11 Ye Cheng Fu

 FlamingoBees 

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Ye Cheng Fu

 Chapter 11: 

 

He had already removed his clothes, revealing his back covered in a dense array of poisonous granules, with blood oozing from the wounds. His entire back was a deep red, and the skin underneath was a terrifying shade of purple. Seeing this, I felt a pang of guilt, realizing he had carried me down the mountain while in such a state. I couldn't help but say, “You should have told me earlier.”

I began to use the tweezers to remove the poisonous granules. Each time I pulled one out, blood would seep out, and I imagined it must be extremely painful. Yet, he remained silent, his tone unchanged even when he spoke: “It’s just a small matter. I told you, Phoenix Tower is an underworld organization,” he comforted me, “We live on the edge of danger. I’ve seen worse injuries.”

“But you’re dying,” I said, my voice tinged with urgency. 

He chuckled, “To think that something like Cold Fragrance Powder and Absolute Death Pill could kill me—I've died hundreds of times already. It’s fine,” he turned to look at me, gently stroking my hair as if comforting a kitten, “I’ll be alright.”

By this point, I had cleared most of the poisonous granules. When he turned around, I saw his pale chest, slender waist, and well-defined abdominal muscles.

Without the numerous injuries on his back, his physique became apparent. I realized that perhaps I had never appreciated the beauty of a man’s body before. But at that moment, I couldn’t take my eyes off Shen Ye. It seemed as if the heavens had indeed favored some people more than others, and Shen Ye was undoubtedly one of those beloved by the heavens.

As I stared at him, he remained still, smiling at me. After a while, he chuckled softly, slowly putting on his clothes. He then gently wiped the tip of his finger under my nose, making me realize that there was some sticky liquid on my face. When I turned my head slightly, I saw his hand next to my cheek, with fresh red blood still on his fingertips.

"Shu Cheng," he seemed quite pleased, "I think you must be seriously injured. Look, you're even bleeding from your nose."

Hearing his comment, I felt a bit embarrassed. I sniffed, realizing that nosebleeds can't just be sucked back in. Just then, he took out a plain handkerchief, and I took it from him with composure. After cleaning the blood off my face, I explained, "The weather here is so dry and hot; I must be having a bit of a heat problem. Let's just let a doctor handle this next time..."

"Male doctors are fine," he said calmly, "but female doctors are not."

"You don't care about propriety, do you?" I found his comment curious. He sneered but didn't elaborate further, instead, he began to get dressed and sat in front of the mirror to do his makeup. I grew anxious watching him, so I quickly said, "Shen Ye, let’s discuss something!"

He looked at me silently, so I went over, took the eyebrow pencil from his hand, and packed away all the cosmetics on the table, tossing them into the box. I then blocked the box, forced a smile, and said, "I think you already look beautiful enough without any more makeup. Look at you now," I pointed at his plain face and flowing hair, "you're already very attractive."

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

He gave me a disdainful look, picked up a comb from the table, and said slowly, "You just think I don't look good with makeup, don’t you? Actually, I agree," he carefully combed his hair and took a white jade ornament from the table. He fixed it onto his forehead and continued, "The most beautiful thing in this world is my natural appearance."

He said this with such confidence that I was momentarily at a loss for words.

Indeed, I had never seen anyone more handsome than Shen Ye, whether man or woman. However, while others might say it, I found it hard to accept him saying it himself. Yet, I didn't dare to argue. I noticed that I was increasingly intimidated by him and could only nod awkwardly, changing the subject, "Shen Ye, I think that jade ornament you're wearing might be an extra charge."

“I don’t mind,” he snorted. “What, are you not going to spend this little money? Are you still a woman?”

“I didn’t mean that at all! I absolutely didn’t mean it!” I hurriedly pulled out the silver notes I had secretly hidden and handed them to him for inspection. He counted them noisily in front of me, then put them into his pocket and handed me a silver ingot, advising, “Spend it wisely.”

I was suddenly very grateful. He even gave me a silver ingot!

We exchanged money, and the two of us, both patients, helped each other to a meal. We were so exhausted that we each found a bed in our rooms and fell into a deep sleep.

The beds in the beggar tribe are long platforms with built-in heating. The mattress is laid directly on the platform, with pillows and blankets on top. You can have as many beds as you want in a room. Fortunately, the mattress was thick, and it was quite comfortable to sleep on. I fell into a deep sleep, as if under the influence of a powerful sleeping potion. When the morning sun fell on my face, I was awakened by the gentle light, stretched lazily, and immediately felt something warm next to me.

I couldn’t help but touch it, then heard a lazy voice say, “Stop making a fuss.”

The voice immediately woke me up. I sat up abruptly and, sure enough, saw Shen Ye lying next to me. Turning my head, I saw my bed was far away on the other side of the room.

After pondering for a while how this happened, looking at my disheveled bed and the current situation, I concluded that the most likely explanation was that I had rolled from my bed to his during the night!

I covered my face in distress. After a moment, I decided to quietly and cautiously leave the bed, trying to act like nothing had happened...

So I gently lifted the covers, carefully and quietly extended my feet. But in that instant, I heard Shen Ye’s voice, tinged with anger and the usual sarcasm: “How did you end up in my bed?”

I closed my eyes in despair, feeling like everything was falling apart.

Taking a deep breath several times, I finally turned to him and smiled, “As for that, I really don’t know.”

Turning around, I felt even worse. I saw that half of his body was exposed from under the covers, his nightshirt’s ties undone and his shirt open, revealing a large expanse of his chest. He lay on the bed, his expression menacing as he smiled at me and gestured at his disheveled clothes, “So what’s the deal with this? Do you know anything about it?”

“Maybe… you had a dream and undid it yourself?” I smiled awkwardly.

“I’ve lived twenty-three years, and the first time I share a room with you, I learn to undress myself in my sleep?”

This was bad. He used “I,” indicating he was extremely angry. I could only look miserable and say, “Really, believe me, I don’t know anything.”

He said nothing. After a while, he straightened up and tied his clothes himself, sneering, “It’s not a big deal.”

Hearing him say that, I felt a wave of relief. Then I heard him pour tea and say, “When do you plan to marry me as your secondary consort?”

I was utterly defeated. It took me a long time to stammer out, “I… I only plan to marry a main consort, not… not a secondary consort.”

“Then I’ll be the main consort.”

“I… my mother won’t allow someone of your status… to be… my… main consort…”

I closed my eyes, trembling and mustering all my courage, finally managing to say this.

“Understood,” he picked up his teacup, nodding in a very reasonable manner, “You’re planning to avoid responsibility.”

As soon as he said this, he slammed the cup onto the floor. The shards scattered everywhere. In an instant, he moved in front of me, grabbed my collar, and yelled, “Scum! Shu Cheng, you’re scum! Do you think I, Shen Ye, am so easy to bully?!”

“No!” I was on the verge of tears, feeling as though his small fan might dissect me like a mythical beast. Terrified, I quickly said, “I’ll take responsibility! I definitely will! I’ll marry you when I go back!”

“Hmm,” he seemed quite satisfied, releasing me and standing up to pat his hands, then returning to pour more water. “So we’re considered verbally married now. Let’s move your bed out tonight.”

“But we…”

“Are you planning to renege?!”

“No,” I firmly refused, wanting to show my determination, “Let’s move the bed tonight. It absolutely cannot stay!”

“Cheng Cheng,” hearing my words, he smiled bashfully, looking down and saying, “There’s no need to rush, you know, it’s annoying.”

I didn’t say anything, feeling like my heart was bleeding. I realized I couldn’t understand what this man was thinking, but I knew whatever he said was what it would be. I thought to myself, as a woman, sharing a bed with him, especially with such a beautiful person, was definitely not a disadvantage for me.

As for whether I would marry him when I go back… that’s a question for my mother.

It’s not that I don’t want to marry him; it’s just that my mother won’t accept him.

Thinking about this, I couldn’t help but smile. I thought to myself, Shu Cheng, you’re really quite clever!

With the thought of my mother shielding me, I finally relaxed. That night, Shen Ye had my bed removed, but I didn’t resist too much. After my usual evening routine, I got into bed. When Shen Ye came to lie beside me, I felt a bit nervous, and my whole body tensed up, afraid to move.

At first, he slept with his back to me, but then he suddenly laughed and turned around. “Why are you so scared? Am I going to eat you?”

“Who knows!” I stared at the beams of the room, “You’ve eaten fire monsters, what’s eating a person?”

“You’re so nervous. How about we chat?” He turned me around so we were face to face, like two children. His smiling expression made me lower my guard a bit. I moved slightly and put some distance between us, casually saying, “What do you want to talk about?”

“Can I ask you some questions?”

“I’ll answer what I can,” I said honestly, “what I can’t, I’ll just say I can’t.”

“Alright.”

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

He blinked and asked the first question: “What is a blood contract?”

“I can’t answer that.”

He rolled his eyes and thought for a moment, then asked, “What is the relationship between the Moza tribe and the blood contract?”

“I can’t answer that either.”

“Is there a connection between the Shu family and the imperial family?”

“No.”

“Does that mean you won’t tell me anything about the blood contract, the Shu family, or the imperial family?”

“Yes.” I confirmed firmly. He looked somewhat enlightened, blinking his eyes. “Don’t you have any questions for me?”

“You’re in charge of Feng Lou. Are there others behind you?”

“No, I’m the boss.”

“The Moza tribe is targeting me this time. Are you involved, or are you just caught in the crossfire?”

“Targeting you.”

“How much do you know about them? And about the Beggar Clan?”

“Other than the blood contract, I know quite a bit. Their customs, origins, habits, language, geography, and strength…”

“You’ve been following me all this way. Was it really just to gather intelligence on the Mosa tribe? What intelligence could be worth risking your life for?”

“At first… I didn’t expect it to be so dangerous.” He looked somewhat embarrassed. “I thought it was just Yan Zhuang's people. I didn’t expect the Moza tribe to show up.”

“If you had known it was so dangerous, would you still have come?”

“No,” he said decisively. I suddenly felt a bit sad. I thought I had been overthinking things, assuming he had come into danger for me. But then he continued, “I would't have let them take you out of Chu.”

I was touched and didn’t know what to say next. He smiled with his brows arched and gently touched my eyes, saying, “Any more questions? I’m not as petty as you.”

“None…” I said, unsure of what else to ask. His words made me feel a bit embarrassed, as if my own stinginess was in stark contrast to his openness. I turned my back to him, and he began writing my name on my back with his finger, slowly and deliberately.

After a while, he suddenly spoke up, “You asked me why the intelligence was so important. I’ll tell you—just like you, it’s about the blood contract.”

At his words, I turned around abruptly, but he suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace from behind, preventing me from turning back around.

Held tightly in his arms, I could hear his rapid heartbeat, and I felt my own heart rate quicken.

“You… know about the blood contract?” I asked nervously. He shook his head, “It’s because I don’t know that I need to investigate. But I do know it’s something very important.”

I breathed a sigh of relief at his words. He then boasted, “Actually, I could have tricked you into revealing more, but I didn’t. Don’t you think I’m quite honest with you?”

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

“Why do you keep emphasizing your honesty?”

“I think, if I’m honest most of the time, then a few lies here and there might be forgiven?”

“Depends on the situation…” I remained cautious, “Have you been lying to me about something?”

“I wasn’t going to tell you, but I don’t want to lie to you anymore. I’ll be honest again; can you forgive me?”

His voice had a hint of coaxing in it, and it made my heart flutter. I could only nod in response. He laughed and whispered in my ear, “Last night, you didn’t just roll over to my bed. I carried you over.”

“Shen Ye!” I was so angry I wanted to jump up. But he was faster, holding me tightly, “You said you’d forgive me. I just wanted to sleep with you! I don’t care, you said you wouldn’t blame me!”

“Alright, I won’t blame you.” I calmed my anger and said, “But I’m moving my bed back!”

“You said you’d sleep with me!” 

“You!” I turned to scold him, but when I looked back, I saw his tear-filled eyes and the folding fan beside him. I swallowed hard; on one hand, his tears softened my heart, but on the other hand, the fan frightened me. I closed my eyes, told myself to let it go, and turned back around.

Shen Ye happily snuggled closer, like a pampered puppy cuddling at its owner's feet.

We spent our time recovering in the town of the beggar tribe, waiting for Bai Shaotang to join us as instructed. My bone injury was healing slowly, while Shen Ye, though poisoned, appeared to be in good spirits. He spent his days exploring, bringing back interesting things for me. At night, we shared the same bed. Shen Ye was an unsettled sleeper, often waking up. Since I was also a light sleeper, I would wake up whenever he did. Eventually, I discovered that he woke up mainly because I wasn’t in his arms. As long as I stayed close and still, he would remain asleep. Once I realized this, our sleep improved significantly, and we both adjusted to sharing a bed.

After some time, my injuries had mostly healed, and I started accompanying him on his outings. Shen Ye had become quite adept at socializing, having integrated with the locals. During a recent festival of the beggar tribe, we were invited to join the festivities.

The beggar tribe’s festival is an annual grand event. On that night, everyone dresses in their finest clothes and wears masks. They walk around the entire town in a clockwise direction, then proceed to the altar where the priest leads a dance to bring blessings. The evening concludes with a party where young men and women declare their feelings to each other.

I had never been to such a uniquely charming place before and felt quite excited. Shen Ye had prepared everything for the occasion. That night, he dressed me in a light pink outfit typical of the beggar tribe, added a pure white cloak, and topped it off with a pure white mask.

“This outfit is quite beautiful,” I protested, “but why the extra cloak?”

“I only need to look good,” he said, donning his own mask and adjusting my clothes. “If others see me, they’ll be blinded.”

I believed he really would blind others if given the chance, so I couldn’t help but clutch the cloak tightly to myself.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

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