The South Island Lord nodded slightly, then raised his hand to make several gestures, telling Lian Li which bookcase, which shelf, and which book it was.
“Alright, I understand, Master. I’ll be going now.” Having received the answer he wanted, Lian Li immediately took his leave.
The South Island Lord preferred to be alone. He and Yun Huizhou generally didn’t speak much if there was no business to attend to, and they basically never disturbed him.
Before Lian Li arrived, Yun Huizhou had actually been quite lonely on the South Island.
But it was precisely because of this that Yun Huizhou had been so quick to bring Lian Li back to be his Junior Brother.
On the West Island.
Yun Huizhou had just emerged from the medicinal bath prepared by the West Island Lord. He walked to the table and, following the West Island Lord’s instructions, drank the decoctions in the correct order and at the right time before sitting down to circulate his energy and heal his injuries.
Once he felt that the medicinal power had been fully absorbed, he opened his eyes and reached out to touch his chest.
The chest tightness that had been persistent before had improved somewhat, and the intermittent stinging pain in his meridians had also lessened considerably.
He estimated that in about half a month, he would be fully recovered.
Seeing that it was getting late, he prepared to find the West Island Lord to tell him that he was planning to head back.
Just as he stepped out the door, he saw the West Island Lord walking toward him, holding something in his hand.
They were somewhat far apart, but Yun Huizhou could still see clearly what was in his hand.
In an instant, Yun Huizhou’s entire body stiffened. Looking at the object in the West Island Lord’s hand, his eyes didn’t even blink.
The West Island Lord walked up to him, looked down at the book in his hand, and said with a smile, “Does this look familiar?”
“Junior Uncle,” Yun Huizhou called out, bracing himself, and then asked, “This is?”
The West Island Lord waved the book in front of Yun Huizhou’s eyes. “Taken from your bundle. You don’t recognize it?”
He sized Yun Huizhou up and down, knowing full well in his heart that Yun Huizhou was playing dumb. It was rare to catch this boy in an embarrassing moment, and the smile in his eyes deepened.
“It was in your bundle, but if it’s not yours, then that kid Lian Li must have secretly stuffed it in there.” The West Island Lord rolled up the book and lightly tapped it against his palm. “That kid, what he did wasn’t right. How about this? Why don’t we take the book and go confront him together?”
“If he really did secretly stuff this kind of thing into your bundle, I will definitely help you punish him properly. Even Nanrong won’t be able to protect him.”
“Thank you for your concern, Junior Uncle, but there’s no need. I’ll confront him myself.” Yun Huizhou made up an excuse while reaching out to take the book.
However, the West Island Lord lightly brushed Yun Huizhou’s hand away. “Are you sure you don’t want your Junior Uncle to go help you? If you confront him and he refuses to admit it for you, what can you possibly do to him? You don’t look like someone who can do anything to him. It’s better if Junior Uncle goes and helps you torture him into a confession.”
Yun Huizhou: “…”
Enough!
Yun Huizhou was truly afraid that the West Island Lord would actually take this book to Lian Li and tell him it had been found in his bundle.
He knew that the West Island Lord was truly capable of doing such a thing.
“Junior Uncle, stop making fun of me.” Helpless, Yun Huizhou could only admit it.
He knew the West Island Lord was certain the book was his; all that talk was just to get him to confess.
If he didn’t admit it, the West Island Lord really might do something outrageous.
Seeing him give in, the West Island Lord was in a pretty good mood and tossed the book to Yun Huizhou. “Take it.”
Yun Huizhou hurriedly stuffed the book into his robes to hide it and bid the West Island Lord farewell.
Just as he was about to leave, the West Island Lord’s voice drifted over again. “That kid doesn’t know anything?”
Yun Huizhou’s footsteps paused, but he didn’t answer.
The West Island Lord continued to ask, “Then what are that kid’s views?”
He didn’t speak very clearly, but Yun Huizhou knew what the West Island Lord meant—he was asking about Lian Li’s views on such matters and whether Lian Li had any inclinations in that direction.
And this was also one of the issues Yun Huizhou was conflicted about.
Yun Huizhou realized that there were simply too many problems he needed to think through.
Seeing his conflict and loss of direction, the West Island Lord didn’t press further, but instead said, “Think it through carefully yourself.”
Yun Huizhou took a deep breath and replied, “I know, Junior Uncle.”
After Yun Huizhou left, the West Island Lord leaned against a tree trunk with his arms crossed and sighed. “Young people, always so easily restless.”
Returning to his residence on the South Island, he saw Lian Li waving at him frantically after noticing his return.
He touched the book placed against his chest, feeling a bit afraid to go over. But on second thought, Lian Li wouldn’t randomly reach into his chest, so he felt slightly more at ease.
He stepped inside and found Lian Li lying prone on the bed. Seeing him coming slowly, Lian Li kept urging him on.
“Yun Huizhou, come here! Look what I discovered in the Book Pavilion!”
The Book Pavilion? Did this kid go to the Book Pavilion to read today?
Seeing Lian Li’s high spirits, Yun Huizhou forced himself to walk over.
At this moment, Lian Li was lying on the bed, hiding something beneath him, looking very mysterious.
Curious, Yun Huizhou sat down by the bed and asked, “What did you find?”
Lian Li looked around like a thief and then said, “I’ll show you in a moment. You must not be shocked. I didn’t expect our Book Pavilion to actually have such things. I thought they were all serious books.”
Yun Huizhou understood immediately. Lian Li had found an “improper” book in the Book Pavilion.
He had once seen Spring Palace pictures in the Book Pavilion himself, and he figured Lian Li had likely seen them too.
At the thought that Lian Li was being so mysterious and excited just because he found Spring Palace pictures, his interest waned.
His eyes lowered, and he moved to stand up and leave.
Just as he stood up, his hem was grabbed by Lian Li.
He turned his head and saw Lian Li looking up at him, asking, “Why aren’t you playing along at all?”
Yun Huizhou thought to himself, Play along with what? Do you want me to lie down next to you and look at Spring Palace pictures together?
Though he thought this, he didn’t say it aloud. “Stop keeping me in suspense. Quickly show me what you found.”
Although he said the words, his tone was flat, as if he were merely humoring Lian Li.
Seeing him like this, Lian Li instantly lost interest as well. He let go of the hem and shouted, “Go, go, go! You’re such a buzzkill.”
Seeing that Lian Li was unhappy, Yun Huizhou also felt that he had been too perfunctory just now.
Lian Li didn’t know what he was thinking or the troubles in his heart. He had found something interesting and wanted to share it with him immediately, yet he had responded with such an attitude.
If it were him, he would probably be angry too.
He pursed his lips and sat back down, saying, “It’s almost dark; we won’t be able to see clearly in a bit. Hurry up and take it out. Let me see what good thing you found in the Book Pavilion.”
As he spoke, in order to show that he really wanted to see, he reached directly under Lian Li to fish it out.
