The sound of the ancient zither flowed gurglingly from behind the carved wooden lattice. Twelve dancing girls in long skirts emerged gracefully from behind the gauze curtains, their hair pinned high, golden masks covering half of their faces. The silver armlets clashed with their dancing, creating a rhythmic, crisp sound that startled a courtyard full of scattered light.
Yun Zhensong had never seen such an elegant performance, and for a moment, he was so entranced that he lost his focus.
The lead dancer’s wide sleeves fluttered as smoothly as flowing water. The women bent their slender waists, their skirts casting beautiful arcs in mid-air, their tiptoes lightly touching the petals covering the floor, as if Luo Shen had arrived stepping on the waves, drawing successive exclamations of praise from the guests.
Some genuinely praised the rare dancing girls in the Prince of Han’s mansion; some engaged in flattery; and others, harboring twisted thoughts, glued their lewd, oily gazes onto the dancers, unable to pull them away.
At Yun Zhensong’s request to eat in peace and Qi Jianshuang’s demand for low-key behavior, their group was arranged on the periphery, though the dishes were even more exquisite and delicious than those of the distinguished guests sitting in the seats of honor.
The crab roe soup dumplings tasted fresh and sweet on the first bite, but as they ate more, there was a sense of excessive heaviness. Yun Zhensong didn’t want to waste them, so he sneakily shared one with Yusheng and Deng Hua, who were standing behind him. What remained after he took a bite was unobtrusively cleaned up by Qi Jianshuang.
Yun Zhensong edged closer to Qi Jianshuang, leaning nearer, almost knee to knee.
Qi Jianshuang glanced at him from the corner of his eye and said faintly, “Hm?”
“Discussing something with you,” Yun Zhensong picked up the jade-inlaid gold cup beside his hand, taking small sips of the amber-colored nectar, which was rich in alcoholic flavor. “Can we let Qi Yan come with us? You’re not a small official, so your words should carry some weight, right?”
Qi Jianshuang was amused by his cautious, paper-over-cracks demeanor and curled the corner of his mouth: “What is my name?”
Yun Zhensong looked at him strangely: “Qi Jianshuang, obviously.”
“Qi Yan also has the surname Qi. What do you think our relationship is? How could I possibly leave him here alone?” Qi Jianshuang reminded him.
Yun Zhensong was stunned. The next second, his eyes widened; he sat up straight with a “swoosh.” Amidst his sudden realization was an obvious sense of anger. He said, “You’re married?!”
“Wh…” Qi Jianshuang was simply aggrieved. He pulled back Yun Zhensong, who had been about to walk away with his bamboo mat, intending to keep at least eight feet of distance between them. Qi Jianshuang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, his hand subconsciously stroking his back: “I’m not married. Even if I had a wife and children, how could I possibly have a son that old at my age?”
Qi Jianshuang emphasized particularly: “An adopted son, not a biological one.”
Yun Zhensong: “…I see.”
After three rounds of drinks, the musician’s fingertips accelerated, and the sound of the flute turned frantic, pushing the atmosphere of the banquet to its climax. Laughter was incessant, and the hall was brilliantly lit.
Yun Zhensong’s interest waned significantly. He looked boredly at the people sitting above.
Li Yan sat parallel to Qi Yan, repeatedly placing food for him. Qi Yan was enraged; judging by the shape of his mouth, he was likely cursing. Li Yan just laughed, intrigued.
His gaze suddenly swept over. In the brief moment of eye contact with Yun Zhensong, Yun Zhensong subconsciously nodded slightly at him.
Then, Yun Zhensong saw Li Yan raise his hand to call a servant, helping Qi Yan down the steps. Seeing Li Yan walking down, several officials holding wine cups prepared to toast him. Before they could speak, Li Yan pressed his hand down, saying with an unrefutable, courteous tone: “Everyone, continue drinking. This Prince has matters to attend to.”
The Magistrate of Qu County laughed, creating an out for himself: “Then we won’t delay the Prince of Han; please, attend to your work.”
Li Yan sent people to take Yun Zhensong and his group to the quiet back garden, while he himself pushed Qi Yan. He stood behind Qi Yan, his expression indifferent, staring at the light pink scar behind Qi Yan’s ear for a while before saying slowly: “Qi Yan.”
This was the first time Li Yan had called him with such a serious tone and form of address, which startled Qi Yan. He braced himself on the armrests and turned his head with difficulty to look up at him, asking: “What’s wrong with you?”
The moment Qi Yan saw Li Yan’s face, he reverted to his usual frivolousness, hooking one corner of his mouth and saying triumphantly: “Look, you do care about me quite a bit.”
“…I can’t be bothered with you.” Qi Yan felt he had been played and let out a dissatisfied “tsk.”
Qi Yan sat in the pavilion in the center of the lake, watching the four people walking from a distance. The Milky Way was silent. In the moonlight, the veranda looked like a sleeping ink-colored dragon. The small halo of warm yellow light cast by the lanterns under the veranda stretched the shadows of the few people long and thin.
The wind passed the copper bells at the eaves; the ethereal clashing intertwined with the distant trembling of strings. The overgrown vines in the back garden cast dancing shadows under the moonlight, and the lake water under the pavilion sparkled and flickered.
Qi Yan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, saying: “Hey, I have a favor to ask. Can you stop being so cheeky in front of my adoptive father in the future?”
“Are you shy?” Li Yan smiled.
Qi Yan glanced at him and didn’t speak.
Coincidentally, they walked in. Li Yan listened to Qi Yan and didn’t tease him further; instead, he said in all seriousness: “The carriage and driver are already prepared. You all should leave after breakfast tomorrow. Qi Yan will go with you.”
Regarding the relationship between Qi Jianshuang and Qi Yan, there was no need for Li Yan to be a bore and provide nagging instructions. He paused for a moment, wanting to speak several times. Under everyone’s strange gazes, he laughed bitterly: “Some things sound pretentious when spoken, yet omitting them feels like a regret. Our next meeting is far in the future, so I might as well say them.”
He turned, facing Qi Yan, and squatted down to look at him eye to eye.
“Five chests of pearls and jade, six chests of silver counting them, they have by now already been delivered to Yuanqing County. These eleven chests are to ensure your safety and give me peace of mind,” Li Yan said plainly, the result of him suppressing himself to the extreme, “I seek no reward, only that you do not forget me.”
Qi Yan was completely stunned, motionless, his breathing coming to a halt.
“Alright, it’s cloudy tonight, and there are no stars to watch. Everyone, return.”
Qi Jianshuang could feel that Yun Zhensong’s mood was significantly low. He accompanied him silently, racking his brain to grasp the reason, but every time he smoothed out his train of thought and was about to understand, inexplicable emotions would disrupt him, and he would fall back into confusion.
Yun Zhensong drank cup after cup. Qi Jianshuang couldn’t stop him, nor could he scold him, so he could only watch helplessly as the area around Yun Zhensong’s eyes turned red.
Yun Zhensong was wondering: Will Qi Jianshuang marry a wife in the future?
The things he had done to him previously, which in his view were ambiguous to the extreme—was it his own wishful thinking, or did Qi Jianshuang truly have feelings for him other than utility?
Yun Zhensong couldn’t be sure, and his heart was panicking terribly.
He yearned for love without reservation.
Yes, he was selfish. This love could only be given to him; others could not touch it, otherwise, he would rather not have it.
Yun Zhensong was soaked in pungent alcohol; he could no longer drink, and his stomach was churning. Yusheng was so anxious he was in tears. Qi Jianshuang snatched the strong liquor Yun Zhensong was about to force into his stomach. His originally fair and bright neck had become hot and red, and the alcohol flowed down his jawline into his collar, soaking a large patch.
“What are you doing!”
Yun Zhensong knit his beautiful eyebrows, using such an extreme tone for the first time, which stunned both Deng Hua and Yusheng.
“Deng Hua!” For the first time, Qi Jianshuang faced a situation where he was at a loss; he couldn’t hit him, couldn’t scold him, and was simply going to explode with anger. He barked: “Take Yusheng away!”
“Hey?! No! I… Mmm!”
Deng Hua efficiently dragged the person away.
The two were left confronting each other in silence in the corner.
In the next second, Qi Jianshuang scooped up Yun Zhensong horizontally, his arms steadily holding him in his embrace, and walked toward the room with large strides. He avoided the gaze of the crowd. Although they met servants along the way, Yun Zhensong didn’t fuss or make a scene, and no one dared to stop them.
Yun Zhensong stared at Qi Jianshuang’s taut jawline. The alcohol went to his head, and he actually roared in his heart: If you’re truly capable, sleep with me tonight!
Hmph!
Yun Zhensong imagined himself being tossed onto the bed roughly, Qi Jianshuang tearing his clothes open forcefully, stripping his pants…
Hm?
Qi Jianshuang pushed open the bedroom door, hooked the door shut with his foot, and gently placed him on a stool. He lowered his eyes to pour a cup of tea for him, his voice low and hoarse: “I wasn’t roaring at you just now; I was angry with myself. Drink it.”
Yun Zhensong said nothing, staring at him without blinking. He hadn’t heard a word of what Qi Jianshuang said afterward.
I thought you were lustful; I didn’t expect you to be so pure in love.
I’ve even drunk myself like this, and you still haven’t made a move.
Who are you playing the gentleman for.
Yun Zhensong pushed away the teacup, stood up with his left hand on the table, and tightly wrapped his right hand around Qi Jianshuang’s neck without allowing any refusal.
Qi Jianshuang stopped his words abruptly, not daring to move.
Yun Zhensong used the strength of his arms to bring him to his face. He exhaled a slightly hot breath onto Qi Jianshuang’s nose. In the next second, Yun Zhensong’s lips reached the other’s lips. He kissed him with a raw, obscure technique, devoid of any sequence. He wanted to stick out his tongue, but the other party was obviously too startled to react and kept his teeth tightly clenched, causing him to lick Qi Jianshuang’s teeth several times.
Yun Zhensong glared, hammered Qi Jianshuang’s chest, and complained: “Open your mouth.”
Qi Jianshuang was set ablaze by him; his head felt like thousands of horses were running through it, his heart pounding until he was suffocating. He felt faint, his face burning, with only a deep, overflowing affection that was clear and unambiguous.
Qi Jianshuang parted his teeth. Yun Zhensong didn’t control his strength and bit his tongue. Qi Jianshuang took a light breath, not dodging.
Yun Zhensong pulled out in an instant, so ashamed that his face could have dripped blood: “Ah, sorry, sorry…”
“Zhensong,” Qi Jianshuang savored his alcohol, biting his broken tongue with his teeth. The subtle pain of his tongue tip gave him a sense of reality. He chuckled softly: “Let me take over.”
Qi Jianshuang’s kiss was meticulous, gentle, and extremely patient. He guided Yun Zhensong with his lips not to resist his invasion, sucking on the other’s soft, warm tongue, licking the other’s alcohol-scented teeth.
He wanted to dominate Yun Zhensong, possess Yun Zhensong, and have him completely and voluntarily offer himself up.
Slowly and methodically, he stripped away everything.
Yun Zhensong didn’t know how to catch his breath. After holding it for a long time, Qi Jianshuang laughed, and his large, rough palm grasped Yun Zhensong’s slender neck.
“Breathe, baby.”
Yun Zhensong immediately gasped for air. Qi Jianshuang didn’t rest, instead starting to kiss his brow, eyelids, ears, cheeks, nose, and the mole beside his nose in detail…
When Yun Zhensong had caught his breath, Qi Jianshuang kissed him again. This kiss was fierce; Qi Jianshuang cupped his head, not allowing any retreat.
The tips of their noses rubbed together, shifting left and right. The moments of separation drew out fine, long, lust-filled strands of moisture.
Unknowingly, they fell onto the bed.
Yun Zhensong lay on Qi Jianshuang’s chest, dazed for a long time.
They said nothing to each other, but their lingering, inseparable gazes said everything. Their foreheads pressed against each other, and they exhaled long, hearty, and satisfying breaths.