The Young Marquis is Ruining the Court! - Chapter 6

When Chi Zhou woke up, the world outside was completely dark. Only the flickering lanterns on the boat and the scattered starlight on the river cast swaying shadows through the window, igniting a single candle on the table.

He had slept so peacefully that for a moment he felt dazed, unable to remember where he was.

It felt as though he had simply finished a big project, held a celebration dinner with colleagues, had a few too many drinks, and then drifted through a long, distant dream.

In that state, good and evil didn’t matter. Now that the dream was over, he expected to return to reality, to his mundane yet fulfilling daily life.

But within a few blinks, Chi Zhou realized that this thought was the actual dream.

He was still on the pleasure boat. The daybed beneath him swayed slightly, rising and falling with the rhythm of the spring water.

Chi Zhou raised his arm to cover his eyes. After a long silence, he let out a soft exhale.

Perhaps it was because this was the first time in three days he hadn’t jolted awake from a nightmare; it had allowed those unrealistic thoughts to slip through the cracks and crawl back into his mind.

He couldn’t quite untangle his current feelings. Was it satisfaction or resignation? Despair or acceptance?

But at the very least, he’d had a good sleep. Chi Zhou felt he should be grateful for that.

He sat up. There was only one lit candle in the room; Xie Jiu was nowhere to be seen.

Chi Zhou walked to the window, propped it open, and looked out.

The view from this room was excellent. Looking out, he could see the willow trees lining the banks and a few scattered lanterns hanging in front of the local houses.

The shadows of broken stars danced on the river’s surface. The waning moon, washed by the current, turned into wavy patterns of light.

As he watched the people singing and dancing on the deck below, a sudden urge to go down and drink surged within him.

It was already late February.

The wedding date for the original host and Xie Mingjing was set for April 18th. By his count, he had only fifty days left.

In the modern world, fifty days was enough for Chi Zhou to fly to the other side of the planet. But here, he didn’t even know which direction to run.

Chi Zhou stood lost in thought by the window, not even hearing the door open behind him.

The light in the room suddenly brightened. Someone trimmed the candle wick. The flame flickered in the draft from the window, catching Chi Zhou’s eye.

He gathered his wits and turned around. Xie Jiu was opening a food box, and the faint, sweet scent of fermented rice wine wafted out.

Chi Zhou froze. An indescribable emotion began to spread from his heart.

“Fermented rice soup with tangyuan. I figured you were about to wake up, so I found someone in the kitchen to make a bowl. Come eat,” Xie Jiu said.

Chi Zhou didn’t move for a long moment. Having set out the bowl and chopsticks, Xie Jiu turned to look at him with confusion. His brow was slightly knit, as if urging him, and the sharp lines of his profile looked even more striking in the candlelight.

And yet, he looked incredibly… obedient.

Chi Zhou’s eyes curved into a smile as he walked to the table.

In the large white porcelain bowl, a thin layer of rice wine foam floated on top. Round glutinous rice balls sat alongside a perfectly poached, translucent egg.

The scent of alcohol was barely there, yet it appeared at exactly the right moment.

He had just woken from a hollow dream, wanting to numb his overly sober nerves with alcohol.

Chi Zhou shifted his gaze, pretending not to notice a blister that had mysteriously appeared on Xie Jiu’s finger.

He didn’t stand on ceremony. He didn’t ask if Xie Jiu had eaten or if they should share. He simply offered a quiet “thank you” and sat there, slowly and methodically finishing the entire bowl, drinking even the last of the soup.

He acted as if he didn’t notice the “big cat” beside him, whose expression shifted from anticipation to shock, before finally turning away to sit in a corner and sulk.

Chi Zhou couldn’t help but chuckle internally.

This kid is too cute. He was good-looking, had a fun personality, and flared up at the slightest tease. He was a perfect match for someone with Chi Zhou’s mischievous streak—though Chi Zhou hadn’t realized he had such a “wicked” side until today.

If they had met in the modern world, he suspected he might have actually cast aside his dignity to chase after this younger guy.

But unfortunately…

Chi Zhou lowered his eyes. The smile hadn’t even reached the corners of his eyes before he pulled it back.

Unfortunately, the original host was “engaged” to the male lead. Unfortunately, Xie Jiu was the original host’s romantic debt.

Inheriting the original host’s body was one thing, but he couldn’t very well inherit his lovers too, could he?

That would be truly low.

Chi Zhou set the bowl down and rested his cheek on his hand, looking at Xie Jiu.

Perhaps because the daylight had faded, or perhaps because he’d finally slept well, Chi Zhou felt lazy. His vigilance and defenses had been temporarily tossed to the back of his mind.

He stared at Xie Jiu’s profile openly, a thousand times more brazenly than when he’d been sneakily staring at the man’s fingers earlier that afternoon.

The light was too dim and warm for Chi Zhou to see if the kid was blushing, but when the youth finally couldn’t take the staring anymore and shot a look his way, Chi Zhou spoke first: “I’m a bit curious. Is your family name really Xie?”

Xie Jiu blinked, seemingly caught off guard by the question. He hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yes.”

Chi Zhou murmured softly, “The Imperial surname.”

In the modern world, people with the same surname were a dime a dozen. Chi Zhou hadn’t reacted when he first heard the name, but now that his head was clear, he realized what it meant to have the name ‘Xie’ at the foot of the Imperial city.

An Imperial surname, yet working as an entertainer for people’s amusement…

Either the family had fallen from grace, or he was of slave status and had been given the surname by a master—a master who happened to be royalty.

Chi Zhou couldn’t guess and didn’t want to pry. Regardless of the truth, asking would be like picking at a scab. It was unnecessary, and quite arrogant.

But seeing Chi Zhou’s silence, Xie Jiu volunteered: “My ancestors were once wealthy.”

Chi Zhou was slightly stunned, then he lowered his head and laughed softly. When he spoke again, he sounded more relaxed and a bit helpless: “Why are you so honest?”

The kid gave him the illusion that if he just tried a little bit to coax him, the boy might hand over his entire life savings.

Xie Jiu remained silent. Having laughed his fill, Chi Zhou leaned forward, looking up into Xie Jiu’s eyes. He said, half-joking and half-serious: “With the way you are, if I took you back with me, people would just bully you, wouldn’t they?”

The boat had traveled to who-knows-where, and Chi Zhou hadn’t even asked if they had docked.

The window was open. Starlight, scattered by the river, reflected onto the glazed tiles near the frame, making them shimmer. Below, the music was winding and beautiful, punctuated by soft murmurs and laughter, painting the spring waters with the colors of a dream.

Xie Jiu didn’t move for a long time. Whether he didn’t understand or was simply dazed, he just stared back, looking at the reflection of the starlight in Chi Zhou’s pupils.

Finally, he spoke, his voice tinged with a faint, hidden bitterness: “Where would you take me?”

“The Marquis Estate,” Chi Zhou said with a smile. But before the other could respond, he quickly added: “But you know, don’t you? I’m supposed to marry the Sixth Prince soon.”

Xie Jiu nodded. “Yes.” He paused, then added, “I know.”

Chi Zhou put on a troubled face. “But the Sixth Prince is of Imperial blood. He’s also tyrannical and incredibly jealous. If I brought you into the estate, he would definitely bully you in the future.”

Outside the window, there was a splash, as if something heavy had fallen into the water.

Xie Jiu frowned and shot a displeased look toward the sound, missing the chance to argue with Chi Zhou’s words.

“I could never bear to let you suffer like that.” The sweet lies flowed effortlessly. Chi Zhou laughed softly and reached out to brush Xie Jiu’s hand, successfully finding that tiny mole again.

Xie Jiu’s entire body shivered. He sat up straight, his eyes widening as he glared at Chi Zhou.

Chi Zhou’s smile was irrepressible, but he had already let go, acting as if it were a mere accident rather than a deliberate flirtation.

He said with a sigh, “But I’m worried he’ll find out about you sooner or later. After all, I like you so much.”

The more Chi Zhou spoke, the more practiced he became. He was starting to admire his own ability to lie through his teeth.

He continued: “How about this? I’ll buy out your contract, then set up a house for you in the suburbs. What do you think about moving there?”

Though, he wouldn’t actually be going to visit Xie Jiu.

Maybe it was because he was a man after all, and there was that deep-seated male urge to “save the fallen woman” (or in this case, the beautiful youth). Or maybe it was because the fermented rice soup was so perfectly sweetened that it had satisfied his body and soul.

Or perhaps it was just because he instinctively refused to imagine how many “lessons” a beautiful but prickly cat like Xie Jiu had to endure in a place like The Glazed Moon to be able to guess an emerald guest’s thoughts so accurately—even timing a hot dessert perfectly, at the cost of burning a blister onto his finger.

Just thinking about it was distressing. It was like a pampered house cat going missing, only to be found in a cat café, forced to sell its charms day and night for a cheap cat treat, its fur no longer smooth, its meows pleading and sad.

That was just wrong.

Chi Zhou closed his eyes, stopping his “cat-projection” thoughts.

He wasn’t sure if Xie Jiu would agree. After all, the person the youth was familiar with was the original host, not him. He also wasn’t sure if the boy was this attentive to every guest, or if he was uniquely devoted to the original host.

But Chi Zhou wanted to ask anyway. He wanted to take him away.

Cats belong on land, don’t they?

A breeze drifted in, carrying a hint of sweetness from the air. Xie Jiu was silent for a long time. So long, in fact, that Chi Zhou assumed it was a silent rejection. Finally, he spoke.

Xie Jiu asked: “Are you going to keep me?”

Chi Zhou, who had been feeling a bit dejected, saw his eyes light up. He nodded with a smile: “Yes.”

He had told many lies today, but this one sentence was entirely sincere.

The Ningping Estate was wealthy, and this was the original host’s mess. Since he had decided to leave, he couldn’t take all the assets anyway. Using the original host’s money to take care of the original host’s lover—how was that not “keeping” him?

Xie Jiu stared at Chi Zhou. Sounds erupted and faded in his ears; clusters of fireworks bloomed and died behind him.

Long after the noise and bustle had dissipated, he shook his head and said in a low voice, “You’re lying to me.”

Chi Zhou froze. The lingering glow of the last firework seemed to still be reflected in his eyes. He saw Xie Jiu open his mouth as if to say something, but then swallow it back. Finally, the youth just said softly: “We’ve docked. You should get off the boat.”

The moon was hidden by clouds. Even the stars in the Xuanxing River had vanished. People came and went from the pleasure boat, the noise returning to a hollow silence. It felt like a brief, frantic dream.

Chi Zhou stepped onto the pier. He looked back through the crowded throngs at the brightly lit pleasure boat, still standing silent in the dark river of the night.

He suddenly felt a surge of intense curiosity. He wanted to turn around, fight through the crowd, step onto the bridge, and leap back onto that magnificent boat like jumping into the river. He wanted to ask Xie Jiu:

What were you going to say?

What were you hoping for?

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