Chapter 8

Rong Tang is taken aback for a moment, and his entire person is flummoxed.

It took him a while for his senses to recover. He flings his hand forcefully back as if it has been burned——

But he can’t shake it off.

On the contrary, because he’s gotten incensed, been walking, exposed to the wind, and sweated, it has triggered a cough that wouldn’t stop.

Shuang Fu scurries over to cautiously help him pat his back, then hands him a handkerchief. Su Huaijing, who’s been clasping his hand, releases it after a moment. Nothing strange can be discerned from his expression, except for a hint of uncertainty between his eyebrows.

The chains are loosened, and Rong Tang coughs for a long time. When he finds his breath, he throws over a complicated stare, the rims of his eyes fill with moisture. If one looks from a distance, it reveals an indication of hidden bitterness.

Su Huaijing finds it interesting and pinches his fingers. He suppresses the doubts caused by the condition of his pulse in the back of his mind, restrains his smile, and looks at him with tender affection. His expression is calm when he speaks: “Why, my lord, are you going back on your word? You’re unwilling to marry me?”

Rong Tang choked up: “…I’m still willing.”

Su Huaijing is somewhat startled, then his smile instantly deepens. He takes a step forward, then gently but forcefully, takes the handkerchief that Rong Tang is covering his mouth with. His gaze sweeps across it, but there is no trace of blood. “Then you’re not willing for me to call you that?”

Shuang Fu’s eyes observe his nose, and his nose observes his heart, not daring to make a sound. Rong Tang’s expression grew complicated, and Su Huaijing persistently moves a little closer. He stares into his eyes and calls out again in a low voice, “Husband?”

Rong Tang: “…” F*ck!

Young Prince Rong confusingly avoids his gaze. He turns his head and gives Su Huaijing a side view of his face.

It feels like he is committing a crime.

To be fair, the main villain is really good-looking. In the modern era, he will definitely be a master of puppy love on campus. If Rong Tang is bent*, he will send him one love letter a day for a whole semester.

(*TN: opposite of straight, gay.)

But that’s only limited to puppy love!

For those sweethearts in puppy love, even if they address each other as husband and wife, it is as superficial as saying ‘hi’. Everyone knows that you can’t take it seriously, but it’s different in Dayu.

The legal age for marriage in Dayu is fifteen, and a slightly precocious sixteen-year-old will even have a baby already. If the original owner wasn’t mentally unsound and always sickly, it is possible that he may have wives and concubines in the back when he transmigrates over.

Therefore, when Su Huaijing called out “Husband” twice, Rong Tang finally realises in hindsight that he seems to have acted like a big hooligan.

He asked the system desperately, “What do you think if I change my words now and let him call me ‘Dad’?”

System: [Do you want to be the emperor?]

Rong Tang: “…”

He recalls the original plot where the former emperor was turned into a human pig, and for a moment he can’t tell which one was more f*cked up.

He is fighting with people on this day. Su Huaijing is opposite him, watching quietly as the prince turns his head and doesn’t dare to look directly at him. His complexion has the unhealthy paleness that comes from being ill. When the sun shone on him, it reveals a light sense of transparency.

And this transparency, bit by bit, slowly but surely, is being replaced by an extremely faint red right in front of him.

The red is too faint, and if one is a little farther away, it may not be visible at all. But, as it happens, the underlying colour is especially muted. When this was revealed before Su Huaijing’s eyes, it was tantamount to removing his heart and cutting it open for him to look at.

Su Huaijing raised an eyebrow and became increasingly puzzled.

You get shy this easily?

You could maintain a straight face when we met in a brothel, but your face turns red after being called this single word “husband”?

So… pure and innocent?

An indescribable emotion slowly overflowed from Su Huaijing’s heart. He took half a step back and schooled his expression. His fingers tapped at his side uncontrollably, and he said with a smile, “Don’t get mad; I won’t call anymore.”

Rong Tang’s brain capacity for today has been depleted when he was with the Eldest Princess. Right now, his CPU is on overload. He thought for a long time about how to respond to him so as to appear less depraved, but Su Huaijing took the initiative to let him off the hook.

Rong Tang is immediately happy!

See! As expected of his favourite Boy!

He is so considerate—a hundred times better than the so-called male protagonist! ! !

Rong Tang is happy, and revels after obtaining an advantage. He courteously and generously replies to Su Huaijing, “It doesn’t matter; you can call me however you want.”

In all honesty, Su Huaijing has originally planned to let him go. When he hears this, the rhythm of his fingers falter for a split second. As he observes the smile on the young prince’s face, he swallows the promise he’s just made.

“Then… thank you, Husband, for venting anger on my behalf.”

He pronounces the word very slowly and ambiguously as it emerges from between his teeth. It settled into the spring breeze in the courtyard that carries bursts of the fragrance of pear blossoms. It is as if it has been infused with the finest quality pear blossom buds. He cups his hands gently and bends down to perform a conventional bow, then raises his gaze which is as impassioned as the mist on the spring mountain.

Rong Tang instantly surrenders and begs for mercy from the bottom of his heart. On the one hand, he feels a little embarrassed, but on the other hand, he really doesn’t dare to let the future main villain call him ‘husband’: “You can call me gege or my full name.”

Su Huaijing instantly beams. When a beautiful person smiles, it is especially breathtaking. He stands up and takes a small step forward to stand with him. He gestures ahead with his arm, signalling him to continue towards the courtyard.

Rong Tang is dazed for a moment, and when he gets closer, he suddenly realises that Su Huaijing is two years younger than the original owner, yet their heights are almost the same.

In his previous life, he’d met Su Huaijing quite late. At that time, Su Huaijing was much taller than him. He’d never seen him from such a levelled perspective.

If you were to determine by the look of this taciturn-but-smiling expression, no one would have presumed that this person would turn out to be the crazed villain that would want the destruction of the entire world.

Rong Tang feels a little distressed, but he doesn’t know the reason for it. Su Huaijing whispers something beside him, and Rong Tang subconsciously responds with a “mmm“.

Only after “mmm”-ing, did he belatedly realise and turn around: “What did you say?”

Before them was the small courtyard where Su Huaijing lives in the Li Mansion. He lead Rong Tang into the house and says, “I said that I’d call you Tangtang, alright?”

“Oh, sure.” Rong Tang doesn’t care much. This name does sound rather cute. Previously, during the modern era, when several roommates copied his homework and asked him to bring food, they kept calling him “Tangtang, Tangtang.” Rong Tang has long gotten used to it.

At least it is a hundred thousand times better than ‘husband’.

Consequently, in the next moment, Su Huaijing smiles again, and, with a tone that is somewhat teasing but can’t be detected by Rong Tang, he said, “Then, Tangtang gege, please sit down for a while. I’ll boil a pot of water and make tea.”

Rong Tang stares speechlessly as Su Huaijing walks out with a smile on his lips. After being idle for some time, he asks the system, “It turns out that this is the villain’s character type?”

Tangtang is Tangtang! Gege is gege! What the hell is Tangtang gege?!

In his previous life, he’s interacted with Su Huaijing several times. Although there have been times when he teases him until he can’t respond, he doesn’t know that he can still call someone “Tangtang gege” like this without any qualms.

[Apologies, host. The system serves the protagonist. I don’t know about the villain’s character design that was not written in the original plot.]

Rong Tang’s mood plummeted right away. He said “never mind” and ordered Shuang Fu to place the lunch he’d brought on the table.

Liujin Parlour serves the best Jiangnan cuisine. Having lived over two lives, Rong Tang has eaten with Su Huaijing several times. Although he doesn’t know his specific preferences, every time they make an appointment at the Jiangnan restaurant, the pace at which Su Huaijing eats with his chopsticks increases.

The heat preservation efficacy of ancient food boxes isn’t too good, but they haven’t cooled down completely. They are still a little warm when placed on the table.

So Su Huaijing lit the firewood and went into the house, and when he smelled the fragrant food, he became distracted for a moment.

Rong Tang is sitting at the table with his bowl filled with rice, but his chopsticks are placed at the side, waiting patiently. When he sees him come back, his eyes light up, and he asks, “Have you eaten lunch? Have something with me?”

The Li Mansion treats Su Huaijing quite harshly. He isn’t permitted to eat at the big table in the dining room. The meal delivered to the courtyard is only delivered once a day. The timing isn’t fixed, and neither is the ration. Usually, the servants will have finished eating before they remember and will then deliver some leftovers to him.

Due to the shortage of manpower in the mansion these days—what more, with the young master and the young miss studying in Shangwen Pavilion—the servants haven’t delivered meals to his courtyard for a long time.

Although Xingfeng will go to the restaurant and pack food to bring to him at a certain time every day, Su Huaijing doesn’t actually desire food that much. He’s eaten exotic delicacies for eight years and has also consumed cold rice and rancid soup before.

Even if he wanders about destitute in the wilderness, he can eat grass roots without batting an eyelid in order to survive.

But this time, when he sees the table laden with food and Rong Tang looking at him expectantly with glittering eyes, it reminds him of the little squirrel he spotted on the imperial hunting grounds when he was a child. He frowned, then subconsciously glanced back at the sun: “It’s already three quarters into the Mei* period. You haven’t eaten yet?”

(*TN: 1-3 p.m.)

Rong Tang: “This morning, I was summoned by my zumu to go to the palace for questioning. I was delayed on the way and didn’t have time for lunch. When I returned home, I thought you might not have eaten either, so I packed some food to come and see you.”

He smiled and asked, “Have you eaten yet?”

Su Huaijing is silent for a while, then shakes his head. “No.”

Shuang Fu has already set up a bowl and chopsticks for him. Su Huaijing can’t express what he is feeling as he sits down and sweeps his gaze over the dishes on the table one by one.

Unexpectedly, these aren’t dishes popular in the capital, but Jiangnan cuisine instead.

Having matched his appetite by some happenstance, Su Huaijing raised his eyes and glanced at Rong Tang.

“You come from Sichuan. I suppose you’re already bored of spicy food. I’m bored of the food in the capital. After thinking about it, one can’t go wrong with Jiangnan cuisine. If you have anything else you want to eat, let’s go together next time aaa.”

Rong Tang took the initiative to explain. He notices him picking up the chopsticks and finally start to eat.

The young prince must have been well-educated. He can’t tell that he’s ever been dim-witted. He chews his food carefully before swallowing, but not too slowly. After a while, the bottom of the gongfu bowl* can be seen.

(*TN: A small, handleless bowl used in Chinese gongfu tea ceremonies for brewing and serving tea. It’s designed to bring out the best flavour and aroma of the tea, and it’s an essential part of the tea preparation ritual.)

Su Huaijing hasn’t finished half of the bowl yet. His eyebrows twitch when he catches sight of this.

He wants to say: ‘Your pulse condition is in a terrible mess; the illness has attacked your vitals, and there is no cure. If you still wish to live peacefully for a few years, you should at least eat and sleep on time.’

He wants to say: ‘Your body is too weak. Taking too many tonic foods will easily lead to a backlog. You should eat lightly flavoured food in small portions but more frequently. You shouldn’t eat so much in one sitting.’

He also wants to say: ‘You shouldn’t be exposed to the wind at all. Your mother was right to keep you indoors. Now is the time when the weather is erratic. If it is cold and hot, there is no guarantee that you won’t catch a bout of cold and subsequently kick the bucket.’

But when the words came to his mouth, he still swallowed them. He slowly ate the remaining half bowl of rice, stood up, and went out. “The water should be boiling. I’m going to make tea.”

“Alright.” Shuang Fu tidies away the dining table. Rong Tang holds the pastry box and stood aside obediently without causing any trouble. After he finishes clearing, he piles the dishes on top of each other.

Su Huaijing came in again bearing a teapot. Rong Tang is holding a piece of lotus pastry and chewing it slowly. When he sees this, he hurriedly waves: “Quick, quick, I’m going to choke to death.”

Su Huaijing’s footsteps pause, feeling helpless. He makes him a cup of tea and sets it aside to cool. “If you don’t like it, why did you go ahead and buy it?”

Rong Tang almost blurted out, ‘because you like it,’ but he still held it back and said most stubbornly, “Who said I don’t like it?”

Su Huaijing lowered his eyes and looked at him profoundly: “Tangtang gege, don’t look to the right when lying.”

“Cough, cough cough——”

Rong Tang has transmigrated through three lifetimes, and this was the first time he coughs, not because of illness but purely from choking!

He feels that he has made some progress! Though it isn’t much!

Su Huaijing became even more helpless and thought inwardly, ‘Alright, forgotten that he is thin-skinned’.

“Slow down.” Su Huaijing said, walking around and patting his back gently.

It isn’t known what the technique is, but Rong Tang gradually stops coughing and even feels a little comfortable. It is as if the blood vessels that have been clogged for a long time are dispersed from the patting. The blood in the entire body begins to gradually circulate systematically, and his body temperature increased slightly.

But Su Huaijing only patted for a while and then moved away. The coldness that penetrated his bones made a comeback, and it caused Rong Tang feel that what just happened was an illusion.

The tea cup is small, and it got cold fairly quickly. Rong Tang picks it up and takes a sip. He pauses for a moment, then slaps his mouth a few times before drinking the rest in one breath.

He tilts his head and asks, “You’re not going to make me drink syrup, are you?”

Su Huaijing glanced at him faintly, “Tangtang gege isn’t a child.”

“…”

Rong Tang truly wanted to kneel before him. His scalp is tingling, and he really wants to beg him to change another form of address. Fortunately, Shuang Shou, who has been out for a long time, finally came back and placed a small box, the size of a palm, on the table.

Rong Tang immediately forgot about the awkwardness. He opens the box and takes out the contents.

A title deed, a housing-transfer agreement, and a bunch of keys.

Su Huaijing discerned something but still found it inconceivable. He tapped the table lightly. “This is?”

Shuang Shou opened the ink pad. Rong Tang presses his thumbprint onto the transfer agreement, then pushes these three items one by one in front of Su Huaijing.

“My mother has already appointed a matchmaker and will soon deliver the betrothal gifts. The betrothal gifts were all purchased with the income from my Zhuang’s store over the years. I’m a terribly petty person and do not want to send those things to the Li Mansion, so I want you to move out.”

In fact, he just can’t stand this courtyard anymore, and he doesn’t want all the things that he’s replaced for Su Huaijing to be sent to Li Changfu’s mansion. Once they were sent in, it will most likely be a messy lawsuit in the future. Although the cost isn’t much, Rong Tang truly isn’t willing to permit a nasty person like Li Changfu to take advantage.

After much deliberation, it is still better to have Su Huaijing move out so that all the betrothal gifts will become Su Huaijing’s private hoard, which can also be considered a little start-up capital from him to the Boy.

In addition, he will have more and more followers in the future. There must be a place for them to scheme on critical matters.

When he observed that Su Huaijing hasn’t uttered anything for a long time, Rong Tang said, “This is a house in Yong’an Lane. It’s very close to the Imperial College, and the environment is quiet. On two streets next to it is a branch set up by the Jingzhao Magistrate’s Office. Imperial guards patrol every day; therefore, public security is very good. Even if you live there alone, you’ll be safe, and if you want to attend school, it’s very convenient.”

Su Huaijing still didn’t speak.

Rong Tang’s face wrinkled, he racked his brains, and finally said, “In the future, when I leave, you can move from the Duke’s Palace—”

“Stop.” Su Huaijing interrupted him in a low voice. He stared at the three items for a long time and seemed to be pondering.

After a while, Su Huaijing raised his hand, pressed on the ink pad, and placed his fingerprint next to Rong Tang’s.

The Prince immediately smiled: “Then, shall we move today? I just happen to bring a carriage and manpower.”

For the first time, Su Huaijing is unable to see the future clearly. His mind blanks out for a second, and he begins to reflect on whether it was the right decision to agree to the proposal of the person before him.

Isn’t it that eloquent?

Didn’t you talk until your own mother burst into tears and speak until the Li mansion’s private tutor was at a loss for words? Why is it that before him, he talks so incoherently and so casually?

He’s a very petty person, so he isn’t willing to send the betrothal gifts to Li Changfu’s mansion.

Then you’re willing to give them to him so unreservedly?

……

What do you want from me?

Su Huaijing is a little bewildered.