Chapter 60 Lin Yan is willing!

Lin Yan felt that he was probably really frozen stupid, or he was simply having a bizarre and absurd dream.

First, the Northern Rong prince went crazy and asked for her hand in public. Then, the top boss, the emperor, cornered him in the palace and confessed his love.

He didn't play the role of a heartthrob.

Lin Yan stood frozen in place, as if encased in invisible ice, unable to move his eyes, only able to stare straight at Xiao Che, who was so close to him.

The dark cloak, still warm from Xiao Che's body, draped over his body, now felt like a scorching fire, making his entire body churn with heat.

Xiao Che said he admired him.

The kind of affection a man has for the woman he loves.

I want to be with him day and night.

Seeing Lin Yan's dazed expression, Xiao Che's phoenix eyes, which always held a sharp edge, flashed with tension.

Even emperors are human beings, with human emotions and desires, and they also want to grow old with the person they love.

He didn't loosen his embrace, but the arms around Lin Yan loosened their grip slightly, as if in a cautious, protective posture.

“I know this comes suddenly.” Xiao Che’s voice was low and slowed down, each word as if he had considered it a thousand times. “You don’t need to respond immediately, and you don’t need to feel scared or burdened.”

He lowered his head slightly, trying to catch Lin Yan's evasive gaze: "Lin Yan, look at me."

As if bewitched, Lin Yan almost subconsciously raised his eyes, which looked somewhat empty due to excessive shock.

The dim light from the corridor fell into Xiao Che's eyes, revealing a tenderness and focus that Lin Yan had never seen before.

"My promise is valid for a lifetime." Xiao Che reached out and touched Lin Yan's forehead. "I'll wait for you."

This thoughtful, almost humble promise, instead of putting Lin Yan at ease, struck him like a heavy hammer, leaving his heart aching, numb, and suffocating.

Everything is as before?

How could everything be the same as before?

If the window paper is punctured and then patched back up, does that mean it's never been punctured before?

Isn't this just deceiving yourself?

How could he calmly accept those excessively generous rewards? How could he eat in peace under Xiao Che's watchful gaze?

The mere thought that Xiao Che's gaze might harbor ulterior motives made Lin Yan feel like he was suffocating.

Xiao Che might have mastered ninjutsu to be able to endure, but he didn't!

Lin Yan took a deep breath of the icy air, the biting chill penetrating his lungs, but it did nothing to cool his burning, chaotic thoughts.

"Your Majesty, I... I need to be alone for a while..." Lin Yan tried to back away, but Xiao Che's hand firmly pressed down on his shoulder.

Xiao Che frowned slightly, and the faint expectation in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by understanding and reluctance.

He was wrong; he shouldn't have acted impulsively because of Agula's rudeness.

Seeing Lin Yan on the verge of collapse, Xiao Che finally let go of her hand and even took a step back to carefully drape the imperial cloak over Lin Yan's shoulders, as if the earth-shattering confession and embrace had never happened.

"Alright." Xiao Che's voice regained its usual calmness, but it was more dejected than usual. "There's no need to go back to the banquet. If you want to rest at Qingyi Pavilion, or if you want to go straight home, that's fine too."

He gave Lin Yan a deep look, as if trying to etch his current appearance into his heart, and then resolutely turned away: "I'll go back first."

The hem of her dress traced a cold, hard arc, carrying an indescribable loneliness.

Just as Xiao Che turned around and took his first step, a slightly cool hand, with hesitation and an imperceptible tremor, suddenly reached out and grabbed the corner of his dragon robe.

The force was very light, even somewhat weak, yet it acted like an invisible rein, instantly halting Xiao Che's steps.

Xiao Che suddenly stopped and turned around abruptly.

Lin Yan kept his head down, his expression unreadable. Only the hand gripping his robe tightly, and the knuckles white from the force, betrayed the immense struggle and impulse within him.

This action was completely unexpected by Lin Yan himself.

It's more like a subconscious reaction where the body reacts faster than the brain.

Before he could make any sense of his chaotic thoughts, his hand had already reached out on its own.

When Lin Yan realized what he had done, an even stronger sense of shame and panic instantly overwhelmed him. He almost immediately let go and pretended that nothing had happened.

But in some corner of my heart, a strange thought of not regretting it popped up.

In a flash, those deliberately ignored images flooded into my mind uncontrollably.

It was Xiao Che's seemingly casual yet precisely tailored rewards; it was the desk set up just for him in the Imperial Study and the ever-warm cup of tea; it was the embrace filled with the scent of fireworks on the night of the Emperor's birthday; it was the warm bedding always prepared for him in Qingyi Pavilion and the proud imperial cat; and even just now, when he was terrified by Agula, the unquestionable protection brought by this embrace...

And those dreams.

In those hazy, warm dreams, filled with the scents of peach blossoms and sandalwood, there was that "lover" whose face he could never see clearly, yet who made him feel incredibly at ease and thrilled...

That face, it seemed, was gradually becoming able to overlap with the handsome yet always tense face of the emperor before me.

so.

Was he actually not entirely unintentional?

Otherwise, why would he be less resistant to Xiao Che's approach?

Why do I keep dreaming about those ambiguous scenes?

Why did I feel such a strong sense of resentment and disappointment when I heard Xiao Che say "If you can't accept it"?

Lin Yan suddenly raised his head, only to be met by Xiao Che's phoenix eyes that suddenly shone with an astonishing light, as if he had fallen into the stars.

All hesitation, fear, and embarrassment seemed to be burned away at this moment by the undisguised ecstasy and anticipation in his eyes.

A surge of inexplicable courage, mixed with a "what's the use" mentality, suddenly rushed to Lin Yan's head.

Lin Yan heard his own voice, trembling with a sense of desperation, yet ringing out with exceptional clarity in the silent corridor: "Your Majesty, I... I am willing to give it a try."

After saying those words, Lin Yan seemed to have used up all her strength. Her cheeks instantly turned bright red, almost as if they could bleed. Her eyes darted away, not daring to look at Xiao Che again, but she forced herself not to look away. She quickly added, "We're just getting to know each other. As for marriage and all that, it's still a long way off! We have to take it slow!"

The last few words were almost squeezed out through clenched teeth, filled with intense shame and a fear of the other party taking advantage.

Xiao Che was stunned.

An unbelievable surge of ecstasy overwhelmed him instantly.

I was prepared for rejection, a long wait, and perhaps never receiving a response.

He never expected that Lin Yan would stop him like this at this moment and give him a positive answer.

Although it was hesitant and came with a bunch of conditions, it was because they were "willing"!

Lin Yan is willing!

A surge of emotion welled up in Xiao Che's eyes, and he could barely contain the overwhelming feelings that welled up in him.

He suddenly reached out and once again tightly embraced the person in front of him, whose face was flushed, whose eyes were darting around but who was trying to remain calm.

This time, unlike the previous comforting hug, this hug was filled with excitement.

As the emperor of Dayu, Xiao Che was more excited than ever before in his life.

Lin Yan groaned as he was being strangled, and instinctively struggled, only to be met with an even tighter embrace.

He could clearly feel the equally disordered, violent heartbeat emanating from Xiao Che's chest, as well as Xiao Che's slightly trembling arm.

It turns out he wasn't the only one who was nervous and flustered.

Hehe, even emperors get nervous, so it's no big deal if he gets nervous a little.

This realization strangely calmed Lin Yan's anxious heart.

His stiff body slowly relaxed, and he hesitantly and tentatively raised his hand to gently hug Xiao Che back.

It was just a very light movement, but it made Xiao Che's body tremble violently, and then the embrace became even tighter.

The two embraced tightly in the quiet, deserted palace corridor.

The clamor from Chonghua Palace in the distance seemed to come from another world; only the rapid heartbeats and breathing of each other could be clearly heard.

The cold night wind seemed to soften, swirling around the two embracing figures before quietly departing.

After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Che finally released his arm with great reluctance.

The undisguised, radiant smile on his face—where was even a trace of his usual imperial majesty?

Xiao Che looked at Lin Yan, his eyes shining brightly, his voice hoarse with excitement: "Okay, okay, whatever you say, take your time, no rush."

Like a kitten afraid of scaring away a kitten that had finally come close, she readily agreed, her tone overflowing with doting affection and joy.

Lin Yan felt uncomfortable under his gaze, and the heat that had just subsided on her face suddenly returned. She quickly lowered her head and mumbled a random "hmm".

“It’s cold outside. Go to Qingyi Pavilion and rest to warm up.” Xiao Che pulled his cloak back up a little, his fingertips brushing against Lin Yan’s earlobe. Feeling the amazing heat, his smile deepened. “I’ll go back and deal with the banquet for a bit, then I’ll come find you soon.”

Lin Yan couldn't wait to be alone and process this earth-shattering change, so upon hearing this, he immediately nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, Your Majesty, please go quickly!"

The way she was so eager to get rid of him made Xiao Che chuckle.

He gave Lin Yan a deep look, as if trying to etch the person into his heart, before finally turning around and striding towards Chonghua Palace.

Those steps were lighter and quicker than ever before, almost floating.

Lin Yan stood there, watching Xiao Che's almost clumsy figure disappear at the end of the corridor, then suddenly raised his hand to cover his still wildly beating heart and let out a long, long sigh.

Good heavens!

What exactly did he just promise?!

Aaaaaaahhhhh!

Did he sell himself out?!

Lin Yan moved towards Qingyi Pavilion in a daze, feeling as if he were walking on soft cotton rather than solid ground.

Meanwhile, Xiao Che, walking back to Chonghua Palace, tried his best to maintain the dignified expression befitting an emperor, but the slightly upturned corners of his mouth, which he couldn't suppress, and his radiant eyes betrayed him.

Li Defu, who was guarding the palace gate, saw His Majesty return from afar. He was about to step forward to report the situation inside the palace when he suddenly saw His Majesty's... triumphant and radiant appearance, as if he had just returned from plucking the moon rather than chasing after his subjects. He was so shocked that his old legs went weak and he almost tripped and fell on the spot.

Oh my goodness! My Majesty!

What exactly did you say to Lord Lin?!

Xiao Che stepped lightly into the hall, sat back on the supreme dragon throne, and glanced at the banquet below, which was still full of singing and dancing, but was actually rife with undercurrents. He felt that the scene, which had seemed hypocritical and boring in the past, was now much more pleasing to the eye.

His fingertips tapped lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne, savoring the trembling yet crystal-clear "I do" he had just heard in the corridor, savoring the awkward yet genuine embrace he had returned...

His lips curled up uncontrollably once again.

Yes, today's palace banquet was very well organized.

That stupid prince from Beirong... well, he doesn't seem so bad anymore.

Xiao Che picked up his wine cup, concealing the overly bright smile on his lips, only to find the imperial wine in the cup more intoxicating than ever before.

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Author's Note: I'm secretly thrilled! [doge emoji]