Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 45
Wang Chu hurried over. He’d had some wine tonight, but he was still clearheaded. When he saw Wang Anzhi being hauled out of the pond by the household servants, his face immediately filled with anger. But the moment he spotted Su Zeyang and Huo Fenghua, he reined it in, turning instead to scold the servants for failing to look after the young master properly.
He ordered them to help Wang Anzhi away, and at the same time he also saw the red cloth floating in the water. Shocked and furious, he demanded, “What’s that?”
The two servants who had dragged Wang Anzhi out swam back toward the middle of the pond to grab the red cloth. The water wasn’t deep. Standing in it, they flipped the cloth over and discovered that what had been floating on the surface was a mannequin dressed in red. It looked eerily like the paper effigies burned for the dead.
Both of them jumped back in fright. One of them turned to Wang Chu and shouted, “Master, it’s a dummy!”
Wang Chu’s expression tightened. He first turned to Su Zeyang and the others. “It’s getting late. I won’t be keeping any guests today.”
Su Zeyang nodded, the first to respond. “Then we’ll take our leave, Right Prime Minister.”
Wang Chu’s tone was somewhat cold as he said to a servant behind him, “See them out.”
The servant hurriedly raised his hand toward Su Zeyang and the others. “This way, Young Masters.”
Huo Fenghua followed behind Su Zeyang as they headed out. Before leaving the inner courtyard, he saw that Wang Chu had already ordered the dummy fished out of the pond. Wang Chu was crouched by the water, inspecting it carefully.
The two of them left the Wang residence. The General’s Manor carriage was still waiting outside. After Su Zeyang got in, he reached out and pulled Huo Fenghua in as well. They sat facing each other inside the carriage.
Huo Fenghua studied Su Zeyang closely.
Su Zeyang leaned his head against the carriage window and closed his eyes.
“Senior brother,” Huo Fenghua called softly. “Are you hiding something from me?” Su Zeyang was absolutely not someone who would fear Wang Anzhi. Seeing him yield again and again tonight, Huo Fenghua felt there had to be a purpose to it, especially remembering Su Zeyang had said earlier he had something to do.
Su Zeyang opened his eyes and looked at him, speaking softly. “That red-clothed dummy was something I sank in the pond of the Wang’s Manor.”
Huo Fenghua wore an expression that said, I knew it. He leaned forward slightly. “And? What’s it for?”
Su Zeyang said, “Wang Chu should discover that the dummy has his son’s birth data pasted on it. If he’s careful, he’ll also find a few talismans pasted around the pond, sealed with wax on the outside to keep out the water.”
Huo Fenghua asked, “What’s it for? Another kind of curse?”
Su Zeyang said, “It’s a soul-snatching curse. It’s recorded in the same book as the curse array we saw at Luofeng Ridge.”
Huo Fenghua frowned slightly. “You want to curse Wang Anzhi to death? Why? Was that Luofeng Ridge array set up by him?”
Su Zeyang tipped his head back. “Even if he wasn’t the one who laid it, the Wang family can’t be unrelated. But I don’t want him dead. I just want to draw out the person behind the curse array.”
Huo Fenghua immediately understood. “A lost curse recorded in the same ancient book. If that person could set an evil array targeting the Feng family, then they can definitely remove the curse on Wang Anzhi. If Wang Chu wants to save his son, he’ll naturally invite that person over.”
Su Zeyang nodded slowly.
But Huo Fenghua suddenly grabbed his hand. “Senior brother, I remember Master saying that using this kind of vicious curse brings backlash.”
Su Zeyang lightly rubbed the back of his hand with his fingers. “Yes. That’s why I didn’t truly activate it. Wang Anzhi won’t wake up tomorrow because I drugged his wine tonight.”
Huo Fenghua froze.
With one hand still clasped with his, Su Zeyang reached into his robe with the other and took out a white jade wine cup. He raised it to eye level. “Tonight the Wang family hosted guests. Every table’s cups were identical. Plenty of cups were broken during the banquet. No one would notice one missing. No one would know Wang Anzhi was poisoned rather than cursed.”
Huo Fenghua looked at the cup. Su Zeyang’s long, elegant fingers closed around it, applying a little pressure. When he opened his hand again, the white jade cup had turned to powder. He cracked the carriage door open just a bit, and the powder sifted out between his fingers into the night outside.
When he drew his hand back, Su Zeyang touched Huo Fenghua’s face. Huo Fenghua felt as though he could still sense the cup’s dust lingering on Su Zeyang’s palm, slightly rough, yet oddly slick.
He stared at Su Zeyang’s face, the delicate lines of his features so perfect they seemed unreal. His heart raced. He lifted Su Zeyang’s hand, held it to his lips, and kissed it.
Su Zeyang gave a firm tug with the hand holding his, pulling Huo Fenghua into his arms. He pinched Huo Fenghua’s chin and kissed him.
Huo Fenghua’s soft tongue slipped into Su Zeyang’s mouth. His palm pressed to Su Zeyang’s throat, feeling the pulse beating there. The kiss turned fierce, until the carriage was filled with nothing but the sound of kissing and fabric rubbing. Huo Fenghua panted softly as he reached to pull open Su Zeyang’s collar. Su Zeyang’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if the wine’s heat was only now rising through him.
Suddenly, the languid, at-ease Su Zeyang snapped his eyes open. With one hand he flung Huo Fenghua behind him. He rose and shoved the carriage door open. Huo Fenghua saw a figure drop down as if from the air, agile as a leopard, and slip straight into the carriage.
The instant Su Zeyang saw who it was, all his guard fell away. Huo Fenghua even saw light flare in his eyes as he breathed, “Tianzong!”
Feng Tianzong shut the carriage door, sat down on the bench to one side, pulled Su Zeyang into his arms, and kissed him.
Huo Fenghua sat opposite them, propping his face in his hands as he watched.
When the kiss ended, Feng Tianzong still wouldn’t let go, lingering as his lips brushed against Su Zeyang’s. He asked intimately, “Where did you go? Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?”
“Tianzong…” Su Zeyang didn’t answer. He only buried his face in Feng Tianzong’s shoulder and drew in a deep breath.
Feng Tianzong stroked his hair, then lifted his head and looked at Huo Fenghua sitting across from them.
Huo Fenghua blinked at him.
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