Chapter 473: Chapter 473. The Weirdo Next Door
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Xiao Zeyu caught Ghostmother’s subtle gestures but remained unfazed. His expression turned sorrowful as he sighed, “Officer, this man is my uncle. An enemy broke his limbs, and he was rendered mute due to poisoning. Sadly, he also has some mental issues now.”
Ghostmother glared at Xiao Zeyu as if ready to eat him alive.
“See, he’s acting up again. When he’s like this, he tends to bite,” Xiao Zeyu added, shaking his head in despair. The three soldiers from the Imperial Court heard Xiao Zeyu’s explanation and looked at Ghostmother again, now convinced that he was unstable.
“How about this,” began one of the soldiers, “each of you will pay one tael of silver for military expenses, and well exempt you from service.”
Not wanting to waste more time, the soldiers calculated the fee based on the number of people in the group. Eleven people in Xiao Zeyu’s party, including Ghostmother, amounted to twelve taels of silver.
“Sir, we’re just escorts and don’t have much to spare. Twelve taels is a bit steep,” Xiao Zeyu hesitated. Dealing with soldiers, he knew that readily handing over twelve taels could lead to them demanding even more. It was best to feign hardship.
“Enough nonsense. Aren’t you thankful that the authorities are taking care of you? Keep talking, and you’ll come with us,” the soldiers growled, pressing their knives to Xiao Zeyu’s neck.
Su Qing stepped forward and addressed the soldiers with clasped fists. “Gentlemen, would you kindly remove the knives first? I’ll go retrieve the money.”
Hearing this, the soldier sheathed his knife and proceeded to lecture Xiao Zeyu.
Throughout, Su Qing maintained her smile, puzzling Xiao Zeyu. Her composure seemed out of character, and he wondered why she wasn’t displaying her usual fiery temper.
As she turned to leave, Su Qing shot Xiao Zeyu a chilling glance, leaving him instantly aware that she harbored lethal intentions toward him.
Su Qing reached into his bag to fetch the silver, but not before applying a layer of deadly poison. He was sure this would spell the end for the soldiers; their ill-gotten silver would accompany them to the afterlife.
Upon receiving the silver, the soldiers couldn’t contain their delight. This courier station assignment was quite lucrative. The three men each pocketed four taels of silver, roughly equivalent to two months’ salary.
Only after the three soldiers had departed did the innkeeper dare to send the waiter to escort Su Qing and the others upstairs. One was already taken of the two available rooms, so Su Qing and Xiao Zeyu claimed the other.
The group took Ghostmother to stay in the large common room. Su Qing was so displeased with her behavior that she subjected her to intense pain, leaving her writhing on the floor like an injured insect. The discomfort was so extreme that Ghostmother’s remaining eye almost bulged out of its socket.
“If you dare to deceive us again, expect worse,” Su Qing coldly warned. Her chilling tone made Ghostmother tremble. Was this woman still human? She was terrifying.
Su Qing and Xiao Zeyu returned to their room, where the innkeeper had already arranged for hot water to be brought up. Xiao Zeyu closed the door and ushered Su Qing towards the bathtub, which was spacious enough for two.
They had been traveling exhaustively and hadn’t had a moment of intimacy. Soon, Su Qing drifted to sleep in Xiao Zeyu’s arms. He gently dried her off and laid her on the bed, not wanting to disturb her rest. Sitting beside her, he watched Su Qing as she slept peacefully.
Only after the three soldiers had departed did the innkeeper dare to send the waiter to escort Su Qing and the others upstairs. One was already taken of the two available rooms, so Su Qing and Xiao Zeyu claimed the other.
The group took Ghostmother to stay in the large common room. Su Qing was so displeased with her behavior that she subjected her to intense pain, leaving her writhing on the floor like an injured insect. The discomfort was so extreme that Ghostmother’s remaining eye almost bulged out of its socket.
“If you dare to deceive us again, expect worse,” Su Qing coldly warned. Her chilling tone made Ghostmother tremble. Was this woman still human? She was terrifying.
Su Qing and Xiao Zeyu returned to their room, where the innkeeper had already arranged for hot water to be brought up. Xiao Zeyu closed the door and ushered Su Qing towards the bathtub, which was spacious enough for two.
They had been traveling exhaustively and hadn’t had a moment of intimacy. Soon, Su Qing drifted to sleep in Xiao Zeyu’s arms. He gently dried her off and laid her on the bed, not wanting to disturb her rest. Sitting beside her, he watched Su Qing as she slept peacefully.
Xiao Zeyu knew that Su Qing felt most secure when she was with him. Given that they were on the run, with her face plastered in every city as a wanted woman by the Emperor, she had disguised herself as a man for safety. Though her attire might have been deceiving, her eyes remained as icy as ever. But at this moment, with her eyelashes casting a shadow over her eyes, she looked innocent and vulnerable, like a sleeping child needing protection.
As he sat there, absorbing the sweet scent of Su Qing, Xiao Zeyu felt a surge of emotions he struggled to contain. With a deep breath, he resisted the temptation, covered her with a blanket, and told her to rest well.
Turning his attention to the military report from Mo City, he pondered if they knew that his family’s army had occupied the city. Just then, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. “Dang dang dang.”
“Customer, I’ve brought you food.”
It was the waiter from next door. Xiao Zeyu burned the military report and walked to the door, curious about their neighbor. Opening it, he saw an arm clad in gray clothes taking a food tray before swiftly closing the door.
The waiter, seemingly unfazed by the peculiar behavior of the other guest, turned to Xiao Zeyu with a smile. “Sir, do you have any instructions?”
“Prepare some food for us,” Xiao Zeyu responded, closing the door behind him.
Xiao Zeyu had initially stepped out to check on his neighbor, but when the waiter inquired, he answered calmly. “Alright, please wait a moment.”
The waiter cheerfully agreed and headed downstairs to make the preparations.
Awakened by the exchange between Xiao Zeyu and the waiter, Su Qing sat up, her eyes icy cold.
“It’s fine, just a friend,” Xiao Zeyu reassured her, noticing the malice in her gaze.
Relieved, Su Qing withdrew her icy demeanor and sat up. “Did I fall asleep?” she asked.
“You’re tired, Qing’er,” Xiao Zeyu acknowledged, moving to sit beside her on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, letting her rest comfortably against him. His deep voice was tinged with sorrow.
“Yes, you should always be by my side, Qing’er,” she agreed.
“I’d like that,” Su Qing closed her eyes and leaned into his embrace, cherishing the fleeting moment of warmth in their lives of constant danger.
“When I entered the city, I saw a portrait of Yong Kang,” Xiao Zeyu whispered in Su Qing’s ear.
It appeared that Su Qing’s scheme had worked. There was no refuge left for Qiu Yongkang.
All fraternal affection for Yong Kang had evaporated; he was merely facing the consequences of his actions now, deserving no pity.
“Just as I planned,” Su Qing rotated to rest her head on Xiao Zeyu’s thigh, a satisfied glint in her eyes. The snare she had laid for Qiu Yongkang had left him with no way out.
“Qing’er, you’re truly cunning,” Xiao Zeyu remarked.
Xiao Zeyu burst into laughter upon seeing Su Qing’s playful expression. He leaned down and kissed her flushed lips. Su Qing, in turn, wrapped her arms around his neck, losing herself in the moment.
The atmosphere in the room grew palpable as if a volcano had erupted between them.
However, the sound of falling objects and breaking plates from next door abruptly interrupted their passionate encounter. Both quickly pulled apart; Xiao Zeyu adjusted his shirt to alleviate the awkwardness and said to Su Qing,
“I’ll go see what’s going on.”
Su Qing’s face was flushed, her eyes brimming with desire. She looked visibly annoyed at being interrupted. Seeing this, Xiao Zeyu whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry, we have all night.”
Straightening up, he addressed Su Qing,
“I’ll go check on our neighbor.”
He then approached the door of the adjacent room and knocked twice, asking, “Brother, do you need help?”