The Sickly Beauty Official Faked His Death and Now the Tyrant Has Gone Mad - Chapter 33

White clouds drifted leisurely, the sunlight often blocked by them one moment bathing the earth in gold, the next vanishing entirely, as if toying with people’s hearts.

Su Yang stood nearby, smiling softly. His smile seemed to lift with the curve of Lin Huaiyu’s lips, making him appear somewhat extraordinary.

Lin Huaiyu seemed to notice him only then, his gaze falling lightly yet meaningfully upon Su Yang.

Sensing Lin Huaiyu’s attention, Su Yang’s breath hitched, his entire body tensing like a drawn bowstring. He met Lin Huaiyu’s eyes, about to speak his first words to him, but just as their gazes touched, Lin Huaiyu withdrew his own.

Their eyes never truly met.

Su Yang’s half-opened mouth could only close again, his expression desolate.

He knew Lin Huaiyu didn’t want to acknowledge him.

Lin Huaiyu shifted his focus back to Fang Zhixu, who remained kneeling on the ground. Gently patting the young man’s shoulder, he said, “Aren’t your legs sore from kneeling so long? Get up.”

Su Yang’s gaze faltered slightly.

Fang Zhixu shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt. I like kneeling by your side, keeping you company.”

Lin Huaiyu chuckled softly. “How old are you now? You’re the top scholar of the imperial examination, a Hanlin Academy scholar with heavy responsibilities. And here you are, still acting spoiled with your teacher?”

Fang Zhixu looked up at Lin Huaiyu, resting his head on his teacher’s knee as he pursed his lips and asked, “Can a top scholar not act spoiled with his teacher? Besides, when have I ever acted spoiled? I’m just worried about you. It’s been so long since I last saw you I’ve missed you.”

Lin Huaiyu shook his head helplessly. “When have I ever been unavailable? Go and oversee the flood control project.”

Fang Zhixu pressed his lips together, reluctant. “You’re sending me away already? I’ve only just seen you for a short while.”

Lin Huaiyu lightly tapped Fang Zhixu’s forehead. “Be good. When you return tonight, I’ll prepare dinner for you.”

Fang Zhixu’s eyes instantly brightened. Since Lin Huaiyu had said so, he could only obey and leave obediently. “Then you must keep your word, Teacher!”

But just as he stood up, before he could tear his gaze away from Lin Huaiyu, he suddenly noticed a trace of blood seeping from the corner of Lin Huaiyu’s lips.

Not only him everyone’s eyes were on Lin Huaiyu, and they all noticed the blood. Panicked, they stared at him, except for He Qingli, who stood nearby, watching the scene with relative calm, though his hand had already reached for the medicine chest.

Fang Zhixu, being the closest, reached out and gently wiped the blood from Lin Huaiyu’s lips with his fingertip. His burning finger brushed against Lin Huaiyu’s pale, cool skin, and he quickly withdrew his hand.

His teacher’s face wasn’t particularly fleshy, but his skin was smooth and elastic, the line of his jaw taut and graceful, making him.

unwilling to pull away.

Beneath his sleeve, Fang Zhixu’s fingertip still retained the sensation of Lin Huaiyu’s skin. He rubbed it lightly and asked, “What’s wrong, Teacher? Why are you coughing up blood? Has your illness worsened?”

As he spoke, he turned to look at He Qingli, hoping for an answer from him.

Lin Huaiyu spoke first. “It’s nothing. Just a normal part of the treatment no need to make a fuss.”

Fang Zhixu frowned, turning to He Qingli for confirmation. “Why would coughing up blood be part of the treatment?”

He Qingli silently looked up. They even performed bloodletting during the treatment, but they just didn’t know about it. If they found out, it would be a disaster.

He could only cooperate with Lin Huaiyu, downplaying the severity of the situation: “It’s just a method of treatment. Don’t worry. We need to expel the toxins from his body, so he’ll occasionally cough up blood. You’ll get used to it.”

He spoke lightly, but Fang Zhixu’s furrowed brow refused to relax.

Lin Huaiyu patted his hand, soothing him: “It’s really nothing. Don’t you trust the master’s words?”

Fang Zhixu had no choice but to lower his head and say, “Of course, I trust the master’s words.”

“Then go and deal with the flood situation first. National affairs and the people’s welfare are the most important,” Lin Huaiyu urged.

Upon hearing this, Su Yang couldn’t help but look at Lin Huaiyu, his gaze filled with complex emotions.

Lin Huaiyu was still the same Lin Huaiyu. No matter the circumstances, as long as he had a breath left in him, his heart would always be with the people.

But what about himself? Why did he never think of himself?

Fang Zhixu had always trusted Lin Huaiyu’s words, so he reluctantly left, looking back every few steps.

Watching Fang Zhixu leave, Lin Huaiyu picked up the teacup beside him and took another sip of tea, washing away the taste of blood in his mouth. Then, he turned his gaze to Jing Fei and asked, “Does the Seventh Prince have any other matters?”

Jing Fei fanned himself with his fan, staring at Lin Huaiyu without blinking: “I’ve long heard of the tales of Master Yuxi and thought they were exaggerated. But now that I’ve seen you, I feel those descriptions are still too shallow. Master Yuxi truly leaves one unable to look away, wanting to gaze a little longer.”

Lin Huaiyu chuckled softly, unbothered by Jing Fei’s teasing. He glanced at Ji Wuyou and said calmly, “What a pity. There’s no place for you in this courtyard anymore.”

Ji Wuyou nodded vigorously, looking at Jing Fei with disdain and shouting, “See this tree? This is my territory. There’s no room for you here. Get lost!”

Jing Fei laughed, shaking his head as he looked at Ji Wuyou and mocked him: “The Crown Prince of Great Chu, sleeping in a small courtyard in Jiangnan, and still so righteous. Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at?”

Ji Wuyou sneered: “I know, you just want to steal my spot. You talk so nicely, huh? No way, not giving it to you!”

Jing Fei smiled and didn’t argue further, but Ji Wuyou saw him roll his eyes and immediately started bickering again: “I’ll give you a suggestion! You can sleep on the stone lion at the entrance! Be a doorkeeper! The Seventh Prince of Daxing, a doorkeeper, hahahahahaha, how laughable!”

Ji Wuyou was the type who would keep talking even if no one argued with him. Jing Fei didn’t want to say more, but his expression still showed defiance. So Ji Wuyou leaned closer and said with a smile, “But I remember, the Seventh Prince isn’t favored. You came to find Master Yuxi to make him your strategist, didn’t you?”

The smile on Jing Fei’s lips froze for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure, his voice slightly cool: “I truly admire Master Yuxi. As for you, you’re the one with ulterior motives, aren’t you?”

The two of them were busy exposing each other’s dark sides, but Lin Huaiyu paid them no mind. He reached for the teapot and leisurely poured himself another cup of tea.

Unexpectedly, a gentle breeze brushed past, lifting his sleeve and exposing a small section of his pale, slender wrist to the sunlight.

Su Yang’s pupils contracted sharply. Unable to hold back any longer, he disregarded everything else, stepped forward, and seized Lin Huaiyu’s wrist. His voice trembled, carrying boundless fury: “How did this happen? Who hurt you?!”

The two people arguing nearby immediately fell silent and turned their gazes toward Lin Huaiyu. Seeing the scars on his wrist, they both froze in shock.

That snow-white wrist was covered densely with knife marks. The cuts weren’t too deep some had already healed, while others were clearly fresh wounds. It was evident that this had been a prolonged and ongoing form of abuse.

The atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly grew heavy. The tension between the several individuals escalated, their focus now surprisingly aligned.

He Qingli felt that if he didn’t explain soon, he might end up dismembered and hung on the city walls to dry.

He Qingli’s beard twitched as he prepared to speak, but Lin Huaiyu beat him to it, his expression calm and detached: “It’s merely a treatment method. Your Majesty need not make such a fuss.”

Lin Huaiyu tried to pull his hand back, but after a year apart, the disparity in strength between him and Su Yang had grown even greater he couldn’t budge it at all.

Lin Huaiyu couldn’t help but frown slightly.

Su Yang actually wanted to say many things to Lin Huaiyu. He wanted to ask why Lin Huaiyu had abandoned him, why he had been so heartless as to erase every trace of his existence in the capital. He wanted to ask how Lin Huaiyu had been this past year, whether he had ever thought of him…

But the words caught in his throat, twisting and turning, until in the end, he simply looked at Lin Huaiyu and asked softly, “Does it hurt?”

Lin Huaiyu’s gaze remained fixed on where Su Yang was gripping his wrist, his tone indifferent: “It doesn’t hurt.”

Su Yang’s brow furrowed as he tightened his grip on Lin Huaiyu’s hand: “You’re lying to me. How could it not hurt?”

Lin Huaiyu pressed his lips together, shifting his gaze away to look elsewhere: “Then why did you ask?”

Su Yang was taken aback. In that moment of distraction, Lin Huaiyu seized the opportunity to pull his hand free.

His palm now empty, Su Yang rubbed his fingers together, feeling the lingering warmth of Lin Huaiyu’s skin. His breathing grew slightly heavier.

He didn’t dare to hope for anything, nor did he dare to do anything more. When Lin Huaiyu had driven them all away, Su Yang hadn’t been able to force him to let him stay.

He knew that, at this moment, the person Lin Huaiyu least wanted to keep was probably him.

Su Yang walked absentmindedly through the streets, indifferent to the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan. Boats came and went in the river beside the road, carrying many passengers a scene completely different from the capital.

He wondered if Lin Huaiyu had struggled to adjust when he first arrived.

Su Yang paused mid-step, then laughed at himself mockingly.

Lin Huaiyu was originally from Jiangnan. How could he not adjust after returning home?

He really was.

Just as he was about to walk on, he realized he didn’t know where to go. He had come to find Lin Huaiyu, and now that he had found him, he still felt like a homeless stray dog, wandering aimlessly through the streets.

Suddenly, a street vendor bumped into him. The man was holding a stack of books and, looking up at Su Yang, saw a handsome face tinged with confusion and a touch of desolation.

Perhaps out of pity for someone who seemed alone, the vendor pulled out a book and said, “Want to buy a book? The latest volume of stories really good stuff! Guaranteed to lift your spirits after reading!”

Su Yang pushed him away, his mood low: “No need. I don’t enjoy reading.”

The vendor looked at Su Yang’s expression, thought for a moment, then smiled and said, “Do you have a girl you like, but she doesn’t like you back? Did your confession fail?”

Hearing this, Su Yang paused in his steps, turned to look at him, his tone carrying a hint of danger. “How would you know?”

The vendor grinned and waved the storybook in his hand, leaning closer to Su Yang. “Buy this book, sir. These stories all say that someone looking as lost and dejected as you just now is clearly suffering from unrequited love.”

Su Yang: “…I’m not buying.”

He turned to leave again, but the vendor circled around to block his path, still smiling. “Then how about this one! This book is full of strategies for pursuing someone. I guarantee the other person won’t be able to resist your advances. With these three hundred and sixty tactics, who knows maybe they’ll fall for it and accept your confession!”

Only then did Su Yang’s gaze fall on the book in the vendor’s hand.

Twelve Ways to Win Her Heart

With a cold expression, Su Yang snatched the book and tossed a silver ingot to the vendor. “I’ll take it.”