Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 59

At daybreak, Feng Tianzong came out of Huo Fenghua’s side courtyard and saw Su Zeyang standing outside. Who knew how long he’d been there.

When he saw Feng Tianzong emerge, Su Zeyang asked, “Is he any better?”

Feng Tianzong didn’t dare go closer and kept his distance. “The morning air is cold. You’re dressed too lightly. Go back.”

Su Zeyang asked again, “Is he any better?”

Feng Tianzong said, “He’s better, but Doctor Du says it won’t be that fast. He still has to run a fever and break out. Once he gets through these few days, he’ll be fine.”

Su Zeyang looked toward the tightly shut door inside the courtyard.

Feng Tianzong told him, “It’s just that even if he recovers, he’ll have pockmarks on his face. They’ll never go away.”

Su Zeyang frowned slightly. “Pockmarks? As long as he’s alive, pockmarks are nothing.”

Feng Tianzong gave a faint smile. “I hope he can think as openly as you do.”

Su Zeyang nodded with certainty. “He will.”

Feng Tianzong let out a sigh. “I’m going back to bathe and change. Otherwise I won’t dare walk around the residence. And don’t keep standing guard here. Take care of your own health.”

Su Zeyang answered, “Okay.”

On the second night, Feng Tianzong didn’t go to stay with Huo Fenghua.

At dusk, Doctor Du came by once to take Huo Fenghua’s pulse, then left. In the small side courtyard, it was just Huo Fenghua and Qingqing, quiet and desolate.

Huo Fenghua lay face-down on the bed while Qingqing sat at the bedside, fanning him with a small fan. The poisonous herb Doctor Du gave him truly wasn’t strong. After two days of medicine, the red rash was still there, but it didn’t itch nearly as badly anymore.

As she fanned him, Qingqing asked, “Young Master… have you really still decided to leave?”

Huo Fenghua hummed in response. “Of course I’m leaving.”

“But the General treats you so well now. You don’t have to go. Staying would be good too,” Qingqing couldn’t help saying.

Huo Fenghua tilted his head to glance at her. “Qingqing, that way of thinking is dangerous.”

Qingqing didn’t understand. “What?”

Huo Fenghua said, “Whether I live well or not doesn’t depend on whether a man treats me well. It depends on whether I’m living freely and comfortably. Remember that too, in the future. Don’t be stupid and throw everything away just because a man is nice to you. You still have to stay clear-headed.”

Qingqing half understood, half didn’t. After a while she asked again, “Then will Young Master come back in the future to see me later?”

Huo Fenghua said, “If you get married, I won’t come see you.”

Qingqing pulled the quilt up for him and sighed softly.

Huo Fenghua had been shut up in this little side courtyard for four days, and it made him think of those first days after he’d arrived in this world. The more stifled he felt day after day, the more desperately he wanted to leave quickly.

Several times Qingqing saw Su Zeyang standing outside the courtyard. When she returned to the room, she said to Huo Fenghua, “Young Master Su is outside. Do you have anything you want me to tell him?”

Huo Fenghua had set out a go board on the table and was playing gomoku against himself. He pinched a stone in his fingers for a long time without placing it. Finally, he told Qingqing, “There’s nothing to say. Don’t say anything.”

That night, Feng Tianzong came to Huo Fenghua’s small courtyard with the bundle prepared for his departure.

Huo Fenghua sat at the bedside eating candied fruit until the sweetness made his teeth ache. He asked Feng Tianzong, “Leaving tomorrow night?”

Feng Tianzong nodded. “Tomorrow night.”

Huo Fenghua set the candied fruit aside and stretched. “Finally. If I don’t leave soon, I’m going to rot.”

Feng Tianzong walked to the bed and lifted Huo Fenghua’s chin, tilting his face up. “The rash has already faded. In another couple days it might be completely gone.”

Huo Fenghua looked at him and didn’t speak.

Feng Tianzong’s fingers stroked his cheek. After a moment, he bent down and kissed him.

Huo Fenghua lifted his arms around Feng Tianzong’s neck and leaned back. The two of them fell onto the bed, biting and devouring each other’s lips and tongues with fierce urgency. Only after a while did they quiet down. Feng Tianzong pressed Huo Fenghua’s head into his chest and said, “Tomorrow night I can’t escort you out of the city.”

Huo Fenghua reached for another piece of candied fruit from the dish beside him and popped it into his mouth, the sweetness making him frown. “Okay.”

All day, the General’s Manor was calm, until night fell. Not long after Su Zeyang lay down to sleep, he heard a clamor in the distance outside. Uneasy, he asked Feng Tianzong, “What happened?”

Feng Tianzong hadn’t even had time to answer when hurried footsteps ran into the courtyard. Outside, Liu Yong banged hard on the door, shouting, “Fire! Fire!”

Su Zeyang shot up from Feng Tianzong’s arms, threw on a robe, and went out to open the door. “Where’s the fire?”

Liu Yong was panting. “Young Master Huo’s— his side courtyard. The fire’s too big. No one dares put it out.”

Late at night, the small courtyard where Huo Fenghua lived had caught fire. The first to run out was Qingqing, screaming for people to help. But the servants were terrified of catching smallpox. They only filled buckets and stood far outside the courtyard, forming a distant ring. No matter how Qingqing begged, they didn’t dare come close.

The moment Liu Yong heard, he came at once to notify Su Zeyang and Feng Tianzong.

When the two arrived, the servants were still clustered outside, afraid to go in. Inside the courtyard, the entire house was already engulfed in a raging blaze, flames roaring into the sky.

Su Zeyang saw Qingqing in disarray, wrapped in a robe. He grabbed her shoulders. “Where is Huo Fenghua?”

Qingqing sobbed and pointed into the firelight. “Young Master Huo is still inside. He didn’t come out.”

Su Zeyang’s breathing quickened. He grabbed two buckets of water and rushed into the courtyard, hurling them toward the burning house, but it was a drop in the ocean. Two buckets did nothing.

Feng Tianzong had followed right after him. He stood outside the courtyard, staring at the inferno. After a brief pause, he shouted, “Put it out!”

The servants all looked worried. Many ran outward, saying they were going to fetch more water, but only a handful actually carried buckets in to fight the fire.

Feng Tianzong didn’t scold them. He took up a bucket himself and went into the courtyard to douse the flames. The moment he stepped in, Su Zeyang grabbed the bucket from his hand. “Give it to me.”

“Zeyang?” Feng Tianzong looked startled.

Su Zeyang snatched the bucket, dumped the water over his own head, then flung the bucket aside and moved as if to charge straight into the sea of fire.

Feng Tianzong’s heart lurched. He rushed forward and held him in a tight grip. “You’re not going!”

Su Zeyang hooked Feng Tianzong’s wrist, then shoved him back with his other hand. “Move!”

Feng Tianzong was shoved aside but immediately reached again and caught Su Zeyang by the wrist. Su Zeyang lifted a foot to kick. Feng Tianzong seized his ankle and yanked him close, his voice turning cold. “I won’t let you go in!”

Su Zeyang’s brows tightened. He drove his knee up toward Feng Tianzong’s abdomen. The two traded blows in quick succession; Su Zeyang was determined to get inside, while Feng Tianzong blocked him with everything he had. For a moment neither could break free.

Then came a thunderous crash. A main beam, burned through, collapsed and fell, sending a shower of sparks flying in every direction.

Feng Tianzong dragged Su Zeyang back to dodge. Su Zeyang stared at the blaze, his expression blank. After a moment, he grabbed Feng Tianzong by the lapels and glared at him.

“Zeyang,” Feng Tianzong called his name softly.

In the end, Su Zeyang released him. He turned to take another water bucket and continued fighting the fire.

The fire burned until before dawn, until the far edge of the sky began to pale. Only when the entire house had burned down into a blackened skeleton did the flames gradually die. Feng Tianzong, Su Zeyang, and the household servants kept throwing water without stopping.

Su Zeyang’s white robe was smeared with black soot, yet he still hadn’t fully fallen into despair. As long as he hadn’t seen Huo Fenghua’s body, he wouldn’t believe he’d perished in the fire.

When the last ember finally went out, Feng Tianzong had someone bring a cloak and personally draped it over Su Zeyang’s shoulders.

Lu Xi led people into the ruins to search. Feng Tianzong called Qingqing over and asked, “What exactly happened?”

Qingqing had cried all night and her voice was hoarse. She said, “Last night, Young Master Huo told me that even if he got better, his face would still be scarred. I saw he was in low spirits, so I persuaded him to sleep early. Then in the middle of the night, the fire started all of a sudden. It began in his room. I couldn’t go in. I ran out in a panic to call for help, but…” She couldn’t go on.

Su Zeyang looked down at his palms, rubbed raw and bleeding, and suddenly asked, “The fire started in his room?”

Qingqing wiped her face with her sleeve. “Yesterday I had someone deliver lamp oil and put it in the room. It must’ve been Young Master Huo. He must’ve poured the oil over the bedding and lit it himself.”

At that moment, Lu Xi found a burned corpse in the ruins. He shouted toward the outside, “We found Young Master Huo’s body!”

Feng Tianzong looked toward Su Zeyang.

But Su Zeyang turned and started walking out of the courtyard.

Feng Tianzong grabbed his wrist. “Zeyang?”

Su Zeyang turned to look at him, his expression dark. “That’s not him.”

Feng Tianzong didn’t speak.

Su Zeyang flung his hand away. “He wouldn’t set fire to the house over something like that. Actually, I should’ve realized long ago. But I trusted you too much. You said there would be no secrets between us. No deception.”

Feng Tianzong lowered his gaze and slowly closed his eyes. His long lashes cast dense shadows over his lids. After a moment he opened his eyes and said, “This was his choice too.”

Su Zeyang shook his head, backing away step by step, his eyes cold. “Feng Tianzong, you lied to me. You both lied to me.” With that, he turned and strode away.

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