Chapter 664 – Alliance at Huangshui (1)
“Nothing seems out of place.”
Wei Ci cleared his throat a couple of times, his face returning to calm, though his ears were flushed bright red, the tiny blood vessels easily visible.
Of course, he recognized who Jiang Pengji meant by “heartthrob.” Faced with the oblivious Yang Si, he felt a strange embarrassment.
However, Yang Si’s earlier comments did have some merit.
The leader was still young, just in her teens and blossoming, but what about Wei Zixiao?
Was he really only six years older?
“Wei has things to attend to, so I’m leaving first.”
Wei Ci’s voice was somewhat muffled, as if he was deliberately avoiding something.
Yang Si wasn’t about to let him off easily; this tactic of changing the subject wouldn’t work on him.
“Aren’t you going to explain yourself? You think you can just brush me off like that?” Yang Si sat firmly on a small stool, catching his breath. Seeing Wei Ci attempt to leave, he quickly grabbed his sleeve, his expression serious as he earnestly advised, “…Zixiao… be rational, don’t do anything foolish.”
Wei Ci smiled, like sunlight melting the snow, not dazzling or fervent, just the right warmth.
“Wisely handled, she’ll understand when she’s a bit older.”
In five or six years, he would be twenty-seven or twenty-eight, approaching middle age; her interest would surely fade.
Upon hearing this, Yang Si didn’t push further, as long as Wei Ci knew what he was doing.
Sighing deeply, Yang Si relaxed on the stool, legs stretched out, dangling without a care, humming a strange tune.
Just as he was getting comfortable, a voice unexpectedly called from behind.
“Where’s Zixiao?”
Yang Si nearly fell off the stool in fright, but fortunately, he pulled himself together, maintaining his dignity.
He slowly stood up, brushed off his sleeves, and bowed.
“Zixiao mentioned he had matters to attend to and stepped out. Are you looking for him, my lord?”
Jiang Pengji crossed her arms, the corner of her lips curling into an enigmatic smile, “No, I came to find you.”
Yang Si: “…”
Wait—something feels off about the atmosphere!
For some reason, Yang Si had the odd impression that Jiang Pengji was here to settle accounts with him… no, perhaps it wasn’t just an impression…
Without a word, Jiang Pengji simply stared at Yang Si with a half-smile, causing the latter’s hair to stand on edge.
After a moment, she finally spoke, “Jingrong, do you still remember the ‘heartthrob’ I mentioned before?”
Yang Si: “…”
Wait—please don’t tell him the “heartthrob” Jiang Pengji referred to is Wei Ci!
His expression darkened as he recalled the image of the person she mentioned, growing increasingly desperate.
“…My lord… you and Zixiao…”
Yang Si paused here, unsure how to persuade her.
He too had gone through the impetuous years of youth and understood that young people loved to resist.
The more the outside world obstructed them, the stronger their competitive spirit grew.
For the leader, Wei Ci might just be a fleeting crush, merely captivated by the attractive appearance.
At most, it was eight parts curiosity, two parts affection.
If a strong external force intervened, the leader’s rebellious stubbornness would surely amplify those two parts into ten.
“…After all, they are both men, have you considered how you two will carry on the family line?”
Yang Si spoke with a weariness in his voice. As a close friend to Wei Ci, he was free to express opinions, but confronting Jiang Pengji was different.
Jiang Pengji countered, “Why can’t we?”
“Zixiao isn’t a romantic person. It’s not like he’ll be devoted forever, but… if you’re thinking of having other women provide heirs, you might be wasting your time.” Yang Si, clearly misunderstanding, stammered awkwardly, “…Not to mention… you’re still in your prime, why waste your time, or his? You’re still young, he’s already six years older than you…”
At twenty-seven or twenty-eight, the leader is still considered youthful and capable, but by then, Wei Ci would be in his thirties—surely they wouldn’t suit each other.
Yang Si felt he had said all he could say, yet the person before him seemed wholly indifferent.
She stated, “Of course, I wouldn’t let anyone else touch him; I have a severe cleanliness obsession.”
Yang Si couldn’t grasp what “cleanliness obsession” meant, but he understood enough from the context.
His headache returned. Realization hit him: the leader was likely lacking in biological knowledge and didn’t understand that men can’t have children.
Was it possible she thought two men could produce offspring?
“Zixiao is a man, and so are you.”
He found it absurd to have to explain this to a boy nearly eighteen.
Jiang Pengji chuckled, “And so?”
Yang Si responded, “Men can’t give birth.”
Jiang Pengji replied, “I know, so what?”
Yang Si nearly choked, struggling to catch his breath.
Knowing men can’t have children and forbidding Wei Ci from having children with other women? Wasn’t she ending his bloodline?
Exasperated, he threw his hands up, “You and Zixiao are both men; you can’t have kids!”
Jiang Pengji lowered her gaze slightly, scoffing, “Wrong.”
Yang Si startled—where did he go wrong?
“Zixiao is a man; that’s correct, but everything else is wrong.”
Even with Yang Si’s above-average intelligence, he felt utterly baffled, unable to process it.
Earlier, he said “you and Zixiao are both men and can’t have children,” and she countered that “only Zixiao being a man is true, everything else is not”—which meant “the leader is not a man,” and “can’t have children” was also false…
That was terrifying to think about QAQ
Yang Si’s expression went through several changes, his mind swirling as if someone had thrown a hundred hornet nests at him, with bees buzzing incessantly.
“M-my lord…”
Yang Si was so distressed that he struggled to speak.
Jiang Pengji blinked, “I have matters to attend to; I’ll take my leave first.”
With that, she left Yang Si in a state of shock, waving her sleeve as she vanished without a trace.
The audience in the live stream observed the entire debacle, essentially splitting into two camps: one worried about the host’s gender being exposed, the other concerned for Yang Si’s mental state.
【Silent Huang Shaotian】: Oh no, if Yang Si finds out the host’s gender, will he run away?
【Gentle Han Wenqing】: Without counting the host’s father’s influence, the host is also a regional leader, commanding tens of thousands of troops. Yang Si is merely a scholar; how can he escape? Run with his head? The host is ruthless, and Wei Ci is equally ruthless; they’d make it impossible for him to fly away.
【Eloquent Zhou Zekai】: I don’t quite get it—why did the host reveal their gender at this moment?
【Honest Ye Buxiu】: I understand. The host has just recaptured all of Wanzhou; though they can’t crush everyone, they can’t be casual about it. Revealing their true identity at this time is wise. Before formally exposing everything, it allows those around them to prepare.
Clearly, through earlier tests, Yang Si could accept that Jiang Pengji is “female.”
As long as she keeps a few scholars under her control, the rest would be easier to handle.
So far, three people know Jiang Pengji’s true gender: Feng Jin, Wei Ci, and Yang Si. These three hold considerable weight within Jiang Pengji’s circle; if they’re fully supportive, even if others have some objections, it wouldn’t cause too much of a stir.
