Chapter 41
Jinbao hesitated at the door for a long time, unable to muster the courage to go in.QqjznzJNOQbtgGQXpprHxWAVIqtMue
nKGekdBKhRKqxxNIn the end, the door suddenly swung open with a bang. Que Siming stood there in all black, his pale mask concealing his emotions, lips tightly pressed together as he looked down at him.TBqYWrLECKXHJJezDEmJvKaIqXWmaa
ZGhfgBVfNmVMYIHJinbao hurriedly asked, “Que Siming, your senior brother…”xtzsOEfyoYOycPhXTgRZAbXJoXPshS
uepaGnVKoCbNwrMThe doctor replied coldly, “You have the nerve to ask?”hpGCifcGVRJmyjqjTZtQFamDyuTsUb
XnnOaVFkitVrIKPJinbao’s face instantly flushed red. He avoided Que Siming’s reproachful gaze, too ashamed to even lift his head.CXSzUeWKMcIWdGjyoXkZPMbmcVjgWD
SfFMwAdfHdEvACmHe knew he had caused a huge mess this time. Someone had died, and it was he who had brought Que Qingyuan out. No matter what happened, it was all his fault.TQdtDTAwcJXMdplQiWbNVjHBJYeCUn
fHlBArhbnuNenPiJinbao nervously stared at Que Siming’s shoes.mgCoUBPCzEEQuJngJZxHKNpfnfKYeG
yjcjOlXrVwoQrUSHe watched as those feet stepped closer, stopping right in front of him. Then, his chin was roughly grabbed and lifted. Through gritted teeth, Que Siming spat out, “Wang Erhu, could you possibly be any dumber?”tpzhYAarYuqrymwFbDhXnemqwGsnJv
knNzwuKTGszlHsdJinbao anxiously gripped his arm, as if clutching a lifeline, “Que Siming, I know I messed up. How is your senior brother? Is he okay?”IUmOvQzKNotibemRemZLTCJTkfrYVm
vcfkWDQpxzkyPHzQue Siming coldly shook off his arm and said sharply, “We got there in time to save them, but Ayu was seriously injured, and my senior brother is still bedridden.” His eyes flashed with cold fury as he glared at him, “Listen to me, if you can’t give me a good explanation, I won’t let you off the hook.”OBqXMABeRZzIfKMYPUknOlgFtrhrVR
tMHAlqyzcmWZQSrJinbao swallowed hard. Que Siming’s unprecedented coldness was like a wall between them. He had never felt Que Siming so distant before. Just last night they had been sleeping in each other’s arms, but now it felt like they were strangers. This made his heart race with panic.itbfygZHtGVYreJsKzudRGRFYBmWCW
kBoNziExyJNsbGb“I… Yesterday, when you took me away, my pouch fell at his house. I wanted to go back and get it today. I was going to tell you, but you weren’t around, so I brought two people with me. I just… I was afraid you’d misunderstand again…”ppuATTrcHLurExJojBbARBcPUgsrTD
JUNyszxUTumTzJtQue Siming’s eyes blazed with anger, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. “Those two are dead now. Who the hell can verify your story? Damn it, it really is dead men tell no tales, huh? How do I know you didn’t go to see him on purpose?”qHEMQaxsBuJMREzGwcMTRjBnuOMEBS
ZDEvcLPOpNKEahKJinbao anxiously lifted his head and blurted out, “Don’t talk nonsense! I’m telling the truth. You know about that pouch, it had that paper with your name on it. Rong Yue took all my clothes off yesterday, so the pouch fell at his house. I went back for that, nothing else!”lWvQtpTZImTTrSGqBhlHDWdNQJlCqF
eIiyUIBrRKkPYySQue Siming snapped, “Then why did people from my medicine valley die? Why did you lure my senior brother there?”eIEGdaAnynRznVOUmInknoEGknGOau
vkbKMFZOagkwpAR“I—Rong Yue was coughing up blood and collapsed, saying he was dying, and only your senior brother could save him. I couldn’t just watch him die, so I… I don’t know what happened afterward. When we got back, those two people were already dead, and Rong Yue was gone. Then we were ambushed. Que Siming, I swear I’m telling the truth! I don’t know anything else!”NnmTmpvtqYeKaolEienvuntwQFcGao
kpKQdaDtiDgdOTr“You idiot! Do you have shit for brains?” Que Siming cursed furiously. “Now all the ones who should’ve died are dead. Who knows if you’re telling the truth or if you and Rong Yue were in on it together, tricking my senior brother into danger?”sSREUeLRUtrvQiOWQCReASQDPmDZKa
FnMiEGALhiPqltqJinbao’s eyes reddened with grievance. “I didn’t! I’m telling the truth! I don’t know how they died, I don’t know where Rong Yue went. All I know is that the people who ambushed us were from Yu Mingjing’s group. I didn’t mean for this to happen. Que Siming, believe me, I didn’t mean for it to happen.”SMMMKyWLSIMrTtNanorogYSdlSkVNT
tNLJldHheWFtJwYUnable to control his anger anymore, Que Siming slapped him hard across the face. “Idiot! How do you expect me to believe you? First, I catch the two of you naked in bed, and now you nearly get my senior brother captured by Yu Mingjing. My people are dead with no explanation. How the hell am I supposed to explain this to our master? Why is it that ever since you—a damn outsider—came back with me, everything’s gone to shit? How do you expect me to trust you, huh?”vizKSqEQjUnKYUjYNtDOqJPnxsrhWO
NNCpuwFdHVRvncm“Outsider…” Jinbao felt a sharp pang in his heart. Outsider? How could Que Siming call him an outsider?ITzsXOJKhSjIGEIqaUhkRvJVONuwGm
TVBArVXElIaEDVZ“I don’t know… Que Siming, I really don’t know what happened… but I didn’t lie to you. I really didn’t.”fGDDBfFYHnVbLYwCukEZpcMeAOyvOv
RsNnTaAdVylNQZUQue Siming sneered coldly, his words relentless, “You don’t know? Let me tell you. Did you think sleeping with that Rong Yue made you partners or something? How could you be so stupid? Do you even know who he is? The real Rong Yue left a long time ago, after I went from the medicine valley to Dali. The ‘Rong Yue’ you met was actually Lou Jingyu, the young master of Ruyi Tower, in disguise.”SaVSjDPrVMIrnxAZvactPPyIDBOyjt
nZjisMkVfBlbWvlJinbao’s mind went blank. “Ruyi Tower? Lou…”zXbkBqMtdRAGgxveYAikpPbWisnGkm
wHHTJJYSdmPtVGN“Ruyi Tower is a place that will do anything as long as the price is right. He wasn’t the male prostitute Rong Yue. Do you really think someone like Lou Jingyu would let you touch him?”eQgJaLZklZJIZmcQqlrbsVpzAYljGg
vrJOTfMQQJbOfEtJinbao felt like a thousand-pound boulder had been placed on his chest, crushing him so hard he could barely breathe. Anger, humiliation, and shame surged all at once. If that “Rong Yue” were standing in front of him right now, he’d want nothing more than to tear him apart.HCWJoSVvnPDBCVILFkIwSsDEUiLxtE
eUoKMOavIJyupsuIf Rong Yue wasn’t really Rong Yue, then Jinbao had been played from the very beginning.cVyORUscESMLYEtQdfpEbUmIbUyozD
mwqmEtWDeLSIYxZEverything had been part of a plan—the encounter on the street, the repeated invitations to visit, the drugging, the feigned illness… It was all a trap, set up perfectly for him to fall into. Que Siming was right—he really was an idiot. He had felt sympathy for someone like that and now found himself in this wretched situation. Even Que Siming doubted him now. All the stupid things he had done, and it turned out he’d been nothing more than a pawn in someone else’s scheme.EoKQVqHzkuDcrPXjvAsgEWVTpLpwee
knyjjvkisbAHpXcTears of frustration welled up in Jinbao’s eyes. He felt utterly trapped. Who could possibly believe him now? Everything looked like he and Lou Jingyu had plotted it together. He’d caused people to die, caused Que Qingyuan to get hurt. How could he ever show his face at Medicine Valley again? How would Que Siming deal with him?lSgZjKQnUnfOFDwLxjrPdKrlLzgcBK
cKFgAcdDIluynhESeeing Jinbao’s face full of anger and sadness, his arms wiping away tears, blood staining his sleeves, his clothes covered in mud, and fresh knife wounds barely dried, a flicker of pity passed through Que Siming’s eyes.HYcwvtHtZEhIPPCZMndvmzcASWjuFl
wIlgvLNHrjpjekhNo matter how much he tried, Que Siming couldn’t believe that Little Tiger would betray him. The fool was too naive—clearly, Lou Jingyu had manipulated him. Rationally, he trusted what Jinbao was saying, but the image of Jinbao lying naked in bed with Lou Jingyu kept haunting him. Just the thought that Jinbao might have been swayed by Lou Jingyu’s charms made it impossible for Que Siming to think clearly.ZmDVFYJpRWMRVfqtUezDycBWsFreIk
FgFGnvOxZRdKNkfHe hadn’t yet gotten over the anger from catching them in the act. Now, his senior brother had been put in danger, two of his fellow disciples were dead, and he had no idea how he was going to explain any of it to their master or the others at Medicine Valley.DovnhiNAAokSeQnekXDrBgSlaZhdVU
BuiztPnDnkTscCgIt wasn’t just that Jinbao didn’t dare go back in. Que Siming wasn’t sure how to bring him in, either.cHcyAnPrdCClkDJVOhtfdHpYSjNcyL
YpDHDUdblChbaycJinbao muttered through his tears as he wiped his face, “Bastard… bastard… heartless scum…”tJHphKOctRRHLpFUuilSLnnANSoiBJ
fKBfcFTaIlbCPGuQue Siming sighed, pulling out a bottle of medicine from his robe and tossing it to him. “Forget about entering the Medicine Valley for now. Go find an inn in the east of the city to stay at for a while. Take the medicine and patch yourself up. Once I’ve figured out the truth…” He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. Even he didn’t know what the truth was anymore.HQbhqGnBOfQqKPUahGWWsmQtpJtGWF
FMczaZEdtObjMLKJinbao grabbed him, his face smeared with mud and tears, looking utterly disheveled. “Que Siming, do you believe me? Look at me, I swear I haven’t wronged you.”nYHZoYuQbUflYlwTVCbStomtlVLxnx
VPMzXQUmWVQjcQuQue Siming looked at his pitiful state and almost softened, but thinking of everything that had happened, his anger flared up again.FIiRzymZIEUhJtMTIEfTVyPYENbmNJ
HwbZhVjAtZtpbTdWith a cold expression, he shook off Jinbao’s hand. “Go. I’ll come find you when I have time. From today, you’re not allowed to run around. Stay in the inn. If you do anything suspicious, don’t blame me for being merciless.”LWVRFUgZwmWxAVPLhQBdxinrYnJAdK
TQaayvWlzeTYfIZ“Que Siming!” Jinbao shouted at his back. “I know I messed up. You can punish me however you want—I deserve it. But don’t accuse me unjustly. I haven’t done anything to betray you. I don’t even know this Rong Yue or whoever else. I have no idea what’s going on!”yXyUvGrfpiXERLrlNsVyIpKvCRWxOM
ImIDnYFTLrBLtcLQue Siming hesitated for a moment, his heart hardening, but he still didn’t turn back.xGjKSOBbWKvNhcCCihMIhVYgEAVCoD
ssBibBZZrwyLjMAHe walked through the door, knowing he had to face his master’s questioning and the doubts of his fellow disciples. After all, he was the one who brought Jinbao back. Now that something like this had happened, he had to get to the bottom of it and give his master an explanation. Otherwise, he had no idea what might happen to Xiaohu. He was already overwhelmed dealing with this mess and couldn’t spare any attention for Xiaohu.rOodXWWgsJkJuBRYcblbvGUASpNStN
wuOAlQaKRxDzbkOJinbao stood there, blinking as he watched Que Siming walk through the door, which closed with a loud slam.gxXfwrNrZRWHrjxGpUfJCWkIfjlQHo
DjScOdyPjqpPsbwBeing abandoned like this felt like the sky had collapsed.pqelyyJIckoijzKcUgebhjpeCDUjak
JqSapNIswifIkOuIn Dongting Lake, he had no one. He didn’t know a single soul. Apart from Que Siming, there was no one he could rely on. And now, Que Siming had abandoned him too. He had never regretted following him more than he did at that moment.MbTaemZFAoNjwfgxmhUFlbRwmCckqg
kptCNxutzrENZxyWith the little silver he had on him, Jinbao found an inn in the northern part of the city to stay. He knew Que Siming could find him whenever he wanted. He had no other choice now but to wait—wait for Que Siming to catch that person or find some other clues that would clear his name.sdyHSCrjzSMbIAJDtLAPtZSckZUrmN
URJMMScOpLjsKNvTwo days passed in boredom. His mind was constantly racing, thinking over and over about how the fake Rong Yue had deceived him, used him. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. The more he thought, the more he felt like an absolute idiot. Then his thoughts shifted to his relationship with Que Siming, which had grown colder and colder. Now, it was as if they were strangers—no, that would be putting it politely. That day, Que Siming treated him like an enemy. It hurt, but Jinbao couldn’t blame Que Siming for it. If the roles were reversed, he’d be suspicious too. The real blame lay with the fake Rong Yue, and that treacherous bastard Yu Mingjing.IKbiqhPejcWSWipRDpbYdUlImHZwMP
aVjPUVdDRFYnLEkAs he lay in bed, his thoughts drifted, and he began to doze off.nFvtyqsaxNTTEpTZwpOBLOriUaEKuL
zkfaQzhiijEVqOPThe night was silent when suddenly someone crashed through the window. Jinbao sprang up, alert. “Who is it?”KweepxYedvgGnfcaPPxPtcliUGglfH
DvIEeUFyIfSdpknThe intruder responded in a low voice, “It’s me.”ETyWIFqAjplhfnRUiOtwfZICftbOkg
bERYDQQrYkVUSveHearing that voice, Jinbao felt a wave of relief wash over him, even a bit of emotion. He had been thinking about Que Siming every day, but he didn’t dare to go looking for him. Seeing him now, in the still and lonely night, was a strange sort of comfort.tUHWgUyleRpiqGUVobSJcpmeRjraWh
ABdZceQZqvCOirT“Why are you here at this hour?”CkqrwVCeJgipXvTHwkuWyWaVIxXOKL
cORfFVEolyWtWLMQue Siming’s tall figure cast a large shadow across the room. He walked over slowly, pulling Jinbao into his arms and kissed him.CydbERGjdKoRHxpqkrJtmwofwdsmZK
vOkuqlirSxHKDdqJinbao was startled, completely caught off guard, his body held firmly in place.pCiPzjVompUCyuEfALezzhDlFKjByd
VLxkBcKcwGhVRYPThe kiss was intense and lingering, as if Que Siming was determined to erase the distance between them with each passionate motion. His lips and tongue ravaged Jinbao’s mouth with an almost devouring force, as he pressed him down onto the bed with undeniable dominance.eaEmVYNEBCdNawwphjylvErxcymfHP
XzRPrfKfkgPaFuXJinbao hadn’t expected that after just a few days apart, the moment Que Siming arrived, they would end up like this. Not that he particularly minded, but it did feel a little sudden. There were so many things he still wanted to ask.KFIBsvWMSmIikDKPVhbBSouarjUklc
RoaMsCsPAQEPsfZGasping for breath during a brief moment of respite, Jinbao managed to stammer, “W-wait… hold on… Your senior brothers… what happened with them?”ZCDZZpNWGdTgqHJqLpoTCSPhglOkYw
aERIhilmELuTJbC“Shut up. Don’t bring that up now,” Que Siming growled, biting him lightly in frustration while tugging at his clothes.PNaDpxFAPfEgDAjnmATArIPjtpCBgV
kFYeXltwZIudXrz“No, seriously, did you just come here for this? Tell me, what happened with your senior brothers? Did you catch that guy, the one from the Lou clan or whoever?”MAptDtsmpVNHiPPWSuyLwggMtzAsaV
xDcvExvTDmdHEkmQue Siming lifted his head, his eyes blazing in the darkness. They were filled with anger, desire, impatience, and a mix of emotions Jinbao couldn’t decipher. “You idiot… I’ve never disobeyed my master before. If it weren’t for you… if it weren’t for you…” Que Siming’s face twisted with emotion, and with a sharp tug, he tore Jinbao’s shirt open, the fabric ripping apart in a harsh sound.xxhIlyngiIjBtGrgKcupCPuLpzCSpp
irSehOoPdpMgNRAKXqQLiKWlDpZItppTNSStHwlPSKvjn