Rain Drop at Night 🌙

Emerging into the midday sun, Lan Yu felt its warmth seep into his skin like a return to the living world. Hurrying after Li Mingzheng, his shaking fingers fumbled with the traditional jacket's knotted buttons—still rattled, it took several attempts to fasten them properly. Abruptly, Li Mingzheng halted. Lan Yu nearly collided with him, but the older man sidestepped with a frown. Pressing his lips together, Lan Yu murmured: "Thank you for your intervention, First Young Master." "Unnecessary," came the reply. Lan Yu's face bore the marks of violence—one cheek flushed scarlet, stinging with lingering pain, his split lip smeared with blood, the very picture of delicate distress. As Li Mingzheng turned to leave again, Lan Yu called out: "First Young Master!" Yet having spoken, words failed him. Fear and fury churned within—outrage at Li Yuqing's brazen violation, yet powerless to retaliate. Lan Yu had considered appearing before Old Master Li...

Behind Lan Yu loomed the solemn statue of an arhat, the hall heavy with sandalwood incense and the austere atmosphere of the Buddhist temple. Yet here he was, pinned beneath Li Yuqing, who stroked his face with a tenderness laced with brazen desire, as if appraising a rare and coveted treasure. What a damned temple. This was the eighteenth level of hell. Lan Yu stared back at Li Yuqing, who took his time studying those fox-like eyes—never imagining they could look so alluring on a man. Tsk. Utterly captivating. Lan Yu said, "Second Young Master, I live in the present, not the future. If that day ever comes, it will simply be my fate." A refusal. Li Yuqing looked at him, then suddenly laughed, patting Lan Yu's cheek. "Stepmother, what kind of bewitching potion has my father given you, that you're so loyal to him? Or is it..." His gaze dropped suggestively to the bite mark on Lan Yu's collarbone, his voice lowering, "that my father's skills ...

The Guanyin Temple stood on the mountain, its incense sparse. Only nearby villagers or those bringing their wives and children came to pray to the Bodhisattva, lending the place a quiet serenity. Lan Yu looked up at the enormous statue of the Bodhisattva in the main hall. The deity held a pure vase, eyes lowered in compassion as they gazed upon all living beings. Suddenly, Lan Yu remembered the first time Old Master Li had pinned him to the bed. The man had stared obsessively at his lower body, fingers tracing the length of his shaft and the narrow slit beneath, murmuring in a daze, " The Bodhisattva... the Bodhisattva has descended ." " The world is filthy, yet Guanyin embodies the essence of both—male and female forms ," Old Master Li had whispered in his ear, breath ragged with deranged obsession, sending chills down Lan Yu's spine. Trembling all over, Lan Yu had let out a sharp cry when a rough finger abruptly pushed inside. Old Master Li kissed his nec...

The Guanyin Temple stood outside Beijing City, its winding mountain path paved with bluestone, disappearing into the lush forest. When the carriage could go no further, they had to stop at the foot of the mountain. Old Master Li was carried up in a sedan chair by servants. It was already midsummer. The forest buzzed with cicadas and birdsong, its ancient trees thick with foliage. Walking through it brought a unique sense of tranquility. Li Mingzheng supported Old Madam Li as they walked behind the sedan chair, followed by Lan Yu and Li Yuqing, with servants bringing up the rear. The group huffed and puffed their way up the mountain. Before long, Lan Yu's back was soaked with sweat. Li Yuqing said with a smile, "Stepmother, can you keep up?" Lan Yu replied, "Second Young Master should watch his own footing." As he took a step forward, Li Yuqing caught up, their hands brushing seemingly by accident. Li Yuqing whispered with a grin, "If Stepmother can...

Li Yuqing was a regular in the pleasure quarters of the Eight Great Alleys. Just mention the name "Second Master Li," and there wasn't a soul who didn't know it. Such a man—Lan Yu admitted to himself that if he weren't the Ninth Concubine of the Li family, he might have entertained the idea of playing along and engaging in superficial pleasantries. But now, as the Ninth Concubine of the Li family, he naturally had to keep his distance, cutting all ties cleanly. He had once heard of the Li family's Fourth Concubine, who was discovered in an improper relationship with a servant and was subsequently thrown into a well. Old Master Li might currently hold him in high regard, but if he were to become entangled with Li Yuqing, there was no doubt—death would be his fate. Lan Yu understood this perfectly, yet he hadn't anticipated that Li Yuqing would prove far more persistent than he had imagined. Li Yuqing was reckless and mad, behaving as though he genuinel...

That Old Master Li had taken to opium was no rarity in Beijing. The city's opium dens flourished despite repeated bans, and countless souls had fallen prey to the pernicious habit. Moreover, he'd started smoking a year ago. Lan Yu wasn't afraid of Li Mingzheng pinning the blame on him. Without evidence, even if the young master truly wished to use this as pretext to eliminate him, Old Master Li still drew breath. Summer had arrived. The cicadas' drone brought with it Beijing's sweltering heat, though a predawn drizzle had mercifully cooled the air somewhat. The season's languor affected everyone—Lan Yu listlessly stirred his congee, appetite absent. Old Master Li, however, seemed in good spirits. "Not hungry?" Lan Yu made a noncommittal sound, his listlessness carrying a subtle note of coquetry. "No appetite." The old master was charmed. Bringing his own spoon to Lan Yu's lips, he coaxed, "Open up." Lan Yu pressed his li...

Lan Yu made his first appearance before the Li family three days later, on the fifteenth of the month, when the entire household gathered. The Lis clung to archaic traditions—concubines were barred from the main table. Wheeled in by Lan Yu, Elder Li drew every eye in the silent room. Lan Yu, too, was scrutinized. After guiding Elder Li to his seat, Lan Yu lingered until the old man ordered, "Add another chair beside me." The room tensed, all stares fixed on Lan Yu. Head bowed, Lan Yu remained silent. Madam Li's voice was steel. "This violates propriety—" Old Master Li said impatiently, "What I say is the rule." Old Madam Li spoke bluntly without any courtesy, coldly stating, "Master, our Li family has never had the custom of allowing concubines to sit at the main table. Now you want Lan Yu to sit here—does that make him your legitimate wife or your son?" Old Master Li glanced at her indifferently and said, "If you don't wis...

For a man, as long as he hasn't been laid in his coffin, nothing stings more than having his virility questioned. The scoundrel Li Yuqing's jesting words had pierced Old Master Li's heart like needles. Though aged, he refused to accept his decline, yet fate cared not—rendering him not just old but paralyzed. And just at this stage of life, he'd encountered someone who could make withered wood bloom anew. A fire smoldered in Old Master Li's heart. Since Lan Yu's arrival, the courtyard had been cleared of concubines attending to the master's illness, leaving only servants—all nursing duties now performed personally by Lan Yu. That evening, after bathing, Lan Yu entered the room and turned to find Old Master Li staring at him with an intense gaze. Lan Yu recognized that look all too well. Narrowing his eyes, he feigned ignorance, slowly drying his damp hair. Old Master Li called out, "Lan Yu, come here." Lan Yu responded, and as he approached ...

Old Master Li was paralyzed, but his health remained surprisingly robust. On this fine day, Lan Yu and the servants helped him into a wheelchair and pushed him out into the courtyard. The Li family's mansion boasted some of the most exquisite scenery in Beijing. In the height of summer, the garden was adorned with jagged rockeries and lush foliage, while the vast lake shimmered with golden ripples, as if the water itself had been scattered with crushed sunlight. Old Master Li remarked, "When I bought this estate, it was for the view. But now, though it's still beautiful, it feels a bit gaudy and artificial—nothing like the natural elegance of Jiangnan." Standing behind him, Lan Yu smiled. "Jiangnan is delicate, Beijing is grand. Each has its own charm." Old Master Li patted Lan Yu's hand where it rested on the wheelchair. "Let's sit in the pavilion for a while." Lan Yu nodded. "Of course." They crossed a small bridge and en...

Ling Ran had only vague memories of what happened after the proposal. The only clear recollection was that red ribbon being tied somewhere else. He and Jiang Zhiyu had agreed not to harm the little one in his belly, but by the end, Ling Ran was still clutching his stomach, crying pitifully. This time, Jiang Zhiyu showed little mercy. Keeping the doctor's advice in mind, he avoided internal knotting but made sure everything else was thoroughly done. Carrying the exhausted little Omega from the bed to the bathroom for a wash, they lingered there for a while before finally emerging. Finally placed back on the bed, clean and dry, Ling Ran could barely keep his eyes open. His slender legs trembled uncontrollably—and this was with Jiang Zhiyu holding back for his sake. Had he not, Ling Ran would have long since passed out from the intensity. Jiang Zhiyu reached under the blanket, lifting one of his legs. The little Omega, who had already closed his eyes to sleep, was startled awak...