Instead, he gazed deeply at the prince, his voice low and deliberate. “It’s called the joy of fish and water—meaning husband and wife are like fish and water, intimately entwined, inseparable in delight. It’s the pinnacle of human pleasure. If we leave no traces at all, how could Eunuch Hong possibly believe it…”
Liu Yuanxun knew little on the subject and asked humbly, “Then what should I do?”
Gu Lianzhao shook his head gently. “To leave traces, we must shed our clothes and press skin to skin. Though we had an agreement beforehand, I am still just a ger…”
He propped himself up on one elbow, his scorching gaze like a flame as it lightly swept over the glimpse of skin peeking from Liu Yuanxun’s collar. His tone remained gentle. “Why don’t I help you with that, Your Highness? Tomorrow, an imperial physician might come to check your pulse. If there are marks of lovemaking on your body, it will make the act all the more convincing.”
The more Liu Yuanxun listened, the more ashamed he felt. Everything Gu Lianzhao said made perfect sense; he had considered every angle for Liu Yuanxun’s sake. Some words were so frank that they completely disregarded the shyness and restraint expected of a ger. It was all his fault. If he knew more, how could he have put Gu Lianzhao in such a difficult position, making him pay such a price?
With things having come to this point, he took a deep breath and said sincerely, “A’Qiao, then I’ll trouble you.”
Gu Lianzhao’s lips curved upward in a smile, but he said nothing as he reached out and gently tugged open Liu Yuanxun’s robe.
The pristine silk nightclothes slid down slowly like shimmering satin, revealing the elegant lines of his shoulders and neck. His skin was as fine as the finest porcelain, with faint veins like subtle cracks on its surface, lending him an air of fragile beauty.
Liu Yuanxun turned his head away awkwardly, but the motion only accentuated the curve of his neck. Gu Lianzhao extended his index finger, tracing slowly from Liu Yuanxun’s chin downward.
The light touch tickled, and Liu Yuanxun instinctively pulled back a little. Moments later, he forced himself to hold still, closing his eyes tightly and letting Gu Lianzhao continue.
Gu Lianzhao paused with his finger at the hollow of Liu Yuanxun’s throat, his voice deliberately soft and magnetic. “Your Highness, do you permit me to touch you here?”
The ambiguous atmosphere pressed down on Liu Yuanxun until he could barely speak. He could only nod lightly in assent.
Seeing his agreement, Gu Lianzhao parted the smooth black hair that fell like satin and leaned down to kiss his neck…
The wet, warm sensation had barely touched his skin when Liu Yuanxun’s eyes flew open.
Though he had anticipated what might happen next, Gu Lianzhao’s actions far exceeded his imagination. Yet he knew in his heart that to fool Eunuch Hong in one go, they needed to leave some genuine marks.
Besides…
It was Gu Lianzhao who would be at the disadvantage…
As a mere ger, he was being so generous—how could Liu Yuanxun hesitate and make excuses? With that thought, Liu Yuanxun squeezed his eyes shut tightly, clenched his fists, and tried his best to stay calm.
At first, Gu Lianzhao restrained the surging impulse in his heart and didn’t bite too hard. But seeing Liu Yuanxun so obedient and compliant, he couldn’t resist grazing his teeth lightly over the skin.
Liu Yuanxun’s skin was too delicate; even that slight motion brought a faint taste of blood to Gu Lianzhao’s mouth.
So sweet…
Nothing like the nauseating stench of blood in the Imperial Prison.
As if enchanted, Gu Lianzhao leaned closer to the hollow of his throat, shifting to a new spot to kiss and lick, all while struggling to control his itching fangs and keep from biting clean through…
Liu Yuanxun’s turned head made the veins on the side of his neck stand out starkly—a fatal temptation in Gu Lianzhao’s eyes.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he drew near, extending his tongue like a wet brush along the vein, licking languidly. His other hand slipped through the open collar of Liu Yuanxun’s robe…
“A’Qiao…” Liu Yuanxun opened his eyes and instinctively pressed down on his hand, his voice faint and threaded with an impatience he himself hadn’t noticed. “That’s enough. I… I’m feeling unwell…”
“Your Highness, you’re not unwell—you’re enjoying it…” Gu Lianzhao coaxed softly, respecting his resistance as he withdrew his hand. Then he clasped Liu Yuanxun’s fingers and pinned them to the pillow.
“We’ve come this far. If we stop now, everything we’ve done will have been for nothing…”
“Your Highness, just endure a little longer. Once this moment passes, it’ll all be over…”
“Your Highness…”
His voice was low and seductive, like a demon born from the night, every word a spell to beguile the mind.
Liu Yuanxun felt as if he were immersed in roaring flames, his mind growing hazy, his thoughts blurring. Yet deep down, he knew he wasn’t ill—he was simply bewitched by Gu Lianzhao, lost in the fog until he slackened his grip and surrendered himself once more without reservation…
Letting Gu Lianzhao kiss his neck, grasp his shoulders, rub and press close, grazing with his teeth again and again.
Several times, he felt like prey in a wolf’s jaws, about to be crunched to bone. But whenever danger loomed, Gu Lianzhao’s seemingly gentle soothing would follow.
So he yielded time and again…
But his indulgence only spurred Gu Lianzhao to greater force.
It wasn’t enough.
Not nearly enough.
The more Gu Lianzhao touched him, the fiercer the craving grew, until he felt he himself might burst into flames.
Only by clutching his waist tight, biting through his throat, guzzling his blood, and devouring him whole could he quench the blaze raging in his heart.
“Your Highness…” He kissed Liu Yuanxun’s ear lightly, taking advantage of his dazed state to murmur coaxingly, “Just one last step. When the imperial physician checks your pulse tomorrow, he might detect if you’ve released your essence… Shall I serve you?”
Liu Yuanxun lay quietly on the bed. Though they had done nothing further, his body was already exhausted, unfamiliar sensations making his fingertips tremble, his mind teetering on the brink. He nearly nodded in agreement…
But at that critical moment, he snapped back to awareness and said nervously in a small voice, “No! No need! I… I brought medicine.”
Gu Lianzhao’s lips curved in a knowing smile as he yielded without protest.
Better this way. Push too hard, and he might grow suspicious. Loosen the line a bit, and the kite could soar even higher.
Desire was innate—to men, to women, to ger alike. He yearned to touch Liu Yuanxun, to sully him, to see those clear eyes cloud with lust because of him.
That was his desire, the greed Liu Yuanxun had awakened in him. When desire overwhelmed him, even he could grow impulsive.
Yet he regretted nothing. Tonight’s taste was far sweeter than he’d imagined. The pale skin, the quivering fingers, the soft, silent breaths, the flashes of panic and arousal… Every moment was exquisite, stirring his soul and igniting his lust.
A pity such a beautiful form would soon fade away.
For the first time, Gu Lianzhao felt a faint regret at the thought of death—but like a breeze, it passed without a trace.
His body still thrummed with desire, but the spring-tide emotions of recent days had found an outlet in its release, settling into calm.
Such tranquility brought him peace.
In his view, loving someone was like an all-in gamble, surrendering everything and falling under their power. He had so little to begin with; he had no stake to wager. Thus, he dared not love, nor wished to.
Love belonged to those born to privilege and plenty, who needn’t fret over tomorrow or life’s storms, leaving them leisure for romance.
Someone like him, scraping by in the dust of the world, had no right to love—only to sate desire. When his heart yearned, he drew close; when his body stirred, he vented. Prolonged companionship softened the heart, but fleeting encounters like morning dew left no marks, no burdens.
Liu Yuanxun was a good man, a beauty, and one who genuinely gladdened his heart—a rare find.
With ample time, he might have been drawn in unaware, moved, and ultimately ensnared. Fortunately, Liu Yuanxun’s days were numbered. In this brief span, he needn’t fear tomorrow or losing control to emotion, for Liu Yuanxun would die before those worries came due.
In that instant, amid faint regret, he even felt a hidden relief at Liu Yuanxun’s doomed fate.
…
In the palace’s Imperial Study.
The hour of the rabbit had just arrived when Liu Yuanze rose from the couch. He had slept poorly that night, tangled in interminable dreams.
In the dream, someone wept softly, clutching his sleeve and calling “Imperial Brother” in tones that tore at his heart like a dull knife. Yet upon waking, he remembered nothing, left only with vague melancholy.
He rubbed his brow and spread his arms, allowing Hong Fu and several maids to attend his ablutions. Once dressed in his court robes, he asked casually, “Has the man I sent to the Hall of Guarding Simplicity last night returned?”
Hong Fu replied promptly, “To Your Majesty, Han Feng returned in the first half of the night and has been waiting outside the hall. He said he’s ready to report whenever Your Majesty commands.”
“The first half of the night?” Liu Yuanze frowned slightly, dismissing the maids with a wave. In a stern voice, he said, “Summon him at once.”
Hong Fu bellowed immediately, “Summon Han Feng to the hall!”
Han Feng entered swiftly but stood there hemming and hawing, stealing glances at Hong Fu, his desire for privacy plain.
Liu Yuanze waved a hand, clearing the hall of everyone else, his voice icy. “Speak. What did you hear last night?”
Han Feng dropped to his knees with a thud, kowtowing as he reported, “To Your Majesty, your servant overheard signs that Your Highness and Gu Lianzhao may have consummated their union. Your servant dared not linger and returned.”
Liu Yuanze’s brow furrowed deeper. “Signs of consummation? Meaning you’re not certain if they actually did?”
“They should have by now.” Sweat beaded on Han Feng’s forehead. Gritting his teeth, he shut his eyes and recounted every word he’d heard verbatim. “Your Highness perhaps saw a ger’s naked body for the first time and asked, ‘Are all your bodies like this?’ After a few breaths, Your Highness said… said he truly had no strength left… Then your servant departed.”
“A few breaths?” Veins bulged on Liu Yuanze’s forehead, his voice thundering with rage. “Do you realize what you’re saying?!”
Han Feng had anticipated this and began kowtowing frantically. “Your servant dares not lie! Every word is what I heard with my own ears.”
“Imperial physician! Summon an imperial physician!” Liu Yuanze slammed the table repeatedly, seething. “Have the chief of the Imperial Hospital go to the Hall of Guarding Simplicity at once! Properly tend to Prince Rui’s condition!”
