Chapter 28: You’re Not Him
In fact, the moment he saw Chu Ziqian injured, Jiang Yingnan had already realized that his heart still ached for him.
When he realized that Chu Ziqian’s injury was caused by his closest person, and for a very unreasonable reason, he felt even more distressed.
“Ziqian, I understand you. We both have a partial mother. It’s just that your mother prefers your younger brother, and my mother prefers my older brother.”
“I knew it,” Chu Ziqian gradually tightened his embrace. “You are the only person in this world who understands and loves me the most!”
“Ziqian…” Jiang Yingnan leaned against Chu Ziqian’s chest and said softly, “If you really just want to live a peaceful life with me from now on, take me away from the capital, okay?”
“…That won’t work.” Chu Ziqian immediately let go of his embrace. “Isn’t Chu Lianmo trying his best to compete with me for the position of Crown Prince? I must not let him succeed!”
Jiang Yingnan sighed softly.
Sure enough, he still couldn’t let go of all this.
“Anan,” Chu Ziqian softened his tone again, “Don’t worry, I just temporarily lost a battle; I will definitely turn things around.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about now.” Jiang Yingnan shook his head with a wry smile. “A month will pass in the blink of an eye, and I will soon have to face your wife’s harassment.”
“She knows I care about you, and she doesn’t dare to really do anything to you. If she’s rude, just endure it, okay?” Chu Ziqian really didn’t have the mood to worry about the internal struggles of the household.
“…Don’t worry. If I can endure it, I will.”
Jiang Yingnan considered his endurance to be very good. After all, in the past, he had endured his mother’s harsh beatings and scoldings with obedience. When his mother told him, “I am just a lowly commoner, I have no right to aspire to the position of crown prince,” he followed along, never refuting a single word.
Now, he had no other choice but to endure. Although his father had stepped forward to support him, they had quarreled so unpleasantly in the past, could he still cry and run back to his mother’s house?
Besides, his mother had repeatedly warned him that Chu Ziqian was not a good match. Now he could only prove to his family that he was doing well in the Prince’s mansion to maintain face.
Therefore, complaining to Chu Ziqian or Jiang Zhenxiong was not a long-term solution.
As for what is a long-term solution? Jiang Yingnan didn’t know anymore. From the moment he married into the Prince’s mansion, he didn’t know where his future lay.
“Anan, I know you’ve always been the most sensible.” Chu Ziqian said, then embraced Jiang Yingnan again and kissed his lips.
This time, Jiang Yingnan didn’t resist. In fact, his body had long since become accustomed to men, and he was uncomfortable suppressing his desire not to let Chu Ziqian touch him.
But this time, Chu Ziqian was a little distracted. Because he was thinking about how to counterattack Chu Lianmo.
He used family members to attack, did he? Fine, with his entire house full of family members, I don’t believe there are no problems!
After that, Chu Ziqian sent people to inquire about the news from Chu Lianmo’s household.
He heard that a woman named Yin Mei was the most fond of causing trouble, but she was currently under house arrest.
Then, let’s wait until Yin Mei’s house arrest is over.
The next ten days or so were peaceful.
Chu Tianlin’s injuries gradually healed. Chu Ziqian’s beating technique was good; it looked scary, but after a few days, Chu Tianlin was jumping around again.
Chu Lianmo had him go to school with Chu Yunxuan.
Chu Tianlin was a little unhappy about this. He used to like to skip school, and when Chu Weide found out, he would scold him. He thought that no one would manage him for these two months, but it turned out that he still had to study.
Every afternoon, Chu Yunxuan practiced martial arts with Qi Xiaojun.
Previously, Murong Ying had only taught Qi Xiaojun for less than a month, and he found that Qi Xiaojun had basically mastered it. When he returned to serve as a guard, he did not continue teaching him.
Now, Qi Xiaojun himself became a qualified teacher.
Chu Lianmo didn’t bother to make a separate timetable for Chu Tianlin; he let him follow Chu Yunxuan.
Chu Tianlin discovered that Qi Xiaojun’s martial arts were so good; when he used his sword, he could even bring up petals, which was beautiful.
So, he subconsciously practiced more diligently.
Qi Xiaojun’s teaching method for Chu Yunxuan was very gentle and patient, because he wanted to help Chu Yunxuan gradually adjust his inferiority complex and shyness. But he didn’t have such a good temper with Chu Tianlin; he was like other martial arts teachers, with a ruler ready to hit him at any time.
But Qi Xiaojun quickly discovered that Chu Tianlin, perhaps because of his lively and active nature, actually had a higher talent in martial arts than Chu Yunxuan.
He even sincerely praised him, “Uncle Zhou, you’re amazing!”
Now, Qi Xiaojun didn’t dare to be too harsh, after all, everyone likes to hear good things.
“Uncle Zhou, Fourth Uncle is the champion of this year’s hunting competition, so his martial arts must be very good too, right? I have a question, which one of you two is better at martial arts?” He had been having a good time at Rui Wangfu recently, so Chu Tianlin gradually regained his cheerful disposition and didn’t want to be timid anymore.
“How can I compare with His Highness.”
Hearing Chu Tianlin’s question, Qi Xiaojun was humble on the surface, but in his heart, he thought, it’s a pity that he never had the chance to seriously compete with Chu Lianmo. Whether it was as a hostage, a concubine, hunting, or martial arts, he, with his status, simply dared not surpass Chu Lianmo.
“Fourth Uncle is so powerful? Then can I ask him to teach me martial arts too?”
Qi Xiaojun smiled wryly, “You’d better not provoke him.”
He knew very well that Chu Lianmo was only reluctantly taking in Chu Tianlin for a period of time because of Chu Yunxuan’s request; he still disliked Chu Weide’s son.
Moreover, Chu Lianmo seemed to be in a strange mood lately, though outwardly cheerful.
For instance, last night, he pulled Qi Xiaojun into the courtyard to drink with him, and looked at the stars and murmured, “I heard that dead people will watch over us in heaven, I wonder if it’s true… If Ajun saw Chu Weide’s fate today, would he be happy?”
“Your Highness…” Qi Xiaojun felt a little sad and couldn’t help but say softly, “I’m here.”
“You’re not him.” Chu Lianmo looked at Qi Xiaojun with blurry eyes, his eyes red, and then he picked up the whole wine jar and drank a large gulp.
“Your Highness, don’t drink anymore.” Qi Xiaojun wanted to grab the wine jar from Chu Lianmo’s hand. “Drinking too much will hurt your body…”
“Don’t bother me!” Chu Lianmo fiercely pushed his hand away. “Get away!”
In their struggle, Chu Lianmo couldn’t hold on, and the wine jar “pa” fell to the ground near Qi Xiaojun’s feet.
“Ajun! Are you hurt?!” Chu Lianmo immediately became nervous again.
“…I’m fine, it didn’t hit me.”
Qi Xiaojun was puzzled by Chu Lianmo’s capricious temper and didn’t want to care about him anymore. “Someone, take His Highness back to his room to rest.”
“Not someone else… you…” Chu Lianmo drunkenly hugged Qi Xiaojun from behind. “Ajun, I only want you…”
Qi Xiaojun sighed and persuaded himself: those were just the actions of a drunkard, I can’t hold it against him.
So, he finally had to help Chu Lianmo back to his room.
“Ajun… Ajun…” Chu Lianmo kept murmuring.
That “Ajun” didn’t sound like he was calling Zhou Yun.
Qi Xiaojun had a strange feeling in his heart – at first, he thought that he didn’t have much weight in Chu Lianmo’s heart, and later he was relieved that Chu Lianmo truly regarded him as a confidant. But now he felt more and more strange. It was as if Chu Lianmo didn’t just treat him as a friend.
Qi Xiaojun didn’t dare to think about this question anymore.
That day, he only fed Chu Lianmo sobering soup, and after he quietly fell asleep, he secretly left the room.
“Why can’t I provoke him?” Chu Tianlin’s voice interrupted Qi Xiaojun’s memories.
Qi Xiaojun looked at this foolish child with an amused and helpless expression.
He really hadn’t expected that all the pain he and his father had suffered before was carefully designed by Chu Lianmo.
“Because he has a very bad temper. Sometimes, even I don’t dare to provoke him.”
“Yes, yes,” Chu Yunxuan echoed, “Father is very fierce.”
His basis for this was that Chu Lianmo was very strict with him in his studies, sometimes hitting the palm of his hand with a ruler if he didn’t recite a sentence correctly.
“Mmm…” Chu Tianlin looked at Chu Yunxuan, but felt that he was much more cheerful now. Because, before, in De Wangfu, he absolutely dared not say something like, “Father is very fierce.”
“Then tell me, which one is fiercer to you, Fourth Uncle or my father?”
“…” Chu Yunxuan didn’t know how to answer this question for a moment.
Chu Weide wasn’t fierce to him, but rather harsh, sometimes even scolding him randomly because of his mood.
This would never happen with Chu Lianmo. His discipline was always measured and would not cause serious harm to Chu Yunxuan’s mind and body.
Qi Xiaojun smiled, “Don’t embarrass your brother, how can he talk bad about your father to your face?”
“Oh.” This sentence had already helped Chu Yunxuan answer Chu Tianlin’s question.
At this moment, Chu Lianmo, one of the main characters they were discussing, walked over.
“Xuan’er, how was your martial arts practice today?”
“Reporting to Father,” Chu Yunxuan answered respectfully, “Everything went well today, does Father want to check?”
“Fourth Uncle,” Chu Tianlin suddenly interrupted, “They both said you’re very fierce just now.”
“Oh?” Chu Lianmo raised an eyebrow.
Chu Yunxuan’s face immediately turned red, and he hurriedly knelt down, “I’m wrong!”
“Xuan’er, don’t do that.” Qi Xiaojun smiled and stopped him. “It’s my fault, you’re not to blame.”
Chu Lianmo glared at Qi Xiaojun with a stern face: “Tell me, how am I fierce?”
Qi Xiaojun smiled, “You should drink less wine, you’re really scary when you’re drunk.”
“…” In fact, Chu Lianmo still vaguely remembered what happened last night.
He was half-drunk and half-awake, and a part of his mind was still clear. His anger wasn’t directed at Qi Xiaojun but at himself.
He was increasingly confused between Qi Xiaojun and Zhou Yun lately. He disliked himself for that.
“I don’t think Fourth Uncle is that fierce.” Seeing that Chu Lianmo wasn’t angry after being scolded, Chu Tianlin thought that his temper was quite good. “Fourth Uncle, Uncle Zhou’s martial arts are very good, he said you’re even better than him, can you teach me a couple of moves?
“We’ll talk about it when we have time.” Chu Lianmo didn’t flatly refuse. Being praised by Qi Xiaojun made him a little bit giddy…
“Thank you, Fourth Uncle!” Chu Tianlin was overjoyed.
“However,” Chu Lianmo’s expression turned serious again, “The premise is that you can’t bully the people again. If I find out you’re committing crimes again, you’ll have something to look forward to.”
“I won’t dare to, I won’t dare to.” Chu Tianlin hurriedly assured him, subconsciously rubbing his buttocks. “It hurt so much before, I’m still afraid when I think about it.”
Qi Xiaojun thought, perhaps Chu Tianlin was not inherently bad, it was just that Chu Weide had always indulged his bad behavior without correcting it, which made him more and more lawless.
“Look,” Chu Tianlin suddenly looked at Qi Xiaojun and Chu Yunxuan and smiled, “I told you Fourth Uncle could be provoked!”
Qi Xiaojun couldn’t help but laugh.
There was inexplicably a family-of-four atmosphere between them just now…
If life could go on like this, it might not be bad.
As long as Chu Lianmo doesn’t go crazy again.