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Reborn Prince and the Top Scholar
墨書 Inktalez
"Indeed, the downfall of the Su Family is my doing, but so what? Did you not say that you would support me no matter what I did? Now that you have been sold to the Brothel, if you serve me well today, I might just have a word with Mother and let you only entertain me."
"How about it, Su Che? Given your current state, I still think of you this way; you should be grateful."
In the Fragrant Pavilion, in a room adorned with suggestive decor, a man sat in the main seat. He wore a purple brocade robe embroidered with silver thread floral patterns, a white jade belt at his waist, and a golden crown atop his head, with two strands of hair framing his forehead in a self-proclaimed charming manner.
Xu Mu lounged with one leg crossed over the other, his black boots half off as he playfully dangled them in front of the kneeling Su Che. Leaning back in his chair with his right hand propping up his chin, he wore an expression of disdain mixed with mockery and contempt as he looked at the disheveled Su Che.
At this moment, Su Che was dressed only in undergarments, his hair unkempt and face dirty. After hearing Xu Mu's words, tears filled his once gentle and clear eyes that had always sparkled with warmth.
His eyes were red and his body trembled uncontrollably; nausea surged within him as he glared at the now polished Xu Mu.
"Why? Why do you treat me this way?! I have never wronged you! Has the Su Family ever neglected you? What grievance do we have that would lead to such revenge?!"
Xu Mu seemed to find something amusing in Su Che's words. After a few low chuckles, he turned to Su Che, resentment flickering in his eyes.
"What grievance do we have? Never neglected? Never wronged? Ha! Yes, Uncle Su, Aunt Su, and even the entire Su Family treated me well—better than you ever did. But so what? It was all just hypocritical charity. On the surface, they did good deeds only to make themselves look better!"
"You grew up in luxury and love, but what about me? My father only knew how to drown himself in wine and gamble; he would beat my mother and me at the slightest provocation. When he finally died, my mother fell ill. The Su Family didn’t care until she was on her deathbed. If it weren’t for your late intervention, she would have died much sooner and wouldn’t have had to suffer for so long!"
"And how did you treat me when I came to the Su Family? You claimed to treat me like your own child—never showing favoritism—what nonsense! Knowing full well my poor academic background, you insisted on having me study alongside you. What was that for if not to highlight your own brilliance against my ignorance? The servants of the Su Family look at me with less respect than they do beggars on the street..."
The more Xu Mu spoke, the angrier he became. He stood up abruptly and grabbed Su Che's disheveled hair, pulling it back and forth!
"Is this how you truly think?! Xu Mu, you madman! If what you say is true, then are the monthly expenses for your mother's medicine real? The accounts are all recorded; if you doubt it, feel free to check. I don’t believe that your current status as Consort can’t get that information! Moreover, even if what you're saying is nonsense, your status as a top scholar should rightfully belong to me. If it weren’t for my writings being abandoned by you, would you have ever caught the princess’s eye...?"
"Slap!"
Xu Mu's words were abruptly interrupted as he viciously grabbed Su Che's hair and yanked him up from the ground.
"You know I am now the Consort. Whatever nonsense you spout, my success as the top scholar is rightfully mine, and it has nothing to do with you! If you continue to babble like this, I will cut out your tongue! Skin you alive! Hang your hide in this brothel as a lantern! I only spared your life because we knew each other in our youth. Placing you in a brothel is still a way to survive; don't be ungrateful!"
Xu Mu's rage and venomous words made Su Che smile bitterly. Deep down, he felt that this was his deserved fate. At this point, how could he still not understand what kind of person Xu Mu was?
Arguing with him was pointless; if Xu Mu had any conscience, he wouldn't have ended up in such a situation needing to explain himself.
Su Che's heart felt like ashes, his expression vacant. His thin lips parted slightly, devoid of any spirit, and tears slipped down the corners of his eyes. Regardless of the cold or heat, he didn't even feel the pain from his scalp being pulled.
Seeing Su Che fall silent, Xu Mu noticed the icy tears on his cheeks. For some reason, the sight made his heart tremble, and his emotions calmed down considerably.
He released Su Che and let out a long sigh.
"You have indeed been of help to me; we have shared good times together. Otherwise, you would have been beaten to death along with those lowly scum long ago. If you behave yourself from now on, I won't treat you unfairly. I don’t want to say anything more. Although you haven't been able to clean yourself these past few days, I believe the madam has taught you some things. Use what you've learned these days well, and good days will come."
"Go wash up quickly; don’t keep this Consort waiting."
Xu Mu turned away, suppressing his impatience as he spoke. It wasn't out of kindness or a sudden pang of conscience due to Su Che's past kindness toward him.
It was simply because they had once been close; he had tasted Su Che's body before—more than any woman could offer—like opium, knowing all too well its allure.
At that time, he was not honest with Su Che either, often sneaking off with some dubious friends to the pleasure quarters. While he didn't have a thousand companions, he certainly had a hundred; although there were some exceptional ones among them, they always fell short compared to Su Che.
This was also why, out of the hundreds in the Su Family, he only kept Su Che around.
The friends Su Che had at that time were mostly hypocritical. Even those who wanted to help had to consider his current status as Consort and dared not extend a hand. Inside the princess's residence, he had to tread carefully, always watching the princess's expression.
Thus, he sought out Su Che, wanting to let loose a bit. Now that Su Che was essentially incapacitated, he could do whatever he pleased without any repercussions.
Thinking back to the warmth he once shared with Su Che, Xu Mu felt much better and began to loosen his clothing without noticing the glint of malice in Su Che's eyes as he watched Xu Mu's back.
Su Che pretended to take a bath, and after finishing, just as Xu Mu was preparing to indulge himself, Su Che bit down hard on Xu Mu's most sensitive area.
"Ah!"
A scream echoed throughout the Fragrant Pavilion.
Su Che suppressed his disgust and bit down fiercely. Xu Mu writhed in pain on the couch, and the madam of the Fragrant Pavilion rushed over upon hearing the commotion. The sight before her was so bloody that she nearly fainted.
In a flurry, she sent someone to fetch a doctor while slapping Su Che across the face. After all, Xu Mu was now the reigning Consort; such an incident happening in her establishment could very well lead to her own demise.
If it weren't for Xu Mu's prior instructions, she would have loved nothing more than to beat Su Che to death right then and there. Meanwhile, Xu Mu rolled in agony but still gritted his teeth and shouted,
"Take him away! I want him to be trampled by thousands and ridden by countless others..."
Su Che coldly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looking somewhat deranged as he gazed at the suffering Xu Mu.
"Hahaha! Xu Mu, this feeling isn't easy to bear, is it? You deserve it! I won't let you have your way; even if I become a ghost, I won't spare you!"
With that, Su Che exerted all his strength to break free from those who restrained him and rushed outward.
The madam saw this and tried to stop him, but it was too late. Su Che reached the railing and leaped down. He was on the top floor of the Fragrant Pavilion, over twenty feet high.
With his eyes closed and his mind blank, he only heard a loud crash...
He felt a tearing pain throughout his body that lasted for seven days. After seven days, he witnessed an incredible scene. Just as he was about to do something, he suddenly fell into darkness.
...
"Have I finally died?"
Just when he thought he had found relief, a familiar voice suddenly rang in his ears.
"Pah pah pah! In broad daylight, what nonsense are you talking about, young master? If the master hears this, he'll surely scold you again."
Su Che's heart trembled. The pain in his body lingered but was not as intense as when he jumped from the Fragrant Pavilion. Suddenly, a light appeared before him.
As his vision gradually cleared, he saw the long-lost blue sky and white clouds and caught a strong scent of herbs. Su Che felt somewhat dazed.
Could it be that after death, one returns to a previous time? Is this the legendary Revolving Lantern? Looking around the familiar room, he saw standing beside him his former personal servant, Xiao Tao.
Xiao Tao was named so because of her unique fate; fortune tellers had said her destiny was complicated. The older generation believed that naming a girl with a humble name would make it easier to support her.
Strangely enough, after changing her name, Xiao Tao's health indeed improved significantly, and she began to serve him closely. Su Che smiled at the displeased expression on Xiao Tao's face.
"I never expected to see you again after death. I wonder who else I might meet, but this is quite wonderful."
To his surprise, Xiao Tao looked astonished at Su Che's words, dropping the medicine bowl she was holding onto the floor.
"Oh no! I need to hurry and inform Grandfather and Cousin; the young master has gone mad!"
With that, Xiao Tao dashed out. Su Che was taken aback for a moment, recalling how real the sound of the bowl hitting the ground had been. He then moved slightly, and a sharp pain made him gasp.
Feeling the tangible sensation of the bed beneath him, Su Che couldn't help but be astonished. If he were truly dead, how could everything feel so real and clear?
Could it be that...
"Could it be... I've been reborn?"
Su Che recalled everything that had happened before. He remembered that he should be in the midst of climbing a tree to fetch something for Xu Mu when he accidentally fell and was now recuperating at home.
At that time, Xu Mu often took advantage of fetching medicine as an excuse to sneak out and have fun with his friends. If he really had been reborn, then soon Xu Mu would arrive pretending to care while actually rushing back from some brothel, clothes still disheveled. He had always known this but had turned a blind eye after being deceived by Xu Mu's various tricks.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Xu Mu hurried over, looking just as Su Che had imagined. Xu Mu feigned concern, but there was a hint of impatience and anger in his eyes.
"I heard from Xiao Tao that you were talking nonsense? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Xiao Tao, what year, month, and day is it now?"
Su Che did not answer but instead directed the question at Xiao Tao.
"It’s confusing; today is the fourteenth day of the third month in the first year of Xun."
"Smack!"
As soon as Xiao Tao finished speaking, Su Che slapped Xu Mu across the face and then asked, "Does it hurt?"
Xu Mu was taken aback by the sudden slap and instinctively nodded.
"It hurts."
With Xu Mu's response, Su Che nodded, confirming that he might really have been reborn. However, Xu Mu was still bewildered; in the past, Su Che wouldn't dare to speak harshly to him, so why had he suddenly slapped him today?
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