Chapter 96. Lin Yan drifted into the Ministry of Revenue's office, a smile playing on his lips...
Lin Yan drifted into the Ministry of Revenue's office, his smile so wide it was impossible to hide. He looked like he had just drunk a whole jar of honey, sweet from head to toe.
Who is Xiong Er? He is Xiong Er.
Inside the duty room, Chu Ye was frowning as he stared at a pile of account books. When he looked up and saw Lin Yan looking so radiant, he almost misaligned the abacus beads in his hand.
"Brother Lin, did you find a gold ingot?" Chu Ye asked.
Startled by the question, Lin Yan quickly composed himself and coughed in a serious manner: "Ahem, it's nothing, I just feel that the weather is particularly nice today. His Majesty is wise, and the parasites have been punished, so I'm in a good mood."
As he spoke, he patted the stack of account books on the table with an air of importance.
Chu Ye's lips twitched. He glanced at the not-so-bright, even somewhat cloudy sky outside the window and decided not to expose his colleague's clumsy excuse.
He changed the subject: "Speaking of which, your impeachment memorial this morning was truly powerful and full of wisdom."
Mentioning this, Lin Yan was no longer sleepy. He instantly switched to work mode, pulling Chu Ye aside to discuss the next steps in investigating the imperial clan's accounts, as if he wasn't the one who had been all lovey-dovey just moments before.
During the breaks in the discussion, his gaze would inadvertently drift towards the direction of the palace outside the window, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing his cuffs, where the warmth of someone's palm seemed to still linger.
Meanwhile, Xiao Che returned to the imperial study and reviewed memorials with astonishing efficiency, leaving Li Defu secretly amazed.
However, His Majesty would occasionally stare blankly at a memorial, his fingertips brushing his lips, a faint but genuine smile appearing in his eyes.
He understands, he understands. He must have thought of Lord Lin to be so happy.
When it was time to leave work, Lin Yan was almost the first to rush out of the Ministry of Revenue's office. Instead of going straight home, he turned and entered the palace again, a place he knew well by heart.
This time, he had a clear goal and headed straight for the Purple Palace.
Xiao Che seemed to have anticipated his arrival, and had already dismissed his attendants, waiting alone in the hall.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window lattice, casting a warm halo around him.
When Lin Yan entered, Xiao Che was standing in front of the desk, holding not some book of sages, but a picture album.
This album was given to Lin Yan by Chu Ye. Lin Yan had taken it to the palace last time but forgot to take it back to the Lin residence. He never expected it to fall into Xiao Che's hands.
After Lin Yan caught a glimpse of the picture album, he slammed on the brakes in front of Xiao Che and crashed into him. It was only thanks to Xiao Che's outstretched arm that Lin Yan was caught around the waist and prevented from falling.
He bumped into Xiao Che's arms, his nose instantly enveloped by the familiar scent of agarwood, and he could feel the warmth and firmness of the other's chest through the fabric of his clothes.
Lin Yan's mind went blank, not because of the pain from the impact, but because of the damned picture book in Xiao Che's hand and his current posture of throwing himself into Xiao Che's arms.
"Throwing yourself into my arms?" Xiao Che's deep, chuckling voice sounded above him. His arm was firmly wrapped around Lin Yan's waist, not letting go but tightening his grip even more. "My dear minister, you are even more proactive and enthusiastic today than in the pictures."
Lin Yan: "!!!"
He frantically tried to stand up straight, but Xiao Che held him firmly in place, so he could only stubbornly retort, "Who, who took the initiative? I just lost my balance, and that picture book isn't mine! Chu Ye forced it on me! I didn't even open it!"
Xiao Che raised an eyebrow, and with his other free hand, he waved the picture book, the pages rustling softly: "Oh? You haven't seen it before? Then, my dear minister, do you know what's depicted in this picture book?"
Lin Yan's eyes darted around, resolutely refusing to look at the picture book: "I...I don't know! And I'm not interested in knowing!"
"Is that so?" Xiao Che lowered his head, his nose almost brushing against Lin Yan's, their breaths mingling, carrying a burning heat. "But I just skimmed through it and found that there is some 'knowledge' in it that is quite worth exploring. Since you and I are of the same mind, why don't we study it together and make progress together?"
Lin Yan: "???"
Is this how the words "study" and "progress" are used?
Study my ass! Improve your legs my ass!
But Lin Yan would not easily admit defeat.
Lin Yan countered, "Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, a true dragon, with exceptional talent. Why would you need to rely on such external things? Could it be that... you feel you are lacking something and need to learn from others?"
He deliberately emphasized the word "lacking," looking at Xiao Che with a defiant gaze.
Xiao Che's eyes suddenly darkened, and his phoenix eyes narrowed dangerously.
He released his arms from Lin Yan's waist, but not completely let go. Instead, he slowly slid down her back, stopping at a delicate spot, and gently patted her.
"Am I lacking something..." Xiao Che's voice lowered, becoming seductively hoarse, "Hasn't my dear minister already verified it personally? Or perhaps the verification wasn't thorough enough, leading to a misunderstanding?"
Lin Yan froze when he slapped her, and those chaotic and shameful memories instantly flooded back, her cheeks turning bright red, and she almost bit her tongue.
[Verify my foot! That's called exceptional talent! You're a beast!]
[Your hand is almost worn out and you still won't release it? Are you some kind of drug?]
Xiao Che didn't know what Nanfu was; he only knew that with a soft, fragrant woman in his arms, he couldn't help but want to tease her.
He leaned close to Lin Yan's ear and whispered, "It seems I wasn't diligent enough last night to help you reach the correct conclusion. In that case..."
With another forceful lift, he scooped the person up in his arms and strode toward the inner palace: "Why don't we put aside this useless picture book and I prove to you again that I can learn without any teacher, without needing to learn from others, so that you will be convinced."
"Hey! Xiao Che! Put me down! It's not completely dark yet!" Lin Yan exclaimed, struggling on all fours.
"What about during the day?" Xiao Che held him tightly, his tone rather mischievous. "When I discuss scholarship with you, my dear minister, why should we distinguish between day and night?"
Lin Yan: "???" You're so flirtatious.
Xiao Che gently tossed Lin Yan onto the soft dragon bed, then leaned down and silenced the mouth that was trying to protest.
This kiss was incredibly aggressive, deeper and more skillful than the one last night, as if he really wanted to devour Lin Yan whole.
Lin Yan struggled for a moment at first, but quickly succumbed to the opponent's strong offensive and familiar aura. Her body softened honestly, and her arms involuntarily wrapped around Xiao Che's neck.
In his confused and infatuated state, he felt Xiao Che's hand slip inside his clothes again.
This time it was even more outrageous than last night.
When Xiao Che's hand slid to his side, Lin Yan jolted awake, snapping to his senses. He grabbed the mischievous hand, his voice trembling, "Wait... Xiao Che, you..."
Xiao Che raised his head, a turbulent undercurrent in his eyes. He looked at Lin Yan's flushed cheeks and moist eyes, his voice hoarse and barely audible: "Hanzhang, help me, like last night..."
Seeing his patient expression, Lin Yan's heart softened, and she inexplicably let go of his hand.
However, Xiao Che was not satisfied with just that.
In the heat of passion, he nibbled on Lin Yan's earlobe and coaxed in a soft voice, "Hanzhang, just a little rubbing is enough..."
Lin Yan's mind went blank. The scorching heat and ambiguous request had completely clouded his judgment, and he reluctantly complied.
...
When the wind and rain stopped, Lin Yan lay sprawled on the dragon bed, too lazy to even move his fingertips.
He felt a burning sensation in his groin; he knew without even looking that it was completely red.
Xiao Che, that beast!
The instigator, however, looked completely satisfied, lying on his side next to him, casually twirling his hair with his fingertips, his tone languid and obviously teasing: "It seems that you, my dear minister, truly do not need the guidance of that picture book. You are self-taught and have excellent talent."
Lin Yan was so tired that she didn't even want to lift her eyelids. When she heard this, she was so angry that she raised her foot to kick him, but the movement aggravated her sore muscles, and she couldn't help but hiss.
Xiao Che chuckled and reached out to massage the sore muscles on Hanzhang's side, his movements gentle: "It's my fault, I tired Hanzhang out."
Lin Yan hummed twice, which was considered an acceptance of the insincere apology.
He suddenly remembered that tomorrow was a day off and he didn't have to attend court, and he immediately felt that God still had some conscience.
"No need to get up early tomorrow," Lin Yan muttered, his consciousness beginning to fade.
Xiao Che looked at his drowsy appearance, lowered his head and kissed his forehead: "Mmm, go to sleep."
Before Lin Yan drifted off to sleep, his last thought was: I can't just swallow this insult. How could someone from modern society like me be defeated by someone from ancient times like Xiao Che?
The next day, Lin Yan slept until the sun was high in the sky before waking up.
The bed beside him was already empty. He touched the blankets and found them cold, indicating that Xiao Che had already gotten up.
He shifted slightly, but the slight stinging sensation from the friction between his groin and thighs was still noticeable.
Struggling to get up, after washing up and changing his clothes, Lin Yan dawdled out of the inner hall.
Xiao Che was sitting in the outer room reading a book. Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on him, giving him a serene and serene appearance, as if the beast who had clung to him until midnight the night before was a completely different person.
Seeing Lin Yan come out, Xiao Che put down his book, his gaze falling on Lin Yan's slightly awkward gait, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "Awake? Would you like some snacks?"
Lin Yan glared at him irritably and deliberately walked to the chair furthest away from him and sat down.
Xiao Che wasn't annoyed. He poured a glass of warm water and handed it to him: "Does it still hurt?"
Lin Yan took the cup, gulped down a few mouthfuls, and then said stiffly, "Thanks to His Majesty, I can still walk."
Xiao Che's smile deepened as he walked over and sat down beside him, his arm naturally encircling his waist: "I was presumptuous. Next time..."
"There won't be a next time!" Lin Yan immediately interrupted him, her ears turning slightly red. "At least... you can't use your legs anymore!"
Xiao Che readily agreed, "Okay, I'll listen to Hanzhang."
His quick agreement only made Lin Yan more uneasy, as he felt that this guy was up to something.
With nothing to do on his day off, Lin Yan had lunch at the palace and then planned to return home.
As he was leaving, he happened to meet Chu Ye, who was ordered to enter the palace to report on the progress of the investigation into the accounts of the imperial clan.
Chu Ye no longer wanted to meet the emperor alone, but had no choice; this was a summons from the emperor.
The two bumped into each other on the palace road. When Chu Ye saw Lin Yan's walking posture, his eyes instantly became subtle, and his face was full of "I understand, I understand" and "Take care, brother".
Lin Yan felt uncomfortable under his gaze, but forced herself to remain calm and greeted him.
Chu Ye leaned closer, winked, and whispered, "Brother Lin, was His Majesty satisfied yesterday?" He was referring to Lin Yan's successful impeachment, but with that expression, something just didn't sound right.
Lin Yan's lips twitched, and he mumbled, "It's...it's alright."
Chu Ye, however, thought he was referring to something else. He chuckled, patted his shoulder, and said in a lower voice, "Looks like the picture book I gave you came in handy? Helian has some even better ones. I'll get you a few more later!"
Lin Yan: "..." I didn't! I didn't! Don't talk nonsense!
He wanted to refuse outright, but thinking of Xiao Che's composed demeanor last night and his own ambition to "avenge his grievances," he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
He coughed lightly, his eyes darting around, and lowered his voice as well: "Um, do you really have a lot of these... um, picture books?"
Chu Ye, with an "I knew it" expression, patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, I've got it covered. Helian has seen a lot of good things all over the country. I'll have him find all his best stuff for you!"
Lin Yan: "...No need for that."
Chu Ye waved his hand: "No need to be so polite."
He leaned closer and, emboldened, asked, "But Brother Lin, how far have things progressed between you and His Majesty? Is it harmonious?"
Lin Yan was taken aback by the question. Although he and Xiao Che were close, they hadn't actually gone all the way yet.
He was a straightforward person at times, and since he considered Chu Ye to be "one of his own," he honestly replied, "It's not the final step yet."
Chu Ye stared in shock, his eyes wide, forgetting to lower his voice: "What?! You haven't..."
Lin Yan was so startled that she quickly covered his mouth: "Keep your voice down!"
Chu Ye pried his hand away, still incredulous, and looked Lin Yan up and down, muttering, "No way, His Majesty doesn't seem to be impotent. Could it be you who's impotent?"
"You're the one who can't do it!" Lin Yan retorted angrily. "We're taking it step by step, what do you know!"
Chu Ye stroked his chin: "What do you mean by taking it step by step? When it comes to men, you have to make your move. You have to take the initiative and seduce him!"
"Seduce? Seduce?" Lin Yan was stunned. This was the first time he had ever been in a relationship, both his lives combined, and it was with the emperor no less. He had never learned this before.
Seeing his blank expression, Chu Ye perked up and began to impart his unreliable experience: "Look, first of all, your eyes have to be on point, that kind of look that's hesitant yet alluring, you know? Second, occasional unintentional physical contact, like touching fingers when handing something over, or walking a little closer together. Also, there's a point to consider when it comes to clothing; occasionally loosen your collar and show a little bit of your collarbone..."
Lin Yan was completely bewildered by his words, her face flushing red and then turning pale as she listened to his "techniques".
He didn't quite understand why he, a vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue, would discuss such matters with another vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
But Lin Yan couldn't refuse.
Seeing Chu Ye's confident expression and thinking of his own determination to "take revenge," the little rebellious flame in Lin Yan's heart reignited.
Maybe it's really worth a try?
Xiao Che is nothing, let's see how he takes him down!
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Author's Note: There are no rankings this week, and I've been updating extra chapters these past two days. [heart emojis]
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