Chapter 33

WARNING: VIOLENCE AND ABUSE...

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Meanwhile, at Mingyue Palace, Zhanhua who spent the whole evening drinking tea and waiting for Shen Nuo, stood up to go. Shen Nuo didn't come. Outside it was already getting dark. He couldn't wait any longer.

Zhanhua came alone and should go alone. No one should see him him sneak here at least. It wouldn't be too good for Shen Nuo if others see a minister sneak into a consort palace...

He would at least visit Shen Nuo once a week. But if he gets caught, he knew it would be a crime that was enough to get his position in the court to get ripped off. But still he went. Minghe's matters were important. And beside that, he didn't get to see Shen Nuo often. So he also... missed him...

But today, Shen Nuo didn't meet him at the appointed time. He had not come back. There was no point of waiting.

Zhanhua did not know why he was suddenly feeling so strange today. He had a faint headache troubling him since morning. His limbs ached slightly too. His sight was blurry at moments. It was better if he leave quickly. He picked up the scrolls that he had brought with him from the desk.

Liyi looked apprehensive. She obviously knew about Zhanhua's harmless visits. Jinyu had gone with Shen Nuo too and hadn't come back yet. She could only look at Zhanhua drearily. "Master will be back soon!" She said uncertainly.

But Zhanhua shook his head. "Consort Shen was summoned by His Majesty. Perhaps it might be for something important. I've already troubled you a lot. Tell Consort Shen that I'll be back again when I can. There are some important matters for us to discuss."

To tell the truth, he came here today for something important too. It was just this morning he was informed by his secret agents and spies that Minghe's assassination was going to happen at the Spring Hunt! Since it was a holiday, he immediately came in search of Shen Nuo to meet him...

But it looked as if he won't be able to discuss the matter with Shen Nuo today. This matter wasn't something which could be spoken in a hurry. Nevermind. There was still a week before the Spring Hunt... He smiled at Liyi. "Then I'll be going."

Liyi couldn't even reply when the sliding door was barged open unceremoniously. Shen Nuo came inside and his face was pale. It also looked extremely irritated. He wiped away the sweat on his forehead with the back of his sleeve.

And when he saw Zhanhua, he was purely startled. "You're still here!" He said furiously and that voice was very hoarse. "I thought you had already left!"

He walked towards Zhanhua with a strained smile. "Zhanhua! I'm sorry! He kept me waiting so I couldn't come."

Zhanhua opened his mouth to speak but lost his voice when he saw Shen Nuo's left ear.

That soft and gentle ear tip was scarred and stained with blood...

He pursed his thin lips and couldn't speak for a long time. His heart was in a mess. It ached. He knew it was rude to do this. But he carefully looked at Shen Nuo from up to down, slowly. That dress was slightly disheveled. Those gentle eyes were slightly red. His voice was hoarse and his ear was bitten.

Zhanhua dared not imagine what must have happened. Shen Nuo had been gone for so long. What urgent matters he had? He wasn't any minister or any official inside the court. He was just a consort, a wife of the Emperor... What was there for him to do?

Zhanhua felt vexed for no reason. He wasn't mad. But he felt sad. He came here for some important matters but he was kept waited for hours while Shen Nuo was enjoying his private time with the Emperor...

He did not know what to feel. He only felt that he didn't want to discuss anything anymore. He wanted to leave. He pursed his lips and smiled slightly to Shen Nuo. "Consort Shen, it's late. It's inappropriate for me to stay here any longer. Then I shall take my leave."

But suddenly Shen Nuo blocked his way looking politely confused.

"Wait! What has happened to you?" He asked in a strange voice. "You were never like this, were you? You never cared about time when it came to serious matters! What did you want to tell to me? Just tell me if it's bothering you!"

Zhanhua looked at Shen Nuo in the eyes. Those eyes were deep pools of dark brown. Though they didn't have the ability to kill a soul like Li Yan's phoenix eyes, still those eyes were capable of speaking a thousand unspeakable emotions. In those eyes was clearly melancholy...

Shen Nuo's brows furrowed. "Your... Your eyes are red! And your voice is hoarse! Zhanhua, is something wrong? "

Zhanhua just shook his head and turned his face to the side. "I'm fine, Consort Shen!" He passed by Shen Nuo with silent steps.

Just as Zhanhua was to exit the room, he felled onto his knees without warning. He gasped grasping his aching head. The sudden headache was serious and hurting that seemed to rip off his head into pieces. Veins started bulging upon his fair forehead and his teeth tightened. He threw his head back in pain.

What was happening? Why was it like this all of a sudden?

Then suddenly he was horror-stricken. He forgot it was a full moon tonight! His hidden disease would always act up during full moon nights but he forgot! No wonder he had been feeling strange since morning!

He knew he would nearly go insane at such times. He didn't know what he'll do at such moments. It might get serious even to the point of killing someone... So he would always desert himself when the disease triggers. Or he would lock himself up until the episode was over.

But...

Shen Nuo did not know about this. He was shocked to see this abrupt change. He swiftly hurried to him and knelt forth him anxiously. "Zhanhua? Are you alright?"

Zhanhua was suddenly breathing hard. Sweat beads were drooping down his pale and bloodless forehead. His lips were chapped and his eyes were red. It was obvious that something was wrong with him. Shen Nuo was startled. What's wrong with Zhanhua? Why was he acting like this?

He gently tried to get closer to him. "Hey! I'm also a doctor. Just tell me if you don't feel alright. Ok? Don't scare me. You- "

But suddenly Zhanhua glared at Shen Nuo. He pushed away Shen Nuo brutally. "Don't come near me! Leave! Go away!"

Shen Nuo was thrown away in the pressure. His back slammed onto a pillar and he couldn't help but hiss out in pain. He was stunned. That glare... He felt scared of Zhanhua for the first time. He couldn't believe that of an innocent kind face could have such a frightening expression. What on earth was going on?

Liyi screamed in terror but Shen Nuo shot her a warning look. "Don't alarm him! Leave!"

"But... Master!" Liyi cried out with widened eyes.

Shen Nuo just looked at her angrily. "It's alright! Just leave us alone, ok?"

Liyi nodded reluctantly before leaving the room in a hurry.

Shen Nuo gently closed the distance between Zhanhua and himself, nervously and reached his hand to Zhanhua's shoulder. Then he gently patted him on his shoulder and spoke in a soothing voice. "Ah'zhan, just tell me if something is wrong. Ok? I'll help you!"

Though Zhanhua was still breathing hard, he looked a lot calmer than before. He looked limp and weak. His dark brown eyes were beautiful and moist. His face was drenched with sweat. He raised his eyes helplessly to look at Shen Nuo who was close to him. He forced out a painful smile.

"Thanks, consort... Shen but you can't help me. I'll tell this for your... own good. Just keep way from me! Don't come near me! And... don't follow me!"

Before Shen Nuo could think any further, Zhanhua got up from where he knelt, leapt out of the window and fled into the thicket by the back of the palace.

Shen Nuo was speechless. What did Zhanhua mean? What did he mean by can't help? And what was the meaning of his warning? Shen Nuo did not know. He felt even confused and flabbergasted.

But he only knew one thing. He couldn't pretend like he was deaf and blind. He had to help Zhanhua immediately. Zhanhua had helped him out of terrible messes before. If he cannot help Zhanhua when he is needed the most, what use it would be of their friendship?

He gulped, feeling lost for a while. Then he ran out of the door and hurried towards the thicket.

"Zhanhua! Zhanhua! Where are you?" Shen Nuo called in a loud voice. The thicket was fairly big and had a plenty of places to hide. Shen Nuo obviously knew it. He was anxious. The darkness had almost enveloped around him and the last rays of the sun was now disappearing into the western sky.

But there was no sign of Zhanhua. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted out aloud again. "Zhanhua!"

But there was no reply. Shen Nuo was more and more baffled. He indeed felt something strange in Zhanhua the moment he stepped into the room and saw his confused face. What did he want to tell? The matter must be very important. Or Zhanhua wouldn't have waited for him for such a long time. And what happened to him all of a sudden? He did not know. No matter what, he aught to find Zhanhua...

Shen Nuo did not know how many hours he spent in that thicket, repeatedly calling Zhanhua's name uselessly. Extreme silence... Silent trees loomed around, like tall gloomy ghosts around him. There was no sound of even a leaf drop.

Could it be that Zhanhua had already left? Shen Nuo knew that Zhanhua was one of the rare people with the highest cultivation levels in Li Yang alongside the Emperor and Shendu. It wasn't that hard for him to use his excellent qing gong skills to get out of the premises of Mingyue Palace without being noticed by anyone. Could he have already left? Then...

There was no point of him waiting here anymore. The darkness had already deepened. The moon was full and glimmering. A night owl hooted somewhere amid the tall pine trees, peacefully.

Shen Nuo pursed his lips. He turned to go. But suddenly he was pulled back by an iron grip and was pushed down onto the dry leaf clad earth. His back hit the hard earth with a stab of pain. A sharp and a strong smell of Camphor assailed his nose. Shen Nuo looked at the intruder, bewildered and couldn't help but gasp.

He was horror-stricken. Zhanhua!!?????

But this didn't look like his pleasant usual self anymore. His robes were disheveled and strands of his long hair scattered down his face. There was blood trails down his lower lip. Veins bulged convulsively at his sweat drenched temples. There was a strange black mist hoovering around him...

And ... And his red eyes had pupils of... amber!!! They weren't dark brown anymore. He groaned and growled pushing Shen Nuo down the leaf cold earth harder. He didn't look like a human anymore.

Shen Nuo was frightened to the extreme. He hissed in pain when Zhanhua's strong arms tightened around his shoulders in a tight painful grip. He was still growling like an animal. Zhanhua was normally friendly and reachable. But right now Shen Nuo did not know why he felt so unsafe and uneasy.

The Zhanhua forth him didn't seem to be like a human anymore. He didn't seem to be in his senses anymore... What on earth was happening? The novel didn't mention anything like this...

"Zhanhua!" Shen Nuo yelled. "What has happened to you? Let me go! Let me check you! Let go!"

He tried to struggle out. But by the next moment, to his horror, Zhanhua forcefully tore off his collar and burried his head down Shen Nuo's neck. The set of sharp teeth bore down the soft and supple skin of his throat. His skin was torn amid a bitter pain.

Shen Nuo's eyes widened in terror. Blood flowed down his neck. Zhanhua was... drinking his blood... Shen Nuo felt dizzy. He was shuddering wildly. His eyes moistened at visible speed.

What on earth was happening??? What was wrong with Zhanhua? Zhanhua wasn't someone who would be like this even if he was drunk! Shen Nuo's mind was in a mess. He didn't know what to do. The more he tried to struggle in pain, Zhanhua restrained him tighter.

Shen Nuo repeatedly slapped his hand onto Zhanhua's back. "ZHANHUA!!!!! LET ME GO!"

Zhanhua slowly let go and raised his amber eyes to look at him. Those eyes were full of fine red blood vessels. The amber pupils were deep fathoming and ruthless. His lips were blood stained and dripping red. He bore his incisor fangs scaring Shen Nuo into horrifics. Those incisors weren't really human teeth but fangs!

"Shen Nuo..." He growled hoarsely. "You shouldn't ask me to let you go. I waited for you for ten years. But where were you?"

Shen Nuo was horror-stricken. What was Zhanhua uttering? Was he insane? But then suddenly he realized it might not be the case. Recently he had been recovering a lot of original Shen Nuo's childhood memories. He indeed had sensed something awkward going between original Shen Nuo and Zhanhua in the past...

It was true that in their last life, their friendship was overlooked by others and rumors were spread shipping them together. But now when he looked at Zhanhua, he was flabbergasted. So the actual truth was.... Holy shit! Zhanhua had actually crushed him in secret!

How could Shen Nuo believe? This shock was too sudden and abrupt that for a moment, his mind was frantically blank. Zhanhua who saw the confused face beneath him was very impatient.

He directly lowered his head and bit the wound in the neck again. This time it was pain like a thousand daggers stabbing him. His eyes widened in horror. Zhanhua was... marking him...

Shen Nuo felt like dying. He was suffocated.

But he was completely defenceless against Zhanhua. His entire body convulsed under the torture. He could only gather all the strength that was left in him and scream. He didn't want this thing to happen...

But it was when he realized no matter how hard he screamed, no voice came off his lips. One of Zhanhua's palms were pressed hard upon Shen Nuo's mouth, avoiding him from making any sound.

Tears gushed down his eyes more and more. It was tearing pain. He kicked his legs to struggle out but it was completely useless. He could do nothing but to endure.

He liked Zhanhua. But not this way. He only took Zhanhua as a doting elder brother. But never expected even in his nightmares that he would get violated by a person whom he used to trust. He was really so unlucky...

It's alright for Li Yan to do improper things to him because Li Yan was a dog. Besides, they both were legally married. And Modern Shen Nuo knew that original Shen Nuo lost his chastity to Li Yan through Blood Promise when he was eleven. And that cold night, under the torture of death pain, he never thought he would get marked by Zhanhua...

Though he did not belong to this world, he still wasn't stupid or dumb. He was very well aware of the consequences. From this day onwards, he would be struck between Li Yan and Zhanhua until the day he die...

Shen Nuo was frustrated. Though his body was a ger, his mind was still a man! He felt offended. This was really agonizing. Painful tears slid down the sides of his cheeks helplessly. The torment was too much to sustain. He tightly shut his eyes gritting his teeth...

What will happen when Li Yan gets to know about this??? He won't be able to hide this matter from Li Yan forever. It's fine even if Li Yan kills him! He doesn't mind. Because now he only wanted to get free from this pain. Only if someone could help him...

Three miles way, Emperor Li Yan who was silently reading a  report at the Imperial Study, bent down immediately. His hand subconsciously grasped the side of his neck. It was shocking pain.

He was speechless for a while before his eyes suddenly widened. He didn't wait even for a second. He swiftly exited the Study and disappeared into the night's darkness...

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