Chapter 124

“Cough!” Nangong Du nearly choked on his own saliva. Was Liu Zixiu talking to him? Did Liu Zixiu still know who he was talking to? “You’re in no mood to play tricks?”

“Since you’re the emperor’s brother, you must have seen the world! Come on, don’t pretend to be surprised! Just tell me the truth!” Zixiu pulled the quilt impatiently, not out of anger, but out of tension. He had always thought that caring about himself in other people’s eyes was a sign of self-doubt, lack of confidence, and even self-denial! Therefore, he did not raise such a question to Nangong Du on impulse. Actually, he really started doubting himself! How could he, Liu Zixiu, a lively, cheerful charming young man accept the fact that he had mental problems?

“Don’t try to set me up!” Nangong Du was still weak after being woken up, but his mind was much clearer. Though he was experienced, he could not figure out what Liu Zixiu wanted to do.

It was no wonder that he could not see him through!

“I said I was not in the mood to play tricks with you! Don’t you understand?  Dude, can you stop thinking of other people as vicious as you?” Feeling even more upset, Zixiu gave the quilt a few more tugs grumpily. It seemed he had made a mistake having asked Nangong Du for advice! There was much more to their relationship than tension. Actually, they hated each other as much as leaves hated caterpillars!

“Didn’t you say you didn’t even know about yourself, let alone someone else?”  Nangong Du remained calm. He did not lose his temper, but only shot back with what Zixiu had said!

Zixiu froze for a while before he remembered that this was what he had said the night before. He was so angry that he had an impulse to kick someone, “Have I ever asked you to know me well? I want to know your impression of me! Your impression on me! Do you understand? Do you think I’m any different from other people?”

“Bold and arrogant!”

“Huh?” After a while, Zixiu realized that Nangong Du had already commented on him! But…

“What makes you think in this way? What have I done to make you think I’m bold and arrogant?”

“Don’t you think so? Who do you think you are talking to now?”

“Nangong Du, are you insane? I’m talking to…” When he suddenly remembered that he had a “weird” tendency to despise the imperial power, Zixiu stopped roaring, but he still muttered disdainfully, “Hum! What’s the big deal about a prince!” Next, he resumed his usual tone. “Go on!”

Nangong Du showed nothing abnormal on his face when he spat out another word, “Sinister!”

“What?!” Zixiu’s face darkened again.

Nangong Du argued with an example calmly, “Dare you swear that you didn’t complain secretly just now?”

“Complain secretly?” Zixiu’s brain was spinning fast. “Seems you have gone deaf before you got old! I never talk behind others’ backs! Why should I complain secretly? I was denouncing you and criticizing you openly to your face…”

“Unreasonable!” Before Zixiu could finish his retort, Nangong Du had given another comment.

“I…” ‘Fine! You win, you asshole!’

Zixiu knew he had no strong case to argue, but he did not want to lose verbally, so he said with a generous look, “For the sake that you’re a patient, I won’t argue with you! Go on…”

“Wait!” When he finally realized that something was wrong, he grew even angrier. “Nangong Du, you have been dishing the dirt on me! Don’t I have any merit?”

After a moment of silence, Nangong Du came up with some of Zixiu’s advantages. “You’re soft-hearted! You don’t bear grudges! You intend to stoop to compromise! You have a sharp tongue…”

“Wait! Are you talking about my merits?!”

“Different people have different opinions! Liu Zixiu, what the hell do you want to know?” Nangong Du’s patience got worn out finally, but he still did not lose his temper. “I’m tired. Can we talk tomorrow?” He was not lying, and he really sounded very tired.

As Nangong Du had never been so “gentle”, Zixiu felt ashamed to yell at him again. Sensing that he had strayed from the topic, he unconsciously tugged the quilt one more time. After a while, he continued in a low voice, “Nangong Du, I really don’t want to have any conflicts with you. We have fought so many times. As the saying goes, ‘the strongest enemy is also the best friend…’”

“Come on, get to the point!”

“Well, I want to know what you think of me! Do you think I’m… kind of special? Zixiu felt it was hard to describe himself with such words as “odd” or “insane”, so he chose a euphemistic way to express what he meant.

However, the meaning of “special” seemed to be a little ambiguous…

Nangong Du was a little surprised, but from Liu Zixiu’s abnormal behavior, he could tell something must have happened to him. After pondering for a moment, he asked, “Why did you suddenly ask that?”

Needless to say, Zixiu did not want to reveal that he suspected he was mentally ill, so he put on a smile, feigning his composure. “Nothing special. I had some trouble with my family last night. You know, I have no friends, so…”

“Are you trying to have a heart-to-heart with me?” Nangong Du looked at him in astonishment! He had never thought that Liu Zixiu’s way of thinking was so different from others! It was… unbelievable!

He then blurted out, “You’re far more than special. Your behavior is just beyond comprehension!”