SGSHE128

By the light of the candle, the young man’s strikingly handsome, picture-perfect face made Xing Qi realize with absolute clarity — he had truly returned!

For before his death, his family had already killed Jing Heguang.

Yet now, there stood Jing Heguang, alive and well before him.

In a moment of distraction, Xing Qi’s short sword struck the roof beam.

Clang—

The sound of the impact rang out from above. Jing Heguang turned and looked up, locking eyes with a pair of starry, luminous eyes.

The young man on the beam had the lower half of his face covered, revealing only his eyes.

But those eyes were truly exquisite. Jing Heguang felt as though he were gazing into a brilliant galaxy.

At that same moment, a familiar voice, a reminder to himself, echoed in Jing Heguang’s mind:

“I am looking for someone, that person is my Xingxing.”

Jing Heguang was certain: the person he sought was the owner of those very eyes.

He stared intently at the figure above, and suddenly, the face and the name clicked together in his mind.

He remembered, the person on the beam was Xing Qi…

And the original owner had committed so many truly terrible deeds against him!

Jing Heguang furrowed his brows, thinking: Thank goodness, none of that has happened yet.

His adam’s apple bobbed nervously. Feeling that his reaction was a bit unseemly, he forced a warm, gentle smile at the young man on the beam.

Everyone knew that the greatest beauty in the Xu dynasty was the current Empress. Yet her brother, the imperial brother-in-law, possessed looks that rivaled hers. It was only because he was a man that the title of ‘greatest beauty’ didn’t belong to him instead.

The young man wore a crown of pale purple jade and bamboo. His face was as flawless as jade, and his smile seemed to radiate light.

Xing Qi was momentarily dazed.

After a long pause, he felt his face flush under the other’s gaze. Only then did he remember that he was currently just a hidden guard, and his family had no idea of ​​his true identity.

Xing Qi leapt down from the rafters and knelt respectfully on the white jade floor, offering an apology: “This subordinate is at fault, I made a noise and disturbed your lordship.”

Jing Heguang noticed him clenching his fists tightly, his head bowed low, and a faint flush of pink spread from the base of his ears down to his neck.

As a shadow guard who operated in the dark, away from the sun, his skin was naturally fair and unblemished.

Jing Heguang gripped the armrests of his chair, mimicking the original owner’s composed demeanor: “It doesn’t matter. Rise.”

The original owner had not been harsh with his subordinates, on the contrary, he was skilled in the art of managing people. He commanded a large group of capable individuals, all fiercely loyal and possessing unique talents.

Had the original owner been born five or ten years earlier, he might well have had a chance to contend for the empire.

But he was born too late. His father, the monarch of a fallen dynasty, had already reduced the realm to shambles. It was a situation beyond saving.

The original owner had spent his life obsessed with restoring the dynasty, yet the Emperor of the Xu dynasty seemed favored by the heavens, leading to the original owner’s ultimate, crushing defeat.

Had he simply lived quietly as the emperor’s brother-in-law, his life would likely have been one of great comfort.

Xing Qi stood up, though he kept his head lowered, not daring to look at the man before him.

He felt vexed with himself for having been so captivated by the man’s appearance.

He knew full well that Jing Heguang was no saint. Despite possessing the looks of a celestial being, his heart was pitch-black.

In his past life, he had willingly risked his life for Jing Heguang, mindful of the debt he owed the master who had raised and trained him. Yet, Jing Heguang had demanded more than just repayment. He had…he had planted the ‘Peach Blossom Gu’ in him.

The Peach Blossom Gu?

Yes!

That must be it, he was under the influence of the Peach Blossom Gu!

Xing Qi exhaled softly, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his heart.

Meanwhile, the person outside the window had grown impatient and tapped lightly on the door.

The middle-aged man spoke with a nervous tremor in his voice: “Master, the banquet begins in half an hour…At the banquet, the newlyweds are expected to make the rounds and offer toasts together.”

Whether in the current Xu dynasty or the previous dynasty, it was customary for the newlyweds to appear together and offer toasts at the wedding banquet. This served as a way to receive blessings from guests and was an essential part of the wedding proceedings.

However, the middle-aged man dared not say it outright: the bride in the manor was in no condition to offer any toasts.

The bride, Yi Qingxue, had originally been betrothed to another. Yet, the Grand Tutor, seeing the immense power wielded by the Master of this house, had sought to curry favor by agreeing to marry his daughter off to him.

Yi Qingxue, however, possessed a stubborn spirit. Even under tight surveillance, she had managed to find a moment to attempt hanging herself, nearly losing her life in the process.

That suicide attempt had occurred only last night, and the woman brought back was now barely clinging to life, how could she possibly offer toasts?

Jing Heguang leaned back in his chair, idly turning over a pair of ornamental walnuts he had picked up from the table.

The original owner might have fancied Yi Qingxue, but he certainly didn’t.

Besides…with the person he truly loved right by his side, going through with a marriage to another woman would be nothing short of self-inflicted torture.

Jing Heguang needed to find a way to properly handle this entire mess.

While Jing Heguang was still mulling over a solution, Xing Qi, who was standing nearby, began to hesitate.

He had, of course, understood the subtext of the steward’s words outside the door.

In the previous life, Jing Heguang had gone out to offer toasts alone on this very night.

A few days later, the bride had passed away, and her original fiancé had thrown himself into the river just before the curfew, a truly devoted, if tragic, lover.

Xing Qi had even witnessed the man jump into the river with his own eyes. He had been too far away to intervene in time, making the shock of the event all the more profound.

Xing Qi felt a pang of regret for that pair of devoted lovers, yet he did not know how to broach the subject.

From start to finish, he had never once commanded any respect or favor in Jing Heguang’s eyes.

Even later, when the gu caused him to fall for Jing Heguang, his lot was merely to live alone in a guarded courtyard, treated with cold indifference by the man.

As Xing Qi hesitated, a tug on his sleeve pulled him closer to the person seated on the chair.

Xing Qi held his breath in nervousness, his body trembling slightly.

Jing Heguang looked up at him, his gaze sweeping over him appraisingly.

Jing Heguang wondered…was he perhaps shorter than the person he liked?

As a shadow guard, Xing Qi appeared slender, but up close, one could see his physique was lean and wiry — tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and a chest showing defined muscle rather than gaunt frailty.

Jing Heguang withdrew his gaze and asked, “What did you want to say?”

Xing Qi never expected Jing Heguang to take the initiative and ask what was on his mind!

Yet, speaking up now might save two lives. In his past life, he had wanted to live but was forced to die, he knew that being alive was a tremendous blessing.

But speaking bluntly wouldn’t do.

Xing Qi knew Jing Heguang’s temperament, stubborn and obstinate regarding what he desired, willing to pay any price to obtain it.

He blinked, weighing his words before speaking: “I…this subordinate has never seen a wedding banquet, nor witnessed the newlyweds offering toasts.”

He wore a look of curiosity.

Jing Heguang reflected that, as a shadow guard, there were likely countless things Xing Qi had never seen.

Even the ordinary life experienced by common folk was a novel way of living for a shadow guard.

Hearing this, Jing Heguang narrowed his eyes and exerted force with his hand once more.

His grip was strong, infused with internal energy. Xing Qi dared not resist or object, and was pulled straight down into a seat.

Once seated, Xing Qi felt as though his backside were on fire.

He was sitting on the other man’s lap!!

Up on the rafters, the breathing of the hidden watchers faltered in unison.

Xing Qi’s face flushed crimson. He gripped the armrests, attempting to stand up.

However, Jing Heguang had deliberately pulled him down to sit. Naturally, he wasn’t about to let him rise immediately.

Jing Heguang applied a bit of force, clamping his arm firmly around Xing Qi’s lean, slender waist.

His expression was furious, and his voice carried an edge of anger: “That woman is so ungrateful, half-dead as she is, dragging her out there would only be an embarrassment!”

Xing Qi’s body went rigid, and the mind of the steward waiting outside went blank.

How was he supposed to respond to his master’s words?

Was he supposed to say, ‘Well, Master, you were the one who insisted on a forced marriage’?

There was a moment of silence outside before the steward replied, “With your noble status, Master, there is no one under the heavens worthy of you.”

The steward thought to himself: Their master is a prince, after all, a man of immense prestige. Not to mention his outstanding looks and talent, he’s worthy of celestial beauty.

Jing Heguang seemed even more enraged, his teeth audibly ground together for a brief moment.

Then, Jing Heguang reached out and turned Xing Qi’s face toward him.

Xing Qi’s brows were tightly furrowed, and his thick, trembling eyelashes betrayed the anxiety within.

He was afraid of Jing Heguang.

Years of subservience, compounded by the torment of the parasitic child gu, had caused him immense suffering.

Had his family not intervened, Xing Qi wouldn’t have dared to strike even if Jing Heguang lay defenseless right in front of him. The fear of Jing Heguang was ingrained in his very bones.

Jing Heguang reached out again and tore away the face-covering cloth that was in the way.

Xing Qi panicked even more, wishing he could bolt from the room and run far, far away!

In reality, however, the security inside and outside the room was so tight that not even a mosquito could escape.

Jing Heguang gazed at his face and, unable to resist the urge, reached out and gave it a poke.

After this brief moment of playful impertinence, Jing Heguang finally spoke: “Don’t you think that woman doesn’t know what’s good for her? What exactly is lacking in me?”

Xing Qi didn’t know how to answer.

But Jing Heguang didn’t seem to expect an answer, he went straight on: “I’m not bad-looking, am I? My fortune is substantial, my inner courtyard is completely empty, spotless, and my temper isn’t bad, either.”

After rattling off his own merits, Jing Heguang’s expression hardened as he shifted gears, his anger intensifying: “Hah! That woman has some puny weakling of a fiancé, am I really supposed to lose out to a frail scholar like that?”

Xing Qi closed his eyes as he listened. The image of that scholar, charging without hesitation into the raging river, flashed before his mind’s eye.

He thought to himself: That man may have been frail, but he was a man of deep devotion.

It was people like Jing Heguang, cold-hearted and callous, who shouldn’t be talking about love. Someone ought to…someone ought to make him fall in love, only to ruthlessly cast him aside!

Just as he was indulging in the fantasy of Jing Heguang being miserably abandoned, Xing Qi heard words that left him in disbelief.

“I’m going to show that woman, I don’t need her!”

“You want to see a toast? How about…you come along and make a toast with me?”

Outside the door, the steward’s eyes went wide. He wondered who on earth was inside to make his master say something like that.

He had clearly heard that the person inside was one of his master’s subordinates! A man, at that!!

The steward then recalled his master’s petty, vindictive nature. Given that temper, it was entirely possible he was acting out of spite just to drive that woman mad.

It didn’t matter if he hurt himself in the process, the only thing that mattered was humiliating her!

If the steward thought this way, Xing Qi naturally did too.

Xing Qi’s eyes widened and his lips parted slightly as he stared at Jing Heguang in disbelief.

At a most inappropriate moment, he thought: With a temper like that? Jing Heguang dares to claim he has a good temper? He’s clearly petty as hell.

And yet, a strange, unexpected flutter stirred in Xing Qi’s heart.

If he agreed, the woman in the back courtyard would certainly have a better chance of survival.

After all, to truly infuriate the other party, one had to make them witness the situation firsthand. If the woman didn’t have to die, the scholar wouldn’t have to jump into the river, either.

Furthermore…once he reunited with his family, he could ruthlessly cast Jing Heguang aside, that would surely drive Jing Heguang half-mad with rage!

Xing Qi looked at Jing Heguang, mustered his courage, and said with trembling lips, “I…I’ll listen to you, Master.”

Upon hearing this answer, Jing Heguang felt a mix of joy and heartache.

He was happy that Xing Qi had agreed, yet pained by the realization that the agreement stemmed from Xing Qi’s status.

His poor little Xing!

But for the moment, Jing Heguang couldn’t dwell on that. Finalizing the marriage to Yi Qingxue was out of the question!

Absolutely impossible.

He would simply have to make do with a ‘marry first, love later’ arrangement.

Having mapped out the future, Jing Heguang called out toward the door, “Go and prepare two sets of groom’s wedding attire!”