Chapter 87: Covenantor (X)

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Chapter 87: Covenantor (X)

Lu Xiufan walked into the kitchen and watched Shang Ke’s busy figure for a moment before saying, “Little Ze, come here.”

Shang Ke turned around only to see Lu Xiufan already walking away. He untied his apron and hurried after him.

Back in the bedroom, Lu Xiufan placed the recording chip on the table and stared at him darkly, as though struggling to suppress some powerful emotion. “Was it Yue Xuan?”

“What?”

“The people who attacked you—did Yue Xuan bring them?” Lu Xiufan picked up the chip and asked again.

“I don’t know.” Shang Ke lowered his eyes to the chip.

“Why didn’t you fight back from the beginning?” Anger seeped into Lu Xiufan’s voice. Although the recording had failed to capture the later fight, judging by the screams, Shang Ke had clearly dealt with all of them in the end.

“They’re nobles. I couldn’t attack them casually, or I might cause trouble for you, Sir.”

Lu Xiufan’s breath caught, his fist tightening. “Then why did you fight back later?”

Shang Ke replied calmly, “They broke my communicator and prevented me from answering your call in time.”

Lu Xiufan remembered the call from several days earlier that had abruptly cut off. So at that very moment, Shang Ke had been surrounded and abused by those men. If Lu Xiufan had never made that call, then wouldn’t Shang Ke have been…? His expression turned frightening at the thought.

Little Ze had endured their abuse simply because he did not want to cause trouble for him. The only reason he had finally fought back was because they made him miss Lu Xiufan’s call. Lu Xiufan suddenly felt as though he understood: in Little Ze’s world, Lu Xiufan was everything.

He gripped Shang Ke’s hand tightly and enunciated every word. “Little Ze, listen carefully. From now on, no matter who it is, if anyone dares hurt you, you fight back as hard as you can. Don’t worry about the consequences. Even if it’s the Queen herself, you don’t have to yield when you’re in danger.”

“All right.” Shang Ke nodded.

Lu Xiufan pulled him into his arms. The recording replayed in his mind, and murderous intent sharpened his gaze.

Yet Lu Xiufan remained puzzled. Yue Xuan was Yue Ze’s younger brother. Even if their relationship was poor, Yue Ze had already become a Covenantor and could no longer threaten Yue Xuan’s position as heir. Why continue persecuting him so relentlessly? First Yue Ze had been sent to the Placement Center, and now Yue Xuan had even tried to arrange for a group of men to gang-rape him! Such viciousness was utterly appalling.

Several days later, a series of scandals erupted throughout the capital. The children of several minor nobles were exposed one after another for offenses such as drugging and raping minors, organizing illegal gambling, and purchasing contraband. As long as such scandals remained hidden, noble families could usually settle matters with money. But with Lu Xiufan personally pursuing them, they had no choice but to accept the consequences. No one understood why he had suddenly taken an interest in such seemingly minor cases.

Only the people directly involved probably understood the real reason. All eight men who had cornered Shang Ke that day made the entertainment headlines without exception.

Naturally, Yue Xuan, the mastermind behind everything, did not escape either. He was expelled from Capital University and completely alienated the capital’s aristocratic circle. Outsiders might not know the details, but the story quickly spread among the nobles themselves. Yue Xuan had actually incited a group of useless spoiled brats to attack someone under Lu Xiufan’s protection. It was practically suicidal, and he had dragged several other noble families into the disaster with him. Everyone feared being caught in His Excellency’s wrath.

At the same time, Yue Family head Yue Cheng received a package. Along with photographs of Yue Xuan fooling around with various spoiled nobles, it contained evidence of Lady Chang’s improper conduct over the past several years. After looking through everything, Yue Cheng became so furious he nearly suffered another stroke on the spot.

Yue Cheng knew perfectly well that his younger son had offended Lu Xiufan. If they could not obtain his forgiveness, then not only Yue Xuan but perhaps the entire Yue Family might struggle to find a foothold anywhere in the Empire, much less the capital.

He thought of Yue Ze. At this point, the only person who might be able to calm Lu Xiufan’s anger was probably Yue Ze, his lover.

“What are you looking at?” Lu Xiufan entered Shang Ke’s room and found him staring absently at his terminal.

“Capital University,” Shang Ke replied.

“Hmm.” Lu Xiufan sat beside him and intimately wrapped an arm around his waist. “Why are you suddenly interested in Capital University?”

“I saw that Yue Xuan was expelled.”

“He brought it on himself.” With Yue Xuan’s grades, he never should have qualified for Capital University in the first place. The Yue Family had spent a great deal of money just to secure him a place.

Lu Xiufan lowered his gaze to Yue Ze in his arms. In contrast to Yue Xuan, Yue Ze had earned admission to Capital University through his own ability two years earlier. Yet that was also the year he became a Covenantor, forever losing his chance to come to the imperial capital and live as an ordinary university student.

“Do you want to attend university?” Lu Xiufan asked.

“I am Sir’s attendant.”

“Attendants can attend university too.” Lu Xiufan rested his chin on Shang Ke’s shoulder and lightly nibbled his ear.

Shang Ke did his best to ignore the strange sensation at his ear. He tapped the screen several times and pulled up Capital University’s curriculum. “Capital University has many foundational courses. Excluding the commute, I would have to spend at least six hours a day in class. The remaining time would not be enough to take proper care of you.”

Looking at his perfectly serious expression, Lu Xiufan could not resist teasing him. “If I didn’t need you to look after me, would you have time to study then?”

Shang Ke stared silently at him for a long moment. “Sir doesn’t need me to look after him?”

Lu Xiufan: “…I said if.”

“If you didn’t need me to look after you, then I would indeed have more time to study. But,” Shang Ke said evenly, “why must I sacrifice the time I use to care for you in order to study?”

Shang Ke stared directly at him with an expression that practically said, Hurry up and explain why I’m supposed to do that.

Lu Xiufan: …How can he possibly be this adorable?

“Studying would broaden your knowledge and make you even more outstanding than everyone else.” Lu Xiufan kept his expression stern, doing his best not to reveal how delighted he was.

“I study every day—computers, mechanics, medicine, physical training, music, cooking, etiquette…” Shang Ke counted them off one by one.

Lu Xiufan listened quietly, his eyes filled with tenderness.

“However,” Shang Ke continued, “I’ve been accompanying you for sex a little too often lately, which has cut into my study time. But it doesn’t matter. It hasn’t affected my progress.”

Lu Xiufan: …That’s it. I can’t hold back anymore. I need to love him hard!

Lu Xiufan pressed him down onto the sofa and murmured against his lips, “I like listening to you talk. Tell me more about how you usually study.”

“There are instructional videos online…”

Lu Xiufan’s lips slid over his Adam’s apple and slowly explored beneath the open collar of his shirt. “And then?”

“I choose two subjects every day…”

Lu Xiufan’s hand moved to his waist and unfastened his belt.

“……”

“…”

“Why did you stop?” Lu Xiufan lifted him onto the arm of the sofa and buried his face against Shang Ke’s neck.

“What… should I say?”

“How does studying make you feel?”

“Hot.”

“Oh? Hotter than you are now?” Lu Xiufan curled his finger teasingly.

“…About the same.”

“What about now?” Lu Xiufan pushed forward, slowly working his way inside him.

Shang Ke stopped answering. He bit his lip, his hazy eyes fixed on the man above him.

Lu Xiufan’s breathing quickened. He drove his hips forward and thrust hard into him…

Beep, beep, beep. At that exact moment, the internal line sounded. A moment later, the head butler’s voice came through. “Sir, Young Master Ze, Yue Family head Yue Cheng is calling and requests to speak with Young Master Ze.”

Lu Xiufan’s gaze darkened. “Tell him he’s busy right now.”

“Of course.” The head butler heard a string of ragged panting and rhythmic thudding in the background and instinctively added, “Apologies for the interruption, Sir. Please continue.”

Lu Xiufan: …Does this creature known as a butler really have to interrupt at a moment like this?

Shang Ke’s thoughts briefly wandered to Yue Cheng’s reason for calling. Nine times out of ten, he wanted to plead for Yue Xuan. This might actually be an excellent opportunity to complete the Main Mission. Yue Xuan had created the disaster himself, Lu Xiufan’s pressure hung over the family, the Yue Family’s reputation was in ruins, and the nobility was beginning to ostracize them. They were now in genuine crisis. Being entrusted with the family in a time of danger would be far more effective than merely adding flowers to an already beautiful tapestry.

While his thoughts wandered, his body was suddenly lifted and then driven sharply back down.

Shang Ke let out a startled cry, finding himself straddling Lu Xiufan…

After dinner, Shang Ke received another call from Yue Cheng, who asked to meet with him.

Lu Xiufan said, “I’m going with you.”

Shang Ke therefore arranged a time and place with Yue Cheng.

The following afternoon, Yue Cheng arrived early and waited in a private room at an upscale restaurant.

At exactly five o’clock, the glass door opened and Shang Ke entered together with Lu Xiufan.

Yue Cheng immediately stood to welcome them and offered Lu Xiufan the seat of honor.

He had essentially recovered from his stroke and had been discharged ten days earlier, though some stiffness remained in his facial muscles and his gait was still slightly unnatural.

Yue Cheng respectfully offered Lu Xiufan the menu.

“I didn’t come here to eat,” Lu Xiufan said. “Say what you wanted to say.”

Yue Cheng put down the menu and spoke cautiously. “Your Excellency, I know my son offended you. I understand that I have no right to ask for your mercy, but I am still his father. No matter what, I hope you can spare him this once. I promise that from now on, I will keep him under strict control and never allow him to cause trouble again.”

Lu Xiufan asked coldly, “Do you know what he did to Yue Ze?”

Yue Cheng glanced at Shang Ke, who sat quietly beside them. “I know.”

“Do you?” Lu Xiufan stared at him. “Then tell me—what punishment does someone deserve for arranging for a group of men to gang-rape his own brother?”

Yue Cheng’s face went pale. He said nothing.

“Yue Xuan is your son. Isn’t Yue Ze your son too?” Lu Xiufan demanded harshly. “Just because he’s a Covenantor, you’re willing to let your younger son humiliate and abuse him?”

Yue Cheng lowered his head painfully. “I failed to discipline him properly.”

“You certainly did,” Lu Xiufan said coldly. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have stood by while Yue Ze’s stepmother sent him to the Covenantor Placement Center, where he was openly assigned a price and hired out to strangers. And you wouldn’t be sitting here protecting the person responsible after learning Yue Ze was nearly gang-raped.”

“What? The Placement Center?” Yue Cheng’s head snapped up, his face filled with shock. “What are you talking about?”

Lu Xiufan narrowed his eyes, fury burning in his dark pupils. Yue Cheng still had no idea that Lu Xiufan had hired Yue Ze directly from the Covenantor Placement Center?

Unbelievable. Had he ever actually cared about Yue Ze at all?!

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