Chapter 10: Sharing a Bed
Chu Yi kept his eyes lowered. “Can I… after I’ve bathed…?”
Sheng Qianheng rested his head on Chu Yi’s shoulder. As a Qianyuan, his instincts could sense that his Kunze was afraid of him. He gave Chu Yi a slight push onto the bed and asked, “Did that day leave a shadow on you?”
Chu Yi had always been afraid of the sudden sensation of falling backward. He instantly squeezed his eyes shut, but fortunately, Sheng Qianheng cushioned the back of his head with his hand, so there was no pain.
Only after hearing Sheng Qianheng’s question clearly did he slightly raise his eyes to answer, “Of course I’m afraid…”
Sheng Qianheng propped himself up on his elbow, tracing Chu Yi’s brows and eyes over and over. Since he was a child, he had loved being by Chu Yi’s side, and it was the same now. But for some reason, it seemed he was pushing him further and further away…
“Did I make you uncomfortable that day? It was my first time, too. I don’t have much experience. A-Yi can teach me.”
Chu Yi was stunned that Sheng Qianheng would so brazenly say such things to him… and even ask him to teach? He had no experience either, okay?
“No, Sheng Qianheng! You want me to teach you?”
Sheng Qianheng nodded, the hand behind Chu Yi’s head stroking his hair. “A-Yi is seven years my senior. It’s only logical that you would know more than I do.”
The corner of Chu Yi’s lip twitched slightly. Did being older in this matter mean having more experience? He had lost his first time in a complete daze!
“You’re overthinking things…”
Sheng Qianheng raised an eyebrow, just as he had expected. Chu Yi had likely never been intimate with anyone else either.
“I was too abrupt today. But on the wedding day, A-Yi must be prepared.”
Hearing the deliberate emphasis on the word “prepared” by his ear, Chu Yi felt that his doom was inevitable. It seemed his last chance was to slip away during the nàzhēng.
“Yes, this subject obeys the decree.”
Sheng Qianheng lay down beside Chu Yi, but not before placing a kiss on his lips—something he had coveted for a long time.
Just now in the front hall, Chu Yi’s proactive kiss had nearly made him lose his reason.
“I’m tired. I haven’t been sleeping well here in Yangxin Hall these past few days. Sleep with me for a while. Also, in the future, if it’s just the two of us, you don’t need to refer to yourself as ‘subject’, nor do you need to call me ‘Your Majesty’. Just call me by my name. I don’t like these empty formalities… You rarely called me Your Majesty in the past, either.”
The light touch on his lips left Chu Yi in a daze for a moment. Does this tyrant love being so intimate with me? Shouldn’t I be his older brother, both a mentor and a friend? Is this how he respects his older brother?
“Your Majesty… I…”
Sheng Qianheng closed his eyes. “Hm? What did you call me?”
Chu Yi immediately corrected himself, “Sheng Qianheng, I want to go back to my residence early. Can I?”
Sheng Qianheng turned on his side, wrapping an arm around Chu Yi’s waist. His nose brushed against the side of his neck, inhaling the faint medicinal scent. The headaches that had plagued him for days seemed to be instantly alleviated. Could it be that Chu Yi’s xìnxiāng had the miraculous effect of curing headaches?
“Trying to run away again? I still haven’t settled the score with you over that eunuch uniform.”
Chu Yi was half-embraced by Sheng Qianheng, barely daring to move. The only thing he had on was a single, thin silk inner robe, which was far too suitable for being torn off by someone worse than a beast…
“How could that be? It’s just that I haven’t been back to my residence in a long time. Besides, I can’t possibly be absent from the residence during the nàzhēng, can I?”
Sheng Qianheng was truly overcome with exhaustion. Breathing in Chu Yi’s faint xìnxiāng, he drifted off to sleep.
Seeing no response from Sheng Qianheng, Chu Yi wanted to turn his head to take a peek, but Sheng Qianheng was too close. He had absolutely no room to move…
He wanted to straighten out his messy clothes. Just as he pinched Sheng Qianheng’s wrist to lift it, he was pulled even tighter. Chu Yi, along with the mattress beneath him, was held firmly in Sheng Qianheng’s embrace.
Helpless, Chu Yi was forced to lie still, trying his best to ignore Sheng Qianheng’s presence.
He carefully mulled over the matter with Jiang Xinrui. According to his speculation, Jiang Xinrui likely had feelings for him, though whether it was romantic love, familial affection, or friendship was unknown. If Jiang Xinrui’s feelings were truly deep, and if he could get in touch with him, he might be able to get his help to escape the palace.
However, there was still one thing that was unclear: who was the informant in Jingyang Palace? If he wanted to establish a firm footing in this palace before escaping, how could he act freely if someone serving in the small Jingyang Palace was sent by Sheng Qianheng to watch him? He had to make this informant work for him.
Chu Yi lay on the bed, contemplating many matters. Several times, thinking Sheng Qianheng must be sound asleep, he tried to break free, only to be held tighter each time. In the end, he nearly had the breath squeezed out of him by Sheng Qianheng’s arm before he gave up.
Chu Yi hadn’t been sleepy at all, but after lying on the bed with Sheng Qianheng for so long, his eyelids eventually grew heavy, and he fell into a deep sleep without realizing it.
The two of them slept on the bed until nearly the yǒu hour before Sheng Qianheng finally stirred. He felt something in his arms trying to burrow into his lapels. Strands of black hair brushed against the side of his neck, like the gentle sweep of a feather, unbearably itchy.
When he slowly opened his eyes, he realized that Chu Yi was actually sleeping in his arms, not with his back to him as usual. He picked up a strand of Chu Yi’s hair and toyed with it, occasionally lifting the end to gently stroke Chu Yi’s cheek. He stared at Chu Yi’s sleeping face for a long time. He was clearly seven years older, yet there was no trace of age on his face. That fair cheek looked as if one could squeeze water out of it.
Chu Yi was woken up by Sheng Qianheng. He stared blankly at Sheng Qianheng’s chest, completely bewildered.
When he slowly raised his head, he was still not fully awake. He reached up to touch Sheng Qianheng’s face, stroking it gently. The pad of his finger gradually traced over his brow, the bridge of his nose, and finally landed on his lips.
It wasn’t until Sheng Qianheng opened his mouth slightly and took his fingertip in that Chu Yi abruptly came to his senses!
What was he doing? He must have been muddled from sleep. He had actually thought he was dreaming just now, and that there was such a handsome male model in his dream!
But the person before him was Sheng Qianheng! The tyrant!
Chu Yi immediately snatched his hand back and shot up into a sitting position, a chill running down his back, feeling extremely embarrassed…
Seeing Chu Yi’s guilty expression, Sheng Qianheng couldn’t help but tease, “Why did you stop touching? You were clinging to me when you were half-asleep just now.”
Noticing his disheveled state, Chu Yi quickly tied the sash of his clothes before replying, “I’m a restless sleeper… Your Maj— uh, Sheng Qianheng, please bear with me.”
Sheng Qianheng pouted slightly. He sat up and gently squeezed Chu Yi’s shoulder. “I slept very well. How about you?”
Chu Yi was also surprised that he had slept so defenselessly. How could he be so unguarded in front of the tyrant!
He brushed his hair back from his temples, turned his head to look at Sheng Qianheng, and gave a faint smile. “Since I could take liberties with you, I naturally slept very well.”
Sheng Qianheng nodded. He leaned in and sniffed the back of Chu Yi’s neck. His mark was still there for now, so Chu Yi’s xìnxiāng shouldn’t be released. But he couldn’t help worrying that Chu Yi’s Rain and Dew Period would suddenly arrive. At that time, he might find it hard to resist doing something…
The moment Sheng Qianheng drew near, Chu Yi unconsciously shrank his neck. Seeing that the sky outside seemed to be growing dark, he muttered softly, “I’m hungry.”
Sheng Qianheng took a deep breath. He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but Chu Yi’s xìnxiāng really seemed to be able to alleviate his headaches.
“Don’t whine.”
“Ah?” Chu Yi was confused. He was just genuinely hungry. He looked back at Sheng Qianheng, puzzled. “I’m not.”
Translator’s Notes
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Yǒu hour : This is the period from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the traditional Chinese timekeeping system.
