One Step Behind

Tonight the fog was thick, heavy and oppressive, obscuring even the faintest glimmer of light.

Inside the house, the lamps shone brightly, laughter and playful voices echoing without cease. A middle-aged man, clad only in disheveled underclothes with his collar wide open, had a black cloth tied over his eyes. He was chasing a woman dressed in nothing but a sheer pink robe, barely covering her body, laughing lasciviously, “Ah, you little temptress, you smell so sweet! Don’t run—let me catch you, and see how I deal with you!”

The woman giggled seductively, extending a slender finger to beckon him, “My lord, come, hurry—I’m waiting for you to punish me.”

The man’s face showed urgency; he spat twice, lunging forward, “Heh, darling, got you!” But what his hands grasped was a warm yet not soft body. Tearing away the cloth from his eyes, he found himself not facing his coy concubine, but a man devoid of expression.

Startled, the middle-aged man quickly pushed him aside and retreated two steps. He straightened his collar and asked, “Who—who are you?” The man did not answer, but another male voice rang out in the room, “Lord Liu, your son has just died, and you’re so eager to have another? Don’t you know that a child born to a woman who doesn’t even qualify as a concubine may not inherit the Liu family’s estate?”

The voice was exceptionally pleasant, like spring rain rippling through a pool, yet it sent a chill down the man’s spine. He looked toward the sound and saw a youth dressed in apricot-yellow brocade seated with his head bowed on a chair, while his own flower-like concubine watched him shyly, her face half-covered and flushed.

Furious, the middle-aged man yanked his concubine behind him and shouted, “Who are you? Guards—!”

“Lord Liu,” the youth interrupted, “there’s no need to call for help. Other than this one in your room, I’ve already cleared out all irrelevant people.” Slowly, he raised his head, revealing a stunning face.

The middle-aged man was so frightened he retreated two more steps, “You… you…” He pointed at the youth, unable to utter a complete sentence. The youth rose, walking gracefully to his side. Panic grew on the man’s face as he kept backing away, only to bump into a wall of people.

“Master,” Mu Min grabbed the man by the collar and dragged him before Bei Gong Qiyi. Bei Gong Qiyi glanced at the dazed woman behind, raising his brows, “Throw that woman out.” Mu Min nodded, letting go of the man’s collar. The middle-aged man staggered, nearly falling, steadying himself with difficulty, stammering, “You… you were the ones who killed my son… I only wanted to avenge him…”

Bei Gong Qiyi pursed his lips and nodded, “If that’s the case, I personally killed your son. You want vengeance? Come then.” He spread his arms, sneering coldly.

The middle-aged man swallowed hard, glaring at Bei Gong Qiyi. After a long moment, he burst into laughter, “Ha! Bei Gong Qiyi, do you think I don’t know about your business with Bei Gong Juechen? What do you think will happen if word of this gets out?”

Bei Gong Qiyi tilted his head, face unchanged, “Do you think you’ll have a chance to tell anyone?” The man’s face froze. “If you kill me, this will definitely spread!” Bei Gong Qiyi shook his head, unconcerned, “It doesn’t matter. For every tongue that wags, I’ll kill one; for every pair, I’ll kill two, until no one dares utter half a word again.”

The man stared at him, terror etched on his face. Bei Gong Qiyi smiled gently, beautifully, as if all the flowers bloomed in an instant, even giving off a faint fragrance.

Suddenly, the man shoved him violently, retreating with stiff laughter, “Bei Gong Qiyi, you’re ruthless, but what’s it like to have someone like Bei Gong Juechen beneath you? Just thinking about that face is enough to make one's blood boil.” He licked his lips, savoring the thought, “Too bad, if someone hadn’t appeared tonight, perhaps I could have tasted the ‘Chief of Li Manor’ myself.”

Bei Gong Qiyi’s expression grew darker, hands that were casually crossed now clenched tightly into fists. The man, oblivious, stared at him and laughed viciously, “But perhaps now your eldest brother is also beneath another man, enjoying himself? That so-called ‘Chief of Li Manor’, revered and feared by all—still nothing more than someone being pressed beneath another, rutting like an animal!”

Bei Gong Qiyi slowly narrowed his eyes. The man tried to go on, but was abruptly choked by Bei Gong Qiyi, his face turning red as he gagged, laughing, “Ha… cough… ha… You two… with these faces… it’s just…” Bei Gong Qiyi tightened his grip, and the man’s eyes rolled back as he fainted.

Disgusted, Bei Gong Qiyi tossed him aside. Mu Min immediately handed him a handkerchief, and Bei Gong Qiyi meticulously wiped his fingers, not missing a single crevice. Mu Min glanced at the unconscious but still breathing man, puzzled, “Master, why didn’t you kill him?”

Throwing the handkerchief onto the man's face, Bei Gong Qiyi smiled coldly, “No hurry. Since my mood hasn’t been great lately, I can take my time playing with him. Mu Min, drag him away.” Mu Min nodded indifferently, grabbing the man's leg and following behind Bei Gong Qiyi.

The thick fog gradually dispersed, revealing corpses strewn across the courtyard.

The Liu family was wiped out—every last one.

Bei Gong Qiyi looked up at the emerging stars and moon, whispering, “Big Brother, you once said you wanted the Liu family gone, not a single one left. I’ve done it for you. Big Brother, you must hurry…”

“Master, aren’t you worried?”

Bei Gong Qiyi withdrew his gaze, smiling, “Worried about what?” Mu Min was silent for a moment, then replied in a low voice, “The Chief is now in Qi Yong’s hands. Qi Yong’s feelings for the Chief… and now the Chief has lost all his martial skills. Aren’t you afraid…”

Instinctively stroking the jade pendant at his waist, Bei Gong Qiyi sighed softly, turning to Mu Min with a meaningful smile, “Of course I’m not afraid. Even without his skills, Big Brother is still Bei Gong Juechen, the man who commands the martial world. What can Qi Yong really do to him?”

After all, he is not me…

Qi Yong, do you think you merely lagged behind by one step? You’re wrong. You lagged behind by more than just that. Someone like Big Brother cannot be possessed without destruction, but you lack the courage… You love him so much, you plot every move, but fundamentally, you’ve already lost…

The fog finally cleared completely. Bei Gong Qiyi took a deep breath, the dampness mingling with the lingering mist at his nose. Mu Min looked on in mild confusion, then lowered his head after a brief pause.

Gripping the jade pendant tightly, Bei Gong Qiyi chuckled softly, “One step behind means every step behind…”

※※※

“You’re still here?” North Palace Juechen asked coldly, watching the man nibbling pastries without the slightest intention of leaving. Qi Yong waved the corn sweets in his hand, smiling, “I remember you like things fiercely sweet, don’t you? These pastries are good—try some.”

North Palace Juechen frowned slightly, voice low, “I prefer to eat alone.”

Wiping the crumbs from his lips, Qi Yong stood and dusted his hands, nodding, “Since you don’t want any and it’s getting late, let’s rest.” With that, he walked toward the bed.

North Palace Juechen watched him indifferently. “Since you want this room, I won’t take what you love.” He moved to leave, but as he reached the door, he was pulled into Qi Yong’s embrace. In a swift motion, Qi Yong pressed him onto the bed, “Juechen, this time, how do you plan to stop me?”

The eyes above him, light brown at first, deepened in color. Qi Yong caressed North Palace Juechen’s face, brushing all stray hair behind his ear. “From the first time I saw you until now, it’s been ten years. Juechen, I’ve loved you for an entire decade…”

North Palace Juechen gazed at him in silence, his dark green eyes unruffled. Qi Yong sighed, then smiled self-mockingly, “Ten years have flown by, yet thinking back, they’ve dragged on so slowly. I climbed desperately, all the way to the martial world’s summit. I never cared how many corpses I tread over, nor what others thought of ‘Hundred Evil Palace.’ I just wanted to stand at your side, so that whenever someone mentioned you, they’d think of me.”

North Palace Juechen arched his thick brows, half-smiling, “By that measure, it seems you’ve succeeded.”

Qi Yong shook his head with a bitter smile, “No. After achieving my original goal, I grew even more dissatisfied. It was no longer enough for others to associate us; I wanted you to see me—I almost lost my mind wanting that.”

North Palace Juechen turned his face aside, sneering, “Humans are indeed insatiable.”

Qi Yong seized his chin, forcing him to face him. He laughed lightly, “Insatiable, indeed. Before, when you cared for no one, I wasn’t concerned. But!” He tightened his grip, half-narrowing his eyes, voice low, “But I never expected an unexpected rival. At first, I didn’t pay Bei Gong Qiyi any mind. Though he’s your brother, others may not know, but I do: you were adopted by the North Palace family—no blood ties whatsoever. Besides…”

Qi Yong stroked North Palace Juechen’s jaw, chuckling softly, “Besides, he’s so weak… Too weak—he fooled me, fooled you.”

North Palace Juechen’s face instantly darkened. Qi Yong ignored it, continuing, “I never imagined he would trip you up so thoroughly, nor that your eyes would hold him. Juechen, did you know? When I learned this, jealousy made me want to tear him to pieces.”

The icy glint in North Palace Juechen’s green eyes intensified. He looked at Qi Yong, voice cold, “He’s only my brother in name.”

Qi Yong shook his head, laughing, “You’re wrong, Juechen. I think you know your feelings for Bei Gong Qiyi better than I do.” He leaned down, gently kissing the corner of his lips, brown gaze smoldering, “I underestimated him. I never thought he could be so ruthless.”

North Palace Juechen turned his head to evade Qi Yong’s persistent kisses, voice low, “Is it me you want?”

Author’s note: Ahhh, Big Brother is seducing!

I want your Big Brother! [Sent flying~~~ 166 Reading Network]