UCTOOT CH35

Shi Shu froze on the spot, his back suddenly going numb. “What kind of person do you take me for, Xie Wuci?”

“You didn’t look?”

Shi Shu said, “Would I take advantage of someone in peril? I closed my eyes every time I wiped your legs. What a joke. Let alone the tattoo, I haven’t even seen your ‘that’.”

Xie Wuci said flatly, “That’s a pity. I thought you would look.”

“So strange. I’m a man, why would I look between your legs,” Shi Shu said. “And you ask me so randomly. Does your lewd tattoo have any appeal to me?”

He heard the water ladle fall into the water, sinking with a gurgle of bubbles. In the silence, Xie Wuci lowered his eyelashes. “My hand hurts.”

“Young Master Bro.”

Shi Shu had no choice but to go back. In the hazy mist, he reached into the tub to retrieve the water ladle, catching a glimpse of the overlapping wounds on Xie Wuci’s palm. “Forget it. Seeing as you’re a cripple, I’ll take care of you for one more day.”

The wooden tub was newly made in the city, and its edges were rough with small splinters. It was too wide in diameter. Shi Shu rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and lifted his hair to prevent it from getting caught.

As Shi Shu twisted his wrist, Xie Wuci pointed at the red rash on his arm. “Are you having an allergic reaction?”

Shi Shu said, “…Oh, you mean this? The woodshed was damp, and little animals were crawling around. A centipede crawled on me while I was sleeping.”

Xie Wuci lowered his eyes. “You’ve suffered a lot accompanying me to Shuhong Prefecture this past month.”

“It’s alright. It’s also been an eye-opening experience.”

Shi Shu was not a particularly strong person, but rather, he seemed to lack something, like internal friction or a high perception of pain. If you threw him into a dirty, chaotic environment, he could grumble his way through and survive, albeit with much chaos.

“Can we have a good meal in the afternoon? After eating, I want to have a good sleep. I’ve been really tired during this period.”

Shi Shu started to count on his fingers. “We walked all the way from the Eastern Capital. As soon as we arrived in Shuhong Prefecture, we encountered the miasma. I helped Imperial Physician Lin chop herbs and brew medicine, taking care of at least a hundred patients a day. Then, just as things settled down, you got sick. I stared at you every day, waiting for you to wake up, serving you, dressing you, and feeding you. We even lived in a woodshed for many days.”

“Thinking about it carefully, damn, I’m pretty amazing!”

Xie Wuci rested his arm on the edge of the tub and smiled. “Indeed, you are.”

“Just a little bit of strength. That’s how we men are. We don’t talk about the bitterness in our hearts.”

Shi Shu was getting carried away with his own praise. He was already very fair and handsome, with a memorable kind of beauty. When he used a video app, a video of him turning his head back got over a million likes. He was the athletic, first-love, white-moonlight type of handsome guy.

Feeling pleased with himself, his boyishness was replaced by a very eye-pleasing look with red lips and white teeth.

Xie Wuci watched him, the space under his dark eyebrows silent, before lowering his gaze.

After praising himself, Shi Shu felt energized and picked up the water ladle to splash water on Xie Wuci. The medicinal soup splashed onto his face. Xie Wuci turned his head to dodge, and the soup splashed onto his straight nose and eyelashes. The atmosphere in the room was harmonious. Now that Xie Wuci was better, Shi Shu finally no longer felt like he was attending a funeral while pouring medicine on him. His movements were very light and cheerful.

As Shi Shu scooped another ladleful, his hand was stopped by Xie Wuci. “That’s enough.”

Shi Shu swirled the ladle idly. “Putting on airs again, being all distant. You weren’t like this when you were lying there half-dead.”

Xie Wuci’s dark eyes were quiet, watching Shi Shu without blinking. Perhaps because his features were already so sharp and clear, his gaze appeared deep and reserved, like a sword that could see through a person’s heart.

Although he was just recovering from a long illness, he sat upright in the medicinal soup, his shoulders broad. The natural posture of a superior who had never begged anyone was revealed, giving off the intimidating aura of a young man in power that could send a chill down one’s spine.

Shi Shu’s scalp tingled. “What’s wrong, Young Master Xie?”

Honestly, after knowing him for a month or two, he still felt that Xie Wuci was extremely reserved. Very, very, extremely. That look of his, as if he were looking at dogs, had not changed one bit.

Xie Wuci said, “I was thinking about some things.”

Shi Shu focused his attention. “Let me hear it.”

Xie Wuci looked down at the water’s surface. “Before we transmigrated, people pursued me. I’ve heard those same frivolous words before. But I didn’t care at all back then. Coming from you, it seems the feeling is not the same.”

“You really are the rich young master from a chaebol family that a bunch of celebrities and influencers in your phone are begging to sleep with!”

Xie Wuci said, “Perhaps.”

Xie Wuci came from a wealthy family. Many people wanted to associate with him, and many who relied on their beauty tried every means to get connected to him, wanting to sell themselves. Occasionally, at lavish, debauched banquets under the city lights, one or two who could not read the room would come to strike up a conversation, exquisitely packaged like a gift box, waiting to be chosen and opened by him.

He had always been the one in the superior position, picking and choosing at will. In the world of wine and women, he would cast a审视gaze. There was another young master he had met a few times, who had a flippant personality and said, “CEO Xie, you’re so reserved. Why are you so distant?”

At that time, his name was not yet Xie Wuci. He had looked down his nose at him. “Get out of the way.”

Later, the private butler of the estate crossed out that name, never to be allowed into the Xie family’s banquets again. Everything was prioritized according to his preferences. He was surrounded and pursued by all, and he had developed the bad habit of being picky, as if looking at dogs.

Xie Wuci rested his chin on one hand. The memory seemed to be from just a few months ago, yet it felt like a lifetime away. He could not help but smile.

Shi Shu listened carefully. “Tell me which celebrities. My mom might have seen their TV shows.”

“There are rules to selling oneself. I can’t say.”

“Forget it. I don’t like to listen to this kind of gossip anyway.” Shi Shu poured water over Xie Wuci.

“Tell me about you,” Xie Wuci said, his eyes flicking up. “Have you ever loved anyone?”

Shi Shu said, “How many times have I told you? I don’t understand.”

Xie Wuci asked, “Many people like you?”

Shi Shu’s face instantly turned red. “Don’t talk nonsense. It’s just so-so.”

“Tell me.”

Shi Shu said, “Anyway, uh, some people have given me love letters. It started in elementary school, but that time was too embarrassing. It was stuffed in my schoolbag and my mom saw it—to add a prerequisite, my elementary school homeroom teacher was my mom’s student. After that, the kid avoided me whenever he saw me. Anyway, the result was not good.”

The kid was so heartbroken he stopped him on the road and cried hysterically, making a young Shi Shu apologize profusely. After that, whenever he saw the slightest hint of someone liking him, Shi Shu would immediately pretend not to understand. Many times, people gave him love letters and snacks, especially on days like Valentine’s Day. Shi Shu would turn around and sprint away under the sun, a youth escaping reality.

His mom did not let him date either, purely to protect his classmates.

Shi Shu’s fair ears turned red. “It’s fine. They were all nice people, but there’s no future in falling in love with me.”

Xie Wuci asked, “You’re not curious?”

Shi Shu: “Curious about what?”

The room was very quiet. He and Xie Wuci chatted idly. The ripples in the water spread out, layer by layer, to the edge of the wooden tub. Their voices also created ripples in the air.

“Love.”

Shi Shu was looking at the patterns on the bottom of the ladle through the medicinal soup. “I’ve never thought about it.”

Xie Wuci’s cheeks were stained with water. His gaze moved over Shi Shu’s face, examining his fair ear, his elegant nose, and the clean, sharp lines of his face. Shi Shu was focused on the tub. The youth’s bone structure was very handsome and relaxed, extremely bright.

Xie Wuci looked up as if he wanted to say something, his eyes holding unspoken words, his lips slightly pursed. But in the end, he said nothing and lowered his gaze.

In the afternoon, Shi Shu lay on the bed sleeping. Xie Wuci bought a stack of draft paper and a piece of ink charcoal. He sat at the square table, opened the two account books, and began to calculate and compare them.

He worked until late at night, when all was silent, and lit a candle. Shi Shu was sprawled on the heated bed. A moment later, a weight settled beside him, and a cold draft brushed his nose.

Shi Shu’s eyes half-opened. “Are you done with your account books?”

Xie Wuci said, “I’m done. One is public, one is secret. They record the amount of cloth transported from the subordinate prefectures of Anzhou, Kuizhou, and Baicheng to the Shuhong Prefecture dyehouse each year for the past ten years, as well as the total output and the poundage of Yining flowers. The public account is for the court. The Prince can just go to the Six Ministries to verify it. The secret account records the corrupt officials who took bribes over the past ten years, from the ‘Inner Minister’ and the Three Departments Commissioner down to the Weaving Supervisor. It details who gave the customary bribes for benefits. The amount of corruption was actually more than what was presented to the palace.”

Shi Shu rested one hand on Fuling, turning his chin to the side. “Is it that serious?”

“What was presented to the palace was for imperial use. The people at the dyehouse ultimately did not dare to be so brazenly presumptuous. They slightly altered the dye concentration and the cloth, and all the new products they created were offered to these people.”

Shi Shu asked, “Was Feng Lu the mastermind?”

Xie Wuci: “Mmm. The dyehouse is for imperial use by the court. They spend money to support these weaving women, but he secretly diverted royal assets to satisfy his own selfish desires. He excessively exploited the common men and women, which is what led to the rebellion in Huainan Road.”

Shi Shu’s eyes lit up. “If we submit this to expose him, can we convict him of his crimes?”

Xie Wuci lay down on the pillow. “It’s difficult.”

Shi Shu turned over to look at him. “Why?”

“Feng Lu is bold enough to use the imperial products of the dyehouse, so he must also be bold enough to have a hand in all aspects of the imperial diet and travel. He failed to cover his tracks in Huainan Road, and we found out. But are there no other flaws? He remains as stable as Mount Tai.”

Shi Shu did not understand. “Is this not enough to convict him? Isn’t using the emperor’s things a capital offense?”

Xie Wuci: “Some are, some depend on the relationship. If this person is favored, nothing will happen to him no matter what he does. He can remain safe even if the entire court impeaches him. Life and death are not determined by right and wrong.”

It was dark outside. Shi Shu patted Fuling’s back with one hand. He was unfamiliar with these discussions but was very curious. “Then what do we do?”

“Power struggles are still struggles between people. People are selfish. The emperor and Feng Lu’s interests are aligned. He still has use for Feng Lu, so he will turn a blind eye to some things. This account book can only be considered as catching a mistake, the fuse to light a prairie fire. If there is no pile of firewood, this fire will not start.”

The moon was as pale as ice. Shi Shu switched hands to pillow his head, listening to Xie Wuci’s voice.

Shi Shu was just waking up from a nap, his voice soft. “How do we pile up the firewood?”

Xie Wuci was quiet for a moment. “Sow discord and manipulate people’s hearts. First, build momentum. If there is a trend in the world to overthrow Feng Lu, and His Majesty also has the intention to punish him, then this account book will be enough to launch an attack. For now, we still need to wait for the right opportunity. A complete process to overthrow a treacherous minister requires the upright officials of the court to take the lead, including but not limited to the Censorate and the inspectorate, to be the first to submit memorials to participate in the impeachment. An impeachment requires dozens or even hundreds of people, and winning over these officials requires endless effort. Of course, the most important thing is—to persuade the emperor. It would be good if I could mentally control the emperor, but there is no opportunity now.”

It sounded like a massive operation. Shi Shu could not help but look at Xie Wuci. “At Xiangnan Temple, you went to so much trouble to infiltrate the temple, but it feels like it didn’t have much effect. Xie Wuci, how many more surprises do you have that I don’t know about?”

This trip to Shuhong Prefecture, spanning hundreds of miles, had brought endless hardship. He had almost died of illness. He did not know what kind of game he was playing now.

Mental control. An unfamiliar and somewhat terrifying term.

Shi Shu patted the quilt. He had slept all afternoon and was now half-awake. He started chatting idly with Xie Wuci. “What is mental control?”

Fuling snorted in his sleep and kicked Xie Wuci. Xie Wuci did not like children and pushed his foot away.

“Mental control is making you submit, be obedient, wag your tail like a dog, smile when you want to cry, feel sad inside when you want to laugh, hand a knife to the other person to stab your wounds, and say you love them while being hurt.”

Shi Shu rubbed his head and looked at him. “Is it that powerful?”

“Powerful for the controller. For the controlled, it’s hell.”

In the darkness, Xie Wuci’s words were also spoken calmly, without much fluctuation, like a normal conversation. But it vaguely stirred something in Shi Shu’s heart. “How do you know? Did your psychologist tell you?”

Xie Wuci said calmly, “If I told you that for a very long time, I was mentally controlled, what would you think?”

Shi Shu turned his head. He had no concept of the term and heard the words in a blur. “Huh?”

A low table was placed in the middle of the large heated bed. Fuling slept in the center with his arms and legs spread out. Shi Shu and Xie Wuci slept on either end. A few howls of wild cats came from outside the window, accompanied by the rustling of small animals moving in the night.

“Who controlled you?”

Xie Wuci: “They are not important anymore.”

Drowsiness was setting in. Shi Shu heard a clear voice next to his ear.

“Shi Shu.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you want to control me?”

Xie Wuci’s voice was light and scattered, as if he were speaking right next to his ear.

Shi Shu was groggy and not in his right mind. “Why would I want to control you? What control? I don’t understand.”

It was quiet by his ear for a moment. In the darkness, like falling flowers and flowing water, Xie Wuci’s pupils reflected specks of light. A hand pressed on the bed, and with a light turn, he moved back into the quilt. The sound was very soft, dissolving into the night.

“It’s nothing.”

For the next few days, Shi Shu stayed at the inn to rest and recuperate. Only when Xie Wuci’s body had fully recovered did he send a message to Zeng Xingxiu, asking him to prepare a carriage for the return to the Eastern Capital.

It was inconvenient for Xie Wuci to travel while recovering, so Shi Shu would run out every few days and return very late.

On the day they left, Lin Yangchun heard the news and came to see them off. He handed Xie Wu-ci a letter. “A letter Pei Wenqing sent to the infirmary for you. There was no news for the past few days. I thought you two had died of illness.”

Shi Shu was just coming out of the door with large and small bags. He was surprised to hear this. “Pei Wenqing gave it to him, not me?”

Lin Yangchun: “Aren’t you like brothers? If there’s something to say, it must be for both of you.”

“…”

Xie Wuci unfolded the letter to read it. Shi Shu craned his neck. “What does it say?”

Xie Wuci: “Are you that curious? So eager.”

Shi Shu was puzzled. “Pei Wenqing and I are friends. What’s wrong with being curious?”

Xie Wuci’s eyes were indifferent. He folded the letter and handed it to him. “See for yourself.”

Shi Shu took the paper and read it. The small script was neat, but the vertical traditional characters were a bit difficult. Shi Shu recognized a few sentences and then stuffed it back to him. “It’s a bit hard on the eyes. You translate.”

Xie Wuci: “He asks how you are, about your identity and health, and shows all sorts of concern. He also asks that on the way back, we pass through Changyang County to find someone and help him get something.”

“Just those few sentences? Read.” Shi Shu showed a bright smile, shaking the pile of gift boxes in his hands. “He still thinks of me. I also bought some local specialties from the Eastern Capital for him and Chu Heng. Xie Wuci, what do you think? There are Ginseng Nutritive Pills, and also—”

Xie Wuci turned his back on him, making him lunge at empty air. “Not looking.”

“—What’s wrong, Xie Wuci?”

The faint medicinal scent from Xie Wuci brushed past his nose. Shi Shu felt that Xie Wuci’s voice was slightly cold. “How did I offend you?”

Shi Shu jogged a few steps, carried his things onto the carriage, and took Fuling back to the Eastern Capital with them. In the early morning, the vegetation gave off a fragrant scent, and the branches were dewy.

“Creak, creak—” The wheels of the carriage turned, pressing on the dirt and stone road, leaving the city that was just recovering from a major illness. Along the way, there were scenes of recuperation and reconstruction. From time to-time, wood and stones were transported, people came and went, digging pits and burying earth.

The sky was clear and the sun was bright all the way. The treetops brushed against the roof of the carriage. Shi Shu sat on the front board, enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way. Before him were faint green mountains and distant waters, a clear and beautiful scene.

Many farmhouse doors had pictures pasted on them. Shi Shu jumped off the carriage and tore one off, identifying it carefully. “The Fifth Prince? Are they treating Chu Wei as the god who drove out the miasma this time? But he never even came to Shuhong City.”

Xie Wuci leaned against the swaying beam of the carriage, a few strands of his hair blown loose by the wind. He held a pen. “The Fifth Prince coordinated the transportation of medicinal materials from various prefectures, his orders were strictly followed, and the Huai-Xi Army stationed in Shuhong Prefecture also obeyed his commands. Of course, he has merit.”

Shi Shu: “Wasn’t that your suggestion?”

“He has the power and can mobilize resources. He has the greatest merit.”

Xie Wuci’s eyes were calm. He lowered his head and used a charcoal pencil to write in his diary. When the wind blew, he held down the fluttering paper with his hand.

Shi Shu: “Can you not write in your diary and chat with me?”

Xie Wuci: “I don’t chat sometimes.”

Shi Shu moved closer to look at him. “What’s wrong? You’ve been in a bad mood these past few days? How did I annoy you?”

Xie Wuci: “You didn’t.”

Shi Shu: “You—fine, I’ve asked! If you’re secretly sulking and feeling unhappy, I’m not going to coax you.”

Xie Wuci’s brows seemed to rise slightly, his expression very cold. “No need.”

He took out the account book and began to check it again, while also writing something on a piece of paper. Shi Shu was too bored on the carriage and could not help but reach for his notebook, wanting to read his diary. Xie Wuci did not say he could not read it, but Shi Shu could not understand it and did not give it back. They were in a stalemate for a while.

Xie Wuci: “If you’re not going to read it, then give it back.”

He was very tall. Shi Shu was sitting on the front board of the carriage. To avoid having the paper taken from him, he leaned back. Xie Wuci suddenly stood up and leaned over him, his shadow instantly falling into his eyes.

Shi Shu blinked. He suddenly felt this posture was very familiar. In that moment of distraction, Xie Wuci snatched the notebook from his fingers.

…Shi Shu vaguely remembered the kiss that night again, and his face faltered. He could not forget it. As soon as he saw Xie Wuci, he could remember him pressing him down and kissing him, but he did not know how to bring it up.

Shi Shu pinched the bridge of his nose. “Xie Wuci, I just realized there’s an important thing I haven’t asked you.”

Xie Wuci: “What is it?”

Shi Shu: “That night, you kissed me for a long time. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”

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