Chapter 60, it seems, he was the fox in disguise. ...
Zhou Yu spoke with such solemnity that every word that reached my ears felt incredibly powerful.
Ji Chengning felt a warm, tender feeling in his heart, as if hot spring water was flowing through his body. He reached out and naturally responded to the hug.
Zhou Yu's body stiffened for a moment.
Ji Chengning smiled and said, "Your Highness's words are golden, wishing me safety, I will certainly return from Luanyang unharmed." He leaned closer, and a smile, his voice shrouded in warmth, gently brushed against Zhou Yu's earlobe, "Your Highness, please take care of yourself."
With a rising tone at the end, this handsome subject was utterly disrespectful: "I am still waiting for your decree to grant me the title of hereditary ruler."
The deeper meaning behind those words was enough to have Ji Chengnin's head chopped off and hung on the city gate for three months.
But Zhou Yu did not feel angry.
The Crown Prince simply hummed in agreement, "You're always good at sweet-talking me and making me happy."
Annoyed by Ji Chengning's lips opening and closing, the words that rolled out at random were enough to throw him into a state of utter confusion.
And then, she resented his silence.
Ji Chengning smiled.
He shifted his waist, as agile as a fish, and easily escaped Zhou Yu's grasp.
The latter's hand trembled slightly, then gently fell to the ground.
Zhou Yu stared at Ji Chengnin, “I know you and Zhou Yan have a long-standing feud, but since you two are out together, if he behaves rudely…” Ji Chengnin thought he was going to say that she should be more tolerant, but unexpectedly he said softly, “You don’t have to tolerate it, you can kill him without any problem, hmm!”
Zhou Yu's eyes, which had been dull and listless due to his long illness, suddenly widened.
In an instant, all resentment, scheming, anger, and unwillingness vanished. Zhou Yu's mind was almost blank, with only one thought remaining—Xiao Ning's hands...are so hot.
Ji Chengning's fingers, covered with a thin layer of calluses, gently brushed against Zhou Yu's soft lips, making her feel so itchy that she could hardly breathe.
He held his breath and concentrated.
It seemed as if they were afraid of disturbing Ji Chengning.
“My good prince,” Ji Chengning covered his lips and whispered, “The Third Prince is, after all, your own brother. If I cause a rift between brothers because of me, I deserve to die. I’m afraid I will be remembered as a treacherous minister in the annals of history.”
Zhou Yu stared at Ji Chengnin's lips as they opened and closed, his gaze somewhat hazy.
He didn't realize Ji Chengnin was speaking until the last syllable of his voice ended.
“You are not a treacherous minister,” Zhou Yu murmured.
Ji Chengnin didn't hear clearly.
He didn't hear Zhou Yu speak clearly enough today, to the point that he wondered if there was something wrong with his ears.
"Um?"
He was not a treacherous minister, but even though Ji Chengnin was a flawless beauty in Zhou Yu's heart, it would be asking too much of him to believe that Ji Chengnin could be a virtuous minister.
He was neither a sycophant, nor a virtuous minister, nor a loyal and upright minister.
So, for the first time, Zhou Yu wondered where he should place his Xiao Ning.
Xiao Ning is so good to him that he would gladly offer her the highest position of power to please her. So, what is Xiao Ning to him?
Close friend? A trusted advisor, or...?
"Your Highness? Your Highness? A-Yu!"
Zhou Yu suddenly came to his senses.
He met Ji Chengnin's worried gaze, and suddenly his cheeks burned.
It is shame.
He insulted his best friend without the other person even realizing it, and felt ashamed of his actions.
He opened his mouth, not wanting Ji Chengnin to notice anything amiss.
But Xiao Ning was too perceptive; with a quick turn of her hand, she naturally placed it against Zhou Yu's face.
It's not hot.
The skin that you can touch is soft and cool, but not to the point of being icy to the touch; it's just a light, mild coolness.
The coldness stirred a pang of pity in Ji Chengning.
Zhou Yu felt cold, so cold that his arm trembled slightly before he raised it.
Ji Chengnin lowered his hand.
The heat source disappeared instantly.
Zhou Yu paused in his movement of raising his hand.
“Xiao Ning.” He looked at Ji Chengning with such a bewildered and unreal gaze.
“Your Highness,” Ji Chengnin stepped forward, placed his hand on Zhou Yu’s shoulder at that distance, patted it gently, and said softly as if to reassure him, “I will not let Your Highness worry.”
The muscles under his palm suddenly stiffened.
Zhou Yu took a deep breath.
He should be grateful.
Fortunately, Ji Chengnin probably also felt that these words were too cloying, and the young marquis was too embarrassed to look him in the eye.
Therefore, he couldn't see the greedy and despicable look in the eyes that were fixed on him.
Ji Chengnin spoke, his voice soft but solemn, "So, as compensation, Your Highness, you must not make me worry."
Being so close, Zhou Yu could clearly see every vein on Ji Chengning's fair neck.
The Adam's apple bobbed up and down in sync with the master's voice.
Zhou Yu abruptly looked away. "Gu," he could feel the heat in his voice as he spoke, "I'll listen to you."
Ji Chengnin was finally satisfied. "Your subject is leaving."
"I'll see you off..." He stopped mid-sentence under Ji Chengnin's meaningful gaze, "Go."
Ji Chengnin gave a curt greeting and turned to leave.
Even the simplest of movements appears exceptionally graceful and dashing when performed by him.
Zhou Yu stared at Ji Chengning's back, wondering what his little Ning was.
A gentle breeze caressed Zhou Yu's flushed cheeks.
It must be bewitching, alluring.
For some reason, Zhou Yu suddenly recalled the first time he met Ji Chengnin.
Both were still young, and Zhou Yu was even more aloof than he is now. He stared indifferently at the obsequious faces at the palace banquet. The magnificent lights shone on the faces, each one the same, each one blank, each one so hypocritical that Zhou Yu found it irritating.
But he knew very well why he was able to be so noble and superior to everyone else, so he quietly acted as a proper puppet, letting his father place him in the most suitable position.
The banquet was not over yet when Zhou Yu developed a severe headache and was granted permission by the emperor to leave first.
The night breeze is cool and refreshing, and when it falls on people's faces, it has a soothing and refreshing feeling.
He then slowly strolled through the Imperial Garden.
"There it is! Right next to the big rock!"
"Hmph, I think you've gone completely mad from searching. There's nothing here!"
"Say less, or if we can't find it, the Empress will blame us, and we'll all have to kneel outside tonight."
Judging from the voices, they sound like a few palace maids.
Before the words were finished, a childish yet authoritative voice rang out, "What are you looking for?"
The three turned around at the same time, and the one in the lead immediately realized what was happening and hurriedly tried to greet them, "This servant..."
"What are you looking for?" he asked again.
The young palace maid knew that this prince was known throughout the palace for his eccentric temperament. He was often ill, and it seemed that even the joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness on his face had been eroded away by his long-term illness, just like his vitality.
"Your Highness, we were searching for Consort Jin's fox, and we just spotted it."
Consort Jin's fox?
It looked like a small, red animal without a single stray hair. Although it was a soft, red blob, it was spoiled rotten by Consort Jin and would often bare its sharp teeth and bite people.
Zhou Yu turned his head, and the eunuch following him immediately understood and handed him a glass palace lantern.
The whale blubber candles instantly illuminated the entire area.
The young palace maid was overjoyed and was about to express her gratitude when His Highness the Crown Prince turned and left.
Knowing that His Highness disliked being disturbed, they all fell silent and went to search for the fox by the bright candlelight.
As the sunlight shone, a sharp-eyed palace maid pointed excitedly at the flower bushes, "There they are!"
The remaining two looked over and indeed saw a faint red glimmer seeping out from the dense foliage.
Zhou Yu paused in his steps.
He heard the leaves behind him rustling and shaking, as if the palace maids were picking at the flowers.
As if by some strange twist of fate, Zhou Yu tilted his head.
"Swish—"
The flowerbed was parted, and just as Zhou Yu had expected, the crimson monster was revealed before him.
Even Zhou Yu, with his extremely cold nature, suddenly caught his breath at this moment.
It was clearly a child dressed in crimson robes, with delicate eyebrows and eyes half-closed, and a hint of watery red at the corners of his arrogant eyes. He lay on the gray marble under the shade of flowers, seemingly exhausted, or perhaps...
Zhou Yu smelled a faint aroma of fruit wine.
The red color the little palace maid saw just now was the hem of his robe that was hanging down.
It seems that he is the fox in disguise.
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Author's note: Goodnight, my wife. I can't stay awake any longer, I'm so sleepy.
[Kiss][Kiss]
Happy Labor Day, my dear wife! A red envelope is dropping in this chapter, muah!
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