Ji Yan paused slightly before nodding. “No matter, come in.”
Gaining permission, Chu Xunsheng slipped into the carriage and naturally dropped the curtain, blocking out the scenery outside.
The curtain shut out the sunlight, and the interior of the carriage instantly grew dim.
Ji Yan leaned in closer, reaching out a hand while murmuring in a low voice, “Just now, I thought I saw something rather unusual…”
Good grief!
Chu Xunsheng stepped forward and pressed his hand down. “Wait.”
With his back facing the curtain, he leaned his weight against the window, using his back to pin the corner of the curtain in place and prevent it from sliding open.
Then, exerting strength through his arms, he pulled the unprepared emperor directly toward him.
The distance between them vanished in an instant, close enough to feel each other’s slightly hurried breaths.
“I want to kiss you.” Staring straight into the emperor’s dark, churning eyes, Chu Xunsheng enunciated each word clearly.
What does this mean?
It was the first time Ji Yan doubted his own ears, let alone believed that such a direct statement could come from Chu Xunsheng. He froze in place, staring at Chu Xunsheng’s face mere inches away.
The thing inside his chest hammered far too violently, and Ji Yan half-suspected it might burst right out of his ribs.
When had Chu Xunsheng ever been this proactive? Although the emperor had lost his composure and forced a few kisses on him in the past, those encounters always ended with Chu Xunsheng walking away coldly.
Even so, Ji Yan had never voiced his innermost feelings, leaving their relationship as lord and subject trapped in this ambiguous, undefined state.
Every time Ji Yan forcibly pinned the man beneath him to demand a kiss, losing himself in the excessive intimacy and getting swept up in the heat of the moment, the reward was always being mercilessly pushed away to face a cold, receding back.
Ji Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed repeatedly as his voice turned somewhat hoarse. Reason told him that Chu Xunsheng’s sudden, uncharacteristic closeness was deeply suspicious, yet a heart on the verge of exploding buried that reason layer by layer.
His mouth opened and closed before he finally managed to squeeze out, “But all the civil and military officials are right outside…”
There was only a single curtain; if a gust of wind blew—
Weren’t you always bold enough before?
Unwilling to listen to his indecisive hesitation, Chu Xunsheng chose to take the initiative.
Flipping his posture, he pressed the emperor back against the window frame, using the emperor’s spine to anchor the corner of the curtain.
The sovereign’s crumbling sanity finally detonated with a loud roar.
Chu Xunsheng lowered his voice. “Then Your Majesty better pay attention. If you move even the slightest bit, the curtain will fly open, and by then—”
As he spoke, he used his fingers to tease and knead the emperor’s thin lips, even slipping inside to stir around, forcing the emperor to keep his mouth parted and endure a cold, foreign object wreaking havoc within. Still wearing his golden mask, which usually lent an extra layer of solemnity, the flushed corners of his eyes and slightly parted lips made him look shockingly suggestive.
Chu Xunsheng fell silent for a moment.
I always feel like the emperor’s expression right now… is practically begging to be bullied by a traitor.
He continued, “By then, all the civil and military officials will see the emperor they fear and respect being handled by a minor civil official…”
Outside the carriage, the rustle of soldiers’ uniforms shifting in the wind sounded almost audible, as if happening right beside their ears.
The body of the man beneath him stiffened completely, afraid to move so much as a millimeter.
At that exact moment, a eunuch’s voice called out from outside, “Your Majesty, may we set off now?”
Silence stretched on with no reply. Perhaps feeling perplexed, the eunuch gave the carriage wall a gentle tap and tentatively asked, “Your Majesty?”
He reached a hand toward the curtain, causing the fabric to flutter.
Ji Yan’s body grew even stiffer. He lightly bit down on his knuckle, looking up at Chu Xunsheng with a pleading gaze.
It was a rare instance of initiative on his part, and he didn’t want to ruin Ah Chu’s mood right now.
Catching the plea in his eyes, Chu Xunsheng leisurely withdrew his hand, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped his fingers clean.
Receiving no response for a long time, the person outside grew anxious and reached to lift the curtain—
Ji Yan spoke up just in time: “Let’s move out.”
The eunuch hurriedly lowered his hand and repeatedly acknowledged the order.
Only… why does His Majesty’s voice sound so hoarse?
Well-versed in the rule of asking less and knowing less, he refrained from prying further and simply waved his hand to signal the convoy’s departure.
The massive procession set off in grand fashion, and the carriage began to sway.
Gazing darkly at Chu Xunsheng, Ji Yan caught the curtain on a hook to secure it, leaned in close, and asked, “Shall we continue?”
His voice sounded rough around the edges, as though suppressing something fierce.
Continue what?
Chu Xunsheng collapsed backward onto the spacious lounge bed inside the imperial carriage, rolling unceremoniously into the blanket at the side like a lazy rogue.
Ji Yan asked softly, “What is the matter?”
Chu Xunsheng’s muffled voice drifted out from inside the rolled-up blanket: “Sleepy.”
…
Ji Yan was speechless for a moment. Knowing better than to rush things, he decided not to disturb him further, choosing instead to sit quietly by himself, stroking his lower lip with a low chuckle.
After all this time, Ah Chu is taking the initiative for once. Could it be…
Could it be that he shares these feelings as well?
He completely pushed aside any lingering thoughts about what might have felt slightly out of the ordinary earlier.
The carriage rumbled along steadily, and Chu Xunsheng drifted off into a daze before falling sound asleep. Unsure of how much time had passed, a gentle hand nudged him awake.
Opening his eyes, Chu Xunsheng met a pair of tender, affectionate eyes and murmured in a daze, “A-Yan?”
The moment the name left his lips, he snapped completely awake, casting a slightly anxious, apprehensive look at Ji Yan’s expression.
Mistaking the monarch who likely harbored romantic feelings for him as a hidden beauty kept in a private residence—how could he be so utterly foolish?
To his surprise, the emperor merely paused for a fraction of a second, acting as though he had heard nothing as he said softly, “Lord Chu, we have arrived at the imperial lodge.”
Chu Xunsheng nodded, lifted the carriage curtain, and stepped outside.
Yet he could distinctly feel a heavy, highly intense gaze burning into his back the entire time.
Through the various ceremonial rituals that followed, he simply stood toward the back with no specific duties assigned, leaving him thoroughly bored, so he decided to pass the time by watching the proceedings up front.
Fairly speaking, Ji Yan was genuinely a capable emperor, making it easy to see why he was the protagonist of the book.
As members of the rebellious faction, the existence of his group seemed to serve merely as a catalyst to forge this sovereign into someone even more resolute and ruthless.
In the original plot, that conflict revolved around brotherly ties; now, however, it had evolved into something far deeper and more complex.
Chu Xunsheng sighed softly, casting a glance at the solitary black figure standing at the head of all the civil and military officials.
Right now, the sovereign was clad in dark, solemn robes, standing loftily before his court. The lifelike golden dragons embroidered across his garments seemed ready to leap into flight, gleaming under the light alongside the golden mask on his face. The overwhelming pressure of a supreme ruler radiated outward, making it almost painful to look directly at him.
Who could ever imagine that such a high-and-mighty sovereign had been reduced to a flustered mess with his mouth half-open just a few hours prior?
Chu Xunsheng suddenly felt an urge to light up a cigarette, but since the ancient world clearly lacked such luxuries, he discreetly fished a piece of candy from his pocket and popped it into his mouth while nobody was paying attention.
The minor civil official happened to be standing right beside him and timidly tugged at his sleeve.
“Lord Chu?”
With the candy lodged in his cheek, Chu Xunsheng couldn’t speak, so he simply gave a light raise of his eyebrow, signaling for the other to continue.
Lord Chu was notoriously aloof, always wearing a cold expression that kept everyone at arm’s length. This single raised eyebrow brought a vivid, dynamic expression to his exceptionally handsome face.
A ripple stirred in the minor official’s heart as he eagerly edged closer. “Lord Chu… I sent you a letter yesterday asking if we could share a carriage, but you must have been too busy and missed it amidst the rush of arriving…”
Fidgeting nervously, he lowered his head and stammered, “Would it be alright if I rode back with you on the return trip?”
His face flushed bright red, practically glowing, reminding Chu Xunsheng of some kind of fruit bursting with sweet juice upon the first bite.
On the return trip… there shouldn’t be much going on anyway.
Chu Xunsheng nodded. “Very well.”
After all, since he had claimed his own carriage broke down upon arrival, hitching a ride back made logical sense.
The moment the words left his mouth, a loud shattering sound echoed from right behind them.
Turning around simultaneously, the two of them saw the Minister of Revenue offering an awkward, forced smile as he hurriedly swept up a pile of broken fragments. “Nothing, nothing at all. Just clumsy hands, clumsy hands.”
As soon as they turned back around, his expression twisted into one of sheer, ferocious agony.
I don’t understand what’s so great about this minor official! How on earth did he manage to earn such special treatment from Lord Chu?!
He remained completely oblivious to the fact that it only required two simple words: making a move.
The proactive Wei Qi had earned a response, and the proactive minor official had too. If one shrank back in cowardice and failed to express their intentions, the other person would simply assume it was out of disgust.
…
The day-long ceremony finally concluded.
Having stood rigidly out in the blazing sun for an entire day, Chu Xunsheng was utterly exhausted. The second the chief eunuch hollered the dismissal, he bolted straight back to his quarters.
The room prepared for him was quite luxurious, featuring a massive, soft bed large enough for two people to roll around on.
Pushing open the door, Chu Xunsheng spoke softly to the maid waiting outside, “Please have someone bring a tub of hot water in.”
The maid nodded, her sweet, cloying voice sounding slightly uncomfortable, carrying a hint of deliberate affectation.
Remembering that this maid was named Yun Qian, a recent addition from not long ago, Chu Xunsheng didn’t pay her much mind and turned away to make the bed.
Hot water arrived promptly. Stripping off his outer garments layer by layer, Chu Xunsheng submerged himself in the water, letting out a satisfied sigh of relief.
Footsteps sounded softly behind him. Startled, Chu Xunsheng spun around and demanded, “Who is there?”
Yun Qian’s sweet voice drifted into his ears: “This servant is just here to see if Lord Chu requires any assistance.”
Without turning around, Chu Xunsheng frowned and said, “There is no need, you may leave.”
Yun Qian bit her lower lip, staring with burning reluctance at the dark hair cascading down the man’s back. Though the misty steam obscured his lower body, she could still trace the graceful curve extending right to the edge of the water.
A flash of infatuation crossed Yun Qian’s eyes. She could practically picture how devastatingly seductive that handsome face must look right now amidst the swirling mist.
Yet she didn’t dare defy Lord Chu while he was fully conscious, so she had no choice but to retreat in frustration.
Bothered by the interruption, Chu Xunsheng lost all interest in bathing. He dried himself off, slipped into a thin single-layer tunic, and crawled into bed to rest.
Perhaps due to the exhaustion of the day, he fell into a deep sleep and didn’t wake up until bright daylight streamed into the room.
Only, he hadn’t expected to wake up to a scene that left him utterly at a loss for words.
…
As emperor, Ji Yan didn’t follow the officials back to rest, choosing instead to handle a mountain of lingering state affairs first.
By the time he finished his duties and finally allowed his thoughts to drift to Chu Xunsheng, it was already late into the night.
The hour was advanced, and though he had a million things he wanted to say, he forced himself to hold back so as not to disturb him.
The mere thought of their harmonious interaction earlier that morning made his heart itch. While he had experienced countless such moments through A-Yan, this was the first time as the emperor.
Ji Yan felt an overwhelming wave of excitement, itching to announce to the entire world that he and Ah Chu had taken a major step forward and were finally close to bearing fruit.
He felt a slight wave of drowsiness taking over; otherwise, why else would the stars in the night sky suddenly transform into Ah Chu’s face—some wearing that cold, rejecting aloofness, some with flushed corners of the eyes looking intensely seductive, and others with sharp, piercing gazes carrying an unconscious, dominant control…
Ji Yan slowly drifted off to sleep, a faint smile still lingering on his lips within the dream.
Since another ceremony was scheduled for the second day, Ji Yan woke up bright and early, walking over to Chu Xunsheng’s quarters and rapping a few times against the door.
No answer.
Still sleeping?
Ji Yan rapped a few more times, only to hear the timid voice of a young woman from within: “Who is it?”
Good grief!
Ji Yan kicked the door wide open, his face dark enough to storm.
Lying on the bed were two figures. Chu Xunsheng wore only a thin single tunic, half-undressed to reveal a bare shoulder, his honey-toned skin radiating a warm glow while his long eyelashes fluttered as though about to flutter open.
On the other side of the bed, a delicate, charming woman was timidly pulling a blanket up over her naked body, her fair, slender neck dotted with numerous pink marks that looked suspiciously like bite wounds.
The sovereign’s inner string snapped clean in two.