Events within the palace unfolded quickly.
The prince who had the best chance of competing with Bai Lihong for the throne silently lost his life, and very few people seemed to care.
The hall was quickly cleared out, but none of the three people seated there moved.
Bai Lihong was briefly startled by his uncle’s actions, and subconsciously averted his gaze from Bai Lihai’s prone body.
But two breaths later, he pressed his lips together and clutched the hem of his robes in small hands, then lifted his gaze.
He saw the other’s wide-open eyes, the long gash across his throat, and the blood splattered all over the floor.
This was not the first time Bai Lihong had witnessed death. He had once seen the bodies of his Imperial father and mother.
Back then, his Imperial mother had also had such a gash across her throat.
His Jiujiu never told him how his mother died, but Bai Lihong knew. She hadn’t had a choice. She had done it for the Qin family, and even more so for him.
And the Xiao family, including Bai Lihai, had played a part in forcing her to take such measures.
Qin Xiao had now given Bai Lihai the same death. Aside from his unwillingness to hear such blasphemous words from him, it was likely his way of avenging Qin Feng’s death.
Bai Lihong watched unwaveringly as palace attendants carried Jiannan-wang’s body out of the hall. The gore was also quickly cleaned away, but the stench of blood lingered inside the hall, as did the bloodstains that had inevitably splattered onto the robes of Zuiliang-wang and Miss Zhou.
Qin Xiao looked toward Bai Lihong, as did Chu Jiubian.
They had both seen the brief look of fear on Bai Lihong’s face, but neither moved to comfort him.
Bai Lihong was a gifted and clever child, who consistently matured at an astonishing speed. Although he would still act cute and spoiled in front of Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, they both knew that Bai Lihong saw many things very clearly, and with great insight.
As expected, after taking a moment to compose himself, the child raised his eyes again and fixed them firmly on the corpse lying on the floor.
This half-brother of his who shared his blood had died before his eyes, just like that.
In the face of Imperial power, human life seemed to have little significance.
This was power.
And for the first time, Bai Lihong had experienced the truth of it.
Chu Jiubian observed the complex look in the child’s eyes and his knitted brow, and reflexively glanced toward Qin Xiao sitting opposite him.
The other man was looking back at him.
It wasn’t a bad thing for an emperor to realize what tremendous power he held in his hands.
It was just that Bai Lihong was still so young, and it was hard to say whether this course of action would help or harm him in the end.
Perhaps they would still need to guide him properly later on.
Miss Zhou stood with her head lowered and a look of terror on her pale face, wobbling on her feet as if she was about to collapse.
Zuiliang-wang wiped away a couple drops of blood that had splattered onto the back of his hand, his expression unchanged.
In a way, wasn’t Qin Xiao’s move also a warning to him?
“Your Majesty, My Lords, now that this matter has been resolved, this subject will take his leave.” A smile returned to Bai Liyan’s face.
Chu Jiubian looked at the girl standing behind him and addressed her: “Miss Zhou.”
Miss Zhou shuddered and began to kneel down again.
“No need.” Chu Jiubian didn’t tell her to kneel. He softened his voice slightly and said with informal concern, “You must be terrified. Go back and get some good rest.”
“Thank you, My Lord.” Miss Zhou didn’t dare raise her head.
Chu Jiubian then said: “If I may ask, why is your hair white?”
“Answering My Lord,” Miss Zhou said in a faint voice, “This young girl was born ill, and persistent poor health turned her hair white at an early age.”
“Is that so?” Chu Jiubian smiled. “This official had assumed that it was the aftereffects of refining gu.”
Miss Zhou’s pupils contracted, and she lifted her head sharply to stare at him.
Zuiliang-wang was taken off guard, but then realization sank in and he took a few steps back, putting a wide distance between himself and the young woman.
Qin Xiao’s gaze sharpened, and he rubbed his fingertips lightly against his thumb ring.
The atmosphere in the hall was tense.
Chu Jiubian gazed steadily at her for a long moment, then gave her a pleasant smile and said: “I’m just speaking casually. Please don’t be nervous, Miss Zhou.”
Miss Zhou’s back was soaked with cold sweat. She forced a smile and said: “Yes.”
The next sentence from Chu Jiubian’s lips sent her to the floor on her knees.
“The porcelain bottle at your waist looks quite fine. Might I have a moment to admire it?” Chu Jiubian’s tone was mild.
Kneeling on the floor, Miss Zhou reflexively reached for the bottle at her waist, eyes downcast and filled with panic.
She had thought she’d hidden it well, never suspecting that Chu Jiubian had already long discovered it.
But how had the Grand Tutor found out?
At the thought of Chu Jiubian’s miraculous abilities, Miss Zhou’s heart sank.
Indeed, using such petty tricks in the presence of a god was not to be done.
The previous gu refined by her master had all been detected by the other party, so how could she have expected her own inferior gu to escape his notice?
Miss Zhou didn’t dare use any tricks. She had no choice but to take out the porcelain bottle. Holding it in both hands, she rose and walked to Chu Jiubian on shaking legs, handing it over to him deferentially.
Then she knelt right back down.
Chu Jiubian peered at the bottle. He could see the green dots the System had marked writhing inside.
With a wave of his hand, he banished the bottle to his Divine Realm.
System storage wasn’t able to store living things, so it was better to keep them in the Divine Realm instead.
He would hand them over to the Nanjiang saintess later on. She was an expert in the field, and might be able to glean some clues from these gu.
The expressions on Zuiliang-wang and Miss Zhou’s faces shifted when they saw the bottle vanish from Chu Jiubian’s hand.
They didn’t think that was any old common magic trick.
“I will keep this item for now and return it to you when the time is right.” Chu Jiubian robbed her without any scruples.
Miss Zhou naturally didn’t protest, and hurriedly said that it was her honor to present it to such an official.
It had occurred to her that she might not be able to leave the palace today, that Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao might imprison her and interrogate her about her master’s whereabouts. She had even prepared herself to commit suicide. But to her great surprise, they directly released her from the palace without asking a single extra question.
But her unease grew even more, a weight on her heart and mind.
With the knowledge that her gu had been confiscated, Zuiliang-wang was no longer afraid. He left the palace with her, and they boarded two separate carriages.
But before he stepped inside, Bai Liyan couldn’t help but glance back at the tall palace gate and soaring walls.
Jiannan-wang’s death had been so swift and easy. He was nothing more than a pawn placed on the board by whoever was working behind the scenes, an opportunity presented to Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian along with the testimony of a “victim.” But there were so many holes in the story.
This plan was only able to succeed because Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were no longer at the stage where they were walking on thin ice.
They now had manpower, funds, and power and influence.
The majority of the Wang family officials in court had pledged their loyalty to them, and dozens of Imperial Academy students would enter official service in the future. Outside the court, they had the military might of the Qin family, the Wang family as their mouthpiece, the allegiance of Nanjiang-wang, and the support of the common people.
With Bai Liyan now having made his own allegiance clear, the “cards” in the hands of the Emperor’s faction were no longer the same.
Thus, they set aside their earlier caution and accepted the knife that was handed to them.
From having to consider the attitudes of the court officials, to publicly executing the sons of noble families, and then to openly disposing of Jiannan-wang….it had all happened in the span of less than a year.
Bai Liyan could see one thing clearly: this was all because of Chu Jiubian.
From the moment he descended from the heavens, he had confirmed the legitimacy of Imperial power. And from then on, come drought, flood, or foreign invasion, Chu Jiubian was inextricably linked to them all.
The events in the hall just now left Bai Liyan deeply shaken.
He was endlessly grateful that he had walked into this snare today and stood on Chu Jiubian’s side.
What good outcome could possibly await someone who defied the gods?
Those brothers of his failed to understand this. Even with the extraordinary abilities Chu Jiubian had displayed in the past, these people didn’t take it to heart.
Perhaps to them, even the gods couldn’t match their nobility.
The two carriages arrived at Zuiliang-wang’s manor, where Merchant Zhou was already waiting at the gate. He immediately stepped forward to meet them as they approached, and his anxiety seemed to ease when he saw Miss Zhou safe and sound.
Bai Liyan’s smiling gaze fell upon this “father and daughter” pair, and he said: “This lord forgot to ask before – since when has Boss Zhou had such a lovely daughter? This lord never heard you mention her.”
Merchant Zhou’s face stiffened, but he quickly pasted on a smile and said: “My daughter has been in poor health since childhood and never came out in public. I brought her to the capital this time because I heard that there were skilled doctors here.”
“So that’s how it is.” Bai Liyan nodded, then said in a casual tone, “It seems the Fujian-Zhejiang region is not a suitable place for Boss Zhou and his family.”
Frightened, Merchant Zhou dropped to his knees: “This humble subject dares not…..”
Before he could justify himself further, Bai Liyan turned and walked toward the manor. He left only the following words: “When this lord returns to his territory, do not allow him to see your family’s trading house again.”
Merchant Zhou’s face went deathly pale.
The manor doors closed before him, leaving only him, Miss Zhou, and the two carriages on the long street.
“Father.” Miss Zhou helped him up and into a carriage.
As the curtain fell shut, the weakness and timidity melted from her face. She looked at the wealthy merchant trembling across from her and said with some impatience in her eyes: “Rest assured, His Highness will not abandon you.”
Merchant Zhou was taken aback, and some of the panic on his face eased.
Right. There was still that person.
*
*
Inside Yangxin Hall.
All of the outsiders were finally gone.
At this point, Qin Chaoyang submitted his report: “My Lords, I’ve just received the latest news: Minister of Revenue Su Sheng indeed has ties to Dingbei-wang.”
Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao both gave him their attention.
“What sort of ties?” Chu Jiubian asked.
Qin Chaoyang said: “Su Sheng fell ill when he was fifteen years old. Hui Jue, a monk at the temple outside the city, divined his fate and said that he was plagued by a malicious aura, and that he would need to recuperate in the temple for three years to purge it.”
From a young age, Su Sheng was an outstanding noble son whose family spared no expenses to cultivate. They naturally had no desire to see him die an early death, and sent him to Lingjue Temple the moment they heard this.
“As it happened, during the three years he spent there, the eldest daughter of the Wu family’s third branch was also there to cultivate spiritually.”
“The Wu family?” Chu Jiubian had never heard of them.
Qin Xiao said: “A family in the capital that made its fortune running brothels. They were very wealthy. During Emperor Chengzong’s reign, the eldest daughter of the third branch entered the palace through the concubine selection. She achieved the rank of “Pin”[1] and gave birth to a prince – Dingbei-wang Bai Liyu.”
Chu Jiubian understood at once: “So that’s what happened. Then the person behind Su Sheng is almost certainly Dingbei-wang.”
During the previous palace banquet, Dingbei-wang’s gu had been scattered all over the place.
The gu that approached Bai Lihong, as well as Qin Xiao and the Empress Dowager, were of course intended to harm them, but it was rather strange that two of the gu had been positioned near Su Sheng and Anhui-wang Bai Liming.
Chu Jiubian had previously suspected that there was an invisible hand puppeting Su Sheng and Bai Liming, and the gu had him connecting them to Dingbei-wang. After the banquet, he had asked Qin Xiao to have people investigate, and the results were finally here.
“Regarding Anhuai-wang, is there anything wrong with that advisor of his, Jiang Yongshou?” Chu Jiubian asked.
Qin Chaoyang shook his head, saying: “We haven’t found anything yet. All we know is that Jiang Yongshou and the late Anhuai-wang were lifelong confidants. Before his death, the late prince entrusted the care of his heir to him and General He Zhen. There doesn’t seem to be any logical reason for them to betray Anhuai-wang.”
Qin Xiao: “It would make sense if Jiang Yongshou approached the late Anhuai-wang with ulterior motives from the very beginning.”
Chu Jiubian nodded. That was certainly a possibility.
“This subordinate will investigate further,” said Qin Chaoyang.
“Go ahead.”
Once Qin Chaoyang left, Bai Lihong finished his work for the day and went with Xiao Yuzi to take a stroll in the courtyard and get some fresh air.
Qin Xiao rose, then went to Chu Jiubian and sat down next to him.
Chu Jiubian looked at him.
They were already in the same room. Was it really necessary to sit so close?
Back at Qin Manor, Qin Xiao hadn’t taken his rejection seriously, had he? Otherwise, why would he still be acting like this?
Logically speaking, shouldn’t they separate with dignity and revert back to their original mode of cooperation?
Qin Xiao didn’t seem to notice his awkwardness and confusion. He said: “I fear this is once more the work of Dingbei-wang.”
“En.” Chu Jiubian looked away and said, “It seems that Dingbei-wang has long extended his reach far and wide.”
There was Su Sheng in the capital, members of Anhuai-wang’s own cohort at the local level, and then the mysterious clan of gu masters.
There was no doubt that even more forces lurked in places unknown.
Compared to the showy Huguang-wang and Dongjiang-wang, Dingbei-wang seemed to be more difficult to deal with, and also more elusive.
“Qin Chuan is investigating the gu master side,” Qin Xiao said. “He mentioned before that there is indeed a sect in the jianghu with ties to Nanjiang gu techniques. But it’s only hearsay, and he hasn’t found any definite traces of them.”
“Have him send people to follow that Miss Zhou. She might provide a lead,” Chu Jiubian said.
Qin Xiao nodded. “He knows what to do. What do you plan to do with the gu in your possession?”
“Find an opportunity to hand them over to the Nanjaing saintess. She has more expertise in this area.”
“En.”
They wouldn’t immediately capture Miss Zhou, but instead use her to lure out the hidden gu master.
It mattered little if the effort came to nothing. With confirmation that the gu master belonged to Dingbei-wang, they could focus their defenses against the vassal king.
Silence fell in the hall.
“Tonight –”
Qin Xiao had barely begun to speak when Chu Jiubian said: “I’ll be staying at Yaotai Residence tonight.”
The underfloor heating system in Yaotai Residence had been prepared, so Chu Jiubian could have gone back long before now.
Qin Xiao looked at him and said nothing.
Chu Jiubian caught a glimpse of his expression from the corner of his eye. He didn’t get a good look, and didn’t intend to look closer.
“I’m heading to the Ministry of Personnel.” He rose to his feet and walked straight out the door.
Qin Xiao remained seated, gazing thoughtfully at his retreating figure.
A long moment later, he suddenly reached up and touched his face.
Bai Lihong was outside playing in the snow when he saw his Xiansheng leave in a hurry. He tilted his head, then looked back toward Yangxin Hall, only to find that his Jiujiu wasn’t following him out.
The child had recently sensed the awkward atmosphere between his two guardians. He didn’t understand what it was, but worried that they would quarrel.
So he stopped what he was doing, and after instructing Xiao Yuzi to go prepare dinner, he hurried back to the hall on his short legs.
When he walked in, he saw that his Jiujiu had produced a small mirror from somewhere and was gazing at his reflection, turning it this way and that.
“ ? ” The child leaned against Qin Xiao’s knees and tilted his little head up, asking: “Jiujiu, what are you doing?”
Qin Xiao put away the mirror. He looked down at him and asked: “What does Your Majesty think about my looks?”
“Handsome and dashing, romantic and gallant! Jiujiu is the strongest and bravest-looking person in the world!” The child didn’t hesitate at all, his eyes shining with sincerity. He was clearly being honest.
Qin Xiao smiled and pulled him into his arms.
Bai Lihong glanced at him a few times, then tilted his head and asked: “Jiujiu, are you unhappy? Did you argue with Xiansheng?”
“No.”
“Then what happened?”
Qin Xiao gave it some thought, then said: “Jiujiu doesn’t know how to win Xiansheng’s heart.”
“Ah?” Bai Lihong was struck dumb.
This was something he knew nothing about.
“Does Jiujiu want to marry Xiansheng?” Bai Lihong asked, puzzled. “Men can win the hearts of other men?”
Qin Xiao said decisively: “Not if they’re an ordinary person.”
“Ah? Then you –”
“I’m not ordinary,” Qin Xiao said.
Bai Lihong: “….Oh.”
Uncle and nephew were silent for a moment. Then Bai Lihong asked: “Xiansheng doesn’t like you back?”
“Xiansheng is a closed door,” Qin Xiao said. “Right now, Jiujiu wants to pry open that door and drag him out.”
“Ah? Is that really a good thing?” Bai Lihong didn’t think that sounded right, but he wasn’t entirely sure why.
Qin Xiao smiled and didn’t elaborate. Instead, he asked: “Were you scared when Jiujiu killed that person?”
The child gave that some careful thought, then said: “At first, I was. But he committed evil deeds, and according to the laws of Great Ning, he deserved the death penalty.”
Bai Lihong had recently begun studying law, but he didn’t know all of it yet.
“Just don’t cry when you go to sleep tonight.”
“Of course I won’t.” Bai Lihong puffed out his chubby cheeks and kicked his short legs. Then he tilted his head back to look at Qin Xiao, asking: “Jiujiu, do you care about a lot of people?”
Qin Xiao nodded in agreement: “I do.”
“I do too,” the child said earnestly. “Jiujiu, I read some notes Imperial Father left behind yesterday. He wrote that the more people you care about, the more vulnerabilities you have. So an emperor must learn to stand alone. Is that true?”
Qin Xiao was taken aback. But instead of asking where in the world he had found the late emperor’s notes, he said: “Caring about others isn’t a bad thing. There is no need for Your Majesty to stand alone.”
*
*
That night, Chu Jiubian moved back to Yaotai Residence.
But strangely, he had a hard time getting to sleep.
The room was warm, but the blankets no longer held the scent of another person, and there was no human-shaped body pillow at his side for him to prop his legs on.
He tossed and turned, completely unable to fall asleep. Frustrated, he sat up and called to the System: “Do a medical scan on me.”
He suspected he was having another episode. A year ago, when he was the sickest he had ever been, he had suffered from insomnia night after night and rapidly lost weight.
[Okay, Host. Scanning….scan complete.]
[Host is in good physical condition. Your mental state is average, hormone levels are elevated….]
[Scan result: Host appears to desire an intimate companion –]
Chu Jiubian shut off the System to shut it up.
He sat silently in bed for a long while, and the advice the System gave him when he first transmigrated to Great Ning crossed his mind.
Follow your heart.
Chu Jiubian was very clear on the fact that he wanted to see Qin Xiao.
He wanted to. So much.
*
*
In the Western courtyard of Yangxin Hall.
An oil lamp burned dimly in the main room. On the bed lay a blanket and two pillows placed side by side, with no one occupying them.
Qin Xiao reclined languidly on the soft couch by the window, the collar of his ink-black underrobes lying wide open.
On the game board before him, sets of stones, one black and one white, formed a continuous line.
He rolled a piece between his slender fingers, his expression giving no hint as to his thoughts.
Suddenly, there came the sound of soft footsteps in the courtyard.
His fingers went still, and his thin lips curved almost imperceptibly as he raised his eyes toward the door.
Those soft footsteps reached the door of the outer room and stopped.
One breath. Two….
The man inside the room stared at the doorway, while the one outside stood in silence.
Chu Jiubian felt like something was wrong with him.
He was the one who’d said he was going back to his place to sleep, and now here he was looking for Qin Xiao because he couldn’t sleep.
He pressed his lips together tightly. Then, he turned to march out of the courtyard.
However, he had barely taken two steps when the door behind him creaked open. Chu Jiubian paused.
The person behind him closed the distance in a single stride. A warm palm closed around his cold hand, then pulled him into the room without a word spoken.
The door closed behind him. Before Chu Jiubian could even react, his hand was pressed against the man’s bare pecs.
Qin Xiao had done it on purpose.
Chu Jiubian looked up. In the dim light coming from the inner room, he could faintly make out the man’s deep-set features. They seemed to hold a smile, but also a burning heat.
Chu Jiubian’s throat bobbed.
“Why were you leaving again?” Qin Xiao asked, his voice so low that it was almost a whisper.
They were standing very close. Chu Jiubian could almost feel the heat radiating from him, dispelling most of the chill he had collected on the way here.
Chu Jiubian had no words.
He didn’t know why he had come and then left. He must be sick.
“Chu Jiubian,” Qin Xiao said.
The other man rarely addressed him by name. For some reason, Chu Jiubian’s heart tingled.
“What are you doing?” he asked with every appearance of composure.
Qin Xiao stared at him unwaveringly, not willing to miss the slightest change in his expression: “Is there someone else in your heart?”
Chu Jiubian blinked slowly. He didn’t answer right away.
He could guess the consequences of answering either “yes” or “no.”
Qin Xiao took both of Chu Jiubian’s hands in one of his and pressed them against his chest. The other clenched down on the doorframe behind him until the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
There was still the faintest of smiles on his face, an expression that Chu Jiubian found most difficult to resist.
But Chu Jiubian could feel the heartbeat under his hands speeding up.
“Not at the moment,” Chu Jiubian said.
Qin Xiao seemed to chuckle, the vibrations travelling up through Chu Jiubian’s palms.
There was a moment of weightlessness, and Chu Jiubian was easily swept into the other man’s arms and carried to the inner room in just a few strides.
The last light in the room was extinguished.
It was overcast that night, with the moon hidden behind the clouds. Chu Jiubian wasn’t a martial artist like Qin Xiao, and once the oil lamp was put out, he could barely see a thing.
When sight was gone, the other senses heightened.
He could feel the soft bedding beneath him. He could also feel the roughness of a man’s hands and fingertips caressing his body.
Perhaps because he had used the word “presumptuous” earlier in the day, Ning-wang behaved very courteously tonight.
His lips brushed lightly against Chu Jiubian’s without pressing down, and he asked in a low voice: “May I kiss you?”
Chu Jiubian’s throat bobbed, and he gave a faint “en.”
Qin Xiao captured Chu Jiubian’s lips in a fierce and domineering kiss. Chu Jiubian wrapped his arms around Qin Xiao’s neck, lifting his head slightly and voluntarily opening his mouth.
After an indeterminable stretch of time, the man’s scorching palm landed on Chu Jiubian’s waist, separated from bare skin by only a thin layer of fabric.
“May I touch you here?” he asked.
Chu Jiubian responded with a soft, uneven hum.
The hem of his robes was lifted up, and a tingling sensation spread throughout his entire body. Chu Jiubian felt a little dizzy.
It must be a nerve pain flare-up, he thought.
But he felt no pain, only an overwhelming and endless pleasure.
Follow your heart.
He repeated it like a mantra, suppressing the urge to flee.
Tears trailed down his cheeks, only to be gently kissed away.
A rough hand lingered at the small of Chu Jiubian’s back. The other man asked in a hoarse voice: “May I?”
Chu Jiubian couldn’t see anything clearly. He could only make out the indistinct shape of broad shoulders looming over him, casting him completely in shadow, an obstacle to his escape.
“Yes,” he heard himself whisper.
But in the end, they really couldn’t go all the way.
With no experience at all and no preparation, they struggled for quite a while without success and ended up drenched in sweat.
Chu Jiubian gripped the man’s solid arm and rasped: “Enough. Qin Xiao. Enough.”
Qin Xiao leaned down and embraced him. He pressed a kiss to his sweat-dampened forehead and whispered: “I’m sorry. I’ll learn how to do it tomorrow.”
Chu Jiubian: “…..”
No way.
He was going to die.
There was a court session the next day, and after all that tossing and turning, Chu Jiubian felt as if the second he closed his eyes, it was already time to get up.
Qin Xiao touched his face and said softly: “You rest. I’ll go.”
Chu Jiubian sent him a narrow-eyed look, then rolled onto his side and went back to sleep.
After a night of debauchery, the sun was already high in the sky when Chu Jiubian opened his eyes again, and Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong were already back from court.
Both of them were currently working in the council chamber.
Chu Jiubian got out of bed and readied himself at a snail’s pace.
The palace attendants had long been aware of the relationship between these two officials, and had formed the habit of boiling hot water every night when they first started cohabitating. Unexpectedly, last night was the first time it was put to use.
But none of them displayed any reaction. Even when they saw Chu Jiubian rising late, nobody sent him an extra glance or spoke a word about it.
Chu Jiubian didn’t care what anyone else thought. In any case, he was comfortable.
He made himself presentable before heading to the council chamber. Bai Lihong greeted him cheerfully, and Chu Jiubian smiled and exchanged a few words with him.
Only after taking his seat did Chu Jiubian look at Qin Xiao across from him.
There was a smile in Qin Xiao’s deep eyes, along with an unspeakable hint of ambiguity as he stared fixedly at Chu Jiubian.
Chu Jiubian’s lips curved, and he gave him a subtle wink.
He saw the other man’s expression change slightly. Chu Jiubian’s smile deepened, and he picked up a memorial to review.
A long while passed before the man’s fixed stare moved away from him.
After lunch, Bai Lihong took a stroll to digest his food and then settled down for a nap.
Qin Xiao, who had never before taken a midday rest, pulled Chu Jiubian into the bedroom.
It had taken him twenty-six years to finally eat meat, and although the meal had been half-vegetarian, Ning-wang had developed a taste for it and wanted more. So in broad daylight, he pressed the other person down on the bed.
Doing this in the darkness of night was one thing, but in the middle of the day, Chu Jiubian didn’t dare look up at the person on top of him. He turned his face away, and the kiss missed its mark.
Qin Xiao pinned his arms down with one hand, then gently took hold of his chin with the other and kissed him deeply.
An indeterminate amount of time passed before Qin Xiao pulled away slightly and looked down at the person in his arms.
The young man’s lips were deep red and moist, his eyelashes wet with tears. His expression was dazed and vacant, yet there was still a trace of tenderness in his light-hued eyes.
Qin Xiao’s heart gave a heavy thud, and he kissed him again.
He couldn’t seem to get enough.
[1] Pin (嫔) is middle-range rank for a concubine, below the Consort and Noble Consort, but above the lowest rank. ⮐
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Chapter 87 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 89
