Ye Ping trembled as he listened, tears pooling in his eyes. He knew Lin Zili was only lashing out because he was pushed to the brink, but the stinging words pierced straight into his heart, making it difficult for him to breathe.
“I am sorry, I am sorry. I only wanted to help you. I had planned that if I succeeded, I would die to accept the blame. If I failed, I would still die, and I would never have implicated you. I never imagined it would end up like this.”
Lin Zili closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, the fury had subsided, but the exhaustion and helplessness remained evident. He pulled the box of ointment from his robes and tossed it at Ye Ping’s feet. “It is useless to say anything now. I owe you nothing anymore. Go, leave, and go as far as you can. Never return.”
Ye Ping froze as he looked at the box at his feet. With trembling hands, he carefully picked it up and clutched it tightly, his tears falling uncontrollably. “Do not drive me away.”
Lin Zili could bear it no longer and roared, “Get out! Do not exhaust the last bit of affection I have for you!”
Yan Jingxuan watched them from the side, a flicker of irritation rising in his chest. He felt like the villain in a tragic romance. “Guards! Escort this eunuch out of the palace.”
The guards obeyed, moving to Ye Ping’s side and dragging him toward the palace gates. Ye Ping struggled, but he was powerless against them, looking toward Lin Zili with an expression of pure desperation.
Lin Zili watched him disappear, his eyes reddening and his lips trembling.
Yan Jingxuan noticed the lingering sorrow in Lin Zili’s gaze. A bitter jealousy rose within him. He walked over, lifted Lin Zili’s chin, and forced him to look at him. “He is gone, yet you still watch? What can a eunuch offer you? Anything he can give you, I can provide tenfold. Why pine for him?”
Lin Zili flashed a look of disgust that he quickly masked, lowering his head. “Yes, Your Highness.”
Yan Jingxuan swept him up into his arms, causing Lin Zili to struggle in alarm. “Your Highness! Wait! What are you doing?”
“What is natural, of course.”
Yan Jingxuan carried him into the bedroom and placed him gently on the bed. Looking at Lin Zili’s tear-reddened eyes and disheveled appearance, he felt a strange pang of tenderness, his tone softening. “Do not be afraid. I will treat you well.”
Lin Zili huddled in the corner of the bed, watching him with guarded, panicked, and resistant eyes. Yan Jingxuan frowned and sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to stroke Lin Zili’s cheek. Lin Zili flinched away, leaving Yan Jingxuan’s hand hanging in mid-air before he slowly withdrew it.
“You will have to adapt eventually. Come back with me tomorrow; there is no need to stay in the palace serving the Emperor.”
Lin Zili shook his head, about to say no, when his mouth was silenced by a kiss.
Long afterward, Yan Jingxuan sat up abruptly, staring in shock at Lin Zili, whose clothing was in disarray. The thin fabric could not hide the bulge at his lower abdomen.
“You! You are not a eunuch?”
Lin Zili’s face was flushed crimson with shame and panic. He scrambled to pull his clothes back together, but his frantic state only made him look more disheveled. He bit his lip, his eyes filled with hatred, embarrassment, and fear—fear that the secret would be exposed.
Yan Jingxuan’s gaze remained locked on him, unable to look away. He never imagined that Lin Zili, whom he had always believed to be a eunuch, harbored such a secret. He raised an eyebrow, observing Lin Zili’s tense, resolute demeanor. A strange emotion flickered in his heart, and he curled his lips into a meaningful smile.
“Eunuch Lin, you hide your secrets well. You dare to impersonate a eunuch in this palace? Do you know this is a crime of deceiving the Emperor? Once discovered, it is a death sentence. Are you not afraid?”
Lin Zili lowered his head, his tone laced with malice. “I was afraid before, but I am not afraid now. Do as you will.”
Yan Jingxuan leaned in, his hands pressed against the bed on either side of Lin Zili’s ears. “Why would I kill you? I cherish you far too much.”
“Ahhh, Lin Zili!”
Lin Zili was sound asleep when a sudden scream jolted him awake. He frowned irritably. As he regained his senses, he felt that every bone in his body was aching. Realizing he was in someone else’s embrace, he kept his eyes shut.
Lin Zili: “What is it? Are you trying to call my soul out of my body?”
The system shouted in a panic: “I was gone for only one day, and you caused such a disaster! Why are you not dead, and why are you in bed with the villain?”
Lin Zili: “Just look at the logs yourself.”
The system checked the history, seeing the events of the previous day, followed by Yan Jingxuan carrying Lin Zili to bed, before the feed cut to black.
The system was frantic, raw data flashing as garbled code in Lin Zili’s mind: “Do you know that by doing this, you have completely derailed the plot? It is not just that you failed to die; you even sent Ye Ping out of the palace! Tell me, did you plan this all along? Is this your design?”
Lin Zili raised his voice: “Which eye saw me doing this on purpose? I am clearly acting according to the character setting. I was coerced!”
“The man’s skills are atrocious. Do you think I am asking to suffer? Look at my character progress bar; it has not dropped, and there has not been a single warning, which proves I am acting in character.”
The system: “I know you too well. Have you not paid enough fines in the past? I advise you to be careful. Loopholes are not so easily exploited. If the main system catches you, you will really be sent to the dark room for punishment.”
Lin Zili: “Alright, I know. Do not worry; I have a plan. I will not push my luck.”
The system sensed it had caught him in a trap and shouted: “Oh! You finally admitted it!”
Lin Zili: “Admitted what? I said nothing. Alright, leave. Yan Jingxuan is about to wake up, and I have to get back to work.”
Lin Zili manually blocked the system before it could speak again and pretended to be asleep.
When Yan Jingxuan awoke, he looked at the person in his arms. The beautiful face was flushed, with dried tear tracks at the corners of his eyes, and his expression was relaxed in sleep.
The person in his sleep was devoid of the aloof arrogance and oppressive air he wore while awake. He looked as delicate and obedient as a jade doll, which led Yan Jingxuan to tighten his embrace in satisfaction.
As if disturbed, Lin Zili’s brows furrowed. His eyelashes fluttered as he slowly opened his eyes, looking drowsy and disoriented.
When he met Yan Jingxuan’s gaze, which was filled with a mix of tenderness and possessiveness, he flinched instinctively. When he fully realized what had occurred, he steeled his cold face and pulled away from the embrace.
“Your Highness, we must rise. I have to go serve His Majesty.”