Canción escarlata anti-hueso

Capítulo 16

"But I heard that he had been injured before, suffered mental damage, and was mentally impaired."

"Sigh, Miss Mingyue actually likes a fool..."

"Could he be one of those gigolos?"

These words elicited a burst of malicious laughter.

Di Xiu turned around and easily found the person who had spoken in the crowd. He turned around, walked up to the group, and without saying a word, grabbed the speaker with his claws.

As everyone was shocked, they saw that the man was also being choked.

Di Xiu exerted force and pressed down, pinning the man to the ground as if he were a wild horse.

He spoke coldly, saying, "Say what you just said again."

The man's throat was being choked, and he could no longer make a sound. He gripped the ground, struggling desperately, but he couldn't break free.

The onlookers were extremely tense, yet fearing that Di Xiu would harm the man, they dared not rush forward to help. They could only shout, "What are you doing! Let go!"

Di Xiu ignored those people, chuckled, and whispered to the man who was being pinned to the ground, "A fool killed you, do you think the prince will pursue the matter?"

The man was terrified upon hearing this.

Di Xiu's eyes flashed with murderous intent. He snorted coldly, about to deliver the fatal blow. Suddenly, his wrist was firmly gripped.

He looked up with displeasure and saw that the person who had come was Mei Ziqi.

Mei Ziqi applied some pressure to Di Xiu's pulse point and laughed, "Ah Xiu, stop fooling around."

Di Xiu frowned at him, and after a moment, released his hand.

The man, freed from his bonds, scrambled to his feet, coughing incessantly.

Seeing this, Mei Ziqi said with a smile, "Gentlemen, you should rest early if you have nothing else to do. It wouldn't be good if we disturbed the Prince or if Miss Mingyue heard any bad rumors."

Upon hearing this, most of the crowd lost their desire to pursue the matter. They only exchanged a few words of agreement before dispersing.

Mei Ziqi smiled and sighed, looking at Di Xiu, and said, "Ah Xiu, you've messed things up again."

Di Xiu was not joking and said coldly, "Let go."

Mei Ziqi then released her grip on his wrist and laughed, "Why are you angry again? If you're unhappy, tell me, and I'll definitely stand up for you. What if gossip gets back to Xiao Si?"

Di Xiu glanced at him and said, "There's no need to threaten me. I will leave once my injuries have healed."

Mei Ziqi was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "So you're implying that you're pretending to be stupid now just to use the Nanling Prince's Mansion as cover to avoid your enemies and recover from your injuries?"

"Yes," Di Xiu answered without hesitation.

Mei Ziqi frowned and sighed, saying, "Tsk tsk, how heartbroken Xiao Si would be if he heard these words."

"That's a real pity." Di Xiu smiled lightly, speaking casually, "I can't be stupid forever."

Upon hearing this, Mei Ziqi fell silent again. After a long while, he spoke, saying helplessly, "Why not try to be honest with Mingyue about everything?"

Di Xiu replied, "I've already said it. Once my injuries have healed, that day will come..." His eyes held a hint of melancholy, and though his tone was calm, there was no hesitation in his voice.

Mei Ziqi grew increasingly helpless and sighed with a laugh. Seeing Di Xiu about to leave, he was trying to think of a way to keep him. Looking down, he saw that the group of young masters who had hurriedly dispersed had left behind several jars of fine wine. He laughed and called out to Di Xiu, "Steward Di, since you can't sleep, how about a few drinks?"

Di Xiu paused, remained silent for a moment, then turned and nodded.

The two chose a quiet place and drank together in silence.

That night, the moon was crescent-shaped, the night was cool and still, and the quiet mountain air added to the sense of tranquility.

After a few drinks, Mei Ziqi broke the silence with a smile.

"Where will Chief Steward Di go after his injuries heal?"

Di Xiu drank the wine in his cup and replied calmly, "Yuchi Manor."

Mei Ziqi frowned and said, "Chief Steward Di, don't say I'm meddling. With Chief Steward Di's abilities, there's nowhere in the world where you can't make a living and rise above others. Why be so fixated on a small place like Yuchi Manor?"

Di Xiu didn't answer, but just silently drank his wine.

Seeing that he did not answer, Mei Ziqi did not press the matter further.

“I am an orphan…” Di Xiu suddenly spoke, saying these words. After saying this, he put down his wine cup and picked up the wine pot.

Mei Ziqi put down her cup and waited for him to speak.

Di Xiu smiled and said, "I entered the manor at the age of ten, and was promoted by the manor lord at the age of thirteen to serve by his side. At that time, I was not alone..." A sense of nostalgia arose in his expression, and he slowly held up four fingers, "Liang Zhong, Zheng Ling, Xiang Yu, and me... that is what is called 'a gathering of outstanding talents'..."

He paused briefly, took a sip of wine, and continued, “Unfortunately, I am the master’s confidant. Liang Zhong and Zheng Ling, however, are both loyal to the eldest young lady, Yuchi Xieying. When I was nineteen, I went out on business with them. But they, under the eldest young lady’s orders, joined forces to eliminate me…” A trace of bitterness appeared between his brows. “That night, I killed Zheng Ling. After returning to the manor, the master learned of this and knew that the eldest young lady’s ambition was growing. Soon after, he forced her to leave her home, eradicated her power base, and executed all her confidants. Liang Zhong was among them…”

Upon hearing these words, Mei Ziqi frowned slightly.

Di Xiu fell silent, finished his wine, and then spoke again, saying, "The following year, someone secretly reported that Xiang Yu had stolen the 'Falling Cloud Sword Technique.' The manor lord investigated and punished him severely according to the law. All his meridians were severed..." He let out a long breath, his tone slightly cold, "...I was the one who inflicted the torture. Later, he was imprisoned in the manor's dungeon, and perhaps unable to bear the humiliation, he committed suicide not long after..."

"'Standing out from the crowd'..." Di Xiu laughed desolately, "They say that's what 'standing out from the crowd' means..."

Mei Ziqi felt a pang of emotion. Looking at the empty wine jugs, he knew that if it weren't for the alcohol, Di Xiu would never have brought up these past events.

“Sir…” Di Xiu began, calling out.

Upon hearing this, Mei Ziqi smiled.

Di Xiu looked at him, smiled faintly, and said, "...This is my only way of surviving."

Chapter Nineteen

"...This is my only way of surviving."

Mei Ziqi sighed softly, then smiled and said, "It is indeed humiliating for you to live under someone else's roof and compromise your principles. However, now, there is no place for you in Yuchi Manor. A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall."

Di Xiu suddenly laughed, a hint of arrogance in his expression, his eyes gleaming.

“How could the Yuchi Manor allow an outsider to gain power? It’s only a matter of time before the manor owner decides to get rid of me. Do you think I’m someone who’s just sitting here waiting to die?”

Mei Ziqi frowned slightly and remained silent.

“…That night, even if the Second Miss hadn’t stolen the ‘Suppressing Pot,’ I would have done the same thing. I retrieved the ‘Suppressing Pot,’ then deliberately let the Second Miss go, and then killed everyone around me…” Di Xiu’s voice was icy cold. “Destroying the ‘Heavenly Fox’ would have severed the foundation of the Yuchi family. I opened the ‘Suppressing Pot,’ but I never expected…”

Seeing that he had suddenly fallen silent, Mei Ziqi asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Di Xiu's eyes were slightly confused. He shook his head and did not answer.

Mei Ziqi pondered for a moment and said, "If I'm not mistaken, it was the 'Heavenly Fox' who cast a spell to seal your mind."

Di Xiu asked, "Sir, what kind of person was I when my mind was sealed?"

Mei Ziqi smiled and said, "You are you, what's different about you?"

Di Xiu smiled, said nothing more, and silently drank his wine.

Seeing his reaction, Mei Ziqi stopped asking questions.

The two drank for a while longer, then Mei Ziqi put down his cup, stood up, and said with a smile, "Chief Steward Di, you can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, I admire you. I am not good at drinking, so I will not keep you company any longer."

Di Xiu nodded slightly in response.

Mei Ziqi was about to leave when she remembered something, turned back, and pinched Di Xiu's cheek.

Di Xiu looked up at him and said reproachfully, "It hurts."

Mei Ziqi laughed, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Di Xiu watched him leave, then continued drinking alone. The cold moon and gentle breeze around her only amplified her loneliness.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but the wine was almost gone when suddenly he heard a soft, sweet voice calling to him from afar:

"Di Xiu".

He looked up and saw Yu Chi Mingyue running towards him along the forest path. She was wearing a light blue shirt with a white feather cloak over it, and her black hair was not tied up, which made her look even more beautiful and refined, like a fairy.

Yu Chi Mingyue couldn't sleep that night and wanted to go to Di Xiu's tent to check on him. Finding him absent, she was about to order a search when she ran into Mei Ziqi. Mei Ziqi told her to keep a low profile so as not to disturb the prince. So she only called a few maids, and they searched separately.

Now, seeing Di Xiu, she finally felt relieved. She ran to him, slightly out of breath, and said, "I've finally found you..." She saw the wine jugs scattered on the ground, frowned, and asked, "Where did this wine come from?" She reached out and pulled him, saying, "Come back with me."

Di Xiu glanced at her, but still held onto the wine pot, refusing to move.

Yu Chi Mingyue was somewhat surprised, but then she saw that Di Xiu's face was flushed, his eyes were watery, his breathing was slightly rapid, and his skin was hot, clearly indicating that he was drunk. She became even more displeased, snatched the wine pot from his hand, and said, "Your injuries haven't healed yet, you're not allowed to drink!"

Di Xiu reached out and grabbed her wrist, saying, "Give it back!"

His voice was angry and his tone was cold, unlike his usual self, which startled Yu Chi Mingyue and left her momentarily stunned.

Seeing her like this, Di Xiu regained his senses slightly. He lowered his eyes, unsure of what to do.

At this moment, Yu Chi Mingyue raised her hand and slapped his hand away. She angrily raised the wine pot and downed the remaining wine in one gulp. She usually only drank sweet wine, but this wine was spicy, burning down her throat and into her lungs. She coughed a few times, a blush rising to her cheeks.

She threw down the wine jug, wiped her lips, snorted, and said, "Now that there's no more wine, let's see what you want to do next."

Di Xiu was slightly taken aback and stared blankly at her.

She stood so close, within arm's reach. Before, she wouldn't even glance at him, but now, he was reflected in her eyes. In just a few short months, they went from complete strangers to inseparable. She, so proud and noble, now served him tea and medicine, worried and fretted for him. And then, that kiss…

Guilt and pity, how could it have come to this? Can he be trusted? She truly loves him...

Thinking of this, his heart fluttered and his mind went blank. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply.

Yu Chi Mingyue's surprise lasted only a moment. The same forceful strength, the same scorching breath, the same slightly burning body temperature. His usual calmness had transformed into a fiery intensity, as if it wanted to incinerate her. Her heart pounded wildly, her mind a jumble, unable to think. She slowly closed her eyes, clutching his clothes, awkwardly responding to him.

Di Xiu noticed her reciprocation, and all his previous doubts vanished. In a moment of infatuation, he no longer cared about whether she was sincere or not. Wasn't it enough that she was in his arms?

He tempered his impetuousness, replacing his domineering possessiveness with gentle kisses. She lay in his arms, soft and delicate as water. Her soft breaths escaped her lips, stirring his heartstrings.

His kisses gently moved downwards, landing on her soft neck. His hands slowly caressed her back; beneath the cloak, her clothes were thin, almost weightless. He could even feel the coolness of her skin, as smooth and delicate as silk…

This unfamiliar touch made her frown and tremble slightly.

He noticed her trembling, snapped back to his senses, and pushed her away.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her starry eyes were misty, as if she were drunk. Her cloak had been removed, and the collar was slightly open, revealing her delicate collarbone. A faint blush lingered on her fair skin.

He was startled. He had only been testing her, but unexpectedly, she was like the strongest liquor to him. One sip and he was intoxicated, one taste and he was addicted…

Yu Chi Mingyue looked at him and smiled quietly. She reached out and gently hugged him.

Her voice, tinged with shyness, rang in his ear: "Let's get married."

A single sentence instantly stirred up a storm in his heart. He couldn't believe what he had heard and stood there dumbfounded, unable to respond.

She chuckled softly, her voice growing sweeter and softer. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and repeated it again in a low voice: