Big thanks and a shout-out to biki for sending me a laptop so that I can translate LWSL more conveniently!
Click here for content warnings
Vague mentions of sexual acts between a married couple
“Hei Xuanyi, don’t go, I don’t want to leave you!” The spirit watched Hei Xuanyi’s back as he resolutely walked away, feeling especially sorrowful.
“Wu Ruo, don’t waste our efforts1辜负我们的一片心意 (gu fu wo men de yi pian xin yi): this would translate more directly as “don’t betray/disappoint our (good) intentions”.. After you go back, protect your family well, you and Hei Xuanyi will also be together blissfully.” The mysterious person rapidly chanted a spell, the array beneath his feet revolved at the speed of flight, then, Wu Ruo2I am deliberately switching back to Wu Ruo’s name now, since we are shifting out of the previous life’s POV and back to the current timeline. Remember, this whole time, current-Wu Ruo was spectating through spirit-Wu Ruo’s point of view/memories. I will also be returning to he/him pronouns for Wu Ruo. was thrown into darkness.
“Xiao-Ruo! Xiao-Ruo!”
Wu Ruo could faintly hear the sounds of anxious cries. There was Dad’s and also Mum’s, and also… Hei Xuanyi’s. He could hear Hei Xuanyi’s voice. In the depths of his heart, he was extremely anxious and wanted to open his eyes: “Hei Xuanyi, Hei Xuanyi…”
“Xuanyi, Xiao-Ruo is calling you, quick, respond to him!” This was Guan Tong’s voice.
“It definitely must have been that troublemaker3坏蛋 (huai dan): literally ‘bad egg’, it’s used to refer to a bad person, but it also has quite a childish nuance to it. Generally, it’s used by parents to tease their children for being naughty, or as part of a child’s vocabulary to refer to a bad person. The choice of words in dialogue shows how child-like and innocent Wu Xi still is, but I didn’t want to overly infantilize her because the nuances of the term are slightly different in Chinese versus English. Wu Yuxue who agitated erge. Look, erge is even crying!” This was Wu Xi’s voice.
Wu Ruo felt that someone was holding onto his hand tightly, as if they were afraid of losing him. They used an anxious and hoarse voice to call out as they helped him to wipe tears from his eyes: “Xiao-Ruo, I’m here, please wake up.”
Wu Ruo didn’t want Hei Xuanyi to be worried and upset because of him, so he struggled with all his might to open his eyes. What entered his sight was everyone’s extremely happy but tearful expressions, and Hei Xuanyi, whose eyes were red.
“Xiao-Ruo, you finally woke up!” Guan Tong wept, covering her mouth.
Wu Qianqing choked back a sob and said: “It’s good that you’re awake, it’s good that you’re awake. The physician said, as long as you wake up, everything will be fine.”
Wu Xi wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes and sighed a breath of relief: “Erge, we were all almost scared to death by you!”
Dandan, who was being carried by Hei Xin, cried and shouted: “Daddy, carry me! I want to be carried!”
Ji Xi took a look at the person lying on the bed and snorted lightly: “Didn’t I4本座 (ben zuo): an arrogant first person pronoun. It can be translated as ‘this seat’, referring to someone of status. say he was alright? But none of you would believe me.”
Wu Xi said: “It’s already been two days since he passed out, how could everyone not worry!”
Hei Gan dragged the physician that they’d hired to the front of the bed: “Take our furen‘s pulse.”
The physician hurriedly checked Wu Ruo’s pulse: “Furen‘s physical condition is extremely healthy.”
“Then why did he faint?”
The physician replied with a bitter expression: “Didn’t I5老夫 (lao fu): back in the Gaoling City arc, this was the first person pronoun that Wu Bofang used to refer to himself. Something along the lines of ‘this old man’. already tell you? The reason why he previously fainted could very likely be because he’d received a huge shock.”
Wu Xi said angrily: “It’s all because of that horrible woman!”
Wu Qianqing lightly reprimanded: “Your erge just woke up, so don’t bring that matter up to agitate your erge again.”
Hei Xuanyi held onto Wu Ruo’s hand tightly: “Xiao-Ruo, you’re really alright?”
Wu Ruo stared at them for a long time before he came back to his senses, blinking. He held onto Hei Xuanyi’s hand tightly and said weakly: “I’m alright.”
It was as if he hadn’t spoken for ten years, his voice was especially hoarse.
Hei Xin spoke up: “Furen just woke up, it would be better if we all let furen have a good rest.”
Guan Tong nodded: “Then we won’t disrupt Xiao-Ruo’s rest anymore.”
“Alright, Xiao-Ruo, we’ll come visit you again tomorrow.” Everyone left the room one after the other.
Wu Ruo fixed a rapt gaze on Hei Xuanyi. Unthinkingly, his tears started falling. So it turned out that he had been sent back to the time when he’d just married Hei Xuanyi because of Hei Xuanyi and the mysterious person defying the heavens and rewriting his fate. So it turned out that he and Hei Xuanyi had loved each other before. So it turned out that he himself loved Hei Xuanyi so much, yet he had forgotten this person.
Hei Xuanyi promptly wiped away the tears from the corners of Wu Ruo’s eyes: “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
“No,” Wu Ruo raised a hand and caressed Hei Xuanyi’s face, using his thumb to gently brush against the long eyebrows, the high nose, and the thin lips on that face. He couldn’t help but think of the previous lifetime’s Hei Xuanyi again.
His Xuanyi, His Xuanyi…
His Xuanyi had been left alone in the previous lifetime, he was probably more upset than Wu Ruo.
Hei Xuanyi saw that Wu Ruo’s tears weren’t stopping, and frowned as he hugged that person: “Why are you crying?”
Wu Ruo held back his tears and shook his head no, hugging Hei Xuanyi tightly: “Xuanyi6If I’m not mistaken, this is the first time Wu Ruo is referring to Hei Xuanyi so gently/affectionately in their current lifetime without it being a guise for something else.…”
“Hn?” Hei Xuanyi lowered his head and kissed Wu Ruo on the forehead.
Wu Ruo lifted his head up to look at Hei Xuanyi, feeling extremely complicated internally. He was clearly aware that this Hei Xuanyi and the Hei Xuanyi from his previous lifetime were the same person, but, he was still torn up over the fact that if he himself was in love with the person in front of him, would he be letting that person from his previous lifetime down very badly?
No. He couldn’t think this way. Thinking this way wasn’t right. They were the same person, there was no distinction between the two of them7The two of them as in current-Hei Xuanyi and previous-Hei Xuanyi. The author uses the idiom 不分彼此 (bu fen bi ci) which is used figuratively to describe a very intimate relationship, but the author is using it a little more literally here..
Hei Xuanyi peppered kisses over the eyelashes that were covered in tears: “Do you want to eat something?”
Wu Ruo said hoarsely: “I want to wash up.”
“Eat while you wash up.” Hei Xuanyi carried Wu Ruo into the bathroom, helped him to take off his underclothes and placed him into the bath tub. Then, he brought the porridge for eating into the room and placed it beside the bath tub.
Wu Ruo patted the surface of the water: “Come in and wash up with me.”
Hei Xuanyi raised an eyebrow, taking off his clothes and stepping into the bath tub.
Wu Ruo moved so that he was in front of Hei Xuanyi, and kissed his thin lips.
Hei Xuanyi brushed against the tender and soft flesh, and his gaze darkened.
Wu Ruo’s hand touched his lower regions: “Xuanyi, let’s make love.”
“…” Hei Xuanyi took a deep breath, he was almost unable to stop himself from eating8It’s a euphemism. He’s not going to literally eat Wu Ruo up. this person up right here: “No, we can’t. Your body is extremely weak right now. We can do it in a few days after you’ve recuperated.”
Wu Ruo looked at him innocently: “But, you’re hard.”
“Don’t bother with it.” Hei Xuanyi scooped a spoonful of porridge into Wu Ruo’s mouth with a dark expression.
Wu Ruo giggled quietly, solving the problem for Hei Xuanyi as he ate the porridge. He leaned against Hei Xuanyi, close to his ear, and used a seductive tone of voice to say: “In the next couple of days, study bedroom techniques a little more. Don’t hurt me when the time comes.”
In their previous lifetime, their first time had been very unpleasant because neither of them had ever made love with anyone else before, they were extremely amateurish, so Hei Xuanyi had injured him. Wu Ruo had also bled from the back; if it weren’t for painkilling medicines, he probably wouldn’t have been able to get out of bed for many days.
Hei Xuanyi suppressed his harsh breaths and narrowed his eyes: “Aren’t you afraid9你信不信 (ni xin bu xin): more literally means ‘would you believe it or not’, but it has the nuance of being slightly ‘threatening’. Hei Xuanyi is daring Wu Ruo to bet whether he’s bluffing or not, about wanting to just go at it already LMAO I’ll ravage you right now?”
“Alright, that’s exactly what I want!” Wu Ruo quickened the pace of his hands.
This little vixen! Hei Xuanyi held onto his waist, groaned, and spilled into Wu Ruo’s hands, kissing the corners of his lips.
Wu Ruo leaned against his shoulders and asked: “When I woke up just now, I heard Wu Xi say that I was out for two days?”
Hei Xuanyi tightened his arms around Wu Ruo and hummed a ‘yes’ in response.
Two days ago, Wu Ruo suddenly fainted on the bed; it had really given him a fright. In the future, he didn’t want something like that to happen again. As for Wu Yuxue, he would definitely settle this score properly with her.
“I actually slept for such a period of time. Then won’t my uncles be entering the city tomorrow?”
“They’ll arrive some time in the afternoon.”
Wu Ruo said: “Then you need to send more people to go and receive them. I’m worried that Wu Chenzi will send people to silence them on the way here.”
“I will.” Hei Xuanyi had already made plans for this a long time ago.
The next morning, after eating breakfast, Ling Mohan brought the imperial edict to Hei Manor. When he saw Wu Ruo, he threw the imperial edict straight at Wu Ruo10Their dynamic is hilarious to me. Usually, when declaring an imperial edict on behalf of the Emperor, the person declaring it will bring a couple of companions with them and the person receiving the edict will need to bow down before the declaring party. Members of their entire household will also have to formally receive the edict. The imperial edict is dictated aloud, and the receiving party will formally acknowledge the reception of the imperial edict. It’s a way of showing respect to the Emperor and his authority, so whatever Ling Mohan and Wu Ruo are doing is extremely disrespectful and would give anyone else a heart attack upon seeing it.: “The imperial edict you wanted.”
Wu Ruo smiled: “I haven’t even met the people, but you’ve already gotten me the imperial edict so quickly.”
Ling Mohan snorted lightly: “I11本宫 (ben gong): literally ‘this palace’. It’s a pronoun for royals who aren’t the emperor. You’ll hear the consorts and concubines use this as well. was worried that the situation would have changes. The day after the State Tutor’s banquet, I already asked Imperial Father for the imperial edict.”
Following that, his expression changed: “I also took the opportunity to investigate the physician treating Imperial Father. He really was my second imperial brother’s12二皇弟 (er huang di): he’s using the term that means younger brother, but I’m trying not the make the titles ridiculously long. Just a reminder that Ling Mohan is the oldest son. man.”
Ling Mohan was so angry that he slapped the table in fury: “How repulsive! This double-crossing13吃里爬外 (chi li pa wai): literally ‘to eat inside, and crawl outside’. It refers to ‘biting the hand that feeds [one]’, or ‘to work against the interests of sb that [one] derives support from’. thing!”
Wu Ruo already knew that this would be the case: “Then how do you plan on dealing with this physician?”
“I won’t move my troops first, so that I won’t disturb the grass and startle the snake14先按兵不动，以免打草惊蛇 (xian an bing bu dong, yi mian da cao jing she): I’ve literally translated it here in text, because the metaphors are excellent. To ‘not move one’s troops’ is to bide for time. As for ‘disturbing the grass and startling the snake’, it refers to doing something that will alert your enemies. So Ling Mohan intends to act like nothing has happened, so that he won’t give away the fact that he’s discovered this shitty physician to his second imperial brother..” Ling Mohan looked at Wu Ruo: “How did you know that my physician was problematic?
“I’m not that remarkable, and I don’t know who your physician is either. The only reason why I know that your imperial father’s body wasn’t in good condition is because I’m practiced in medicine.”
Ling Mohan said in surprise: “You practice medicine? On top of that, you were able to tell that there was an irregularity in my imperial father’s body with one glance, that means your medical skills are very good.”
“They can’t be considered good.”
Ling Mohan urgently asked: “Then can you cure my imperial father?”
Wu Ruo shook his head no: “It’s not convenient for me to go in and out of the imperial palace. It’s still best if you hire another well known physician, then tell me the physician’s diagnosis. I’ll interpret your father’s condition according to his diagnosis.”
“What if15万一 (wan yi): literally ‘one in ten thousand’. the physician that I hire is another one of my second imperial brother’s men?”
Wu Ruo rolled his eyes at Ling Mohan: “Then you’re really too useless as a crown prince. However, you can rest assured, whether or not the physician is being deceptive, I’m still able to tell.”
Ling Mohan was already used to Wu Ruo’s way of speaking, and didn’t bother that Wu Ruo was disrespectful to him: “Alright, then I’ll find another physician. Oh, right, I heard that Wu Yuxue came to your manor to cause a fuss. What exactly happened? Why would Wu Yuxue be badly injured, and why would you also pass out cold?”
Wu Ruo relayed the events of that day to Ling Mohan: “I’m guessing that Wu Yuxue has been enspelled or has fallen under gu sorcery, and is being controlled by someone else.”
Ling Mohan nodded in agreement: “I also feel that this is a possibility. Otherwise, with Wu Yuxue’s haughty personality, it’s impossible that she would write love poems or run to someone’s manor to molest their husband. This is simply too uncharacteristic of her. But, who would enspell her?”
“Right now, I still don’t know, but I can be sure of one thing. That person is targeting us16Wu Ruo is referring to himself and his family, not Wu Ruo and Ling Mohan’s alliance..”
“Then all of you must be a little more careful. If there’s anything that you need my help with, feel free to come and look for me.”
“Alright.” Wu Ruo looked at him: “On the topic of that, you came running to Hei Manor in broad daylight, aren’t you worried that the Wu family will suspect that there’s something going on between us? Wouldn’t this let them know that I’ve already sided with you?”
Ling Mohan said mockingly: “In the entire Huangdu City, who doesn’t know that I hate the Wu family the most? Even those with the surname Wu who can’t get along with the Wu family17A.K.A people like Wu Chenliu, who have fallen out with the Wu family as well. , I still hate them to the utmost as well. Therefore, when I come here, they’ll only assume that I’ve come to see how badly you’ve been beaten up. They definitely won’t think that we’ve already allied with each other.”
“Then coming here today, it probably isn’t as simple as you just bringing the imperial edict over, is it?”
“Of course. I wanted to take the opportunity to ask you how you intend to deal with the Wu family.”
Wu Ruo narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly: “Of course I’ll start from Wu Yuxue. I’ll see if she still dares to snatch my man from me.”
“Two days ago, if it wasn’t because you were smart enough to feign fainting, the Wu family definitely would’ve come knocking to settle scores with you.”
Wu Ruo: “..”
He hadn’t feigned fainting, but had really fainted. However, he didn’t intend to explain this to Ling Mohan.
Ling Mohan discussed their future methods of getting in contact with Wu Ruo, then he left Hei Manor.
It was only then that Wu Ruo opened up the imperial edict to take a look at it. Once he had confirmed that the contents of the imperial edict were all in favour of them, only then could he relax and place the imperial edict into his void space18Just a gentle reminder: Wu Ruo has an infinite void space that he can access from wherever he wants to, as long as he has spiritual energy, thanks to breaking the longevity plaque from his maternal grandfather that also acted as a seal on his spiritual energy. The story hasn’t gone deep into the details of what his secret techniques are, where they come from and why he has them yet, but we’ll get to that… eventually..
If you enjoy my translations, please consider dropping me a one-time tip or joining my monthly recurring membership tier on Ko-fi. Reading the novel chapters without an ad-blocker will also help to support my translations. Thank you!
