Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Hearing the sound, one turned to see Pei Guanjing dressed in a crescent moon-colored robe adorned with cloud patterns. His wide sleeves fluttered lightly with each step, and the jade pendant at his waist glimmered softly in the morning mist.
He stood with his hands clasped behind his back at the entrance of the flower-laden gate, his black hair tied up with a white jade crown. The morning light filtered through the gaps in the glazed tiles, casting a shadow on his brow, which accentuated the depth of his amber eyes, as serene as a still pond.
Pei Guanjing walked forward gracefully; though his expression was neutral, he exuded an elegance that effortlessly drew others' gazes. His figure was as upright as a pine tree.
The Regent stood with his hands behind his back, unconsciously rubbing the jade token at his waist, the bronze cicada pattern glinting coldly in the sunlight.
"Why are you late, Guanjing? Did something hold you up?" He watched Pei Guanjing approach slowly, a faint smile curving at the corners of his mouth. As he turned, his dark cloak swept over the Taihu stone, startling a resting gray sparrow.
Pei Guanjing bowed respectfully. As he lowered his gaze, his eyelashes cast a fan-shaped shadow beneath his eyes. His tone was as clear and cold as moonlight reflecting on a tranquil pool: "There is nothing to worry about; I simply haven't returned to the capital for a long time. An old friend invited me, which is why I am late. I hope you can forgive me, Father."
Ye Chen stood to one side, observing the conversation between the two. Everyone knew that Pei Guanjing was Pei Yongshang's adopted son, yet he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was a resemblance between Pei Guanjing and Pei Yongshang.
The Regent seemed quite lenient towards Pei Guanjing; he did not blame him for being late but instead gestured for him to come closer. "Bring him up."
The Regent's command shattered Ye Chen's thoughts.
As soon as he finished speaking, two armored guards dragged a disheveled man stumbling forward. Chains clanked around his ankles, dragging along the ground and leaving glaring streaks of blood on the bluestone tiles.
"Pei Yongshang!" The man was yanked by his hair to lift his face, his broken voice laced with blood froth. "Do you think killing me will cover up the truth? The evidence of your collusion with King Huai'an..." He suddenly coughed violently, blood splattering onto the Regent's dark boots.
The man looked ragged and seemed to have had both feet broken; they dragged along the ground, leaving a long trail of blood behind him.
Ye Chen took a step back, feeling the coldness of the Taihu stone against his lower back. He caught a whiff of rust in the air and frowned, turning away: "Uncle Wang, who is he?"
The Regent showed no disdain for this man; instead, he seized him by the hair and yanked him up forcefully.
The man was abruptly awakened from his stupor and glared furiously at Pei Yongshang, shouting: "Pei Yongshang, you scoundrel! If I am defeated, then so be it. Must you humiliate me like this? Such despicable tactics are truly unbearable!"
A familiar voice caught Ye Chen's attention, and he looked over several times before recognizing the person as King Ren, who had once detained him in Yunzhou. Now reduced to a prisoner, he had changed so much; it was truly unpredictable how the world turned.
King Ren seemed to recognize Ye Chen as well. He lunged forward but was restrained by the armored guards. With blood-red eyes fixed on Ye Chen, he sneered, "Ah, so you’re not as noble as you pretend to be, Pei Yongshang! You’ve been in cahoots with King Huai'an all along. Why put on such a facade of righteousness for the country and its people? It's disgusting! Liu Chen is probably just a pawn in your scheme. How pitiful; I doubt you'll ever return to Chongzhou!"
Ye Chen dismissed King Ren's words as mere dying gasps from a villain, not worth taking seriously. However, Pei Guanjing seemed particularly affected. He stepped forward, raising his sleeve to shield King Ren from his furious gaze, looking down coldly at him. "King Ren, you should know your place. A Chen and I are truly in love; your slander won't be tolerated."
At this remark, King Ren scoffed contemptuously. The Regent, who had been watching from the sidelines with his hands clasped behind his back, suddenly stopped fiddling with his jade token and raised an eyebrow at the scene.
"You, Pei Guanjing, have always been well-educated and talented. Countless noble families and distinguished ladies have sought to form alliances with you, yet you turned them all down. In the end, you chose the suddenly prominent son of King Huai'an. Who would believe there’s nothing fishy about that? This is clearly a trap set by you and Pei Yongshang to deceive Liu Chen, that little child."
As King Ren's words grew more intense, Pei Yongshang's interest peaked; he noticed the deepening darkness hidden within Pei Guanjing's amber eyes.
Finally, the Regent waved his hand dismissively and turned to leave. "Let’s go; leave this scum for Guanjing to deal with. We’re done here."
Once Pei Yongshang and the two soldiers departed, the courtyard fell silent except for the sound of King Ren collapsing weakly to the ground. He glared fiercely at Ye Chen and spat out, "You’re just a pawn too; don’t think he’ll ever truly care for you."
Seeing Pei Yongshang’s group completely vanish from sight after handing King Ren over to him, Pei Guanjing said nothing further. His eyes flashed coldly as he seized King Ren by the neck and said indifferently, "Enough noise; it’s time for you to go."
King Ren felt the pressure around his neck increasing, his face turning red as he struggled for breath. Finally, with a sickening crack, his neck broke, and he fell lifeless onto the cobblestone path.
Pei Guanjing stepped back after releasing him, revealing scratches on his wrist as his crescent-shaped sleeves fell away. King Ren lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath in his final moments.
Ye Chen had known what Pei Guanjing intended when he grasped King Ren's neck and quickly turned away to avoid witnessing it. Only when there was silence did he muster the courage to look back.
But as soon as he turned his head, he found himself blocked by Pei Guanjing's solid form and saw nothing.
Pei Guanjing's expression softened slightly as he lowered his gaze. "A Chen, dead bodies are unsightly; let’s go home."
"But..." Ye Chen looked up, his words unfinished as Pei Guanjing grasped his chin with one hand, their lips meeting.
The faint scent of pine mingled with a hint of blood, mirroring the turmoil within Pei Guanjing's heart. He wished for Ye Chen to forget King Ren's provocations; anyone who dared to sow discord between them deserved to die.
With this thought, Pei Guanjing's kiss grew more fervent, causing Ye Chen's lips to bleed slightly from the pressure.
The sweet taste of blood mixed with the fragrance of Haitang filled Pei Guanjing's mouth, and he couldn't help but savor it a few more times. It wasn't until Ye Chen pushed him away that he snapped back to reality.
"A Chen, I..."
The fullness and swelling of the person in his arms confirmed his earlier actions, and Pei Guanjing felt a pang of regret. "I didn't mean to hurt you; I just..."
Ye Chen tasted the metallic tang at the corner of his mouth and struggled to push him away, touching the split on his lip with wide eyes in accusation. "What are you doing? Do you think this is a pig's trotters? It's already torn, and you still come for more?"
Pei Guanjing ruffled his hair and smiled gently. "A Chen, I just like you too much..."
"Cut it out." Ye Chen brushed his hand away and walked off without looking back.
Once he was far away, Pei Guanjing gazed at the body on the ground and the corner where the Regent had disappeared. After a moment of contemplation, he lowered his gaze and said, "Come out and clean this up."
As soon as he finished speaking, several shadowy figures emerged from the corner, swiftly removing the body and meticulously cleaning up the bloodstains, leaving no trace behind.
Comment 0 Comment Count