There was a sudden noise outside the room and someone exclaimed: “Get water!”
Shu Changhua did a flip out of the bed and landed next to the window. He looked out and said in a deep voice: “Someone set a fire!”
“A fire?” Cheng Mo got out of bed as well. Shu Changhua got dressed and put the torn human skin mask back on his face, “I need to go take a look.”
Cheng Mo put on his clothes, saying: “I’ll go too.”
Shu Changhua did not stop, he pushed open the door and hurried out of the room. Cheng Mo chased after him, but he remembered that Zi Xiao had been drugged by Qin Fangchuan and he wasn’t sure if he was awake yet. He turned and entered the room next to his. Zi Xiao was still meditating on the bed with his legs crossed and his eyes closed, it was impossible to tell whether or not he was asleep. Cheng Mo knelt beside Zi Xiao, grabbed his arm and shook it gently,: “Zi Xiao?”
Zi Xiao did not respond. Cheng Mo increased his strength and shouted in Zi Xiao’s ear: “Zi Xiao, wake up, I’m Cheng Mo!”
Zi Xiao finally opened his eyes slowly. When Cheng Mo saw Zi Xiao’s eyes open, he did not know why but he felt nervous and couldn’t help but tighten his grip on Zi Xiao’s arm. Zi Xiao looked at Cheng Mo and said: “What’s wrong?”
Cheng Mo asked: “Someone drugged you, you… how are you feeling now?”
Zi Xiao said: “Oh?”
Cheng Mo looked at Zi Xiao worriedly. Zi Xiao closed his eyes and circulated his internal energy before saying: “I’m fine.”
Cheng Mo stood up, “There seems to be a fire outside, I want to take a look and see what exactly happened.”
Zi Xiao replied: “Okay, I’ll come with you.”
Cheng Mo took a few steps forward and then he suddenly turned around to face Zi Xiao before asking: “You aren’t going to ask me anything?”
Zi Xiao looked at Cheng Mo without saying a word. Cheng Mo lowered his gaze. He knew his own shortcomings, he was easily soft-hearted. He was capable of being decisive when it came to important situations, but regarding emotions, he was a lot more hesitant. In comparison, Zi Xiao was a lot more ruthless. Obviously the two of them have had many intimate encounters, but the way they got along on a daily basis was no different from when they were just friends. If you asked Cheng Mo, he could not tell if they were lovers or friends. To him, Zi Xiao was someone that he would cherish with his life. Cheng Mo was afraid that Zi Xiao would leave him because of this. He pleaded: “Zi Xiao, you know my body, it can’t go back to how it was before.”
Zi Xiao replied: “Let’s go, don’t you want to have a look?”
Cheng Mo nodded his head before pushing the door open and headed out of the room. Zi Xiao followed behind Cheng Mo and the two of them headed towards the noise. It was coming from an attic in an elegant building further away and usually there weren’t many people entering or leaving the attic. When Cheng Mo arrived, the fire had been extinguished, but there was still a burnt smell in the air. Shu Changhua stood to the side, his face was covered with the human skin mask, and his expression was solemn. Many guests had rushed over from their rooms and they were all asking: “What happened here?”
A servant stood next to Shu Changhua and bowed, saying: “Master Yue, we have put out the fire.”
Shu Changhua asked in a low tone: “Is there anything missing from the jewellery cabinet?”
The servant answered: “It seems that one of the Miss’ pairs of pearl earrings are missing.”
“Pearl earrings?”
Cheng Mo was startled when he heard that.
“Where is the white jade glazed bead?”
Someone suddenly asked next to him. Cheng Mo turned around and saw that the person was Qin Fangchuan. Qin Fangchuan was wearing the wax mask again, but he did not look as frail as before.
“Qin Fangchuan!” Cheng Mo shouted angrily and raised his palm to hit him in the chest. Qin Fangchuan turned around to dodge, and glanced at Zi Xiao behind Cheng Mo with some fear in his eyes. Zi Xiao adjusted the sword on his waist and suddenly raised his head to look into the trees above them. In an instant, he unsheathed his sword and jumped to the top of the tree. Zi Xiao raised his sword and stabbed into the branches. A figure emerged from the treetops and flew towards Cheng Mo. Cheng Mo was shocked and wanted to dodge, but the man grabbed his waist and dragged him along. Shu Changhua saw Cheng Mo and Qin Fangchuan’s altercation and was about to come over. Unexpectedly, when he was one step away from him, he saw Cheng Mo being taken away. He immediately extended his finger and a small reddish brown insect fell on Cheng Mo’s clothes before he chased after them. Zi Xiao jumped off the tree and without stopping, he chased in the direction of where that man took Cheng Mo. Qin Fangchuan was also surprised. He looked at the man’s back and thought to himself: “Is it him?” After hesitating for a moment, he joined the chase as well. When Cheng Mo was grabbed around the waist, he already recognised the man as Hui Ji. He grabbed Hui Ji’s wrist, trying to get him to stop. Hui Ji ignored Cheng Mo’s reaction and insisted on pulling him forward. Cheng Mo raised his hand but couldn’t bear to hit his back. He exclaimed: “Stop!”
Hui Ji chuckled, but did not respond to him. He just held his hand and brought him further and further away from the Jiang family’s courtyard, running away from Suzhou. Cheng Mo did not know how far they travelled, but they were already in a forest. The thick shade from the foliage quickly passed him, but no matter how fast Hui Ji was, he was still unable to get rid of the three people behind him while dragging Cheng Mo along. Cheng Mo heard Shu Changhua shouting: “Cheng Mo!”
Cheng Mo raised his elbow and hit Hui Ji’s chest. Hui Ji grabbed his arm and accidentally touched his wound. Cheng Mo gasped in pain. Hui Ji finally stopped, put his palm on Cheng Mo’s chest and pushed him towards a big tree behind him. Then, he turned around and dodged Zi Xiao’s sword. Zi Xiao twisted his wrist and stabbed in Hui Ji’s direction a few times. Hui Ji stepped back and used his internal energy to grab Zi Xiao’s wrist. Cheng Mo covered the wound on his arm and watched the two of them exchange blows while worrying. Shu Changhua stopped next to Cheng Mo and asked: “Are you okay?”
There was a sudden noise outside the room and someone exclaimed: “Get water!”
Shu Changhua did a flip out of the bed and landed next to the window. He looked out and said in a deep voice: “Someone set a fire!”
“A fire?” Cheng Mo got out of bed as well. Shu Changhua got dressed and put the torn human skin mask back on his face, “I need to go take a look.”
Cheng Mo put on his clothes, saying: “I’ll go too.”
Shu Changhua did not stop, he pushed open the door and hurried out of the room. Cheng Mo chased after him, but he remembered that Zi Xiao had been drugged by Qin Fangchuan and he wasn’t sure if he was awake yet. He turned and entered the room next to his. Zi Xiao was still meditating on the bed with his legs crossed and his eyes closed, it was impossible to tell whether or not he was asleep. Cheng Mo knelt beside Zi Xiao, grabbed his arm and shook it gently,: “Zi Xiao?”
Zi Xiao did not respond. Cheng Mo increased his strength and shouted in Zi Xiao’s ear: “Zi Xiao, wake up, I’m Cheng Mo!”
Zi Xiao finally opened his eyes slowly. When Cheng Mo saw Zi Xiao’s eyes open, he did not know why but he felt nervous and couldn’t help but tighten his grip on Zi Xiao’s arm. Zi Xiao looked at Cheng Mo and said: “What’s wrong?”
Cheng Mo asked: “Someone drugged you, you… how are you feeling now?”
Zi Xiao said: “Oh?”
Cheng Mo looked at Zi Xiao worriedly. Zi Xiao closed his eyes and circulated his internal energy before saying: “I’m fine.”
Cheng Mo stood up, “There seems to be a fire outside, I want to take a look and see what exactly happened.”
Zi Xiao replied: “Okay, I’ll come with you.”
Cheng Mo took a few steps forward and then he suddenly turned around to face Zi Xiao before asking: “You aren’t going to ask me anything?”
Zi Xiao looked at Cheng Mo without saying a word. Cheng Mo lowered his gaze. He knew his own shortcomings, he was easily soft-hearted. He was capable of being decisive when it came to important situations, but regarding emotions, he was a lot more hesitant. In comparison, Zi Xiao was a lot more ruthless. Obviously the two of them have had many intimate encounters, but the way they got along on a daily basis was no different from when they were just friends. If you asked Cheng Mo, he could not tell if they were lovers or friends. To him, Zi Xiao was someone that he would cherish with his life. Cheng Mo was afraid that Zi Xiao would leave him because of this. He pleaded: “Zi Xiao, you know my body, it can’t go back to how it was before.”
Zi Xiao replied: “Let’s go, don’t you want to have a look?”
Cheng Mo nodded his head before pushing the door open and headed out of the room. Zi Xiao followed behind Cheng Mo and the two of them headed towards the noise. It was coming from an attic in an elegant building further away and usually there weren’t many people entering or leaving the attic. When Cheng Mo arrived, the fire had been extinguished, but there was still a burnt smell in the air. Shu Changhua stood to the side, his face was covered with the human skin mask, and his expression was solemn. Many guests had rushed over from their rooms and they were all asking: “What happened here?”
A servant stood next to Shu Changhua and bowed, saying: “Master Yue, we have put out the fire.”
Shu Changhua asked in a low tone: “Is there anything missing from the jewellery cabinet?”
The servant answered: “It seems that one of the Miss’ pairs of pearl earrings are missing.”
“Pearl earrings?”
Cheng Mo was startled when he heard that.
“Where is the white jade glazed bead?”
Someone suddenly asked next to him. Cheng Mo turned around and saw that the person was Qin Fangchuan. Qin Fangchuan was wearing the wax mask again, but he did not look as frail as before.
“Qin Fangchuan!” Cheng Mo shouted angrily and raised his palm to hit him in the chest. Qin Fangchuan turned around to dodge, and glanced at Zi Xiao behind Cheng Mo with some fear in his eyes. Zi Xiao adjusted the sword on his waist and suddenly raised his head to look into the trees above them. In an instant, he unsheathed his sword and jumped to the top of the tree. Zi Xiao raised his sword and stabbed into the branches. A figure emerged from the treetops and flew towards Cheng Mo. Cheng Mo was shocked and wanted to dodge, but the man grabbed his waist and dragged him along. Shu Changhua saw Cheng Mo and Qin Fangchuan’s altercation and was about to come over. Unexpectedly, when he was one step away from him, he saw Cheng Mo being taken away. He immediately extended his finger and a small reddish brown insect fell on Cheng Mo’s clothes before he chased after them. Zi Xiao jumped off the tree and without stopping, he chased in the direction of where that man took Cheng Mo. Qin Fangchuan was also surprised. He looked at the man’s back and thought to himself: “Is it him?” After hesitating for a moment, he joined the chase as well. When Cheng Mo was grabbed around the waist, he already recognised the man as Hui Ji. He grabbed Hui Ji’s wrist, trying to get him to stop. Hui Ji ignored Cheng Mo’s reaction and insisted on pulling him forward. Cheng Mo raised his hand but couldn’t bear to hit his back. He exclaimed: “Stop!”
Hui Ji chuckled, but did not respond to him. He just held his hand and brought him further and further away from the Jiang family’s courtyard, running away from Suzhou. Cheng Mo did not know how far they travelled, but they were already in a forest. The thick shade from the foliage quickly passed him, but no matter how fast Hui Ji was, he was still unable to get rid of the three people behind him while dragging Cheng Mo along. Cheng Mo heard Shu Changhua shouting: “Cheng Mo!”
Cheng Mo raised his elbow and hit Hui Ji’s chest. Hui Ji grabbed his arm and accidentally touched his wound. Cheng Mo gasped in pain. Hui Ji finally stopped, put his palm on Cheng Mo’s chest and pushed him towards a big tree behind him. Then, he turned around and dodged Zi Xiao’s sword. Zi Xiao twisted his wrist and stabbed in Hui Ji’s direction a few times. Hui Ji stepped back and used his internal energy to grab Zi Xiao’s wrist. Cheng Mo covered the wound on his arm and watched the two of them exchange blows while worrying. Shu Changhua stopped next to Cheng Mo and asked: “Are you okay?”
