Ever since that day, Yin Xiao had been glued to my side almost every single day.
All respect for teachers, rules of propriety, and a sense of shame had been completely cast to the winds by him.
I really wanted to tell Yin Xiao that he did not need to cast them away so thoroughly.
Those who knew would understand that the love gu flared up once a month.
Those who did not would think it flared up thirty-two days a month!
I was suffering from sheer, unadulterated devastation.
The old emperor’s health was improving day by day.
Although he could still hide behind the excuse of recovering from illness, he could dodge the first day of the lunar month, but not the fifteenth.
Clearly the sovereign of a nation, yet when facing his impending twilight years, he still struggled with such reluctant desperation.
It was as if the moment a crown prince was appointed, one of his own feet would step straight into the coffin.
Because we had no idea when the old emperor’s health might fully recover, my colleagues and I were on edge every single day.
Every time we attended court, both factions kept their nerves strung taut to the limit, and the slightest disturbance would spark fierce, irreconcilable arguments.
While worrying about this matter, I was also keeping track of the calendar.
If I remembered correctly, a certain event from the original book was fast approaching.
In the original book, Yin Xiao experienced a kidnapping.
Although Yin Shu was benevolent and compassionate, most of his supporters were veteran court officials who employed ruthless and decisive methods.
At that time, Yin Shu was on the verge of ascending to the position of crown prince.
Meanwhile, Yin Xiao, still young and lacking experience, had just risen to prominence and begun displaying his ambition and strength.
In Yin Shu’s eyes, Yin Xiao was an unruly and unfavored younger brother, as well as a thorn in the side of the veteran ministers.
One night, on his way back to the palace, Yin Xiao was ambushed and kidnapped by a faction of men who dragged him to a dilapidated temple on the outskirts of the city.
Yin Xiao’s faction was weak, and the veteran officials managed to suppress the news.
It was not until seven days later that Yin Shu caught wind of the incident, dispatched men to search for Yin Xiao, and rescued him.
The original book’s description of that kidnapping was also exceptionally gruesome, with Yin Xiao returning having lost practically half his life.
However, the people who kidnapped him did not fare well either.
During his captivity, relying on a hidden razor blade concealed beneath his tongue, Yin Xiao managed to capture a kidnapper alive.
The remaining kidnappers neither wanted to let Yin Xiao go nor knew how to rescue their hostage.
They tortured one another until both sides were battered and bruised, lingering in that state until Yin Shu’s rescue party finally arrived.
Because of this kidnapping, the Yin Xiao of the original book was left with lingering injuries and afflictions, turning even more suspicious, irritable, bloodthirsty, and tyrannical than before.
Although it was uncertain whether this event would still happen given the shifting political landscape, I still had to be on my guard.
Since the original book never mentioned who had conspired to kidnap Yin Xiao, I could only investigate the clues myself to find out.
To carve out more time for this, I ordered Yin Xiao to rein in his supernatural stamina for the time being.
When Yin Xiao asked for a reason, I could not give him one, so I simply claimed I was busy with official business.
He did not speak, his entire face written with reluctance.
Yet seeing my exceptionally serious expression, he ultimately agreed.
There were three suspected targets, hailing from three prominent aristocratic clans: Sun, Li, and Song.
All three figures were heavyweight officials in the court who had wholeheartedly supported Yin Shu with absolute loyalty ever since Yin Xiao was a child.
When my investigation reached the Song family, I finally caught a thread of a clue.
I secretly deployed personnel, arranging informants and inside agents, and discovered that the Song family kept a group of hired thugs within their estate.
Normally, these thugs had nothing to do, handling minor troubles at the pleasure houses owned by the Song family, but most of the time they served no real purpose.
Recently, however, this group of thugs had secretly become active, though their precise objective remained unclear.
I decided to follow this trail and continue digging.
Because of this matter, I had not returned to the Lanyue Palace for over a week.
Since I frequently needed to move about outside the palace, I took advantage of the situation to return to the Ji residence and stay for a few days.
Late one night, two or three junior palace eunuchs knocked on the gates of the Ji residence.
I was summoned out.
The junior eunuch respectfully stated that the Second Imperial Highness requested my return to the palace.
I pleaded official duties and late-night frost, suggesting we discuss whatever matters arose the next day back in the palace.
The junior eunuch shook his head instead. “The Second Imperial Highness said that no matter what Lord Ji says, we must bring you back to the palace.”
“The Second Imperial Highness also said that if Lord Ji does not understand, just look up at the sky and you will understand.”
I froze, raising my head to look up at the night sky over the capital.
Today was a full moon.
On the way back to the palace, I unexpectedly felt a wave of nervousness once again.
In the past with Yin Xiao, it had always been him suddenly pouncing over, showering me in frantic kisses until my mind was hazy before things commenced.
With my brain kissed into a blank slate, everything naturally progressed from there.
This time, however, I was being brought to Yin Xiao completely sober and conscious.
The mere thought of what was about to happen made my emotions immensely complicated.
I felt like a concubine in some palace drama, wrapped up like a spring roll and delivered to the imperial bedchamber for the first time.
The tension was palpable.
After dropping me off at the entrance of the bedchamber, the junior eunuch hurried away.
The courtyard quickly returned to silence.
Only the rustling of the night wind and the hissing of insects could be heard.
I glanced at the bedchamber, where the lights were already extinguished and it appeared entirely vacant. Hesitating for a moment, I stepped inside anyway.
I felt a bit anxious because the first time Yin Xiao’s love gu had flared up, it truly put me through the wringer.
I had half-expected to be tackled into a full embrace the moment I stepped inside.
Yet nothing of the sort happened.
I began to doubt the authenticity of this whole love gu affair.
Could this ungrateful wretch have simply fabricated an excuse just to sleep with me for so many days?
Yin Xiao sat upon his bed, separated from me by a thin layer of moonlight-tinted gauze, watching our blurred silhouettes against one another.
The lamps had been extinguished early, making even our shadows indistinct.
I saw his half-figure, quietly illuminated by the moonlight, shift slightly.
“Was Teacher deliberately staying away, wanting to torture this Prince?”
He did not conceal his anger; his naturally deep voice sounded as though it had been scorched by a bonfire, carrying a trace of intense heat.
“Or did you think my love gu affliction was a fake, and you wanted to hide from me to test the truth of it?”
I actually had been a bit suspicious. He had guessed half of it right.
I smiled wryly. “I genuinely forgot, don’t overthink it.”
I had almost forgotten what a deeply paranoid person Yin Xiao was; during the hours he spent tricking me back into the palace, he had probably suspected me a thousand times over.
Yin Xiao did not speak.
I stood awkwardly behind the gauze curtain, waiting a few seconds without receiving any instructions.
“Are we still doing this?”
I asked cautiously, but Yin Xiao still made no reply.
Feeling slightly perplexed, I took a step back. “Well, if we aren’t doing anything, I’ll take my leave first.”
The moment I turned around, I heard a rush of fast, heavy footsteps that reached my back almost instantly.
He spun me around and kissed me fiercely. Perhaps driven by lingering resentment toward me, the force of it was heavy enough to nearly turn my legs to jelly.
As we stumbled and rolled all the way to the bed amidst a flurry of kisses, my oxygen-deprived brain finally realized that Yin Xiao’s love gu was real.
There was no comparison, and therefore no injury.
I had thought that sleeping with Yin Xiao previously meant this brat was already ruthless enough.
I never imagined that when the love gu flared up, it would be even more absurd than usual.
We had gone over a week without doing it, and rolling back onto the bed together made him devour and kiss me as if he were starving.
He looked as though he wanted to stamp his brand across my entire body.
My hard-earned pale, unblemished skin was once again stained with patches of crimson marks.
Yin Xiao looked down with satisfaction at the mottled crimson patches. “Teacher still looks the most beautiful like this.”
I was so exasperated I laughed, my hoarse voice weak and powerless. “Beautiful? If it’s truly so beautiful, why don’t I strip and show it to everyone in broad daylight tomorrow?”
The moment those words left my mouth, Yin Xiao’s gaze turned instantly fierce. “You dare.”
I watched with my own eyes as the sky outside the window slowly transitioned from pitch black to the pale shade of a fish’s belly.
I lacked even the strength to speak, yet forced myself to maintain consciousness, asking Yin Xiao if he genuinely intended to torture me to death.
Yin Xiao laughed with extraordinary delight.
“Out of energy already? Teacher is remarkably fragile.”
At that exact moment, I truly wished Yin Xiao would turn back into a child.
Then I would undoubtedly treat him to a severe beating without regard for the safety of our entire clan.
But right now, the present me was incapable of doing such a thing.
Having finished venting the desire accumulated over a week, Yin Xiao still lingered inside me without pulling out.
Lifting my sore, weak arms, I gave him a gentle push. “Your Highness, won’t you pull out? I want to sleep.”
Mocking my stamina while likely taking pity on me because I looked somewhat pathetic, Yin Xiao finally withdrew.
Being brushed against in that manner sent a wave of tingling numbness exploding through my head, and I accidentally let out a cry.
If my self from ten minutes from now could travel back in time, I would definitely take a needle and thread and sew my own mouth shut.
You deserve this for provoking him!
I felt like the timing of my awakening was rather unfortunate.
Wisps of heat rose around me, and I felt as though my entire body was enveloped in a layer of floating, sinking water.
Opening one eye a slit, I discovered I was indeed soaking in warm, steaming water.
It was quite comfortable, too.
I had been enjoying the comfort of the warm water for a moment and was nearly drifting off to sleep when someone suddenly squeezed into the bathing barrel.
Before I even had time to open my eyes, that person had already lifted my waist and begun restlessly groping around.
I tried to swat his hands away, but whatever little strength I had left had been completely diluted by the water currents.
Leaning against that person, I heard him shamelessly declare, “I am helping Teacher clean up. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything else.”
Me?
Won’t do anything else?
Did he take me for a fool, or a fool, or a fool?
Sighing, I gave up on trying to manage the hands wandering aimlessly over my body. “You don’t need to do this, I can manage myself.”
Yin Xiao seemed deeply displeased with my reaction.
Within the cramped bathing barrel, he pinched my wet, dripping face and bit my lower lip. “Teacher should be praising this Prince instead.”
I sneered, unable to resist mocking him: “Praise you for stripping me bare and feeling me up while I was asleep? And are you certain you aren’t doing anything else?”
Yin Xiao: “Praise?”
To be honest, the moment I finished speaking, I regretted it.
After all, Yin Xiao’s gaze was truly terrifying.
As terrifying as that horror-movie-like terrifying thing of his down below.
In the end, whether Yin Xiao actually helped me wash thoroughly or not, I had no way of knowing.
Either way, whatever washing was done had all been completely wasted.
Tragic.