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He covered Su Che's mouth with one hand, his voice laced with malice.
"Ha, I do enjoy a fiery temperament. Today, I won't harm you, but in time, you will understand. Let's see if he believes you."
With that, he loosened Su Che's clothing and fed him the antidote. Hearing the commotion outside, a smirk appeared on his lips as he tossed Su Che onto the disheveled bed and poured a stream of white liquid from a small porcelain vial onto him.
As he left, he whispered softly, "Let me show you what a bold scheme looks like. We'll see if he trusts you or what he sees."
Though Su Che had taken the antidote, he could not recover in such a short time and could only glare at Mu Tingxiu as he arranged everything before leaving. Moments later, there was a loud crash.
The door was kicked open and fell to the ground. Mu Junze stormed in with a furious expression, wielding a sharp sword.
"You old fool! How dare you lay your hands on my royal consort! Today, I will have your head to present to my father!"
With bloodshot eyes, Mu Junze approached angrily. Upon entering the room, he saw Su Che lying disheveled on the bed with a pool of white liquid beside him.
He rushed forward to help him up, concern etched on his face. Noticing the blood at the corner of Su Che's mouth, he anxiously asked, "Did he hurt you? Is there anywhere you feel unwell? I’ll take you to find Divine Doctor Qu!"
Just as he was about to lead him away, Su Che had regained some strength and placed his delicate hand against Mu Junze's chest, shaking his head.
"He didn't do anything to me. The blood at my mouth is his; I bit him."
Su Che looked at Mu Junze's somewhat gaunt and darkened appearance, feeling a thousand words stuck in his throat. He couldn't help but wonder how Mu Junze felt upon seeing this scene; even for himself, witnessing it would surely provoke deep thoughts.
But once he entered, all he could think about was whether he was injured, not mentioning anything else. There was no distance in his words or actions, only a deep regret for being late reflected in his eyes.
He wanted to ask him, but the words wouldn't come out. He didn't believe what Mu Tingxiu had said, yet he feared that Mu Tingxiu's actions would cause Mu Junze to doubt him. Some things, once they take root, are impossible to erase.
He didn't know how to start the conversation, afraid that if he tried to explain, the other would refuse to listen. A tear slipped from the corner of his eye without him realizing it.
He carefully avoided Mu Junze, wiping away the "filth" on his body, remaining silent, his movements filled with panic and helplessness.
Seeing him in such distress made Mu Junze's heart ache, and he held him tightly in his arms.
"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have left you alone at home. I'm late; I'm sorry."
In an instant, the grievances and other emotions within him burst forth like a flood breaking through a dam. He could no longer hold back his tears, perhaps a mix of grievances from his past life and the fear that Mu Junze would not believe him and would leave.
At this moment, he clung tightly to the person who had loved him dearly in his previous life, crying uncontrollably. He had never been a particularly strong person, and even this brief moment of acceptance moved him deeply.
After a while, Su Che stopped crying and gently pushed Mu Junze away.
"I want to go home."
Mu Junze quickly called for someone to bring clean clothes and took him back to the royal residence. As soon as they arrived, Su Che locked himself in his room. He approached the bathroom, disregarding the cold water, desperate to find something to wipe away the "impurity."
Every time he thought about it, he felt nauseous, as if something dirty had penetrated his skin. He scrubbed vigorously, wishing he could scrape off his flesh.
Fortunately, Mu Junze sensed something was wrong and barged in. Seeing Su Che's abdomen already red and on the verge of bleeding from scrubbing too hard made him feel heartbroken. His words were reproachful, but his tone was gentle, afraid of upsetting the anxious person in his embrace.
“Why are you being so foolish? I trust you, so why must you make things difficult for yourself? It pains my heart to see you like this. Regardless of the situation, it is I who should be held accountable for coming late and causing you distress and fear. Please, do not hurt yourself any further.”
Su Che trembled slightly, his voice choked with emotion.
“I shouldn’t have ignored your advice and gone alone. It was my foolishness. No matter the truth, it is still tainted. Let me go; I can wash it off…”
Mu Junze refused to release him, patiently speaking to him.
“Zi Qi, listen to me. It doesn’t matter who is at fault right now; let me explain. I left in such a hurry that I didn’t have time to clarify things with you. You were anxious too, and in that moment, you couldn’t think clearly, which led you into his trap. This is not your fault.”
“According to Xiao Tao, you weren’t in there for long. Besides… we both know what happens when we share a bed; the room would certainly notice something amiss. The bed was disheveled but cold, clearly indicating that he wanted to sow discord between us with such vile tactics. We cannot let him succeed…”
After this explanation, Su Che’s face flushed as he calmed down, looking into Mu Junze’s eyes and feeling more resolute than ever that he had not chosen wrong in this life.
He wrapped his arms around Mu Junze’s neck and kissed him, only slowly parting after a long moment. Seeing his expression, Mu Junze felt a deep ache in his heart and wanted to suggest that Su Che take some time to rest and gather his thoughts.
But how could Su Che sleep now? Learning that Mu Junze had been out these past few days for the Su Family made him even more touched, grateful that everything had been resolved safely.
He no longer had to worry every day. Mu Junze was filled with guilt, believing all the troubles stemmed from him; seeing this, Su Che smiled and shook his head.
“Don’t think like that anymore.”
Mu Junze nodded, glancing towards the direction of the Worthy Prince's mansion, a glint of determination flashing in his eyes.
“Next, it’s time to settle the score.”
He could tolerate how Su Che usually treated him, but he absolutely could not stand anyone drawing attention to Su Che. Fortunately, this time no one was caught, and Su Che wasn't harmed.
Otherwise, he would have risked committing a grave offense by storming into the Worthy Prince's mansion to demand a life in return.
After this incident, the rift between the two was irreparable. Mu Tingxiu didn't mind; in fact, he looked forward to it. In the past, their confrontations felt like striking against cotton—there was no thrill in it. If he continued to hide away, it would pose a threat to his future plans.
Now that he had gauged Su Che's strength, it was a perfect opportunity. At present, Su Che lacked military power and had vulnerabilities.
Inside the Worthy Prince's mansion, Mu Tingxiu toyed with a folding fan, his gaze distant.
“It seems the tide is turning, my lord. Our people have faltered, and we've lost quite a bit of money. We should stop using Xu Mu,” one of his subordinates reported.
Mu Tingxiu chuckled softly and shook his head, recalling the scene after his departure when the servants reported back to him.
“Ha! After all, I am his elder brother. How dare he call me an old man? And that term—‘damn fool’? What a new phrase; it’s becoming more interesting by the day.”
However, Zhong Xian furrowed his brow. When Mu Junze got angry, it was never good news. What infuriated him most was that he had always been careful to please Mu Junze, yet Mu Tingxiu remained indifferent.
This operation had naturally been carried out without informing him. Although he felt resentment afterward, what angered him more was that Mu Tingxiu had been insulted and had laughed about it for several days.
He was not someone with a good temper. Zhong Xian sensed a crisis brewing and noted down Su Che's name in his mind as he saw Mu Tingxiu shake his head helplessly at the advice given to him.
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