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9.29% From CEO to Concubine / Chapter 18: First Blood

Chapter 18: First Blood

"Ahhh! Wow! He's answered 9 riddles in a row already! Just one more to go and he'll get the price!"

"These riddles really aren't easy! They're written by scholars themselves, you know?"

"Exactly! How many mere commoners like us would be able to get so many correct?"

"I don't know about you but I definitely couldn't…"

"Shhh! Quiet! Don't distract him!"

The commentary from the crowd washed over Yan Zheyun like a wave. Initially, he'd been nervous at the attention. When he'd been CEO, he'd often had to go up on stage to give talks at conferences or to introduce their company's latest product at conventions. So it wasn't a matter of stage fright. But he'd been worried about all the hungry glances he'd had directed at him this entire evening.

As a man himself, he could guess what sort of thoughts they were having about him.

But now that he'd been standing up here for a while, brain concentrating hard on winning, he felt oddly calm and detached.

Young Master Huang had put his brother down and was holding the fidgety little boy firmly by the shoulders so that he couldn't cause a fuss and distract Yan Zheyun. He was observing Yan Zheyun, and Yan Zheyun had never felt this flustered before, not even that one time his male schoolmate had confessed to him in front of the entire cohort at high school graduation.

Yan Zheyun gently plucked the last riddle from a lantern. He didn't dare to do more than sneak a glance at Young Master Huang, too shy to meet the pair of eyes that were black like onyx. The lantern light reflected in them was like a candle's flame in the night.

[And maybe,] Yan Zheyun thought wryly, [I am that unfortunate moth.]

The riddle on the red slip of paper read: 'Keep a secret from an emperor for two months, guess a word'.

A small victorious smile toyed at Yan Zheyun's lips. He didn't know how alluring it made him look.

"Menglong," he declared his answer. "Am I correct?" This word meant 'obscure'. The two characters involved in its creation had components that meant 'to cover' and 'dragon' respectively, and both contained the same radical that meant 'month'. So two months of covering the dragon.

"Young man, you're absolutely right again!" the shopkeeper said with incredulous respect. Even for a scholar, answering 15 questions in a row without any hesitation would be a challenge. And yet this poor lad in peasant's garb had achieved it.

Smiling, Yan Zheyun received the butterfly lantern from the shopkeeper's hands amidst loud cheering and clapping. He didn't want to linger any longer, discomfited by how his heart raced under that solemn gaze. This was the first time in his life he'd ever felt like retreating.

"Wait."

Young Master Huang's voice was like the low notes of a zither. He didn't speak loudly, but Yan Zheyun heard him anyway as if he was particularly attuned. He found himself obeying without thinking and cursed himself inwardly for it.

Sighing, he turned around slowly. "How can this younger brother assist you?" he asked. "As long as you don't ask me for this lantern…"

Young Master Huang shook his head. "May I have that instead?" he asked, pointing at the crimson sheet of paper Yan Zheyun still held onto absentmindedly. The last riddle.

Yan Zheyun raised an eyebrow. Why would anyone want this? It wasn't even a particularly high-brow riddle worthy of committing to memory or sharing with others. But since it cost him nothing to agree, he nodded and handed it over.

"If Young Master wants," he said amicably. "We'll meet again if fate wills it."

Young Master Huang accepted the slip, holding it high above his little brother's curious grasp so that it wouldn't become creased. "We'll meet again if fate wills it," he repeated.

With a polite nod at the crowd, Yan Zheyun left with his friends in tow.

——————————

Trigger warning: Attempted assault and r**e

After that serendipitous meeting, Yan Zheyun found himself distracted as he wandered from stall to stall with Xiao Ma and Wu Zhong. Xiao Ma didn't seem to mind how quiet he'd become, especially since Yan Zheyun wasn't the talkative sort in the first place. Neither was Wu Zhong. Xiao Ma, who clearly relished in the sound of his own voice, was happy to talk enough for three. This resulted in him taking on the role of tour guide, running along ahead with his little lantern as he chattered about the different snacks he wanted to eat.

Wu Zhong and Yan Zheyun followed at a much more sedate pace.

"You knew that man from before?" Wu Zhong asked out of the blue.

Yan Zheyun blinked at him in surprise. It was rare for Wu Zhong to be concerned about anything, let alone Yan Zheyun's acquaintances.

"Sort of?" he replied, after a moment of careful consideration. "We met once before when I accompanied Big Young Master to an inn." He didn't elaborate on the details of the meeting, not because he didn't trust Wu Zhong, but because there was no need to complicate matters for Wu Zhong.

But Wu Zhong didn't seem satisfied with his response. "He's a dangerous man," he said.

Not that Yan Zheyun disagreed, but, "How do you know?"

Wu Zhong shrugged. "Just a feeling. Be careful around him."

Yan Zheyun didn't reply to that. He didn't feel like reassuring Wu Zhong, didn't want to say, "Oh, don't worry, we belong to two completely different classes of people, I'm sure our paths won't cross anymore."

For some reason, this thought made his heart sink a little and he didn't want to understand why. This was a bad time to be developing all sorts of strange feelings for men leagues above his caste. And this mysterious Young Master Huang, whoever he really was, might or might not be a good person. As long as Yan Zheyun remained in a precarious situation, he couldn't afford to let his guard down or let anyone into his heart.

Which was also a shame, because he felt like Young Master Huang just might have good feelings about him too.

His wistful sigh was interrupted by an enthusiastic uproar from the crowd ahead.

"It's starting! It's starting!!! The parade! Quick, let's go over!"

Without warning, the masses began surging forwards like an unrelenting wave, everyone trying to cram into the limited space. They wanted to get a better look at the dancers on the illuminated floats, which were the highlight of the evening's entertainment.

"Quick! Big Brother Yan, Zhong Zhong! Catch up! I'm gonna try and save a spot for us first okay?!"

Before Yan Zheyun could stop him with a panicked shout, Xiao Ma darted lithely into the crowd and disappeared.

Wu Zhong cursed. "How are we going to find him?" he muttered, glaring at the people around them like they'd personally insulted his ancestors. "Later on, I'm going to drag him back to the stable master by the ear."

"Go and find him, Wu Zhong, I'm worried." Yan Zheyun was starting to feel nauseous from the cramped environment. The weather might have cooled down since it was already mid-September, but the sheer volume of people present for the celebrations made him feel like he was in a sweaty, sticky furnace. He needed a breath of fresh air and quick.

"See that maple tree over there by that alleyway?" he pointed at the landmark that he'd picked out, its bright red leaves standing out like a beacon even at night. "I'll wait there for you. Hurry, Xiao Ma is still so young, I'm worried he'll get snatched by human traffickers."

"They'd have to be able to get their hands on that monkey," Wu Zhong muttered, with obvious reluctance. "And you're more likely to get caught than he is."

Yan Zheyun knew that Wu Zhong had a point, but he didn't want to risk anything happening to Xiao Ma. The boy might be playful and was occasionally more trouble than he was worth, but it didn't change the fact that both his foster father and he had shown Yan Zheyun a great kindness. To repay this by abandoning Xiao Ma wasn't something he could bring himself to do, even though he'd told himself time and time again not to be too soft.

"No one will notice me with the parade on," he insisted. "And I can defend myself, trust me."

Wu Zhong clearly didn't. "Come with me," he insisted. "I don't want to leave you here."

"It'll be too cumbersome with the both of us." Yan Zheyun's refusal was firm. Besides, he was certain that any more time squeezed together with those packed bodies and he might faint dead away. This stupid body was too frail. "If you go quickly, you'll be back in no time with that rascal."

Wu Zhong looked like he was about to refuse again, but he took one look at the concern on Yan Zheyun's face and caved. He handed the lanterns over to Yan Zheyun, who took them without complaint.

"Stay here and don't follow anyone," he instructed one last time, before diving back into the crowd with a violent shove.

Alone, Yan Zheyun pressed his back to the bark of the tree and prepared himself for any potential assailants. He counted down the minutes and hoped that Wu Zhong would find Xiao Ma quickly and bring him back.

But because he knew he was now the protagonist of a harem novel, with the most unfortunate 'He Who Charms Tens of Thousands' halo, he wasn't any surprised when a rough hand seized him by the wrist and dragged him off into the dark alleyway behind.

The festival was so noisy with clashing cymbals and blaring double-reed horns that Yan Zheyun hadn't heard anyone approaching him. But he'd been prepared for a fight, which was why he didn't panic. He tossed the lanterns gently onto the floor as far as possible, hoping that they wouldn't break from the impact. But it was better than holding onto them in a tussle.

He wasn't expecting his attacker to be Liang Ming though.

In truth, Yan Zheyun hadn't seen Liang Ming in person before today. But his leering face was still fresh in Yan Yun's memories as the stuff of Yan Yun's nightmares. Even till now, the host body he was in shuddered by reflex against Yan Zheyun's wishes. He wasn't scared of Liang Ming, not at all. But he couldn't control how visceral Yan Yun's fear of Liang Ming was.

Liang Ming pressed himself flat against the front of Yan Zheyun's body and buried his face in Yan Zheyun's hair with a deep inhalation.

"Mmm." He let out a satisfied hum. "Little Precious Yun Er, you're as fragrant as ever. Big Brother Liang has missed this."

The shiver he felt from the lithe body he held pressed against the wall just excited him further. "How many times have you gotten away from your Big Brother Liang now, mm?" He nosed at Yan Zheyun's ear before planting a lascivious kiss there.

"You're so slippery, hiding behind the protection of that arrogant cousin of mine." His face became twisted with jealousy as he thought about Wu Bin. "But never mind, now that he's bored of you, I'll finally be able to get a taste. I know boys don't get wet when fucked but—"He cut himself off with a strangled gurgle.

The young man that Liang Ming thought he'd cornered stopped trembling. When Yan Zheyun raised his head, there was none of the fear that Liang Ming had expected to see, just a blank expression of eerie tranquillity.

"I bet Big Brother Liang wishes he'd run from Little Precious Yun Er now."

It was almost too easy to end a man's life. Yan Zheyun had never thought himself capable of this until the deed had been done. [But maybe it was circumstantial,] he analysed, the blood roaring in his ears as he buried his kitchen knife further into Liang Ming's heart. He couldn't feel remorse, just a sense of relief that maybe came from Yan Yun as much as from him.

[One down, Yun Er. Big Brother promises this is only the beginning.] He'd promised Yan Yun he'd go after Wu Bin too, after all.

"How—dare—" was all Liang Ming managed to get out of his mouth before he crumpled to the floor in a lifeless heap.

How dare a slave kill a noble? It was indeed outrageous, and maybe the slave would be tortured for it if caught, but it wouldn't change the fact that the noble was dead. And that was why Yan Zheyun dared.

Because Yan Zheyun had had the element of surprise, and because he'd been mentally psyching himself up, it was a neat kill. Blood pooled on the floor but he'd managed to avoid getting any on his clothes. He needed to leave hurriedly, perhaps go slightly further down and look for Wu Zhong. Preferably while the parade was still ongoing so that he could hide in the crowd. He couldn't be sure whether anyone had noticed Liang Ming dragging him into the alleyway, as he knew his face was wont to attract stares.

But no one had come over to stop Liang Ming either, so maybe, just maybe, he would be able to get away scot-free—

"You—there!" a voice huffed out from the entrance of the alleyway, panting like it'd just completed a marathon. "I—I saw you accosting that young man, don't you dare lay a finger on him!"

Yan Zheyun went deathly still.

Fuck. What was with his luck?


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Queeniecat Queeniecat

A/N: And this is it for today! Yan Yan's hands are officially no longer clean (but the rest of him still is xD)

Thank you very much for reading! I would really appreciate any support for the WPC. Would also love to hear feedback from you guys! I know the pacing is realllyyyy slow atm, but this is a pretty plot-heavy story, so there's no way around that, I'm afraid. I've tried sneaking in some sweet cookies here and there though!

If anyone's interested, the mood music I put on in the background whenever I write scenes featuring both the MC and ML together is 'Wooden Ships' by UTTATA-KURU. It's so beautiful and poignant, please give it a shot if you're into traditional Asian music! It can be found on Spotify or Youtube.

Chapter 19: Out Damned Spot

When he'd run into the alleyway, Tang Yuqin had had good intentions.

Coming from an impoverished peasant family that lived in a farming region, the only reason why he'd been able to attend a small local school was that his father, uncles, and older brothers had slogged their lives away to give him this opportunity.

As the youngest but most gifted boy in the family, Tang Yuqin hadn't disappointed them either. For ten long years, he'd studied hard into the night every evening, relying only on the moon as a light source until his eyesight had begun to suffer. But it had paid off and he'd made his family proud by passing the first two tiers of the imperial examinations at the local and provincial levels. And at the tender age of 23 too. There were men in their 70s who hadn't managed to achieve this!

The final exam, which was the intimidating court exam, was to be held the following spring. But Tang Yuqin's old mentor, who still had one or two connections in the capital, had sent him over early to familiarise himself with the place and to network.

Tang Yuqin had tried his best to blend in. Truly. But it was rare for the children of poor men to make it this far, and all the other scholars he'd met at the school here were from privileged backgrounds. He could feel that they looked down on him. They turned their noses up at the sewn patches on his old robes that he tried to conceal and liked to joke about smelling cow manure every time they were in his company.

He didn't tell his family this in the letters he'd sent home, but he was lonely.

Which was why, when he'd seen that beautiful young man in peasant garb answering riddles with an intelligent finesse that even his scholarly peers couldn't best, he'd thought to himself, [I'd like to become friends with him].

After the young man had departed with his company, Tang Yuqin had fobbed his companions off with a flimsy excuse and chased after their backs. It had been difficult to locate them again, because of all the people milling in every direction of the festival. And it'd been almost half a shichen later before he saw the young man leaning against a maple tree.

Everyone else had been distracted by the parade's commencement. But not Tang Yuqin. He'd tried rushing over, only to see a large, greasy-looking man in opulent clothes seize the young man by the wrist and drag him into the alleyway behind.

Righteous indignation had burst in his chest. And that was why he'd run into the alleyway without thinking, keen to save the person he was so sure could become his bosom friend.

The struggle to push past the crowd had left him winded, but he braced himself against his knees and managed to wheeze out a threatening, "You there! I—I saw you accosting that young man, don't you dare lay a finger on him!"

Huh? He didn't get a response. That was odd. Wouldn't someone who'd been interrupted in that sort of indecent act have something to say about it?

He looked up and promptly regretted doing so.

Tang Yuqin had dedicated his entire childhood to the Four Books and Five Classics, which meant that he had little time to spare for the reading of novels. But he'd come across one or two collections of mythology, describing evil fox spirits that seduced innocent men with their beauty to eating their hearts.

This was what the sight in front of him looked like.

Blood slowly seeped into the gravel beneath the body. The willowy figure standing over it must have noticed the racket Tang Yuqin had made. He looked towards Tang Yuqin, who found himself rooted to the spot.

Eyes that had been so gentle under lantern light earlier on were now cold as a winter solstice night. A polite smile spread across his face when he caught Tang Yuqin's gaze, but it was mirthless. His hair had come loose from its original half top-knot, unravelling like a waterfall around him.

He was otherworldly.

"I must remember to take this back," the young man remarked, in a tone so light that it sounded like he was chatting about the weather. He reached down with slender fingers and plucked the knife out of his victim's chest. It slid out with a quiet squelch that made Tang Yuqin nauseous.

"You—you—" he couldn't bring himself to say 'murderer'. He was still reeling from the shock of discovering that the brilliant mind he'd admired belonged to a criminal.

"Me," the young man agreed. "But unless I'm wrong and there are futuristic anachronisms in this world, DNA profiling hasn't been invented yet. So if you keep quiet and I keep quiet, who's going to find out?"

Tang Yuqin's head spun. He couldn't understand half of what the man was saying. Future? Di En Ei? What was he blabbering on about? Was he mad?

"You shouldn't have killed him," Tang Yuqin stammered. "That's against the law, you'll be punished—"

"I killed a monster who tried to r**e me," the young man replied. "Is that so wrong? Weren't you trying to play hero too?" He wiped the edge of the knife on the man's robes before tucking it back into his shoe. Checking himself once over for any suspicious stains and finding none, he started picking up the lanterns strewn all over the floor.

"That's not the same," Tang Yuqin insisted. "I wouldn't have killed him, I would have—"

"Have what? Reasoned with him? As he fucked me into the wall?"

A flush bloomed across Tang Yuqin's face at that crude phrasing. "How improper!" As a farmer's son, he should be used to such degenerate commentary from his peers, but education had loaned him propriety while robbing him of the thickness of his skin. "I would have called a constable to take him to trial!"

He expected the young man to approve of that, or to at least be contrite for not considering seeking protection from the institutions of justice, but the young man just snorted. How he managed to make such a rude sound elegant, Tang Yuqin didn't know. Perhaps he truly was a demon.

"Do you know his identity?" the young man asked, jabbing his thumb at the corpse.

"N-no?"

"He's Liang Ming, the fifth legitimate grandson of the old Liang Family. In other words, he's a nobleman."

Tang Yuqin's blood ran cold. He'd just witnessed the murder of an aristocrat?

The young man didn't seem to notice the despair that had overcome Tang Yuqin. Or if he had, he didn't care. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind a dainty white ear and strolled over to where Tang Yuqin stood at the entrance of the alleyway.

Tang Yuqin backed away from him like he was the King of Hell.

The young man raised an eyebrow. "You're scared of me?" he asked, shaking his head with a little laugh. "You should be scared of them." He pointed at the corpse again. "You're new to the capital, aren't you? I can tell. You still have that idealistic streak in you. A word of advice, Xiongdi. Don't try reporting a noble to the constables. You'll end up being the one they arrest instead."

He reached out to pat Tang Yuqin on the shoulder. Tang Yuqin flinched but didn't dare to back away. He didn't understand how this young man, who was slighter than him, could be so terrifying.

"And don't try reporting me either." The young man's eyes crinkled into a happy smile but there was something dangerous in their depths, a stark contrast to how wide and innocent they looked. "You've seen the effect my face has, Xiongdi. Do you think the constables will believe that a tiny creature like me murdered that hulking oaf? Or do you think they'll believe that a strapping young lad like you couldn't handle a fit of jealous passion, and attacked my assailant before he could touch me?"

——————————

The first thing Yan Zheyun had done upon reaching the Wu Household, was to throw up in the servants' lavatories. Then he'd spend an hour scrubbing his hands raw to try and get rid of the feeling that they were coated in blood. He remembered reading a translation of Macbeth before during high school, and Lady Macbeth's guilt-ridden cry of 'out damned spot' when she'd hallucinated blood on her hands after committing murder.

So this was what it was like to have someone else's life under his control. He'd been fine in the alleyway so he'd thought that he wasn't this affected by it. But after the relief of doing away with Liang Ming had faded, all Yan Zheyun could feel was a fatigue that made his bones ache. He crawled into bed and curled up into a miserable ball.

Now that he had killed a man once, where was he going to draw the line?

[Not to mention, I also threatened a good Samaritan, right after he tried to save me. And I still don't know whether he's going to report me to the ancient version of the police or not.]

Guilt, fear, and worry broiled in his stomach and made him feel queasy.

Wu Zhong and Xiao Ma came rushing back about half an hour later, bursting through the doors as they searched for him. Wu Zhong's anger was palpable when he caught sight of Yan Zheyun, darting over to yank on Yan Zheyun's arm like he wanted to haul him out and give him a trashing.

"Why did you just walk off without saying anything?! Do you know how worried we were?! I'd thought…" his words trailed off into silence when he caught sight of Yan Zheyun's face. Yan Zheyun wasn't sure what he saw but he was guessing he probably looked like shit. "What's wrong? Are you sick?"

Yan Zheyun made a vague noise of acknowledgement.

Xiao Ma drooped. "Stomachache? Those are the worst, maybe it's because we ate too much at the festival and Big Brother Yan isn't used to it." He hooked his lantern lovingly on the foot of his bed before rushing out of the room. "I'll go get some herbs that can aid with digestion!"

Once he was out of the room, Wu Zhong's expression turned severe. "Are you sure it's just that?" he asked, regarding Yan Zheyun suspiciously. "Did something happen while I was gone?"

Yan Zheyun chuckled feebly. He wasn't sure when Wu Zhong had signed up to play the role of his keeper, but lately, this taciturn young fellow had become more and more like a personal bodyguard. "I'm all right, Ah Zhong. I just need to sleep it off."

"Are you sure nothing happened?"

The look Wu Zhong directed at him made him wonder if Wu Zhong knew more than he was letting on. Had he checked the alleyway?

Yan Zheyun looked away. "I'm sure."

When morning came and the Wu Household wasn't crawling with constables braying for his blood, Yan Zheyun felt some of the unease settle. He went about with his chores as per normal, joking with Xiao Ma and hanging out with Wu Zhong whenever he had the time to sneak in.

But he couldn't shake off the nasty feeling that matters weren't so simple.

He'd heard rumours already about Liang Ming's murder. The body had been found the next morning. The Liang Family was livid and Liang Ming's mother, who was Liang Hui's good friend, had visited on multiple occasions to cry and beg for assistance with hunting down her son's killer. Dali Temple, the main investigations bureau, was already working on the case. The capital had different versions of the story, and Yan Zheyun had heard some of them from the servants who came to drop off horse supplies.

"They say that he was lured into the alleyway by a jealous ex-lover."

"No, no, my cousin's friend's uncle's sworn brother works in a stall near that alleyway, he said the area is haunted, it must have been a vengeful female ghost out to get revenge on cheating males!"

"Aiya, what nonsense, you saw that Young Master Liang before, you know he dresses like a peacock. Some thief must have targeted him."

"But his valuables were all left behind! You're the one talking nonsense!"

Liang Ming had a terrible reputation in the capital so no one but his family mourned his loss. But he was still juicy gossip. Yan Zheyun listened intently but tried not to look like he was paying too much attention to their attempts at being Sherlock Holmes. There wasn't any mention of him in any of the stories. Good. This meant that the poor scholar, at least, still hadn't reported him yet.

But what if it was only a matter of time? Yan Zheyun wasn't sure how long he could last before this uncertainty drove him insane.

Perhaps he could contemplate killing the scholar too…

He quickly dismissed the thought. He would draw a clear line with his moral compass. There was no way he was killing an innocent man for some peace of mind, that would only be self-defeating.

[Learn to live with it,] Yan Zheyun told himself firmly. [This is the world you belong to now.]

And so he learned. One week passed. And then another. And by the end of the second week, he felt like maybe this incident had blown over, at least for now.

Before he knew it, it was the day before Wu Bin's wedding.


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Queeniecat Queeniecat

A/N: Enter poor Tang Tang, the most unfortunate passersby in the world and our MC’s reluctant future sidekick. XD I would like to say that he’s a good Xiongdi figure, but in actuality, I feel like their relationship may have more of a Jiemei vibe…

The action from now on should ramp up in pace a little! The wedding is one of two major climatic points in volume 1. Without giving away too much, I'll just say that there will be some MC/ML interaction again soon, so stay tuned!

Thanks so much for reading! If you've enjoyed this story thus far, I would love to hear about what you've found positive and what you think I could work on. I would also really appreciate any support for the WPC through power stones!

Special thanks to: SmolBabyBun, pratikshapawar2541, Professor_slaroM, Lin_Park, Aescwine, and Moryoll for your lovely power stones/reviews/comments! They're really the best encouragement to continue working hard! <3

Holiday Season Updates (24/12-26/12): I had initially intended to update 3 chapters/day for the entire duration of the WPC. However, I am sorry to say that this won't be possible, because of last minute family and social obligations. :( I have celebrations all three evenings, and so daily updates will have to be reduced to 2 chapters. Thank you for your kind understanding and I wish you all happy holidays too!

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