31 I Am a Genius

But the Third Lord does not care what he feels or thinks. He looks at the beautiful man by the fish pond and felt even more aroused inside.

"Since we're talking about Lord Longyang, why don't we sing this act together, 'Lord Longyang Weeps for the Fish to Secure the King's Favour'?"

Qiuchen replies sharply, "That's an obscene piece. It's not allowed to be sung in any respected opera houses. Your lordship is a connoisseur of opera, how can you ask me to sing this?"

"Since you know it's obscene, you must know how to sing it. Don't be such a prude. I've been supporting and promoting you ever since you first came on stage. But for all these years, you always chose to sing the highbrow numbers, which tickled the people on stage, making everyone wanting to hear what you can sing in private. Now that you're in my house, you have a different status and different duties to fulfil, so you should change your ways too. Be a good boy and let me start you off."

The Third Lord clears his throat and sings the words of the King of Wei.

"My young lover, I see that you have a flawless youthful body, which is as juicy as a baby peach... Your graceful movements are indescribable... You are like the famous pearl of Hopu, the beautiful jade of Kunshan, the night light of..."

Qiuchen stays silent for a long time, refusing to continue the duet.

The Third Lord taps his beat and looks at Qiuchen with an ambiguous smile, "Look, the lyrics are written for Lord Longyang, but I think they are more suitable for my Rong Qing. I see that you don't want to sing … do you think I didn't sing my part well enough?"

Qiuchen dares not resist any longer, so he sings softly.

"It is hard for me to repay your kindness, like a small grass that is cared for by the brightness of spring, I am sheltered from the waves and clouds. Your grace is vast, as wide as the sea and as high as the sky, etched in my bones …"

Just a few lines have made the Third Lord enthralled, and he smiles with satisfaction, "Wonderful! That was well sung! I wonder if my Rong Qing thinks so too? Go on, I want to hear more!"

Qiuchen has no choice but to continue to sing against his will.

"Watching the fish at the pond today, I feared that my happiness would not last long. I felt so sad that my tears soaked through my robe. Your Majesty my king, I fear that your favour will flow away with the water; I fear that without your affection I am like grass after the frost..."

The Third Lord hums along after him.

"You were born a beauty, born with a proud nature. You have been unfailingly caring to me. I love that your voice is as pleasing as a nightingale; I rejoice that your face is more beautiful than a Jade Flower[1]…"

His voice is getting lower and lower, a desire stirred up inside him that is tickling him into action. He steps forward and suddenly grabs Qiuchen into his arms.

"My good boy, how can Lord Longyang be as lovely as you are? Not only are you more beautiful than the Jade Flower, but you also have such a delicate heart and a moon-like spirit. This early in the morning, let's not be so broken-hearted over a few fish. I'll have the servants get rid of it all …" Then he starts calling him honey bunny baby sweetheart all sorts of sweet words, trying to coax him back to his bedroom.

Qiuchen is forced into the arms of the Third Lord, knowing that it is useless to struggle, so he has to hide his thoughts along with his sorrow and whispers, "Fish should be graceful. If a pair of fish can swim freely in their own water and love each other until they grow old, that would be the most beautiful sight to behold."

Yuan Ge could sense the hidden sentiments in Qiuchen's words, and he feels endless pity welling up in his heart. However, the Third Lord's perfunctory voice coming from Yuan Ge's body is as piercing as ever, "Fine, fine, I will do as you say!" Wrapping his arm around his waist, he leads him straight towards the bedroom in Yi Qiu Hall.

Rong Qiuchen drags his feet feebly, tears welling up in his eyes as he watches the tossing and turning koi disappear into the distance.

Walking inside with Rong Qing in his arms, Yuan Ge thought he would see the same tastefully decorated bedroom again. However, where the carved mahogany bed was originally placed is a large vermilion coffin. Yuan Ge walks over to the coffin without thinking, pushes open the lid and tries to put the person in his arms into the coffin.

The person in his arms seems to have lost the desire to resist, his body cold, his face pale, and no longer showing the slightest sign of emotion, as if he were a frail white paper doll, with white silk scarf tied around his swan-like neck, leaving a deep red strangulation mark.

Yuan Ge is shocked, but no matter how hard he tries not to, it was as if his body is not governed by his will at all, and he puts Rong Qiuchen into the coffin without hesitation. In a few moments, countless bright yellow talismans written in vermilion or blood descend from the sky, completely burying Qiuchen's body, then the heavy coffin lid closes by itself.

Yuan Ge's heart is torn with anxiety and he frantically pushes the coffin lid, but it does not move at all. Inside of the coffin comes a weeping chant:

"All the vows and promises became illusions.

A match made in heaven turned into nightmares.

I had a noble heart, but was born in a lowly place.

I had eyes but failed to see his unworthiness.

As time passes by my remorse is endless.

You are cruel … so cruel … please let me go … set me free! … …"

"No!"

Yuan Ge can no longer bear the heart-wrenching chant and tries to push open the coffin lid with all his strength, only to be startled out of his sofa in a cold sweat.

It turns out to be a dream.

How weird! What's wrong with me these days? I can even fall asleep watching movies! And why do I always dream of Rong Qiuchen?

Yuan Ge frowns and tries to recall the horrible scene in his dream.

Isn't that coffin containing Qiuchen the same one I picked up on the set today? Guess I really shouldn't have helped my mum identify any historical artefacts. I've touched it, examined it, photographed every detail of the thing … … And look what's happened now. It has appeared in my dream!

Despite his annoyances, Yuan Ge loves the magical feeling of continuing the same dream. Remembering Rong Qing feeding the fish and his conversation with the Third Lord, his heart is filled with inspiration and he hurriedly opens his notebook to record all the details of this fleeting dream.

Great! Even when I dream, I can dream up an entire TV series with dialogues and theme songs. What a genius I am!

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[1] The Latin name for the Jade Flower is Viburnum macrocephalum and is often referred to as the 'Chinese Snowball'. In Chinese culture, it symbolises beauty and romance and represents perfect love.