Chapter 77

In the blink of an eye, it was nearing the end of September, and Cheng Duo's courtyard was almost completed. Besides the initially planned main house, main courtyard, guest courtyard, flush toilet, and clean and spacious bathroom, even the well and fruit trellis in the main courtyard were perfectly in place.

Additionally, he built a row of back rooms behind the house, connecting the stable and firewood shed, making it convenient for storing miscellaneous items in the future.

During this period, Cheng Duo made several trips to the mountains, bringing out valuable treasures from the palace, storing them in a secret chamber beneath the main courtyard. He didn't take Yong Ge along these times, leaving him to watch over their courtyard and the brick kiln.

Knowing that there was no danger for Cheng Duo in and out of palace, Yong Ge didn't insist on going. Instead, because Cheng Duo had given him the responsibility, he showed some employer demeanor in front of the construction team and brick kiln workers. He checked the kiln, gave ideas to the construction team, and was busy with various tasks.

Seeing Yong Ge becoming more and more radiant, like a confident and handsome young gentleman with exotic charm, Cheng Duo felt extremely pleased. It was not in vain that he spent time teaching Yong Ge bookkeeping and writing. Now, the young man's demeanor exuded a unique charm, and even Cheng Duo himself was sometimes left in awe.

Of course, no matter how Yong Ge changed, his position in Cheng Duo's heart remained unchanged. Whenever he appeared, Yong Ge wouldn't notice anyone else.

"Cheng Duo!" On this day, as soon as Cheng Duo came down from the back hill, Yong Ge saw him from afar, waved his hand, and his eyes couldn't help but squint.

He didn't wait for Cheng Duo to come closer and hurriedly went to greet him, "Cheng Duo, our brick kiln has received its first order! The buyer is a wealthy man from Huangshan Village, who wants to build a house for his eldest son after the wheat harvest. He wants a lot, and I quoted this price. Do you think it's acceptable?"

Under the scorching sun, Yong Ge's small face was as delicate and fair as white porcelain. With his straight nose and rosy lips, he kept leaning towards Cheng Duo. Having not seen him for two days, Cheng Duo suddenly felt a bit dry in his mouth.

Taking advantage of no one being around, he embraced Yong Ge's slender waist and led him to the nearby bushes.

"Cheng Duo?" Yong Ge was puzzled, but as soon as he raised his head, he was enveloped by the man's scorching breath, carrying a familiar and trusted fragrance.

Yong Ge's ears turned red, and obediently opened his mouth. The next moment, a thrilling feeling overwhelmed his mouth. Unlike the usual gentle and tender kisses, this time it had a touch of urgency, as if a storm had swept everything away…

After the kiss, not only Yong Ge's ears turned red, even his neck and collarbone were flushed, "Cheng Duo, should we… should we go home?"

He felt that Cheng Duo was a bit moved, and he himself was starting to miss him a bit. Although it was not good to leave a pile of work and rush back home in broad daylight, nothing was more important than his family husband.

Cheng Duo chuckled lowly, "Is everything arranged in the brick kiln?"

"Yes." Yong Ge nodded, feeling a little embarrassed.

As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Duo's powerful hands lifted him up, and the two sneaked back home. The backyard was almost completed, with only occasional movements in the back rooms. The shouting could be faintly heard, but it was all far away.

Yong Ge lay on the bed, feeling as if he had just been lifted from the water due to the stifling atmosphere inside the bed curtain. Cheng Duo didn't know where to look, but after adjusting his breath, he didn't forget to check the bite marks on the person's wrist, causing his brows to furrow.

"Don't bite next time; they are too far away and can't hear." While speaking, Cheng Duo took out ointment from his space, dipped his finger in it, and gently applied it to Yong Ge.

"Or you can bite me instead; I have tough skin and flesh, not afraid of being bitten." Cheng Duo said as he applied the ointment to the delicate and white wrist of his little brother. The last few bites were a bit late to stop. Yong Ge's wrists were slender and fair, like a top-notch artwork. It was a pity that they got injured.

Yong Ge buried his head in Cheng Duo's shoulder, humming softly.

Cheng Duo immediately stopped his actions, "Does it hurt?"

"Not really."

Yong Ge shook his head and, for some reason, smiled against Cheng Duo's face, rubbing his head against him affectionately.

After applying the medicine, Cheng Duo wrapped a piece of cloth around Yong Ge's wrist and patted him, asking, "What's so funny?"

Yong Ge turned over and leaned close to kiss Cheng Duo's face. His voice was somewhat hoarse, "Nothing, I just feel really good having you by my side."

Cheng Duo was happy to be close to him too and raised an eyebrow teasingly, "Hmm? You missed me after just two days?"

"Yes, I did."

Yong Ge had spent last night lying alone on the bed, feeling something amiss. Even though Cheng Duo had gone to the mountains many times before, he still felt restless as if he were a fish out of water, struggling to fall asleep.

Sometimes, Yong Ge felt that he was too clingy, afraid that Cheng Duo would tire of him. But this man was so good to him that he worried a single mistake would make him disappear. He wished to stick to him every day.

After enjoying each other's affection for a while, they got up, put on clothes, and went to boil water for a bath. Even though the weather was hot now, washing in cold water wasn't a problem, but Cheng Duo was worried that Yong Ge's body couldn't handle the temperature changes. Thus, he insisted on boiling hot water.

While boiling the water, Yong Ge asked, "Have you brought everything back?"

"Yes, everything is here. We don't need to go there anymore."

Yong Ge breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad they didn't need to go there again. That palace was filled with traps and mechanisms, and even though he knew Cheng Duo wouldn't encounter any danger, he couldn't help but worry.

Yong Ge continued to discuss the matters in the fields with Cheng Duo. They currently had seven acres of land, and they had already hired people to harvest the autumn crops. However, they needed to plant another crop before winter.

"It's not urgent; let's go to twenty li Slope. The hotpot restaurant is about to open." Cheng Duo said.

Xie Yuan had reminded them several times. He had entrusted everything to others, but he couldn't ignore such an important event as the restaurant's opening.

"Shall I go too?" Yong Ge pointed to himself when Cheng Duo said "we." If he left, what about their courtyard and the brick kiln?

"No worries, there are many people watching over it. I'm not concerned. The most valuable thing in our place is the secret chamber in the main courtyard. But I placed a fake rock weighing several hundred catties at the entrance to the secret chamber. It's impossible for ordinary people to silently move the stone away." Cheng Duo wasn't worried. His most valuable items were safe in the secret chamber.

However, Yong Ge was still uneasy. The next day, he invited Aunt Qian and others to stay overnight and help with feeding the chickens and other tasks.

Since Yong Ge trusted him so much, Aunt Qian readily agreed. With his son, daughter-in-law, and only grandson all working for Cheng's family, he would definitely take good care of their courtyard.

Thanks to Cheng Duo's space, they packed up and pretended to carry a bundle before setting off.

Having horses indeed made the journey much easier. When encountering difficult mountain roads, Cheng Duo would dismount and lead the horse. As a result, apart from his slightly sore legs, Yong Ge didn't even break a sweat by the time they reached twenty li slope.

"Master Cheng, you finally came. If you hadn't, the Young Master would have sent someone to invite you again!" As soon as the restaurant manager of Xie's Restaurant saw Cheng Duo, he greeted them warmly and called a stable boy to take care of the horse.

Xie Yuan had prepared a room for them in the restaurant's backyard, and Cheng Duo didn't hesitate to bring Yong Ge into the room, asking the innkeeper for some food.

Not long after they finished lunch, Xie Yuan indeed arrived.

Cheng Duo left Yong Ge, who seemed drowsy, in the room and went to the front hall to meet Xie Yuan.

"You finally came…" Xie Yuan was very anxious, pulling Cheng Duo to go see the new restaurant.

"What's the rush? One day earlier or later doesn't matter," Cheng Duo said helplessly.

This irritated Xie Yuan. He exclaimed, "Of course, it doesn't matter to you. I'm the one doing all the work! Besides, I have already hyped up the hotpot's reputation. If we don't open soon, where will I put my face as Xie Yuan, the young master?"

Actually, he hadn't intended to hype it up, but his friends were very supportive. After eating there once, they couldn't stop talking about it. Now, many people in twenty li Slope were asking around, wanting to know what hotpot was and when the restaurant would open. Even his father asked, saying he wanted to invite a few old friends.

Facing Xie Yuan's glare, Cheng Duo touched his nose, feeling embarrassed to say that he was no longer in a hurry.

Thinking about Yong Ge in the room, Cheng Duo said to Xie Yuan, "Wait a moment, let me tell Yong Ge."

Xie Yuan rolled his eyes. The innkeeper had already informed him. It would be strange if this guy didn't bring his Yong Ge!

"Well, hurry up and go."

Cheng Duo entered the inner room and leaned close to Yong Ge, who was half-asleep and half-awake, and said, "Xie Yuan is here. I'll go out for a while, and you stay here and wait for me."

Yong Ge rubbed his eyes and struggled to sit up, saying, "I'll go too…"

"No need, just keep sleeping. I'll be back soon." Cheng Duo gently pushed him back. They had been intimate several times last night, and Yong Ge was exhausted, which was why he was so drowsy.

He pulled the thin blanket up to cover Yong Ge's chest and kissed his forehead before leaving with peace of mind.

Coincidentally, not long after they left, Shen Anyue, who had gone out to buy paper and ink, came to the restaurant to rest due to the hot weather.

They were familiar with the way to the backyard and didn't need any instructions from the innkeeper. They entered on their own.

The servers, who witnessed the scene, scratched their heads, thinking that the innkeeper had arranged it like this, so they didn't intervene. After all, they had seen the young master pulling Master Cheng, and now the young madam entered; it didn't seem inappropriate?

Shen Anyue and Shen Si pushed open the door to the main house and saw a few tea cups on the table. They looked at each other and turned their gaze to the door leading to the inner room.

At this moment, apart from Xie Yuan, they didn't think of anyone else staying in the restaurant's backyard.

'Master is inside,' Shen Si transmitted the message through eye communication, indicating for Shen Anyue to go in and take a look.

Shen Anyue blushed, hesitated for a moment, but eventually followed his inner wish.

He lifted the curtain and carefully walked into the inner room. However, he soon noticed that the shoes placed by the bed were incorrect—Xie Yuan's feet were not that small, and he wouldn't wear such dainty embroidered shoes.

Shen Anyue felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar but hadn't decided whether to quietly leave yet. The person on the bed had already yawned, rubbing his eyes, and sat up.

Yong Ge turned his head, and Shen Anyue looked at him in a daze. The two of them faced each other from behind the half-open bed curtain.

Yong Ge held the blanket, looking bewildered, and asked, "Who… who are you?"

"Who are you again?"

Shen Anyue felt a pang in his heart but couldn't help himself from admiring the beautiful man with long hair cascading down and disheveled clothes in front of him.

At first glance, he knew he had lost.

This man had fair skin, deep and captivating features, eyes full of affection, and an ambiguous laziness lingering in his brows… Shen Anyue was experienced and naturally understood what the red marks on his neck signified. He also knew that only a beloved man could exude such a strong scent of passion.

Shen Anyue's body trembled uncontrollably. He knew that Xie Yuan had two mistresses, but since they lived under the same roof, they rarely encountered each other, and he tried not to pay attention to them.

However, he never expected that Xie Yuan had another mistress outside!

(T/N: No baby Yue…. Don't have such a big misuderstanding…why o why…)