Rebirth Married The Control group Fulang Chapter 135

Chapter 135 Extra Ruijin 3 

    Luo Yuxing took a step back at the sound, his heart tightening. Once he realized who was outside, his body instinctively leaned closer to the wall, but then he remembered the unpleasantness of the past few months and retreated again, standing silently.  

    "Young Master?"  

    "Shh!"  

    Seeing the maid rushing over in a fluster, Luo Yuxing quickly stopped her.  

    The maid covered her mouth and lowered her voice. "Young master, is it Young Master Ruijin?"  

    Luo Yuxing didn’t answer. Glancing at the high wall, he pinched his index finger, hesitated for a moment, then whispered to the maid, "Tell him I’ve already gone to bed."  

    "Oh, oh." The maid nodded foolishly, then raised her voice slightly. "Young Master Ruijin, our young master says he’s already asleep."  

    Luo Yuxing’s eyes widened in shock. Flustered, he wanted to cover the maid’s mouth, but Ruijin’s voice came from outside again: "Yuxing, can I see you?"  

    "It’s so late. You should go back."  

    "I won’t leave until I see you."  

    Luo Yuxing bit his lower lip. Why was this man being so stubborn? "And how do you plan to see me? By digging a hole in the wall?"  

    "There’s a ladder in the storeroom."  

    Luo Yuxing was stunned on the other side of the wall, unable to believe that Ruijin who had always been proper and disciplined would suggest something as reckless as climbing over a wall in the middle of the night, and with such calm assurance.  

    He pressed his lips together. He must have picked up bad habits in the capital.  

    "Come back tomorrow."  

    "I have something urgent to tell you."  

    "What could possibly be so urgent that it can’t wait until tomorrow?"  

    Silence lingered outside the wall for a while before Ruijin spoke again. "If you don’t want to see me, then I’ll just say it from out here."  

    Ruijin glanced at the empty, quiet alley. "Though the night watchman will be passing by soon. If you don’t mind—"  

    Luo Yuxing stiffened. "Y-You! Don’t say another word!"  

    The maid cautiously approached. "Young Master, should I fetch the ladder for Young Master Ruijin?"  

    Luo Yuxing didn’t answer, but he gave a slight tilt of his chin. Watching the maid hurry off, he called after her, "Be quiet about it."  

    Ruijin waited patiently outside. It took about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before a ladder was slowly extended over the wall, carefully lowered to avoid making noise. He reached out and caught it.  

    Before long, Luo Yuxing stood nervously in the garden with his hands tucked into his sleeves, and saw Ruijin climb over the wall, bathed in moonlight, then drop down with a thud. His heart skipped a beat in fright, and the maid quickly retrieved the ladder.  

    "You always act so proper and restrained, but deep down, you’re just as reckless as Ruili." Luo Yuxing looked at the crouching figure and chided him.  

    "If it weren’t for a certain someone, I wouldn’t have abandoned my principles like this."  

    Luo Yuxing frowned. "Are you blaming me?"  

    Ruijin watched as his face puffed up in anger, his gaze softening. "Aren’t you going to help me up?"  

    "Figure it out yourself."  

    "I’m injured."  

    Luo Yuxing’s expression immediately tensed with concern. He rushed over to support him. "Did you hurt your foot?"  

    "No, not that."  

    Luo Yuxing’s worried expression vanished, and he immediately let go.  

    "I was injured during the imperial exams."  

    Luo Yuxing frowned again. "Where?"  

    "It wasn’t too serious. My horse panicked and threw me off on the way there. I hit a rock, but it’s fine now."  

    "How is that ‘fine’?!" Luo Yuxing’s face paled. "Why didn’t you tell me sooner?"  

    "I’m perfectly capable of speaking and walking now, aren’t I?" Ruijin sighed as he saw Luo Yuxing’s eyes redden in an instant. "Your tears come as easily as if they cost nothing. That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you. It’s been over half a year, I’m truly fine now. If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you."  

    He reached out to take Luo Yuxing’s hand. When distressed, Luo Yuxing became gentle and pliant, no longer stubborn, allowing himself to be led.  

    Ruijin was familiar with the Luo family’s layout. Though he had never been to Luo Yuxing’s room, he knew its location. Guiding him there now felt as natural as if he were leading him into his own home.  

    "Who said you could come in?"  

    Ruijin looked at the ger who only protested once they were inside the room and pinched his cheek. "Would you rather I sleep outside?"  

    Luo Yuxing’s eyes widened. "Y-You’re staying the night?"  

    He quickly stepped back. The maid, tactfully, hadn't followed them in. Alone in the room, Luo Yuxing instinctively wrapped his arms around himself. "This isn’t proper."  

    Ruijin sat on the nearby daybed, watching him calmly. "You’re quick to pick up on details."  

    Luo Yuxing’s face flushed slightly. Ruijin beckoned him. "Come here."  

    "I know why you’ve been avoiding me these past months, claiming illness to stay secluded at home."  

    Luo Yuxing sat down beside him, his heart aching at the memory. "You were gone for so long. You knew I’d worry, yet you didn’t send a single letter. I suppose the capital was just too captivating, perhaps you were dazzled by its temptations."  

    "I injured my hand when I fell from the horse on the way to the exams. The letters sent home were written by someone else. I even paid extra to have them mimic my handwriting so my family wouldn’t worry." Ruijin looked at Luo Yuxing. "I wanted to send you letters too, but you’re so well-read and sharp, you’d have noticed immediately it wasn’t my handwriting."  

    "Besides… the things I wanted to say to you weren’t exactly appropriate for someone else to write down."  

    Luo Yuxing’s face burned even hotter. He lowered his gaze, not daring to meet Ruijin’s eyes. After a long silence, he finally asked, "Then how did you take the exams?"  

    "Luckily, it happened early in the journey, so I still had time to recover before reaching the capital. I rested for over half a month, using medicine daily until I could move well enough by exam time."  

    "Bone and muscle injuries don’t heal in just half a month."  

    Luo Yuxing thought of how cold the capital must have been then, and how harsh the examination halls were compared to inns or restaurants. The thought of Ruijin enduring the exams while injured made his heart ache. He couldn’t imagine how he had managed.  

    "Because of this, I disappointed our teacher, I only ranked in the second tier."  

    "Nonsense! Grandfather was very pleased with your results. Even in the Imperial College, where there are so many outstanding scholars, ranking high in the second tier is rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns."  

    Ruijin’s expression softened as Yuxing defended him. "As long as you’re not disappointed."  

    "How could I be?"  

    Ruijin moved closer. "After the exams, waiting for results, then the palace examination, time flew by. By the time I returned, my hand had already recovered. I thought, Finally, I can write you a proper letter. But when I picked up the brush, I couldn’t bring myself to write."  

    He looked at Luo Yuxing. "I realized, after not writing for so long, you must have worried constantly. And if you were worrying about me, it meant you weren’t distracted by other things. So, in a way, it was good that you kept thinking of me."  

    Luo Yuxing glared. "You’re too cunning."  

    Ruijin nodded unapologetically. "The Zhang family has always been this way."  

    Then, he pulled out a stack of envelopes from his chest. "Consider this making up for it."  

    Luo Yuxing’s heart fluttered. He carefully took the letters and gently opened one. His brows furrowed as he saw the contents, because page after page filled with nothing but a single name: Luo Yuxing.  

    The early letters showed shaky, strained handwriting, but gradually, the strokes became smooth again, then elegant and unrestrained… Dozens of letters, thousands of repetitions of his name.  

    "Ruijin…"  

    Luo Yuxing’s throat tightened. "I-"  

    Before he could finish, hurried footsteps approached. His personal maid burst in, panicked. "Young Master, the master is coming!"  

    Luo Yuxing froze, standing dumbly. He stared at the tall figure sitting on the daybed. Someone who had always made him feel safe, but now only made him flustered. He quickly pulled Ruijin up. "H-Hide! Quick!"  

    Ruijin wanted to say there was no need, sooner or later they’d share a home anyway. But considering he had climbed the wall, he obliged to avoid startling the old man. He moved behind the screen as instructed, only for Luo Yuxing to suddenly shove him onto the bed.  

    Soft blankets were thrown over his head, followed by a heavy cloak when that wasn’t enough. If not for the chilly autumn night, being buried like this would have been unbearable.  

    But he had to admit… Luo Yuxing’s bed was warm and smelled nice.  

    "Grandfather, why are you here so late?"  

    Luo Yan entered, noticing Luo Yuxing’s slightly red eyes and uneasy expression. "I sobered up after washing up and thought you seemed upset earlier, so I came to check on you."  

    "Were you crying again?"  

    Luo Yuxing quickly shook his head. "It’s just late, and my eyes are tired."  

    "Do you think I don’t know you?" Luo Yan sighed. "Tomorrow, I’ll talk to Ruijin."  

    Luo Yuxing shook his head vigorously. "It’s really nothing. I was just about to sleep, Grandfather."  

    "Are you sure?"  

    "Yes." Luo Yuxing stood. "You drank quite a bit tonight. You should rest early too."  

    Luo Yan felt something was off but couldn’t pinpoint what. "Alright. Sleep well."  

    Luo Yuxing nodded, watching until his grandfather left the courtyard before turning back. He hurried to the bed, yanked the curtains open, and dug Ruijin out from under the covers.  

    "Was hiding me that necessary?"  

    Ruijin lay on the bed, smirking up at him.  

    "If Grandfather knew you came here like this in the middle of the night, he’d think all those years teaching you propriety were wasted."  

    Ruijin didn’t answer, just stared at him intently. Suddenly, he grabbed Yuxing’s wrist and pulled him onto the bed.  

    "What are you—?! You should leave!"  

    "Leave? You stuffed me into your bed. Even if I were dense, I’d know how to respond to that."  

    "Th-That’s not what I meant!"  

    Before he could finish, Ruijin began loosening his clothes. Yuxing panicked, covering his eyes. "Affection has its limits! Don’t you dare misbehave!"  

    But nothing happened. After a moment, he peeked through his fingers, only to see Ruijin fully dressed, watching him with amusement.  

    He lowered his hands, embarrassed, and turned away, exhaling quietly. A tiny, traitorous part of him felt… just a little disappointed.  

    "Yuxing."  

    "Hmm?"  

    Ruijin leaned in and kissed the corner of his lips. "I’ve already prepared the betrothal gifts. Can I come propose tomorrow?"  

    Luo Yuxing was stunned. "When did you prepare them?"  

    "A long time ago."  

    The first time I taught you to ride a horse, I was already planning our future.  

-End-