At this moment, Qiao Yujing was both flustered and embarrassed.

He felt an overwhelming urge to find a place to crash into and end it all. Although he was just a young man who hadn’t married yet, he had been a wandering ghost in his past life for many years, and naturally, he had seen and learned a lot.

Of all the places to bump into someone, why did it have to be in such a situation? He had never encountered anything this awkward in both of his lives!

Awkwardness aside, he was mainly worried about causing some serious trouble. If he really hurt the person, getting dealt with by Xie Wenyin would be a disaster.

You see, Xie Wenyin was no ordinary person. Inside this young body was the reincarnation of a ruthless and cunning minister who could turn the world upside down!

Yes.

When he saw Xie Wenyin again at the poetry gathering, Qiao Yujing guessed that the other party was also reborn. The reason was simple: in the last life’s poetry gathering, the book “Three Hundred Tang Poems” had not appeared, nor had there been any argument between Xie Wenyin and Qian Botu about plagiarizing poetry.

Then, recalling their first encounter in the mountains, Xie Wenyin’s cold attitude towards a stranger in need of help confirmed Qiao Yujing’s suspicions.

He had heard that a man’s private parts were quite fragile, and it was normal for something to go wrong if one accidentally bumped into them. If he really injured the man, with Xie Wenyin’s ruthless nature, even ten lives wouldn’t be enough to appease his anger.

Qiao Yujing was terrified, covering his eyes and trembling as he sat on the ground. He thought about whether he should kneel and beg for mercy when he got hit or just tough it out and run away.

Forget it, begging for mercy seemed like the better option. After all, he had just been given a second chance at life, and a bright future awaited him. Sometimes, it was okay not to be too proud.

Even the King Goujian of Yue could endure hardship, so what was wrong with a little flexibility for a young man like him?

With that thought, Qiao Yujing finally mustered the courage to remove his hands from his face, feeling guilty as he looked at Xie Wenyin, whose face was contorted in pain. He sniffled and apologized, “I-I’m sorry, Xie Langjun. I didn’t mean to do that. Are you okay?”

After saying that, he tried hard to show a pitiful expression, hoping that the other party would take pity on his small and weak demeanor and spare his life.

It was a dilemma for Xie Wenyin; he couldn’t just say he had something to deal with, right? That would make him seem useless, like a waste of space who could cause problems with just a bump.

But if he didn’t take it into account… he really was in a lot of pain!

Taking a deep breath, Xie Wenyin forced himself to act as if nothing had happened, maintaining his composure with a cold snort. “What could possibly happen to me? With your little kitten strength, you dare to lay hands on me? You really have no self-awareness. Get up. Just remember what I said earlier: without my permission, you’re not allowed to get married.”

“How can I not get married? I can’t just stay single forever, can I?”

Hearing about his marriage prospects made Qiao Yujing anxious.

Seeing his expression, Xie Wenyin felt a bit displeased. “Do you really want to get married that badly?”

“Of course! When a man grows up, he should marry, and as a young man, I definitely need to get married. Otherwise, if I become an old bachelor, it would ruin my family’s reputation, and they wouldn’t let me off the hook.”

“Besides, since you want to use me, you must have heard about my status in the Duke’s residence, right? Only by getting married can I gain my freedom.”

Qiao Yujing’s voice dropped.

Xie Wenyin disagreed, “Even so, you don’t need to go after someone like the Young Master Chu, do you? I don’t think you’re that foolish. The Young Master Chu is already 22 and still hasn’t married a proper wife. Don’t you think there’s something fishy about the Prince’s residence?”

Everyone isn’t stupid. Even if the news from the Prince’s residence is well-hidden, the families in the capital have heard some rumors about the Young Master Chu’s behavior outside, which led to the Prince’s residence only being able to marry off their daughters to low-ranking officials from other places in the last life.

Qiao Yujing naturally knew all this, but his plan to seduce the Young Master Chu had other motives.

He could only play dumb and say, “I’ve heard some rumors, but I don’t mind. I don’t really like the Young Master Chu; I’m just after the noble status of the Young Master’s wife.”

“If he’s a playboy, then so be it. What man doesn’t have multiple wives? Isn’t that just being a bit flirtatious?”

“As long as my husband can give me a noble status, a life without worries, and a child by my side, what’s the difference in who I marry? Life is what you make of it, and I believe in myself.”

Such a carefree and insightful attitude towards life didn’t seem like something a teenage boy would have.

Xie Wenyin stared at him thoughtfully, “You really see things clearly…”

“Of course! In the Duke’s residence, with all the scheming, and since my parents don’t favor me, I have to be more cautious. If I’m too naive, how can I survive and grow up in that environment?”

Qiao Yujing felt a bit guilty under his gaze and tried to laugh it off.

“Is that so?”

“Of course, what else could it be?”

Xie Wenyin smiled, “Alright, since that’s the case, I’m not completely unreasonable. I’ll give you a year. After a year, if you help me finish my business, I’ll let you go free.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Then it’s settled. You can’t go back on your word.”

Finally receiving a promise, Qiao Yujing revealed a joyful smile.

The two exchanged a few more words before Qiao Yujing turned around with a smile and walked away.

Just as his foot stepped out, a soft voice suddenly came from behind, “Qiao Yujing, did you have a good life in your last life?”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Yujing’s body froze instinctively.

He was so startled that he almost stumbled and fell.

By the time he regained his composure and tried to act nonchalant, it was too late; his instinctive reaction had already betrayed him!

Qiao Yujing turned around, panic written all over his face, his voice trembling, “Y-You…”

“How would I know you were also reborn, right?”

Xie Wenyin crossed his arms, a smirk on his face.

He had thought something was off about this young man; clearly, the last time they met, he wasn’t so afraid of him.

But today, seeing him was like watching a little quail, and the occasional fear in his eyes mirrored how others looked at him after he displayed his ruthless methods in his past life.

Moreover, with Qiao Yujing’s figure, if he had tried to seduce the Young Master Chu in his last life, the Young Master would definitely have taken the bait.

With the different paths they had taken in their two lives, and recalling his own experiences, there was nothing left to guess.

Sure enough, this little test had exposed the truth.

Xie Wenyin’s expression was unreadable as he said, “Come here.”

His tone was perfectly normal, but to Qiao Yujing’s ears, it sounded like a demon demanding a life.

Thinking about all the rumors regarding Xie Wenyin from his last life—how he could kill without blinking, destroy nations and slaughter cities at the drop of a hat, and how he liked to eat human flesh and drink blood when he was in a bad mood, not even sparing newborns or eighty-year-old grandmothers…

In short, he was ruthless and violent, and calling him a reincarnated evil spirit wouldn’t even begin to describe his temperament.

It was over.

He knew Xie Wenyin’s secret, and the other party would definitely not let him live.

The more Qiao Yujing thought about it, the more he trembled, his soul nearly flying away from fear.

In the end, he couldn’t hold back any longer, and tears streamed down his face as he cried and threw himself at Xie Wenyin’s feet, quickly begging for mercy.

“Wuwu, Xie Langjun, Xie Shoufu, we’re both people with the same fate; why must we harm each other?”

“You’re a high and mighty figure, a hero who is to accomplish great things. I’m just a little boy from the back courtyard; I can’t affect the big picture. Just let me go like an ant, and I promise to keep my mouth shut, absolutely not revealing a single word I shouldn’t say.”

“Xie Langjun, you also know my life was not good in my last life. It’s so hard to be favored by the heavens and get a second chance; I really don’t want to die. It would be such a waste…”

“Wuwu, as long as you spare my life, I promise to follow your orders in the future; if you tell me to go east, I will never go west!”

The young man’s face was covered in tears, crying like a rain-soaked pear blossom.

Xie Wenyin wanted to pull him up; it really didn’t look good for him to be sitting on the ground crying.

But the more he tried to pull him up, the more Qiao Yujing wouldn’t budge.

With no other choice, Xie Wenyin had to give up and let him sit there, focusing on the main point.

“Xie Shoufu? Weren’t you supposed to have died young in your last life? How do you know about my later identity?”

Qiao Yujing: …

Qiao Yujing regretted giving himself a mental slap.

Unable to explain himself, he could only cling tightly to Xie Wenyin’s thigh, acting spoiled, and continued to cry, his movements soft and weak, his voice sweet and coaxing.

“Wuwu, please have pity on me, Langjun. From now on, I’ll listen to you~”

He had seen many girls and boys begging like this when he was a ghost, and it always worked.

Xie Wenyin: …

Where did he learn this nonsense?

It was simply out of line.

Xie Wenyin said impatiently, “Get up.”

“Langjun~”

“Shut up! Get up.”

“Langjun~”

“If you call me that way again, I’ll kill you right now.”

“…”

Qiao Yujing quickly scrambled to his feet, wiped his tears, straightened his back, and sniffled, “Sorry, Xie Langjun, my throat was a bit itchy just now!”

He was particularly adaptable.

Xie Wenyin was impressed and couldn’t help but find it amusing.

However, it was impossible for him to let him off easily; he didn’t want to die under a peony flower.

Even though he had a good impression of this young man, that little bit of goodwill wasn’t enough for him to risk his life. Otherwise, he would have been reborn for nothing.

Unless…

Xie Wenyin grabbed Qiao Yujing by the neck, his gaze icy.

“Give me a reason not to kill you; otherwise, I only believe that dead people can keep secrets.”

Qiao Yujing felt the suffocating grip on his neck and the palpable killing intent in front of him, crying out in despair in his heart.

He was indeed too optimistic.

How could a man as ruthless and cold-hearted as Xie Wenyin easily show mercy?

His gentle and cultured demeanor was merely a facade.

“I’ll marry you; as husband and wife, we’ll share life and death, honor and disgrace together. I promise I won’t reveal your secret.”

Qiao Yujing pleaded.

Xie Wenyin’s heart stirred, but he shook his head, “You’re perceptive and not a fool. Once married and with a child, you would choose to kill your husband to escape, leaving your child to be a widow.”

Qiao Yujing: …

He wasn’t him; how could he dare to have such thoughts?

Qiao Yujing wanted to cry but had no tears, “Xie Langjun, I wouldn’t dare! I’m just a weak little boy; I don’t have that ability.”

“Is that so? How do I know how capable you are?”

Xie Wenyin smiled.

Qiao Yujing felt a chill from his smile and hurriedly racked his brain for a response. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “After I died in my last life, I became a ghost and wandered the world for years, knowing many secrets of court officials. Killing me would be your loss.”

“Xie Langjun, please trust me this once. I will be a good husband to you and absolutely won’t hold you back.”

The young man wiped his tears as he spoke.

He looked pitiful and helpless.

Xie Wenyin remained silent for a while, his gaze shifting constantly.

In the end, he pushed Qiao Yujing against a tree, tore open his clothes, and left a bite mark on the young man’s fair shoulder.

“You now bear my mark; there’s no turning back. Do you understand?”

“I understand, husband.”

Qiao Yujing’s eyes brimmed with tears from the pain, but he obediently nodded.

Xie Wenyin didn’t say anything, but his softened expression indicated that he was somewhat pleased.

Author’s note:

The sensible Qiao Yujing: Better to be the husband of a treacherous minister than to die for nothing!