Chapter 14 Enemies Meet, Enemies See

That smell on his body, even daily incense baths could not completely cover it, instead it was like the foul stench of decaying bones mixed with floral mud.

Everyone despised him, disgusted by him.

What virtue or ability did he have to gain Qiu Shuzhi’s favor.

The faint fragrance from Qiu Shuzhi’s body lingered in his nose, intoxicating him. The more intense and elusive the scent became, the colder his heart grew. Someone as good as her should not be tainted by him.

He struggled to maintain his composure, tremblingly withdrawing his hand.

“No, I’m different from them,” he stumbled half a step back, forgetting the stool behind him. His foot caught, and he fell backwards.

“Be careful, Your Highness.” A soft white skirt rushed into his view like a cold cloud. Qiu Shuzhi supported his arm with one hand and wrapped his waist with the other, barely managing to hold him up.

Yue Guanyi lowered his head in shame. Qiu Shuzhi’s warm hand almost burned him, his eyes moistening slightly with excitement.

“This humble official has offended you.” Qiu Shuzhi withdrew her hand, savoring the feeling of the touch on her fingertips. His skin was cool and delicate, like a piece of fine cold jade.

“It’s nothing.” Yue Guanyi’s face reddened even more, resembling a pomegranate flower touched by morning dew.

Their movements startled the passersby in the night market, so they simply slipped out from the side. Outside, the sky grew increasingly dark, clouds obscuring the bright moon. The lights of the night market stretched for miles without end, like the Milky Way on earth.

“Your Highness is indeed different from other men,” Qiu Shuzhi suddenly said in a low voice.

Yue Guanyi’s heart stopped for a moment.

Sure enough, she still minded that men were out in public. He was not like ordinary men who were gentle and family-oriented; he spent his days doing dirty work on the edge of a knife, drinking blood. Anyone who saw would feel disgust.

“Your Highness, despite being a man, you perform better than most women in the court. This humble official admires you greatly.”

Yue Guanyi hadn’t expected Qiu Shuzhi to suddenly change the subject, and was stunned for a moment.

“Don’t you think I’m not virtuous for not following the ancestral teachings of the ‘Biographies of Exemplary Men’ and the three obediences and four virtues?”

“Ordinary men who devote themselves wholeheartedly to their wives and daughters are certainly respectable, but I admire men like Your Highness more, who are as capable as women. There are thousands of men in the world, but only you shine so brightly, Your Highness.” She smiled slightly, the night market’s silver flowers scattered like snow, as if entering a world of fireworks.

The noisy night market seemed to fall silent at this moment. Yue Guanyi could only hear the chaotic thudding in his chest.

He had never had any grand ambitions. He was just an ordinary man, as ordinary as could be. He knew the ‘Biographies of Exemplary Men’ by heart, and from childhood, his only wish was to marry a good wife-master and assist her in raising their children. Later, when he fell into the pleasure quarters and met Qiu Shuzhi, his wish became to be Qiu Shuzhi’s man.

In his dreams, he imagined her over and over again, only to see his own ugliness in the thick fog of dawn, feeling ashamed and inferior.

Later, when he returned to the royal family and climbed step by step to the position of Commander of the Imperial Guards, it was only because of that casual remark Qiu Shuzhi made in her childhood: “Little brother, I want to enter officialdom, I want to revive the Qiu family.”

His heart was mired in mud, and only by plunging into the sea of officialdom and making a name for himself could he stand in a high position waiting for her arrival, using his blood-stained official’s robe to pave a glorious path for her.

People cursed him, feared him, insulted him, but he never cared. Even he looked down on himself.

But he never thought that he, hiding in dark corners and flaying people’s skin and breaking their bones, would be such a dazzling existence in Qiu Shuzhi’s eyes. Years of endurance and dormancy had gained the approval of his beloved.

“You flatter me.”

So she liked this kind of man.

Yue Guanyi was overjoyed, a faint blush appearing at the corners of his deep-set eyes.

A gust of cold wind blew, carrying the sweet fragrance of apricot blossoms and tender willows. A light rain fell like silkworm threads, the rainfall was light, but it made the entire night market seem shrouded in misty rain.

The night market vendors were in chaos, complaining about the weather’s lack of cooperation as they began to pack up their things and prepare to close shop.

The light rain dampened Yue Guanyi’s long hair, a raindrop hanging from his thick lashes. The long wind swept up the falling apricot blossoms, making his white robe flutter, sharing the wind and smoke with the blossoms.

“The rain is getting heavier, Your Highness should return quickly.” Qiu Shuzhi took off her outer robe to shield him from the wind and rain. She waved to Yue Guanyi’s subordinates not far away. These people followed Yue Guanyi at all times; she wasn’t worried about any danger on his way back.

Yue Guanyi was overwhelmed by her favor. He wanted to enshrine her clothes, how could he dare to use Qiu Shuzhi’s clothes to avoid the rain.

“Quickly bring an umbrella,” Yue Guanyi turned and barked at the approaching subordinates.

The subordinates lowered their heads guiltily. The rain had come suddenly, catching them all unprepared.

“There’s no need. The spring rain is cold, and Your Highness’s precious body shouldn’t stay out long. It’s better to get in the carriage quickly and not catch a chill,” Qiu Shuzhi said.

“Then let me have my servants escort you back,” he said.

Qiu Shuzhi shook her head, water droplets sliding down the soft curves of her face: “My home is nearby, it’s no trouble.” With that, she turned to the two subordinates following behind and said in a low voice, “Hurry and take your master back.” This time, the subordinates boldly stepped forward.

Yue Guanyi gripped the clothes in his hand tightly, for the first time disobeying her words: “I cannot let Official Qiu walk back alone in the rain.” Qiu Shuzhi laughed, speechless: “Alright then.”

The horse hooves clattered on the bluestone slabs, the wheels rolled by, and soon they arrived at the entrance of Qiu Shuzhi’s courtyard.

She lifted the curtain and saw the lanterns hanging in front of the door surrounded by the cold night, swaying with the wind. A lone figure stood in front of the door in the misty rain, holding an umbrella, gazing into the distance, waiting for someone to return.

“Cousin,” Qiu Shuzhi jumped down from the carriage. “Why are you still outside so late?” Qiu Qiushuang made gestures with his hands: “Waiting for you.”

“The rain is so heavy, you should have waited for me inside.”

Qiu Qiushuang didn’t reply to her, his gaze inquisitively looking towards the carriage stopped in front of the door.

The wind was fierce and the rain cold on this spring night. The horse with tightened reins let out a low neigh. A hand slowly extended from behind the curtain. Yue Guanyi alighted from the carriage and walked step by step to stand before Qiu Qiushuang.

The moment Qiu Qiushuang saw Yue Guanyi, his gaze turned cold, as if the air had frozen in an instant.

“This is His Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“Your Highness, this is my cousin, Qiu Qiushuang.” Qiu Shuzhi made the introductions.

Qiu Qiushuang bent his knees slightly in a bow.

Yue Guanyi’s light eyebrows lowered, his innate royal demeanor undiminished even though his whole body was soaked by the rain.

He made a gesture of helping Qiu Qiushuang up, his clear voice carrying a trace of almost imperceptible coldness: “No need for formalities.” “I hear your brother has an ailment?”

Qiu Shuzhi spoke frankly: “My cousin lost his voice due to a shock in his childhood. Please don’t take offense, Your Highness.” Yue Guanyi’s eyes, hidden in the shadows, narrowed slightly, his words sincere: “How could I take offense? But since it’s not a congenital deficiency, there should still be a chance for recovery. There are countless famous doctors in the palace, perhaps they could cure your brother’s illness.” Qiu Qiushuang’s eyes immediately flashed with a fierce light, his hand gripping the umbrella handle tightly.

Yue Guanyi’s lips curled into a cold smile.