Lu Qinyi was an annoyance. He had successfully avoided the other half of his punishment due to Fei Li being preoccupied with other tasks. There were few Fei Li could entrust with overseeing Lu Qinyi’s punishment. Yang Xun had reiterated that he wanted no part of it. Zhao Mei had made some excuse and even went as far as to lock herself in her room at Fei Li’s estate to avoid it. And Xi Ming… Well, no one with any intelligence would put Xi Ming and Lu Qinyi alone with one another. That left Fei Li with the task. It should have been simple enough. Fei Li would attend to paperwork and Lu Qinyi would be seated in the same room with his many papers to fill in. But it seemed Lu Qinyi had decided that if he had to suffer, so did Fei Li. He used an old trick that had worked once, and was just as irritable the second time around. Instead of writing, he used the end of his brush to tap continuously on the desk. As if this wasn’t enough, every once in a while, he would sigh deeply, and unnecessarily loud, write two words, then go back to tapping. It wasn’t like Fei Li could scold him for not doing any work at all. He was. It was just painfully, and infuriatingly, slow. He had been doing this for the better part of a shichen and finally, Fei Li couldn’t concentrate at all. Even when he tried to block out Lu Qinyi’s annoyances, they seeped in until all he could hear was the echoes of the constant, never ending tap tap tap tap tap. But it had long become a competition of wills. Would he break first and give Lu Qinyi the satisfaction the other was looking for, or would Fei Li hold strong long enough for Lu Qinyi to grow bored and give up?
Fei Li tried to steel his will to continue enduring it.
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
…At this rate, Lu Qinyi would take ten years to finish his punishment. Fei Li couldn’t survive that long. He could feel the edge of a headache in his temples, throbbing in perfect timing with the eternal tapping.
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
Fei Li’s headache was worsening. He put his brush to the paper but all he achieved was a growing splotch of black ink.
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
…Fei Li couldn’t stand this any longer. He abruptly stood up and just as he met Lu Qinyi’s gaze, Xi Ming interrupted.
“General Fei? Miss Song is here.”
Fei Li sighed, but it was one of relief. “Bring her in.”
“That place is in the South,” Lu Qinyi commented, inspecting the map laid out in front of him.
“Yes. It is. Unsurprising, no? They are Southerners after all.” Song Lin replied. She had been briefing the two men on her latest intel while enjoying a cup of tea.
“No, it isn’t very surprising at all. That town would be a day’s travel from the border, it’s a good position for them.” Lu Qinyi finally found what he was looking for and pointed to an unmarked area. “It should be about there. It’s not a very large town so it isn’t shown on many maps.”
“Have you been there before?” Fei Li asked as he leaned over to examine the map alongside Lu Qinyi.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“No, I haven’t. I can ask Mei Mei and Yang Ye, but even they might not have. It’s just a small, unimportant place.”
“Qfii, la’r mfgajlcis lwqbgajca cbk, lrc’a la?” Vbcu Olc werfv jcv qijmfv tfg afj meq vbkc. “Vqfjxlcu bo lwqbgajca atlcur, P tjnf atlcur ab vlrmerr klat atf Xfcfgji rb lo sbe mbeiv yf rb xlcv jr ab…” Vtf wjvf j rtbblcu ufraegf. “Ofjnf.”
Oe Hlcsl uijcmfv lc atf vlgfmalbc bo atf rmglqaegfr tf kjr wfjca ab yf kglalcu yfobgf nfgs delmxis wjxlcu j ygfjx obg atf vbbg. “Yxjs, lo P wera, P’ii yf ublcu cbk, ysf!”
He left just like that.
Fei Li rubbed at his temple with a weary look on his face. “What is it you wish to speak of?”
Song Lin stood, walking along the table’s length as she lightly traced her fingers along the painted border between the North territory and the South. Her long, black hair trickled over her shoulder like flowing black ink and framed her face as she tilted her head thoughtfully. “I’ve located Lu Qinyi’s family. I’ll be telling him shortly, but I thought you should hear first.”
Fei Li’s hand dropped from his temple, his brow arching with mild interest. “…I see. That should be a good thing, shouldn’t it?”
“Of course. Who wouldn’t want to see their family again?” Song Lin looked up from the map. “So, will you let him see them?”
Fei Li gave her a strange look, like she had asked something odd. “Why would I not?”
“That’s good. You treat him well…” There was something about her tone that felt ominous somehow. To Fei Li at least. He didn’t have a good feeling as Song Lin came closer. “So tell me…” Her fingertips touched the collar of his robes. He thought he had already told her to knock it off with that kind of thing… But just as he was about to admonish her, she grabbed two fistfuls of his collar. Her angry glare was enough to shock Fei Li into silence. “Why do you dress him like that?! Fei Li how could you be so cruel? He has such a handsome face and yet you let it go to waste by dressing him like a poor person! You don’t treat him like a prisoner so why do you dress him like one? Such a waste, such a waste! He’s too good looking, how could you cruelly deprive us like this! Dress him properly, do you hear me?”
What is happening right now?! Fei Li pulled her by the wrists and freed himself. “I’ve offered him other clothes and he can purchase whatever he wants. Why is it I am to blame for this?”
“How can you not understand what a pity this is?” Song Lin said with a mournful expression before pointing an accusing finger. “You’re still allowing this to happen! If you don’t dress him better, I won’t give you the next report! I don’t want to admire someone who is dressed so poorly.”
“That’s ridiculous! Do you have no professionalism? You can’t go back on our arrangement because you’re displeased about what clothes Lu Qinyi is wearing.”
“And why can’t I?” Song Lin smiled wide with her painted red lips. Fei Li felt she looked a lot like a demon who had crawled out of the yellow springs simply to give him a hard time. “What will you do, General Fei? Is there anyone better than I am at collecting information? I can give whatever conditions I wish, and ask for whatever I wish. Don’t be mistaken, my reasonableness up until this point was only because that is what I wished for.”
Fei Li mulled it over before he spat out a displeased “Fine. You may leave now.”
Song Lin bowed, seeming in a cheery mood as she left.
…Why was it that everyone seemed to want to give him headaches lately?
“Lu Qinyi! Why aren’t you wearing proper clothes?!” Yang Xun exclaimed in horror when he caught sight of Lu Qinyi the next evening.
Lu Qinyi, who was only wandering around in his inner robes, seemed frustratingly unbothered as he replied with a shrug “General Fei Li took all my clothes.”
Fei Li’s expression looked quite poor. He had also happened upon the same shameful sight and felt equal amounts of distress about it as Yang Xun. “I did not. I only took your old robes away.” He said in exasperation as Yang Xun shot him a confused look. He had taken more drastic actions when Lu Qinyi refused once again to use new clothes. While Lu Qinyi was bathing, he had all of his clothes switched out. But he hadn’t remotely thought Lu Qinyi would protest like this.
“I told you I wouldn’t wear the new ones. Give me my robes back,” Lu Qinyi replied stubbornly, shooting Fei Li an annoyed glance.
“And you never explain why you won’t. The new ones are nicer, what reason do you have to insist on those poor quality robes?” Fei Li shot back, brow twitching with annoyance as they once more fell into this useless argument that never went anywhere. This had to be the third time at least.
“I won’t wear them. Either you give me my old robes back or I continue to walk around like this.” Lu Qinyi stated defiantly, turning to walk away.
Neither of the other men doubted the legitimacy of that threat. What did Lu Qinyi care about dignity and face anymore? He hardly cared for those in the first place.
Fei Li pinched the bridge of his nose. “Utterly unreasonable. He chooses the oddest things to be eccentric about. Can’t you talk some sense into him?”
Yang Xun was oddly quiet. He shook his head slightly as he stared after Lu Qinyi who was muttering to himself in displeasure. “That isn’t it.”
Fei Li looked at him with confusion.
Yang Xun shook his head and repeated, “That isnt it. Qinyi comes from a noble family, he’s always worn fine clothes. And he’s always liked neatness so he always dressed well and did his hair properly. But now, he will only wear simple robes and have you noticed that he doesn’t put his hair up? Sometimes he doesn’t do anything with it at all. There’s a reason for it, isn’t there General Lu?”
Lu Qinyi froze.
He slowly turned back to face them as he gave Yang Xun a dark look. “Yang Xun, I told you not to call me that anymore. I’m not a general.”
But Yang Xun was undeterred. “That’s what this is about, isn’t it? You don’t want to look like how you used to, like a dignified once-general.”
Lu Qinyi smiled at him coldly. “Yang Xun, I’d suggest you stop this. For your own good.”
Yang Xun hesitated at that. There was a sadness to him as he gazed at Lu Qinyi, who painted a sorry picture in only his inner robes with bare feet and his hair tangling about him. He had once seemed unstoppable. He had shaken the world they had known, sweeping his way to the top with a talent that left others in shock and awe, and a vision so outrageous that everyone had called him out of his mind. But he had never wavered, his confidence drawing many to follow him. It was the reason Yang Xun had admired Lu Qinyi, even from a young age he was just… different. So he found himself asking despite being uncertain he wanted the answer, “Qinyi… Why?”
Lu Qinyi gazed back without expression. “Atonement, I suppose. This is the best I can do to atone for something I can never atone for.”
There was silence for a long while.
“Yang Ye.”
“…Yes?”
“Don’t bring this up again.” Lu Qinyi turned to walk away again, twirling a lock of his loose hair around his finger.
Yang Xun could only watch him leave with a lost, sad look in his eyes.
Fei Li had to close his eyes for a moment, his breath feeling stifled. “If he continues insisting like this, I’ll return his old clothes. Just make sure he is wearing something before we leave for the South tomorrow.”
Author’s Note:
Finally got the chapter done earlier~ Many thanks to Sigh for the extra motivation, and editor Rae-san of course. And Miyori too 💕
After finishing my uni exams last week, I unexpectedly got hit with the need to write nonstop. Finally overcame that darn writer’s block! The next chapter is half written already and I expect it should be ready for release next week!
Wow that was dark at the end. I thought Song Lin was just being confusing, but did she have a different motive by raising the topic of LQy’s clothes to FL? Keen to know more!
Thanks for the chapter and honourable mention! 😍💕 I love the ‘unexpectedly got hit with the need to write nonstop’ – looking forward to more frequent updates. Congrats on finishing exams and getting over that darn writer’s block! 🎉
You have a very quick mind Miyori! This time it was very simple though. Fei Li is just surrounded by weirdos and those who like chaos, like Song Lin. She just likes bothering Fei Li and looking at handsome men like Lu Qinyi. It does start an ongoing argument between FL and LQ, which might have been what she wanted, the drama.
Of course! You are always so fast to read and comment, and always support every chapter and have been for a long time now. I greatly appreciate it, it means a lot. Thank you! Its about to get fun around here now I’ve fallen back into my writing obsession! >:3c
I’m really curious about the major turning point in the main CPs life. Lu Qinyi is still in a sad phase. Are you still planning to complete it by this year end? 😅.
Thanks for the new chapter and mention, I’m happy that i could give you the little bit of encouragement ❤️❤️
As Sigh noted, LQ still hasn’t fully healed or moved on with his life yet, and hasn’t truly begun bonding with FL. They’re more on neutral ground rn. LQ was 70-80% healed mentally and emotionally, but he will have a few more moments where he loses progress and FL (and a surprise guest) will help him recover. Even when both LQ and FL are fully healed, they will have moments of sadness still just because of the nature of what they’ve been through.The biggest turn around will be the time LQ gets “sick” next. Its what brings about the biggest change in his and FL’s relationship, so I recommend looking out for it~
🤭Thanks for all your support Sigh! Its meant a lot for me, I go through a lot of doubt about myself and my story, and it reminds me that its been worth pushing through every time
You are doing wonderful. Thank you for the detailed explanation 😁. 🤗❤️
Thank you 🩷