Fu Liao’s hands intertwined and broke apart restlessly against his chest, nervously smoothing down the front of his garments, which were already properly arranged.
He felt like a prisoner marched onto the execution ground. Knowing full well that a razor-sharp blade hung suspended above his head, waiting to fall at any moment, his shattered heart was forced to endure the agonizing torture of guessing when that blade would finally put an end to his life.
The person behind him closed the distance, the gentle plume of breath grazing his neck like a dull knife scraping repeatedly against a dying lamb, refusing to deliver the final blow until the tormentor was thoroughly amused.
“Have you figured out your explanation?”
Startled into emitting a tiny gasp, Fu Liao momentarily forgot how to feel terror, turning a panicked, flustered gaze toward Xi Lingjian.
The corners of Xi Lingjian’s mouth twitched involuntarily.
The sideways glance filled with stunned suspicion carried a jittery unease born of sheer incomprehension, yet the depths of those eyes still harbored a trace of probing curiosity.
A gaze so recklessly inquisitive, driven by the desire to uncover the truth even at the cost of one’s life, was arrogant in its innocence.
He liked this kind of reaction.
“I truly never saw it, it was Ji Liandu who told me,” Fu Liao recovered his wits, quickly shifting his gaze away and whispering, “If Your Highness does not believe me, you can simply ask him when he returns.”
The lamb before them shifted its posture, practically melting into the pristine white quilt as if deliberately trying to make itself invisible to Fu Liao.
A sudden warmth wrapped around his waist.
Xi Lingjian’s presence enveloped him, his hands hovering tentatively on either side of Fu Liao’s waist, neither quite touching nor fully drawing away.
Fu Liao’s back brushed lightly against Xi Lingjian’s broad chest, radiating a steady, solid calm that nearly made Fu Liao let down his guard entirely.
“The heir need not be so tense,” Xi Lingjian murmured with a hint of amusement. “Young Master Ji is merely a performing artist adept at song and dance, who knows how many people have already seen his waist.”
Fu Liao furrowed his brow. “That is not it.”
Realizing he was actively contradicting someone who could take his life on a whim, he quickly reined in his emotions, though his brow remained pinched. “Ji Liandu is not that kind of person.”
Though the original character had climbed the social ladder and flirted with various power-brokers using his beauty, it never exceeded the level of deliberate suggestion, always managing to find a way out in the end.
Those scenes had been described in a rather suggestive manner, of course, but given it was an early-stage web novel, he could accept that much.
Yet Ji Liandu’s sacrifices were never born of humble submission or self-abandonment, they were merely tools of his trade.
His objective had never once wavered.
Xi Lingjian stared down at Fu Liao’s slightly trembling, long eyelashes.
He was angry.
And once again, it was entirely on account of Ji Liandu.
The fact that the youth fretted over random trifles before tying himself up in knots was rather amusing, tempting one to tease him further.
Yet the moment he turned serious, Xi Lingjian felt the fire in his chest flare up anew, refusing to be extinguished.
It was merely lying in wait for an opportunity to roar back to life.
“If you say so,” Xi Lingjian abruptly lost interest. “Heir, that mole on his waist is not something only you have seen, I have seen it as well.”
Fu Liao blinked in surprise. “Your Highness has seen it?”
“I have,” Xi Lingjian replied.
He was infected with Gu poison by Miyin, leaving a mark on his flank. To make me trust him during our cooperation, he voluntarily showed it to me.
He probably assumed his appearance was foolproof, never expecting that I would refuse to touch even an inch of him.
Noticing the cold sneer gradually forming at the corner of Xi Lingjian’s mouth, Fu Liao couldn’t help forming a hypothesis.
“Does he refuse Your Highness’s touch?”
Fu Liao’s expression was so earnest that it reminded Xi Lingjian of a dying wild rabbit in the forest that had stumbled into a hunter’s trap.
These creatures were truly foolish.
Xi Lingjian raised an eyebrow. “More or less.”
After a brief silence, Fu Liao asked in a soft murmur, “Does Your Highness wish to draw closer to him?”
Unwilling to prolong the exchange, Xi Lingjian prepared to steer the conversation elsewhere when he noticed the droop at the outer corners of Fu Liao’s brows, his pretty eyes tinged with exhaustion as he gazed at him with genuine earnestness.
He genuinely wished to see him and Ji Liandu together.
And he genuinely believed that he ought to be with Ji Liandu.
Xi Lingjian remained silent.
Interpreting his silence as tacit agreement, Fu Liao offered a cautious piece of advice. “His temperament is delicate and sensitive, these matters cannot be rushed, they must be taken step by step to shorten the distance between you.”
Xi Lingjian shot him a sideways glance. Though he stopped locking his gaze onto the youth directly, Fu Liao still felt as though he were pinned beneath a heavy scrutiny.
He had likely offended the man with his lecturing once more.
Turning his face away, Fu Liao intended to let the topic drop entirely when Xi Lingjian’s voice suddenly cut through the air.
“How is it done?”
Thinking his ears were playing tricks on him, Fu Liao asked, “Does Your Highness require my instruction?”
Amusement danced in Xi Lingjian’s eyes. “Suddenly feeling terrified now?”
Lifting a hand to cover his lips, Fu Liao felt a wave of blank bewilderment wash over him.
He had never anticipated Xi Lingjian asking with such straightforward compliance, so direct that it made him suspect Xi Lingjian had already mapped out how he planned to dispose of him.
Were they actually going to… begin lessons right now?
As these chaotic thoughts raced through Fu Liao’s mind, his mouth moved ahead of his reason.
“Um… like this, for instance.”
Turning back around, his dark hair parted slightly to expose a clean, gracefully curved nape, resembling the stamen nestled within petals, revealing only the tiniest tip.
Sunlight painted his pale, slender fingers in warm hues, casting a golden radiance over his reddened knuckles as they lingered amid his cascading hair, much like a wolf-hair brush executing fluid strokes across a wild ink wash painting.
“Due to his childhood experiences, Ji Liandu naturally harbors an aversion to the powerful,” Fu Liao straightened his collar, tightening the loose fabric dragging at his shoulders. “Perhaps some of Your Highness’s actions caused him displeasure, though it likely has not escalated to genuine hatred.”
Before Fu Liao could elaborate further, the hand resting near his flank suddenly stirred, slowly smoothing out the folds of cloth at his waist.
“Do you suppose this makes him averse?”
Xi Lingjian’s voice dropped an octave, sounding as though he genuinely cared about the answer.
“Ji Liandu probably despises such cumbersome garments, he is already weary of wearing them.” Not daring to draw a full breath for fear that the rise and fall of his chest might brush against Xi Lingjian’s hands, Fu Liao continued, “If Your Highness could show a bit more care for his physical injuries, he should gradually lower his defenses.”
As Fu Liao carefully regulated his breathing, a low chuckle vibrated right behind his ear, the warm sound resonating directly against his skin.
“He certainly lacks your capacity for nervousness.”
Feeling lightheaded, Fu Liao managed to reply, “He is unaware of Your Highness’s intentions, so guardiveness is only natural.”
The fabric was smoothed into neat lines. It took him a moment to realize Xi Lingjian was helping him tidy up his complex layers of clothing.
Once properly dressed, Xi Lingjian naturally withdrew, putting some distance between them.
“Let us go,” his mood appearing remarkably improved. “As for the rest, once the heir returns to the estate, you can properly instruct Me.”
A knot tightened in Fu Liao’s chest, though he reasoned that if Xi Lingjian was willing to accept his advice this readily, the outcome wasn’t entirely unfavorable.
With his mind in a whirl, he smoothed down his appearance one last time, watching the silver trim along his collar catch the sunlight to cast a soft sheen that effectively dispelled his lingering traces of tension.
By the time Fu Liao arrived at the main hall, the Emperor and his civil officials were already waiting.
The Emperor appeared even younger than Fu Liao had imagined. Though a beaded curtain obstructed his face, one could still discern the plumpness of his cheeks, crowding his features together until they were nearly indistinguishable.
As Xi Lingjian took his place at the side of the dais, the young ruler managed to keep his legs properly positioned beneath his imperial robes, but the moment Xi Lingjian came to a halt, the Emperor sat still for barely a moment before beginning to fidget and sway, utterly incapable of keeping still.
He seemed to assume that the Prince Regent standing off to the side couldn’t see him, or perhaps he was deliberately trying to provoke him and cause trouble.
Standing down below in the hall, Fu Liao caught sight of Xu Jingyi’s back.
He occupied a position quite close to the front, yet like everyone else around him, he stood with his head bowed and eyes fixed directly ahead, as though within the entire grand palace, the Emperor was the sole person who deigned to notice him.
“Your Majesty.” Xi Lingjian’s voice was level. “The heir of the Marquis of Mingliu whom Your Majesty wished to see is right here.”
A flash of raw aversion crossed the Emperor’s face. He let out a brief, perfunctory “Mmh,” then craned his neck to peer directly at Fu Liao.
Exhaling a quiet breath, Fu Liao forced his voice to remain even. “This subject greets Your Majesty.”
Before his words fully settled, a sudden, sharp bark of laughter escaped the Emperor.
“They all claim your constitution is too frail to even lead a horse, yet you managed to fight the Prince Regent to a standstill.” Slamming his palm against the dragon throne, the Emperor exclaimed with impatient agitation, “I had never even heard of such a character in Jingzhou prior to this. Would you care to explain to Us how you pulled it off?”
The moment the words left his lips, Fu Liao sensed the ministers around him tense up collectively, their heads dropping even lower in subservient posture.
Yet they weren’t trembling out of fear toward the Emperor.
A wave of confusion washed over Fu Liao, though he dared not stare too long as he scrambled to formulate a response.
He had preconceived notions of what the Emperor would be like.
Based on his meager recollection of the original text’s lore, the ruler was a weak, cowardly figure susceptible to biased flattery.
Yet witnessing him in the flesh, the Emperor’s vitality far exceeded his expectations. Furthermore, this imperial court didn’t appear entirely monopolized by Xi Lingjian either.
Fu Liao noticed Xu Jingyi casting a subtle, sideways glance in his direction.
Understanding dawned on him.
The old faction was terrified that the original owner’s notorious temperament would ruin their plans.
“Your Majesty is a true dragon among men, possessing the grace to tame all under heaven,” Fu Liao offered a polite smile, bowing deeply with sincere deference. “This subject can merely manage a single horse, and dares not accept such lofty praise from Your Majesty.”
Upon hearing this, the Emperor brightened visibly, his eyes sparkling as he clapped his hands and burst into laughter. “Splendid, splendid, splendid! Truly, My judgment of you was not mistaken!”
Fu Liao broke out into a quiet sweat.
He couldn’t fathom why his two brief, innocuous sentences had elicited such boundless delight from the Emperor, who abruptly surged forward and sprang to his feet.
The triumphant smile vanished from the ruler’s face in an instant.
His eyes widened in fury. Slamming a hand down onto the back of a small eunuch standing beside him, he shrieked at the top of his lungs, consumed by absolute rage: “How dare you wear silver garments!”
The grievance dripping from those words was agonizing, pushed to the point of hoversomeness. Fu Liao half-feared the boy would shred his vocal cords on the spot.
Every minister present turned their gaze toward the throne. Hearing the outburst, panic flickered across their faces, the bolder ones dared to steal a glance at Fu Liao’s attire, only to jerk their heads back in terror the next second.
Xu Jingyi’s complexion turned ghastly pale.
Stunned, Fu Liao lowered his gaze to inspect the garments he wore.
Only the collar featured two delicate wisps of silver-white embroidery, the rest of the fabric was entirely devoid of any similar shade.
“How dare you, how dare you defy My decree!” Already scrambling down the grand staircase, the Emperor’s beaded crown shook wildly, his eye rims flushed a terrifying crimson. “I will execute you, I swear I will execute you!”
Fu Liao stood frozen in place.
It wasn’t the Emperor’s unhinged wrath that shocked him, but rather the stark realization that the set of robes he wore had been personally selected and prepared for him by Xi Lingjian.
Xi Lingjian stood right there by the dais, towering over the gathered court as the Prince Regent overlooking both the civil officials and the unhinged monarch.
And looking straight at him.
The slight upward curve of the man’s lips made it abundantly clear that this had never been an accidental oversight.
A bone-deep chill crept over Fu Liao.
He had been played by Xi Lingjian.