Chapter 165

Chapter 165: Longing for the Southern Kingdom's Lord, 

Unspoken Words (Part Two)

"Has His Majesty come again today?"

He held his brush, carefully drawing a crimson lotus flower on the forehead of the person in the painting.

"Reporting to Your Majesty," the man hesitated slightly before replying, "His Majesty did not come to the 

residence today." He must be annoyed after being turned away for so many days!

Glancing at the worry on the man's face, Cheng Tian Yang scoffed slightly, "Go!" Knowing Si Cang Qing as he 

did, the other party wouldn't give up halfway since he had chased him all the way to Hongdu.

What is this fool trying to scheme against him?

With a soft laugh, Cheng Tian Yang leaned back, tilting his head slightly, looking at the blooming red lotus with 

satisfaction… He wasn't like Qi Shuangran, so easily fooled!

Yanliu Lane, brightly lit and bustling with people.

Si Cang Qing slowly walked to the most magnificent pavilion and looked up at it. This pavilion was named 

Nine Heavens, its name a place of enchanting beauty, a gateway to the highest heavens. Located by the lake, it 

was far more elegant and tranquil than any other house in the entire Yanliu Lane.

Feng Xiang, following behind, stared blankly at the man's back. In his opinion… Si Cang Qing would never 

willingly come to such a place, unless something like Qi Shuangran's situation had occurred again.

Si Cang Qing frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and resolutely stepped into Nine Heavens.

“Oh, is this gentleman's first time at Nine Heavens?” A seductive man swayed and leaned against Si Cang Qing. 

“Are you here to listen to music or admire the scenery?”

Si Cang Qing slightly turned aside, allowing the heavily made-up man to pass. The pungent smell of perfume 

made his brows furrow even more.

Although Feng Xiang didn't understand her master's motives, she cooperated by standing in front of him and 

ordered in a deep voice, "Bring out your top courtesan!"

Feng Xiang had served Si Cang Qing for many years and rarely interacted with others, giving him an air of 

arrogance. Upon hearing this, the man’s eyes flickered briefly, then he chuckled, “My lord, Qin Zhu is feeling a 

bit under the weather today, and having Ye Hui here would only be a burden to me… Why not let me call for 

Zi Xi instead? He is also a top-ranked performer at the Nine Heavens; his skills on the qin and xiao are no less 

than Qin Zhu’s—he is truly one in a hundred.”

Somewhat hesitant, Feng Xiang glanced slightly at Si Cang Qing. He had already made the decision on his 

own, and now… although he knew the man's words were uncertain, he didn't know how to respond.

Si Cang Qing spoke calmly, "Him it is!"

The top courtesan didn't matter, nor did his musical skills… Recalling the 'feigned indifference' Tianyang had 

taught him in Yancheng; recalling Tianyang's words on that night of parting; and remembering his displeasure 

at seeing Qi Shuangran mingling in a brothel, Si Cang Qing quickly decided to wait here.

With Cheng Tian Yang's intelligence, perhaps they could only outlast each other in patience.

He was never lacking in patience… Thinking of this, Si Cang Qing rubbed his forehead. If he hadn't been forced 

into this situation, he wouldn't have needed to scheme like this… Ever since he was stopped at Tianxiang Pavilion 

that day, he couldn't force his way in, nor could he sneak in at night. Cheng Tian Yang seemed to have anticipated 

his arrival, staying indoors while a large number of Fengying members took turns guarding him.

He waited outside for four or five days, only to be repeatedly rejected. Unable to see the man, Si Cang Qing 

didn't want to force him, so he simply… followed Cheng Tian Yang's instructions and waited for the man to 

'come to him' of his own accord.

Following the man into the private room, Si Cang Qing slowly walked in, glancing indifferently at the decorations 

with a hint of satisfaction.

Feng Xiang stood guard outside. A moment later, the courtesan named Zi Xi was brought in.

"My lord, Zi Xi has arrived. Please give your orders..." The man abruptly stopped, staring blankly as 

Si Cang Qing removed his veil, revealing slightly disheveled hair that couldn't conceal the crimson lotus mark on 

his forehead.

“Em… Emperor…”

With a thud, both the man and Zi Xi dropped to their knees. Perhaps recalling their earlier act of concealment, 

their bodies trembled slightly.

“If even the slightest hint of my visit here is leaked, everyone at the Nine Heavens…” Si Cang Qing cast a cold 

glance at the two; before he could finish his sentence, they were already so terrified they were practically 

prostrating themselves on the ground.

“Your… Your Majesty… rest assured, this servant… this servant…”

Waving his hand impatiently, Si Cang Qing said in a calm voice, “You may leave!”

Casting an anxious glance at Zi Xi, the man took a long time to get to his feet. His legs felt weak as he staggered 

out, not daring to utter even a word of farewell.

Ultimately, this fear stemmed from hearsay and rumors. On one hand, Si Cang Qing was portrayed as almost 

godlike, while on the other hand, stories of his cruelty circulated. The owner of the Nine Heavens, of course, 

wouldn't so easily assume that someone so unlikely to be here was simply seeking pleasure.

The door to the private room was carefully closed. Si Cang Qing casually found a soft seat and sat down, 

ignoring the kneeling boy. He leisurely poured himself a cup of tea, held it in his hands, and smelled its 

fragrance… It seemed quite nice. Si Cang Qing took a sip, his eyes glancing at the person huddled there. He 

frowned slightly and said slowly,

“Play the zither!”

Zi Xi's body stiffened, remaining kneeling in place. After a long pause, he secretly glanced at Si Cang Qing. He 

then stood up, head bowed, and slowly approached the other man.

“What are you doing?” Si Cang Qing looked up and saw the man taking off his clothes. His eyes turned cold. 

“Didn’t you hear what I said?”

Zi Xi then realized that the other man simply wanted him to play the zither. His pale face flushed slightly. Seeing 

that Si Cang Qing was no longer paying attention to him, he hesitated for a moment, then went behind the zither 

table and began to play a piece.

A tender melody filled the private room. Si Cang Qing frowned, his lips involuntarily pursing... Indeed, apart from 

Tian Bi, he wasn't used to other people's music. But in the end, he didn't say anything, instead taking out a stack 

of folded documents from his sleeve and carefully reading them.

From that day on, Si Cang Qing lived a life of “revelry night after night,” staying overnight at the Nine Heavens 

every evening, accompanied by his favorite concubine, Zi Xi.

“What did you say?” The brush in his hand snapped with a sharp crack. Cheng Tian Yang stared intently at the 

person half-kneeling on the ground and repeated, enunciating each word clearly, “His Majesty has been consorting 

with that Zi Xi every day?”

“Your Highness,” the man hesitated for a moment before replying, “Yes… Earlier today, Feng Xiang bought 

Zi Xi’s freedom and took him back to the inn where he’s staying…” The rest of his words died in his throat as he 

watched, with a hint of nervousness, the other man’s expression suddenly turn cold.

After a long moment, Cheng Tian Yang suddenly laughed and glanced at the man. “All right, you may go!” 

Before the man could react, he put away his painting and brush and walked toward the inner room.

“You fool. Since… you’re so eager to see me, then I’ll grant your wish! But…” 

In the “Tian” suite of the inn, the open-work walls and windows on either side faced each other—a classic southern 

architectural style. Si Cang Qing leaned against the railing, occasionally flipping through a book.

“Ye, are you truly so heartless? After not seeing each other for years, don’t you miss me at all?”

A soft and familiar voice suddenly came from downstairs, faintly tinged with aggrieved sobs. Si Cang Qing 

paused, immediately rising and walking to the window opposite. Looking down at the street, he saw a man in red 

robes with his face veiled. Although his features were obscured, anyone who saw him could recognize his stunning 

beauty.

Passersby all stopped to watch. They saw this beautiful man pulling at a stiff-faced, ordinary-looking man, 

pleading pitifully with him.

The music stopped abruptly. Zi Xi stared blankly at the suddenly empty room, tilting his head to look through the 

latticed wall. He vaguely saw Si Cang Qing seem to have suddenly embraced someone, followed by a flash of 

white robes.

A moment later, he heard two people talking at the door.

This entire floor had been booked by Feng Xiang because of Si Cang Qing's stay, so there was no need to worry 

about being discovered.

Holding the soft, boneless person in his arms, Si Cang Qing frowned slightly, feeling displeased as he recalled 

the man's earlier tussle with someone else.

"Your Majesty, what a coincidence..." Cheng Tian Yang, his veil removed, smiled and pressed himself against 

the other man, his lips lightly brushing against his face. He said softly, "Your Majesty, why did you abduct 

Tianyang here...? I still need to go and bring Ye back!"

Hearing this, Si Cang Qing's eyes suddenly turned cold. "Who is he?"

"Heh, he is one of my most beloved lovers. Unfortunately, after marrying Your Majesty, Tianyang lost contact 

with him. But now, Tianyang is free..." Cheng Tian Yang said, his finger tracing across the man's chest, then his 

tone changed, asking, "Does Your Majesty think I'm beautiful today?"

Si Cang Qing gazed at the man with a faint smile, naturally not believing his words. He grasped the troublemaker's 

hand, lowered his head slightly, and kissed the man's brows and eyes, whispering, "Beautiful."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Tian Yang’s smile grew even brighter. He pushed the man away with one hand. “Since 

Your Majesty says so, I’m put at ease. Now, Ye should be reluctant to leave me, shouldn’t he?” He leaned in and 

breathed softly into the other’s ear. “I’ve heard that Your Majesty has been lingering in the harem, with soft, 

fragrant beauties in your arms—living a life of pure bliss. Tianyang, perhaps I shouldn’t disturb you after all!”

Stopping him with a resigned gesture, Si Cang Qing whispered, “Yang, don’t go.” He could clearly sense that 

the other man was now furious beyond measure, so he instead laughed even more heartily.

…Perhaps he had made a misstep with this move.

Hearing this, Cheng Tian Yang was about to say something else when suddenly the door swung open. A blushing 

youth stepped out, gazing at Si Cang Qing with his large, luminous eyes.

“Your Majesty, you…”

“Your Majesty!” Cheng Tian Yang suddenly interrupted the boy’s words, his eyes sparkling with affection and a 

smile. “Would you… like to see me dance?”

Startled for a moment, Si Cang Qing instinctively nodded. He then saw Cheng Tian Yang’s face light up with a 

radiant smile as he raised a finger toward the boy standing nearby. “In that case… I’d be grateful if Young Master 

Zixi would play a tune for me!”

In the elegant, quiet chamber, the sound of the zither drifted through the air.

His thoughts racing, Si Cang Qing sat silently to the side, intently watching the person’s graceful, soaring dance.

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