Chapter Thirty-Six: My Relationship with the Prince

Secret token? Yu Hualiang’s heart jolted, and he lowered his gaze to inspect his wound—this was the work of someone carrying a secret token. These people intended to harm the Seventh Prince, and the Seventh Prince sought revenge; it was only natural. But why had they also killed the Cao brothers?

“And then?” Yu Hualiang asked.

Cao Zhileng replied, “We failed. He got away.”

Yu Hualiang’s mind reeled, as if a string was about to be drawn taut, yet something was missing.

Cao Zhileng continued, “The Fourth Prince hid us in Lingxuan Tower for more than half a month. Unexpectedly, today he wants us dead to silence us!”

He slapped the table, startling Yu Hualiang, who then understood Cao Zhileng’s predicament. Lowering his head, he made a decision that might cost him his life.

“How do you want me to help you?” Yu Hualiang asked.

Cao Zhileng said, “I am now poisoned, and only the Seventh Prince has the antidote.”

Yu Hualiang shuddered at the mention of the Seventh Prince. Was he to steal the antidote from him? But they had just fallen out…

“And you…you’re poisoned too,” Cao Zhileng said.

“What?” Yu Hualiang felt as though thunder had struck him. He was poisoned?

Cao Zhileng’s gaze was scornful. “You served me the poisoned wine yourself.”

Yu Hualiang nearly coughed up blood. The wine had been poisoned…poison…poison… The word echoed endlessly in his mind.

Seeing his bewildered state, Cao Zhileng could be certain Yu Hualiang had no knowledge of the poisoning.

Yu Hualiang wondered why he felt fine, until he recalled when the Seventh Prince barged in and kissed him wildly—he seemed to stuff something into his mouth then. Could that have been the antidote? Was the Seventh Prince trying to save him? Why else would he kiss him afterward? Was he drunk?

Cao Zhileng waved a hand in front of him. “There’s movement on your rooftop…likely someone sent by the Seventh Prince to watch you.”

“You can’t be serious!” Yu Hualiang now felt he had already stepped into the Seventh Prince’s web without knowing it. Only now, hearing Cao Zhileng’s words, did he realize how deeply he was ensnared.

A cold sweat broke out on his back, fueled more by anger. Cao Zhileng couldn’t hold him back; Yu Hualiang dashed outside and indeed saw a shadow lurking atop the roof.

Clutching his side, he shouted, “Are you ever going to stop?!”

The shadow guard atop the roof was astonished—he’d been discovered?

Yu Hualiang pointed at him and cursed, “Go back and tell the Seventh Prince, what’s the point of spying on me every day? I, Yu Hualiang, walk upright and sit straight!”

The shadow guard, flustered, knew he’d been spotted and hurried off to report to the Seventh Prince.

Returning inside, Cao Zhileng’s gaze was melancholy. “Don’t alert the snake.”

“Mother of heaven, I’m furious!” Yu Hualiang clutched his waist and gulped down cold tea.

He sighed. “I really don’t want to deal with the Seventh Prince. But I know a skilled physician. Maybe he can help you detoxify.”

Cao Zhileng’s eyes turned cold. “My affairs mustn’t be known to a second person.”

He reached for his knife, and Yu Hualiang, frightened, quickly raised his hands. “Fine, fine, whatever you say!”

He hesitated. “But you can’t stay in my courtyard—The Seventh Prince comes here all the time…”

Cao Zhileng drew his knife. “My poison can’t wait that long.”

Yu Hualiang swallowed hard, suddenly regretting his offer to help.

“How many days can you hold on?” Yu Hualiang asked.

Cao Zhileng considered carefully. “This poison is strange, likely slow-acting. If you can find me some extremely cold herbs, I can last another ten days.”

Yu Hualiang nodded. The herbs would be easy enough to find, but hiding the matter from Aliu and Mo was nearly impossible.

Suddenly, Cao Zhileng’s poison flared up; sweat poured from his pale face as he clutched his chest in pain. Yu Hualiang rushed to help him.

Unexpectedly, Cao Zhileng pulled him into his arms, and both toppled to the floor. Yu Hualiang’s wound throbbed painfully, and as he tried to push him away, he realized Cao Zhileng was icy cold to the touch.

Cao Zhileng, barely conscious, held him tighter and muttered, “Cold…so cold…”

Yu Hualiang, enduring the pain in his side, helped him up. “Hey, are you alright?”

He helped him onto the bed, about to cover him with a blanket, but Cao Zhileng’s pull reopened his wound, making him cry out.

He reached toward his abdomen and found it bleeding again. By morning, his bedding would surely be stained.

Cao Zhileng, shivering uncontrollably, held him close. Yu Hualiang had no choice but to embrace him. “Hey…are you feeling better?”

Gradually, Cao Zhileng regained his senses and noticed Yu Hualiang’s condition was even worse. The poison subsided, and he slowly recovered, while Yu Hualiang continued holding him, unwilling to let go.

Something felt wrong. Cao Zhileng gently pushed him aside and saw his wound had worsened. Quickly, he took out a medicine bottle and began to undo Yu Hualiang’s only white shirt.

Yu Hualiang frowned, worried he’d damage his kidney.

Layer by layer, Cao Zhileng unwrapped the bandages. Seeing the inflamed wound, he said, “This is serious. If you don’t take care, you’ll die.”

“Brother, don’t frighten me!” Yu Hualiang managed to reply.

“I’m not frightening you. This knife wound is infected. If it goes on, it’ll fester.”

Yu Hualiang looked at his kidney and blamed the Seventh Prince for everything.

Helplessly, he lay back on the bed. “Am I really going to die here?”

Yu Hualiang was filled with melancholy, unsure whether to be happy or sad. He hadn’t wanted to stay here for a long time, but if he died, would his soul return home?

So much time had passed—was his body already buried? Did he even have a home to return to?

He laughed, though bitterly. Why did he go sketching by the lotus pond, why did he fish out that brush?

If none of this had happened, he would still be with Qianqian and his family.

“Qianqian…” he murmured. “Ah!”

The pain in his wound made him lift his head, and he saw Cao Zhileng applying medicine with a blank expression.

“Hey, be gentle!” Yu Hualiang protested.

Cao Zhileng looked at him disdainfully as he finished bandaging, then lay beside him to rest.

Yu Hualiang was irritated. He had come to the Seventh Prince’s residence to sleep alone, but that seemed impossible.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, Cao Zhileng suddenly woke, holding a knife and staring warily at the door, startling Yu Hualiang awake.

Yu Hualiang whispered, “Brother, what’s wrong now?”

“Someone’s coming, and their martial arts are not weak,” Cao Zhileng said, alert.

Yu Hualiang sat up, watching the door. “Is it another spy?”

“I don’t know…but I fear it’ll be a fight to the death.”

Yu Hualiang pressed him down, not wanting him to get hurt. Cao Zhileng looked puzzled, but Yu Hualiang tucked him in securely, full of confidence.

“If it’s someone from the Seventh Prince’s estate, I’ll handle it. Don’t move.”

The door opened just as Yu Hualiang spoke, but the visitor spoke first.

“Ziliang…” The Seventh Prince was shocked to see Yu Hualiang sitting at the bedside.

Yu Hualiang hadn’t expected him; Cao Zhileng’s fury rose as he silently gripped his knife, prepared for battle.

“Don’t move…” Yu Hualiang croaked, turning to glare at the Seventh Prince, who was also dressed in a single robe.

The Seventh Prince approached to embrace him, but Yu Hualiang shouted, “Don’t come any closer!”

The Seventh Prince stopped, frowning. “Ziliang, I know I was wrong. Your wound…”

“What wound? Wasn’t it all your doing?” Yu Hualiang sneered.

“Ziliang…” The Seventh Prince felt his heart pierced with pain.

Yu Hualiang got up, shielding Cao Zhileng’s head. “The Seventh Prince saw me chase away the spy, so now he’s come to watch me himself, isn’t that right?”

“Yu Hualiang!” The Seventh Prince roared, breathing heavily. “If I wanted you dead, you’d have died long ago! Why would I bother spying on you?”

“Seventh Prince, I don’t want to see you.” Yu Hualiang’s words were cold. The Seventh Prince looked up at him.

Suddenly, he smiled gently. “I can wait…wait until you accept me. If you lack anything, just use the prince’s token to take it.”

He turned and left, opening the door. Yu Hualiang lowered his head, feeling heavy-hearted. “Thank you, Seventh Prince.”

“No need for courtesy between us, Ziliang,” he said, placing the medicine bottle on the floor.

Yu Hualiang watched him leave and breathed a sigh of relief. Sitting down, he found his own heart unsettled for reasons unknown.

Cao Zhileng lifted the blanket and looked at him. “What exactly is your relationship with the Seventh Prince?”

“He’s a prince, I’m his artist…nothing more.”

Yu Hualiang sighed, lay back, and closed his eyes. “Sleep. He probably won’t come again.”

Yu Hualiang went straight to sleep, but the Seventh Prince was restless. He picked up his sword and began to dance in the courtyard, splitting the newly discovered peach tree clean in two.

His mind was filled with Yu Hualiang’s face, impossible to forget. He’d never felt this way about anyone.

He wanted him so much. The Fourth Prince teased him.

“What’s troubling you so much? Haha, just go for it. Haven’t you heard, ‘time brings affection’?”

“Fourth Brother, your advice is terrible,” the Seventh Prince retorted.

“You’ll know if it works once you try,” the Fourth Prince replied, snapping his folding fan shut.

The Seventh Prince didn’t want to listen; his face was gloomy. “What happened last time scared him. Now he avoids me.”

The Fourth Prince laughed. “You don’t realize you’re acting just like a lovesick maiden.”

“Fourth Brother, stop mocking me. What should I do to ease his wariness?” The Seventh Prince fretted.

The Fourth Prince grinned mischievously and carefully handed him a small bottle of medicine. The Seventh Prince took it and asked, “What is this?”

“Tsk, it’s the Harmony Powder!”

The Seventh Prince’s gaze was disdainful, and he tossed the bottle into the river without expression, making the Fourth Prince wince.

“Hey, hey, Seventh Brother, what are you doing?”

“Hmph.” The Seventh Prince hugged his arms and walked away, full of contempt.

The Fourth Prince hurried after him. “What about the East Banner Guards?”

The Seventh Prince waved dismissively. “You handle it yourself.”