Chapter 83 [VIP]

"We've arrived in Lidu."

The capital city, located on the border, already resembled a foreign city from afar. Crimson circular corridors stretched through the city, pointed fortresses nestled against vermilion palace walls, and oval latticed windows peeked outwards, revealing endless clusters of flowers and butterflies. Music drifted from afar, accompanied by the evergreen kapok flowers blooming under the bright sun.

It is winter now, but since the capital is located in the south, there is no chill in the air, only a hint of autumn. When we were at the Jinwu River, it was still chilly on the mountain, but now that chill has receded, and a mild autumn has arrived.

"Take a stroll and have a look. Sweet soup stalls, spring water glutinous rice balls, braised pork trotters rice, glutinous rice and peanut soup, rice noodle rolls... Come and have a taste!"

"Wow!" Tengluo looked left and right, finding novelties everywhere. The glutinous rice ball soup was colorful, served in a small bowl in a wooden basin, with taro and cassava balls added, mixed with milk, looking sweet and tempting.

Murong Yue: "Brother Changyou, my uncle is already waiting for us at the mansion."

Lu Xuejin observed the merchants coming and going, and occasionally encountered men and women from the Hu tribe. The capital had close ties with the Hu people, and the economy of this place had become very prosperous after trade began. The buildings blended together, and the alleys on both sides of the street were separated by only one door.

"Your Highness's uncle... is already waiting for us here?" Lu Xuejin asked.

“That’s right,” Murong Yue said. “Logically, we should have arrived first, as my uncle set off much later than us. We took a roundabout route while escorting the official silver, while my uncle arrived in the capital a few days ago.”

“I wrote him a letter a few days ago, and he insisted on waiting for us in Lidu and also wanted to play chess with Brother Changyou.”

"Playing chess?" Lu Xuejin repeated. His Highness had mentioned it to her uncle quite a bit before, but hadn't given any useful information. Now she knew he enjoyed playing chess.

Murong Yue entered Lidu with ease. He had lived here for sixteen years and knew the entire city, from its capital to its gates and secret passages, inside and out. Beyond the city walls, one could see the earthen slopes along the coast and the Jiangmen sluice gate. The Jiangmen gate separated the two cities, Lidu and Hudu.

Lu Xuejin: "Does Your Highness's uncle live in Lidu?"

Murong Yue: "It doesn't really count. Brother Changyou will know when he sees him... You've met him before."

"Have we met before?" Lu Xuejin followed Murong Yue through the door. They arrived at a quiet inn, heavily guarded by secret guards. The plaque above, bearing the inscription "Wind and Snow," had the character "Hu" at the end. Animal statues stood at the entrance. The goat and rabbit they had seen before were guarding the place.

After they passed through the landscape screen, Lu Xuejin stepped into the main hall, where a face wearing a fox mask came into view. That sinister face was unforgettable, and the boy beside him still held a pig-face mask in his hand; the uncle and nephew shared some similarities in their demeanor. He couldn't help but pause slightly.

He looked at the King of Hu through the screen and suddenly remembered that when the King of Hu came to the capital, he had heard about the King of Hu searching for relatives, but he had not paid attention to the news at the time.

Before him stood the Hu King who had surrendered the city, and behind him was His Highness, with whom he spent every day. Only now did he realize that this was one of His Highness's trump cards. Even Zhi Li wouldn't have known.

Yege naturally saw him as well and said to him, "It has been hard on you, Lord Lu, to escort Yue'er. We were in the capital before, but we did not recognize each other. I hope you will forgive me for keeping this from you."

Murong Yue carefully observed his expression and said to him, "Brother Changyou, I only met my uncle once back in the capital. It wouldn't have been appropriate to tell you then."

As for what was inappropriate, if he had known that the King of Hu was in the capital, he might not have petitioned to leave the capital, nor would he have sent His Highness here. Perhaps His Highness had already considered all of this. Had he been tricked all the way to the capital?

Lu Xuejin couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He glanced at the young man observing him and deliberately said, "What's inappropriate about it? If Your Highness had told me earlier, perhaps I could have arranged a more appropriate path for you. Or is it that Your Highness doesn't trust me enough, and that's inappropriate?"

"Of course not. Brother Changyou is the person I trust most," Murong Yue quickly explained.

Yege said from the side, "I don't even trust my nephew. Lord Lu, please spare him."

As he spoke, Jaeger laughed, removing the mask to reveal a handsome yet wicked face. The fox mask lay to one side, and a chessboard was laid out before him.

"When I was in Shengjing, I saw that the Prince of Wei was very dependent on Lord Lu. I didn't spend much time with Lord Lu, but I also felt that he was not the kind of person who was willing to compromise. Lord Lu is a man of great talent and should have the power to turn the tide, so why is he willing to stay by the Prince of Wei's side?"

Yege smiled and met Murong Yue's gaze. He noticed a hint of gloom in Murong Yue's eyes; the question had clearly touched a nerve. The young man lowered his eyes to look at the person beside him and instinctively grabbed the young man's sleeve.

“You flatter me. I am but a lowly subject, with neither the intention nor the ability to instigate rebellion,” Lu Xuejin said.

He noticed the boy beside him tugging at his sleeve, his eyes filled with displeasure. He glanced at him; it was clearly him who was distrusted, yet His Highness was angry. What kind of logic was this? He ignored him, sat down opposite Yege, and asked, "Now that Your Highness has arrived in the capital, what are the King of Hu's plans?"

Murong Yue: "Why did you ask Changyou? Why didn't you ask me? I'm in charge here, so you should ask me. Uncle is a guest."

Jaeger laughed and replied, "I can't make these decisions myself; I need to listen to Yue'er. It's been quite a while since we've seen Lord Lu. How about we finish this game of chess first?"

King Hu was clearly still resentful about losing to him last time. Lu Xuejin's mind wasn't on the chessboard; he was watching the boy beside him. His uncle liked to tease him about his easily angered temper.

Lu Xuejin said quietly, "In that case, I shall respectfully comply."

Murong Yue said to him, "Brother Changyou, you haven't answered the question from earlier."

"What's the problem?" Lu Xuejin placed a piece on the board. "His Highness said a lot just now, but I can't remember it."

Across from him, Yege smiled and said, "When I left the capital, the Prince of Wei fell seriously ill. I heard that someone sent a letter containing many obscene picture books related to Lord Lu, and the Prince of Wei fell ill after reading them."

Upon hearing about the picture book, Lu Xuejin didn't remember sending one to Xue Yi. He subconsciously looked at the boy beside him. Murong Yue didn't look at him, but instead held his other hand, interlocking their fingers.

Jaeger: "Such despicable behavior, using such vile means to subdue the enemy, is utterly despicable. What do you think, Lord Lu?"

Lu Xuejin's palms were covered in a sticky sweat. Murong Yue asked him, "Does Brother Changyou think it's despicable? Perhaps the person who sent the painting admires Brother Changyou even more. What's wrong with using some despicable means? It's only right to love someone in this way and not tolerate the existence of another person."

"What do you think, Brother Changyou?" Murong Yue turned his head to look at him, a sinister smile in his fan-shaped eyes, and his deep voice gently caressed his ear.

He hadn't even said anything yet, but His Highness had already confessed without being asked.

“Now that I have arrived in the capital, the affairs of the capital are far removed from my life, and I should not comment on them,” Lu Xuejin said.

His reply elicited a meaningful smile from Jaeger, and the boy beside him also looked at him. His dark eyes were filled with love, and because of his few words, the gloomy haze dissipated completely, turning into scorching, lingering ashes that burned heavily against the lines of his features.

After one game of chess, Lu Xuejin lost to Yeager with ease.

Jaeger raised an eyebrow: "Lord Lu, are you suggesting I?"

“No,” Lu Xuejin said, his arm still clinging to a boy who kept getting closer and closer to him as he played chess, as if he wanted to crawl into his arms. His brow twitched involuntarily. “I will play against the King of Hu another day when His Highness is out,” he said to Yege.

The journey was bumpy, and Murong Yue stayed beside him reading a book. Hearing this, she said, "Why did you wait for me to leave? What does Brother Changyou mean by this? Even if you have something to say to Uncle alone, you can't say it in front of me. Is Brother Changyou annoyed with me?"

Lu Xuejin replied, "Your Highness is by my side, which always disturbs my thoughts. Please forgive me, King Hu."

Seeing the young man's patience, Jaeger thought that if it were anyone else... not to mention anyone else, just having his nephew by his side would have been a chaotic mess. This man spoke kindly and gently; no wonder his nephew liked him so much.

"It's alright. I should be thanking Lord Lu," Yege said. With him around, he no longer needed to worry about his nephew causing trouble.

Jaeger: "I am in the front yard. If you need to see me, just have the guards notify you."

After saying this, Yege left with the guards, leaving only Lu Xuejin and Murong Yue in the hall.

As soon as he left, the boy beside him snuggled into his arms as if they hadn't seen each other for days. Lu Xuejin instinctively caught him. The boy in his arms looked up at him, his fan-shaped eyes opening like a cat's, very bright in the night, revealing his little tiger teeth. He leaned close to Lu Xuejin's face and rubbed his cheek against Lu Xuejin's.

“Your Highness has grown up. When you reach adulthood, I may not be able to carry you anymore,” he said involuntarily.

A warm touch came from his cheek, and Murong Yue hugged him tightly, unwilling to let go. He kissed him in the ear and said, "Brother Changyou, I feel like I'm dreaming. You've come to Lidu. Pinch me quickly, I'm sure I'm not dreaming. You were just playing chess with Uncle."

Lu Xuejin was pushed against a pillar by the child, his back pressed against the boy's handsome, aloof face brushing against him. The boy's dark, distinct features were filled with amusement, and his ears were reddened, probably from something the boy had just said. He suspected the boy had been reading some random book again. He was held in the prince's arms, surrounded by a cool fragrance. The prince noticed that Lu Xuejin was lost in thought and leaned in to lick his face.

“I’m not dreaming,” he said, instinctively pinching Murong Yue’s red ear.

The moment their fingers touched, the mischievous cat seemed to flip a switch, snuggling closer and picking him up. He was held in the prince's arms, the prince's nose buried in his neck, and as he hugged him, the prince said, "You just said I always disturb your deep thoughts. When I was beside you just now, were you already thinking about it?"

The words were so vague that Lu Xuejin reacted a little. He couldn't help but turn his head to look at the person behind him and said helplessly, "It's not what Your Highness thinks."

Murong Yue: "That's not what I meant. So what if I get a hug, brother?"

Lu Xuejin: "Your Highness is doing it now, when have I ever said a word of dissent?"

She had been holding him for a long time since he started playing chess, and now she was holding him again. The boy behind her seemed to be getting smaller and smaller, from seventeen to seven, then to three, and maybe in a while he'll want milk.

Murong Yue: "I only feel real now that you're here. This is my territory. You being here feels like you're on my own land, like you've brought your wife home."

Lu Xuejin wondered if he was being too biased towards His Highness. He turned his gaze and met a pair of dark, brooding eyes, the emotions within which made the young man's eyes bright, mixed with some indescribable feelings. That deep affection seemed like a metaphor; he leaned closer and gently kissed his eyebrows with his eyes, brushing past his ear, leaving a mark on his skin.

Those eyes, always innocent yet fierce, gloomy, and brimming with intense emotion, stared at him with a smile. A fang brushed against his neck, mentioning his wife, yet threatening to bite through his neck. Could His Highness possibly distinguish between his wife and his prey?

"Wife," Murong Yue murmured the two words.

He was picked up, and then he felt a wet touch behind his ear. Murong Yue said from behind him, "Brother is my wife."

He could never be anyone's husband, nor anyone's wife. Now, his ears were filled with the boy's deep, sweet words, the two words spoken so clearly, as if calling his name. A sudden crack appeared in his heart, spreading with Murong Yue's kisses and laughter, growing stronger with the boy's presence.

Murong Yue seemed to have discovered something very interesting and clearly liked the title. He whispered "Brother is my wife" several times in his ear, the soft, damp breath brushing against his earlobe, causing an uncomfortable blush to spread across his ear. He felt the smoke rising from his ear and became flustered under the boy's kisses.

That cold, barren, and undisturbed heart cracked open, and the cracks widened infinitely, from which tiny and withered branches grew, flourishing like the beloved trumpet creeper, as if trying to grow into a shape like a raging flame.

The wet kiss suddenly took shape, its implicit meaning becoming clear, shy and light within the guise of affection. His reaction was all seen by the boy, whose eyes became incredibly deep, revealing a rainbow-like undertone through the rain, and wicked thoughts emerging from within.

Murong Yue cupped his ear with his palm and asked, "Does brother like this nickname?"

Lu Xuejin barely managed to maintain her composure. If the boy were an adult cat, his tail would have already wrapped tightly around him, rendering him unable to move. But his appearance was exactly what she liked, his smile was exactly what she liked, his mischievous personality and vigorous vitality were exactly what she liked, and she also liked the irresistible urge to hold him.

Although he is usually clumsy, he can sometimes touch the softest part of his heart.

He replied, "Has Your Highness been reading some kind of rubbish again?"

Murong Yue bit his ear. "I didn't look at the book. I just saw you sitting here and it made me think of it. When you looked at me, it was like a wife in a storybook looking at her husband returning home. Although I'm very slow when it comes to love, I still understand a thing or two. When you said I was deep in thought, my penis was already hard and painful. I want you to be my wife."

Look at this, what kind of nonsense is this?

Lu Xuejin patiently explained, "Your Highness. I simply love Your Highness, Your Highness... Your Highness must not misinterpret the meaning of 'wife' in this way."