The Young Marquis is Ruining the Court! - Chapter 9

In his modern life, Chi Zhou was an only child. His parents had passed away in a car accident, leaving him a substantial inheritance. He had lived alone since high school, with no siblings his own age and no experience interacting with girls much younger than him.

If he had to find a comparison, there were a few exceptionally lively young female interns at the company he later managed. Every day during lunch, they would sit together, chattering like a flock of sparrows on a power line, quite cute in their own way.

Chi Zhou would occasionally pass by and realized that kids these days had completely different hobbies than when he was in school. But even in the modern world, he had never heard of anyone so boldly asking two men on the street which one of them was going to have the baby.

Chi Zhou looked up at the sky, feeling lost for a moment, unable to tell whether he or Chi Tong was the true relic of the past.

Chi Tong pulled her gaze away from the apricot trees in the courtyard that had yet to bloom. Seeing Chi Zhou’s “contemplating the meaning of life” expression, she couldn’t help but chuckle. “Brother, are all those rumors in the capital true?”

Chi Zhou looked at her. “What rumors?”

Chi Tong walked ahead, speaking leisurely, “They say you are naturally dissolute and never satisfied. That you spend every night in brothels, taking on seven men a night, a true model for all men.”

She paused, turning back to look at Chi Zhou, who had turned to stone where he stood. A harmless, innocent smile curved her lips, looking truly curious. “I’m quite intrigued. With a reputation like that, how did you dare to propose to the Sixth Highness? Don’t you know that man,”

“From his very bones to his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, is he not entirely black to the core?” Chi Tong laughed softly, as if she really wanted to see her brother run into a wall and die right then and there.

For the rest of the way, Chi Zhou was a hollow shell.

He followed Chi Tong like a wooden puppet into the Old Madam’s Biwu Courtyard, apologized like a puppet, stood aside like a puppet while his grandmother lectured him, and finally stayed to eat dinner before returning.

When Ming Xi came to pick him up, the boy was still a bit guilty. He cautiously observed his master’s expression, mentally preparing to kowtow and beg for forgiveness the moment a hand was raised. However, Chi Zhou didn’t say a single word until they reached the small courtyard where he lived.

Ming Xi couldn’t help but wonder if the Madam had beaten him stupid.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally called out, “Young Master?”

Chi Zhou snapped out of it, his eyes shifting as he struggled to find his focus.

Ming Xi was so startled by that puppet-like gaze that he jumped back, throwing his hands up in a defensive stance, a cry of alarm nearly bursting from his throat.

Chi Zhou felt as though he were already dead. Seeing the boy’s dramatic reaction didn’t scare him, he just waved a hand with exhaustion. “Go on, leave me.”

The sound died in Ming Xi’s throat, leaving him breathless, and he suddenly broke into a fit of coughing.

Chi Zhou had no choice but to sigh. He walked over to pat the boy on the back and poured a cup of water from the teapot on the table.

Ming Xi gulped down the cold tea and blinked at his master. “Young Master, you’re okay, right?”

Chi Zhou replied, “I’m fine.” Just a little bit dead inside.

He sent Ming Xi away and curled up on the small couch by the window. He watched the sky outside the courtyard gradually dim, remaining motionless for a long time.

He was beginning to question his life.

Chi Zhou didn’t think he was particularly prudish. Although he had been single for twenty six years in the modern world, he had been focused first on his studies and then on work. Since he had grown up with very few family ties, he was used to being alone and didn’t have much of an emotional void to fill. Therefore, his understanding of romance was quite shallow, if you love each other, be together, if not, separate.

He didn’t think he held any feudal ideas about only loving one person for a lifetime, that was too much to ask for and not worth obsessing over.

But the original owner was just too far ahead of his time.

Too! Far! Ahead!

Chi Zhou knew that the Marquis of Ningping was described in the novel as a profligate, wine-soaked playboy, so he never expected him to be a decent person. But Chi Tong’s casual remarks from the afternoon had completely shattered his worldview.

It was even more shocking than learning he had to marry the male lead and then be fed to dogs after a slow execution.

Is he even human? Chi Zhou wondered. He must have surpassed biological limits.

He looked down, staring through his clothes at a certain part of himself, unable to wrap his head around it. Did the original owner really have that kind of stamina? It had to be fake, right?

Chi Zhou was in a daze, feeling both repulsed and filled with a strange, inexplicable curiosity. To be honest, he was curious, no man wouldn’t be. He really wanted to know.

But after staring for a while, he looked away. That was pretty perverse.

He decided to only believe half of the rumors. Actually, forget that, half of a half. Regardless, he didn’t believe the original owner had that kind of capability. Otherwise, with such a high libido, it would be hard to explain why he hadn’t even experienced a morning erection once in all the days he had occupied this body.

After thinking all afternoon, Chi Zhou finally found a breakthrough, attempting to ease his internal resistance through scientific reasoning.

But he was still having a breakdown.

Now, it wasn’t just about escaping a marriage, he even wanted to escape the country. While he had originally planned to use the remaining forty odd days to make a careful plan, he now wished he could hijack a carriage and flee into the night.

Dusk had just settled, and the courtyard gate wasn’t locked yet.

He thought for a while and eventually lost his patience. He leaped up, ran back to the bedroom, and grabbed the small bundle he had prepared a few days ago. Before heading out, he thought about it and pulled a fox-fur cloak from the wardrobe, tying it loosely so it just happened to cover the bundle on his back.

Chi Zhou pushed open the door and started walking, but before he could take more than a few steps, a confused voice came from behind him. “Young Master, where are you going?”

Chi Zhou froze. Ming Xi circled around to face him, staring at him thoughtfully for two seconds before coming to a sudden realization. He lowered his voice, sounding conflicted. “This isn’t good, Young Master. The Madam just got back.”

As soon as he said that, Chi Zhou knew the kid had misunderstood. But he was too lazy to explain. The original owner’s reputation made him want to bash his head against a wall, but if he could use it, he might as well.

So, Chi Zhou also lowered his voice, adopting a tone of authority. “I haven’t even settled the score with you for running off and leaving me alone this afternoon. If you dare tell my mother, I’ll cut your wages!”

Chi Zhou thought he had found the lightest punishment a feudal master could give a servant, but Ming Xi turned pale with shock and cried out, “No, Young Master! You can beat me if you want, but please don’t cut my wages! I have elders and children to support, my whole family depends on my pay!”

Chi Zhou: “…”

The wailing made Chi Zhou’s ears ring, and it took him a while to recover. “Where did the ‘children’ come from?” Chi Zhou asked.

Ming Xi replied, “I’m raising two ducks, a male and a female. They’re so cute. When it gets warmer, they’ll be able to lay eggs. Young Master, you can’t let us poor orphans and widows starve to death!”

Chi Zhou stared at him for a long time, wanting to ask how two ducks counted as “orphans and widows,” but he feared that if he asked, the kid would come up with even more unimaginable nonsense.

So he simply didn’t ask, and instead put on a fierce act. “Anyway, just pretend you didn’t see me go out tonight. Otherwise, I’ll strip your pants and beat you at the front gate for everyone to see.”

Ming Xi’s face grew even whiter, and he looked at Chi Zhou as if he were looking at the King of Hell. After struggling for two seconds, he turned and bolted back to his room.

Chi Zhou stood there watching his back and couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. Teasing the kid was actually fun and effectively eased his gloom.

Thinking this, Chi Zhou couldn’t help but think of another “kid.” Tsk.

He shook his head, driving a certain fierce big cat from his mind, and walked toward the back gate.

The back gate had fewer guards, and at this hour, they were all lazy after dinner. Worried about being seen, Chi Zhou didn’t go through the gate properly. He crouched down and slipped to a corner, found some stones to step on, and climbed over the wall.

After landing, he brushed the dust off his clothes and determined his direction. He hadn’t let Ming Xi follow, so naturally, there was no carriage.

The alley where the back gate of the Marquis Mansion was located was quiet and remote, quite a distance from the main street. Fortunately, though it was dark, the stars were bright enough that it wasn’t impossible to see the road.

As Chi Zhou walked through the alley, he couldn’t help but feel that things had turned out strangely. He had spent days thinking about running away but never did, only to be scared off by a few words from Chi Tong. He found it a bit funny, but he also calmly accepted the fact that he seemed to be a bit of a coward.

There was nothing he could do about it, the embarrassment was just too much. Anyone who had received a proper modern education would have a breakdown in this situation.

Chi Zhou walked step by step, his mind wandering aimlessly, and his anxious mood miraculously calmed down. The late spring breeze still carried a hint of chill as it brushed against him in the alley.

Chi Zhou tightened his cloak. Just as he was thinking that running away wasn’t as hard as he had imagined, he suddenly heard a dog barking.

At the end of the alley, a door opened. Someone stepped out carrying a lantern, followed by a black shadow.

With one look, Chi Zhou was paralyzed. He never knew he was afraid of dogs.

That dog was tiny, like a little baby, with short fur and a chubby body. It was pitch black, almost invisible in the night, except for its eyes which shone like two stars dropped into water. It had a powerful presence.

Chi Zhou instinctively took two steps back, silently hoping its owner would lead it in the opposite direction.

But fate was not on his side. Almost the exact moment Chi Zhou moved, he saw the puppy stop, spin around, and look toward him, its bright round eyes quickly locking onto his position. Then, before Chi Zhou could react, it charged toward him like a little cannonball, barking all the way.

Chi Zhou felt his blood freeze. He hadn’t been afraid of dogs before, but perhaps his nightmares were bleeding into reality. In his eyes, this scene perfectly overlapped with his dreams.

The cramped alley became a dim prison, the small puppy grew into a fierce wolfhound, and the standing figure became an executioner. It felt as though in the next moment, a sharp blade would cut his throat, taking the softest piece of meat to feed the pup, letting it chew and swallow before drooling over the rest of his flesh, eager to tear him apart.

Chi Zhou’s body tensed, every cell screaming at him to run, but his body remained frozen.

At the final second before the dog reached him, he snapped his eyes shut, like a swan offering its neck to the blade, and the sound of the wind around him ceased.

But at the same time, he heard a shout so cold and angry it pierced the night. “Get back here!”

The night was deep. The puppy’s excited barking turned into a whimpering whine. Chi Zhou opened his eyes in a daze. Through a blur of unshed tears, he saw Xie Jiu’s anxious and frightened face.

After a long silence, Chi Zhou let out a heavy, weary sigh and sat down against the wall. The evening breeze brushed past his cheeks, drying a single tear that hadn’t quite fallen.

“So, it’s the dog you’re raising.”

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