“I have no experience serving men…”
Qin Li sat half-propped against a soft pillow, his gaze following Xie Linchuan’s movements slowly.
Xie Linchuan washed his hands, tossed the discarded bandages into a water basin, and used a clean cloth to clean the wound. His gaze was lowered, his expression focused and serious.
Watching the thick eyelashes blink gently, Qin Li asked, “Is General Xie getting used to living here?”
Xie Linchuan replied casually, “Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. It is much better than the Heavenly Prison.”
He poured a small amount of the medicinal ointment prepared by the imperial physician onto Qin Li’s wound and spread it carefully. The faint scent of the medicine gradually diffused. His movements were slow and meticulous. While the skin on Qin Li’s palms was rough with thick calluses, the skin on his body was much more delicate. Beneath his palm, a pair of powerful pectoral muscles rose and fell with the rhythm of his breathing, making Xie Linchuan involuntarily recall the firm, full sensation of holding them in his hands.
There were several old scars on Qin Li’s chest and abdominals, their colors long faded, leaving only faint outlines that testified to the danger of the past. Under the candlelight, they possessed a sense of wild, athletic beauty. Xie Linchuan’s gaze drifted, his mind wandering.
Then, Qin Li’s low laughter reached his ears. “I thought so. This side hall was once said to be the place where the Emperor visited his concubines. They say an Emperor has three thousand beauties in his harem, and the concubines fight to the death just to see him once. If Li Xuehong were the Emperor, General Xie might even have to compete with his concubines for favor. How could you enjoy the honor of living here alone as you do now?”
Qin Li’s flirtatious gaze fell on the small red mole between Xie Linchuan’s brows, his tone becoming increasingly bold. “Furthermore, since General Xie is so skilled at serving people, perhaps you are better suited for the Dragon Bed than leading troops to kill enemies on the battlefield.”
The only bit of lingering atmosphere was instantly killed by those few sentences.
Xie Linchuan narrowed his eyes. As expected, a dog’s mouth cannot produce ivory; Qin Li’s words were just as irritating as in his past life. He pressed down hard with the hand applying the medicine. Qin Li hissed in pain, the smile on his face instantly freezing as his eyes turned fierce. “What do you think you are doing!”
Xie Linchuan said solemnly, “The wound seems to have been soaked in water and shows signs of inflammation, so pain is normal. However, Your Majesty is a veteran of a hundred battles with so many injuries on your body; surely you aren’t afraid of this little pain?”
Qin Li gave a fierce huff and remained silent.
Xie Linchuan glanced at him and continued to apply the medicine. In their past life, their bedroom affairs always felt like a beast fight. To avenge the humiliation of being forced, he had treated Qin Li roughly many times. But Qin Li never made a sound, only letting out muffled gasps when pushed too hard. When Xie Linchuan provoked him into a rage, Qin Li would simply lock Xie Linchuan’s limbs and take control forcefully. It was intense, oppressive, painful, and a mutual torment. Regardless, Qin Li never cried out in pain. Xie Linchuan had almost believed he was a pervert who took pleasure in pain.
Xie Linchuan’s gaze darkened. Qin Li had never said anything kind to him, and he had never treated Qin Li gently. The only time he had been gentle was to trick Qin Li; at that time, though Qin Li didn’t say it, he was secretly happy for a long while. That was probably when their relationship was at its most peaceful. Xie Linchuan thought to himself that even a cold-hearted tyrant like Qin Li was, after all, afraid of pain.
Qin Li was observing Xie Linchuan’s expression closely. Noticing that he was distracted and applying the medicine slowly, his brows lowered in displeasure. “What are you thinking about? Or rather, who are you thinking about?”
Xie Linchuan lightened his movements slightly and said casually, “I am thinking about you.”
Qin Li choked for a moment, his eyes suspicious, clearly not believing him. “Has General Xie served Li Xuehong like this before? You were once framed by political enemies and paraded through the streets in a prisoner’s carriage. Later, you became Li Xuehong’s confidant, only to see your former enemies at his enthronement ceremony. How did that taste? You were with Li Xuehong for so long, yet he never eliminated a single political enemy for you. Was it because of his incompetence, or was he simply unwilling to help you?”
Xie Linchuan’s eyes flickered. The arrangement of the surrendered officials in the hall was indeed Qin Li’s doing. He asked, “How does Your Majesty know my affairs so clearly?” He even knew about the prisoner’s carriage parade?
Qin Li gave a short laugh. “Who in the capital doesn’t know? You worked your heart out for the Kingdom of Jing and Li Xuehong in the past, but what did you get? You were a general when they needed you and a discarded pawn when they didn’t. Meanwhile, those villains who did nothing but talk all day in court are the ones who flourished.”
Qin Li’s dark eyes stared intently into his. “Xie Linchuan, do you not feel hate?”
In his past life, he certainly would have felt hate. But back then, the hatred for Qin Li was more prominent, occupying his entire field of vision. Xie Linchuan slowly put down the medicine bottle, took a clean cloth and bandages, and looked up to meet Qin Li’s gaze. “At least I was still a general then. Aren’t those same villains still in Your Majesty’s court now?”
Qin Li seemed to have been waiting for those words. He smiled meaningfully. “So, why don’t you try begging me?”
At those familiar words, Xie Linchuan’s fingers trembled imperceptibly. Qin Li narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow. “You could please me and win my favor in exchange for money, fame, status, power, wealth, or anything else you desire.”
Qin Li leaned closer, his dark eyes bottomless and his voice low. “General Xie was once able to leap from a criminal in prison to Li Xuehong’s confidant, commanding the Imperial Guard and becoming the only one he favored. Surely…” He paused intentionally, drawing out the last words. “General Xie must be very familiar with serving men?”
Xie Linchuan’s gaze suddenly sharpened, and he stared at him. Their gazes collided silently like two arrows fired at once. The rhythm of their steady breathing changed subtly at the same moment.
Qin Li remained seated, one hand on the small table and the other resting casually on his leg. His left foot was on the footrest while the other was planted firmly on the floor. The muscles that had been relaxed a moment ago were now tense; his fingertips were poised to exert force, and his limbs were ready to move at any second.
Qin Li was on high alert.
Noticing this from the corner of his eye, the anger that had been stirred in Xie Linchuan cooled slightly. From the moment he entered the courtyard, Qin Li had been testing him. Having found no physical evidence in the study, he had turned to verbal attacks, intentionally provoking and insulting him. When anger consumes reason, one easily exposes weaknesses.
In his past life, he had no experience and was unwilling to understand or accommodate Qin Li. Every time, he had either responded with cold words or ignored him entirely. It seemed his recent compliance had instead made Qin Li uncertain of his intentions. Did Qin Li think he was waiting for an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow, or was he willing to sacrifice himself to protect Li Xuehong?
Xie Linchuan thought to himself that it was no wonder Qin Li had reacted that way when he saw him untying his belt earlier. In a way, Qin Li had dug a hole for himself. He had insisted on making verbal taunts in the cell, not expecting Xie Linchuan to agree and even insist on living in the same palace. Now, Qin Li was in a difficult position, having placed a ticking time bomb right next to his bed.
Xie Linchuan understood this, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t angry. Qin Li was a master at knowing how to infuriate him. It was as if he couldn’t speak without a hint of mockery; he had suffered for it in the past life, yet he dared to do it again. It would be best to shut this mouth so he would be too pained to speak.
Xie Linchuan lowered his eyes, avoiding Qin Li’s gaze. He sat on the stool by the couch, threw the blood-stained cloth aside, and began changing Qin Li’s bandages. Seeing him so calm, Qin Li was surprised. “Why are you—hiss!”
As soon as he spoke, a sharp pain shot through his chest. He nearly gasped, staring at the other man with dark eyes. “Are you doing this on purpose?”
Xie Linchuan nonchalantly loosened the bandage that had been tied too tightly over the wound and re-tied it. “I am not an imperial physician and have no experience serving men. I hope Your Majesty will be patient with me.”
Qin Li’s expression had been grim, but hearing this, his eyebrows rose slowly. He blinked, his hostile gaze softening significantly. Finally, he said dryly, “Don’t let it happen again.”
Xie Linchuan finished changing the bandages. Seeing Qin Li watching him with no intention of dressing himself, he stood up and began putting the layers of clothing back on him. When Qin Li arrived, he was wearing formal court robes, which were complicated to put on. Xie Linchuan leaned down, coming very close to him. His slender fingers fastened the buttons one by one, and his warm breath brushed gently against Qin Li’s face.
Qin Li narrowed his eyes lazily, allowing the other man to serve him submissively, occasionally raising his arms to cooperate. His deep eyes remained fixed on Xie Linchuan’s face, a dark light flickering within them as if he were deep in thought.
Qin Li’s hair color was very rare, carrying a slight natural curl that flowed with a warm luster under the soft candlelight. Xie Linchuan gathered the silver hair scattered over his shoulders and pulled it out from under the coat. He noticed Qin Li’s nose twitching slightly, like a sensitive animal. He suddenly remembered that Qin Li’s sense of smell was indeed very sharp, making it difficult for strangers to get near him. The stubborn remnants of the Kingdom of Jing had tried countless assassinations, but none had succeeded. But what could Qin Li smell now? He didn’t even have the scent of sweat on him.
In the next second, Qin Li suddenly reached his hand toward Xie Linchuan’s neck. His movement was swift and unannounced.
Alarm bells instantly went off in Xie Linchuan’s head. Countless memories of humiliation and misery rushed through his mind. In an almost instinctive muscle reaction, he slammed one hand down on Qin Li’s wrist while the hand that had been holding the hair moved to choke Qin Li’s throat! By the time he regained his senses, Qin Li had been caught off guard and pinned down onto the soft couch.
Xie Linchuan’s attack was sudden. Qin Li was stunned for a moment, but the instincts he had honed on the battlefield for years were real. He held his free left hand like a blade, striking hard toward the other’s neck while simultaneously driving his knee toward the other’s groin! These two moves were lethal and precise; for anyone else, they would have caused an immediate loss of consciousness or combat ability.
However, Xie Linchuan seemed to have anticipated the counterattack. He tilted his head back just enough to dodge the hand strike while raising his leg to block Qin Li’s knee. The entire sequence was incredibly practiced, as if it had been performed countless times before.
With a loud crash, the vase on the small table was knocked over and shattered into pieces on the floor.
“Wait!” Seeing Qin Li’s face change and his dark gaze become extremely dangerous, Xie Linchuan immediately released his neck and stepped back, leaving a safe distance between them. Everything had happened too fast; in just a few breaths, the atmosphere had shifted from peaceful to hostile.
“Your Majesty, I was just…” Xie Linchuan was at a loss for words. He truly didn’t know how to explain his overreaction. After all, anyone who had experienced three years of such an oppressive life would have psychological scars.
In a short while, the guards outside heard the commotion and rushed in to protect the Emperor. Li Sanbao was terrified, running in while wiping cold sweat. “Your Majesty!” Everyone who rushed into the room saw Qin Li sitting up on the couch, his clothes in disarray and several buttons of his coat open. Xie Linchuan stood to the side, with the blood-stained bandages in the water basin at his feet and vase fragments scattered everywhere.
Li Sanbao became even more frantic, looking cautiously at Qin Li. “Your Majesty, what happened? Someone, come and clean this up quickly; be careful not to hurt His Majesty’s feet.”
Qin Li ignored the others. He touched his bruised throat with his fingertips, his dark, sharp gaze fixed intensely on Xie Linchuan. Xie Linchuan sighed inwardly, feeling truly wronged. Had his plans for this life been cut short by such an absurd conflict before they even began?
Thinking it over, this was all Qin Li’s fault. Not only had he left him with trauma, but he had also attacked his neck without warning, causing a stress response. Just as he thought he would be taken away by the guards and thrown back into the Heavenly Prison, and while he was desperately trying to think of a way to save himself, Qin Li finally spoke.
“Who told so many of you to come in? It was just a broken vase; why make such a fuss. All of you, out!”
Seeing that Qin Li did not intend to pursue the matter, Li Sanbao sighed in relief. He quickly cleaned up the fragments and led everyone out of the room.
Xie Linchuan looked into Qin Li’s eyes with some surprise. It was hard to imagine that the other man had actually endured such an offense that bordered on an assassination attempt. After a long silence, Qin Li suddenly let out a short laugh, his tense muscles relaxing once more.
He leaned back against the pillow, propped his face in one hand, and tilted his chin to look askance at Xie Linchuan. “I knew you were faking it.”
Xie Linchuan: “…”