy and nap. I’ll be right back.” Jiang Yi kissed Xie Cheng’s forehead and hurried out of the room without looking back.

Xie Cheng stared at the door. He left? He just left me here? He burrowed deeper into the blankets, fuming.

Right then, Shui Shi chose the absolute worst time to enter. “Your Highness, Prince Xian and the Pingyang Heir are meeting secretly at that restaurant again. Should we…?” He made a throat-slitting gesture.

Better to remove the traitors before they cause trouble.

“Wait,” Xie Cheng said curtly from under the covers.

“Wait for what?”

“Wait until they can’t sit still anymore, then we catch everyone in one net,” Xie Cheng grumbled.

“So we just ignore them for now?”

“No.” Xie Cheng let out a sigh. “We need to point out a few subtle flaws in their plan—nothing so obvious it looks like a trap, but enough to keep them on their toes without making them overly suspicious.”

“Understood.”

“Start with that Pingyang Heir.”

“Your Highness’s intent is.?”

“He entered the city without an invitation and has been hiding like a rat. Where is our Great Dongli’s hospitality?”

Shui Shi caught on. “I understand perfectly.”

Xie Cheng waved him away, but Shui Shi hesitated. “Actually, Your Highness, there is one more thing.”

“What?” Xie Cheng asked wearily.

“It’s about Young Master Jiang.” Shui Shi peeked at Xie Cheng’s face before bracing himself. “This morning, someone came to see him. They seemed to be getting along quite well.”

“Quite well?”

“Yes.”

“And what is he doing now?”

“He is in the kitchen with that person, brewing chicken soup for you,” Shui Shi reported.

Xie Cheng let out a low “Oh.” He pulled the duvet tighter and closed his eyes.

“You can go.”

“I’m tired.”

Jiang Yi said I should sleep after taking my medicine.

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