“Is General Xie in such a hurry to throw himself into my arms?”
The next day.
A crescent moon had just hung itself upon the treetops when Li Sanbao arrived at the side hall to request that Xie Linchuan follow the summons to the Zhuoquan Palace.
Upon hearing the name “Zhuoquan Palace,” a subtle flicker crossed Xie Linchuan’s eyes. He was no stranger to the Zhuoquan Palace, having visited it several times in his past life. Originally a natural hot spring pool within the palace gardens, the previous emperor had indulged in pleasure and expanded it multiple times. He eventually turned it into an incomparably luxurious landscape hall for banquets.
Inside the hall were winding corridors and white jade balustrades where songs and dances once lasted throughout the night. Beauties would dance above the mist-shrouded pools amidst fine wine and delicacies, creating a scene like a fairyland. Now, all of this belonged to Qin Li.
Xie Linchuan thought idly that it was hard to say if Qin Li truly benefited from it. Qin Li’s harem was empty; as for himself, he could only be considered half a member of it. There were no beauties to dance for Qin Li, perhaps only water ghosts.
Xie Linchuan followed Li Sanbao into the Zhuoquan Palace. They passed through the empty, quiet banquet hall, and Li Sanbao led him all the way to the inner bath area.
The inner hall was floored with Lantian jade. The warm jade color cast a hazy glow through the swirling mist. Being constantly nourished by the warm spring water, the floor felt comfortably warm even when walking barefoot.
Li Sanbao reminded him, “General Xie, please change your clothes first.”
Xie Linchuan declined the service of the palace attendants. He stripped completely, cleaned himself briefly, and put on a thin bathrobe. Without waiting for an attendant to lead the way, he strolled toward the central warm pool as if he were wandering in his own backyard.
Spring water gushed continuously from nine dragon heads at the bottom of the pool. The three layers of the hot spring cascaded into one another. The sound of trickling water came from behind a carved jade screen, which cast a faint silhouette of a person. Li Sanbao stood outside the screen and bowed respectfully. “Your Majesty, General Xie has arrived.”
“Let him come over,” Qin Li’s low voice sounded exceptionally lazy, soaked in the warmth of the pool.
Li Sanbao made a gesture for Xie Linchuan to enter. He gave an ambiguous smile, took three steps back, and silently left the inner hall.
Xie Linchuan raised an eyebrow. Qin Li’s suspicions toward him had clearly not faded; was he being asked to attend the bed already? He recalled many television dramas from modern times where those in power would meet untrustworthy people in hot springs to show their sincerity and ensure no hidden weapons or eavesdropping devices were present. Likely, Qin Li was doing the same.
Xie Linchuan stepped unhurriedly around the screen and saw Qin Li leaning against the white jade wall of the spring, eyes half-closed as if taking a nap. His arms were spread out casually along the edge of the pool, revealing skin that was a light wheat color. His shoulders were broad, his pectoral muscles full, and the lines of his back were stretched like a bow. Every inch of his muscle radiated explosive power and strength.
His slightly curly silver hair was scattered over his shoulders, wet and clinging to his skin, with a few strands floating on the water’s surface. Hearing light footsteps approaching, Qin Li opened his eyes slightly. The moment he looked toward Xie Linchuan, his sharp, alert gaze was like that of a beast defending its territory.
Meeting those piercing eyes, Xie Linchuan momentarily felt as if he were looking at a silver-gray alpha wolf that had just awakened and was scrutinizing an intruder. But in an instant, Qin Li relaxed his muscles and returned to his lazy demeanor, waving his hand. “General Xie, did you not complain about the cold outside? The water in this pool is just the right temperature. Why not come down and soak?”
There were wine cups by the poolside. Qin Li casually took a cup, tilted his head to drain it, and shook the empty cup toward him. His gaze fell on Xie Linchuan, sizing him up with great interest.
Xie Linchuan was unsure if Qin Li wanted a heart-to-heart talk to test him further or if he actually wanted to sleep with him. Not being one to overcomplicate things, he slowly untied his bathrobe, revealing a body with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and well-proportioned muscles. His spine was as upright as a pine tree, and his muscle lines were firm and lean, tempered by years of drawing bows and swinging blades.
He stepped slowly into the water. Droplets splashed and slid down the grooves of his abdominal muscles. Qin Li’s eyes widened slightly, staring at him intently without blinking. He seemed surprised by Xie Linchuan’s directness.
As Xie Linchuan drew closer, Qin Li’s previous laziness and relaxation vanished completely. He held the wine cup to his lips but forgot it was empty. Not a single drop of wine remained to soothe his dry throat. His dark eyes were deep, like a wolf waiting for its prey.
Xie Linchuan stopped two paces away and let out a relaxed breath. He looked at Qin Li with a faint smile. “Your Majesty, you are allowed to breathe while soaking in a hot spring.”
Qin Li’s gaze froze. His tense, ready-to-strike state was suddenly punctured, letting all the air out. He instinctively turned his face away and gave a light cough to cover his embarrassment. Then, as if realizing he had lost his composure, he met Xie Linchuan’s gaze again. He tilted his chin up and gave a dry command. “Pour wine for me.”
Suppressing the amusement in his heart, Xie Linchuan picked up the wine pot and poured a cup for Qin Li. The clear scent of wine filled the air. He poured a cup for himself as well. The warm current surrounded his body, and every pore seemed to open up.
Xie Linchuan’s reborn body did not suffer from his previous sensitivity to cold; the warmth felt very pleasant, bringing him both physical and mental joy. In his past life, every visit here involved a struggle with Qin Li that left him exhausted. He never had the chance to relax. Now, however, he was perfectly at ease, while Qin Li had become the alert and nervous one.
The tables had truly turned.
Xie Linchuan held up the wine cup to the other man. “Please, Your Majesty.”
Qin Li glanced at him sideways without making a sound or reaching out to take it. One look at that expression told Xie Linchuan everything: he wanted to be fed. With a faint smile, Xie Linchuan brought the cup to Qin Li’s lips.
Qin Li’s eyes remained locked on Xie Linchuan’s face as he took a sip from his hand. Xie Linchuan’s fingers were slender with distinct knuckles, and his warm fingertips felt like fine jade. As they brushed against Qin Li’s lips, they brought a slight, sensitive tingling sensation.
Qin Li’s heart throbbed. He suddenly felt the wine cup was too small for being finished so quickly. Xie Linchuan was not practiced at feeding someone wine; the leftover liquid wound down the corner of Qin Li’s mouth, dripping from his chin onto his chest, landing right on an old scar. The scab had long since fallen off, leaving new, pinkish skin and a wet trail of water.
Xie Linchuan’s gaze followed the trail of water downward, his eyelashes lowering as his eyes grew dark. For some reason, he remembered the Qin Li of his past life, who also liked to command him to feed him wine. But he had rarely cooperated back then; hardly any wine ever reached the other man’s mouth, often spilling all over his body instead.
In those moments, Qin Li never grew angry. He would only lick his lips and forcefully grab the back of Xie Linchuan’s neck, commanding him to lick the spilled wine clean. Xie Linchuan loathed his arrogance and superiority, which naturally led to another round of fighting. Over time, Xie Linchuan realized Qin Li did it on purpose. He liked watching his prey struggle while being unable to escape his grasp.
By any definition, he was a pervert.
Xie Linchuan withdrew his gaze and put down the empty cup. Under Qin Li’s watchful eyes, he slowly picked up his own cup. He lowered his eyes to sniff the rich fragrance and then tilted his head to drain it in one gulp.
The steam from the hot spring rose, and Xie Linchuan’s outstanding features looked almost unrealistically handsome in the mist. The red mole beside his nose appeared even more vivid, and even his posture while drinking possessed a hazy elegance. Watching the slight movement of his Adam’s apple, Qin Li suddenly felt that the water in the spring was much too hot.
“General Xie.” Qin Li suddenly grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the wine cup and pulled him closer with a bit of force. His calloused fingertips lightly rubbed Xie Linchuan’s wrist bone, his voice growing even more raspy and low. “I told you to come here to serve me. I have yet to punish you for sneaking off to the Shangqing Hall last time.”
Xie Linchuan narrowed his eyes slightly. “Oh? And how does Your Majesty intend to punish me?”
Qin Li took a half-step forward, pinning him against the wall of the pool. He lowered his head, his nose twitching as he caught the scent of the man. His fierce, wolf-like eyes looked up at him, and he whispered his name in a low, husky voice. “Xie Linchuan.”
Xie Linchuan felt his heart tighten suddenly. He almost thought he had not been reborn; the Qin Li before him overlapped perfectly with the shadow of his past self. That man, covered in wounds, had called his name in a hoarse voice just like this.
The wine cup slipped from his hand and fell into the water, ignored by everyone. Qin Li, however, misunderstood Xie Linchuan’s current expression. He thought the steady mask was finally about to be torn away. Full of excitement, his imposing shadow leaned over the other man, his lips curling into a suggestive smile.
“If you serve me to my satisfaction, I can forgo the punishment and even allow you to leave the palace to see your family. How about it?”
Xie Linchuan suppressed the emotions that had unexpectedly surged and looked at Qin Li calmly. Compared to the weak and wretched man in his past life, the Qin Li before him was so vivid, fresh, arrogant, and confident. Rather than a threat or an inducement, it sounded more like a request for favor.
Xie Linchuan suddenly smiled and asked leisurely, “How does Your Majesty want me to serve you, hmm?”
As he spoke, he raised his other hand and cupped Qin Li’s chin. His thumb wiped away the trace of wine from the corner of the other’s mouth and lightly brushed over his full lower lip. He moved his hand down the throat to the chest, his knuckles lightly grazing away the last trace of moisture. He felt a distinct shudder beneath his touch.
Unlike Li Xuehong, a prince who had been pampered for years, Qin Li’s skin had a certain coarseness from years of exposure to the elements. Holding him in his hand and looking at those scars, both deep and shallow, one could feel a cruel desire to see how much he could be tormented without breaking.
Qin Li was too close, so close that he had not expected Xie Linchuan to make such an intimate, even flirtatious, move. His eyes showed a flash of surprise, and his fingers tightened around Xie Linchuan’s wrist. When the other man intentionally moved closer, Qin Li immediately let go and took a half-step back.
Xie Linchuan’s gaze was subtle. Is Qin Li serious about taking a half-step back?
Perhaps it was because he had been in the hot spring for too long, but the tips of Qin Li’s ears were visibly turning red. The tingling sensation remaining on his chest was so obvious it was hard to ignore. He had been looking forward to seeing Xie Linchuan’s suppressed anger and forced submission. Or perhaps a resolute refusal, fierce resistance, or even an attack, just like that day he misunderstood that Qin Li meant him harm.
The more Xie Linchuan struggled, the more excited he would become, and the more he would want to force him to yield. But the other man’s reaction was completely different from what he had expected. Xie Linchuan did move his hands, but how was it this kind of moving? Was this right?
Qin Li squinted his eyes suspiciously. “Is General Xie in such a hurry to throw himself into my arms?”
Xie Linchuan laughed. “Did Your Majesty not ask me to serve you?”
For once, Qin Li was at a loss for words. Xie Linchuan watched the other’s flickering expression, a half-smile playing on his lips. Qin Li had always been unrestrained with his words, letting flirtatious and crude remarks roll off his tongue at will. He behaved like someone with extensive experience in the arts of love and dominance.
In his past life, Xie Linchuan had not noticed, but it seemed that in certain areas, Qin Li was actually a paper tiger?
He suddenly felt that Qin Li’s arrogant and defiant attitude was not so annoying after all.