He leaned down slightly, as if…
“My Lord?”
The minister in the hall was still speaking, but Ji Rong showed no reaction.
Radish licked his finger, and the slight, icy sensation on his hand coaxed Ji Rong’s wandering thoughts back. He simply murmured an “unh” and said, “Let’s go.”
“Meow!”
Radish suddenly let out a very loud meow.
Ji Rong covered the cat’s mouth, but it was already too late.
He frowned.
With Radish’s volume, the people inside definitely heard it.
Sure enough, after Radish meowed, the minister stopped talking.
Ji Rong took the veiled hat from April’s hands, put it on casually, and stepped out of the hall.
Some scorching sunlight shone down on him, but for some reason, Ji Rong only felt a chill.
Radish seemed to know it had caused trouble; it behaved itself obediently and didn’t dare to move.
Inside the hall.
A cat’s meow of unknown origin had interrupted the minister’s words.
A stray cat?
But how could there be a stray cat in the hall?
The minister hesitated for a moment, but seeing that the emperor’s expression remained unchanged, he prepared to continue speaking, only to be interrupted by the emperor.
“That’s enough,” Qi Zhaoxuan said in a deep voice. “We shall discuss this matter later.”
The emperor’s expression was unfathomable, his gaze dark and heavy as he stared at the screen.
That cat meow had come from behind the layers of screens.
He seemed to have heard his adoptive father’s voice.
Li Youde stepped forward a few paces, leaned close to the emperor’s ear, and whispered, “My Lord was here just now.”
After returning, Ji Rong sat by the window holding Radish and dismissed all the palace attendants.
Just he and Radish, sitting quietly in silence.
“All decrees should be issued to select maidens.”
The minister’s words flooded into his mind, automatically filling in the second half, choosing women of prominent and virtuous backgrounds to fill the inner palace.
His fingers unconsciously stroked Radish’s chin.
A chaotic jumble of undefinable thoughts churned in his heart.
Hesitation had never been his style of action.
Yet for some reason, when it came to this matter, he suddenly became irresolute and indecisive.
Yes.
I like him.
And then?
Does he like me?
Occupying the imperial throne with countless eyes watching him, Qi Zhaoxuan had chosen to hide him in the palace.
Why?
Was it truly just to humiliate him?
Not necessarily.
Then what else could it be? Could it be that he harbored unspeakable intentions?
Actually, he had a rough idea in his mind, but in the end, it was only a guess.
It needed to be verified.
Back-and-forth doubts swirled in his mind for a long time.
But in truth, there was nothing to agonize over.
He didn’t want to keep hesitating like this either.
Just ask him out.
Though he certainly couldn’t ask directly.
Ji Rong suddenly remembered April mentioning earlier that there was a folk lantern festival tomorrow night.
If he remembered correctly, Qi Zhaoxuan didn’t hold his liquor very well.
Then he would test the waters first.
And then, upon returning to the palace at night, he would get Qi Zhaoxuan drunk.
In wine there is truth.
Having figured it out, Ji Rong stood up, leisurely stretched, and slowly walked outside holding Radish.
He had figured that out, but he hadn’t figured out embroidery yet; he needed to ponder it further.
That perusal lasted the entire afternoon.
Thus, as soon as Qi Zhaoxuan stepped into the hall, what met his eyes was Ji Rong, sitting under the eaves, intently staring at April doing embroidery.
To learn, Ji Rong had leaned very close to April.
Qi Zhaoxuan pressed the tip of his tongue against his cheek, feeling a bit displeased in his heart.
Of course he could see what these two were doing, but when learning embroidery, why on earth was such close proximity necessary?
“Ahem.”
He deliberately made a sound. Ji Rong glanced back for a moment before turning back around, while April’s hand shook slightly. Realizing the impropriety, she silently pulled back some distance.
“My Lord, it is getting dark and it is easy to strain your eyes. Let us continue tomorrow.”
April quickly packed away her needles and thread, bowed, and retreated, leaving the space to the two of them.
Ji Rong stood up with some dissatisfaction, wanting to find fault and question him, but then he remembered his plan from just a moment ago.
So his eyes rolled slyly, and he asked, “I heard people say there is a lantern festival among the common folk tomorrow night. Can we go out of the palace?”
The emperor remained silent.
Ji Rong added, “For over twenty years, I have never been to a lantern festival.”
The emperor agreed to it this time.
After finishing dinner, when Qi Zhaoxuan was away, Ji Rong quietly asked Li Youde, “How is his alcohol tolerance nowadays?”
Li Youde’s eyes twitched, somewhat at a loss for how to answer. After weighing his words for a moment, he stammered, “It should be about the same as usual, I suppose.”
After asking, Ji Rong raised an eyebrow and walked back to the bedchamber.
Normally, having slept together in the same bed for so long, Ji Rong had almost grown accustomed to having someone beside him every night. But ever since he came to terms with his own feelings a while ago, he had started reverting to how things were in the beginning.
Uncomfortable everywhere, uneasy everywhere.
Tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Perhaps because April had noticed his poor spirits over the past few days, she had changed the incense burned in the bedchamber.
It must have been for calming the nerves; in any case, shortly after the incense was lit, Ji Rong would fall asleep.
Today was no exception.
Once his breathing grew steady and deep in sleep, the person beside him sat up and leaned closer.
Desire flashed in Qi Zhaoxuan’s dark eyes, his mind replaying the scene from earlier over and over again.
He was extremely displeased.
He didn’t want anyone to get too close to his adoptive father, no matter who they were.
His adoptive father could only belong to him.
The person before him was already fast asleep. He gazed at Ji Rong.
His sleeping expression was tranquil, the dim candlelight casting a glow upon his face. His bone structure was refined and clear, his delicate facial features vaguely visible. His lips were reddish and plump, and his eyelashes were very long, making him look just like a little eyelash sprite.
His neck line was slender and soft, and his collarbones were embedded in fair, smooth skin.
Qi Zhaoxuan ground his teeth. After a long moment, he leaned down and bit the skin right beside the sleeping man’s collarbone.
He ground his teeth a few times. Perhaps feeling a bit of pain, the person beneath him whimpered unconsciously.
As his teeth withdrew, a hint of an ambiguous red mark appeared on Ji Rong’s collarbone.
Qi Zhaoxuan pressed his fingers against the red mark a few times. Seeing it stand out against Ji Rong’s fair skin, an unnamed fire surged up from deep within him.
He let out a heavy breath.
His adoptive father smelled fragrant.
The daytime of the second day passed in a flash. By late afternoon, Ji Rong hopped onto the carriage, and the wheels rumbled as they headed outside the palace.
The setting sun cast its glow across the firmament, and the sky gradually darkened, followed by the colorful lanterns lighting up everywhere along the streets.
Ji Rong hadn’t lied; for twenty-six years, he truly had never been to a lantern festival.
He had heard long ago that lantern festivals were lively, but he had never attended one.
Previously, holding the position of prime minister, his status was sensitive and he was extremely busy.
He never expected that he would end up visiting a lantern festival under these circumstances.
Ten miles of long streets were adorned with colorful lanterns, drums and music filled the air, children held lanterns and played about, young ladies from elite families walked hand in hand, and street vendors hawked their wares everywhere.
After getting off the carriage, Ji Rong plunged right into the crowd, and Qi Zhaoxuan followed closely behind him.
After walking a few steps, Ji Rong realized there was no one else accompanying them.
He asked, “Didn’t you have anyone follow us?”
Qi Zhaoxuan was frowning deeply, appearing to thoroughly dislike such a bustling place.
An expression of aversion surfaced on his face.
With so many people crowded together, he couldn’t see what was fun about it at all.
Qi Zhaoxuan said softly, “Since My Lord wishes to enjoy himself, having people tag along might make you feel constrained.”
Nightfall had completely descended.
There were so many people at the lantern festival that one could easily be separated by the crowd if not careful.
“Hurry, hurry! They are doing molten iron fireworks ahead!”
A child’s voice reached his ears.
Ji Rong had never seen molten iron fireworks before and immediately grabbed the person next to him, intending to move forward.
Impatient with how slowly Qi Zhaoxuan was walking, Ji Rong grabbed the man’s rough palm with his right hand and dragged him forward.
Qi Zhaoxuan was slightly stunned.
A warm, soft palm held his, fingertips brushing across his hand. Ji Rong’s fingertips were slightly cool, yet they felt like a spark starting a prairie fire, burning all the way and making his entire body feverish.
Ji Rong pulled him and squeezed into the crowd. Perhaps because Qi Zhaoxuan looked too stern and possessed an overpowering aura, the people around them instinctively stepped back, which conveniently paved the way for the two of them to squeeze to the front of the crowd.
They arrived at just the right time; the molten iron fireworks were about to begin.
The artisan scooped up boiling hot molten iron from a blazing furnace and hurled it violently into the air.
Golden-red iron blossoms instantly burst across the sky, ten thousand starry sparks scattering outward. The iron flowers carrying fiery embers drifted down into the night, kicking up a brilliant spray of flowing light.
Finding his veiled hat somewhat obstructive to his vision, Ji Rong lifted the curtain slightly, and Qi Zhaoxuan turned to look at him.
The crowd was noisy and chaotic, but right now, Qi Zhaoxuan’s eyes held only Ji Rong alone.
Ji Rong’s eyes seemed to hold ten thousand galaxies, the flickering light playing across his face.
A genuine smile bloomed on his face, revealing two small dimples on either side.
The lantern festival seemed to have its charms after all.
Qi Zhaoxuan pressed his lips together.
People pressed against people, and the air was suffocating.
After walking around for a while, Ji Rong chose to squeeze back out of the crowd and stood by the riverbank to catch his breath.
There happened to be a stone stool nearby, and Ji Rong sat down.
There were fewer people around the riverbank. Ji Rong removed his veiled hat, the excited expression on his face not yet completely fading away.
Qi Zhaoxuan called out softly, “My Lord.”
Ji Rong turned his head to look.
In Qi Zhaoxuan’s hand was a fox mask from who knows where. The fox mask was pure white, adorned with fine pearl chips, outlined with gold thread along the edges, its pointed ears slightly upturned, and its slanted outer corners painted with pale red.
Qi Zhaoxuan personally placed it on Ji Rong.
The mask covered his brows and eyes while exposing the lower half of his fair, translucent chin, leaving the red mark left on his collarbone yesterday faintly visible.
When he raised his eyes to look, he carried a clear, ethereal air, truly resembling a little fox from the forest, lively and pretty.
Qi Zhaoxuan looked at his adoptive father.
Ji Rong stood where the lights were fading, his pupils reflecting tiny pinpricks of starlight, the smile reaching deep into his eyes.
“How is this mask?”
The evening breeze blew past, stirring the strands of hair at Ji Rong’s temples. His red lips curved in a smile as he looked right at him.
Qi Zhaoxuan’s throat tightened. Unable to control himself, he stepped forward a few paces, his fingertips brushing against Ji Rong’s lips.
He leaned down slightly, as if to kiss him.
For some reason, Ji Rong did not move.
Everything around them seemed to urge him to kiss, and he did just that.
The distance between them was mere inches, their noses almost touching, each feeling the other’s warm, damp breath.
They were just a hair’s breadth away.
Yet Ji Rong pulled back.
The little fox looked up at him, his eyes lively, his voice gentle yet filled with laughter:
“Qi Zhaoxuan, what are you trying to do?”