Chapter 36

The zoo is located in the northwest corner of Song Garden, backed by a low mountain forest. This enclosed area houses many ornamental and docile animals.

The entrance is a pine forest with a pebble trail through it. As soon as you walk into the entrance of the zoo, most of the sunlight overhead is obscured, and there is a large, shadowed area. People may even feel a little chilly after strolling in it for a long time.

Rong Tang and Su Huaijing chat as they walk. They ceased their speculations only when they caught sight of people in the zoo, as they could be considered as potentially seditious in nature.

Once the topic had ended, Rong Tang suddenly perceived that something seemed to be quietly changing.

In the past, he would chat with Su Huaijing about the situation of the capital, but perhaps because he didn’t have the intention of getting involved, Rong Tang would not provide Su Huaijing with too many guesses.

He only mentioned the facts known to a few people from the standpoint of a bystander, assuming the role of a straightforward narrator with a rational and objective attitude, allowing him to judge for himself, and not, like in this instance… adopting the mindset of an advisor, collaboratively analysing predictions, and considering the implications and reasons.

What surprised Rong Tang even more is Su Huaijing’s consistent alignment with his thought process throughout the entire discussion, responding and being confused from time to time. Observers would assume they were on equal footing, engaging in dialogue about familiar information from each other’s fields.

This kind of conversation style can easily give Rong Tang a misconception.

——The misconception that Su Huaijing is actively indulging and even leading himself into his world.

But this is a very irrational matter for both Su Huaijing and Rong Tang.

The main villain shouldn’t lead Duke Ningxuan’s son into his enclosed domain, and the system taskmaster shouldn’t take the initiative to approach Su Huaijing.

Even if Rong Tang crossed the line from the beginning, Su Huaijing shouldn’t. He should always be cautious and suspicious of the outside world, instead of trusting him like this.

The sound of the wind is clear and shallow, carrying the voices of people talking into the forest. Rong Tang turned his head and stared intently at Su Huaijing.

The seventeen-year-old boy wears a different look every day. When he is in high spirits, he dons a duck-egg green robe, accented with jade around his waist and a jade crown atop his head. His countenance exudes charm and allure, surpassing the liveliness and poignancy of the spring and summer scenery a thousand times over.

As he walks in the lush forest, even the passing wind unconsciously makes way for this young man.

With a smile on his lips, Su Huaijing lets Rong Tang take him in. After a long time, he moves closer, lowers his head, and whispers in a low voice, “Tangtang, don’t look at me like this.”

Rong Tang: “?”

Su Huaijing smiles and doesn’t look at him. His eyes fall on a young man and woman in front of the deer park, not far away, who appear to be a couple.

Perhaps they felt that the surroundings were covered with dense forests and there were few people coming and going, or maybe they were so in love that they couldn’t help themselves. In short, the two of them glanced around, couldn’t resist pulling each other’s hands, and hid behind a large tree big enough to accommodate three people. By mistake, the last thing Rong Tang saw was the two people standing facing each other, with the man leaning towards the woman.

Half of Su Huaijing’s body staggered, and he said with a half-serious smile, “If you look at me like this, I’ll believe that my husband wants to kiss me outdoors.”

“.…..”

Rong Tang was dazed for a while. “?”

Rong Tang slowly understood: “!”

“!!??”

He’s almost startled to death; his eyes widening as he turns around to stare at Su Huaijing.

The latter smiles, appearing innocent, as if he had no idea what outrageous thing he’s just uttered. Instead, he blinks, looks at Rong Tang, and acts coquettishly, saying, “What is it? Don’t you want to kiss me?”

Su Huaijing tilted his head and waited for a moment. Before he could get Rong Tang’s affirmative answer, he sighs with regret, his expression utterly dejected and disappointed: “Then, Tangtang gege, don’t look at me like this; I’ll really be looking forward to it.”

Rong Tang finally found his voice: “You’re looking forward.…..” Numbskull!

You are a revenge-minded, beautiful, powerful, miserable, and upgraded main villain! What obscene crap is going on in your mind?! No one is so dedicated when it comes to acting! Don’t you possess any moral integrity at all?!!

Rong Tang feels the urge to regurgitate the entire contents of his stomach. He stared wide-eyed at Su Huaijing for a long time. His family’s little daughter-in-law returns his stare obediently and cutely, his crow-feather-like eyelashes blinking occasionally. Sparse sunshine falls upon his eyes, dazzling them like broken glass, adding a glimmer of anticipation to his gaze with each passing moment.

Su Huaijing misinterpreted his meaning without a change in his expression: “Ng? Can I look forward to it? Does Tangtang gege want to kiss me? Do Shuang Fu and Shuang Shou need to back off? Where do you want to kiss? Using which posture? I’m good with anything aaa.”

He speaks even faster than usual, as if he is truly hoping for this.

Rong Tang’s ears burn at his question, and he couldn’t say a word. He glares at him with the assumption that he is most imposing, then turns around and takes large steps forward.

Su Huaijing falls in step behind him, pauses for a moment, then bursts into uncontrollable laughter. It is cheerful and gentle, just like the sounds of nature on earth, and is many, many times more pleasant to the ear than the instruments played in Lanyue Pavilion.

Rong Tang’s heart trembles upon hearing it, and he begins walking a lot faster.

Su Huaijing catches up from behind, his usually calm demeanour replaced by a brisk jog. Leaning down, he grasps Rong Tang’s hand firmly in his own, with a smile akin to that of a child who has just received a treat. He says, “You’ve been caught by me.”

Rong Tang panicked. The sunlight has clearly been blocked by the dense pine needles, but he still discerns that the temperature of his body is increasing uncontrollably, until a faint pink appears on his generally pale face.

“Tangtang has been caught.” Su Huaijing repeats softly.

Rong Tang struggles but can’t get away. Upon glancing back, Shuang Fu and Shuang Shou have been very discerning and gradually withdrew all the way when they’d stopped to watch the young couple kissing. Now, only the corners of their clothes can be seen. The two of them remain standing still with their heads lowered and staring at their toes, swearing not to lift their heads, lest they catch their young master and his husband doing some acts inappropriate for children’s eyes.

Rong Tang felt a strong sense of betrayal surge in his heart, but it wasn’t the ironic disappointment of being stabbed into the chest by Sheng Chengli with a sword; instead, it was a kind of… sense of entrapment, as if he’s handed over his weakness with his own hands and the other party has taken advantage of it.

Not hard to take, but embarrassing.

Very embarrassing.

Extremely embarrassing.

Rong Tang pursed the corners of his lips a little, his ears turning a light red. He raised his eyes to glare at Su Huaijing with a ferocious expression: “Then what do you want?!”

Su Huaijing raised his eyebrows. His good mood is unconcealable, he lifts his free hand and grazes Tangtang’s ear. As expected, he finds it warm to the touch, which only lifts his spirits further, and he complains softly with a smile, “So fierce, Tangtang.”

“?” Rong Tang: “That’s fierce?!”

Su Huaijing pursed his lips and displayed a pitiful look: “What should I do? We’ve only been married for half a month, and Tangtang is being fierce with me. You won’t exile me back to my home after half a year, right?”

Rong Tang: “?”

Su Huaijing: “But I’m a pitiful, homeless shrimp. I only have a house, and even that was given to me by my husband. What if my husband divorces me and takes the house back? What should I do? Do I sleep on the streets?”

Rong Tang: “?”

Su Huaijing’s face fell, but there was a smile in the corner of his eyes, and he said softly, “My husband is the most kind-hearted little Buddha in the world. He definitely won’t bear to let me sleep on the streets, right?”

He smiled and asked Rong Tang: “Isn’t that right? Husband?”

Rong Tang originally wanted to say, ‘Do you want to hear what you’re saying?’, but Su Huaijing kept asking questions in rapid succession and he couldn’t withstand the questioning at all. He completely doesn’t understand why a villain who is supposed to destroy the world is able to act miserable and pretend to be good without any psychological burden. From whom did he learn this manner of pestering? He himself was never so coquettish when he pleaded with Wang Xiuyu!

As it happens, Su Huaijing still blinked his beautiful eyes, swung his hand to and fro, and asked softly, “Husband? Lord husband? Tangtang? Gege?”

“You…” Rong Tang interrupted him obtrusively; his gaze wandered around, evading. When he was no longer able to avoid, they could only look at each other in the end and say, “You’re not allowed to call me like that!”

His commanding tone totally lacked any sense of authority, and Su Huaijing even laughed when he heard it. It took him a long time to resist laughing in front of Rong Tang.

“Okay.” He spoke obediently and cleared his throat, but his voice gradually became softer and more charming. “Lord? Prince? Master? Guest—”

Rong Tang didn’t feel too awkward with the first two names and nearly wanted to accept them, but as soon as the last two names came out, he was gobsmacked.

Guest???

Prince Rong instantly raised his head, glared at Su Huaijing fiercely, and reached out to cover his mouth, sealing it with his hand.

“Ng ng—?” Su Huaijing mumbled with his mouth closed. He blinked, looking at Rong Tang in confusion.

Rong Tang finally understood. This person is addicted to acting.

He slowed down, suppressed the embarrassment that escaped from all sides of his body, and said with a fierce expression, “You are the Shizi Fei from a good family!”

Su Huaijing blinked: “Ng ng—?”

Rong Tang emphasised: “The Shizi Fei who is formally and legally married, carried in a big sedan by eight people, attired in red stretching ten miles, and is included in the family genealogy—the official wife!”

Su Huaijing’s eyes continued to blink. “Ng ng—?”

Rong Tang frowned and continued to maintain a fierce expression. He admonished, “You’re not allowed to belittle yourself like that!”

What ‘guest’! That’s what the brothel lads call their favourite customers!

Even if it was for fun, you should never talk to your husband like this!

Reckless!

And he is still the Seventh Prince! The especially, exceptionally honourable Seventh Highness!!!

Rong Tang demonstrated that he was very angry!

The angry Rong Tang glared at his wife again and asked fiercely, “Did you hear that?”

Su Huaijing was startled, and he forgot to blink. But little by little, a smile verging on overflowing spread from his eyes, and he nodded. “Ng ng ng!”

Heard it!

He heard everything Tangtang said!

Rong Tang looked at him suspiciously for a while. When he confirmed that he’d really heard it, he hesitantly loosened his hand——

“Gege—”

“Pak!” Rong Tang covered his mouth again. The forceful feigned anger and calmness dissipated. His ears were so red that they might actually bleed. He continued his bravado: “Don’t call me like that!”

Su Huaijing blinked and shook his head: “Ng ng——!”

Don’t want!

Rong Tang frowned. “Why?!”

Su Huaijing: “Ng ng ng ng ng!”

Rong Tang: “?”

Rong Tang couldn’t understand, and he was even somewhat puzzled.

He feels that he isn’t covering his mouth very tightly. There was actually no force at all if the main villain wanted to speak. Why the heck does he keep ng ng ng? Does the person being bullied still have to cooperate so obediently?

Rong Tang frowned, released his hand, and said fiercely, “I can’t understand!”

Su Huaijing turned his head and laughed very, very softly. He coughed twice to clear his throat, then said, “If I can’t call you ‘gege’, then I’ll call you ‘Lord husband’. If I can’t call you ‘Lord husband’, I’ll call you Husband’. Tangtang has even married me. If you don’t even allow me to call you by any of these, I’ll suspect that you want to seduce, then abandon. Wait until we get home; I’ll complain to Mother.”

Rong Tang: “???”

Are you even human?

He widened his eyes and stared at Su Huaijing, trying to decipher a hint of teasing in his gaze and expression. But after searching for a long time, he couldn’t detect it. Su Huaijing maintained a straight face and said very, very seriously: “Tangtang gege said you’d protect me for a lifetime, personally brought a carriage to Yong’an Lane to marry me, and also wrote me more than a dozen love letters. If you seduce and abandon me, I’ll file a lawsuit.”

Rong Tang remained silent for a century: “File.….. what lawsuit?”

Su Huaijing was solemn and serious: “Casting aside your wife and discarding your children.”

Rong Tang: “…?”

Be human, you!

He was silent. He realises that he truly can’t play Su Huaijing.

Rong Tang waited for a long, long time, turned around, and walked to the peacock garden without saying a word.

Say another word to the main villain, and he’ll turn into a big chump who only cares about eating and not fighting! An even bigger chump than Rong Zheng!

Rong Tang walked forward in a huff. Su Huaijing followed behind him, holding his hand. He wanted to laugh but held it back.

So cute, Tangtang.

You’re fuming like a blowfish, yet you don’t even take your hand away.

Why do you dote on him so much? If you continue to indulge him this way, he may reach for a yard after gaining an inch.

Su Huaijing’s eyes darken, and he uses his fingers to gently pinch the back of Rong Tang’s hand. Rong Tang immediately swivels around and glares furiously at him.

Su Huaijing immediately becomes obedient, stops moving, and looks meekly at Rong Tang with a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes.

Rong Tang let out a snort and continued striding forward, but still didn’t withdraw his hand.

Su Huaijing smiles blandly for some time until they stop in front of the peacock garden, where several green peafowl are walking around slowly.

Before arriving here, Rong Tang wanted to see them fan open their tails, but he now suddenly has a strong feeling: he’s already witnessed a certain male peacock spreading its tail on his way here!

Rong Tang is a little miffed. He locates the small red fruits that are used as feed in front of the garden and throws in a handful.

Su Huaijing stands next to him, watching his little Buddha feed the peacocks while fuming with anger and not uttering a sound. He feels that he’s adorable, but at the same time, he’s also afraid that he will choke from the frustration.

After waiting for a short while, Su Huaijing releases a silent sigh and begins coaxing: “Tangtang.”

“What are you doing?!” Rong Tang is extremely ferocious, but he still remembers not to let Su Huaijing’s words be ignored.

Su Huaijing couldn’t hold back. He drops his free hand to his side and gently pinches, as if he’s enticing a child: “Hug me for a bit, okay?”

Rong Tang frowns, glaring at him! Rebuke him!

Su Huaijing: “Hug me for a bit, and I’ll tell you a secret.”

“…”

To be honest, Rong Tang’s heart is a little moved. A little, a most disgraceful movement of the heart.

This is the biggest villain in the entire story aai. This is the main villain, and even the male protagonist and Heavenly Way can’t do anything about aai.

He is full of secrets—extremely full of secrets. Rong Tang suspects to the extent that even the author himself isn’t aware of some secrets, but he has taken the initiative to inform him aai.

Rong Tang’s heart is a tiny, tiny bit moved.

[Host, have some integrity!] The system couldn’t bear it and snapped.

Rong Tang was stunned for a moment. After coming to his senses, he glares at Su Huaijing again and tilts his head: “Not listening, not hugging.”

Su Huaijing continues to coax: “Are you really not going to listen? It’s a secret that no one else knows.”

“Not listening!” Rong Tang doesn’t look at him.

Su Huaijing sighs quietly, somewhat wronged: “I didn’t even let Tangtang gege kiss me; can’t you even hug me for a bit?”

Rong Tang stiffens his neck and ignores him.

Su Huaijing mutters again: “Other couples aren’t like this. Other husbands love to spoil their wives.”

Rong Tang continues to remain silent.

Su Huaijing’s voice is low, and his hands begin to sway: “When I was young, my father would satisfy any request my mother made. When my mother was aggrieved, my father would cease everything and coax—”

Before he can finish speaking, his front is bumped by a warm chest. Rong Tang presses tightly against him. Their entwined hands remain clasped, and the other one is placed at Su Huaijing’s back. It was hard to tell whether it was to comfort him or because he was annoyed at him as he patted him gently.

Su Huaijing is dazed and blinks a little. The smile that he’s been displaying all the while is replaced by a sort of vague vacuousness and is immediately enveloped by a more profound elation.

He hugs Rong Tang back, leans near his ear, and says with a smile, “Tangtang really dotes on me; I’m liking Tangtang more and more.”

Rong Tang said dully, “Say your secret!”

If he hadn’t mentioned how miserable he was when he was a child, he wouldn’t have hugged him!

Su Huaijing laughed so hard that his chest shook. The two hugged each other until the rhythm of his laughter reverberated within Rong Tang’s heart.

He calmed himself down and heard Su Huaijing’s low voice in his ear: “Tangtang, I am far, far pettier than you.”

He said, “I don’t like Sheng Chengli.”

Su Huaijing asked, “Guess why Yuerong went to the Lanxin Building yesterday?”

The main villain revealed a smile with a little, momentary satisfaction, like a child who’s succeeded in playing a prank or a fatuous king who uses beacon fire to fool the local rulers.

“Senior Official Zhang’s folding account booklets must be included, and Xia Jingyi must snap off a few feathers, but I don’t want anyone to benefit from fishing in troubled waters.”

“If anyone truly wishes to profit from this farce, it can only be me.”

His smile was very shallow, but most sincere. A peacock in the garden finished eating the fruit and took two steps from its original spot. It seemed quite satisfied, and shook its feathers. Slowly and calmly, it spread out its tail feathers little by little in the sunlight. The reflected light instantly blinded Rong Tang into closing his eyes.

Su Huaijing said softly, “I don’t like Sheng Chengli, so I told Ke Hongxue something.”

“Tangtang, I only care about you in this world.” He lowered his eyes; a dark colour flashed in them, but the corners of his lips curled up into a smile, and he hugged Rong Tang indulgently. “So if it’s someone you don’t like, I won’t like them either.”

And if I don’t like them, I might let them die.

Tangtang can’t call me cruel.

If you hold my hand, I will be very well-behaved.

Especially, extremely well-behaved.

Note from PurpleLy (the translator):

I know it’s a bit late, but for those of you who don’t know how “ng” is pronounced, it is a single sound like the end of the word “sing” or “long”.

“Aai” is pronounced like “eye”.