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The two brothers felt a jolt of fear shoot through their scalps and bolted forward with the speed of someone rushing to be reborn.

“That way, that way!” Xiao Heng pointed urgently toward the alley on the right.

“No! Left! I’m the older brother, listen to me!” Shangguan Qing decisively pulled his younger brother and darted into the left alley.

As it turned out, Shangguan Qing had chosen the right path.

They had no idea how long they ran for, but only after making sure that no one from the brothel had followed them did they stop beside a wooden fence, gasping for breath in great heaving gulps.

The place they ended up in was once a dye workshop. After the war, the workers had left and the entire place had been emptied, leaving only a desolate courtyard behind.

Shangguan Qing had completely run out of strength and simply collapsed into the snow.

Xiao Heng glanced at him, then lay down beside him as well.

“How did you know to go left?” He asked. “You’ve been here before?”

“Nope. Just a feeling,” Shangguan Qing said nonchalantly.

Xiao Heng pondered this for a moment and came to the conclusion that it probably wasn’t mere instinct but experience.

Shangguan Qing hadn’t grown up confined within the walls of a noble household. He disliked studying, but that didn’t mean he was lacking in knowledge.

Wasn’t there a saying, “Reading ten thousand books is not as good as walking ten thousand miles”?

If anyone embodied that saying, it was definitely Shangguan Qing.

“What kind of brothers meet for the first time and immediately go ‘flirting’ with the brothel’s aun…” Shangguan Qing began to say “auntie” out of habit, but the image of that proprietress flashed through his mind, and he promptly corrected himself, “…great aunt.”

At that, Xiao Heng couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Indeed, what kind of brothers were like them?

The moment they met, it was one chaotic clash after another, until they finally ended up dragging each other into trouble.

Shangguan Qing gazed at the blue sky, dotted with clouds, and said, “Hey, aren’t scholars supposed to be honest and upright? Or are top scorers like you different from regular scholars?”

“What?” Xiao Heng didn’t quite catch his meaning at first; he was also staring at the sky, lost in a strange feeling.

Shangguan Qing said lazily, “My money pouch. You snuck that, didn’t you? And those antiques, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Not giving Xiao Heng any chance to explain, he huffed smugly, “And I really thought you were just a bookworm!”

Who would have thought he turned out to be a little glutinous rice ball with thick skin, thick flesh, and a black sesame filling!

Even after being seen through, Xiao Heng didn’t show the slightest bit of embarrassment.

That didn’t quite match his usual personality. He could do shameless things in front of strangers, but when it came to people close to him, his guard wasn’t nearly as high.

So then, why did everything feel so natural with Shangguan Qing?

Was it because he was his brother?

Because with your brother, you could be yourself without restraint, with no need to pretend. Because he understood you, just as you understood him.

It was like each of them was the other’s mirror in this world.

Xiao Heng rested his right arm beneath his head and said calmly, "I can't compare to your profound skills.”

“Of course I’m better than you, I’m the older brother!” Shangguan Qing declared, but in truth, his mind was still lingering on that moment just now.

The instant he lay down in the snow, a rush of thoughts had opened up in his mind all at once.

He didn't need any evidence, it was more like some kind of brotherly instinct that he suddenly realized this brat had been messing with him the whole time.

With a casual tone, he said, “Hey, top scholar. Recite a poem for me.”

Since the window paper had already been pierced, Xiao Heng saw no need to keep up the act of being the meek little brother and coldly refused him, “Not reciting.”

“Your true nature’s out now, huh?” Shangguan Qing turned his head, glared coldly at Xiao Heng, and mocked, “You’re the younger brother, how dare you talk back to your elder? Don’t you have even a little awareness of your role?”

“If you want a poem, recite it yourself.” Xiao Heng answered mildly, then rolled over in the snow, pointedly turning his back on Shangguan Qing.

Shangguan Qing gritted his teeth in rage, and in his mind’s eye, the little villain inside him leapt up and began swinging his nasty little brother through the air, then pummeling him with duang, duang, duang into the snow so deeply he couldn’t be dug back out!

“Humph!”

Shangguan Qing let out a snort through his nose, didn’t move, and coldly closed his eyes.

Xiao Heng kept his eyes open, feeling the warmth of his body slowly dissipating into the snow, quietly watching the distant scenery.

The wind had already stopped, and more pedestrians had begun appearing on the street.

From time to time, a passerby would glance at them with a look reserved for fools, but would then hurry along without lingering.

The reunion between the two brothers had come so suddenly, catching both of them unprepared. Perhaps Shangguan Qing had mentally braced himself a little, but only just a little.

Since their meeting, there were certain topics that had hung between them unspoken, deliberately avoided.

For instance, “Should the identity of the Eldest Imperial Grandson be returned to you?’

Or, “I took the antidote that was meant for you, are you angry about it?”

Truthfully, whether it was the Little Marquis of Zhao or the Eldest Imperial Grandson of Great Yan, neither life had been smooth or easy. It was difficult to say who had borne more suffering in the end.

Xiao Heng had survived, but the Little Marquis of Zhao had effectively died once.

Shangguan Qing was still alive, but his life was nearing its end.

A cold gust of wind swept past, making Xiao Heng shiver.

“It’s time to get up.” He said. “Don’t lie there any longer, or you’ll catch a chill.”

He sat upright.

Behind him, Shangguan Qing didn’t respond.

With a sense of unease, Xiao Heng turned to look at him.

Shangguan Qing’s face had gone ghostly pale, his lips drained of all color.

Even back in the camp earlier that morning, his complexion had already looked off. But granted it wasn’t as healthy and flushed as it should have been, it hadn’t been this weak.

“Shangguan Qing, what’s wrong?” Xiao Heng reached out and touched his forehead.

It wasn’t hot.

But his breathing was faint, barely there.

Xiao Heng lightly patted his shoulder, calling out, “Shangguan Qing? Shangguan Qing! Shangguan Qing!”

Xiao Heng wasn’t exactly a seasoned physician, but even he could tell when someone’s strength had reached its limit.

No wonder he hadn’t moved since lying down.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to move, he couldn’t.

“Wake up!”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to hear me recite a poem? I’ll recite it for you!”

“‘In the fifth month, mountain snows still fall, no flowers, only frost and cold. The flute mourns fallen willows, spring’s colors yet untold. At dawn, we march with war drums near; at night, with jade saddle we hold. This sword I bear upon my waist, I offer to brave the war!’”

“…That was awful.” Shangguan Qing slowly opened his heavy eyelids, casting a feeble glance at Xiao Heng.

Xiao Heng corrected seriously, “That poem is not awful!”

“It’s your voice.” Shangguan Qing rolled his eyes and muttered, “Aren’t you a little too old to be like this?”

Xiao Heng’s throat felt tight and sore. Unknowingly, his voice carried a trace of hoarseness, a faint choke he hadn’t even realized was there.

He let out a long exhale, and in just those few brief moments, the back of his robe had already been soaked through with sweat.

“Not even calling me ‘elder brother’ anymore.” Shangguan Qing grumbled.

Xiao Heng gave a short laugh. “Can you beat me in a fight? Or in the imperial exams? Why should I call you elder brother?”

Shangguan Qing grabbed at the firelance buried in the snow and growled, “One shot and I’ll blast you.”

“Elder brother.” A wise man knew when to yield.

Shangguan Qing gave a satisfied hum.

The wind was growing stronger. Xiao Heng extended a hand toward him. “Let me help you up.”

But Shangguan Qing suddenly said, “I won’t make it in time for the antidote.”

Xiao Heng’s hand paused in midair. He took a deep breath and replied slowly, “No… Father will bring it back. He will.”

Shangguan Qing didn’t respond. Instead, he gazed into the distant sky and murmured, “Is that person doing well?”

“That person” was a vague term to address someone.

But Xiao Heng only hesitated for a moment before he understood exactly who Shangguan Qing meant.

Before Xiao Heng could respond, Shangguan Qing spoke softly, “Take me to see her. I want… to see her before I go.”

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Description:

In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.

When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.

The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.

From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.

***

Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.

After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"

Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"

Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”

Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

He hasn't finished his lines yet though…

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