Chapter 26

Most of the men under Bu Nian were rough-edged generals, skilled in battle and crude by nature. Back when they served under the old general, they were already the sort who spent their nights with the finest courtesans and drowned themselves in the strongest wine. After Bu Nian took over, their habits remained unchanged, growing even more unrestrained over time.

All evening, he sat quietly with a cup in hand, drinking but never joining in the noise or revelry. Several courtesans who had been eyeing him grew increasingly anxious, trying harder and harder to draw his attention.

Seated at the center of the hall, the lead courtesan lowered her head over the strings, her fingers brushing the zither as she played. Now and then, she looked up and swept her gaze across the crowd with flirtatious glances, making the men below stare until their eyes glazed over. Some looked ready to drool.

“That waist, that breasts, that face… a real beauty.”

“Her eyes have hooks. One glance and my heart’s all over the place.”

“Eyes like silk, lips like fresh berries. Perfect. Just perfect.”

Bu Nian looked over but found nothing remarkable.

He had seen what true beauty looked like. The rest were just paint and powder.

The courtesan noticed his gaze and had just begun to lean into her charm, but he turned away almost immediately. His expression remained cold, completely unmoved. She bit back her frustration, the sweetness in her gaze replaced by quiet resentment. Her look turned pitiful, the kind that stirred sympathy.

She had never been one to lower herself. On ordinary days, common guests wouldn’t even get a glance. For her to play a piece tonight was already a show of great favor.

Whether that favor was for the birthday general or someone else was up for interpretation.

Several generals who had been admiring her from earlier noticed the silent rejection. They leaned in, whispering among themselves.

“The General really is cold. A woman like that can’t even move him.”

“You think he should take every pretty face that throws itself at him? That Bai Shu who follows him isn’t bad either. Besides, even the most beautiful woman in the empire once tried to win him over. A little courtesan like this probably isn’t worth his time.”

“You’ve got a point. Still, what a shame. A night with that courtesan doesn’t come cheap…”

The courtesan finished her piece, rose with grace, and stepped down from her seat. Then she walked straight toward Bu Nian.

Her figure was graceful, her steps carried a trace of fragrance, and every movement of her eyes and brows brimmed with charm. The moment she spoke, her voice seemed to melt straight into the bone.

“This humble one greets the Grand General.” She offered a graceful curtsy, just enough for Bu Nian to catch sight of her slender neck and a small stretch of her delicate collarbone.

Bu Nian had been drinking the entire time. Whenever a subordinate came forward to offer a toast, he accepted it without refusal. By now, the liquor had left him slightly tipsy. When he drank too much, he never caused a scene. He only grew more silent, his temper worse than usual. It made it hard to tell he was already drunk. Most who didn’t know him well assumed he could drink endlessly without losing his composure.

The courtesan saw him staring without a word or gesture. He neither responded nor acknowledged her. She bit her lip, poured herself a cup of wine, and raised it toward him.

“On a day like this, it is my honor to meet the Grand General. I must offer a toast.” She lifted her head and drank it all.

When she finished, she poured another for him and placed it in front of him with a soft pout. Her tone turned playful. “I’ve had mine. Shouldn’t the General have his too?”

Bu Nian held the cup in his hand and looked her over from head to toe. His eyes lingered until the courtesan’s cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

“You’re still lacking,” he said suddenly, without any context.

She froze, then quickly began turning it over in her mind.

What did he mean by that? Lacking what? Compared to whom? In what way?

Just as she was about to ask, Bu Nian raised the wine to his lips. But before he could drink, he stopped. His gaze passed through her and fixed sharply on something behind her. His eyes narrowed, laced with danger.

“General?” she asked in confusion.

She was just about to turn around when a gust of wind brushed past. Bu Nian had already strode away.

Lian Ai had followed Zuo Lingyu to Mianhua Street, only to find that the brothel he used to stay at had long closed and changed owners. Not only that, the entire street had been renovated and expanded, looking far grander than before.

It had only been a few years, yet everything had changed beyond recognition. While he was still caught in that thought, Zuo Lingyu pulled him into one of the more extravagant brothels nearby.

As soon as they entered, they were surrounded by layers of brightly colored skirts and silken robes. The moment the girls spotted Zuo Lingyu, they crowded around him, coaxing and laughing until he was grinning from ear to ear. He didn’t need Lian Ai to lead the way. He threw his arms around two of them and disappeared into the commotion.

Lian Ai had planned to wait in the main hall, but the madam of the house was far too enthusiastic. The moment she saw him standing alone, she insisted on calling some girls over to keep him company. He declined again and again, but in the end, he had no choice but to excuse himself by claiming he needed the latrine.

He took several turns through the winding halls, unsure of where he had ended up. The path ahead was brightly lit in red. Judging by the decorations and voices, it seemed a banquet was taking place nearby.

He was just about to turn back when a hand suddenly grabbed him by the waist. He stiffened, turned around, and saw a man he didn’t recognize.

“What are you doing?” Lian Ai frowned and tried to pry the hand off. “Let go of me.”

The man reeked of wine, his face flushed dark red, his tongue thick as he slurred his words. “You… I know you. Aren’t you…that courtesan Lian? Where’ve you been… hic… I’ve missed you like hell.”

Lian Ai was startled. He hadn’t expected to be recognized by someone who used to frequent the brothel he once lived in.

He struggled and tried to push the man away. “I… I’ve already left that life behind. Please don’t do this…”

The more he resisted, the tighter the man’s arm coiled around his waist. His breath stank of liquor, and his open mouth was already leaning toward the side of Lian Ai’s neck. Just as Lian Ai hesitated, wondering whether to throw off the bundle strapped to his back, a second hand appeared at his waist. This one was hotter, firmer.

A sharp cry rang out as the drunk man was suddenly kicked hard enough to send him flying.

Lian Ai turned in shock. What met his eyes was the cold, deep-cut profile of a man’s face.

So familiar it ached. So missed it hurt. So loathed it burned.

The drunken man had taken Bu Nian’s kick straight to the chest. He couldn’t get up again and lay on the ground, groaning in pain.

Bu Nian didn’t even look at him. With one arm still hooked around Lian Ai’s waist, he pulled him into a nearby room where a single lamp was still lit.

Once inside, he shoved Lian Ai roughly against the wall and pressed in close.

“What are you doing here?”

The smell of strong wine hit Lian Ai’s nose. He wrinkled it slightly, turned his face away, and muttered, “Drinking courtesan wine.”

Bu Nian fell silent. A moment later, he let out a low laugh, as if he had just heard something absurd.

“Who brought you here?”

Lian Ai’s fingers kept brushing against the fabric at his side, as though trying to ease the tension building in his chest.

When he didn’t answer, the fire in Bu Nian’s eyes flared higher. He grabbed Lian Ai by the chin and forced him to look up.

“Speak.”

Lian Ai’s fingers tightened into a fist. He glared back with all the courage he could summon.

“I’m no longer your bedslave.”

The words made Bu Nian pause for a moment.

“You’ve learned to talk back.” He released his chin, resting his entire palm against Lian Ai’s cheek. His thumb brushed the skin just beneath the corner of his eye. “Seems you’ve been living quite well.”

Lian Ai felt a sting from the pressure of Bu Nian’s hand. He tried to turn away but held himself still.

“I was acknowledged by the Helian family. My name now is… Helian Ai.”

The corners of his eyes were flushed where Bu Nian had brushed them. It looked like rouge had been applied there. The scar on his forehead, once unsightly, was now hidden beneath the headband, and instead of ruining his looks, it gave him a hint of charm beneath the delicacy.

“Helian Ai…” Bu Nian repeated the name slowly, letting the syllables roll off his tongue. It carried a different weight than before. The sound of it made Lian Ai’s ears grow warm.

But before he could process that heat, Bu Nian’s voice struck cold beside his ear, stripped of warmth or emotion.

“You shouldn’t have come back. Leave the capital immediately.”

Lian Ai froze. The color in his face drained little by little.

“I… I don’t have to listen to you anymore. I’m not your..”

Before he could finish, Bu Nian’s hand clamped down on the back of his neck and pulled him in, forcing him against his chest.

“You’ve learned to talk back. Good.” Bu Nian leaned in and spoke low beside his ear, his breath brushing over the sensitive rim, then trailing downward along the side of his neck. “But I don’t like you talking back to me about this.”

Lian Ai’s entire body went stiff, though he couldn’t stop the subtle tremble that followed. “You’re being completely unreasonable.”

Bu Nian inhaled the faint scent lingering on his neck. His voice turned harsher.

“Did you forget how you got your commoner status? Everything you are now came from me. And you still want to reason with me?”

Lian Ai’s lashes fluttered. He raised his hand, trying to push him away.

But Bu Nian seemed to have anticipated the movement. The moment Lian Ai shifted, he seized his wrist without even glancing down.

“It hurts…” Lian Ai frowned, as if trying to endure a sudden pain.

His left arm had been injured a year ago, but it had long since healed, and the injury had been at the elbow, not the wrist. Still, the moment he cried out, Bu Nian let go immediately.

“I wasn’t even holding tight. What are you crying about?”

Lian Ai’s brows were slightly drawn together. His voice came slow and sticky, unintentionally clinging.

“It just… really hurts.”

The flush at the corner of his eyes, paired with his voice, made him seem as though he were trying to act pitiful.

Something itched in Bu Nian’s chest, like a feather brushing softly across his heart. That itch spread through his entire body, even his teeth.

He licked the spot where his canine tooth rested, but it didn’t help. Drunk and irritable, he acted on impulse.

He bit down hard on the pale neck in front of him.

“Ah…” This time, the pain was real. Lian Ai let out a sharp cry. He was like a helpless egret caught by a beast, its vital point locked in a predator’s jaws, unable to move.

Bu Nian pressed down on the back of Lian Ai’s neck, holding him still. His teeth clamped firmly onto that patch of skin, refusing to let go. The soft tip of his tongue kept moving, as if savoring a rare delicacy beneath his mouth.

Only when Lian Ai had broken out in a cold sweat did Bu Nian finally release him. As he straightened up, he slowly licked his lips, still unwilling to let the taste go.

“If you keep disobeying me, I’ll bite straight through your neck.” His voice was soft, like a whisper shared between lovers, but Lian Ai couldn’t tell whether he meant it or not.

“I’m here in place of my father, to attend Zuo Lingxue’s wedding with the Prince Regent…” The corners of his eyes were still wet from the pain. He didn’t dare resist any further, and chose to speak plainly. “Once the banquet is over, I’ll leave.”

Bu Nian let go of him.

“You’d better not be lying.”

Lian Ai pressed a hand to the bite on his neck. He lowered his gaze and said quietly, “I’m not.”

Just then, Zuo Lingyu’s familiar loud voice came from outside. He had lost track of Lian Ai and was now calling for him throughout the building.

“Xiao Ai, where are you? You’re having more fun than I am. Come on out, let’s go home.”

Bu Nian raised an eyebrow. He recognized the voice instantly and let out a cold snort.

“So it was him.”

Lian Ai understood what he meant. Earlier, when Bu Nian had asked who brought him here, he hadn’t answered. Now that Zuo Lingyu’s voice had given it away, it made the whole thing seem unjustly as if Zuo Lingyu had led him astray.

“I’m the one who brought him,” Lian Ai said under his breath.

Bu Nian’s expression darkened again, but as Zuo Lingyu’s voice came closer, he forced himself to rein it in.

“Get lost.” He dropped into the chair nearby and pressed his fingers hard into the center of his brow.

Lian Ai bit his lip, gave Bu Nian one last glance, then turned and walked out.

Just as he shut the door behind him and turned around, he came face-to-face with Zuo Lingyu approaching from down the hall.

With a broad smile, he walked over and gave Lian Ai’s shoulder a hearty pat.

“There you are, you little rascal. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

As soon as he said that, he caught sight of the bruised bite mark on Lian Ai’s neck and let out a gasp.

“Which girl did you find this time? She’s got quite the temper, biting you like that.”

Lian Ai slapped his hand away before it could touch him and hurried ahead a few steps, trying to lead him away from the room. The last thing he wanted was for Bu Nian to hear any of this nonsense.

“It wasn’t a girl…”

Zuo Lingyu looked even more shocked.

“What? Don’t tell me you picked up a boy? Well, I suppose that makes sense. A girl wouldn’t have teeth that strong…”

Lian Ai’s face tensed. Hearing him go further and further off the mark, he grew anxious.

“If you keep talking, I’m going to get angry.”

Seeing the irritation rising on his face, Zuo Lingyu wisely shut his mouth and gestured that he wouldn’t say another word.