Xie Anci’s face went pale. Was that really how Li Jinchen saw him?
Seeing that Xie Anci said nothing, Li Jinchen’s expression turned to one of disgust, as if he’d swallowed a fly.
“No one but you.” After a long moment, Xie Anci sighed and said slowly.
Only then did the furrow between Li Jinchen’s brows smooth out.
Still, he couldn’t help recalling how silky that night had felt, the man’s skin like satin.
Cool to the touch, impossibly smooth.
The fragrance of gardenias lingered at the tip of his nose. Whether it was the drug driving him on or pure instinct, Li Jinchen had kept taking, again and again.
“As long as there was no one else. You know I have a thing about cleanliness if anyone else had touched you, I would never touch you again.” Li Jinchen said it like a warning.
“Mm.” Xie Anci lowered his eyes and nodded.
He knew.
Which was why he had kept himself pure for him all these years.
Silence fell over the imperial study, and a faint awkwardness filled the spacious room.
The two of them each reviewed their own memorials as time slipped slowly by.
Meanwhile, Lu Yunzheng had just left the palace when he saw a familiar figure walking toward him.
It was Xie You.
Lu Yunzheng was puzzled. He and Xie You were barely more than nodding acquaintances, what could the young man want with him?
Sure enough, Xie You came straight toward him.
“Lord Chancellor.” Xie You bowed in greeting.
“What business does Young Master Xie have with me?” Lu Yunzheng asked, dismounting.
Xie You glanced toward the palace. “My adoptive father, he”
“Oh, the Prince Regent went to the imperial study to review memorials with His Majesty,” Lu Yunzheng replied offhandedly.
At those words, Xie You’s face drained of color. “There is something I would like to ask you, Lord Chancellor.”
“Speak.”
Xie You was, after all, Xie Anci’s adopted son, so Lu Yunzheng was naturally a bit more patient with him.
“I wanted to ask how things are between my adoptive father and His Majesty lately.”
“The Prince Regent and His Majesty…”
“I’d say about the same as before. Or perhaps things have eased a little recently?” Lu Yunzheng said after a moment’s thought.
At recent court sessions, the Prince Regent and the Emperor were no longer at each other’s throats.
The Prince Regent seemed much more detached lately, carrying himself with an air of calm detachment, as if he had seen through it all and let go.
The Emperor, meanwhile, kept glancing at the Prince Regent, as if he had something to say, only to swallow it back every time.
Lu Yunzheng had noticed something odd about it, but it wasn’t his place to pry.
“So their relationship has improved recently, then?” Xie You’s face was deathly pale, as if a treasure he’d discovered had been found by someone else.
How he wished Li Jinchen would go on despising Xie Anci forever, at least then he would still have a chance.
“I suppose. I haven’t been in much contact with them lately, so I can’t say for certain,” Lu Yunzheng said with a nod.
“Is something wrong? Are you all right?” Seeing Xie You’s pale face, Lu Yunzheng couldn’t help asking.
“No. Thank you for telling me.” Xie You drifted back toward the Prince Regent’s residence like a man who had lost his soul.
Lu Yunzheng watched his retreating figure with puzzlement, shook his head, mounted his horse, and returned to his own estate.
Inside the palace, it was a busy day as well, the palace maids were making preparations for the evening banquet.
By the time Xie Anci and Li Jinchen finished the memorials, dusk had already fallen.
Xie Anci rose and stretched. “The banquet is about to begin. I’ll go change.”
“Mm.” Li Jinchen replied indifferently.
Xie Anci had stayed in the palace for a while before, so he had his own quarters there, right beside Li Jinchen’s bedchamber.
Xie Anci arrived at the palace carrying the clothes he was going to change into.
Once he had changed, Xie Anci set off for Rende Hall.
That was where the palace banquet was being held.
Just as he stepped out of the sleeping quarters, he saw a stunningly beautiful woman walking toward him with two men in tow.
The two men each had their own distinctive features one had a refined, scholarly appearance, gentle as jade.
The other was a muscular man with bronze-toned skin, though his face was quite handsome.
The woman’s eyes lit up when she saw Xie Anci.
“Regent, it’s been a long time.” The woman approached Xie Anci.
The two men behind him exchanged a glance, their expressions rather subtle.
“Eldest Princess.” Xie Anci gave a slight nod.
This woman was Li Jinchen, the current Emperor’s own elder sister Li Jinxuan.
“Oh, no need for such formality. It really has been ages. How have you been lately, Regent?” Li Jinxuan greeted him warmly.
“Thanks to the Eldest Princess’s good fortune, all is well.” Xie Anci smiled lightly.
Unlike Li Jinchen, Li Jinxuan was extremely fond of Xie Anci.
Of course, it might simply be that Li Jinxuan was extremely fond of Xie Anci’s face.
As the Eldest Princess, Li Jinxuan had established her own residence early on.
Not for any other reason than to keep a collection of male companions.
Li Jinxuan adored beautiful men all kinds, of all backgrounds. Whenever one caught her eye, she would find some way to bring him back to her residence.
“How has my little brother been lately? Do you still have feelings for him?” Li Jinxuan asked with a mischievous look.
“He’s well. And yes, I do.” Xie Anci gave his usual answer.
“Honestly, I don’t know what my brother sees that’s so special. Look at me, free and unfettered like this. What kind of man can’t I have?”
As she spoke, Li Jinxuan took the hand of the scholarly-looking man beside her.
Xie Anci smiled. “As long as the Princess is happy.”
Li Jinxuan let out a regretful sigh, then leaned close to Xie Anci and whispered:
“But the one I like best is still you. Don’t you think I look a bit like Jinchen? Why not take me in or I could take you in?”
“Princess, mind your words.” Xie Anci quickly stepped back several paces.
Li Jinxuan did indeed resemble Li Jinchen somewhat, only with softer facial contours.
Where Li Jinchen was handsome, Li Jinxuan was alluring.
But what Xie Anci loved was Li Jinchen himself no one else could take his place.
Seeing this, Li Jinxuan gave an awkward smile. “I was only joking. Don’t be scared, Regent.”
Xie Anci: “…”
That predatory look of hers hardly seemed like a joke.
“Royal sister?” Just as Li Jinxuan was about to leave, Li Jinchen happened to come over.
“Jinchen, where have you been? I just went to the imperial study and didn’t see you.” Seeing Li Jinchen approach, Li Jinxuan stepped forward and took his hand.
“Nothing much. What brings you here, royal sister? Weren’t you heading straight to Rende Hall?”
Li Jinchen glanced at Xie Anci, then at Li Jinxuan.
He knew Li Jinxuan was fond of Xie Anci, though he couldn’t tell whether she only liked his face or genuinely liked him.
But Li Jinxuan had told him more than once that she wanted him to hand Xie Anci over to her.
Each time, Li Jinchen could only respond helplessly it wasn’t that he wouldn’t give her up, but that Xie Anci had no interest in her.
“I arrived a bit early, so I thought I’d come see you.” Li Jinxuan explained.
“What were you two talking about just now?” Li Jinchen asked.
“Nothing much just exchanged greetings, and then here you came.” Li Jinxuan said quickly.
Xie Anci nodded. “You two chat. I’ll head to Rende Hall first.”
Xie Anci left directly after finishing his words, and Li Jinchen watched his departing figure with a furrowed brow.
“Imperial sister, do you really like Xie Anci?” Li Jinchen asked in a low voice.