Tan Taisi stared at Rong Xun with deep amusement, watching the last vestiges of color drain from his face while his thick eyelashes trembled slightly, resembling the fluttering wings of a butterfly.
Tan Taisi asked a question whose answer he already knew. “Why isn’t the Princess Consort speaking?”
Rong Xun met Tan Taisi’s gaze, trying to smile but finding he couldn’t manage it. He now felt that Tan Taisi was terrifying even when wearing a smiling face.
“Your Highness, I, I am feeling unwell and am afraid of passing it to you. I should head back to the southern courtyard.”
“Since the Princess Consort has already entered this king’s courtyard, there is no reason to go back.”
Tan Taisi stood up, placing a hand on Rong Xun’s shoulder. With a gentle push, he pressed Rong Xun down into the chair. A handsome face slowly magnified right before Rong Xun’s eyes.
“Don’t leave yet. Weren’t you eager to chat with me? Let’s continue.”
Rong Xun’s legs trembled incessantly. He no longer dared to entertain any thoughts about this topic. Judging by this posture, Tan Taisi held an extreme abhorrence for traitors.
Rong Xun clenched his fists tightly, clinging to one final shred of hope.
“Your Highness, what if, what if that person chose betrayal because they had compelling hidden difficulties?”
“Hidden difficulties?”
Tan Taisi smiled faintly. “This world is full of people with hidden difficulties. This king couldn’t care less.”
Rong Xun remained silent.
It was over. Completely over. Even if he confessed the truth to Tan Taisi, there was no guarantee the man would spare him. The crime of stealing military tallies needed no elaboration. If Tan Taisi ever found out, he would surely die a horrific death!
What should he do? Rong Xun felt as though a fire were raging in his heart. What about Wenxi?
Catching sight of the sweat beading on Rong Xun’s forehead, Tan Taisi felt quite pleased. “Why has the Princess Consort gone silent again? Do you no longer wish to converse with this king?”
“It’s not that.”
Rong Xun forced a weak smile. “Your Highness, I, your subject is sleepy and wishes to rest.”
“That’s perfect. This king also wants to rest.”
The moment the words fell, Tan Taisi stood up, walked directly in front of Rong Xun, and scooped him up into his arms in a single motion, striding toward the bed.
“Your Highness!”
Startled, Rong Xun instinctively threw his arms tightly around Tan Taisi’s neck before hastily dropping his hands back down as reason returned. Seeing that Tan Taisi was carrying him toward the bed, Rong Xun’s nerves instantly pulled taut. He had only wanted to return to his own courtyard to rest.
Without any particular gentleness, Tan Taisi dropped Rong Xun onto the mattress and immediately pressed his weight down over him.
Amidst the bedcovers, Tan Taisi reached out, his hand tracing along the slender span of waist exposed by Rong Xun’s struggling. “The Princess Consort’s skin is truly delicate, and there is always a familiar fragrance lingering on your body.”
Rong Xun broke out in goosebumps all over under Tan Taisi’s actions. “Your Highness, your subject, your subject is tired.”
“I know. Didn’t I just carry you to bed to sleep?”
As he spoke, Tan Taisi lowered his head, burying his face in the crook of Rong Xun’s neck to inhale deeply. In the dim surroundings, his voice suddenly turned husky. “Princess Consort, your scent is remarkably familiar. Tell this king, where did you use the ointment bestowed upon you by the Empress Dowager?”
Tan Taisi’s hand wandered with fluid dexterity across Rong Xun’s waist. The heat radiating from his palm gave Rong Xun a jolt, reddening his ears further. Tan Taisi’s hands bore no resemblance to those of the pampered princes and nobles raised within the deep palace. They were covered in calluses of varying sizes, which brushed directly against Rong Xun’s bare skin.
A layer of goosebumps rose over Rong Xun’s body, and even he failed to notice that he was trembling slightly.
“Why isn’t the Princess Consort answering this king’s question?”
Tan Taisi closed the distance, his lips hovering teasingly right beside Rong Xun’s earlobe, brushing against it as if about to kiss. The warm breath he exhaled caused Rong Xun to shrink his neck back. He planted both hands against Tan Taisi’s chest and stammered, “That ointment, your subject used it to moisturize my body.”
Rong Xun couldn’t help but suspect whether there was something wrong with the ointment the Grand Empress Dowager had given him. Otherwise, why would Tan Taisi care so intensely about how it was applied?
“You used it to moisturize your body.”
Hearing Rong Xun’s reply, the playful smirk on Tan Taisi’s lips slowly twisted into something more dangerous. “No wonder this king noticed a faint fragrance on the Princess Consort.”
The bed curtains dropped down. Deep within the folds of the bedding, the greater part of Rong Xun’s inner robes had been torn open, exposing his fair, unblemished chest directly to Tan Taisi.
Rong Xun’s hands were firmly pinned, leaving him utterly unable to break free, while a bright flush of crimson bloomed across his face.
“Your Highness, Your Highness, your subject is not yet prepared!”
“You’ve been married for two months and still aren’t prepared? Is consummating a marriage truly so complicated that it requires the Princess Consort this long to prepare?”
With that, Tan Taisi unceremoniously shoved Rong Xun’s garments aside. “Since you willingly came to this king’s courtyard tonight, I will naturally satisfy your needs.”
“I, I didn’t come here for this!”
“Then what did you come here for?”
Tan Taisi lowered his head and bit down hard on Rong Xun’s neck. “To have a candlelit conversation deep into the night with this king?”
“Hiss!”
A sharp sting bloomed from his neck, causing Rong Xun to draw in a sharp breath of pain. He self-consciously averted his face in embarrassment and frustration. He had miscalculated. He had originally intended to come tonight to probe Tan Taisi, but instead of finding answers, he had walked right into a trap and trapped himself.
It seemed his chastity was destined to be compromised tonight.
Sensing Tan Taisi’s hands roaming freely across his skin, Rong Xun bit his lower lip and closed his eyes. Fine, whatever. Just treat it like being bitten by a dog. Close your eyes, endure it, and it will soon pass.
The worst part, however, was that losing his sense of sight made all his other senses painfully acute. Rong Xun could clearly hear Tan Taisi’s heavy, ragged breathing right beside his ear, and that pair of hands traversing his body was entirely impossible to ignore.
“Hah, is the Princess Consort frightened?”
Tan Taisi looked down with amusement at Rong Xun’s face, though his hands never stopped moving.
Rong Xun’s body trembled continuously. Even though he was terrified out of his wits, he stubbornly kept his pride intact. “I, I am not afraid.” They were both men anyway, what was there to fear.
“Oh?”
Tan Taisi dragged out the syllable as his hand slowly slid down toward Rong Xun’s lower body. “I wouldn’t have guessed it. The Princess Consort’s mouth is quite tough.”
With that, he used one hand to strip away Rong Xun’s remaining trousers.
Rong Xun felt a chill sweep over his lower half and instinctively arched his body to evade the movement. But Tan Taisi reacted with blinding speed, subduing him a step ahead.
He actually did it!
Rong Xun shamefully clamped his eyes shut. Reluctant as he might be, his body still betrayed him with involuntary physiological responses.
Tan Taisi was thoroughly satisfied with Rong Xun’s reactions, taking explicit pleasure in observing the shifting expressions across his face: annoyance, shame, and sheer endurance. The flush creeping across his cheeks spread all the way down his neck and across his chest.
A small, dark mole near the bridge of Rong Xun’s nose caught Tan Taisi’s eye inexplicably. Pausing for a fraction of a second, he yielded to an impulse and leaned down to press a kiss against the tip of Rong Xun’s nose.
Rong Xun burned all over. He buried his face deep into the pillow, gritting his teeth hard to keep from making a sound.
Just when he expected Tan Taisi to push things further, the hand holding him suddenly withdrew.
Surprised, Rong Xun turned his head and forced his eyes open, only to see that Tan Taisi had already sat up at some point. Standing beside the bed, he looked down at Rong Xun from on high with a victorious, mischievous grin.
“This king suddenly remembered he has matters to attend to. The rest, the Princess Consort can handle himself.”
Rong Xun’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. He quickly realized he had been played by Tan Taisi. This fellow had never intended to actually do that with him at all!
A surge of volcanic fury erupted from his gut.
“You!”
“What, is the Princess Consort incapable of handling it alone?” Tan Taisi narrowed his eyes. “Or would you like this king to assist you?”
Rong Xun’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. He had zero desire for this malicious bastard to help him!
Snatching the blanket from the side, Rong Xun wrapped himself tightly like a cocoon and gritted out through his teeth, “Your subject wouldn’t dare trouble Your Highness!”
With that, he resentfully rolled over, turning his back squarely toward Tan Taisi.
Watching Rong Xun’s retreating back, the warmth that had lingered in Tan Taisi’s eyes evaporated instantly, replaced by a chilling frost as he stared piercingly at the figure on the bed.
After a few long seconds, he turned and strode out.
Hearing the footsteps gradually fade into the distance, Rong Xun finally poked his head out from beneath the blanket.
“Hoo.”
He let out a long breath of relief. Then, registering the physical agitation still lingering in his body, his expression froze. That jerk! He stirs up a fire and then leaves someone else hanging to deal with it!
Furious, Rong Xun clenched his fists and began pounding mercilessly on the pillow, visualizing it as Tan Taisi’s face. Only after landing several heavy blows did he collapse flat onto his back with an expression of pure existential defeat.
He reached up to rub his face roughly, silently reciting the ledger entries he had memorized over the past few days. It took quite a while for the internal heat to finally subside.
Rong Xun had assumed he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep in Tan Taisi’s bed, yet clutching the quilt tightly to his chest, he drifted into a deep, heavy slumber before he even realized it. Just as he fell asleep, a familiar scent faintly brushed past his nostrils.
The following morning, Rong Xun was still soundly asleep in bed when Duo Fu personally entered to wake him.
While helping Rong Xun wash and dress, Duo Fu reported, “Princess Consort, the Prince is already waiting for you in the front hall for breakfast.”
Rong Xun let out a lazy yawn, offering no pleasant expression at the mention of Tan Taisi. “He woke up that early?”
Noticing the slightly passive-aggressive tone in Rong Xun’s voice, Duo Fu blinked in surprise before answering, “The Prince has always risen early. Normally, he spends this time practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard.”
Rong Xun curled his lips in disdain. Quite the industrious one.
Once properly dressed, he headed toward the front hall. The moment he stepped out the door, he spotted Mammy Wang standing guard on standby.
“Your Highness.”
Mammy Wang offered a greeting before stepping in line directly behind him.
Rong Xun shot a vicious glare at Mammy Wang in the reflection of his peripheral vision. She was really following the Marquis and his wife’s instructions to the letter, sticking to him like glue and refusing to leave even half a step. A remarkably loyal servant indeed.
Duo Fu was also trailing behind Rong Xun. After walking a short distance, he suddenly spoke up.
“Princess Consort, how is it that we do not see Wenxi? He is normally inseparable from Your Highness.”
Rong Xun paused for a fraction of a second, a wave of genuine worry washing over him as he recalled Wenxi’s current whereabouts.
“A member of Wenxi’s family fell ill, so he asked for leave from the Princess Consort the day before yesterday to return home and visit family.” Before Rong Xun could speak, Mammy Wang smoothly answered Duo Fu’s question on his behalf.
Rong Xun shot a cold glance at Mammy Wang. The excuse was already prepared. They really had their plans covered from every angle.
Duo Fu nodded. “Ah, so that is how it is.”
Rong Xun had no desire to dwell on the topic any further. He murmured indifferently, “Let’s go. The Prince must be growing impatient.”
Cutting through the courtyards, Rong Xun arrived at the front hall. The moment he stepped inside, he saw Tan Taisi savoring his breakfast with great relish. Rong Xun had hurried over frantically, worried he had kept Tan Taisi waiting too long, only to realize the man hadn’t even considered waiting for him at all.
Rong Xun walked over and offered a perfunctory, utterly insincere bow. “Your Highness.”
Without waiting for Tan Taisi’s permission, Rong Xun unceremoniously pulled out a chair, sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and snatched a steamed bun.
Tan Taisi took a slow sip of his porridge and asked Rong Xun with an innocent smile, “Did the Princess Consort sleep well last night?”
Rong Xun’s movements froze mid-bite. It would have been fine if he hadn’t brought up last night, but the mere mention of it made Rong Xun want to tear Tan Taisi to pieces. If not for the disparity in their status, he would have risked his life to finish off Tan Taisi right then and there.
Rong Xun forcefully swallowed the food in his mouth and shot back sourly, “Thanks to Your Highness’s concern, your subject slept exceptionally well!”
The maidservant serving the dishes cast a bewildered look at Rong Xun, a faint, mocking smirk playing at the corners of her lips.