Chapter 71: You Like Men? Part 2

Pei Jingyi stood in the center of the yard. His outer robe was half-open, revealing a broad expanse of his bare chest. A leather guard was buckled tightly around his waist, with a quiver hanging at his hip.

He was currently drawing a dark, heavy iron-core bow. The frame of the bow glinted with a cold light, and the string was thick enough to snap an ordinary man’s fingers. In his hands, however, it seemed as light as a toy.

In one fluid motion, he nocked an arrow and drew. The arrow whistled through the air, piercing the bullseye!

The watching servants cheered boisterously. Several of the older maids stared with wide eyes, not even noticing when they dropped their water ladles.

The moment Gu Huaiyu’s figure appeared under the corridor, the crowd scattered like startled birds. The once-lively courtyard turned silent instantly, leaving only a few servants frantically pretending to prune the plants.

Pei Jingyi’s eyes lit up the moment he saw him. He casually wiped the sweat from his neck. “Awake? I saw you sleeping soundly this morning, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”

In truth, he had been staring at Gu Huaiyu’s sleeping face until he felt a fire starting in a certain place. He had practically fled the room to vent that heat through archery.

Gu Huaiyu’s gaze fell upon the iron-core bow. It was clearly no ordinary military bow. He arched an eyebrow. “Is that the one that leveled Mount Wu with three arrows?”

Pei Jingyi held the bow out toward him with one hand. The frame gave off a dull, dark luster in the sunlight. “Yes. I made sure to bring it when I left home. I practice every day without fail. I’d hate to lose face for you if I ever have to return to the battlefield.”

Gu Huaiyu brushed his fingertips along the back of the bow. Thinking of how Yelü Chi’s father had died under this legendary weapon, he felt a sudden spark of curiosity.

“Want to try?”

Pei Jingyi suddenly leaned in close, pressing the bow into his hands before he could refuse.

The iron-core bow was staggeringly heavy. Gu Huaiyu nearly dropped it; his knuckles turned white from the weight.

Pei Jingyi immediately and “thoughtfully” covered the back of Gu’s hand with his own. His tall frame slipped behind Gu Huaiyu, surrounding him. His bare chest pressed firmly against Gu Huaiyu’s back, and he lowered his head to whisper in Gu’s ear. “This bow requires nine stones of force to draw. There are fewer than three people in all of Great Chen who can pull it to full draw—”

He paused, his voice laced with a grin. “I could pull it to full draw when I was sixteen.”

Gu Huaiyu felt a flash of disdain. He sneered inwardly. Such a show-off. Is that really worth bragging about? I was governing a province and settling thirty thousand refugees when I was sixteen.

Too lazy to point it out, he allowed Pei Jingyi’s large, rough hand to completely envelop his own. The calloused pads of Pei’s fingers brushed almost imperceptibly against his fingertips.

“Focus now.”

Pei Jingyi’s voice dropped an octave as he slowly helped Gu draw the bowstring.

Gu Huaiyu could feel the pull of every muscle—not just the tension in Pei Jingyi’s back, but his own long-dormant strength.

Swoosh—

The moment the arrow took flight, Gu Huaiyu instinctively held his breath.

The arrow pierced the bullseye like a falling star. As the fletching vibrated, Gu felt a rush of power he had never experienced before. He had never imagined that one day he would draw the bow that had slain an enemy king.

“Again,” Gu Huaiyu urged, his voice carrying a hint of excitement he didn’t even notice.

Pei Jingyi’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. He led Gu through several more shots. With each arrow, Gu became more proficient. A rare, lighthearted smile played on his lips as his entire posture relaxed.

Pei Jingyi, however, felt more frustrated with every shot.

He was currently undergoing the most exquisite torture in the world. He was holding a fragrant, delicate beauty in his arms; a body that was leaning entirely against his chest, with hands completely tucked into his palms. He could feel the knobs of that slender spine and the steady pulse. The skin behind Gu’s ear was blindingly white and radiating a faint, warm scent.

Worse yet, every time Gu Huaiyu drew the bow, he would unconsciously lean back…

It was agonizing. It was damned agonizing.

The fire in Pei Jingyi’s eyes burned out of control. His throat felt parched. The perfect cure was right in front of him—that snowy-white, defenseless nape.

His mind wandered, his breathing grew heavy, and his hot lips slowly drifted closer. The familiar fragrance filled his senses. Instead of cooling his heat, it was like throwing a bucket of oil onto a bonfire, sending his blood into a boil.

He hadn’t released his tension in a long time. Ever since his failed “attempt” previously, this fire had been suppressed.

The string of his reason was stretched to the limit. When Gu Huaiyu leaned back yet again, it snapped. His lips brushed against the back of Gu’s neck, and his tongue instinctively flicked against the cool skin.

Normally, Gu Huaiyu might not have noticed such a small movement, but his entire focus was on the bowstring. The sensation of a hot tongue against his neck sent a jolt through his entire body.

He stiffened instantly. The arrow flew wild, thudding into the very edge of the target.

Sensing the rigidity of the man in his arms, Pei Jingyi nuzzled his nose against the back of Gu’s neck. His voice was so raspy it was barely recognizable. “You smell so good. I couldn’t help myself.”

Gu Huaiyu’s brilliant mind came to a screeching halt.

Pei Jingyi is kissing me? Why is he kissing me?

No matter how ignorant he was of romance, he knew that a kiss carried a completely different meaning than “servicing” someone. Wasn’t that something only done between men and women?

No, wait.

He slowly turned his head, his brow furrowing in serious thought. “Are you… into men?”

Pei Jingyi was taken aback. Hadn’t he been obvious enough?

He suddenly lowered his head, his face inches from Gu Huaiyu’s. As their warm breaths mingled, he felt the other man’s long eyelashes brush against his skin.

“Yes,” he admitted in a low, husky voice. “The person I like is a man.”

Gu Huaiyu leaned back slightly, meeting those burning eyes. He quickly mentally reviewed the men around him. “Shen Jun? Yuan Zhuo?”

Pei Jingyi’s mouth twitched, his teeth grinding together. He fought the urge to bite the man. “I, Pei Jingyi, strive to be the best in everything…”

“Naturally, the person I like must be the most extraordinary person under heaven.”

He should have just said so.

Gu Huaiyu understood immediately. He blinked, a realization dawning on him. “Me?”

Pei Jingyi let out a frustrated laugh at the other man’s denseness. He leaned in, his hot breath ghosting over Gu’s ear. “I offered to ‘play the flute’ for you…” He put a heavy, suggestive emphasis on those words. “You didn’t really think I was just trying to suck up to you, did you?”

Gu Huaiyu’s expression froze. His eyelashes fluttered. His brain had officially crashed.

Seeing this rare, stunned look, Pei Jingyi felt his heart swell. He chuckled softly. “Did the Lord Chancellor really think my words were just to curry favor? Am I really that much of a pervert?”

He’s too cute, Pei screamed silently.