Lin Zhiji slept until the afternoon of the next day.
The first feeling upon waking—pain.
Every muscle in his body felt as if it were filled with lead; even the slightest movement brought tears to his eyes.
Especially that place behind him.
In fact, most of his memories later had become fragmented.
But he still clearly remembered Xie Yi’s voice coaxing him into “one more time.”
Lin Zhiji buried his face into the pillow in frustration.
Ugh…
He suddenly felt a little regretful about dating Xie Yi.
It was really too much to handle.
At that moment, a familiar voice sounded behind him: “What? Trying to smother yourself for no reason?”
Lin Zhiji’s back stiffened.
Then he was lifted up by Xie Yi, who skillfully helped him wash up.
Lin Zhiji very much wanted to insist he could do it himself, but his trembling fingers had no convincing power.
Xie Yi seemed very willing to take care of him personally.
Even eating was done in bed.
Lin Zhiji looked at the bowl of clear porridge and felt utterly despairing.
He silently deducted ten points from Xie Yi in his heart.
But even in this state, he did not forget the task.
He stubbornly fed Xie Yi two spoonfuls of porridge.
Lin Zhiji was extremely frustrated.
They were both men.
Why was he like a cripple unable to move?
Yet Xie Yi still had endless energy—not only handling official duties, but even training in martial arts in the morning.
This was completely unfair!
What made it worse was Xie Yi bringing it up himself: “Your body is still too weak. Last night only twice and you already—”
Lin Zhiji: !!!
“You-you-you are not allowed to say it!!”
Xie Yi chuckled lightly: “If you want to regain your dignity, you’ll need to train harder in the future—after the Qilin Village incident, you haven’t trained for a long time, have you?”
So, once Xie Yi had finished helping him tidy up, Lian Zhiji hurriedly jumped off the bed. “Let’s set off quickly.”
Xie Yi looked at his slightly red cheeks and his averted gaze.
As if thinking of something, his eyes shifted faintly.
This trip did not bring many people—only a convoy of about a dozen.
Now Qingzhou was already fully under Xie Yi’s control, so leaving the city was extremely smooth.
Lian Zhiji lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside.
Rice fields and irrigation canals were filled with flocks of ducks. Some previously abandoned farmland had been replanted with bean seedlings.
Officials in indigo robes moved through the fields, recording data or mediating disputes.
A group of children squatted in the shallows digging out locust eggs, placing them into baskets on their backs.
…
This was an entirely different Qingzhou—full of life and vitality.
Lian Zhiji felt a moment of daze, then subconsciously looked toward Xie Yi riding beside the carriage.
The book said Xie Yi was cold, cruel, and manipulative with power.
When he first bound Xie Yi, he had stirred chaos in the capital with his own hand, deliberately letting the Prince and the Crown Prince fight, causing countless families to be destroyed overnight.
But now…
Lian Zhiji had heard from Luo Zhitang.
Xie Yi’s original plan was to let him stockpile grain, then kill the Yan, Qu, and other families along with the original Qingzhou officials to suppress public resentment. Then, during the locust disaster, he would “save” the people, quickly gaining their loyalty and fully controlling Qingzhou.
As for how many would die in the process, no one cared.
“But my lord suddenly changed his mind,” Luo Zhitang had said. “He ordered the study of classical texts, sought experts in locust control, summarized methods, and implemented them…”
Compared to the original plan, this version was far more troublesome.
No wonder Xie Yi had been so busy lately.
He had changed—and yet also hadn’t changed.
He still played with the world in his hands, but beyond that, he now held a trace of compassion for ordinary people.
For most, such a change would already be shocking.
Let alone for someone like Xie Yi.
And the reason behind that change… was obvious.
This realization made Lian Zhiji’s heart tremble slightly.
Xie Yi was extremely sensitive to his gaze. He turned his head slightly. “What are you looking at?”
Lian Zhiji pursed his lips, then smiled and shook his head. “Nothing. I just think the scenery outside is beautiful. I really want to go out and take a look. It would be nice if I could learn horseback riding…”
“What’s difficult about that?”
Before Lian Zhiji could react, Xie Yi leaned down, grabbed his waist, and lifted him out through the window—placing him directly onto his horse.
Lian Zhiji: !!!
Wait—he said “someday,” not “right now”!
He sat in front of Xie Yi, startled, his vision suddenly raised. His hands and feet felt suspended, and his body stiffened, feeling as if he might fall at any moment.
But in the next second, a hand like iron locked firmly around his waist, while the other guided his stiff hand onto the reins.
Xie Yi’s tall body wrapped completely around him. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let you get hurt.”
That familiar, reassuring aura drifted into his senses.
Lian Zhiji gradually calmed.
Xie Yi controlled the horse forward at a slow pace.
From panic at the beginning, Lian Zhiji slowly adapted and began looking around at the scenery.
It felt completely different from being inside a carriage.
He grew excited and bolder, even turning back several times to speak to Xie Yi.
His back brushed against Xie Yi’s chest repeatedly.
The jade pendant and pouch at his waist swayed between their thighs with every movement.
Xie Yi’s throat rolled heavily. “Want to run a little?”
“Huh?”
Before he could respond, Xie Yi pulled the reins—and the horse suddenly surged forward.
Lian Zhiji was thrown directly into Xie Yi’s arms.
Their heartbeats collided, as if becoming one.