Xiao Biehe knew he could not fight back, so he didn’t try too hard. Yet, the other man’s kisses only grew more fierce, as if he were trying to reclaim something from his very soul.
The “little madman’s” eyes grew darker. With one hand, he pinned the beauty’s wrists to the bed; with the other, he reached toward Xiao Biehe’s chest. Just as he was about to tear the fabric of Xiao Biehe’s robes, he suddenly snapped back to his senses and recoiled in a panic.
Beneath him, the beauty had closed his eyes. His breathing was ragged, gasping for air.
Lu Guanyan released the man’s lips. The apology he had prepared died in his throat, replaced by something else. He knew full well that it was only because the beauty was severely injured and stripped of his internal cultivation that he dared to be so reckless.
“Brother’s mouth… it’s so sweet,” Lu Guanyan whispered.
Xiao Biehe kept his eyes tightly shut, looking like a man resigned to his execution. “When I am dead, please bury me well. Do not let anyone see me.”
Lu Guanyan froze, a flash of helplessness crossing his eyes. Adjusting his hold on the man in his arms, he smiled. “I will hide you away, Brother. I won’t let anyone find you, and I certainly won’t let you die.”
He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the cinnabar mole between the beauty’s brows. “Brother, open your eyes.”
…
Over the next few days, Xiao Biehe remained in the peach blossom forest to recover his health alongside Lu Guanyan.
Contrary to what Xiao Biehe had mentally prepared for, the younger man didn’t force himself on him further. Instead, he spent his days applying salves, brewing medicinal teas, and massaging Xiao Biehe’s legs.
The snow had stopped, and the weather was no longer as biting as before. Combined with the high-quality herbs Lu Guanyan used, Xiao Biehe could feel his legs improving. It wouldn’t be long before he could stand again. Even his lost internal power was slowly trickling back.
“Brother!”
Lu Guanyan was no cook. He could manage a simple bowl of white porridge without burning it, but anything more complex was beyond him. Even if he did cook, he wouldn’t dare feed it to the beauty. Every day, he went out to buy meals to bring back.
He hated being away from the beauty for even a moment; a brief separation felt like years of longing. The moment he returned to the forest, he ran toward the house, calling out, “Brother, lunch is here! The weather is lovely today. After we eat, shall I take you outside to soak up some sun?”
The forest was filled with books Xiao Biehe had left there in the past, but many were old and worn. Seeing that the beauty loved to read, Lu Guanyan often brought back new books from the city.
Though Xiao Biehe rarely appeared in public and was the subject of endless rumors, his reputation in the Kingdom of Liang was immense. Everyone knew his name. In the past, there were many folk novels written about him in the capital. Now that his reputation had fallen, many “unsavory” and explicit novels had surfaced as well.
While these stories angered the little madman, they also sparked dark thoughts in his mind. He thought to himself: Indeed, I am just as filthy as those people.
To Lu Guanyan’s disappointment, however, the beauty remained unshakably composed. Even when Lu Guanyan slipped those vulgar, blasphemous stories into the pile, Xiao Biehe would simply glance at them and set them aside with a calm, expressionless face.
The little madman failed to tease the beauty; instead, he only ended up stoking his own inner fires until he was in agony.
Currently, the beauty sat quietly on the daybed reading, his legs covered by a thick blanket Lu Guanyan had tucked around him before leaving. He was quiet, cold, and breathtaking so beautiful he didn’t seem like a living person, but rather a piece of white jade carved into art amidst a vast world of ice and snow.
Sometimes, Lu Guanyan doubted if this was all a dream. Perhaps he had already died in a vision of his own making and had never truly touched the man at all.
No. Xiao Biehe can only be mine!
Xiao Biehe said nothing. Lu Guanyan approached him step by step. Though no one had provoked him, his eyes looked possessed dark, burning, and narrowed dangerously.
Yet, when he reached Xiao Biehe’s side, the darkness vanished. Lu Guanyan knelt at his feet, looking innocent and obedient. He smiled at Xiao Biehe with eyes curved like crescent moons and took the book from his hand.
Leaning in, he slid his arms under Xiao Biehe’s waist and knees, lifting him with practiced ease. Then, he pressed a kiss to Xiao Biehe’s lips.
Xiao Biehe’s calm expression faltered slightly. He instinctively reached out to push him away, but the youth held him tighter and stood up, carrying him into the air.
Xiao Biehe looked at him, his skin flushing slightly, his breathing unintentionally heavy. Over the past few days, the youth hadn’t “done the deed” he had threatened, but he held him several times a day and kissed him constantly his face, his lips, the back of his hand. Xiao Biehe had lost count.
However, Xiao Biehe knew exactly what the boy wanted. Every time Lu Guanyan kissed him, touched him, or became aroused while holding him, Xiao Biehe suffered, knowing what could happen at any moment.
He didn’t understand. As enemies, shouldn’t the boy’s first instinct be to kill him? Instead, he wanted… this.
Since Xiao Biehe had expected to die, the fact that he was being kept alive left him at a loss. It meant he would eventually have to return to the General’s Estate a place he despised. He would have to face parents who neither liked him nor listened to him, and watch his father’s blind loyalty lead the family toward destruction at the hands of the Emperor and the Crown Prince.
Lu Guanyan set him down, looking aggrieved. “Brother, you’re spacing out again.”
Xiao Biehe breathed softly, his fair skin flushed as he shared the meal with the youth.
The sun was bright today. The little madman, intent on playing with his beauty, had built a swing in the forest. He carried Xiao Biehe over and seated him on it. With a beaming smile, Lu Guanyan knelt by his knees and gently pushed the swing.
Xiao Biehe, powerless to resist, sat with his eyes closed, as still as a painting.
The little madman had been obsessed with the beauty since he first saw him at age eight. He had been mad for ten years in the darkness; now that he finally stood before him, evil thoughts threatened to consume him. Just looking at the beauty’s face made his desire rise again.
His exotic, mixed-heritage face still wore a playful smile, but danger began to seep into his expression. He leaned forward, pressing his weight onto Xiao Biehe.
He was dissatisfied with the way the beauty often closed his eyes to avoid looking at him. His blue pupils turned predatory and hurt. “Brother,” he whispered against Xiao Biehe’s neck, “look at me.”
The youth refused to move, his scorching breath burning Xiao Biehe’s skin. Finally, Xiao Biehe opened his eyes.
Immediately, before he could respond, the youth gripped his waist and kissed him hungrily. Xiao Biehe had been kissed many times gentle ones and fierce ones like this but he still felt he couldn’t breathe. At the same time, he felt the heat of the boy’s body pressing against him.
A trace of panic finally appeared on Xiao Biehe’s face. He pushed the boy, and this time, Lu Guanyan actually let himself be moved back slightly, only to grab Xiao Biehe’s hand and force him to touch the source of that heat.
The little madman was still grinning, but the smile was a jarring contrast to the madness in his blue eyes and his physical actions.
Xiao Biehe’s hand felt scorched; he jerked it back, his clear eyes wide with shock.
In the next heartbeat, Lu Guanyan struck Xiao Biehe’s acupoints, paralyzing him. He then pulled the long ribbon from his own hair. His thick, curly black hair cascaded down as he used the ribbon to bind Xiao Biehe’s hands together.
The madness emanating from the youth was stronger than ever. His smile had turned twisted as he squeezed Xiao Biehe’s bound hands.
“Brother, I can’t hold back anymore. Let me have you once. I’ll be gentle… I won’t hurt you.”
Xiao Biehe wanted to fight, but in the broad daylight, the boy pinned him to the swing and began to undo his robes. His internal power was half-recovered, but not enough to break the seal on his acupoints. He could only watch as the youth hovered over him to commit such an absurdity. His paralyzed body couldn’t stop trembling.
“Every part of Brother is so beautiful, so fragrant.”
At this moment, Lu Guanyan’s heart held nothing but extreme craving. He wanted to swallow the beauty whole and commit every intimacy imaginable. He looked up at the man’s face. “Brother, why don’t you speak?”
Xiao Biehe’s voice was hoarse. His expression remained as cold and tranquil as ever; even when held captive, he showed little anger. He whispered, “What is it you want to hear me say?”
There is so much I want to hear, Lu Guanyan thought.
He licked his lips. Once the “bad deed” was done, he reached up and unsealed Xiao Biehe’s acupoints. Still, he kept him pinned tightly, as if afraid he would run. He smiled and asked, “Brother, did that feel good?”
Xiao Biehe did not answer, merely gasping for air in a daze.
Lu Guanyan leaned over him, his sapphire-blue eyes curving. “Did your fiancé ever do this to you? Did he make you feel this good?”
His fiancé… naturally, he had not. After the imperial decree of marriage was issued, Xiao Biehe had intentionally distanced himself from Mu Yunfei. Though the engagement remained, they had never shared even the slightest physical intimacy. The Crown Prince was far more restrained than this boy.
Xiao Biehe remained silent and was about to close his eyes again when a sudden thud reached his ears. He looked over and saw a crane that had been injured. Bleeding from its leg and wing, it had lost its balance and fallen from the sky.
Seeing the beauty’s gaze shift, Lu Guanyan looked over as well.
Xiao Biehe watched the white crane. The flush on his face had faded, replaced by a quiet, mournful look.
Lu Guanyan released him and went to pick up the bird. “Brother wants to save it?”
Xiao Biehe’s expression was faint. Looking at the crane in the youth’s hands, he murmured, “I cannot even save myself.”
Seeing the beauty’s low spirits made Lu Guanyan feel a pang of distress. It was as if this fallen white crane bitten by a predator or shot by a hunter was a reflection of the beauty himself.
“It will get better,” Lu Guanyan said.
Xiao Biehe raised his still-bound hands and asked, “Can you untie me now?”
The long-haired youth untied the red ribbon from the beauty’s wrists and used it to tie back his own hair.
The white crane was large and elegant, its feathers pure white without a single speck of color. At first, it was wary of Lu Guanyan, but seeing that neither human meant it harm, it gradually relaxed. It began to eat the small fish and shrimp Lu Guanyan brought back. After eating, it would huddle in a corner and lick its wounds, just as quiet as the beauty.
“Brother.”
Since that afternoon, the beauty had spoken even less. He spent more time reading and meditating to heal his injuries. Lu Guanyan knew the beauty’s internal power had returned; Xiao Biehe didn’t say it, and Lu Guanyan didn’t mention it, but he felt a secret excitement for him.
A man as formidable as his “Brother” should always be powerful and admired by thousands. It was just that the rest of the world was blind.
Lu Guanyan’s eyes weren’t blind, but he knew he had committed many unforgivable sins by taking advantage of the beauty. Given his identity, the beauty would never let him off.
In fact, Lu Guanyan looked forward to the day the beauty was fully healed—the day he would stop enduring him and strike him in anger.
A beauty in a rage… brows slightly knitted, face like frost, piercing me with a sword… that would be a sight to behold, the little madman thought excitedly.
After playing with the crane and being pecked several times before finally being allowed to pet its head Lu Guanyan went back inside to find the beauty.
Xiao Biehe was sitting on the daybed as usual. However, he wasn’t holding a book this time. His stunning face was void of emotion. He raised a hand, and the silver sword engraved with the words “No Return” flew across the room into his grasp.
Lu Guanyan’s face lit up with joy. He strode toward him. “Brother, you’ve recovered?”
Xiao Biehe did not speak. He simply drew the cold blade and pointed it at him.
Lu Guanyan knew he deserved it. A quick death by the sword would be mercy; he deserved to be flayed alive. Looking at the blade pointed at his heart; he grinned and dropped heavily to his knees.
“I was wrong, Brother. I shouldn’t have bullied you like that.”
Xiao Biehe hadn’t expected this reaction. He looked surprised. He lowered the sword, letting it clatter to the floor, then clutched his chest and began to cough.
“Brother?” Lu Guanyan’s face filled with worry. He crawled forward on his knees to support him. “Are you hurt again?”
Xiao Biehe’s expression remained cool. “If you don’t kill me, I will surely strike you once I am well.”
Lu Guanyan looked excited. He smiled and said, “Fine. When that day comes, I’ll kneel just like this and let Brother kill me.”
Xiao Biehe was stunned.
But in the next moment, the youth pressed against him again, capturing his lips. This kiss was gentle; the youth used his tongue to part Xiao Biehe’s lips softly. With his hands held tight, Xiao Biehe had grown somewhat accustomed to it. He gave up resisting and closed his eyes.