SWHCBB 45

Chapter 45: Don’t Cry, Zhiyu… I’ll Always Love You

“What kind of person?” Jiang Chuang leaned close to his ear, asking softly, but with a teasing smile. “Vicious? Bloodthirsty? Full of schemes?”

With every word he spoke, Zhiyu trembled slightly. Jiang Chuang found it both amusing and heartbreaking, what kind of villain reacted like that?

If he were truly evil, would he care whether those people’s deaths had anything to do with him? Real villains always believed their actions were justified. Those who died deserved it. They would never second-guess themselves.

Besides, with Wen Jue’s status, the position he was in, the people and dangers he had to face, how could he afford to be kind and naive?

If he really had been soft-hearted, he and Wen Yan would’ve died hundreds of times in the inner palace. How would they have made it to adulthood?

For him and Wen Yan to grow up supporting each other in the palace, it hadn’t been easy. Jiang Chuang’s heart ached for him. How could he possibly blame him?

Besides, what difference was there between the court and the battlefield? One was internal war, the other external.

Either way, it was about protecting the people you wanted to protect, even if it meant killing others. And Zhiyu hadn’t even killed that many, and never by his own hand. It was all political struggle, inevitable.

Jiang Chuang thought it was ridiculous. And this was what Zhiyu called “ruthless”? And he was going to crown him a saint?

Tsk tsk tsk, Wen Xiao Yu is definitely madly in love with me!

That thought was still in his mind, and he hadn’t even said anything yet, his face still full of teasing laughter, when his hand, wrapped around Wen Jue’s, caught a single warm tear. Jiang Chuang froze. He bent closer to look, and finally saw the man in his arms with tears in his eyes, brows tightly furrowed, nose twitching slightly, face full of fear.

That single glance sent Jiang Chuang’s heart into chaos. He rushed to wipe the tears away.

“What happened? Why are you crying like this all of a sudden?” Jiang Chuang panicked, stumbling over his words. “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have said that. I was teasing you. I’m a fool, but you’re not, why are you arguing with an idiot like me?”

Zhiyu cried in silence. He couldn’t see, so he just let the tears fall quietly, unable to even glare to make his point.

But to Jiang Chuang, the silence was deafening, like thunder and rain in his heart. He didn’t know what to do.

Zhiyu shook his head, slowly wiping away the tears as he continued, “Strategist Zhuge was right. I was the one who orchestrated the bandits disguising themselves to rob wealthy merchants. It was all a trap I laid for Prince Yi. When the time comes… the one collaborating with the bandits is him. The one eliminating so-called ‘court traitors’ is also him. His people will die, and the blame will fall on him. In Father Emperor’s eyes, he can’t compare to the Sixth Prince. Even if he doesn’t die, he’ll be stripped of everything.”

Jiang Chuang said, “Alright, alright, I get it. Let him take the fall. He bullied you anyway, he’s not a good man. So what if you set him up? But first, tell me, why were you crying?”

Zhiyu sniffled. “When I first went blind, Fourth Brother once had someone catch a rat to trick me into coming out. He handed it to me to play with. I didn’t know what it was, I thought he truly wanted to befriend me. So I took it, holding back my fear. Then… the rat squeaked in my hands…”

At that point, the memory overwhelmed him. His body trembled, face turning pale, curling up in Jiang Chuang’s arms.

“Don’t say any more.” Jiang Chuang could imagine how terrified he must’ve been. He hugged him tightly, his hatred for the Fourth Prince growing deeper. “Zhiyu, don’t be afraid. With me here, you can do whatever you want. They all deserve to die. They should be cut into pieces!”

But Zhiyu stubbornly tore open the wound again, choking out, “The rat bit my hand. There was so much blood. It struggled and ran off. I cried and tried to go tell Royal Sister, but Third Brother stopped me. He scolded me for being petty and dramatic, said that if Royal Sister kept speaking up for me, Father would grow to hate her too.”

Jiang Chuang’s heart sank. If that rat had carried disease, wouldn’t Zhiyu have died back then?

He clenched his fist tightly, cursing under his breath. “Scum. They’re all scum.” And to think, in his past life, he had worked for such people.

“I kept quiet. They played tricks on me a few more times, just for fun. We’re full-blood siblings, yet Father despised me and favored Royal Sister. I became the target of their jealousy.”

Jiang Chuang asked, “And Royal Sister? She never stood up for you? Why didn’t she protect you?”

Zhiyu answered, “I didn’t want to tell her. She was busy currying favor with Father. Her footing in the palace wasn’t stable. It wouldn’t have been good for her to protect me openly. And besides, we’re boy and girl, she wasn’t always with me. If I didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t know.”

Jiang Chuang’s face darkened. So that group had bullied him without restraint.

“Later, Fourth Brother tricked me into jumping from a high place. I broke my leg. Father finally punished him with a few days of confinement.”

Zhiyu clung to Jiang Chuang’s waist, crying softly. “Yunchuan, it really hurt… I lay on the ground begging them to call the imperial physician. I didn’t want to be crippled. Third Brother watched coldly and threatened me, if I tattled, they’d make sure my leg never healed. I cried and begged him, promised anything, just to save my leg.”

Jiang Chuang opened his mouth but found his throat was hoarse. “Zhiyu… let’s kill them. I’ll help you. Let’s kill them all, alright? Break both their legs! Make them crawl and beg for mercy!”

He wanted to rush into Prince Yi’s manor and end him on the spot.

He now completely understood Wen Jue’s hatred, and felt he hadn’t been ruthless enough.

Zhiyu choked out, eyes filled with venom, “I want Prince Yi dead. But not now. I want him to die in disgrace. No matter who takes the throne, it can’t be him. I want him and Fourth Brother both dead. You and Prince Yi were so close. I never dared say this to you. I was afraid you’d think I was vicious.”

Jiang Chuang closed his eyes. Tears began falling, one after another. He rasped, “I never would…”

“I… I…” Wen Jue’s tears streamed down again. “When you told Strategist Zhuge you trusted me, I was so happy, but also afraid you’d be disappointed in me.”

His voice trembled with pleading, so unlike the usual Zhiyu. He seemed to strip himself bare. “You’re the first person to love someone like me. And you’re my favorite person. I don’t want you to hate me… like Father does. So… please, don’t hate me…”

Jiang Chuang’s heart felt like it was being torn apart. He gritted his teeth, barely holding back a sob. He lowered his head and kissed away the tears on Wen Jue’s face, then kissed his lips.

“I love you… Zhiyu. I’ve always loved you…”

Wen Jue’s body trembled slightly. He closed his eyes and returned the kiss, swallowing down all his calculations and schemes.

He knew he’d finally gotten what he wanted: Yunchuan’s heart, belonging only to him. This was the first time Yunchuan had said “I love you”, even if it was something he had carefully orchestrated.

Every tear, every word of sorrow, was calculated to win Yunchuan’s sympathy, guilt, and love, to ensure he’d never again be blamed, and would willingly stand by him even as they burned the world down.

But who could say there wasn’t real love in his schemes? The plots were real, and so was the blood that flowed from the wounds he tore open.