Chapter 14

Qixue had read the original story and knew Ji Yuheng’s daily routine like the back of his hand. The book described it like this: Ji Yuheng loved small animals, so from a young age, he had rarely touched meat. The County Princess had specially built a small kitchen for him, and their meals were prepared separately.

Of course, in Qixue’s eyes, this was just the pretentious act of a hypocrite. The only benefit was that it made it convenient for him to poison Ji Yuheng’s food without worrying about implicating others.

Following the terrain described by Luxiangqiu, Rabbit Tuan sneaked furtively into the small kitchen and hid in the shadows of a corner, looking for a chance to poison the dinner.

Unexpectedly, the small kitchen did not light its stoves that night. Rabbit Tuan overheard the servants’ conversation and learned that Ji Yuheng had official duties and would be busy until late, so there was no need to prepare dinner.

Rabbit Tuan stomped his feet in frustration, thinking that Ji Yuheng was truly jinxing things. But of course, he could not let this perfect opportunity slip away just like that. He quickly slipped out and darted into Ji Yuheng’s bedroom.

If one plan failed, he would try another. If he could not poison the food, he would pour it directly into Ji Yuheng’s mouth while he slept. He refused to believe Ji Yuheng would not return to sleep that night.

Rabbit Tuan grabbed the small porcelain vial with his mouth and hid it under the bed, patiently waiting for Ji Yuheng. About two hours later, he heard footsteps approaching outside the door.

To see who it was, Rabbit Tuan shifted his little rabbit rear and hid behind the bedpost, cautiously poking out his small head.

“Creeeak…”

The door opened, and two maids entered first. They lit the candles on the candelabrum and the soothing incense in the censer. The flickering candlelight cast swaying shadows, and a faint fragrance soon filled the room.

Moments later, a young man entered, escorted by attendants. His features were handsome and refined, clad in brocade robes with a jade belt, exuding elegant nobility. Yet his demeanor was clear and pure like water, untouched by any dust of the world.

An attendant took the folding fan from his hand—the fan tied with an emerald twin-fish pendant—and gently placed it on the pearwood fan stand. Another undid his gray cloak and laid it flat on the clothes rack, smoothing out the wrinkles.

There was no doubt: the young man was Ji Yuheng.

Seeing his enemy with his own eyes, Rabbit Tuan glared at him with gritted teeth, his pink nose twitching. He itched to rush forward and bite through his throat.

The attendants helped Ji Yuheng change and wash up, a sight that made Rabbit Tuan scoff inwardly. What a show-off. For such a simple task, did he need several people? Did Ji Yuheng have no hands? Could he not even undress himself?

Once everything was settled, Ji Yuheng said warmly, “You may all retire. No need to stay and serve.”

His voice was exceedingly gentle, and he truly had a good temper. His words carried the feeling of a spring breeze, making it hard for anyone to harbor dislike toward him.

“Yes, Young Master.”

The others left, closing the door behind them. The room fell silent once more. Only then did Ji Yuheng rub his brow, revealing a trace of fatigue.

He prepared to read a bit more before bed. As his peripheral vision swept over the bedside, he suddenly spotted a patch of white by the bedpost. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be two small rabbit ears.

Rabbit Tuan had not yet noticed that his ears had perked up. Seeing Ji Yuheng approach the bed, he thought he was about to sleep and grew secretly excited. But unexpectedly, a pair of slender hands reached out, scooping him up entirely.

Wh-what? How had Ji Yuheng discovered him?

Rabbit Tuan was stunned, forgetting even to struggle as Ji Yuheng held him in his palm and examined him closely.

The little rabbit’s fur was soft and fluffy, its body tiny—not even the size of a hand. Yet its eyes were large and round, black and shiny, just like beautiful black agates.

Ji Yuheng’s heart softened. He stroked the soft, fuzzy ball and asked gently, “Whose little rabbit are you? How did you end up in my room?”

Only then did Rabbit Tuan realize what was happening. Without time to ponder how he’d been spotted, his fur exploded in shock.

This beast Ji Yuheng had actually groped his rabbit rear without permission!

He desperately wanted to bite down viciously, but remembering his mission, he had to endure the humiliation. Before killing Ji Yuheng, he could not afford to alert him…

Rabbit Tuan said nothing, enduring as he nuzzled Ji Yuheng’s finger and rolled playfully in his palm, pretending to be an ordinary little rabbit to lower his guard.

But he did not know that ordinary rabbits lacked such intelligence. He was simply too adorable. Ji Yuheng could not help but smile faintly, gently stroking Rabbit Tuan.

The scent on Ji Yuheng’s body was clean and refreshing, gentle and serene—a fragrance that small animals would love.

His palm was also warm, the strokes light, as if possessing hypnotic magic. Rabbit Tuan gradually relaxed, flattening into a rabbit pancake and sprawling on Ji Yuheng’s thigh.

Drowsiness overtook him. Unconsciously, he stuck out his pink tongue and licked Ji Yuheng’s fingertip.

Feeling the warmth on his finger, Ji Yuheng affectionately tapped Rabbit Tuan’s little head and gently placed him in the pre-warmed brocade quilt to continue sleeping.

The quilt was warm and light, scented with incense, carrying a faint trace of Ji Yuheng’s fragrance. Rabbit Tuan felt as if he had fallen into soft clouds and soon truly fell asleep.

When Rabbit Tuan woke, it was already deep into the night.

He jolted his eyes open, annoyed at himself for falling asleep. This should not have happened. He was not one to sleep so soundly—how could he doze off during a kill?

Fortunately, he was still in Ji Yuheng’s room and had not been thrown out. Qixue glanced around and realized he was still on the bed. Ji Yuheng had placed him by the pillow and even covered him with a small quilt sewn from a handkerchief. Ji Yuheng slept quietly beside him.

Seeing this, Rabbit Tuan immediately jumped to the floor, dragged the porcelain vial from under the bed, and transformed back into human form. He approached Ji Yuheng with the vial in hand.

The candlelight was dim. Qixue could see Ji Yuheng’s serene sleeping face. That’s right. He just needed to pry open Ji Yuheng’s mouth and pour in the Core Poison. It would be effortless…

His fingertip was about to touch Ji Yuheng’s lips when, in that instant, a sharp cat’s yowl sounded outside the window. The two cats kept by the mansion had started fighting, crashing all the way to the bedroom window, banging against it loudly.

Startled by the sudden meowing, Qixue flinched. His hand shook, and he lost grip on the vial. The poison spilled entirely onto himself, soaking him through—yet not a drop landed on Ji Yuheng.

It was over!

Qixue watched as he absorbed every bit of the Core Poison, his heart turning ice-cold. He could not understand why he had made so many blunders tonight. This should not have happened. He had been one step away from killing Ji Yuheng—why had it ended like this?

At that moment, Ji Yuheng showed signs of waking, stirring slightly. Seeing this, Qixue knew he had to slip away first. But suddenly, something felt wrong. His body began to heat up.

The skin that had absorbed the Core Poison grew scorching, turning into a burning sensation that rapidly spread through his organs, as if it would cook him alive. He collapsed to his knees.

“Urgh…”

Qixue clutched his stomach, curling into a ball, tears welling from the agony.

Core Poison was deadly to humans but an aphrodisiac to demon clans.

The strange sensation in his body was not just pain—it was tingling, numbness, itchiness.

It was as if a river was blocked; his body became a kettle, filling with water that no one drew off, swelling him uncomfortably.

Yet amid this extreme fullness lurked an emptiness, reminding him of every night spent with Wei Huai.

Sometimes Wei Huai would tease him mercilessly, leaving him hanging. The torment now felt just like that—only far more intense.

Sweat drenched his face. He had to part his lips to breathe laboriously, his vision blurred with tears.

His reason grew muddled. Qixue gradually forgot where he was, imagining himself on that familiar soft couch, entangled with Wei Huai.

Wei Huai’s eyes brimmed with amusement, wickedly refusing to touch Qixue, waiting for him to beg.

Qixue collapsed onto the soft carpet, fingers digging into the long pile, whimpering softly.

“Seventh Brother, please…”

Ji Yuheng opened his eyes. Before he could make out the scene, the first thing he heard was this sweet, pained sob.

A slender, soft hand clutched the bed’s edge, grasping blindly until it seized his hand—like a lifeline—and pressed his cool fingers to a burning cheek, letting out a satisfied moan.

Ji Yuheng froze. Looking down from the bed, by the light of the single remaining candle, he saw who held him.

For an instant, he thought he had fallen into a dream. But the real touch on his fingers told him this was no illusion.

A stunningly beautiful man knelt by his bed, clothes disheveled, cheeks flushed, the corners of his eyes like rouged peach blossoms, his expression pitiably fragile. He rubbed his cheek against Ji Yuheng’s hand, begging for affection.

He was breathtakingly alluring, from who-knows-where, like a fairy fallen from the moon palace—radiant and delicate as moonlight itself.

Ji Yuheng hesitated, not withdrawing his hand immediately nor calling for the maids. He simply asked, “Who are you? Have you been drugged?”

Anyone could see Qixue’s state was abnormal.

His body burned hot, beads of sweat sliding down his snowy neck, wetting the stray locks of hair. He looked as if freshly pulled from a hot spring, eyes unfocused, pink lips parted as he panted heavily.

Qixue’s mind was hazy; he could not answer Ji Yuheng’s question. His throat only produced pitiful whimpers as he knelt by the bed, suckling Ji Yuheng’s fingertips.

Ji Yuheng had never been treated this way. He yanked his hand back, a faint blush coloring his jade-like face.

He did not know why Qixue was in his room, but he did not suspect him of being an assassin. More likely, someone had slipped him an aphrodisiac and sent him here to curry favor.

Unquestionably, Ji Yuheng would not touch a stranger whose origins were unknown and mind clouded. Yet Qixue was too beautiful; Ji Yuheng’s heart softened somewhat. He could not bring himself to interrogate harshly and said softly, “Wait here. I’ll find an antidote for you.”

He threw on his robe and got out of bed, intending to leave. But Qixue hugged him from behind.

Two feverish hands slid down his chest over the thin inner robe, hot enough to ignite flames.

Ji Yuheng stiffened, brushing off Qixue’s hands. But Qixue clung stubbornly to his back, voice laced with sobs, pitiable and pleading: “Seventh Brother, where are you going… Do you not like me anymore? Do you not want me?”

Was Seventh Brother his lover?

Ji Yuheng guessed as much, increasingly convinced Qixue was an innocent victim of a plot. Pity stirred in him. He turned, explaining gently, “Don’t be sad. It’s not that Seventh Brother doesn’t like you. I’m just not him—I can’t touch you.”

“But don’t worry. I’ll send you back to Seventh Brother. What’s your name? I…”

Here, he paused, surprise crossing his face as he looked at Qixue’s head.

Two floppy rabbit ears lay soft and flat atop his black hair.