The Beautiful Top Being Pursued Relentlessly [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 53

The secret passage connected to the water dungeon ended behind a wooden cabinet in the study. As Xie Cheng emerged, he felt a lingering tightness in his chest. Needing some fresh air, he decided to take a stroll through the manor grounds alone, without summoning his usual attendants.

He hadn’t been walking the garden paths for more than fifteen minutes when a fine, cool drizzle began to fall. There were no pavilions nearby for shelter only a sprawling landscape of decorative rockeries. No servants were in sight.

Xie Cheng let himself stand in the rain for a moment before the Butler finally came scurrying over with an umbrella, frantic with worry.

By the time the Butler arrived, Xie Cheng had tucked himself into a narrow crevice at the base of a rockery. The space was so cramped he had to keep his head bowed. Rainwater streamed down from the cracks above, forming a shimmering curtain that obscured his expression.

The stone walls were cold and rough. Though they blocked the worst of the downpour, a fine mist was still blown in by the wind, soaking the hem of his robes until the fabric turned a deep, dark shade.

He leaned against the cold stone and closed his eyes. Tiny droplets of water clung to his long lashes. In the dim light, his face looked pale and fragile a truly pitiful sight.

“Oh, my dear Prince! Why are you hiding in here? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

The Butler jogged over, tilting the umbrella heavily toward the rockery to shield him. Looking at Xie Cheng’s damp clothes, he cried out, “What if you catch a chill? Quickly, My Lord, let’s get you back inside!”

Xie Cheng allowed himself to be led away. As the Butler used a handkerchief to wipe the moisture from his forehead, he grumbled, “Where has Young Master Jiang gone off to at a time like this? Is this how he takes care of you?”

Xie Cheng sniffed, his face devoid of emotion. “Don’t mention him.”

The Butler, sensing a change in the wind, whispered, “Did Young Master Jiang offend you, My Lord?”

Xie Cheng narrowed his eyes and shot him a sidelong glance.

The Butler slapped his thigh. “The man is truly ungrateful! Where else could he find a master as good as you? And yet he’s still thinking about the Wang family next door…”

“What Wang family is next door?”

The Butler adjusted the umbrella. “The Wangs are hiring a pageboy again—300 wen a month. When the notice went up, that ungrateful fellow went to check it out. He was acting all sneaky about it, too.”

Xie Cheng lowered his gaze. “I told you: do not mention him.”

Butler: 

As the rain intensified, Xie Cheng’s pace quickened, his robes fluttering as he splashed through the puddles. He wasn’t sulking. He just believed that men shouldn’t be spoiled—especially the silver-tongued, heartless kind.

When lunch arrived, Xie Cheng didn’t bother going to the dining hall in the rain. Instead, he had his meal brought to his bedroom. It was a private feast of five dishes and a soup, all prepared exactly to his taste.

As for a certain “pitiful” fellow who had annoyed him and was likely still dreaming of those 300 wen—Xie Cheng picked up his bamboo chopsticks and lifted a slice of crisp bamboo shoot.

In this manor, who would dare feed him? Let him starve.

The Uninvited Guest

After lunch, Xie Cheng wrapped himself in a quilt and tried to read. However, the chill he’d caught in the rain made his head feel heavy. Eventually, his chin dipped, and he drifted off against the soft pillows.

Though his eyes were closed, his mind remained somewhat alert. In that half-dreaming state, he heard a faint rustling. Someone was crawling onto the bed.

It felt like a big tiger that had done something wrong and gone hungry all day. It felt like a creature that only dared to tiptoe into the kitchen while its master slept to scavenge leftovers and stuff its face.

Suddenly, his earlobe was bitten.

Ouch. This mindless, tactless oaf.

The heat pressing against him was stifling. Half-asleep, Xie Cheng let out a muffled curse.

Behind him, Jiang Yi froze. He waited a few heartbeats before leaning back in to gently take the earlobe into his mouth again. “Mhm,” Jiang Yi mumbles, “I’m a bad guy.”

“Did you sneak out and play in the rain?” Jiang Yi pulled him closer. “Warm… let me warm you up. You can’t do that again, My Lord.”

Xie Cheng turned around and gave him a shove. He didn’t budge. Resigned, Xie Cheng hid his flushed face back in the quilt, his hand creeping down to give Jiang Yi’s waist a sharp pinch.

“Hiss!” Jiang Yi winced. “You’ve got a strong grip today, My Lord.”

Xie Cheng opened his eyes and glared at him. Just as he was about to kick the annoying man off the bed, Jiang Yi anticipated the move. He caught Xie Cheng’s cold calf in his palm, while Xie Cheng’s foot landed against something much warmer and softer.

“I know, I know. You want me to ‘scram’.”

As Jiang Yi spoke, his arms tightened around him. Even his tail, which had popped out, acted like a third hand, wrapping around Xie Cheng to pull him into a firm embrace. “Before I scram, let me warm you up a little more.”

Shameless. Utterly shameless.

Xie Cheng couldn’t stand him like this. He intentionally pressed his foot harder against Jiang Yi’s stomach. It was soft and didn’t offer much resistance.

Jiang Yi let him do it. To make it easier for the Prince, he turned on his side and tucked an arm under his own head, looking at Xie Cheng with a beaming smile.

“Take it easy, My Lord. I’m still on an empty stomach,” Jiang Yi said, taking Xie Cheng’s hand and pressing it against his abdomen. “See? It’s all flat.”

Xie Cheng: 

Xie Cheng felt like a fool. He muttered a single word: “Pervert.”

“What was that?” Jiang Yi leaned in.

“Scram,” Xie Cheng said coldly.

“I just got back and you’re already chasing me away? How cruel.” Jiang Yi used all “five limbs” to anchor himself to the man trying to push him off.

“Let go.”

Jiang Yi acted as though he didn’t understand a word. “It’s my fault, my fault. I saw you sleeping so soundly this morning and thought I’d be back quickly, so I didn’t say anything. I didn’t expect to be delayed so long.”

Xie Cheng raised a hand to cover his ears. The moment this man returned, the noise followed. It was exhausting.

“I went to try and catch Jiang Jingtian.”

Jiang Yi’s hand rested on Xie Cheng, idly rubbing his side as he chattered on. “Based on the info Qingzhu gave me, I went to that tavern. But by the time I got there, he was gone.”

You’d have better luck finding a ghost, Xie Cheng thought privately.

“But it wasn’t a total waste of time. On my way back, I ran into Prince Xian. I followed him and saw him enter the back door of the Wang family’s estate next door.”

Xie Cheng swatted at his wandering hand. What kind of ugly, two-eyed, one-mouthed thing is Prince Xian that he’s worth following for so long?

“The Wang family,” Jiang Yi emphasized, thinking Xie Cheng hadn’t noticed. “They’re the wealthiest family in the Imperial City. If they claim to be second best, no one would dare claim to be first.”

Xie Cheng internally rolled his eyes. If the people in the Palace heard such stupid talk, they’d throw you in the dungeon just to see if a few lashes could fill that empty head of yours.

“My Lord, he’s hoarding wealth on a massive scale,” Jiang Yi said, his tone turning serious.

Xie Cheng ducked his head back into the quilt. Forget it. You can’t fill an empty vessel. Prince Xian’s ambitions were common knowledge. Was Jiang Yi only finding out now?

“My Lord, the Imperial City is becoming dangerous. I won’t leave your side for a single moment,” Jiang Yi vowed. It sounded more like a worried mutter to himself. His eyes were clouded with anxiety as he repeated the sentiment several times.

Then, just as quickly, the gloom vanished. He pivoted to a new topic. “I heard from the Butler you didn’t eat much for lunch. Are you hungry?”

Xie Cheng: 

One second you’re worrying about the end of the world, and now this?

“Before I came back, I bought your favorite pastries and roasted cakes!” Jiang Yi announced.

Xie Cheng didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. Favorite? According to whom? You?

“Fine, fine. I thought they smelled good, so I brought them back for you to try.” Jiang Yi shuffled closer until they were chest to chest. “I put them on the brazier; they’re still warm.”

The Surprise

There was no going back to sleep. Xie Cheng was too annoyed, and his drowsiness had been thoroughly chased away. Since he was being harassed in bed anyway, he might as well get up for some peace.

When Jiang Yi sat up and gave him a gentle tug, he followed suit.

Xie Cheng draped an outer robe over his shoulders. His long, silver hair hung messily over his shoulders, and his face remained pale, marked by the irritation of being woken up. He sat at the table, ignoring the food on the heater. “I’m not hungry,” he said curtly.

Jiang Yi finished folding the quilt and immediately stuck to him like a shadow, sitting right beside him.

“Just one bite, My Lord.”

“No.”

Jiang Yi unwrapped the pastries and cakes. The sweet and savory scents collided in a rather aggressive wave of aroma. Xie Cheng rubbed his nose and let out a sneeze.

“You’ve definitely caught another chill.”

With that, Jiang Yi hopped up and began rummaging through the cabinets behind the screen. He moved with more familiarity than Xie Cheng, the actual owner of the room.

A moment later, he emerged holding a fur hat with thick, plush earflaps. It looked incredibly warm.

“Aha! I made this for you a few days ago. Finally, it’s useful!”

Jiang Yi walked over with a grin and, without a word of protest, plopped the hat onto Xie Cheng’s head. He used his palms to press it down firmly, making sure it fit snugly against the Prince’s scalp.

“No wind is getting in there,” Jiang Yi said proudly.

Xie Cheng lifted his gaze slightly to see the brim of white fox fur. It was fluffy, smelled faintly of incense, and was clearly brand new.

When did he make this?

“I made it in secret. I wanted to surprise you. It’s a bit early in the season, but it doesn’t matter.”

A surprise? Why on earth would he prepare a surprise?

Xie Cheng’s eyes flickered with a brief emotion before he looked away. “The manor does not lack such items,” he said flatly.

“I made it with my own hands. How can it be the same as something bought from a shop?” Jiang Yi rested his chin in his hand. “Since I made it myself, isn’t it much warmer?”

“It isn’t.”

“You’re lying again. You always love to lie to me.”

Xie Cheng didn’t respond. He never lied.

However, with the hat on, his headache did seem to dull slightly. At least the man had a bit of a heart.

“My Lord, if you don’t eat, the cakes will get cold.”

Jiang Yi held up the paper-wrapped food again, his pitiful, round eyes peeking out from behind the oil paper. “I tasted them. They’re really good.”

Xie Cheng was silent for a long moment. Finally, he reached out with two fingers, picked up a small piece of pastry, and placed it in his mouth.

“How is it?” Jiang Yi asked instantly.

“Passable.”

In truth, it was a bit too sweet and quite dense hard to chew and harder to swallow. It didn’t compare to the things Jiang Yi cooked himself.

Still, Xie Cheng begrudgingly accepted the peace offering.

And thus, the “Cold War” was officially over.

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