HE With the Cold Male Protagonist C27

Chapter 27: Shameful to Be Seen, A Sense of Loss

“Hey, Lu Lizhi?” You’re the great male lead—how can you flee at the sight of a mere small-time villain?

As Jiang Baiye was being dragged rapidly through the crowd, a sliver of suspicion arose in his heart. Before he could think more, a wheelbarrow loaded with goods rolled toward them, too late to avoid. He quickly reached out, yanking the head-down, blindly running Lu Lizhi straight into his arms!

The slender waist in his grasp made Jiang Baiye’s heart give a tremor. A faint scent of soap mixed with tea fragrance wrapped around him, making him instinctively tighten his hold, shielding him as they crossed the street and slipped into an alley.

Before Lu Lizhi could breathe a sigh of relief, a shout came from nearby: “He’s over there!”

“What’s going on?” Jiang Baiye frowned, but before he could ask more, Lu Lizhi dragged him deeper into the alley in a panic—then shoved him against the wall.

Jiang Baiye blinked, dazed, then grinned. “You want to wall-press* me…?”

Lu Lizhi suddenly leaned in, pressing down on his shoulders. Jiang Baiye’s smile faltered as he stared at the face closing in. From the exertion, a vivid flush spread across Lu Lizhi’s features, his thin lips—always tightly pursed—parting slightly as his breath quickened, lashes trembling with every uneven inhale.

Jiang Baiye’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

The next instant, he was pushed forcefully down to the ground.

He had no strength to resist at all—reason scattered. Otherwise, perhaps he might have thought why he was acting so strangely.

Then, a broken bamboo basket was shoved over his head.

Jiang Baiye: “??”

One after another, more broken odds and ends piled over him, as if trying to bury him completely.

Jiang Baiye instantly burst into rage. He shoved everything off in one motion, glaring at the youth still holding junk to cover him. “Lu Lizhi, what’s that supposed to mean? Dragging me all the way out here just to bury me? Am I so shameful? You can’t be seen walking with me?”

It had to be said—Jiang Baiye was sharp in some respects.

Lu Lizhi pressed his lips tight. Holding another broken object, he looked at it, looked at Jiang Baiye, then promptly dropped it over him again.

Jiang Baiye: “???”

Clearly, this man was taking advantage of his good temper and tolerance, doing whatever he pleased! Jiang Baiye flung the junk aside, spat out the dirt that had fallen into his mouth, and stormed off in fury.

Lu Lizhi stood there blankly, long lashes slowly lowering. So, what exactly was he feeling guilty about…?

Looking at Jiang Baiye’s back, he thought to step forward and apologize, but then saw Jiang Baiye suddenly leap up a tree.

Lu Lizhi: “?”

“Hurry, come up! They’re chasing us!” Jiang Baiye waved anxiously, thinking, What if I really do have something shameful to hide?

Lu Lizhi’s scalp prickled. By now, he’d calmed down, realizing there was no real need to hide. But seeing Jiang Baiye so worried, he quickly ran over, grasped his hand, and was pulled up into the thick, leafy branches above.

Below, a snot-nosed child poking at ants tilted his head up at them. “Big brothers, what are you doing?”

“Shh! Get lost. Don’t tell anyone you saw us!” Jiang Baiye warned sternly. But the child just grinned cheekily, staring at them, making his head ache.

Lu Lizhi glanced down and raised a finger to his lips. The child immediately covered his own mouth, nodded obediently, and scurried off to play.

Jiang Baiye was surprised. “You’re actually good with kids?”

Lu Lizhi merely pressed a finger to his lips again. Jiang Baiye obediently hushed, watching two figures approach below.

“Is it here? Too many alleys.” Yu Zhijie looked around doubtfully. One glance showed nothing, ready to move on.

But Jiang Yueming turned to the dirt-smudged child. “Hey kid, did you see two men?”

“I did.” The child piped up innocently.

Jiang Baiye instantly tightened his grip on Lu Lizhi’s hand. He didn’t even know why they were hiding from Jiang Yueming, but at this point, being discovered would definitely make them look guilty. And in truth, he did have something guilty and unclear in his heart.

Jiang Yueming’s excitement spiked. “Where? Where are they?”

“They’re right here.” The child answered matter-of-factly.

Now, even the newly calmed Lu Lizhi grew uneasy. His mind raced for ways to protect Jiang Baiye from being implicated in his scandal. Even if false, it could ruin him.

Surely Jiang Baiye should properly marry a gentle, virtuous wife—whether lively and sweet or soft and tender—and have children with her. Not… end up like this, with him.

Unconsciously, Lu Lizhi squeezed Jiang Baiye’s hand tighter, to the point of pain. Just as Jiang Baiye turned to glance at him, the child below said brightly: “Aren’t you two men right there?”

Jiang Yueming’s face darkened. “Scram!”

The child spat at him, then bolted, leaving Jiang Yueming fuming and ready to chase.

Yu Zhijie chuckled. “Come on, Yueming. Picking a fight with a child? Looks like they’ve already fled. Let’s go back to the academy.”

“No. I’m heading home. There are things I need to confirm.” Jiang Yueming’s expression turned grave, separating from him on the spot.

He hadn’t heard from home in too long. Thinking of the glimpse of that man’s face—it was far too similar to Jiang Baiye’s. He had to confirm it immediately!

The two left in a rush. Jiang Baiye leapt down from the tree, remarking to Lu Lizhi:

“Seems Jiang Yueming transferred from the town’s academy to the prefectural academy, Mingli Academy.” That was a private academy run by a wealthy household, itself a branch of a great clan with countless officials in service—a web of deep connections.

Mingli Academy… Lu Lizhi etched the name in his memory, worry flickering in his gaze.

Jiang Baiye understood his concern and smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. He’s just a petty clown. Now that he’s gone home, we might even catch a good show!”

With that thought, they couldn’t miss it.

The two headed to Yongyuan Bookshop. Shopkeeper Ning, exhausted from a long day, brightened immediately. “Our Lord Qingyuan is the hottest name right now! You should’ve seen the crowds this morning—I’ve lived a long time but never witnessed such a sight!”

“Qingyuan Jun” was the pen name Jiang Baiye had given Lu Lizhi. The contract they signed had already clarified the copyright issue. In the original storyline, Lu Lizhi hadn’t cared much about personal branding yet, giving the bookshop a bargain. Now, naturally, they needed to prevent that mistake.

With a twenty percent royalty, Lu Lizhi received twenty taels of silver in one go. Meaning, just from two volumes—barely five thousand characters in semi-classical style—after costs, they had netted one hundred taels!

“Of course, piracy will come soon. Then the profits won’t be as big. But since we’re the source, readers can’t wait for the next part—they’ll pay for our shop’s original!” Shopkeeper Ning chuckled, stroking his beard, eyes gleaming as he begged Lu Lizhi for more chapters.

The moment Lu Lizhi handed them over, he ignored everything else, reading feverishly. He didn’t even spare time when Lu Lizhi tried to ask about good-quality paper.

Learning Lu Lizhi had also completed a scholar-themed story, Ning was ecstatic, immediately paying him ten taels upfront, with the same twenty percent royalty for sales.

Jiang Baiye also profited greatly this trip—selling red ganoderma and herbs for two hundred taels. Doctor Sun was preparing to fully promote Zhuweicao.

The first willing buyer was Shanyi Hall, thanks to Doctor Meng Huaixuan verifying the formula’s effectiveness. He even wanted more.

But Jiang Baiye refused. He really did worry that if he kept selling, his grandfather would crawl out of the grave to beat this unfilial grandson!

Lu Lizhi selected fine brush, ink, and books. When he went to pay, Jiang Baiye coughed lightly and, while Shopkeeper Ning was absorbed in the manuscripts, slipped in a purchase of his own.

Lu Lizhi glanced at it and paid for it together. But realizing it was just some idle book, he couldn’t help thinking—Jiang Baiye had never even read his works.

If he were illiterate, fine. But he clearly wasn’t. He’d never touched Lu Lizhi’s stories, yet here he was buying others’ books…

Jiang Baiye didn’t notice his mood. Instead, because Lu Lizhi had paid for that book, he felt guilty.

Because it wasn’t a proper book.

Lately, he hadn’t been entirely satisfied, sometimes slipping into wayward thoughts, even dragging them toward the man beside him. This filled him with guilt, suspecting that his lack of contact with women was to blame. So he’d bought this book, thinking maybe it would help.

That night, after his bath, Jiang Baiye lit a candle. Under its dim glow, he eagerly opened the book, hand sliding down, just about to grasp when—

“What the hell—why is it two men again?” He nearly leapt off the bed in shock.

Frantically flipping back, he recalled he’d seen a woman when he bought it.

Finding the page, he realized—this was no woman. It was a man with a special body, bearing both female and male features. He didn’t find it strange—on the contrary, his body reacted before his mind, with overwhelming force.

Like a caged beast breaking free.

The more he read, the deeper he fell. And soon enough, in the place of the submissive figure in the book, his mind replaced the face with another’s…

The night raged, without rest.

The next day, Jiang Baiye wore a scowl, brooding, cursing himself as “filthy.” He’d planned to bring breakfast to Lu Lizhi, but couldn’t face him, so he had his mother deliver it instead.

Lu Lizhi, remembering the book Jiang Baiye bought yesterday, grew distracted. Clutching the edge of the tray, he thought bitterly—Does he really like that so much…?

He didn’t eat the breakfast. Sitting at his desk, he pulled out his own manuscript. He was certain he could write something more enthralling than whatever Jiang Baiye had read.

If only he knew what Jiang Baiye liked—he’d write it, and write it better.

If he wasn’t fond of scholar-knight tales, then maybe lovesick scholar and beauty stories, or debauched wanderers… whatever it took, he could write it.

Spurred on, he poured himself into writing. Fueled by urgency, he produced words quickly, pages filling. But when he read it back, he crumpled it to a ball!

One after another, page after page crumpled, until finally he ruffled his own hair in frustration. A profound sense of loss engulfed him.

For the first time, Lu Lizhi felt aggrieved.

Why wouldn’t he read his books…?

And why did he care so much about what Jiang Baiye thought?

Meanwhile, at dawn, Jiang Yueming rushed home. As he had suspected, the family had indeed split households and severed ties with the second branch. But the result was nothing like what he had expected!

Author’s Note:

• Jiang: “Head over heels.”

• Lu: “Burying secrets.”

• Later, Lu catching his husband indulging in smut:

( ‘-‘ )ノ)`-‘ )

Footnotes:

1. Wall-press (壁咚, bì dōng) – A common trope in East Asian romance fiction, where one person corners another against a wall by slamming a hand beside them. Often conveys dominance or romantic tension.
   

2. Mingli Academy (明礼学堂) – A “family academy” for the descendants of powerful clans, tied to gentry and bureaucracy. Indicates both social status and networking advantages.