Chapter 49: “Chancellor, You Smell So Good” Part 1

Pei Jingyi savored the metallic sweetness of the blood on his tongue, closing his eyes in a moment of lingering satisfaction. “The Chancellor is mistaken. I enjoy this very much.”

Gu Huaiyu retracted his previous assessment. When it came to currying favor with superiors, Pei Jingyi was far more skilled than the old fogies of the Gu Faction.

However, the sensation of being licked didn’t bring him any sense of comfort. There was only a strange, unsettling discomfort that made him want to ignore the comment entirely.

Gu Huaiyu pressed a hand against Pei Jingyi’s shoulder to push himself up, but his body suddenly lurched. His heavy cloak had been lost somewhere during their fall, and his thin silk robes offered no protection against the bone-chilling wind.

Worse yet, his right boot was missing. His bare toes were buried in the snow, turning a painful shade of crimson from the cold.

Without a word, Pei Jingyi stripped off his own outer robe, knelt down, and wrapped it around Gu Huaiyu’s foot.

The fabric still held the heat of his body. Gu Huaiyu’s toes instinctively curled at the contact, but his ankle was held firm in a steady grip.

“Don’t try to walk, Chancellor.” Pei Jingyi looked up, his tongue still darting out to lick his lips as if reminiscing on the taste of the blood.

Gu Huaiyu knew he truly couldn’t walk in this state. He gave a cold, dismissive tilt of his chin, signaling for the other man to turn around and carry him on his back.

Pei Jingyi shook his head. “I cannot.”

Gu Huaiyu’s gaze turned icy. Is he taking advantage of the situation? Does he intend to rebel?

Having survived a hundred battles, Pei Jingyi was far more experienced in handling their current predicament. He gestured with his chin toward the surroundings. “They have more than just those few assassins. Seeing us tumble down the slope, they will surely send men to search for us.”

“The snow in the mountains is deep. Any step we take will leave a footprint, making it easy for them to track us.”

“So, we must walk backward.”

Gu Huaiyu understood immediately. By walking backward, their footprints would point in the opposite direction. The pursuers would follow the false trail away from them.

Except…

He shifted his foot slightly within Pei Jingyi’s palm, weighing the pros and cons before nodding with great reluctance.

Before he could even speak, he felt a sudden tension behind his knees—

Pei Jingyi hooked one arm under his knees and the other around his back. With a surge of strength, he rose from his crouch, lifting the Chancellor into a horizontal carry.

The movement was steady and swift, as if he had been waiting for this exact moment for a long time.

“Your waist is truly narrow, Chancellor.” His fingertips brushed against Gu Huaiyu’s side, feeling the supple, taut lines of his frame. “The belt you gave me is still at my manor; I haven’t been able to bring myself to use it yet.”

Gu Huaiyu paused, finally remembering. Gave? It was more like Pei Jingyi had used it and soiled it, and Gu Huaiyu had thrown it away in disgust.

“Mmh. I am moved,” he replied with utter apathy, focused on watching the path behind them.

Pei Jingyi walked steadily backward through the snow, his arms subtly tightening his hold. “Do you know how the men in the army describe a man’s waist?”

Gu Huaiyu shot him a look that clearly said: If you have something to say, say it. If not, shut up.

The look made Pei Jingyi’s chest tighten with heat. He let out a low chuckle. “They say a waist as slender as a willow indicates a man of great passion. You must be quite the romantic, Chancellor.”

Gu Huaiyu nodded noncommittally, treating the remark as background noise.

Pei Jingyi’s smile suddenly faded, and his voice dropped to a low murmur. “Have you ever actually… been romantic with someone?”

Given the state of this body, the answer was naturally no. But Gu Huaiyu could hardly tell Pei Jingyi that.

He gave an ambiguous “Mmh” to end the topic, clearly unwilling to discuss it further.

Pei Jingyi narrowed his eyes at him for a few seconds before letting out a soft laugh, dropping the pursuit.

Silence fell over the snowy landscape, broken only by the crunch of boots on the frozen crust.

It was then that Gu Huaiyu realized the direction was wrong. They weren’t heading out of the mountains; they were going deeper into the forest.

“You’re going the wrong way.”

Pei Jingyi’s arms tightened, pulling Gu Huaiyu closer to his chest. “It takes hours to leave the mountains. In those thin clothes, you’re like a block of ice in my arms. Do you really think you can last until we reach the exit?”

He tilted his head, indicating for Gu Huaiyu to look behind them. Scattered across the snow were broken branches, faint footprints, and a rusted bear trap half-buried in the white.

“There should be a hunter’s cabin ahead. We can start a fire to warm you up.”

Gu Huaiyu finally gave a soft “Mmh,” but added coldly, “Do not take liberties. Ask for my permission first.”