112. Frank.

112. Frank.

Yang Zhongfa's determination to convince them to separate caused Yuan Li's heart to sink further.

He couldn't help but wonder.

If even Yang Zhongfa was resisting this strongly, how much more would his parents resist?

Chu Hechao's lips tightened.

Shrouded in shadows, it was hard to discern his expression. But it definitely wasn't a good mood. Yang Zhongfa knew Chu Hechao well, even if Chu Hechao stood motionless, towering and seemingly invincible, Yang Zhongfa's words struck at Chu Hechao's sore spots. Some words, just a few short ones, could be as cutting as a knife.

But as long as they were together, more of such words would come, and keep coming.

Yang Zhongfa steeled his heart and continued to address Yuan Li sternly, "Sir, you have great ambitions, extraordinary talents. Involving yourself in an incestuous relationship will only bring shame upon you. The world will maliciously speculate about your relationship with the Chu brothers and whether the titles and merits you have obtained are legitimate...You are eight years younger than the General - eight years, you are still young, while the General is approaching middle age. He may appear youthful now, but what about ten years from now? Twenty years from now? Thirty or fifty years from now... I do not want to see you waste your prime years on the General. Please return to your normal ways with the General."

Each word seemed to lean towards Yuan Li, but in reality, it was to protect Chu Hechao.

With a pleading expression, Yang Zhongfa's eyes felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. Yuan Li's lips were chapped, the previous sweet taste of candied fruit long gone, replaced by a bitter aftertaste. Just as he was about to speak, Chu Hechao spoke first.

"...I've said it, if you have something to say, say it to me, not to him. He's just come of age, what does he understand? I had misled him into crossing boundaries with me, I put conversation an end to it. If he dares to agree with you, I'll break his legs. Do you hear me, my dear sister-in-law?"

Yang Zhongfa's face turned ashen. He never expected Chu Hechao to be so unreasonable, which left him breathless with anger. "General, how dare you do this?!"

Chu Hechao's breathing gradually became heavy and slow. He smiled sarcastically, "What wouldn't I dare to do? I dare to take him while he's alive, why wouldn't I dare to do it when he's gone?"

"Go back," Chu Hechao said, "Regarding tonight, pretend you saw nothing, know nothing, and do not speak of this to anyone else."

Yang Zhongfa took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, "It's impossible, this matter must be resolved tonight, we cannot delay any longer!"

His more agitated demeanor than expected furrowed Yuan Li's brow.

It was clear that Yuan Li couldn't take anything in, and no amount of persuasion could hold him back. Yuan Li didn't rush to speak, instead contemplating how to handle the situation while carefully observing Yang Zhongfa's expression.

Yang Zhongfa stood up, prepared to approach Yuan Li and raised his voice, "Lord Yuan, you heard what the General said, do you really want to continue down this wrong path with him?!"

Chu Hechao intervened, stopping him.

Yang Zhongfa lowered his voice and shouted at Chu Hechao, "General, forcibly doing something sweet will not make it taste good. By not allowing me to talk to Lord Yuan, it shows your lack of confidence in a lasting future with each other. You are well aware of the difficulties ahead, and even without me saying much, you both will eventually fall apart. If your love is truly strong, what do my words matter? Don't you want to hear what Lord Yuan thinks?!"

Chu Hechao raised his eyelids, the blood vessels in his eyes deepening. He opened his mouth, his voice low and firm, blocking Yang Zhongfa in front of him, "Stop."

As the candlelight flickered and cast dim light upon him, Chu Hechao softly repeated, "Yang Zhongfa, stop talking."

Yang Zhongfa looked at him in that state and suddenly found himself unable to speak.

Chu Hechao had been on the battlefield since his youth, and Yang Zhongfa had always looked out for him, knowing he was the son of the Prince Chu. He had watched this brat grow into a young commander, then into an indomitable, esteemed war god, becoming the great general who shook the Northern Zhou Dynasty.

Yang Zhongfa had been by Chu Hechao's side for fifteen years, and in all those years, he had never seen Chu Hechao display such a frightened, pleading expression.

Yuan Li suddenly spoke, "Would you like to hear me out, sir?"

Chu Hechao subtly froze, and Yang Zhongfa, unable to bear it, glanced at Chu Hechao, suppressing his sense of compassion. "Yes."

Chu Hechao thought Yang Zhongfa was being too naive. After all, Yuan Li had already agreed without hesitation, why would he give Yang Zhongfa the answer he wanted to hear?

But unconsciously, Chu Hechao felt nervous, his whole body tense, with a frantic heartbeat clinging to his flesh.

Then, he heard Yuanli's voice, "Sir, you are right."

Chu Hechao was stunned.

Yang Zhongfa looked at Yuan Li with a mix of sadness and joy, watching him closely.

Yuan Li remained calm, almost too indifferent as he said, "Sir Yang's words have given me much to ponder. You are right, being together with the General will only bring scorn and condemnation from the world, as our identities and age difference are too significant. Upon careful consideration, it seems unreasonable for me to continue down the wrong path with the General."

Chu Hechao stood with his back to Yuan Li, feeling as though he had misheard Yuan Li's words.

His expression was bewildered, and he almost seemed pitiful.

...How could Yuan Li say such words?

These were not the words Yuan Li would say.

"Now that you have discovered the truth about the two of us, it is time to consider how to handle this," Yuan Li rubbed his forehead, stood up, and said, "Sir, give me some time to think it over. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, we can discuss this further."

With that, he nodded towards Yang Zhongfa, then coldly turned and left.

The cold wind blew into the study, and the candlelight was abruptly extinguished.

In the darkness, Yang Zhongfa felt a lump in his throat, Yuan Li's actions had taken him by surprise. He now felt reluctant to meet Chu Hechao's gaze, turning his head, staring at the stiff silhouette in the darkness, feeling at a loss for words, "General..."

"...Get out," Chu Hechao said in a suppressed voice.

"I--"

Chu Hechao suddenly exploded, "Get out!"

Yang Zhongfa hesitated, embarrassed, and left.

Chu Hechao stood there for a while. Once they had shared the same candied fruit with Yuan Li, but now the atmosphere was icy. His hands were cold, and he felt disoriented.

It was all over. Everything was gone. Even his only lifeline was abandoning him.

The darkness enveloped Chu Hechao, as cold as a frozen pond. As he sank deeper and struggled to breathe, a warm hand suddenly grasped his.

Chu Hechao heard Yuan Li's voice, tormented and nearly inhuman, "Brother, has Yang Zhongfa left?"

Chu Hechao turned around blankly, seeing Yuan Li's faint figure. He stared for a while before hoarsely responding, "He's gone."

After a pause, Chu Hechao cautiously asked, "Lejun, were you just saying that to deceive him?"

Yuanli nodded decisively, "Yes, just to calm him down for tonight. His emotions are too high-strung, and he won't listen to reason at the moment. With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching and the crowds in Jixian, we cannot make a scene of this matter. I thought of pretending to pacify him for now, and once the Lantern Festival is over in three days, he will have calmed down, and we can approach the situation with better clarity."

Chu Hechao was momentarily brought back to reality from the darkness. He raised his trembling hand and caressed Yuan Li's cheeks, chin, brows, and eyes.

His lips quivered with excitement and joy, "I knew it... I knew you were just deceiving him."

Yuan Li winced from the touching, his speech incoherent with surprise. He smiled at Chu Hechao, touched his face, and leaned their foreheads together. "Brother, did I startle you?"

Chu Hechao looked disheveled, his eyes somewhat moist with embarrassment, but fortunately, the darkness concealed it all. "Yes, you did."

Chu Hechao had lost many things in his life—subordinates, older brother, parents... This was the first time he felt the joy of regaining something lost.

This joy was bittersweet and fulfilling, bringing immense satisfaction.

"I'm sorry..." Yuan Li's voice choked up, "After the Mid-Autumn Festival, we will be honest with our confidants."

Chu Hechao embraced him tenderly, "Alright."

Yuan Li added, "Don't listen to Yang Zhongfa's nonsense, I don't find you old at all."

Chu Hechao's expression changed slightly, "'Old'? It should be 'mature'."

Yuan Li noticed his aversion to that word and suggested, "The cream I gave you earlier, if you use it daily after washing your face, it will slow down the aging... maturity, a bit."

Chu Hechao hesitated, "Really?"

Yuan Li nodded firmly, "Yes, it's true."

Chu Hechao reluctantly agreed, "I'll give it a try every day from now on."

Yuan Li thought he had reassured Chu Hechao, but he realized later that Chu Hechao was still anxious.

He stayed close to Yuan Li, hugging while sleeping, even clinging tightly to him, both of them sweating profusely.

Yuan Li tried to coax him to sleep, "Actually, there was one thing Yang Zhongfa said that was quite correct."

Chu Hechao tensed up, "What?"

"He said I always look ten steps ahead," Yuan Li chuckled, "And it's true. When I decided to be with you, I had already anticipated this day of being discovered by others. You love me, I love you, and even though we may hide our feelings for a while, we cannot hide them forever. Brother, since I chose to be with you, I have prepared for the worst."

Chu Hechao kissed Yuan Li's hand before his lips and replied earnestly, "I will resolve this matter."

He whispered, "Don't worry, don't be afraid. I'll protect you and won't let you be wronged."

Yuan Li responded softly, "I'm not wronged. I want to brainstorm with you. Trust me, I have a way to make Yang Zhongfa accept us."

Chu Hechao's throat tightened as he replied hoarsely, "Okay."

In the middle of the night, Yuan Li woke up needing to urinate. He opened his eyes groggily and saw Chu Hechao leaning against the headboard, one arm around him and the other resting on his body, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Half of his drowsiness disappeared as Yuan Li asked, "Why aren't you sleeping?"

Chu Hechao snapped out of his thoughts, "I can't sleep. Do you need to go to the bathroom? I'll come with you."

"You don't have to," Yuan Li got out of bed, "I can go by myself."

Chu Hechao still accompanied him. After washing his hands and returning to bed, Yuan Li yawned, "Brother, you should go to sleep."

Chu Hechao nodded, "Hmm, I'll sleep now."

Upon seeing that Chu Hechao had merely spoken casually and had not prepared to sleep at all, Yuan Li thought for a moment and suddenly burrowed under the covers, saying, "I'll give you a kiss. Now go to sleep quickly."

Chu Hechao, whose belt had been undone, was pleasantly surprised, asking, "Why the sudden kiss?"

Yuan Li lay on top of him, saying, "Don't talk, just go to sleep."

Yuan Li kissed until his lips were sore and his throat was dry. When he was on the verge of falling asleep due to exhaustion, Chu Hechao finally grunted softly, his fingers running through Yuan Li's hair as he lay there sweating, saying, "Alright."

Yuan Li crawled out from under the covers, his cheeks flushed with heat. Feeling too tired to bother rinsing his mouth, he just swallowed and rinsed twice with the water in the cup on the bedside table before deciding to sleep.

Chu Hechao gently lifted his chin, letting his tongue briefly swirl in Yuan Li's mouth before softly saying, "Go to sleep."

Yuan Li murmured sleepily, "You don't mind the dirtiness."

Chu Hechao chuckled, "It's all mine, what's there to mind?"

Yuan Li mumbled a few more words, but Chu Hechao couldn't quite make them out. In the next moment, Yuan Li fell asleep, his peaceful breathing gradually calming Chu Hechao's heart.

With his mind free from random thoughts, Chu Hechao eventually drifted off to sleep as well.

Over the next two days, the Panfeng Festival went smoothly, and the crowds stranded in Jixian gradually dispersed.

Nearly seventy percent of the esteemed scholars who had come from the south decided to stay in Youzhou for a while longer.

During these two days, Yang Zhongfa had also calmed down a bit. As soon as the lanterns of the Panfeng Festival were put away by the officials, he sought out the Chu Mansion.

Yuan Li and Chu Hechao were already waiting for him in the study.

Yang Zhongfa couldn't bring himself to look at Chu Hechao, his heart heavy, "Lord Yuan, have you made up your mind?"

He had already anticipated the outcome of these two individuals.

The first time he had developed feelings for someone in twenty-nine years as a Grand General, it seemed it would end up being thwarted by him... Yang Zhongfa felt a dull ache in his heart. But as the villain, he had no choice but to proceed.

Yuan Li's cold and decisive demeanor only served to dispel any thoughts Yang Zhongfa had.

Yang Zhongfa let out a deep sigh, preparing himself for Chu Hechao hatred.

However, Yuan Li said, "Mr. Yang, please wait a moment."

Yang Zhongfa was taken aback, nodding in confusion. Two moments later, Lin Tian's voice was heard outside the study, "Master, the guests have arrived."

Guests?

Who else could be coming?

Confused, Yang Zhongfa looked towards the study door.

Yuan Li said, "Come in."

Lin Tian opened the door, and Liu Jixin, Guo Mao, Zhao Ying, Wu Kai, and Wang Er entered the study behind him.

Yang Zhongfa was surprised, wondering why these people had come?!

After exchanging greetings with Yuan Li and Chu Hechao, the five men, led by Liu Jixin, asked, "My Lord, do you have any orders for us?"

Yuan Li smiled and said, "Not urgent, please have a seat."

The group sat down as instructed. Liu Jixin happened to sit opposite Yang Zhongfa, and he subtly nodded towards Yang Zhongfa, who hesitantly responded. Liu Jixin found it odd that something seemed off about Yang Zhongfa today.

Once everyone was seated, Yuan Li spoke slowly, "The people who have come here tonight are my most trusted confidants."

Liu Jixin and the others smiled and quickly thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your trust, My Lord."

Yuan Li then looked at each of them earnestly and said, "I have something important to tell you. This matter is of utmost importance. If anyone besides you were to find out, General and I would both be disgraced and scorned by the world."

The group was taken aback. Guo Mao and Liu Jixin exchanged a quick glance, with Guo Mao already sweating profusely and feeling a pounding in his chest.

What kind of secret could it be to make the Lord speak of disgrace and scorn from the world?

Liu Jixin was equally puzzled and suspicious, contemplating countless unpleasant possibilities.

Meanwhile, Wu Kai, Wu Kai, and Zhao Ying had serious expressions, demonstrating their loyalty to Yuan Li. Without hesitation, they stood up and expressed their unwavering loyalty, saying, "Please rest assured, My Lord. Even if it costs us our lives, we will not disclose this information to anyone else."

Yuan Li looked relieved and turned to Guo Mao, who had been the most cautious and careful among the five, saying, "If you are afraid of this matter, you may leave now and I will not hold it against you."

In that moment, Guo Mao briefly considered leaving, but he quickly suppressed that thought. If he left now, he knew he would lose Yuan Li's trust.

Staying here and hearing the "secret" would only further bind him to Yuan Li. Their fates were now intertwined. If Guo Mao wanted to leave later, it would only end in death.

Although Guo Mao was always fearful of such secrets, he had waited thirty years, and Yuan Li was his one in a million chance, his one exceptional Lord. Yuan Li was the chosen one, the virtuous lord of his dreams.

Faced with this tremendous opportunity, how could Guo Mao turn it down?

With a resolute expression, Guo Mao rose from his seat, knelt before Yuan Li, and performed a deep bow. "Since I have addressed you as my Lord, I am willing to die for you, even if it means facing fire and brimstone. If I have uttered a single lie, may I be struck dead by lightning."

"Good!" Yuan Li declared in a sonorous voice. "I believe you! Guo Mao, rise quickly, and you too, sit down!"

Yang Zhongfa watched this scene unfold, vaguely guessing what Yuan Li was about to say.

But... but this was not what he had imagined.

Yuan Li exhaled deeply and calmly clasped Chu Hechao's hand, addressing the crowd, "I have already consummated my marriage with the General."

...

...

What?

A bolt of lightning struck the minds of those present.

After a long silence, they looked at Yuan Li in disbelief, then at Chu Hechao, and finally at their clasped hands.

The Lord and the General were together?!

How could this be possible?!

Chu Hechao lowered his gaze to Yuan Li's hand, his expression momentarily strange, before nonchalantly returning the grip.

When had they consummated their marriage?

He had no idea.

Liu Jixin, Guo Mao, and the others were oblivious to Chu Hechao's thoughts. Their legs turned to jelly, and if the Lord had not instructed them to sit down earlier, they would have fallen to the ground in embarrassment.

Guo Mao wiped the sweat from his brow with a wry smile. So that was it, so that was the secret. No wonder the Lord was so serious about this.

On the side, Wu Kai stiffly turned his neck to Wang Er, "Brother Wang, did I mishear the Lord's words?"

Wang Er was equally dumbfounded and stammered, "Brother Wu, I... I... I think I misheard them too."

Yes, they must have misheard.

Otherwise, how could they have heard the Lord say that he and the General had already consummated their marriage?