ITF Chapter41

It was already near midnight when the banquet ended. Bai Heting walked out of the main hall and found Luo Congye near the stables.

Luo Congye’s demeanor had already returned to calmness. He walked toward him while leading two horses.

There was a faint, almost unnoticeable limp in his left leg. Everything had unfolded too abruptly earlier, leaving Bai Heting no time to restrain his force when he delivered that kick. Taking Zhenzhu’s reins from Luo Congye’s hand, Bai Heting said as he mounted his horse, “When we get back, have Physician Zhou take a look at your leg.”

Luo Congye couldn’t help but let out a short laugh.

Have Physician Zhou look at his leg.

How was he supposed to explain the origin of this injury to Zhou Chengbei? Tell him that it was from being kicked by Bai Heting?

“No need.” He shook his head and flipped himself onto his horse.

Lysandra Palace was about an hour’s ride from the General’s Mansion. As they approached the gatehouse, Bai Heting suddenly tugged his reins, changing their direction.

Luo Congye followed him silently.

Zhenzhu finally stopped by the lakeside. Bai Heting looked around. Only the rustling sound of the wind moving through the forest could be heard in the quiet night. “Why are there such rumors in Urdan?” He asked while looking at Luo Congye. “Rumors that you aren’t dead.”

Luo Congye’s black clothes almost blended into the night. He had already anticipated that Bai Heting would throw this question at him, and of course, he had prepared an answer in advance.

“I don’t know.” He said calmly.

Bai Heting urged his horse a few steps closer to him and asked again, “Have you revealed your identity to anyone else?”

Luo Congye replied again, “I only have this one identity.”

He answered smoothly without hesitation. Bai Heting asked no more, only staring at him quietly.

The corner of Luo Congye’s mouth hooked up. “What good would it do me to tell others? It’s not like I think I’ve lived too long.”

After dismounting, he walked over to Zhenzhu, lifted a hand to run his fingers through the horse’s snow-white mane, and spoke in a low voice. “What happened tonight wasn’t intentional. I never expected the pheromones to seep through the suppressor patch; it was my own oversight.”

Zhenzhu lowered its neck, affectionately leaning its head against his chest. Bai Heting looked down at the person and the horse, saying, “I was gone for three months, and yet you two have grown so close.”

Luo Congye didn’t explain, only offering a quiet “En.”

Bai Heting also dismounted. He raised his hand and patted Zhenzhu’s flank, and the horse cheerfully trotted off into the distance.

The silent air flowed slowly through the chilly spring night. Luo Congye’s hand paused in midair for a moment before dropping to his side.

“My mother… she was good at everything; she knew how to do everything.” He stared blankly ahead, his voice devoid of much emotion. “But she wasn’t some princess.”

Bai Heting agreed.

Given Bai Yi’s personality, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to give up investigating the whereabouts of the missing child unless he had obtained a completely definitive answer.

Luo Congye fell silent for a brief moment, furrowing his brows slightly before continuing, “Her death, the disgrace she endured… it all stemmed from a rumor. Nothing more than a misunderstanding, a twist of fate, an unfortunate coincidence, and yet…”

He finished his sentence softly, “…a joke.”

After listening, Bai Heting asked, entirely unfazed, “So what?”

Luo Congye froze.

Bai Heting pressed on, “What can you do about it?”

“I…” Luo Congye was clearly caught off guard by the question.

“You want revenge?” Bai Heting asked aggressively. “Your enemies are everywhere here. Where do you plan to start killing? How many of them can you even kill?”

Luo Congye closed his eyes.

The forced composure he had maintained was sliced open by this string of questions, peeling away piece by piece.

He tilted his head back, took a deep breath, and let out a trembling exhale.

He heard Bai Heting take two steps in his direction.

He knew Bai Heting hated it when he cried.

This time, Luo Congye mentally prepared himself to get kicked.

He braced himself and gritted his teeth, yet the kick he was expecting never came. Puzzled, he slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself being drawn into someone’s arms.

“Cry. I’ll tolerate it from you just this once.” Bai Heting pressed Luo Congye’s head against his shoulder and said flatly, “After you’re done crying, forget everything you heard today and forget your past too.”

The moon emerged from behind the clouds, its reflection spilling across the lake. The silvery orb rippled softly on the water’s surface with the passing breeze, while tears quietly dampened Bai Heting’s shoulder.

No longer the child he once was, Luo Congye had grown tall and broad-shouldered, and having that solid frame pressed against him was overwhelmingly oppressive. It did not take long for Bai Heting’s patience to wear thin. Reneging on his earlier promise, he finally said, “Stop crying.”

But not only did Luo Congye not listen to him, he even wrapped both arms around Bai Heting’s waist.

Bai Heting sighed.

He pulled a round object out of his pocket and tapped it twice against Luo Congye’s arm with his wrist, saying, “Here.”

Luo Congye reluctantly stood up straight. He took the object from Bai Heting’s hand, wiped his face with his sleeve, and then flattened his palm.

“What is this?” He asked, his voice hoarse.

“A pearl,” Bai Heting said. “A pearl from the South Sea.”

Luo Congye lowered his gaze to the pearl resting in his palm. It was an immaculate shade of white, gleaming with a radiant luster, its surface smooth and its shape perfectly round; just like the ones depicted in illustrated books.

Bai Heting turned his head to look at the white stallion drinking water in the distance and asked Luo Congye, “Is it unreasonable to name it Zhenzhu?”

Luo Congye had to admit, “It’s reasonable.” Then, he held his hand back out in front of Bai Heting.

Bai Heting didn’t reach out to take it, only saying, “Keep it.”

Luo Congye froze.

He swallowed hard and stammered, “Such a valuable thing…”

Bai Heting interrupted, “Don’t make a fuss over nothing.” After a moment of thought, he asked, “What else is there that you haven’t seen?”

There was far too much.

Luo Congye stared at the deep, dark lake water and thought for a long time before finally asking, “What is the sea like?”

“The sea?” Bai Heting frowned before giving a plain description. “It’s huge, very blue, and you can’t see the opposite shore at a glance.”

Luo Congye blinked his red eyes, understanding only half of it.

That didn’t sound any different from the lake in Urdan.

Bai Heting added, “And there are white waves as well.”

Luo Congye repeated blankly, “White waves?”

He knew what the sea was, and he knew the sound and motion of its waves.

The books said the sea was blue.

But the waves were white?

Bai Heting pondered for a moment. Lacking a romantic imagination, he had no choice but to hastily wrap up the topic, “Next time, I’ll take you to see it.”

Luo Congye said in a muffled voice, “You said it.”

He failed to use honorifics again, making Bai Heting thoroughly want to kick him once more.

Fortunately, he held back.

Fixing him with a glare from his peach-blossom eyes, he snapped, “Looks like the kick I gave you earlier wasn’t nearly hard enough.”

Yet the hazy night softened the gaze that should have been sharp.

Luo Congye looked down at him.

He had witnessed his mother’s tragic death with his own eyes; that was the darkest, most painful, and most hopeless day of his life.

He ought to detest that day.

However, his heart failed him; he had no way to purely detest that day.

Clenching the pearl tightly in his palm, he furrowed his brows and murmured softly, “If you treat me like this…”

“What?” Bai Heting didn’t hear him clearly.

Luo Congye didn’t speak further while wrapping his other arm around his waist.

Bai Heting’s body stiffened as Luo Congye’s lips pressed against his. He easily pried open Bai Heting’s teeth with the tip of his tongue, and even through several layers of clothing, a heartbeat as loud as a beating drum could be felt.

Bai Heting gasped softly and raised his hands to embrace his back.

Luo Congye’s breathing grew even more urgent as he pressed the man forcefully into his arms, deepening the kiss.

If you treat me like this…

he said in his heart.

I will think that you like me too.

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