Chapter 61 Are You Out of Your Mind?

Chapter 61: Is There Something Wrong with His Brain?

Zhang Qinghang was completely out of it by now, his mind just a foggy mess, only thinking about that pretty face.

He just stared blankly at Cheng Ge with a silly grin, reaching out to touch his waist. "Let's... hit the bed."

Cheng Ge got pissed and amused at the same time, immediately smearing another streak of blush on Zhang Qinghang's cheek.

"Cut the crap. I'm asking you, is your old man up to something again?"

Zhang Qinghang was dazed from the beating, barely managing to make out what Cheng Ge was asking.

"My father is Zhang Hong... the Left Vice Minister of Personnel. How dare you hit me... *hic*... I'll wreck your whole family."

Hearing this, Cheng Ge's stomach dropped. "What do you mean, 'wreck'? What is Zhang Hong planning? Does it have to do with my family?"

Zhang Qinghang, eyes bleary and tongue thick, spoke haltingly, "You crossed me... I'll take care of your... whole family, hahaha..."

Cheng Ge, burning with anxiety, grabbed Zhang Qinghang by the collar and hissed, "Spit it out! What the hell is Zhang Hong planning!"

Zhang Qinghang's body went limp, leaning toward Cheng Ge, completely oblivious to his situation.

He opened his gaping mouth and leaned in to kiss Cheng Ge's face. "Hey, pretty boy, gimme a kiss."

Cheng Ge watched that mouth getting closer and instantly flashed back to some nasty memory.

"Holy shit..." His hand moved faster than his mind, and he swung a fist. With a thud, Zhang Qinghang hit the back of his head on the floor, rolled his eyes, and went out like a light.

"Zhang Qinghang??? You dumb fuck??" Cheng Ge smacked him hard on the cheek, trying to jolt him awake.

Zhang Qinghang's head lolled to the side, and with a faint sound, two perfect front teeth dropped onto the floor.

Cheng Ge: "..."

Guess he was too young, always went overboard with his hits. Now Zhang Qinghang was totally out cold, and it looked like he wasn't waking up anytime soon.

He'd hoped to squeeze some info out of him, but that was a lost cause now.

Cheng Ge glanced at the shadows outside the room and figured it was best to keep his nose out of it. He'd go back and have someone look into it.

He quickly swiped Zhang Qinghang's valuables, rushed to the window, and looked down.

Not bad, not too high...

Without thinking twice, he swung a leg out the window.

But just then, Cheng Ge stopped, like he remembered something, and pulled his leg back in.

He ran back to the table, grabbed a whole chicken from the plate that hadn't been touched, and shoved it in his mouth.

Chomping on the drumstick, he patted Zhang Qinghang down again to make sure he didn't miss any loot, then headed back to the window.

He climbed out, slid down the wall fast, hit the ground, and took off running.

Cheng Ge had already sent the carriage home. By now, it was pitch black, and when he got back to the mansion, it was dead quiet.

He glanced around, took a bite of the drumstick in his mouth, feeling super sneaky.

He figured Cui Ji was still working overtime, so he jumped through the gate on both feet, like a total newbie.

But out of nowhere, a figure popped out of the dark, and he smacked right into them.

The drumstick almost flew out of Cheng Ge's mouth. He caught himself and saw it was Cui Ji.

Cui Ji instinctively grabbed him to keep him from falling, asking, kinda annoyed, "Where the hell have you been messing around?"

Cheng Ge wiped his mouth, looking guilty, his eyes darting everywhere as he grinned. "Just went to get you some chicken."

Cui Ji's eyes moved from the drumstick in Cheng Ge's mouth to his hand holding the chicken neck, but he didn't push it.

"Go eat first."

"Oh, okay."

The meal was already laid out. Cui Ji had the kitchen slice up the chicken Cheng Ge brought back and serve it.

Cheng Ge put the remaining drumstick into Cui Ji's bowl. "You eat."

Cui Ji looked at the drumstick in his bowl and was about to pick up his chopsticks.

But then Cheng Ge suddenly stood up, took a small bowl from the steward, and sprinkled goji berries over every dish.

Cui Ji: "..."

After dinner, Cheng Ge tucked a chessboard under his arm and headed straight to the study to find Cui Ji.

As soon as he entered, he shouted, "Your Highness, how about a couple of rounds?"

Cui Ji tightened his grip on the book he was reading, pretending not to hear.

But Cheng Ge's thick skin prevailed, and he forcefully set up the chess set.

Cheng Ge had a favor to ask but didn't want to come right out with it. He remembered Cui Ji playing chess alone before, so he figured the man must enjoy it. This was a good chance to play a few games and then bring up his request.

Cui Ji wasn't stupid. Cheng Ge rarely came to bother him at this hour, so he must want something.

They sat down at the chessboard. Cheng Ge pretended to focus on the game, but his mind was still on what Zhang Qinghang had said.

After a few moves, he started to broach the subject. "Your Highness, do you have a lot of spies?"

Cui Ji was taken aback, unsure why Cheng Ge was bringing this up.

He didn't like beating around the bush and asked directly, "What do you want to do?"

This made Cheng Ge a bit embarrassed. "I just wanted to ask them to look into something for me."

Cui Ji pinched a black piece between his fingers and gave Cheng Ge a brief glance. "Ling Feng."

As soon as he spoke, a shadow dropped directly from the beam. "Master."

Cheng Ge, holding a white piece, gaped in an O-shape, looking a bit dazed. "You know qinggong?"

Ling Feng recalled the earlier conversation between his master and Cheng Ge and replied flatly, "No."

"Then how did you get up there?" Cheng Ge pointed at the beam.

Ling Feng turned around, grabbed the pillar against the wall with both hands and feet, and in front of Cheng Ge, scrambled up in a few moves, his movements so practiced it was almost pitiful.

Cheng Ge: “.......”

Then the other guy jumped down right in front of Cheng Ge, light as a ghost and silent as a mouse.

“Just tell him whatever you need to investigate.” Cui Ji set his piece down on the board.

Cheng Ge snapped out of it and quickly spoke up, “So, can you help me look into someone? His name is Cheng Jinxing, a low-ranking official, ninth rank, in the Yuanzhou Tax Bureau. Actually, I don’t need much—just to confirm that he and his family are safe.”

After hearing this, Ling Feng grunted in acknowledgment, bowed to them, turned, and leaped out the window, rolling away.

Cheng Ge’s mouth twitched as he turned to Cui Ji, “Why didn’t he use the door?”

Cui Ji stared at the chessboard and said coldly, “No idea. Maybe he’s brain-damaged.”

The remaining shadow guards in the dark: .......