The midday sun slanted through the carved wooden windows into the spacious room.
The man bathed in sunlight wore a red official’s robe, his hair tied up meticulously with a jade hairpin.
Li Jinchen had to admit that Xie Anci was truly beautiful. The red official’s robe set off his jade-like face, and the tear mole beneath his eye lent him a touch of fragile beauty.
The golden sunlight cast a hazy glow over him, warm and serene.
Xie Anci looked up at Li Jinchen.
Why had this man suddenly gone quiet?
Li Jinchen, caught in Xie Anci’s puzzled gaze, came back to himself and coughed lightly.
“You’re really willing to let Gu Lingyu’s men patrol during this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival?”
“What’s there to be unwilling about? It’s not exactly a desirable job. If you want him to do it, let him.” Xie Anci leaned back lazily against his chair and poured himself a cup of tea.
“Fine.” Li Jinchen was like a firecracker that had failed to ignite, he had expected to argue with Xie Anci.
He hadn’t expected the man to be so agreeable today.
Although this was merely a small matter, it was also part of his strategy to gradually reclaim power. Xie Anci couldn’t possibly be unaware of that.
Li Jinchen was somewhat surprised. Wasn’t power important to Xie Anci?
Why was he acting so indifferent about it now?
Xie Anci took a light sip of tea. “However, I have one condition.”
Hearing this, Li Jinchen wore an expression that said “I knew it.”
“What condition?”
“Accompany me to the festival fair on Mid-Autumn.” Xie Anci rubbed his fingers together, feeling a little nervous.
Right now, all he wanted was to cherish the time he had with Li Jinchen, ideally to delay it, to delay the moment he would be abandoned.
Li Jinchen frowned. “But there’s a banquet in the palace. By the time it ends, it will probably be quite late.”
“That’s fine. There’s no curfew that night. Is that not acceptable?” Xie Anci looked at Li Jinchen full of expectation.
Li Jinchen felt a twinge of guilt under his gaze. Going to a festival fair, that was something lovers did, wasn’t it?
And between him and Xie Anci.
They were more like enemies.
“What? You won’t even agree to such a small thing? Then about the Mid-Autumn city patrol.”
“I’m willing. I’ll go with you.” Li Jinchen hastily cut him off.
He knew Xie Anci would threaten him.
Li Jinchen thought resentfully sure enough, nothing had changed. He was still that same Xie Anci.
“Then it’s settled.” Xie Anci clapped his hands with a smile, looking several degrees more lively.
“Mm.” Li Jinchen answered with a muffled sound.
Since Xie Anci had forced him into that intimate encounter, this was the first time Li Jinchen had seen him.
There was none of the expected hostility; instead, there was a hint of awkwardness, and things were even more peaceful than before.
But thinking of how it had simply been let go, Li Jinchen felt unwilling to accept it.
He kept wanting to make things unpleasant for Xie Anci.
Yet this morning, when he had intended to give him a show of power by making him wait outside the imperial study for a while, the man hadn’t taken the bait at all.
Li Jinchen didn’t dare go too far either, and the frustration chafed at him.
“Is there anything else? If not, I’ll take my leave.” Xie Anci rubbed his lower back. He should really go back and lie down.
After being put through the wringer today, his whole body felt like it had come apart.
Seeing Xie Anci’s movement, Li Jinchen’s ears flushed slightly red.
Whether from anger or embarrassment, he couldn’t tell.
“You may go.” Li Jinchen’s tone suddenly turned cold and hard.
Xie Anci was a little puzzled, but didn’t think much of it after all, Li Jinchen had always treated him this way.
That they could chat so calmly today was truly beyond his expectations.
Xie Anci sauntered out.
Watching Xie Anci leave, Li Jinchen scratched the back of his head in irritation.
He really didn’t know what to do with Xie Anci anymore.
For now, he didn’t dare make a move. He figured he’d endured this many years already, one more moment of patience wouldn’t hurt.
But once he took back all the power in Xie Anci’s hands, what would he do with him then?
Kill him?
That seemed too easy on him. After all, Xie Anci had tormented him for so many years, granting him a swift death would let him off too painlessly.
Li Jinchen shook his head. Never mind, the plan hadn’t succeeded yet. What was the point of thinking about all this?
After returning to his residence, Xie Anci dosed himself with medicine. As expected, his earlier wounds had split open again, and Xie Anci couldn’t help cursing Gu Lingyu in his heart.
The next time he saw him, he would definitely make him pay.
Xie Anci thought bitterly.
Then he lay down and fell asleep, skipping the evening banquet entirely.
Li Jinchen and Gu Lingyu, on the other hand, were quite pleased, without Xie Anci around, they could both relax a great deal.
Over the next few days, Xie Anci took several days of leave on the grounds of illness and did not attend court.
Xie You and Lu Yunzheng came to visit him a few times, and once they saw that Xie Anci was all right, they were relieved.
After a few days of rest, his body had recovered and it happened to be the Mid-Autumn Festival.
That morning, Xie Anci rose early and, in high spirits, picked up his long sword and began practicing in the courtyard.
The mist was hazy. Xie Anci, dressed in white robes, his slender figure flickering in and out of view among the layered trees.
Every move flowed like drifting clouds and water, his sleeves fluttering, he looked like an immortal.
Xie You, who had come looking for Xie Anci, couldn’t help staring, transfixed.
The soft crunch of dry leaves under a footstep interrupted Xie Anci’s movements.
“Who’s there?” Xie Anci lowered his sword and looked toward the visitor.
Seeing it was Xie You, his expression relaxed.
“What brings you here so early in the morning?”
“Adoptive Father, today is Mid-Autumn. I wanted to ask, will you be attending the palace banquet tonight?” Xie You gazed at Xie Anci’s slim waist, which seemed small enough to encircle with one hand.
Tiny beads of sweat slid down his temple; his cherry lips parted slightly as he breathed in small pants.
The man’s every movement entranced Xie You.
Xie You’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he restrained his desire.
“Of course. I’ll be back later tonight.” Xie Anci wiped the blade.
The sword in his hand was a crimson one, slender, with golden Sanskrit script running down the middle.
Xie You knew this sword, called the Yilan Sword, had been forged for Xie Anci by the old Prince.
Though slightly thinner than ordinary swords, it was sturdy, a perfect match for Xie Anci.
“Hm? Is Adoptive Father going somewhere?” Xie You felt a pang of disappointment.
He had been looking forward to having dinner with his adoptive father tonight and admiring the moon together.
“Mm. The Emperor and I arranged to go stroll the festival together.” Xie Anci sheathed his sword, an almost imperceptible smile on his face.
“The Emperor?” Xie You froze, his heart feeling as though it had been seized.
The Emperor was willing to accompany Adoptive Father to the festival?
Really?
Weren’t the two of them sick of the sight of each other? Why would Li Jinchen be willing to go with him?
Xie You knitted his brows, jealousy filling his heart.
“That’s right. No need to wait up for me tonight. The imperial examination is coming soon, study hard and stop thinking about play all the time.” Xie Anci, rare for him, offered Xie You a few words of concern.
Though none of them were words Xie You wanted to hear.
“Mm.” Xie You answered sullenly, frowning in displeasure.
Li Jinchen wouldn’t have developed feelings for his adoptive father after they’d been together just once, would he?
Xie You thought anxiously, feeling uneasy. Perhaps he should go find out.