Forcefully Doting On You - v3c22

 

Chapter 78

Note: Early chapter release, thanks to Sakuradahl's support on Ko-Fi (´｡• ◡ •｡`) ♡

The moment a fully armed individual leaped from the lush bushes behind the cabin, Mu Cai instinctively turned and fled.

The land of Yong was barren, and the impoverished commoners didn't recognize the emblem of the Imperial Yunlin Army. However, Mu Cai did. If the Yunlin Army really had important business with him, they absolutely wouldn't make their appearance in such a manner. Therefore, Mu Cai concluded that they were here to kill him.

As it turned out, his judgment was correct.

As Mu Cai turned to run, the person behind him indeed pursued in silence. The friction sound between the armor and weapons was cruel and shrill in his ears.

He didn't run toward the village. Mu Cai knew that Yong was a barren land and news was isolated. The villagers were ignorant of the world beyond and had very limited contact with the outside. If he ran to them for help, the lives that no one cared about would merely become restless spirits under the Yunlin Army's sword.

If he couldn't escape this misfortune, he certainly couldn't involve others.

So, Mu Cai specifically ran toward the complex terrain of the rear mountain, hoping to increase his chances of escape. Sadly, his plan was pure naivety. After all, Mu Cai had never been to a battlefield, nor received training. He had never entered this dense forest before, and his escape was slowed down by unfamiliar plants on the ground. Even his shoes were torn and he had to abandon them.

In this situation, Mu Cai hadn't even run into the mountains when a sharp arrow flew from behind, piercing his shoulder with a whistling wind.

The intense pain in his shoulder and the force of the arrow nearly made Mu Cai fall to the ground, and the scroll he always kept in his sleeve fell out. Although he didn't fall, his pace slowed down, and the well-trained Yunlin Army soldier quickly caught up to him.

The long knife, shimmering with cold light, pierced through the chest of the beauty in red up ahead. Blood flowed down the gleaming blade as the eyes of Mu Cai's illusion gradually lost their luster, his long eyelashes drooping, and he fell to the ground.

The Yunlin Army guard who had struck the blow withdrew his knife, and a hint of emotion appeared on his plain face. He sighed and whispered, "Don't blame me, I was just following orders. Blame the person from the palace."

At that time, Mu Cai's soul had just left his body, and that was the last thing he heard in the human world before entering the painting.

All the stories came to an end at this moment.

Mu Cai, standing outside the virtual scene, saw his students crying over his dead body, and the pale, thin villagers' faces filled with pain and numbness.

He sighed softly and turned his face away, unable to bear watching the scene any longer.

Qin Zhongyi waved his sleeve again, and all the images gradually faded, the room returning to its original state.

Su Yao kneeled on the ground, looking up at the beauty in a red robe standing in the center of the room.

His eyes were lowered, long eyelashes cast a shadow under the dim yellow light above his head, making it hard to discern his look clearly. With his face turned to the side, the interplay of light and shadow emphasized the lonely silhouette of his features.

The sweet taste of iron lingered in Su Yao's throat, an uncomfortable feeling plaguing his heart. Among the people present, he had caused the least harm to Mu Cai, one could even say he hadn't harmed him at all. Regardless, from the beginning, the beauty in the red robe didn't like him. Despite him saving his life, he still held no place in Mu Cai's heart.

Su Yao felt bitterness welling up in his mouth.

Han Dan had not finished watching his past life before his complexion turned deathly pale. He had treated Mu Cai with scorn and ridicule in his previous existence, not uttering a single kind word. No wonder he reacted like he did. If he had been in Mu Cai's place, he would have definitely retaliated, even using the power of spirits to punish those who dared to act like he did.

Moreover, Mu Cai, as a young master who had been spoiled since childhood, showed his noble and pure heart by merely giving him a cold look when they first met. However, this also meant that Han Dan had never been on his mind either.

Han Dan felt as if his heart was being subjected to a slow torture, a dull ache following another. He couldn't understand why he had treated him like that.

The room fell into silence for a moment.

Although Mu Cai had fragments of the original host's memories, they didn't provide such a detailed account of the cause and consequence, not even the outline of the storyline from the system. After watching the whole scene and recalling the experiences of the original host, he could empathize deeply with them.

Mu Cai's childhood was quite similar to that of others. They were all spoiled since childhood, hardly ever knowing the sufferings of the world. That's why he couldn't bear to see others in pain and would easily feel heartache. He wanted to help people in any wayshe could.

At this moment, Mu Cai's emotions were at their peak. He didn't want to look at anyone there any longer, so he softly said to Qin Zhongyi, who was standing nearby, "Let's go."

Qin Zhongyi paused for a moment before smiling, "Alright."

He actually wanted to seize the opportunity to eliminate Qin Zhongjin while he was weak. After all, Qin Zhongyi was well aware that despite their differences, they had one similarity.

They were both ruthless, resolute, and stubbornly persistent.

Qin Zhongyi was confident that Qin Zhongjin was well aware of this fact. Only by knowing oneself and one's enemies could one be assured of prevailing in every battle.

However, now that Mu Cai was present, he didn't want to start a massive killing spree right in front of him. Mu Cai was indeed kindhearted. Even after hearing a guard from the well-armed Imperial Guard utter such words, he had not thought about seeking revenge.

Mu Cai has always been indifferent to personal grudges. Like the numerous times Han Dan insulted him, he never complained to anyone, let alone thought about using power to teach him a lesson. This was even more true for the scholar from an impoverished background.

But being indifferent didn't mean forgetting. Mu Cai might refrain from seeking revenge on Qin Zhongjin, but he would certainly never love him again, nor think about being with him. And that was what Qin Zhongyi most wanted to see.

Qin Zhongyi wanted to eradicate the problem, but he didn't want to make Cai Cai sad, let alone ruin his image in the other party's mind. He had worked hard to create a mature, steady, reliable and considerate older brother persona in front of Cai Cai. It is not useful at all for him to ruin Caicai's goodwill for the sake of such a few people.

Of course, he would never give up just like that. After Cai Cai rests tonight, he will come to take Qin Zhongjin's life.

Qin Zhongyi reached out to put his arm around Mu Cai's shoulder, ready to leave with him directly. However, just as they took their first step, a hoarse voice came from behind: "Don't go!"

Mu Cai stopped in his tracks.

Qin Zhongjin struggled to kneel on the ground, propping himself up with dried blood still on the corner of his mouth. Due to his emotional state, his tightly shut eyes even shed two winding, thin streams of blood tears. Qin Zhongjin shouted again, "Cai Cai, don't go!"

The red-clothed beauty turned around; his snow-white skin was like the snow on the top of a mountain. His shiny black eyes didn't look at the other person, but instead slightly lowered his gaze. "Mr. Qin, you took my life, but you also helped me save the little peach tree. If you feel guilty in your heart, just help me take good care of the little peach tree. You already know everything you wanted to know, so you and I have no more grievances from now on."

No, no, no!

Qin Zhongjin knew what Mu Cai's words meant. Once those words were spoken, if Mu Cai stepped out of this room, they would never see each other again in this lifetime!

Simply contemplating such an outcome feels to Qin Zhongjin as if he is being sliced by thousands of knives. He adores Mu Cai, enjoys holding him, and takes delight when Cai Cai rests his head on his shoulder. Being with Mu Cai, even though it often demands tolerance, fills Qin Zhongjin's heart with joy.

If he were to part ways with Mu Cai, he would spend the ensuing lengthy life in agony. Qin Zhongjin of the past, who was cold and solitary, had never found anything wrong with being alone. But the Qin Zhongjin who once had Mu Cai can no longer bear the loneliness of not having him.

Qin Zhongyi didn't want to hesitate here with him. In fact, when he saw Mu Cai pause, his heart was filled with fury. After reliving the past scenes, again witnessing those heartbreaking experiences, again experiencing the pain of death, why was Cai Cai still hesitating at his words? Was he still fond of Qin Zhongjin?!

As soon as Mu Cai finished his words, he turned around. Qin Zhongyi immediately reached out to grab Mu Cai's shoulder, ready to teleport away from here with him. However, just as the light in his palm sprung up, Qin Zhongyi found his feet moving involuntarily.

He glanced down and saw a massive array spreading on the floor of the room, ropes mixed with golden and fresh, red blood had already wrapped around his ankles. Soon, a low, chant-like voice echoed in the room: "Heavenly net!"

Golden ropes stained with blood ascended and wound around him. All these changes happened too quickly, accomplishing everything within a blink. By the time Mu Cai reacted, Qin Zhongyi was thoroughly tied up from head to toe, his mouth covered, and he was tossed onto a chair by the gold rope.

Mu Cai's eyes widened. He knew nothing about Fengshui and the occult, and had never seen such ropes. Seeing Qin Zhongyi trapped, he instinctively reached out to help him.

However, before his hand could reach him, a gust of wind rose from behind. A figure emerged behind Mu Cai, and Qin Zhongjin reached out, passing his arm around the waist of the man he held dear, locking him tightly in his arms.

Forced to retreat a few steps, a powerful arm was barricading Mu Cai's waistline, leaving him almost immobile. Just as he was about to turn around and speak, the man behind him suddenly coughed violently, a droplet of blood falling on Mu Cai's shoulder, adding a gloomy spot on his red shirt.

Startled, Mu Cai instinctively said, "You..."

"Cai Cai, my Cai Cai..." sighed Qin Zhongjin, his deep voice seemingly emanating from his chest, gently trembling against the back of the man in his arms. He closed his eyes, his face buried in Mu Cai's neck, his nose exploring around the other's petite white earlobe.

He took a deep breath.

Qin Zhongjin's lips touched that soft cool earlobe, naturally extending his tongue to lightly lick it. The person in his embrace was extremely sensitive, his body trembling slightly at this. Experiencing this rare intimacy seemed to bring him great relief from the immense pain throughout his body.

Qin Zhongjin had to admit that when Qin Zhongyi attacked, he deliberately let himself be hit. Even though he had been disoriented at that moment due to Mu Cai's emotional turmoil, with years of training and instinct, Qin Zhongjin could easily have dodged the vital areas.

However, he didn't. On one hand, Qin Zhongjin wanted to stir Mu Cai's concern. One could say that if he hadn't appeared so pitiful just now, Cai Cai wouldn't have stopped his steps upon witnessing the scenes from his past life, nor would he have spoken those words. On the other hand, Qin Zhongjin had decided to use his own blood to cast a spell, binding Qin Zhongyi and reclaiming Cai Cai.

There were myriad ways to defeat Qin Zhongyi – with just a swing of his sword, Qin Zhongjin could easily evaporate him. But he didn't want to do so as he desired the entire truth.

Qin Zhongjin certainly didn't believe the scenes of their so-called past lives shown by Qin Zhongyi. He preferred uncovering the truth by himself, for only in this way could Mu Cai let go of his grievances and possibly be with him.

Though gravely injured, even risking his life, Qin Zhongjin found it worthwhile. Upon this thought, he couldn't help but curve his lips into a smile. Having just coughed up blood with traces of it still around his lips, his smile resembled a devil emerging from hell.

Mu Cai's snow-white cheeks turned thoroughly red due to Qin Zhongjin's actions, even his earlobes resembling red rubies, and he started to struggle.

Mu Cai's struggles were faint as he was still concerned about Qin Zhongjin's injuries deep down. Yet, he didn't want to be restrained by him either, "Qin Zhongjin, what are you doing?! I already said that there is no grievance between us anymore, why..."

The arm around his waist tightened slightly. Even at a time like this, the voice by his ears remained low and gentle, "Because I like you."

The small cat-like struggle in his arms stopped.

Qin Zhongjin indulgently sniffed at his neck, continuing, "Because I like you, Cai Cai."

"I don't believe that the person in the scene from the past life was me. Because I really like you so much, how could I bear to hurt you, how could I bear to kill you?"

Qin Zhongjin's voice trembled towards the end of his words.

Although it was just a virtual scene, when he saw the gleaming blade pierce through Mu Cai's chest, he felt a shiver run through his entire body, as if he himself was the one being stabbed.

Mu Cai lowered his head, "How do you know it was not the truth? Maybe the one you liked in your past life was not me at all."

Although Mu Cai had taken the place of his original self, the plot had progressed like this, with the main character already showing interest in him, it was clear that his performance had not been very good. Perhaps Qin Zhongjin was fond of him, but didn't like the original persona. Who could guarantee that it wasn't the original persona who Qin Zhongjin had killed?

Qin Zhongjin lifted his head, finally getting to the point, "Cai Cai, if you don't believe me, you should at least trust Nurse Zhang. He reminded you to be cautious of the Second Prince, that is, Qin Zhongyi."

Mu Cai fell into silence.

Across the room, Qin Zhongyi, who was tied up to the point where only his eyes were exposed, flashed with anger in his eyes.

However, Qin Zhongjin simply did not care about his attitude, continuing: "And the scroll, the house, and the huge demon summoning array on the mountain, he didn't let them all play out. Cai Cai, think about it, if it was me who killed you, why wouldn't he show it, to prove that he had been forewarned and deeply loved you?"

Mu Cai's eyes widened.

Seeing his expression, Qin Zhongjin couldn't help but feel pleased. Regardless of how Cai Cai felt about him or how others treated Cai Cai, the only person that had ever moved him was himself. As for what others thought, Cai Cai probably still didn't know.

Every time he thought about Qin Zhongyi's feelings for him, the fact that Cai Cai had completely no idea and had never crossed the line in his emotions towards the other, Qin Zhongjin couldn't help but gloat inwardly. As for Han Dan and Su Yao, they didn't even manage to get a good look from Cai Cai.

Qin Zhongjin continued: "Moreover, after the incident with Zhang Rongfa, you should have noticed it. From the moment your soul entered the painting, it was all premeditated. According to the process, the scroll should have been taken back to your former dwelling, but in the end, it was buried elsewhere. What exactly happened that Qin Zhongyi didn't dare to show you?"

On the other side, Qin Zhongyi, who was tied up tightly, began to struggle fiercely, constantly making muffled noises.

Mu Cai, who was originally holding on to Qin Zhongjin's arm trying to break free, tightened his grip. His far-distant brows furrowed, he finally said: "I want to know the complete memories of my past life."

Qin Zhongjin started to laugh, "As you wish, my Cai Cai."

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Author's Note:

Qin Zhongjin: Who's good at sweet-talking their wife? This story recognizes me as the best!

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