Dawn’s thick fog shrouded the entire forest, and the first light of day was hidden behind dark clouds. Not long after, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky.
Xi Huai had been tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep due to the discussions in the chat group. He felt restless and finally had to push himself up to turn over. It felt as if distancing himself from Li Jue could prove that he had truly transmigrated into a political intrigue novel. However, the bodysuit gifted by the derivative novel protagonist was lying on the side, very conspicuous. The looming black lace paired with fishnet stockings looked incredibly sexy. Was this something a pure high school boy like him should be seeing? Xi Huai reached out to cover his eyes, peeking through the gaps between his fingers.
He was just about to throw the bodysuit away when Li Jue suddenly opened his eyes. Li Jue had just woken up, his brows slightly furrowed with sleepiness. When he saw Ah Huai, his delicate eyebrows knitted together.
The drizzle turned into a thunderstorm, and the violent wind made the leaves in the forest rustle loudly. The firewood in the bonfire emitted a smell of charred carbon, and the weak flames cast dancing, ferocious tree shadows.
Ah Huai’s heart went cold. His hands trembling, he hurriedly tried to hide the lingerie behind his back to cover up his actions. He stammered, “A… A-Jue, you are finally awake. You must not misunderstand. I absolutely did not mean for you to wear this.” Ah Huai was incredibly nervous; his common sense told him this was wrong. Even though he did not intend for that, he still felt embarrassed and tense, forgetting that the lingerie in this world did not look like that.
Li Jue remained silent. He just stared straight at him, looking at his lips, his nose bridge, his eyebrows, and finally, his expression became complex. The more he stared, the more ashamed Ah Huai felt.
Until the next moment, Ah Huai heard a chilling voice.
“Your Majesty.”
The air froze. Ah Huai’s pupils dilated, and his heart skipped a beat. His hair stood on end as he realized the panacea had worn off. The young man in front of him had likely recovered his memories. He feared the boy would kill him. Just thinking about it made him feel as if he were facing a formidable enemy, so he decisively turned and rushed toward the mouth of the cave. However, he was seized by the back of his neck.
“Wait!”
Ah Huai struggled, feeling uneasy. “You, have you remembered everything?”
There was silence behind him. The atmosphere felt frozen, and the surroundings were bitingly cold. The next moment, he felt a chill on his neck as Li Jue reached out. He could not see Li Jue’s expression, but he had imagined what his own death would look like. At the very least, he did not want to be strangled like this. Ah Huai’s eyes reddened as Li Jue’s voice, sounding like a malicious ghost, whispered in his ear, “Do not run.”
Li Jue’s voice was weak, and his hot breath spread against Ah Huai’s ear. Before Ah Huai could react, his waist was suddenly gripped firmly.
“Mmm.” A sound escaped Ah Huai’s lips. The forceful grip made his fair face flush with a pale red. He felt the hand on his neck tremble, and his body could not help but shrink back. The steady breathing behind him became heavy. His legs felt weak, yet he continued to struggle with all his might. Amidst the lightning and thunder, he seemed to kick something, and the person behind him stiffened, adding weight to his neck. It turned out that Li Jue had rested his head on his shoulder, his scorching breath brushing against his skin.
“Did I not tell you not to run?”
Then, he felt a sharp pain in his neck; he realized he had been bitten. Warm liquid flowed down his neck, and he felt a numbing sensation throughout his body. The temperature behind him was so scorching, as if he had not recovered from his fever at all. Yet, his teeth were grinding against his skin; did he want him dead that badly?
Li Jue’s gaze swept over the lingerie on the ground, and a mocking sound escaped his throat. “Does Your Majesty want me to wear this for you to see by placing it in front of me?”
Ah Huai’s hair stood on end. He was so startled that even his reply was stammering. “No, it is not like that. I did not mean to, Li Jue. You are mistaken. I will listen to everything you say, just please let me go.”
“Why would Your Majesty say such a thing?” Li Jue chuckled softly, his arms locked around his chest as if he wanted to knead him into his own body. He held him so tightly that it made breathing difficult. “Your Majesty must have forgotten, I am not called Li Jue, but Li Wan.”
“Li Jue!”
Li Jue applied more pressure and sighed. “You have forgotten again. I am called Li Wan.”
The premonition of imminent death made him instinctively bite the hand gripping his chest. When Li Jue raised his arm in pain, he ran firmly toward the exit of the cave. Ah Huai endured the rain and held his breath as he ran, his mind focused solely on the urge to survive. He did not know how long he ran until his legs slipped, and he stumbled into a mud pit, finally gasping for air.
However, before he could relax, he suddenly felt someone tap his shoulder, and time seemed to stop. Ah Huai was startled and began to flail his limbs. “Go away! You go away!”
It was not until a familiar voice sounded that he stopped hitting out and stared blankly at the man in front of him. In that moment, Ah Huai’s pent-up grievances finally had an outlet. He sat down in the mud and wailed loudly, “Why did you only come now? Xue Fang, why did you only come now?”
He had never cried like this before, but heavy tears, like broken strings of pearls, streamed uncontrollably from his eyes. He felt so sad, having never endured such unfair treatment. He wanted to go home so badly, “I want to go home so badly. I want to go home so badly.”
Xue Fang looked helplessly at the miserable Emperor before him. The boy’s exquisitely embroidered riding suit was now covered in filthy sludge. Under the rain, the boy’s skin glowed white, and his long, curled eyelashes were dampened by the rain as they lowered. He was soaking wet, the tip of his nose red, sobbing uncontrollably. He looked like a lost, pitiable little deer. Even while venting, he forgot to use the royal “I” and rambled, “I clearly never wanted to transmigrate at all. I am just an ordinary person.”
Stripped of his arrogant and imperious facade, the boy at this moment looked like someone of his actual age. Xue Fang felt a sense of trance. Although Xue Fang did not understand Ah Huai’s remarks, he understood his sadness. He parted his lips and knelt down. “I am sorry.”
He lowered his head into the dust. “I am sorry, Your Majesty. It is my dereliction of duty.” He admitted his fault and was willing to bear the consequences, no matter what they might be.
However, the proud son of heaven simply stepped his foot onto his arm. At this point, he realized the boy was not wearing shoes or socks. His jade-like feet were covered in mud, but his toenails were a noble shade of pink. Xue Fang’s Adam’s apple bobbed; he did not know where to look. He froze where he was, struggling to grip that jade-like foot.
Unexpectedly, he received a light kick, and the boy was angry.
“Why are you so stupid? I told you to kneel and carry me on your back. What is the meaning of holding my foot?”
After Ah Huai finished crying, he realized he had almost broken the little Emperor’s persona. He immediately extended his foot, ordering Xue Fang to kneel so he could trample on his pride. He did not know, however, that his voice at this moment was weak and powerless, unable to inspire even a shred of awe, but instead making Xue Fang feel an inexplicable, subtle pity.
By the time Xue Fang realized he had almost developed strange thoughts, he was already humbly crawling on the ground. Ah Huai, however, was confused. His tear-stained eyes looked pitiful. He was surprised that Xue Fang was too obedient; he looked like a dog no matter how he looked at him.
He had no choice but to step on his back, and he was soon carried on Xue Fang’s back. That willing appearance reminded him of his own sobbing self from a moment ago, which made him feel embarrassed.
Ah Huai coughed lightly and, adopting the little Emperor’s attitude, said, “You did not see or hear anything just now. Do you understand?”
Xue Fang said hoarsely, “This subject will obey the Imperial Decree.”
Ah Huai said with satisfaction, “Hurry and take me back.”
Ah Huai did not notice Xue Fang’s ears, which had turned deep red. He only felt that Xue Fang’s muscles were solid and his back broad, and he felt a sense of security on his back. Because of this peace of mind, he fell into a deep sleep, completely unaware that Li Jue was currently standing there like an abandoned puppy, watching them leave.
Cining Palace.
In the red bed curtains, the beautiful boy was sleeping deeply. His face was flushed, and a layer of cold sweat covered his forehead. Perhaps because he was uncomfortable, humming sounds escaped his cinnabar-red lips.
In the luxurious room, Wen Yulin gazed down at the unconscious boy on the bed, feeling deeply worried. He had been tending to him personally for days, yet the boy showed no signs of waking up, which made him restless and uneasy. Perhaps because of the persistent high fever, his slightly parted lips exhaled wisps of heat. That small, palm-sized face was flushed red. Even though he looked disheveled, he still appeared noble.
Wen Yulin’s expression flickered. He picked up a cloth, dampened it, and wiped the light sweat from his face. Working until now, he was exhausted, yet for some reason, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction. It was as if he had a child of his own; his previously empty heart felt filled. He looked down at the boy, his heart stirred, and he actually began to look forward to the boy waking up soon.
“Ah Huai.”
The next day, Ah Huai finally woke from his stupor. He looked around and realized he had returned to the palace.
“Ah Huai, you are awake!” A voice filled with surprise sounded by his ear.
Looking toward the sound, Ah Huai saw that the person speaking was Wen Yulin. Wen Yulin’s eyes were dark, as if he had not slept for a long time due to worry. Ah Huai parted his lips, his throat too dry to speak.
Wen Yulin said, “Would you like some water?”
Ah Huai shook his head. He climbed up and asked with difficulty, “The Noble Consort…”
Wen Yulin’s expression darkened. “You are in such a state, yet you are still worried about the Noble Consort.”
Ah Huai pursed his lips and changed the subject. “What about the assassin?”
Wen Yulin snorted coldly. “You should probably ask the Prince Regent about the assassin.”
As he spoke, Wen Yulin cupped his face. “Look how thin you have become.”
Ah Huai was surprised for a moment. That could not be; he had not been missing for very long. Ah Huai tried to shake off Wen Yulin’s hand, but Wen Yulin held him firmly.
He was looking at him with loving eyes, as if looking at a small animal.
“Ah Huai, from now on, do not go anywhere. Stay in my palace.”