Chapter 72

On the second day of the Ghost Festival, a new dish appeared on the dining table at the Lin Estate: a spicy rabbit head.

Rong Tang walked into the dining hall and, with a slightly speechless expression, eyed the extra peppery, extra spicy rabbit head. Its wide, lifeless eyes seemed to speak of an uneasy death. He was puzzled by who could have come up with such a peculiar idea.

In the blink of an eye, he heard Ke Hongxue call out from outside the door: “Make way, make way—”

He looked more presentable than the waiter at Liujin Parlour, and was a thousand times more dedicated than the boss of Shudao Pavilion.

Rong Tang turned sideways and glanced behind him, seeing Ke Hongxue holding a large serving dish of twin pepper rabbit.

Tutor Ke, smiling, said, “I was strolling down the street early this morning when I saw a child carrying two cages of rabbits for sale. They looked so pitiful, like skinny monkeys, so I bought them all at once and slaughtered a few to eat. I’ve kept some in the kitchen, and we’ll continue to eat them after they’ve bred.”

“……” Rong Tang said, “Your heart is truly dark.”

Ke Hongxue responded righteously, “But rabbits are so delicious.”

Just as he finished speaking, the waiter came to serve more dishes. Rong Tang saw cold rabbit, diced rabbit with flower kernels, and even a rabbit meat hotpot… despite the sweltering summer weather.

At that moment, Rong Tang decided not to argue further. Instead, a strong wave of curiosity suddenly arose within him.

He really wanted to see how Mu Jingxu and Su Huaijing would react when they saw this table full of rabbit dishes.

His Highness the Seventh Prince had asked his imperial xiong to take him rabbit hunting at the grounds, not for his imperial sister-in-law to prepare a whole rabbit feast for him!

Rong Tang was speechless for a long time. He sat quietly in his chair, waiting for everyone to gather.

Today, the city of Suzhou was set to issue a series of compensation plans for the floods that had destroyed homes and affected many victims. Su Huaijing and Mu Jingxu were drafted early in the morning by Sheng Chengming and hadn’t returned yet.

Several bowls of cold dishes were placed in front of Rong Tang. He idly nudged the peanuts with his chopsticks while occasionally responding to Ke Hongxue’s words.

He had dreamt of many things the previous night… stories from his previous life that had long surpassed the limits of time. Rong Tang’s memories were growing blurrier by the day. Yet, after Ke Hongxue spoke, those forgotten details and reasons suddenly pieced themselves together in his mind.

He had always wondered, despite being on opposing sides in their past two lives, how he and Su Huaijing had retained a bond akin to that of close friends. How could Su Huaijing have been so indifferent when he saw his body, as if all the friendships they shared had never existed?

It turns out, Su Huaijing had asked him before.

Rong Tang recalled that snowy winter night when he had awoken with a start, heart pounding painfully, eyes wide open as he sat up in bed, struggling to breathe.

Mu Jingxu was his gege, but Su Huaijing had never known.

He was simply carrying out the necessary actions for his revenge, treating each of Emperor Renshou’s sons as targets that needed to be dealt with one by one.

So, of course, the first people to be affected were the aides to the princes.

This was normal, even expected.

But when Su Huaijing only discovered that Mu Jingxu was his san ge after his death, everything became a series of delayed, poisoned daggers stabbing into Su Huaijing’s own heart.

Finally, Rong Tang understood the guilt and resentment in Su Huaijing’s eyes.

Fortunately……

The peanuts were all lined up, like children sitting in a row. Rong Tang lifted his gaze toward the main entrance of the dining hall, where the rustling leaves could be heard outside.

Summer was drawing to a close, and autumn was about to begin. The leaves of the paulownia trees were falling one by one, covering the soil where the autumn cicadas had just buried themselves.

The blue-purple glow of the sunset spread as the sun moved to the other side. Someone stepped in through the courtyard gate, each movement measured, like that of a mature adult.

Unconsciously, Rong Tang curled his lips into a smile.

Fortunately.

Fortunately, nothing has happened in this life yet. Fortunately, Su Huaijing is not alone, traversing the boundless darkness in this life.

He raised his hand to wave. Su Huaijing’s eyes lit up, and he quickly walked over. Just as he was about to sit next to Rong Tang, Rong Tang suddenly asked, “Have you washed your hands?”

Su Huaijing was stunned for a moment, the bright light of joy in his eyes replaced by an expression of surprise. He blinked, but Rong Tang insisted, “Go wash your hands first, then come eat.”

Su Huaijing’s face fell instantly, and he went off to wash his hands, looking rather aggrieved. Ke Hongxue, watching from the side, burst into laughter. But in an instant, he was silenced by a glare from Mu Jingxu, who had slowly walked in, frowning as he stared at the table full of rabbit dishes without saying a word.

Ke Hongxue looked up, eager for his senior to praise him.

But Mu Jingxu asked, “Have any restaurants in the city reopened?”

Sheng Chengming and Lu Jiaxi entered next. Startled for a moment by the question, young Excellency Lu immediately began to list them off: “The Furong Restaurant in the south of the city reopened a few days ago, and all the major restaurants, food stores, and brothels have resumed business. Only the teahouses and bookstores, which suffered severe damage to their tea leaves, pens, ink, paper, and inkstones, have yet to reopen.”

Mu Jingxu nodded and looked at Rong Tang. “Prince, would you like to go out for dinner?”

Lil’ Bro Mu rarely invites people. In the capital, even if a banquet invited royal relatives and nobility, it would be difficult to get the Junior Minister of the Imperial Court of Justice to attend, let alone receive a personal invitation from him.

Rong Tang had no intention of eating the table full of rabbit dishes. Hearing this, he smiled and said, “It would be impolite to refuse.”

As a prince, Sheng Chengming never put on airs in front of Su Huaijing and Rong Tang, so he immediately asked, “Can I come along?”

Mu Jingxu gave a casual nod. Rong Tang stood up, and when Su Huaijing returned after washing his hands, they were about to head out. Ke Hongxue quickly got up and looked at Mu Jingxu with a pleading expression. “Senior…”

Mu Jingxu coldly asked, “You prepared this entire meal and now you’re not going to eat it?”

Ke Hongxue tried to act cute, “I’ll eat rabbit every day for the next three days. I promise it won’t go to waste!”

Su Huaijing was momentarily stunned when he heard this, seemingly realising what had been prepared for tonight’s dinner. He gave Mu Jingxu a complicated look, then withdrew his gaze and took Rong Tang’s hand.

Lu Jiaxi looked confused for a moment, glancing at the table where the rabbit dishes were clearly cooked in Sichuan style. After a pause, he said, “In this weather, these dishes probably won’t last three days. There’s a ten-person rescue team in the city whose members are originally from Sichuan. Just a few days ago, I heard them complaining that Jiangnan food is too light and sweet for their taste.”

He paused briefly before tentatively asking, “If you don’t mind, Senior, could I pack up this table of dishes for them?”

The more he spoke, the softer his voice became, showing a bit of uncertainty. But Ke Hongxue looked at him as if he had found a saviour, his eyes shining brightly. He quickly said, “Of course! Feel free to send it to them. But I fear this isn’t enough food for ten people. Have someone go into the city and pack another tableful of dishes and a few jugs of good wine to send over as well. Consider it a reward for those bros. The expenses will be on my account!”

Rong Tang was thoroughly entertained by the exchange. He clicked his tongue lightly and took a few steps over to Lu Jiaxi, patting him on the shoulder: “Young Excellency Lu, you’re bound to be promoted sooner or later.”

“Eh?” Lu Jiaxi looked puzzled.

Rong Tang smiled, shook his head without explaining, and continued walking as Su Huaijing caught up with him.

This kid, naturally naïve and timid, somehow always manages to inadvertently solve the very problems that others are most concerned about. It’s hard to know what to make of him.

Su Huaijing murmured softly, “He really is lucky.”

Rong Tang was slightly taken aback, and then his hand was held gently in Su Huaijing’s palm again.

After a moment of silence, Rong Tang said, “But you have me.”

Su Huaijing was momentarily stunned, not quite understanding. Rong Tang elaborated: “The Shizi Fei of Duke Ningxuan is much more renowned than Tutor Ke’s junior.”

His words were half-truths, spoken with a hint of boastfulness, which immediately reduced the credibility of his statement. Su Huaijing processed this for a couple of seconds, then chuckled softly and replied in a wistful tone: “But my dear husband’s heart is not with me.”

Rong Tang: “…”

The system, which had just woken up, snorted coldly and mocked: [Why did you even bring him on board?]

Rong Tang: “……”

Young Prince Rong clamped his mouth shut, unwilling to say another word!

Taverns and teahouses were scattered throughout the city. Downstairs, people played the pipa and sang folk tunes, while inside, the sounds of loud conversation were almost nonexistent, creating a leisurely and pleasant atmosphere.

Mu Jingxu booked a private room. When the door opened, it led directly to a railing facing the lake. With a glance, one could see the sparkling surface of Lotus Lake, reflecting the shimmering hues of the sunset.

From the painted boats came the sounds of singing and dancing once more. They sat inside the building, enjoying their dinner.

Unlike the meals in the capital, which were always tinged with an air of probing or currying favour, here they simply sat and shared a straightforward dinner. Ke Hongxue was adept at keeping the atmosphere lively, and within a few words, Lu Jiaxi couldn’t stop lamenting with a tearful face, pouring out his frustrations, and openly sharing the infuriating experiences he had encountered during the recent disaster relief efforts.

As they continued speaking, he would feel a brief joy over his achievements, only to fall back into a state of dejection over not being able to save more lives.

—It felt like a family dinner.

Rong Tang couldn’t help but think that this meal felt more like a true family gathering than the banquets at Duke Ningxuan’s Palace. Even Sheng Chengming, who had never eaten out like this since birth, felt a fleeting, bewildering sense of ease at one point.

It was as if some invisible shackles had been removed.

After a few rounds of drinks, he and Lu Jiaxi continued to chat, hopping from one topic to another, recounting everything that had happened since they headed south up to now.

The two young men, around sixteen or seventeen, spoke with great enthusiasm. Ke Hongxue listened with a smile, occasionally chiming in and pouring wine, encouraging them to share more and helping them vent the unspoken hardships they had endured in recent days.

Mu Jingxu remained his usual unsociable self, only ordering a few extra desserts after the meal. One of them, lotus pastries, had just been fried, with warm steam gently rising from the flaky crust.

Su Huaijing picked up a piece and gave it to Rong Tang, then lowered his head and quietly ate one himself.

Mu Jingxu’s frosty expression seemed to thaw slightly, as if touched by the soft light of the rising sun. He, too, lowered his gaze and picked up a piece of the sweet lotus pastry.

Rong Tang felt inexplicably happy. Watching Sheng Chengming and Lu Jiaxi drink cup after cup of wine, he felt a bit envious and turned his head to look at Su Huaijing.

The latter was slightly startled, leaned closer, and softly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Rong Tang whispered back, “I want to drink wine.”

His expression was incredibly cute, like a little creature in the forest that had found a huge fruit and returned to its nest, only to see an even bigger predator. Yet, it showed no fear, nor did it try to hide. In a small voice, it asked, “Could you let me eat the fruit first before you eat me?”

But in truth, the predator had no intention of eating it at all. It only wanted to keep it close, to plant an entire forest that would bear fruit through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, so the creature would willingly stay within its territory.

Su Huaijing chuckled, picked up the wine cup, sniffed it, and then poured Rong Tang a small cup: “You can only drink a little.”

“Ng!” Rong Tang agreed readily, taking the cup and sipping it happily, little by little.

Seeing him like this made Su Huaijing’s heart lighten. He felt as if he hadn’t been this relaxed in years.

Su Huaijing looked up and happened to meet Mu Jingxu’s gaze.

Mu Jingxu seemed momentarily surprised. His first instinct was to look away, but he quickly dismissed the idea. He pushed his chair back, leaned over, and asked, “Want to go out for some fresh air?”

All four people in the private room were drinking; the other three chatted while they drank. When Rong Tang saw Mu Jingxu taking the initiative to approach Su Huaijing, he got even more excited than the person being invited and hurriedly shooed them away: “Go on, go on, he’s always watching over me here.”

Su Huaijing was suddenly labeled with an unwarranted accusation. Feeling quite innocent but helpless against Rong Tang’s antics, he could only remind him again: “Drink less.”

“Ng, ng, ng!” Rong Tang replied perfunctorily, but his eyes were already glued to the wine jug.

Su Huaijing: “……” How can I ever manage you?

He sighed silently, stood up, and went out with Mu Jingxu.

Furong Restaurant was lively. From the upper floor, Suzhou city seemed untouched by the floods, with residents everywhere living and working in peace.

Su Huaijing leaned against the railing, gazing at the water town of Jiangnan that was gradually returning to life. The lake breeze brushed against him, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Mu Jingxu asked him, “How have you been these past few years?”

“You asked me that yesterday, xiong zhang,” Su Huaijing replied, sounding a little helpless, his tone carrying the lightheartedness and ease typical of a seventeen-year-old boy.

That should have been the tone one uses with family, but after saying it, he still smiled and continued, “The first few years were tough. My body hurt, and I missed home. Xingfeng didn’t find me, and I was all alone. I picked up a little mute boy; he stayed with me for a long time.”

In a way, he and Liuyun had been dependent on each other for survival.

But Su Huaijing had no intention of repeatedly bringing up the past with Mu Jingxu. He brushed over it lightly and continued, “Then I went to the capital and met Rong Tang. You know what happened after that, and you should have noticed.”

Su Huaijing smiled, “Life has been good.”

Except for the fact that Tangtang still refuses to admit he likes me, everything else is fine.

Su Huaijing had even started to overlook the reality that Rong Tang might not have long to live.

Mu Jingxu caught on to his meaning and frowned slightly, but he chose not to press the issue further. Instead, he asked, “Have you never doubted him?”

The waters of Suzhou city were surging, the wind carrying the sound of waves. Su Huaijing was silent for a moment before smiling and asking in return, “Do you know how good he is to me?”

“After you all left, he was the first person who cared about whether I had enough to eat, whether I was warm enough, whether I was bullied, or if I was feeling wronged,” Su Huaijing said. “I can’t even remember how many times, before I could react, he had already shielded me from all the potential difficulties and harsh criticisms.”

Su Huaijing spoke softly, “Sometimes, I even think he was sent by father and mother to be with me.”

Mu Jingxu was stunned, left speechless.

He wasn’t asking about Rong Tang directly, and Su Huaijing also knew that. He was asking about the identity of Duke Ningxuan’s Shizi.

But Su Huaijing kept his lips sealed, and Mu Jingxu didn’t press further.

This didi of his had always been too clever from a young age. In truth, he shouldn’t worry about Su Huaijing.

But he couldn’t help it. He always found himself worrying, wanting to make up for the years he had missed.

Su Huaijing leaned against the railing, his gaze drifting back inside the room. He lifted his chin slightly, looking towards the three people who were chatting, and asked, “Did you tell Ke Hongxue?”

Mu Jingxu hesitated for a moment, then shook his head, “No.”

“Then he……?”

“Figured it out himself,” Mu Jingxu replied, “I didn’t admit it.”

Su Huaijing paused before asking, “Are you planning to tell him?”

Mu Jingxu didn’t answer right away. After a long silence, he asked, “Will you tell Rong Tang?”

The young prince was reaching for the wine jug for the third time. Su Huaijing narrowed his eyes slightly, clicked his tongue, and pushed himself off the railing, shaking his head, “No.”

“I’ll head in first,” he said, “Tangtang is being naughty again.”

Mu Jingxu didn’t quite understand the tone of his voice but instinctively nodded.

As Su Huaijing walked back inside, Ke Hongxue looked up, stood, and walked out. The two crossed paths—one heading towards the bustling world of lights, the other turning to the gentle, serene world of water and mist.

Rong Tang was quietly sipping his third cup of wine when Su Huaijing approached, pressing down on the back of his hand without warning and said in a low voice, “Tangtang.”

Rong Tang was slightly tipsy but still clear-headed. Yet, as the lake breeze brushed over him, his head seemed to fog up. In a moment of impulse, he turned his hand over to grasp Su Huaijing’s and murmured, “Huaijing, I’ve caught you.”

Su Huaijing was momentarily stunned, not quite grasping what he meant.

Rong Tang lifted his gaze under the lamplight, whispering, “Ask me again.”

If you ask me again, this time, I’ll definitely go with you.

Only with you.