Chapter 54
Jinbao cursed, “What the fuck, are you really planning to rape me or something? Have you lost your mind? Let me go right now!”
“I won’t let go. What if I do rape you? What’s wrong with that? What do I lack compared to him? Why can’t you give me a chance? I’m the one who saved you, I’m the one who took you home. Why is it that he can discard you when he feels like it and take you back when he wants? Why? I’m the one by your side. Why can’t you see me?”
These words left both of them feeling bitter, and the sadness slowly filled the air.
Jinbao sighed, “Let go of me. Let’s just talk this through.”
Young Master Lou sniffled, realizing things couldn’t go on like this, and climbed off him.
Jinbao, naked, didn’t care. It was too dark to see much, but he could make out the tear-filled shimmer in Lou Jingyu’s eyes, which made him feel worse.
He knew what it felt like to pour out all your passion only to end up with nothing. Even though Lou Jingyu was younger and still somewhat childish toward him, a kid could still feel hurt. And knowing he’d hurt someone else, Jinbao couldn’t feel at ease either.
“Brother Jinbao, is it just because you think I’m too young? I’m only four years younger than you. What if I were older? If you had met me first, would you have liked me?”
Jinbao mumbled, “Honestly, I don’t know. But I’ve made up my mind. I’m not getting involved with men anymore. I never liked men in the first place. If it wasn’t for… Sigh.”
Lou Jingyu scooted closer to him. “Then, will you ever get back with him?”
Jinbao shook his head, then remembered Lou couldn’t see him, so he said aloud, “No. A real man doesn’t backtrack.”
“Then, can I stay by your side? Maybe for a year or two, you still won’t like me. But what about ten, twenty years? As long as I’m here, you won’t be interested in anyone else. Maybe someday you’ll fall for me.”
Jinbao’s head ached. “Why are you doing this? What do you think you’ll gain from being with me? Aren’t you afraid your brother will kill you?”
“I just like being with you. It makes me happy. Our Lou family has always been free-spirited. My parents don’t care, and my brother won’t kill me over this.”
“But I really don’t have those feelings for you. Don’t waste your time, okay?”
Lou Jingyu stubbornly shook his head. “No.”
Jinbao collapsed back onto the bed, feeling like talking sense into Lou was harder than talking to a mule. A complete waste of breath.
He really wanted to tell Lou that no matter what Que Siming had done or thought of him, he had genuinely liked Que, without any pretense. How could he just move on to someone else like it was nothing? But he couldn’t say it out loud. Those conflicted emotions he harbored couldn’t be laid bare to anyone. He couldn’t afford to lose face like that.
Lou Jingyu leaned in close, warm breath brushing against Jinbao’s face. “Brother Jinbao, can I sleep with you tonight?”
Jinbao squinted at him, “What do you think?”
“I won’t do anything, just sleep here,” Lou Jingyu insisted.
Jinbao grinned, baring his white teeth. “Get lost.”
Lou Jingyu’s shamelessness kicked in, and he wrapped his arms around Jinbao’s waist, rolling around on the bed. “Let me sleep here, come on, I won’t do anything.”
His arms and legs were like vines, clinging tightly to Jinbao. No matter how hard Jinbao tried to push him away, he couldn’t shake him off. Furious, Jinbao grabbed Lou’s throat, “I’ll count to three. If you don’t let go, don’t blame me for being rough.”
Young Master Lou scoffed, “Go ahead, strangle me if you can.”
Jinbao was completely exasperated by this shameless act, and was about to resort to biting him when suddenly, there was a loud bang. He watched in shock as the door and half of the wall blew apart, leaving a gaping hole in the room.
Que Siming’s eyes were blazing with fury. Without uttering a word, he formed a claw with his hand and shot towards Lou Jingyu like lightning.
Jinbao could tell from his stance that he intended to kill, and for a moment, he was frozen in place.
Young Master Lou didn’t dare take him lightly either. He quickly jumped off Jinbao, grabbed the sword by his side, and turned to block the attack.
As the two clashed, the air was thick with a deadly aura. Jinbao felt an overwhelming pressure from their released energy, his chest tightening with discomfort.
In an instant, his room was in ruins, and the fight moved outside to the courtyard, where they continued to exchange blows.
The sounds of their battle attracted the servants of the Su mansion, who gathered around, exchanging worried glances, but none dared to intervene.
Jinbao quickly grabbed some clothes and threw them on as he rushed out the door, shouting, “Stop fighting! You’re going to tear my room apart, stop already!”
But no one listened to him. The two rivals, consumed by jealousy, were seeing red. Every strike aimed for a vital spot, as if they were fighting to the death.
Jinbao was pacing anxiously in circles but didn’t dare step into the fray. No way was he jumping into that mess—without any inner strength to protect himself, even the force of their blows would have him bedridden for days.
As they continued fighting, it became obvious that Lou Jingyu was losing ground. His face was tense, clearly showing he was still no match for Que Siming. Jinbao, recalling Que Siming’s terrifying “ghost hand,” was terrified. If Lou Jingyu got caught, he’d be left with a bloody hole in him—it was horrifying. Fearing for Lou Jingyu, Jinbao desperately shouted from the sidelines, “Hey, stop fighting! If you’ve got so much energy, go chop wood or something! What if you seriously hurt each other?”
Unfortunately, both of them were like wild animals protecting their territory, refusing to stop until one of them was torn apart. Lou Jingyu was determined to kill Que Siming so that Jinbao would never think of him again. Meanwhile, Que Siming wanted to kill Lou Jingyu to make sure no one dared to touch his people. They were fighting for their lives.
Blood began to appear in the fight, and Jinbao was so anxious he wanted to bang his head against a wall.
If Young Master Su were here… or even Zongzheng Huaien, anyone really—anyone who could stop them.
Suddenly, under the bright lantern-lit courtyard, a dark shadow swiftly flashed in between them, interrupting their fierce battle. The sound of blades clashing was enough to make one’s skin crawl, but it successfully separated them.
Three black figures jumped to three different directions and stood their ground.
Jinbao squinted and saw it was none other than Lou Jingyu’s fourth brother, the one who had personally seen them off the other day.
Fourth Young Master Lou, Lou Jinglie, smiled with his charming eyes, dazzling everyone, flashing his pearly white teeth. He chuckled, “Ah, ah, Second Young Master Que, what could possibly make you so angry that you’re clashing swords with my little brother? Isn’t this all a bit too damaging to our good relations?”
Que Siming snorted coldly and turned his head away.
Lou Jingyu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and nervously asked, “Fourth Brother, why are you here?” He glanced around anxiously. “Big Brother didn’t come, did he?”
Lou Jinglie smiled, “Big Brother’s tied up with something else. He asked Third Brother and me to take you home.”
“I’m not going back.”
“Xiaoyu, are you really going to disrespect your Fourth Brother like this?” Lou Jinglie was still smiling warmly, but a cold glint suddenly appeared in his eyes, making everyone feel a chill.
Lou Jingyu stiffened his neck. “I’m not going back! I’m going to kill him!” With that, he tried to lunge at Que Siming again.
Another shadow appeared, blocking Lou Jingyu, and shouted, “Xiaoyu, stop being so reckless!”
Seeing that his third brother had also arrived, Lou Jingyu knew there was no way out today. He lowered his hands in frustration and angrily pointed at Que Siming, cursing, “Consider yourself lucky today! If it weren’t for them, I’d have ripped you apart!”
Que Siming wasn’t one to back down, retorting, “With your half-assed skills, you think you can fight me over a man? Go home and change your diaper!”
Lou Jinglie grabbed Lou Jingyu by the collar and began dragging him away, giving Que Siming a polite nod. “Second Young Master Que, my little brother really lost his manners today. But he didn’t exactly come out on top either. If we’re going to argue over who’s right or wrong, it’ll be impossible to say. So, here’s our stance: I’ll take this unruly brother of mine home, and let’s pretend none of this ever happened. Our two families can continue as we were. However, if you insist on an explanation, the Lou family is more than willing to accommodate.”
Que Siming looked at them coldly, “I just want him to disappear from in front of my people.”
Lou Jinglie chuckled, “Well, that’s easy enough.” He turned around and said, “Third brother, tie him up.”
Lou Jingyu quickly jumped away, shouting angrily, “What kind of brothers are you? You’re not even helping me now! I’m not going back with you.”
The third young master of the Lou family lunged at him, and Lou Jingyu turned to fight back.
Lou Jinglie said coolly, “Xiaoyu, if you don’t behave, Fourth Brother’s going to get angry. It’s no big deal if Fourth Brother’s mad—it’s not the first time you’ve pissed him off—but if Big Brother gets mad, you’ll have to deal with the consequences yourself. And don’t expect Fourth Brother to help you anymore.”
Lou Jingyu paused, then yelled in frustration, “I don’t want to go home! Stop forcing me!”
The third young master of the Lou family tried to persuade him, “Xiaoyu, are you seriously fighting your third brother over some outsider? Aren’t you being a little unreasonable?”
Lou Jingyu shouted, “Then stop bothering me! I don’t want to go home!”
Lou Jinglie couldn’t stand it anymore and jumped into the fight.
Even though they were brothers, they all held back during the fight, but the scene was lively, though without much progress.
Que Siming watched them for a moment and walked over to Jinbao, his eyes filled with jealousy. He spat venomously, “Didn’t you say he had nothing to do with this? Then what’s going on tonight?”
Jinbao didn’t even look at him. “What do you mean, ‘what’s going on?’”
“You and him, in this room, in the middle of the night—what’s going on?”
“Talking.”
“Like hell I believe that.”
“Believe it or not, I don’t care.” Jinbao pushed him aside and walked over to the three Lou brothers who were still fighting. “Hey, you guys, knock it off. After all, this is my courtyard. If you’re going to fight, at least do it somewhere else. It’s pretty rude to be brawling in someone else’s yard.”
The three of them paused and stopped simultaneously.
Jinbao gave Lou Jingyu a helpless look, as if he were talking to a child. “Little Lou, I don’t think you can beat your two brothers. You should just go home with them.”
Lou Jingyu snapped angrily, “You want me to leave so you can patch things up with him, right?”
“That’s a different matter. But you can’t avoid going home forever.”
“If I go home, will I still be able to see you?”
“Uh… sure, if you miss me, you can come see me anytime.”
“Bullshit! Once I leave, you’ll forget all about me! You’re probably just waiting for me to go, aren’t you?” The young master Lou’s voice cracked with a sob, his flushed, handsome face making it hard not to feel sorry for him.
Jinbao softened and gently patted Lou Xiaogongzi’s head. “I’m serious. If you don’t mind the distance, come visit me when you have time. Next spring, I plan to grow some vegetables myself. If you come around this time next year, you can even eat something I grew.”
Tears welled up in Lou Xiaogongzi’s eyes. At the end of the day, he was just a boy of fourteen or fifteen. Whether it was his first time falling for someone or being turned away, it was bound to leave him heartbroken and disappointed.
Though Jinbao had repeatedly said he wouldn’t reconcile with Que Siming, Lou Xiaogongzi didn’t believe it. If he left now, there was no way they’d easily split apart. At least Que Siming wouldn’t give up, which meant he’d never get another chance.
But he couldn’t stay, and this overwhelming sadness and frustration caused his tears to flow uncontrollably.
Jinbao sighed, pulled Lou Xiaogongzi’s head onto his shoulder, and gently patted his back. “Alright, don’t cry. I’m serious. Come see me when you have time, okay?”
Lou Xiaogongzi clung to Jinbao, sobbing and mumbling, “Don’t… don’t like anyone else… wait for me… wait for me to grow up…”
Jinbao nodded absentmindedly. “Mm-hmm, okay, stop crying now.”
No matter how much Lou Xiaogongzi looked back, family orders couldn’t be defied. His two older brothers eventually dragged him away.
As Jinbao watched the boy who had stayed by his side for so long get taken away, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of reluctance. He sighed repeatedly.
Que Siming, seeing his rival leave, thought smugly that it served him right. But noticing how attached Jinbao seemed, he was so enraged he almost wanted to tear the roof off.
“So what? Are you seriously feeling sorry to see that little brat go?”
Jinbao turned back. “Why are you still here?”
Que Siming, clearly upset, responded, “Where else would I be? I came here specifically to find you!”
“Didn’t I make myself clear earlier today? You don’t understand human speech?”
“Do you have to speak to me so harshly? Didn’t you get enough satisfaction beating me earlier? If not, go ahead and finish the job.”
“I’d rather not waste my energy beating you. If my internal strength wasn’t… Ah, damn!” Jinbao suddenly remembered—Lou Jingyu hadn’t given him the antidote yet!
He hurried to run outside, figuring Lou Jingyu hadn’t gone far and that he could still catch up.
Que Siming grabbed him. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m going after him,” Jinbao said, not having the time to explain as he rushed forward.
Que Siming raised his voice. “Wang Erhu! You’re not leaving this house today.”
“You don’t understand! I don’t know what drug he gave me, but it sealed off my internal strength. I forgot to ask him for the antidote. I can’t let him leave.”
“What drug did he give you? Let me take a look.”
“Who needs you to check on me?” Jinbao brushed off Que Siming’s hand and rushed toward the stables, quickly mounting a horse and galloping off in pursuit outside the city.
Que Siming, left with no choice, mounted his own horse and followed behind.
The two of them raced along the official road that Que Siming had taken on his way to Dali. Jinbao was anxious, worried he wouldn’t catch up in time. How long would it take for him to regain his internal strength? It was such a crucial issue, but in the midst of all the emotional chaos, he had completely forgotten. It wouldn’t be so bad if it was just his poor memory, but how could Lou Jingyu have forgotten as well? Jinbao couldn’t help but suspect it might have been intentional.
After chasing for several miles with no sign of success, his frustration grew. Seeing Que Siming still beside him only fueled his anger. Unable to hold back, he snapped, “Why are you still following me?”
“If I don’t follow you, you think I’d let you meet up with that brat alone? Dream on.”
“Who I meet is none of your damn business.”
“You—!” Que Siming, fuming, lashed his horse and rode alongside Jinbao, keeping his face taut and silent.
Jinbao shot him a glare and then turned away, no longer bothering to engage with him.
They continued riding in silence when suddenly, a bright light shot into the sky, followed by a strange whistling sound. Though it vanished quickly in the dark night, the flash was particularly striking.
Que Siming was momentarily stunned.
Jinbao was too, as the signal fire felt eerily familiar.
“That’s the distress signal from Yaogu,” Que Siming said. “We’re near Dashishan. They must be searching the mountain for Yu Mingjing. Could they have run into him?”
Jinbao frowned, “Yu Mingjing is in Dashishan?”
“Yes, but he should be over in Qianzhong… unless he crossed over to this side of Diannan?”
Jinbao pursed his lips. “That signal seems pretty far away…”
Que Siming looked at him, torn. He couldn’t just ignore his own people—what if it was his senior brother calling for help? But at the same time, he didn’t want to leave Jinbao alone to chase after that brat.
Jinbao shouted, “Why are you looking at me? Hurry up and go save them!”
Que Siming gritted his teeth, “You’re coming with me.”
“I…” Jinbao hesitated. It had already been over an hour since they left, and his horse wasn’t particularly fast. He knew he couldn’t catch up to Lou Jingyu, and he was already thinking of heading back to come up with a plan. Should he follow Que Siming into the mountains? If he were smart, he should just turn his horse around and go home, avoiding the mess of grudges and bloodshed. But he couldn’t help but wonder, what if Que Siming runs into Yu Mingjing?
If he does, Que Siming would be utterly helpless and defenseless. What would Yu Mingjing do to him? The more he thought about it, the harder it was for him to refuse.
Que Siming’s face looked sorrowful, “Xiaohu, if you don’t come with me, and I run into Yu Mingjing, it’s certain death for me. I don’t mind dying, but before I go, I want to see you one last time.”
Jinbao cursed, “Stop talking nonsense, that’s bad luck.” Que Siming’s words only made him more flustered. What if he really did run into Yu Mingjing?
Seeing that Jinbao was clearly softening, Que Siming doubled down on his act of pitifulness. “Forget it, you better not come. If we run into people from the Wu clan, you’ll be in danger too. By then, I won’t even be able to protect myself, let alone keep you safe. You should just go home. If I make it back alive, I’ll definitely come find you.”
With that, he turned his horse and started riding into the mountains.
Jinbao fiercely kicked his horse’s belly. “Que Siming, I, Wang Erhu, am no coward! Yu Mingjing tricked me before, but if I see him this time, I’ll definitely get my revenge.” With that, he followed.
The doctor, seeing his plan succeed, smiled behind their backs.
If this trip were truly dangerous, he would never have let Xiaohu come. But the mountains were now filled with Que clan people, and the one truly trapped was Yu Mingjing. Once they reached the mountains and met up with his master, Yu Mingjing would be like a fish in a barrel, easy to capture.
He only hoped that this journey would give him more time with Xiaohu, enough to make him change his mind and resolve their past grudges.
Kipzi – I think its hilarious how childish QS is lmao and idk what JB sees in him. XD
