SGSHE115

Jing Heguang felt that Cui Tong’s timing was absolutely terrible!

He was currently stark naked, soaking in a bathtub, he couldn’t exactly pull Cui Tong outside for a chat.

More importantly, younger brother Xing was in the inner room, drying his hair.

If Cui Tong let something slip by accident, then he would be…

Jing Heguang, who usually preferred to wait for the opportune moment to strike, decided to take the initiative this time.

“Cui Tong, why did you barge in like that? I’m in the middle of a bath.”

Little brother, you need to mind your manners, back out quickly.

Jing Heguang put on a stern face and looked at Cui Tong.

But Cui Tong was so preoccupied with thoughts of his younger kinswoman, Cui Leyou, that he paid no heed to such trifles.

Instead of retreating, he simply bowed and said, “Brother Jing, please forgive my intrusion. It’s just that Leyou’s fate is currently unknown, and I am terribly anxious. I’m sure you would feel the same way if you knew.”

Jing Heguang shook his head frantically in his mind.

Not me. I don’t feel that way.

Jing Heguang wasn’t worried, after all, she was the female lead, nothing bad would happen to her.

Furthermore, while the original owner had liked Cui Leyou and worried about her, as did Cui Tong, Jing Heguang had no such feelings for her.

Seeing Jing Heguang remain silent, Cui Tong became even more convinced that his earlier reprimand had simply been because he hadn’t heard clearly.

He must have been stunned the moment he heard something had happened to Leyou.

So, Cui Tong continued, “Brother Jing, we discovered that the gang sells their captives to Wucheng via merchant caravans, there is a very strong chance Leyou is there. You’ve just returned from Wucheng, do you happen to know the current situation there, or details regarding their military strength?”

Cui Tong had been incredibly worried about Cui Leyou’s disappearance. Then Jing Heguang arrived, having just returned from Wucheng, making him the perfect lifeline in Cui Tong’s eyes.

As for whether Jing Heguang would help?

That went without saying!

Jing Heguang harbored deep affection for his younger clanswoman, now that he had a chance to rescue the fair maiden, he certainly wouldn’t let it slip by.

Cui Tong even expected Jing Heguang to leap out of the bathing tub right then and there, anxiously demanding to know the details.

But…things turned out completely differently than he had imagined.

Jing Heguang said calmly, “I have some information. Tomorrow, I shall ride swiftly to report it to Marshal Chai.”

“Tomorrow?!” Cui Tong’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Do you realize that for every extra day we wait, Leyou faces even greater danger?”

In the inner room, Xing Ming listened with growing puzzlement.

This Leyou girl, it sounded like she and Jing Heguang shared a very close bond.

A man and a woman, with a close bond…

Xing Ming’s expression darkened, and the hand he was using to dry his hair paused in mid-air.

Outside.

Sensing that the original owner’s hidden feelings had already been exposed, Jing Heguang decided to simply stop trying to hide them.

Multitasking, he picked up a cloth to scrub his arm while asking Cui Tong, “How many days has Leyou been missing?”

Cui Tong sighed. “It has been twelve days.”

Twelve days.

It had taken Jing Heguang and Xing Ming fifteen days just to return from Wucheng. Moreover, the abductors would be more familiar with the terrain and adept at evading detection. For all they knew, the kidnappers might have already reached Wucheng by now.

Jing Heguang stated the facts: “Cui Tong, it took us fifteen days to make the return journey. At this moment, it is highly likely that your clanswoman has already entered Wucheng.”

Cui Tong keenly noticed the shift in tone and asked in surprise, “Your clanswoman?”

In the past, Jing Heguang, like Cui Tong himself, had always referred to her simply as ‘Leyou’ or ‘Little Leyou’, as did most others.

After just one trip away, Jing Heguang had actually adopted such a distant, formal way of addressing her?!

Fearing that his female cousin might have lost her chastity and believing Jing Heguang was trying to shirk responsibility for the incident involving Leyou, Cui Tong flew into a rage. “You, Jing Heguang! The moment trouble strikes Leyou, you’re in such a rush to wash your hands of the matter?”

Jing Heguang furrowed his brows, realizing that his previous words had easily led to a misunderstanding on Cui Tong’s part.

He knitted his brows tightly and declared loudly, “That is not the case at all!”

Cui Tong flicked his sleeve. “Are you saying I misunderstood you then?”

While the Cui and Jing families were not of the same clan, they had once been close neighbors, closer, in fact, than some distant relatives. The original owner was of a similar age to Cui Tong and Cui Leyou, and having lived near the Jing household during childhood, they had often played together.

Jing Heguang asked him, “Cui Tong, are you aware that I returned in the company of another person?”

“I know that.”

Jing Heguang smiled. “The person who returned with me is the love of my life. We have already exchanged wedding vows and pledged our devotion for lifetimes to come. I was foolish in my youth and understood nothing of romance, the past should not be taken seriously, so let us speak of it no more.”

As he spoke, Jing Heguang glanced toward the inner room.

His words were meant for both Cui Tong and his young brother Xing.

Inside the room, the comb slipped from Xing Ming’s hand, making a soft clatter as it hit the floor.

The sound was faint, yet it startled Cui Tong.

Cui Tong stood stunned for a long moment before the realization finally sank in.

He opened his mouth, his voice barely a whisper: “The person who returned with you…wasn’t he a man?”

“He is a man,” Jing Heguang replied candidly. Turning his head, he called out, “younger brother Xing, would you like to come out and meet Cui Tong? His uncle’s family used to be our neighbors.”

Upon hearing this, Xing Ming tightened his grip on the comb he had just picked up.

He hesitated for a moment, threw on his outer robe, and stepped outside.

He noted that Jing Heguang had referred to it as ‘our’.

Even though he had never set foot in the Jing family manor, in Jing Heguang’s heart, he was already considered family.

And since they were family, naturally, he had to meet the guest.

The door opened, and Xing Ming stepped out with his dark hair loose. His expression was calm, though his hands were tightly clutching his sleeves. Upon seeing Cui Tong, he offered a faint smile.

Xing Ming was nervous, this was the first time he was meeting someone from Jing Heguang’s circle.

Jing Heguang introduced them: “This is my Xing Ming, ‘Xing’ as in the stars. And this is Cui Tong, he is six months my junior.”

Cui Tong had initially been skeptical of what Jing Heguang had told him.

He knew Jing Heguang wasn’t the type to lie, yet he couldn’t believe Jing Heguang would have a change of heart in love.

There had been rumors in the capital that Jing Heguang had gone to the North because of his female cousin.

But the moment he saw Xing Ming, Cui Tong believed it.

His cousin Leyou was spirited, intelligent, talented, and possessed a charming personality.

Yet the man who had just stepped out was truly stunning!

He exuded an air of refined elegance, and the red beauty mark beneath his eye, resembling a red plum blossom amidst heavy snow, was so breathtaking.

As for learning and talent? A man with such an aura certainly wouldn’t be some uncultured ruffian.

Cui Tong clasped his hands in a respectful salute. “I am Cui Tong. I was unaware that brother Xing was here as well, please forgive my abrupt intrusion.”

Xing Ming shook his head. “It’s okay.” He paused before adding, “However, the water isn’t very hot. If brother Cui has something to discuss, perhaps it would be better to wait until Heguang has finished his bath?”

The water for both of them had been brought in at the same time. The tub wasn’t large, Xing Ming had bathed first, and Jing Heguang had waited a while now.

Now that Cui Tong had barged in and caused further delay, Xing Ming was worried Jing Heguang might catch a chill.

After all, they had been traveling for a long time, and their bodies were currently weak.

Cui Tong glanced at Jing Heguang, a look of reluctance in his eyes.

He took a step back. “I shall take my leave at once. However, I wish to add a few more words: Sister Leyou’s safety is currently unknown, which is deeply worrying. I only hope that, for the sake of our childhood bond, brother Jing will give the matter his full attention.”

Jing Heguang also spoke up, “I have secured the defense map of Wucheng, I will report it to the Marshal shortly.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to save people, he simply didn’t share Cui Tong’s frantic urgency.

Yet, he understood Cui Tong, anxiety over the safety of loved ones and friends was only natural.

If Xing Ming were the one in danger, Jing Heguang would likely have skipped his bath entirely and galloped back alone without a second thought!

***

After Cui Tong left, Jing Heguang quickly scrubbed himself clean and headed into the inner room.

He had dried his hair in a rush, as he entered, a few strands were still wet and dripping.

Xing Ming took the towel and pressed it against his hair to dry it.

Xing Ming remained silent.

Feeling a bit awkward, Jing Heguang asked, “younger brother Xing, is there anything you’d like to know?”

Xing Ming dried his hair with measured strokes and said calmly, “I don’t want to know anything, I’m afraid I might get so angry it kills me. That ‘dear little sister’, you never mentioned that before.”

Jing Heguang: …

So much for not wanting to know anything, it was clear he wanted to know ‘everything’!

Jing Heguang said, “I went off to war when I was just a boy of ten or so. The army camp was full of stinking men, where would I have found a ‘dear little sister’?”

“Leyou was a childhood playmate. Back then, I didn’t understand much and mistook my own feelings, but I’ve always viewed her only as a younger sister!”

As he spoke, Jing Heguang turned his head to gaze intently at Xing Ming.

“It wasn’t until I met you that I truly understood what it felt like to be in love. You might laugh, but I was so overjoyed at the time that I actually fainted.”

Xing Ming still harbored a bit of lingering resentment, and four words slipped out: “Lust at first sight.”

“Nonsense, it was love at first sight! Even if you hadn’t been so beautiful, I still would have fallen for you,” Jing Heguang stated firmly. “When I saw you, I didn’t think about how good-looking you were, instead, I felt a deep sense that you were the person I would spend the rest of my life with!”

Xing Ming thought back to when he first met Jing Heguang, his own reaction had been strange too, as if he had suddenly turned into a completely different person.

Logically speaking, even if one had fallen in love, the shift shouldn’t have been quite so sudden.

He remarked with a puzzled air, “It seems…I feel the same way!”

The two locked eyes, it was as if they understood something, yet also as if they understood nothing at all.

Jing Heguang thought it over and decided against telling Xing Ming what he knew.

After all, even if they knew the truth, there was no way to resolve it.

Better to simply live out this life well together.

He took Xing Ming’s hand and planted a kiss on the back of it.

When he looked up again, a genuine smile played on his face: “Perhaps we were a couple in a past life! In this life, we’re simply a match made in heaven.”

***

The next day, Jing Heguang rode out alone to report the intelligence regarding the city defense map to Cui Tong and the General of the Northwest Army.

The two nations had seen no conflict for years, meaning the Jin’s defenses were at their most lax.

It was an opportunity not to be missed, a chance that might never come again.

The old general simultaneously dispatched a secret memorial to the capital and mobilized his troops, swiftly organizing a surprise attack force.

Jing Heguang was, naturally, one of the soldiers in this surprise unit.

He knew Wu City better than anyone, and he was intimately familiar with the route.

However, the deployment would take a few more days to prepare, so after making his report, Jing Heguang returned to the small county town.

By day, he took Xing Ming out for strolls. By night, the two of them indulged in passionate intimacy behind closed doors.

After two days of this, Jing Heguang ground some ink and, while Xing Ming was bathing, sat down to write a letter to the Jing family.

He had already mentally drafted the contents, so his brush moved swiftly across the paper.

He began by lamenting the harrowing journey to Wucheng, describing how he was the sole survivor, before proceeding to sing the praises of his ‘younger brother Xing’, who had toiled day and night to nurse him back to health. He embellished the tale with details about using up precious aged ginseng and pawning off a priceless family heirloom…

In short, the letter was as dramatic and story-like as a script from a stage play.

Jing Heguang felt quite pleased with himself as he wrote, his brush flying across the paper in total absorption.

Just as he was happily spinning his tale, Xing Ming finished his bath and came up behind him.

After describing the hardships younger brother Xing had endured, Jing Heguang began to recount how he had fallen in love.

He wrote about how he had given Xing Ming his family’s heirloom jade pendant, only realizing afterward that it was meant for his future wife.

Then, feelings gradually developed, it was a case of things working out beautifully despite the initial mix-up.

Naturally, he included a few delightful anecdotes along the way.

Jing Heguang wrote two full pages, concluding with this: “People often speak of repaying a life-saving debt by pledging one’s hand in marriage, and your son has done just that! Though younger brother Xing is a man, our hearts are truly united. I pray that you, mother and father, will accept us both.”

— Your son, Heguang.

“Right, all done.” Jing Heguang penned the final character and set his brush down with satisfaction.

Before he could even put the brush away, a pair of warm, soft arms wrapped around his neck.

“Finished writing?”