Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 169: Childhood Sweetheart

Chapter 169: Chapter 169: Childhood Sweetheart

"It has nothing to do with you!" Xie Jue’s tone grew colder. "Where did you encounter the Beiman Envoy seeking help?"

Lin Cheng was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Answer me!" Xie Jue’s voice carried a hint of impatience.

"In front of the arch bridge on a cross street in East City." Lin Cheng did not bother to hide it. Xie Jue calculated the distance, timing, and the Forbidden Army’s pace in his mind, and his brow furrowed slightly.

"Got it." Xie Jue turned and started to leave.

Lin Cheng was furious. Xie Jue completely ignored him. Who gave him permission to leave? Lin Cheng led the Forbidden Army to block his way. "Second Young Master, if you leave like this, I can’t give an account."

Xie Jue suddenly grabbed Fang Chuning’s longsword, twirled it beautifully in the air, and the cold blade slashed across Lin Cheng’s arm. Lin Cheng was shocked, clutching his bleeding arm, staring in disbelief, his eyes filled with fury. "You—"

Reversing his grip, Xie Jue sheathed the longsword. Fang Chuning, sipping wine with a smirk, remarked, "Commander Lin, doesn’t this solve the issue? Second Young Master resisted arrest and injured someone—you wouldn’t be able to stop him anyway, right?"

Xie Jue didn’t bother with unnecessary words. He and Fang Chuning left with the Shadow Guards in tow. Lin Cheng, clutching his arm, glared at their retreating figures. His trusted aide asked, "Sir, what do we do now?"

"Tell the truth! What else can we do?" Lin Cheng was livid, his voice trembling with rage. Xie Jue was truly insufferable.

Xie Jue brought Fang Chuning back to the Marquis Mansion. Midnight had long passed.

The Second Young Master’s courtyard was silent. The Shadow Guards blended into the night. Xie Jue liked peace and quiet, so the courtyard was only attended by two young servants who were still resting in the back quarters when Xie Jue and Fang Chuning returned. Xie Jue didn’t disturb them. Fang Chuning, lazily reclining on the warmed couch, finished off a pot of wine. "Ting Feng, do we have more wine?"

Xie Jue approached with a bottle of antiseptic medicine, looking down at the man drinking on the couch from above. "Take it off."

Fang Chuning nearly spat out a mouthful of wine. Xie Jue’s expression turned colder, his gaze falling on Fang Chuning’s waist. Following his line of sight, Fang Chuning looked down and chuckled. "It’s just a small wound—"

"Take it off!"

Fang Chuning licked the wine from his lips, then swiftly removed his outer robe. Beneath it was a red spring undershirt, slashed by a scimitar. When the undershirt was removed, it revealed the well-built shoulders and back of an adult man—streamlined and lean, with thin muscles nestled over his bones, outlining a perfect figure. His chest, back, and waist bore scars that testified to his battles as a General.

His broad shoulders and slim waist were sun-kissed to a wheat-gold hue. A cut on his waist was shallow, but the blood had stained his undershirt. Xie Jue, taking a glance, summoned the young servants and had them fetch a basin of hot water. Fang Chuning cleaned the blood, applied the medicine himself, and dressed the wound with practiced ease—he was no stranger to such tasks. It wasn’t his first time half-naked in front of Xie Jue, so he was unbothered.

Xie Jue watched him apply the medicine but noticed Fang Chuning’s dismissive attitude. Tapping the edge of the couch, Xie Jue drew a smile from Fang Chuning. "Fine, fine, fine... You win."

Taking care to apply the medicine carefully this time, Fang Chuning even left his shirt half-open. "Second Young Master, are you satisfied?"

In the stifling heat, a faint sheen of sweat formed on Fang Chuning’s skin. The moonlight fell on his shoulders, mingling with the sweat, making the red mole on his collarbone even more pronounced and adding an alluring charm.

Xie Jue leaned in slightly. Fang Chuning caught a faint scent of cedarwood from him. The Second Young Master tugged at his robe, wrapping that strikingly beautiful and slightly seductive body, hiding it in the fabric, leaving only his flirtatious and dashing "fox-like" face exposed.

This minor wound truly meant nothing to Fang Chuning, who pulled Xie Jue down to sit beside him. "Why did you order the Beiman Envoy killed?"

"Turning their scheme against them." Lowering his gaze, Xie Jue’s eyes inexplicably lingered on Fang Chuning’s waist. Fang Chuning noticed his gaze and suddenly felt as if he’d been run through the abdomen by Dugu Jing.

They had known each other for years, and Fang Chuning understood Xie Jue’s thoughts. "If Lin Cheng truly encountered Beiman in front of the arch bridge on the cross street, judging by the time it takes to reach the North City, he doesn’t seem to be lying. However, the Forbidden Army appearing there in the middle of the night doesn’t add up. At this hour, they should be guarding the Imperial City. Besides, the Beiman Inn is under Zhang Bolan’s watch. If the Beiman sought aid, they’d go to Zhang Bolan, not Lin Cheng."

"Exactly!"

Fang Chuning raised a brow. "So your counter scheme—was it a spur-of-the-moment decision or a meticulously laid-out plan?"

Xie Jue glanced at him, eliciting a theatrically wounded reaction from Fang Chuning. "So accompanying me on a night stroll was part of your plan? I must’ve misunderstood; I thought Ting Feng really meant to enjoy the night with me."

Seeing him act out, Xie Jue stayed silent. Fang Chuning hadn’t sought him out—if he hadn’t come, Xie Jue would’ve gone out anyway to lure Dugu Jing into action. It wasn’t exactly something he needed to hide. After all, was a mere "leisurely night walk" even worth mentioning?

Xie Jue thought, isn’t moonlight the same no matter where you view it?

"During tomorrow’s negotiations, they’ll make things difficult for you," Fang Chuning complained. "Why didn’t you include me in the negotiation team?"

"It’s too crowded."

"What do you mean? Adding just one more person makes it crowded? Kick Marquis An Yuan out and replace him with me. Negotiations are just arguments—I can argue too." Reaching for Xie Jue’s hand, Fang Chuning cooed, "Brother, take me with you."

That one word, "Brother," was enough to make a heart melt.

But not Xie Jue’s.

His heart was cold and unyielding.

"No."

Fang Chuning’s expression darkened. When he lost his chance to wheedle, he resorted to sulking. "I’m angry now."

"Go to sleep."

Fang Chuning swiftly lay down on the couch. "Then I’ll sleep here."

The heated couch was Xie Jue’s usual spot for reading and resting. Fang Chuning, being tall, couldn’t stretch out fully on the small couch. Xie Jue thought of the ferocious wolves on the Ningzhou Prairie—fierce and tenacious, curling up by the riverside at night.

Patting Fang Chuning, Xie Jue said, "Go sleep on the bed."

"Then where will you sleep?" Fang Chuning beamed at him. "Are you planning to sleep with me?"

Xie Jue replied, "I’m going to the main courtyard to discuss matters with Father."

"I’ll go too!" Fang Chuning tried to get up, but the motion pulled at his injury. Xie Jue’s expression darkened. "Fang Chuning, go to sleep."

When Xie Jue addressed him by his full name, Fang Chuning knew he had to relent. However, Fang Chuning, with his domineering nature, never hid his willfulness in front of Xie Jue. Seeing Xie Jue losing his temper, Fang Chuning dropped the coy pretense, his face hardening as he silently stared down Xie Jue.

It became an unspoken battle of wills.

Xie Jue stated, "The matters I’m discussing with Father are not for your ears."

Mrs. Fang came from the Yuwen family, and the late Empress brought her into the palace as her own. During the late Emperor’s reign, Mrs. Fang was the recognized Princess of the imperial court.

Fang Chuning’s mood sank. The two stared at each other for a moment, a tension between them like drawn swords, before Fang Chuning silently retreated to the bed as Xie Jue walked away.

This was Xie Jue’s bed. His scent of cedarwood lingered everywhere.

Ting Feng shared everything with Fang Chuning without reservation, except for one matter: here, he chose silence. A simmering rage stirred in Fang Chuning’s heart. Negotiations were nothing but a charade. Why negotiate when you could fight!!!

Xie Jue passed by Xie Zhang’s courtyard and considered calling for him, but after a moment of thought, refrained from disturbing his elder brother’s rest. He headed alone to see the Marquis, hoping his father would be sensible enough to avoid wasting his words.