After serving tea, the steward led the servants away, leaving Shu Fuyan sitting alone and staring blankly into the tea.
Just as he walked along Zhuque Avenue earlier, the shops in both the East and West Markets had been closed. The tea houses that usually stayed open the latest had shut their doors before dusk, and every main street was filled with imperial officials, with sword-wielding guards hidden in the shadows.
It seemed that a major event was about to unfold in the capital.
Not having seen Xiao Yi, Shu Fuyan silently calculated whether these imperial officials were led by Xiao Yi himself.
Conducting such a massive patrol across the streets—who was Xiao Yi looking for?
Rubbing the teacup, Shu Fuyan frantically searched his mind for all the minor details concerning Xiao Yi’s recent activities.
Blaming himself for recently being too hasty to resolve Lin Xie’e’s matter, he had neglected Xiao Yi.
Only upon looking back did he realize that Xiao Yi’s world had suddenly shut him outside the door.
Just as Shu Fuyan was lost deep within his own thoughts, Xiao Yi returned.
“Why are you here?” Xiao Yi asked, greatly surprised by Shu Fuyan’s presence.
“General Xiao.” Upon seeing Xiao Yi, joy instantly lit up Shu Fuyan’s face, his tone rising unconsciously.
Originally thinking that Shu Fuyan feared him and wouldn’t dare set foot in the Prince of Northern Suppression’s estate again, Xiao Yi felt his heart melt completely now that he saw him here, calling out to him so happily. A profound sense of satisfaction filled the emptiness inside him.
“Master Shu, please sit.” Xiao Yi unfastened his cloak, making sure the chill from the outside world wouldn’t touch Shu Fuyan.
Shu Fuyan took in every single action of Xiao Yi’s. He saw all of Xiao Yi’s thoughtfulness.
Curving the corners of his lips into a sweet, gentle smile, Shu Fuyan’s eyes shone brightly.
“General Xiao, I notice weariness in your expression; you must have been rushing about outside for quite some time. I would gladly help the General dispel this fatigue.” Without waiting for Xiao Yi’s reply, Shu Fuyan walked over to his side, his fingertips lightly resting on Xiao Yi’s shoulder as he gently massaged the bone.
His slender fingers seemed purposefully seductive, softly brushing against Xiao Yi’s neck. When Xiao Yi raised his gaze, Shu Fuyan paused, suddenly pulling back as if scalded by his body heat.
An aura of tender intimacy lingered, carrying a subtle pine fragrance. Closing his eyes, Xiao Yi struggled hard to rein in the rippling waves of temptation in his heart. He reached out and grabbed that ice-cold hand, saying in a hoarse voice, “Don’t go.”
Shu Fuyan’s heart trembled. Xiao Yi’s body heat was blazing, igniting him unawares.
The low, husky pleas of “Don’t go” echoed in Shu Fuyan’s mind like an incantation, drawing one deeper and deeper into sweet ruin.
For some inexplicable reason, Shu Fuyan thought of the method Xizhe had mentioned:
A beauty offering himself.
Parting his lips slightly with the tip of his red tongue half-revealed, Shu Fuyan lowered his head, breathing in Xiao Yi’s scent with a feverish intensity.
“General Xiao must have been to Zhuque Avenue, haven’t you?” Shu Fuyan asked sideways, pressing both hands onto Xiao Yi’s shoulders, alternately applying pressure and easing up to pamper him thoroughly.
“You knew.” Without opening his eyes, Xiao Yi deduced from Shu Fuyan’s tone that he had already learned the truth.
Having guessed only half of it, Shu Fuyan adopted a weaker posture, feigning ignorance with a timid expression. “I didn’t know.”
Shu Fuyan’s measured pretense of ignorance effectively warded off any suspicion from Xiao Yi. Intent on probing him further, Xiao Yi teased, “Master Shu’s mind is exceptionally astute. If you set your mind to something, what secret could possibly escape me?”
With his hand pausing for a beat, Shu Fuyan replied smoothly in a voice as mellow as jade, “General Xiao, this humble scholar truly has no idea.”
Hearing Shu Fuyan’s defense, Xiao Yi’s face darkened as the words squeezed out through his teeth, “According to you, then, you have no intentions toward me at all.”
A twitch rippled across Shu Fuyan’s brow. If he couldn’t read between the lines of Xiao Yi’s subtext now, he wouldn’t be a qualified strategist.
“What is the General saying? The steward was the one who mentioned that the General was out on patrol, so I thought I would simply wait in the estate for the General’s return.” Pushing his boundaries, Shu Fuyan slid his hand down to stroke Xiao Yi’s collarbone, then leaned down close to his ear, breathing out a warm whisper, “No matter how long it takes, I will wait for you to come back.”
Xiao Yi’s sealed-off heart began to beat wildly, like a sudden downpour flattening a field, breaking the surface of a low puddle and collecting water into a deep pool.
“Shu Fuyan, do you even know what you’re saying?”
Restraining Shu Fuyan’s wayward hand, Xiao Yi stared at the back of his fair hand with fierce infatuation, swallowing hard.
Shu Fuyan offered a sheepish smile. “I am General Xiao’s musician, waiting for the General to return to the estate.” Leaning down further to press against Xiao Yi’s back, he bewitched, “It is only right and proper.”
Unable to endure Shu Fuyan’s deliberate provocation any longer, Xiao Yi felt an intense heat pooling in his lower abdomen, forcing him to use his robes to conceal his body’s awkward reaction.
Though separated by only a few days, Shu Fuyan’s flirtatious tactics had rocketed upward like a space shuttle, soaring straight into the heavens.
If Xiao Yi hadn’t witnessed Shu Fuyan visiting the pleasure quarters with his own eyes, he might genuinely have mistaken Shu Fuyan for being deeply devoted to him.
The memory of the pleasure house suddenly reignited Xiao Yi’s anger.
Unwilling to vent his temper on an innocent person, unwilling to catch sight of his own jealous appearance, and even more unwilling to lose his sanity and turn into a madman who only knew how to utter bitter complaints, Xiao Yi abruptly stood up. Yanking off his outer robe, he shoved the crumpled garments into Shu Fuyan’s arms and hurried away.
Clutching Xiao Yi’s outer robe to his chest, Shu Fuyan buried his face in it to take a deep, greedy breath, narrowing his eyes in blissful contentment.
“I want him so much…”
Not long after returning to the estate, Xiao Yi headed off to bathe, while the steward came to report only to see the retreating back of Xiao Yi leaving, finding the scene rather bizarre.
Xiao Yi had left, but Shu Fuyan hadn’t.
Stepping into the main hall, the steward witnessed an unbelievable sight.
Shu Fuyan was hugging Xiao Yi’s outer robe with an expression of infatuation, perversely sniffing the garment as though the cloth in his arms were Xiao Yi himself.
This realization scared the steward into making a hasty retreat.
Though he had harbored suspicions before, the truth had suddenly hit him right in the face.
The steward silently declared that his heart simply couldn’t take this!
Inside the bathhouse, hot water surged and steam billowed.
Waves of release washed over him as Xiao Yi tilted his head back, his gaze blank, red rimming the corners of his eyes while dewdrops fell from the tip of his nose.
Drop by drop like pearls, they rolled dexterously into the depths of the pool, lingering passionately with his surging arousal.
“Hah…”
As the wave of pleasure subsided, Xiao Yi abruptly stood up from the bathwater, his long legs striding forward. The muscles along his thighs pulled taut with clear-cut definition, exuding the raw, formidable power unique to a stalwart man.
Dressing orderly, Xiao Yi opened the door and first checked the sky.
It was slightly gloomy, but not yet dark.
Estimating that roughly an hour had passed, Shu Fuyan should have left by now.
Regaining his composure, Xiao Yi strode toward the inner hall.
Along the way, servants bowed respectfully whenever they caught sight of him.
Without breaking his stride, Xiao Yi headed straight ahead with an urgent momentum, as if chasing after something.
Reaching the inner hall, a figure in green caught his eye.
Shu Fuyan had fallen asleep while holding the outer robe.
Pausing at the doorway, Xiao Yi froze for a moment.
Having kept Shu Fuyan waiting for so long, why hadn’t he simply left? Caught between helplessness and emotional stirring, Xiao Yi sighed and resignedly walked toward his stubborn treasure.
“General Xiao.”
The hand Xiao Yi had extended froze mid-air. Before he could even touch him, Shu Fuyan woke up.
Puzzled, Xiao Yi wondered why Shu Fuyan always woke up at such precise moments.
“Why haven’t you left yet?” Xiao Yi coughed, feigning aloofness.
Clutching the hem of the outer robe, Shu Fuyan suppressed his overwhelming joy. “I wanted to see General Xiao.”
The emotions Xiao Yi had managed to suppress with such difficulty were easily stirred up by Shu Fuyan all over again.
“Shu Fuyan, I really underestimated you.” Xiao Yi gritted his teeth.
Gazing innocently at Xiao Yi, Shu Fuyan blinked.
A moment later, tilting his head, he spoke in a sweet tone, “What is General Xiao talking about? I don’t understand.”
Little siren, Xiao Yi thought to himself. Shu Fuyan was born a succubus meant to steal souls, living off the vital energy of men.
Lifting his chin slightly with an air of arrogant detachment, Xiao Yi retorted, “You don’t need to understand.”
If he truly understood, he might never make it out alive through the front gates of the Northern Suppression estate.
Looking dejected, Shu Fuyan softly murmured agreement.
Still clutching the robe that carried Xiao Yi’s scent, Shu Fuyan made no move to return it, nor did Xiao Yi ask for it back.
The two remained locked in a stalemate until even the steward, who had just arrived outside, didn’t dare make a sound.
“You…”
“You…”
They spoke in unison.
“I…” Their voices overlapped once more.
Xiao Yi and Shu Fuyan exchanged a smile.
“General Xiao, please go first.”
Stealthily casting a sidelong glance at Shu Fuyan, Xiao Yi asked aloud, “You came to the estate today—is something the matter?”
Twirling a lock of black hair around his delicate, snow-white finger, Shu Fuyan blinked.
“Pining has made me ill, and I cannot sleep through the night, which is why I came.”
Xiao Yi’s pupils constricted. His fingertips pressed hard against his palms, his lips pressed into a tight line, while deep within his chest, new green shoots burst forth wildly, wantonly, and magnificently across a barren wasteland.
The prisoner was on the verge of freedom.
“Who… are you thinking of?” With deep eyes, Xiao Yi unconsciously stepped closer toward Shu Fuyan.
“Who else could it be besides General Xiao?” Shu Fuyan’s smile was brilliant, fading away his usual distant chill.
“Shu Fuyan, are you…” With anticipation dialed to the max, Xiao Yi didn’t dare finish his sentence, simply waiting for Shu Fuyan to complete the thought.
Draping the outer robe back over Xiao Yi’s shoulders, Shu Fuyan replied, “I have always looked up to General Xiao and always hope to learn something by your side. I only hope the General will not grow weary of me.”
Suddenly, a bucket of ice-cold water poured over his head, thoroughly freezing Xiao Yi’s enthusiasm away.
So he was still overthinking it, Xiao Yi thought with self-derision. How could Shu Fuyan possibly love him?
After finishing those words, Shu Fuyan watched Xiao Yi closely, missing none of the disappointment in his beloved’s eyes.
His heart aching terribly at the sight, Shu Fuyan realized that if a single probe caused Xiao Yi such distress, he didn’t need to exercise such excessive self-restraint.
Tonight, he was going to conquer Xiao Yi.
Ever since Shu Fuyan uttered the word “look up to,” Xiao Yi’s expression had turned ice-cold.
Taking the initiative, Shu Fuyan reached out to take Xiao Yi’s hand, guiding it to touch his own cheek. He gently rubbed his warm face against the back of Xiao Yi’s hand, pouring out all his infatuation and reliance in that single moment.
“General Xiao, please don’t be angry with me, all right?” With damp eyes, Shu Fuyan’s dark pupils shone like stars in the night.
Struggling with erratic breaths, Xiao Yi felt the soft touch on the back of his hand transform into an overwhelming wave of desire, pouring endlessly into the arid wasteland of his soul.
“Shu Fuyan, you’ve crossed the line.” Xiao Yi’s voice was husky as he tried to pull his hand away, only for Shu Fuyan to grip it tightly once more.
“Don’t go.” This time, it was Shu Fuyan who spoke first.
Xiao Yi felt like he was on the verge of breaking down—one second in the celestial palaces, the next plunging into an abyss.
Now that Shu Fuyan was tempting him again, was he doing it just to make a fool of him?
“I’ll say it again, Shu Fuyan, you’ve crossed the line.”
Wrath flared in Xiao Yi’s eyes as the fingers resting against Shu Fuyan’s cheek pressed down with force.
The simple pressure of a single finger actually left a red mark on Shu Fuyan’s fair cheek.
Stunned, Xiao Yi moved to withdraw his hand entirely.
Refusing to let go, Shu Fuyan pulled Xiao Yi’s wrist closer, breathing out warm puffs of air that melted the hard heart of the man before him.
“Xiao Yi, take me.”
Take me.
Take… me.
Xiao Yi’s words echoed repeatedly in his mind, leaving him unable to tell whether this was reality or hallucination.
“Xiao Yi, I will be good. I won’t cause trouble, and I will only guard you.”
Anxious in tone, Shu Fuyan watched as Xiao Yi remained unresponsive, his heart sinking to the very bottom.
Gazing down at Shu Fuyan with complicated emotions, Xiao Yi saw the man before him—someone who had clearly frequented pleasure houses, yet spoke so openly of wanting to stay by his side.
What was Shu Fuyan looking for?
What did he want to get out of him?
Drawing a deep breath, Xiao Yi finally understood at that moment: Shu Fuyan had harbored hidden motives from the very moment they met.
He should have seen it long ago, but he had repeatedly glossed over it, blinded by Shu Fuyan’s seduction.
“Shu Fuyan, I admit it you win.”
Withdrawing his hand, Xiao Yi gently stroked Shu Fuyan’s hair without using much force.
Uncertain of Xiao Yi’s true attitude, Shu Fuyan wanted to ask for clarity when the steward inconveniently barged in.
“Oh dear, it seems I came at a bad time.” Covering his eyes, the steward flusteredly backed away.
“Come back,” Xiao Yi commanded.
Still covering his eyes with small, shuffling steps, the steward returned, speaking with a guilty conscience, “General, I really didn’t mean to disturb you two.”
It was pure bad timing, entirely unintentional.
Xiao Yi had already pulled his hand back quite early, putting some distance between himself and Shu Fuyan.
“What is the matter?” Xiao Yi asked.
“Prince Yu has arrived and says he wishes to see the General.”
The steward’s eyes darted around stealthily, glancing back and forth between Xiao Yi and Shu Fuyan.
A surge of murderous intent welled up within Shu Fuyan, his fists clenching tightly. Of all times for Prince Yu to arrive, why did he have to interrupt his good deed at such a critical moment?
Looking back at Shu Fuyan, Xiao Yi saw him instantly lower his head to conceal the violent malice rising in his eyes.
In the end, Xiao Yi still followed the steward away.
Just as Shu Fuyan’s heart shattered in agony, Xiao Yi’s voice drifted back to him from ahead:
“Wait for me to return.”
Shu Fuyan snapped his head up, the furrowed lines of his brow instantly smoothing out.
“Xiao Yi…”
“Mine.”