Chapter 11: Kiss
Seeing Chu Yi’s bewildered expression, Sheng Qianheng couldn’t resist raising a hand to pinch his cheek. “Weren’t you hungry? I’ll go back to Jingyang Palace and have the evening meal with you.”
Sheng Qianheng quickly got off the bed to change his clothes.
Chu Yi, on the other hand, covered his face with his hand. He felt that Sheng Qianheng’s grip was quite strong. He leaned out slightly to look in the bronze mirror, and the spot that was pinched had turned red!
What kind of decent person pinches someone’s cheek so hard!?
He shot a glare at Sheng Qianheng, only to have Sheng Qianheng happen to look back and meet his gaze. “Weren’t you just crying that you were hungry? Or do you want me to carry you down and dress you?”
Chu Yi’s expression changed instantly. He forced a smile. “I’ll do it myself!”
He quickly got off the bed, took the clothes from the rack, and dressed himself neatly.
The two returned to Jingyang Palace. By the time they finished the evening meal, it was already the xū hour.
Seeing that Sheng Qianheng had no intention of leaving, Chu Yi had no choice but to pretend to flip through a book.
Perhaps he had eaten too much at once, for his stomach was uncomfortably bloated. He was forced to get up and pace back and forth in the bedchamber to aid his digestion.
Just as he reached the entrance of the bedchamber and was about to turn back, he saw the head eunuch enter with a young eunuch.
Chu Yi walked to Sheng Qianheng’s side and couldn’t help but ask, “What is this?”
Seeing Sheng Qianheng signal for him to explain, the head eunuch spoke, “Young Master, this is the little eunuch in charge of delivering meals to Jingyang Palace. He has dared to privately cut back on your meals these past few days. Your Majesty, how do you think he should be punished?”
One of Chu Yi’s hands gently rubbed his stomach to ease the discomfort, while the other was slowly taken by Sheng Qianheng.
Sheng Qianheng stared at the kneeling eunuch and spoke coldly, “Twenty strokes of the cane, as a warning to others.”
The young eunuch quickly pleaded, “Your Majesty, this servant will never dare again. Young Master, Young Master, I was wrong, I’ll never dare again. Your Majesty, this servant knows he was wrong!!”
Sheng Qianheng: “Drag him out. Beat him right outside, and have all the servants of Jingyang Palace watch.”
Chu Yi watched as the young eunuch was dragged out by the guards. He had only ever seen such a scene in television dramas; he never imagined it would happen right before his eyes.
He looked at Sheng Qianheng’s unchanging expression, as if human life was nothing more than grass to him.
“Your Majesty, how about we let it go? He only cut back on some meals.”
Sheng Qianheng had Chu Yi sit in his lap, the pad of his thumb stroking the corner of his mouth. “How can we let it go? Today it’s just cutting back on meals. What if one day he bullies you? Besides, twenty strokes of the cane is too light for daring to mistreat you.”
Chu Yi wrapped his arms around Sheng Qianheng’s neck. Hearing the sound of the cane falling outside and the young eunuch’s wails, the hair on his arms gradually stood on end.
He carefully chose his words before speaking, “As long as Your Majesty does not neglect this subject, and lets those servants know that this subject has Your Majesty’s favor, naturally no one will dare to offend again. What does Your Majesty think?”
“All of you, get out.” Sheng Qianheng wrapped an arm around Chu Yi’s waist and asked, “Are you complaining to me that I’ve been neglecting you these past few days?”
Chu Yi smiled charmingly. “I never said that. Your Majesty, please spare that little eunuch. After twenty strokes, he’ll likely be half-dead.”
Sheng Qianheng’s gaze lingered on Chu Yi’s lips, unwilling to move away. He felt an inexplicable thirst. “Why do you want to plead for that little eunuch?”
Chu Yi: “Mm.”
Sheng Qianheng raised a finger and pointed to his own lips, his gaze slowly moving up to meet Chu Yi’s. “I am the emperor. How can I go back on my word? If you really want to plead for that little eunuch, you’ll have to do something.”
Chu Yi naturally knew what Sheng Qianheng meant. He pressed his lips together and tilted his head slightly. “Sheng Qianheng, you… are you serious?”
Sheng Qianheng nodded happily. “Naturally.”
For a moment, one could hear a pin drop in the bedchamber. Neither of them spoke.
Chu Yi took a deep breath, then leaned in and slowly approached Sheng Qianheng, his eyes unconsciously closing as their lips met. After a brief touch, he immediately pulled back. When he looked at Sheng Qianheng, his heart was already racing.
Sheng Qianheng’s eyes darkened slightly. He licked the corner of his lips and chuckled softly. “Chu Yi, that’s not enough~”
“You can’t go back on your word! A gentleman’s word is his bond!” Chu Yi immediately retorted, completely unaware that Sheng Qianheng’s hand had already moved from his lower back to the back of his head.
With a sudden exertion of force from Sheng Qianheng, their foreheads touched. He took in all of Chu Yi’s panic, finding it quite amusing. He didn’t make another move, but simply stared at Chu Yi…
Chu Yi looked up in a daze, right into Sheng Qianheng’s ink-black pupils, which could only reflect his own image. In that instant, he didn’t know where to look. He only felt his throat burn, and his body temperature seemed to be slowly rising.
He hurriedly tried to move back, but there was nothing to lean on behind him. Fearing he would fall, Sheng Qianheng moved the hand on the back of Chu Yi’s head to his neck, his fingertips deliberately brushing past his gland.
In that single moment, Chu Yi felt his entire body go soft. He could only place his hands on Sheng Qianheng’s chest to try and steady himself.
Chu Yi had wanted to put some distance between them, but with that single movement, they ended up even closer.
He looked up at Sheng Qianheng again and asked, “Sheng Qianheng, what are you trying to do?”
Sheng Qianheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his thumb gently rubbing the back of Chu Yi’s neck. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and leaned in to capture Chu Yi’s soft lips.
Their soft lips pressed together. In an instant, Chu Yi’s breathing became ragged, his heartbeat in utter chaos.
Sheng Qianheng bit lightly on Chu Yi’s lip. His nose was filled with the scent of Sheng Qianheng’s xìnxiāng, emanating from the back of his neck. Under his deliberate teasing, his thoughts gradually grew muddled. Apart from a few whimpers, there was no possibility of escape.
Chu Yi felt Sheng Qianheng’s aggression but was powerless to resist. A slight lapse in concentration, and he was invaded. His soft tongue, repeatedly turned and stirred, was already numb. His Adam’s apple swallowed weakly…
It wasn’t until Sheng Qianheng slowly pecked Chu Yi’s lips a few times that the kiss finally ended.
Chu Yi lowered his head, gasping for air. His gaze was drawn to a silvery thread, but on second thought, his mind went blank.
Sheng Qianheng saw the faint lotus-pink flush on Chu Yi’s cheeks, and a wicked thought spread through his mind, but he didn’t want to frighten Chu Yi.
After coming to his senses, Chu Yi looked blankly at Sheng Qianheng’s lips. He stared in a daze for a moment before daring to look up at Sheng Qianheng. “Is that enough now?”
Sheng Qianheng swallowed, still savoring the taste. “Of course it’s enough.”
Outside, it was unknown how many strokes the young eunuch had received. The head eunuch, following Sheng Qianheng’s orders, waived the rest of the punishment.
Chu Yi didn’t quite dare to look at Sheng Qianheng. He could only rest his forehead on the tyrant’s shoulder to avoid direct eye contact.
Sheng Qianheng, on the other hand, had a smile that was hard to conceal. He rubbed the back of Chu Yi’s neck and asked, “Why are you shy? Weren’t you the one asking me for a favor?”
Chu Yi mumbled in a low voice, “As I grow older, my shyness deepens!”
Sheng Qianheng noticed Chu Yi rubbing his stomach with one hand and reached out to gently massage it for him. “In the future, if you have any more favors to ask of me, you can just do what you did just now.”
Chu Yi felt much more comfortable with Sheng Qianheng’s broad palm rubbing his stomach, but the words by his ear were still not pleasant to hear.
“I think you’re the one who hopes I have favors to ask of you.”
Sheng Qianheng: “I never said that.”
Chu Yi: “Sheng Qianheng, I’ve discovered that you’re becoming more and more shameless.”
Sheng Qianheng: “Didn’t you say that when I was a child?”
Chu Yi: “I just feel it’s even more so now.”
Chu Yi had originally thought that Sheng Qianheng would hold him accountable for disguising himself as a little eunuch and trying to escape. But it seemed that after that kiss, neither of them had mentioned it. However, on second thought, caning the little eunuch who had cut back on his meals was not just to establish authority in front of the servants of Jingyang Palace, but also to warn him that if he tried to escape again, the punishment would be more than just that…
Chu Yi behaved himself in Jingyang Palace, thinking that if he acted obediently for these few days, he could make Sheng Qianheng let his guard down. Then, on the day of the nàzhēng, when he returned to his residence, he would have an opportunity.
Summer was gradually approaching, and the weather was becoming hotter. Chu Yi saw that the Imperial Household Department had sent a lot of ice.
There were only a few days left until the nàzhēng, yet Sheng Qianheng hadn’t discussed the matter with him at all. But he couldn’t bring it up himself. If he took the initiative, it would only reveal his desire to escape.
Chu Yi lay on the chaise lounge, his brows furrowed. The book in his hand remained on the first page, unread.
Ruotao, carrying freshly brewed tea, poured a cup and handed it to Chu Yi. “Young Master, it’s just been brewed.”
Just as Chu Yi took it, he noticed the sachet in Ruotao’s sleeve and couldn’t help but ask, “Ruotao, was that sachet in your sleeve a gift from someone you admire?”
Ruotao immediately took out the sachet and handed it to Chu Yi, smiling faintly. “Young Master, please don’t tease me… I just found this at our entrance. I don’t know who dropped it.”
Chu Yi took it and looked at it for a moment. He pulled it open slightly and noticed a slip of paper inside. He lied that he wanted to take a nap and dismissed everyone from the room.
Once he was alone, he moved to the bed, even lowering the gauze curtains for fear of being seen. Chu Yi took out the slip of paper to examine it.
Seeing you in Yangxin Hall that day, Rui knew that A-Yi was not dead. If you are being held captive in the palace by the emperor, on the day of the nàzhēng*, I will have a carriage wait for you at the back gate. I will help you escape. We will go to the border of the Qian Kingdom together.*
Signed: Jiang Xinrui
Chu Yi couldn’t help but roll around on the bed several times. As expected, Jiang Xinrui’s relationship with him was not shallow. In that case, he would just wait peacefully for the nàzhēng. Then, he would find a chance to slip away.
The sudden good news made Chu Yi ecstatic. He didn’t even notice when the door to the bedchamber was pushed open…
Fortunately, he noticed the sound of footsteps. He quickly hid the sachet and the note. By the time he tried to peek out through the bed curtains, Sheng Qianheng had already lifted a corner of the gauze curtain. Their eyes met.
Chu Yi was stunned for a moment before he spoke, “Your Majesty, what brings you here?”
He had never thought that as the emperor of a nation, Sheng Qianheng would have so much free time to run to his Jingyang Palace.
Sheng Qianheng scanned the bed but didn’t see any trace of the sachet. He figured Chu Yi must have read it and hidden it.
“From your tone, you don’t want me to come? Weren’t you just complaining to me the other day that I was neglecting you?”
Chu Yi knelt up and slowly moved to the edge of the bed. “I was just wondering if state affairs have not been busy these past few days.”
Sheng Qianheng took Chu Yi’s hand and deliberately squeezed the pad of his finger. “How did your hand get dirty?”
Chu Yi looked down at the smudge on his hand. It must have come from the sachet. “It probably got dirty when I went to relieve myself. I’ll go wash my hands. You can sit for a while.”
Sheng Qianheng raised an eyebrow slightly. Seeing that Chu Yi could lie without even thinking, he reached up and pinched his chin, blurting out, “A-Yi, will you ever leave me?”
Translator’s Notes
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Xū hour : This is the period from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the traditional Chinese timekeeping system.
