Inside Guichen House, it was so quiet that only the damp breeze after the rain could be heard.
The wooden chest landed on the counter with a heavy thud.
Heavy enough that it did not sound like an ordinary chest.
Su Muchen’s gaze fell on the chest, and his heart involuntarily quickened.
Reason told him not to get his hopes up.
After all, reality had ground him into the dirt all day, teaching him thoroughly that hope was often nothing more than a fake handrail fate offered only so it could make a person fall even harder.
Yet the chest was right in front of him.
And Xiao Yuan had really come back.
For some reason, he felt a little happy inside.
The man who had been covered in blood last night, looking as though he could die inside Guichen House at any moment, was actually standing in front of him now.
Although his face was still pale, his lips had little color, and his entire body was even colder and more tense than last night, as if he were holding himself upright entirely through sheer will.
But he was alive.
And he had kept his promise and brought a gift of thanks.
Su Muchen stared at the chest for a moment before asking, “Did your wounds reopen?”
Xiao Yuan had originally been waiting for him to open the chest.
Hearing this, his eyes paused slightly.
After a moment, Xiao Yuan slowly replied, “It is nothing.”
Su Muchen said somewhat unhappily, “People who say it’s nothing are usually the ones who have the biggest problems.”
Xiao Yuan: “…”
Su Muchen walked around the counter and looked him up and down.
Today, Xiao Yuan had changed into a black robe, with a black-and-gold waist belt around his waist and a dark cloak draped over his shoulders. His clothes were clean, and his hair had been tied up again. Several strands of white hair were mixed among his ink-black hair, making them even more conspicuous.
Judging only from his appearance, no one could tell that he had nearly died here last night.
But Su Muchen was the one who had treated his wounds.
He knew very well that wounds that deep from blades and arrows could not possibly heal in one night.
He frowned. “Your left side isn’t bearing weight properly when you walk. The wound around your waist and abdomen must have started bleeding again.”
Xiao Yuan’s eyes darkened.
He had not expected Su Muchen to notice even this.
Su Muchen asked, “Where’s the medicine?”
Xiao Yuan looked at him without answering.
“The medicine I gave you yesterday,” Su Muchen said. “Did you take it?”
Xiao Yuan was silent for a moment.
Su Muchen immediately understood.
“You didn’t?”
Su Muchen’s voice sounded somewhat angry, just like a doctor repeatedly giving instructions only to discover that the patient had not obediently taken his medicine on schedule.
Xiao Yuan said, “Its origin is unknown.”
He said it as though it were perfectly reasonable.
Su Muchen laughed, his smile cold.
“So last night you dared to walk through a door of unknown origin, enter a shop of unknown origin, and hold a sword against the neck of a person of unknown origin, but you don’t dare take a single anti-inflammatory pill?”
Xiao Yuan: “…”
Xiao finally couldn’t hold back and let out a low laugh.
Xiao Yuan turned a cold gaze toward him.
Xiao immediately raised his teacup innocently. “Don’t mind me. I’m just a shopkeeper.”
Su Muchen dug a new first-aid kit out from beneath the counter and found a thermometer gun.
Xiao Yuan looked at the strange little object in his hand, his eyes suddenly becoming guarded, and took a step back.
“What is that?”
“A thermometer.”
“Measures what?”
“Whether you have a fever.” Su Muchen stepped forward and grabbed his hand. “Don’t move.”
Xiao Yuan did not move.
Not because he trusted him.
Rather, he did not want to get into another fight with Su Muchen the moment he returned with his gift of thanks because of some strange little device.
The thermometer gun approached his forehead.
Beep.
Xiao Yuan’s eyes turned cold. He nearly instinctively struck the object away.
Su Muchen glanced at the number.
38.8°C.
As expected, he had a fever.
When Su Muchen had grabbed Xiao Yuan just now, he had already felt that his body temperature was burning hot.
Su Muchen said coldly, “Congratulations. Your wound has a risk of infection.”
Xiao Yuan frowned. “Infection?”
“It means the wound is dirty, and there may be things inside it that you can’t see causing trouble.” Su Muchen thought for a moment before changing to an explanation Xiao Yuan could probably understand. “If you don’t treat it, you’ll develop a high fever, the wound will fester, you’ll lose consciousness, and eventually you’ll die.”
Xiao Yuan fell silent but did not take it seriously.
He had experienced all kinds of life-and-death situations. This injury was not even the worst he had ever suffered. Once he returned, he could simply find someone to treat him.
But Su Muchen had already taken out an anti-inflammatory pill, added an antipyretic painkiller, poured a cup of warm water, and placed them in front of him.
“Take them.”
Xiao Yuan looked at the white pills. He neither moved nor reached for the water.
Su Muchen had been exhausted all day and had little patience to begin with. Now, his anger flared even more.
“Xiao Yuan.”
This was the first time he had called his name.
Xiao Yuan raised his eyes.
Normally, hardly anyone dared to address him directly by name.
Su Muchen said coldly, “If you want to die, go die somewhere else. Don’t lie half-dead in front of me. Looking at you makes me uncomfortable!”
The shop fell silent.
Xiao Yuan looked at him.
Those eyes remained dark and deep, like a cold pool whose bottom could not be seen.
But this time, the killing intent did not rise within them.
He looked into Su Muchen’s clear eyes.
They were too clear, and completely without defenses.
A person like this, if he had been born in Xiao Yuan’s world, would have died long ago.
He would have been killed by someone.
After a long while, he reached out and picked up the pill.
He swallowed it.
Su Muchen watched him finish the water before his expression improved slightly.
“Sit down.”
Xiao Yuan seemed to want to say something, but his lips only moved before he stopped.
Su Muchen looked at him. “I’m going to examine your wounds again. Behave yourself.”
Xiao Yuan: “…”
The dignified Prince Su of Great Sheng had never in his life been ordered around like this.
Yet for some reason, he actually sat down on the wooden chair nearby.
Perhaps it was simply because although Su Muchen’s words were unpleasant, there was not a single trace of false sincerity in them.
And also…
Because of another purpose for coming here today.
Su Muchen removed the bandages around his waist and abdomen.
As expected, the edges of the wound had begun bleeding again.
Although it was not serious, for someone who had only just been dragged back from the gates of death last night, it was enough to cause a headache.
Su Muchen coldly disinfected it again, changed the dressing, and applied pressure before wrapping it.
Xiao Yuan lowered his eyes and watched him.
Under the light, Su Muchen’s complexion was actually not good either.
There were dark circles beneath his eyes, his lips were pale, and it was obvious that he had also gone without sleep all night.
Yet his hands remained steady.
His fingertips carried a faint coolness. When they touched the area around the wound, his movements were clean and efficient, without a single unnecessary motion.
Xiao Yuan asked in a low voice, “You did not sleep last night?”
Su Muchen did not even raise his head. “Thanks to you, I was mopping blood until dawn.”
Xiao Yuan paused, then said calmly,
“I will compensate you for the floor.”
“Best include emotional distress compensation too.”
“What is emotional distress compensation?”
“It means you frightened me, causing me psychological trauma, so you need to compensate me.”
Xiao Yuan looked at his numb expression and felt that the credibility of those words was not very high.
When he had held a sword to his throat last night, he had not seemed particularly frightened either.
At most, he had been angry, as though he had encountered a troublesome matter.
And last night, Su Muchen had casually complained about several things as well.
“You do not look frightened.”
Su Muchen did not raise his eyes and casually said, “I’m fragile on the inside.”
Xiao was holding a teacup and added with a smile, “The young master is quite fragile. Today, the people from the Sheng family nearly made his legs go weak.”
Xiao Yuan’s gaze suddenly darkened.
“Sheng family?” His voice was just as cold as his eyes.
Su Muchen’s hands paused for a moment before he shot a cold look at Xiao, thinking that he really talked too much.
Xiao smiled and spread his hands before continuing to drink his tea.
Su Muchen said, “If that mouth of yours ever splits open, I can stitch it shut for you.”
Xiao laughed even more happily, completely unafraid.
But Xiao Yuan had keenly caught the key point.
“Someone pressured you?”
Su Muchen finished securing the bandage around him and said calmly, “Standard procedure in modern society. Debt, collection, mortgaged assets, foreclosure, acquisition. It’s a little more civilized than princes killing one another in your world, but essentially it’s the same.”
Xiao Yuan did not understand all of it, but he understood “pressure” and “acquisition.”
He also understood that Su Muchen’s current situation was not good.
His gaze fell upon the papers on the counter.
Then he pointed toward the wooden chest.
“That is not enough?”
Su Muchen’s gaze fell upon the wooden chest. He had no idea what kind of “gift of thanks” Xiao Yuan had brought inside.
“Open it.”
Su Muchen walked to the counter and placed his hand on the lid.
The chest was not locked.
The moment the wooden lid was lifted, the dim yellow light inside the shop fell into the chest, reflecting a heavy golden glow.
Su Muchen’s breathing stopped.
Gold ingots.
An entire chest of gold ingots.
Their shape was different from modern gold bars. They looked more like ancient government-minted or privately minted gold ingots, with faint signs of wear and engraved marks on their surfaces.
But regardless of their shape, neither their color nor their sense of weight could be faked.
Su Muchen stared at the chest of gold for a long time without speaking.
He had originally thought Xiao Yuan would bring at most a few jade pendants, several pieces of gold, or perhaps some kind of ancient treasure.
He had never expected an entire chest of gold.
But he did not know how to sell this gold quickly or how much money it could be converted into. After all, he was only a medical student who had just graduated.
Xiao put down his teacup and walked over for a look, his tone slightly raised.
“His Highness is quite generous.”
Xiao Yuan looked at him. “You know my identity.”
Xiao smiled. “The young master told me last night.”
Xiao Yuan’s gaze turned cold.
He did not like this man called Xiao.
There was an aura about him whose depth Xiao Yuan could not determine.
He was tall and slender, but beneath his loose clothing was a body trained through some particular method.
He appeared frivolous and lazy, yet every step seemed to place him in a position that was difficult to attack.
Furthermore, he seemed to know a great deal.
More importantly, this man was unfathomable, and there was something impure about his gaze.
He did not know what relationship Xiao had with Su Muchen. Just now, Xiao had called himself a “shopkeeper,” while also addressing Su Muchen as “young master.”
Could he be some kind of subordinate?
Su Muchen did not notice the silent exchange between the two.
All his attention was focused on the chest.
He reached out and picked up one of the gold ingots.
It was heavy.
Heavy enough to make a person feel reassured.
And heavy enough to make a person afraid.
If this thing was genuine, it would be enough to temporarily solve his most urgent debt problem.
But the problem was—how could he turn it into cash?
This was modern times, not ancient times. He could not carry an entire chest of gold to a bank and say that it was medical expenses paid by a time-traveling prince.
The bank would not accept it.
But the police might.
Su Muchen turned his head to look at Xiao.
Xiao seemed to have known what he wanted to ask all along and lazily said, “It can be handled.”
Su Muchen’s eyes lit up.
Xiao added, “But it can’t all be handled at once. The source, composition, and form all have to be cleaned up properly. Otherwise, it’ll cause trouble.”
Su Muchen calmed down a little and asked, “How long will it take?”
“If it’s just to deal with Sheng Chengxiu and the bank tomorrow, I can handle part of it tonight.”
Su Muchen let out a huge sigh of relief. This meant he could temporarily keep the shop.
The next moment, he frowned. “You have connections?”
Xiao smiled. “I’m just a shop assistant.”
Su Muchen was already too lazy to correct him.
He looked at Xiao Yuan. “This is enough. The medical expenses you owe me are settled.”
Although this box of gold was worth a considerable amount and could be said to be extremely expensive as a medical fee, he had saved a prince, after all. Given his status, it was only natural.
Xiao Yuan, however, said, “It’s not enough.”
Su Muchen froze. “What’s not enough?”
“Not just this. A mere box of gold is nowhere near enough.”
Xiao Yuan’s voice was calm.
It did not sound like polite courtesy.
It sounded more like he was stating a fact he had already accepted.
In the eyes of outsiders, he was the cruel and ruthless Prince Su, but he had always repaid grudges and repaid favors.
The life of Prince Su was naturally worth more than a single box of gold.
Su Muchen looked at him, and something inexplicably stirred inside him.
He was not used to anyone taking his efforts so seriously.
Ever since he was young, everything he did had seemed like something that was simply expected of him.
Taking care of himself was expected.
Studying and getting into medical school was expected.
Working to pay off his student loans was expected.
Now, someone was suddenly telling him that because he had saved a life, he deserved to be repaid properly.
The feeling was unfamiliar.
So unfamiliar that his instinct was to avoid it.
Thus, Su Muchen lowered his head and put the gold ingots back into the box, saying lightly, “Medical treatment has a price where I come from. Your injuries were troublesome, but they weren’t worth an entire box of gold. It’s too much.”
Although he was desperately short of money right now, taking more than he deserved made him feel guilty.
Xiao Yuan looked at him. “What should be given must be given. I came here in a hurry today and couldn’t bring everything in time. Next time, I will certainly bring the rest.”
Su Muchen raised his eyes. “You’re planning on there being a next time?”
Xiao Yuan did not deny it. In truth, he had another plan in mind.
The next moment, Su Muchen said seriously, “Your Highness Prince Su, you should know that treating illnesses and saving lives isn’t a membership program. It’s not like you can prepay a box of gold and then come here for unlimited emergency treatment every time you get seriously injured.”
Xiao Yuan did not quite understand what a “membership” was, but he roughly understood what he meant.
He seemed to have misunderstood something, because he looked somewhat angry, very much like how he had looked when Xiao Yuan had refused to obediently take his medicine earlier.
Su Muchen probably thought he was treating this place as a medical shelter, where he could come for treatment every time he was seriously injured.
“You misunderstand.”
Xiao Yuan lowered his voice. “I need your help.”
Su Muchen’s movements stopped as he looked at Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Yuan looked back at him.
The atmosphere between them instantly sank, losing that subtle sense of everyday familiarity from moments ago.
After a long while, Su Muchen seemed to have made up his mind and said, “Go ahead.”
Xiao Yuan pondered for a moment before saying, “Before long, I will be sent to the northern frontier.”
Su Muchen frowned.
“Sent?”
“To suppress the unrest at the border.”
Su Muchen quickly understood.
This was not a reward. It was more like exile.
He could imagine it. Xiao Yuan had only just been assassinated yesterday and seriously wounded, and before the matter could even be investigated, he was being sent to the border again. The emperor seemingly did not care whether this son lived or died.
An unpopular prince who was also a threat was being pushed into a war-torn region. If he died at the border, everyone would naturally be pleased.
If he survived, the lack of provisions, disease, and enemy forces would eventually wear him down.
A terrifying case of killing with a borrowed knife.
Although Su Muchen could tell that Xiao Yuan was in a difficult situation, he had not expected it to have fallen to such a degree. He could not help feeling deeply indignant.
Even though he and Xiao Yuan were not yet familiar with each other, he was still his first patient. He hoped he could help Xiao Yuan—preferably enough for him to stay alive and make the emperor furious.
He looked at Xiao Yuan and asked, “What do you need?”
Xiao Yuan’s eyes darkened slightly.
“Medicine, things to stop bleeding, a method to purify water, grain, salt, things to keep warm.”
“And…”
He paused.
“Things that can keep people alive.”
The words were very soft, yet unbearably heavy.
They left Su Muchen silent.
Things that could keep people alive.
It sounded extremely vague.
He suddenly remembered the look in Xiao Yuan’s eyes last night when he said, “My people are still waiting for me.”
That was not the look of someone fighting only for his own survival.
There really were many people behind him.
A group of people who were also waiting to survive.
Su Muchen looked at the gold on the table, then at the stack of debt documents.
On one side was his reality.
On the other was Xiao Yuan’s desperate situation.
The troubles of two worlds had been absurdly piled onto the same counter.
After a long while, he asked, “You’re short on water and food over there?”
Xiao Yuan said, “The northern frontier is bitterly cold. The water sources in several cities have been contaminated, and disease is beginning to spread.”
Su Muchen’s expression grew more serious.
Disease.
Contaminated water.
Wounded soldiers.
Shortages of provisions.
This was not something that could be solved by simply buying a few boxes of medicine.
“I need more detailed information,” Su Muchen said. “Terrain, population, climate, enemy situation, illnesses, how many people you can mobilize, how much supplies you can store, whether you can keep things confidential. I need to know everything.”
Xiao Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly.
He had originally thought Su Muchen would ask how much money he wanted.
Or perhaps ask what benefits he would receive.
He had not expected the first things he asked about to be these.
The information involved military secrets. It was not something that could be casually revealed to another person.
Su Muchen noticed his wariness and said coldly, “Don’t look at me like that. You need supplies, and I need money. Since this is a transaction, we have to make the requirements clear. Otherwise, you’ll take back a pile of useless things, your people will die, and I’ll lose my money. Besides, I have no way to go to your side of the world, so I have no way to tell anyone your military secrets.”
Xiao Yuan looked at him for a moment.
Then he suddenly asked in a low voice, “You understand military affairs?”
He had thought that Su Muchen only understood medicine. He could not even manage business very well and had to rely on Xiao to handle the gold.
“I don’t,” Su Muchen said. “But I like reading ancient military history and palace-intrigue novels.”
Xiao Yuan: “What is a palace-intrigue novel?”
Without changing his expression, Su Muchen said, “A type of folk literature that studies vicious competition within the imperial family.”
Xiao turned his head to the side, his shoulders trembling slightly.
Xiao Yuan seemed thoughtful.
He appeared to have actually believed him.
Su Muchen immediately changed the subject. “Anyway, you need to solve the problems of the wounded soldiers and the epidemic first. The basics are clean water, disinfection, stopping bleeding, reducing fever, and isolation.”
Xiao Yuan caught on to the last word. “Isolation?”
“Separate the sick from the healthy.”
Xiao Yuan frowned. “That may be difficult.”
“Even if it’s difficult, it has to be done,” Su Muchen said. “Otherwise, once the disease spreads, you won’t need anyone to come and kill you. Your own people will all die first.”
Xiao Yuan fell silent.
Su Muchen took out paper and a pen and began making a list.
“The first batch of supplies can’t be too outrageous. Otherwise, it’ll be difficult for you to explain where they came from when you return, and it could easily arouse suspicion and make people target you.”
He wrote:
Povidone-iodine, alcohol, gauze, bandages, antipyretic and analgesic medicine, antibiotics, masks, gloves, water-purification tablets, portable water filters, compressed biscuits, salt, sugar, soap.
Halfway through writing, he stopped again.
“No. Antibiotics can’t be given indiscriminately.”
Xiao Yuan asked, “Why?”
“They can cause problems if used incorrectly.” Su Muchen frowned. “And you don’t have modern testing equipment over there. We can only prepare some commonly used medicines for now, but I have to teach you how to use them. You can’t just distribute them however you want.”
Xiao Yuan looked at the distorted characters on the paper and thought that Su Muchen’s handwriting was truly ugly. Some of the characters were almost impossible to make out.
The writing in this world was similar to that of Da Sheng, but the terminology was strange.
He asked quietly, “Teach me.”
The tip of Su Muchen’s pen stopped.
He looked up at Xiao Yuan.
The other man’s face was still pale, but his eyes were deep.
It was not an order.
It sounded like a request.
That awkward feeling in Su Muchen’s heart surfaced again.
Having a patient learn half-understood medical knowledge and then return to ancient times and misuse medicine was something that made him extremely hesitant. But there was no other choice.
He lowered his head and continued writing, deliberately keeping his voice cold.
“I’ll teach you. That way, I won’t have to be dragged out of bed in the middle of the night to clean up your corpse. But you have to promise me that you absolutely cannot misuse it.”
Xiao Yuan looked at him, and the coldness in his eyes seemed to fade slightly.
Xiao, standing nearby, drawled lazily, “Young Master, your list isn’t cheap.”
Su Muchen pointed at the wooden chest. “There’s gold.”
“Turning it into usable money will take time.”
“Then figure something out.”
For the first time, Xiao let out a heavy sigh. “I’m just a shop assistant.”
“Starting today, you’re the head of the procurement department.”
Xiao: “Do I get a raise?”
Su Muchen glanced at him. “The shop is about to be gone, and you still want a raise?”
Xiao gave a bitter smile. “Young Master is becoming more and more like a boss.”
Su Muchen could not be bothered with him. In any case, he felt that Xiao seemed to have some reason he had no choice but to remain here. Since that was the case, he had to make good use of Xiao’s abilities to solve the problem.
He pushed the list toward Xiao Yuan.
“For the first batch, I can prepare it for you. But you have to agree to a few things.”
Su Muchen understood clearly that Xiao Yuan needed his help, while he also needed to use their transactions to pay off all his debts so that he could keep the shop and the door leading to another world.
But he needed to establish rules. That way, it would be easier for both sides to deal with each other in the future.
Xiao Yuan seemed to have been prepared for this already. “Say them.”
“First, every time you come here, you can’t bring anything that could expose us. Especially blood.”
If Xiao Yuan came here seriously injured every time and left blood all over the floor, he and Xiao would have to spend half the day cleaning up and destroying evidence.
Xiao Yuan: “…”
Su Muchen seemed to think of something, then quickly added, “Of course, emergencies are exempt from this restriction. If you’re in danger and need me to treat you, come here without hesitation.”
Before Xiao Yuan could react, he continued.
“Second, you can’t attack me or anyone in the shop without reason.”
Xiao Yuan glanced at Xiao.
Su Muchen added, “Unless he provokes you so badly that you really can’t stand it.”
Xiao’s smile remained unchanged. “Young Master, that clause is dangerous.”
“So you’d better tease Xiao Yuan less.”
Although Su Muchen himself did not like being toyed with, most of Xiao’s jokes stopped at just the right point.
Xiao Yuan was different. He seemed to have an extremely strong sense of pride, and he looked like the kind of person who could kill without batting an eye. Su Muchen absolutely did not want to be responsible for cleaning up Xiao’s corpse.
A trace of an extremely faint smile seemed to pass through Xiao Yuan’s eyes, so faint that even he himself did not notice it.
“Third.” Su Muchen looked at Xiao Yuan. “You have to tell me the basic situation of Da Sheng. The structure of the imperial court, currency, prices, laws, people’s livelihoods, military forces—the more detailed, the better.”
Xiao Yuan’s eyes darkened. “What are you planning to do?”
“Survive.”
Su Muchen said solemnly, “You have to survive in Da Sheng, and I have to survive here. Sheng’s family is watching Guichen Studio now. I have to resist a major conglomerate. If I don’t understand your world, I won’t know how much this door can actually help me.”
He spoke every word clearly.
“Xiao Yuan, you need my assistance now, and I need you too. We’re on the same boat. If the boat sinks, we’ll both drown.”
Xiao Yuan looked at him.
Those words made the shop completely silent.
Outside the window, the night was deep.
Inside Guichen Studio, two people who should never have met looked at each other across a wooden chest filled with gold.
One came from a near-future modern city.
The other came from an ancient dynasty that had never been recorded.
One had been pushed into desperation by debts left behind by his father.
The other had been forced to the edge of a blade by his imperial father and brothers.
Neither had anywhere left to retreat.
And neither dared to trust anyone easily.
After a long while, Xiao Yuan extended his hand.
“Deal.”
Su Muchen looked at that hand.
Long and slender, strong, with tiny unhealed cuts and thin calluses across the knuckles.
Last night, that same hand had held a sword against his throat.
Tonight, that hand was extended toward him.
Dangerous.
And it also seemed like the only lifeline.
Su Muchen was silent for two seconds before reaching out and taking his hand.
Xiao Yuan’s hand was scorching hot.
It was the complete opposite of his ice-like eyes.
Su Muchen’s hand was not particularly warm.
Their hands briefly clasped, as if leaving a mark upon some invisible contract.
Xiao Yuan said in a low voice, “I will protect Guichen House.”
Xiao Yuan knew clearly that there was no one else who could help him now. Only Su Muchen could. Therefore, no matter what happened, he could not afford to lose this place.
Su Muchen raised his eyes. “Protect yourself first, Your Highness Prince Su.”
Xiao Yuan looked at him and suddenly said, “Call me Xiao Yuan.”
Su Muchen froze.
Xiao Yuan withdrew his hand, his expression returning to its usual indifference.
“That title, Prince Su, is grating to the ears.”
Su Muchen looked at him for a moment, then nodded.
“Fine, Xiao Yuan.”
His tone was completely ordinary.
Yet at that instant, Xiao Yuan felt that when those two words came from Su Muchen’s mouth, they seemed different from when anyone else said them.
There was no awe.
No flattery.
And no scheming.
He was simply calling a person’s name.
Rather than calling him by a title, an identity, a blade, or a chess piece.
The feeling was unfamiliar.
So unfamiliar that Xiao Yuan did not speak for a moment.
Xiao chimed in at the appropriate time with a cough.
“Both of you, since the deal is settled, I have a very practical question.”
Su Muchen turned his head. “What?”
Xiao pointed at the box of gold.
“Something this heavy is too conspicuous sitting on the counter. If Sheng Chengxiu comes again tomorrow and sees it, that wouldn’t be good.”
Su Muchen immediately snapped back to reality.
He still had to deal with converting the gold into cash, purchasing supplies, negotiating the debts, and guarding against Sheng Chengxiu.
Su Muchen looked at Xiao. “How much can you deal with tonight?”
Xiao picked up a gold ingot from the box and weighed it in his hand.
“At least tomorrow, you won’t have to kneel to Sheng Chengxiu.”
Su Muchen breathed a sigh of relief.
If he could avoid it, he really did not want to casually kneel before anyone. He still had some pride, after all.
Then he asked, “Is it legal?”
Xiao smiled. “As much as possible.”
Su Muchen: “…”
He suddenly felt that the criminal-investigation side quest in his life might still not be something he could completely avoid.
The next moment, Xiao Yuan, who had been watching their conversation, suddenly asked, “Who is Sheng Chengxiu?”
From their earlier conversation, he only knew that the Sheng family had their sights set on this shop, so this person was undoubtedly connected to the Sheng family.
But what concerned him even more was that Xiao had mentioned the words “kneel down.”
He felt that Su Muchen was not someone who would easily kneel before another person. Even after learning that he was Prince Su, Su Muchen had never knelt before him.
Hearing that Su Muchen might have to kneel before Sheng Chengxiu inexplicably made him feel irritated.
Su Muchen was silent for a moment before simply saying,
“Someone who wants to buy Guichen House. He’s the heir to a major conglomerate.”
Xiao Yuan’s gaze turned cold. “An enemy?”
Su Muchen thought about it.
Sheng Chengxiu had set a trap for the Su family, forced him to sell the shop, and seemingly knew about the secret of the door.
Someone like that was practically an enemy even if he was not called one.
“For now.”
Xiao Yuan said indifferently, “Do you need me to kill him?”
Su Muchen: “…”
Xiao: “…”
The shop fell silent once again.
After a long while, Su Muchen pressed his fingers against his brow and said, “No need.”
Xiao Yuan frowned, seemingly unable to understand.
Su Muchen took a deep breath. “Where we’re from, killing people is illegal. At best, you’ll be sentenced to prison for life. At worst, you’ll get the death penalty and be executed directly.”
Xiao Yuan asked, “He harmed you, yet you cannot kill him?”
“Cannot.”
“Then how do you resolve it?”
Su Muchen looked at the debt documents on the table, his voice slowly turning cold.
“To put it in terms you’d understand, first sever his hand, then pull out his claws.”
Xiao Yuan’s eyes shifted slightly.
Su Muchen said calmly, “Modern people don’t kill with knives.”
He picked up one of the debt documents.
“We use evidence, money trails, the law, public opinion, and money.”
Xiao Yuan looked at Su Muchen.
At this moment, he suddenly realized that this seemingly slender and refined young man was not truly someone weak and easy to bully.
He simply had never been forced to reveal his claws.
And now, someone had driven him into a corner.
Su Muchen put the document down and raised his head to look at Xiao Yuan.
“So you’d better stop nearly getting yourself killed. As long as you’re alive, I have leverage.”
Xiao Yuan asked, “Just leverage?”
Su Muchen paused slightly.
He raised his eyes and happened to meet Xiao Yuan’s gaze.
Those eyes were too deep.
So deep that it felt as though they could draw a person in, making it difficult to escape.
Su Muchen inexplicably felt his chest tighten. He immediately turned his gaze away with a cold expression.
“What else?”
Xiao Yuan looked at his cold expression and did not continue asking.
He merely let out a low laugh.
That’s right. There was not much trust between them. There was only a relationship of mutual benefit. For now, they were merely on the same boat, joining forces because they needed what the other possessed.
Then what about the day Su Muchen paid off all his debts?
Xiao, meanwhile, thoughtfully glanced at the two of them before lifting his teacup and leisurely taking a sip.
It seemed that tonight’s deal was more interesting than he had imagined.
A lone wolf driven into a dead end while being relentlessly pursued.
And a rabbit that appeared weak, yet could bite back when the enemy caught up to it.
This was a rare source of amusement in his long life.