NTYOL 07

Chapter – 07

The Moment of Heartbeat

“So, what’s it going to be, Commander? Are you going to drag me back to continue rotting in prison, or just chop my head off right here?” Pei Yue sat straight down on the floor, grabbed a chicken leg from the table, and took a vicious bite.

Better to die a glutton than a starveling.

The fruit platter was knocked over, round grapes rolling all over the floor with a soft rumble. Ting Lan frowned, surveying the young prince’s chambers—most of the furnishings here had been arranged by his own hands. The addition of Pei Yue was an eyesore.

“If I hadn’t come, were you planning to stay?” Ting Lan looked coldly at Pei Yue, who had completely given up resistance. At least the man had some sense, knowing that making a scene would drag Pei Ji Qing into it.

Pei Yue froze for a moment, then mumbled indistinctly, “Why do you care what I do?”

The fox, unable to get a word in edgewise, watched the two of them at daggers drawn and felt a flutter of panic in his heart.

Had he caused trouble?

But that man was his brother in name… wasn’t he supposed to help?

The fox lowered his head, nervously twisting his fingers. Humans were so strange, so complicated. He had tried so hard to understand, yet still couldn’t figure it out, nor could he pretend well enough—people could tell at a glance that he was different.

Ting Lan ignored the gnashing Pei Yue. He turned around, unhurriedly tucking a stray lock of hair from Ji Qing’s temple behind his ear, and asked, “Does anyone else know he’s here?”

“Qiu Yuan knows too. Yesterday he even held a knife to her throat.” The fox tugged at Ting Lan’s hand as if tattling, then turned to Pei Yue and grumbled, “Remember to apologize to Qiu Yuan. You drank her porridge, you know.”

“Dear brother, it was all my fault yesterday.” Pei Yue sat slumped on the floor, squeezing out a few tears as he looked pitifully at Ji Qing.

Pei Yue had figured it out. Whatever the reason, this damned eunuch cared deeply about Pei Ji Qing—and even showed a disgusting little tenderness toward him.

Recalling how Ting Lan had called himself “this servant” earlier, Pei Yue shuddered with revulsion. No one in the entire palace had probably ever seen the Nine Thousand Years like that. He supposed he should count himself lucky for the spectacle.

The fox tugged at Ting Lan’s sleeve, leaned in close, and whispered, “Did he do something really wrong?”

Ting Lan lowered his gaze and did not answer.

If one called it a great wrong… not really. Merely an eye for an eye.

But he was still an eyesore.

“Stop the act.” Ting Lan kicked Pei Yue over and stood above him, looking down with an air of indifference. “You entered the palace—who did you come to kill?”

“What do you think? I can’t kill the emperor, so who else is there that ruined me like this?” Pei Yue dropped his flippant demeanor, his eyes sharp as he met Ting Lan’s gaze.

Ting Lan’s tone was flat. “You can’t kill him now, and you can’t stay either. But as for the Imperial Prison—you don’t have to go back.”

If he let this man stay, he would surely fill the young prince’s ears with nonsense. Ting Lan would never do something so self-defeating.

“Wait… are you serious?” Pei Yue scrambled up from the ground, incredulous. “How will you answer to the Imperial Prison?”

“I have my ways.”

Pei Yue was stunned… This eunuch was surprisingly decent?

Hearing this, the fox finally breathed a sigh of relief, tilting his head and smiling at the two of them, his hand secretly sneaking behind Ting Lan’s sleeve to hook his pinky finger.

I’m sorry, I seem to have caused you trouble…

Hidden by his sleeve, no outsider could see clearly, but his intimate little gesture was plain enough.

Pei Yue, witnessing this, stiffened violently and quickly averted his eyes.

He understood everything now.

No!

Wrong!

That’s my brother!

Good child, dear brother, how can you be so close to that eunuch!

Deceived! He must have been deceived!

What kind of man was Ting Lan? And how old was Pei Ji Qing? He had just entered the palace—not only did he lack any skill in scheming, the boy didn’t even have a shred of cunning. What good could come from falling into Ting Lan’s hands?

Pei Yue opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out. After all, he was currently in Ting Lan’s grip, with his own neck on the line.

Ting Lan temporarily housed Pei Yue in his own residence. The fox, utterly spineless, still had his mind set on mooching a meal from Ting Lan and followed along.

The two drank tea while the fox, out in the courtyard, squatted with his little rear end in the air, scurrying about picking up chestnuts. Once he’d gathered them, he’d crane his neck and stand on tiptoe to watch the birds. His sleeves bulged with chestnuts, and he held one in his hand, insisting on feeding it to the goldfinch in its cage.

Watching this foolish, completely guileless little brother from afar, Pei Yue couldn’t help but speak up. “Must the Nine Thousand Years set his sights on him?”

“Oh, what does Your Highness mean by that?” Ting Lan set down his teacup with a smile.

“Don’t call me that. You know exactly what I mean. I’m grateful you didn’t drag me straight back, but can you…” He took a deep breath. “Can you leave Ji Qing alone?”

“He’s still young, newly arrived in the palace, knowing nothing. Even if everyone in this palace owes you, Nine Thousand Years, he does not.”

“Owe?” Ting Lan chuckled softly, an almost imperceptible dark gleam passing through his eyes.

Pei Yue pressed on. “How old are you? And how old is Pei Ji Qing? You look at him like he’s a caged bird, so easy to catch. The Nine Thousand Years has seen all the riches of the world, but Ji Qing can be happy just picking up a chestnut… Such a good child—are you willing to ruin his reputation by keeping him with you?”

Ting Lan showed no reaction to these words. He merely tilted his head and looked out the window. The young prince was running all over the courtyard, his fair face flushed pink. Under the wind and sun, his flyaway hairs looked soft and fuzzy, like some kind of little animal.

Noticing his gaze, the fox looked back with sparkling eyes, grinning foolishly as he bounced over, leaned on the windowsill, squinted, and waved, calling out joyfully, “Ting Lan, can you come here for a moment?”

“Of course.” Ting Lan ignored Pei Yue and walked straight over, bowing at the window. “What does Your Highness wish?”

“Tilt your head a little.”

Ting Lan crouched down and obediently tilted his head, the tips of his ears, hidden in his black hair, faintly reddening.

The fox reached out and carefully slipped a pale purple magnolia blossom into his dark temple.

After tucking the flower in, the fox stood on tiptoe, turned his head sideways, and showed off his own hair, his voice soft as if sharing a secret. “Look, I have one too.”

Ting Lan’s face flushed crimson in an instant. The Nine Thousand Years, who had seen everything the world had to offer, simply raised his hand and reverently touched the little flower at his temple.

As for the schemes and tests he’d been planning… they all drowned in the long-silent pounding of his heart.

He was but a mortal, a desperate mortal with no way out. He could not calculate everything. He only knew that if he let go, he would surely regret it forever.

Behind him, Pei Yue had witnessed it all. He silently closed his eyes and buried his head in his arms.

No, brother, what exactly is going on with you?

Your elder brother is getting old; I don’t understand. Can you tell me—how does it look now like you’re the one more forward than that eunuch Ting Lan?

You’re actually interested in that eunuch? That can’t be, right?

He’s nearly ten years older than you! And he’s not even a real man!

How could you set your sights on him? There are countless men in this palace—why him of all people?

Pei Yue lifted his head and watched as the best little cabbage in his family climbed back in through the window, with that damned eunuch reaching out to steady him. The two of them were as close as could be, chatting and laughing as they walked over.

Heart-wrenching! Gut-wrenching!

Pei Yue clutched his head and looked up at the heavens.

But the heavens weren’t there—only a curious face. “Seventh Brother, does your head hurt?”

It was his upright, kind-hearted, beautiful-as-a-flower, but sadly brainless little brother.

“No.” Pei Yue clenched his jaw, instantly sat up straight, and forced a stiff smile.

“That’s good, then.”

The fox plopped down in front of Pei Yue and took his arm.

You look unhappy. Let me treat you to some chestnuts.

Pei Yue didn’t understand, his palm held open vaguely, when Ji Qing pried his hand apart and placed in it a handful of warm chestnuts, sun-warmed.

“For you. I picked them out—they’re all the big ones.” The fox said proudly, his eyes sparkling.

These were fox-selected chestnuts, guaranteed sweet.

Well, now their once-worldly Seventh Prince looked at those worthless chestnuts and found them precious too…

In his daze, he even began to understand Ting Lan: A person as good as Pei Ji Qing wouldn’t do for anyone else. Better to keep him for yourself than let him be wasted on another.

Realizing this, Pei Yue, without warning, pinched his own thigh hard. What on earth was he thinking…

The fox spun around, found a comfortable spot, and began pulling chestnuts out of his sleeves—otherwise, his two bulging, heavy sleeves would leave him unable to lift his arms.

Ting Lan sat nearby, watching the little mountain of chestnuts grow, and chuckled. “I’ll have someone sugar-roast them and send them back to Your Highness.”

The fox nodded eagerly. Good friend, you really get me.

Ting Lan rose to pour the young prince a cup of tea before broaching business. “The emperor has summoned a group of Daoist priests to the capital. Have you heard of this?”

“I was locked in the Imperial Prison—how would I know?” Pei Yue took a sip of water in exasperation. Just seeing Ting Lan and Pei Ji Qing sitting together made him uncomfortable; his heart ached.

“Then you know now.”

“…What are you planning to do?” Pei Yue frowned slightly. He knew this guy was up to no good, and sure enough, he’d been waiting for him here all along.

“One of the Taoist priests entering the palace is an old acquaintance of yours.”

“It seems Lord Qian Sui knows more about it than I do. What do you need me to do?”

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing dangerous. I just need him to add one extra ordinary medicinal ingredient to the Emperor’s golden elixir for me.”

The little fox sat there in a daze, fingers twisting the hem of his robes. He’d only heard Ting Lan say that the old Emperor had summoned a group of Taoist priests—everything after that was a blur.

He couldn’t even focus on listening anymore. There was only one thought in his mind.

Oh no… this is bad!

One Taoist priest would’ve been fine, but a whole group?

The Taoist priests out there weren’t like the easygoing ones next door to his home, the ones who spent all day smiling and playing with cats and dogs.

What if one of them had high cultivation and recognized him? Or what if there was one who liked catching demons for fun… Would he never see his sister again?

But I’ve never done anything bad. I came here because I wanted to help.

If he found out I was a fox spirit, Ting Lan wouldn’t want anything to do with me anymore either. Ji Qing lowered his head weakly, pulled out the money pouch his sister had given him from his sleeve, and clutched it tightly in his hand.