Chapter 54 A heart devoted to each other, yet utterly thrown into chaos. ...
Xiao Yu felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head. She wanted to shake Lin Yan, who was lying unconscious on the soft couch, awake as quickly as possible, but in her panic, she almost tripped over herself.
Amidst the chaos, Xiao Che's figure appeared at the doorway.
He had clearly just returned from the capital's military camp. He was still wearing his black riding and archery uniform, his dark hair was tied up with a simple jade hairpin, and there was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, which made his face look even colder and more stern, with a murderous aura between his brows after inspecting the camp's defenses.
As soon as you step into the hall, the sweet, cloying smell of wine hits you.
Xiao Che's gaze swept across the scene with lightning speed—
The strong smell of alcohol, a drunk Lin Yan, a helpless younger brother, and... an angry self.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty." Xiao Yu was so frightened that his tongue tied in knots, and he knelt down with a thud, his head bowed low. "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I just came to see Scholar Lin and brought some fruit wine..."
Help! Help! Help!
Mother, save me! Save me! Save me!
"Fruit wine?" Xiao Che's voice was so cold it could drop ice crystals. He walked to the soft couch, looked down at Lin Yan who was sleeping soundly and unconsciously had even pulled his clothes open a little because of the heat, and frowned deeply. "Judging from his appearance, it doesn't seem like he just drank some fruit wine."
Xiao Yu broke out in a cold sweat: "It really is... just fruit wine. Maybe... maybe Scholar Lin's alcohol tolerance is a bit... low..."
Xiao Che ignored him, leaned down and quickly touched Lin Yan's burning cheek with his fingertips, then sniffed the overly sweet scent in the air, his expression turning even uglier: "Can't you tell he has a low alcohol tolerance? You still forced him to drink?"
"Your Majesty, I didn't drink it!" Xiao Yu cried out, his voice trembling with injustice. "It was Scholar Lin who said it was delicious, and he kept drinking it one cup after another..."
"You just let him drink because he tells you to?" Xiao Che interrupted him, his anger undisguised. "If something happens to him when he's this drunk, how are we going to explain it to his parents?"
Xiao Yu dared not utter a sound, kneeling on the ground trembling. His elder brother was right; if Lin Yan really got into trouble from drinking, he would not be able to compensate Lin Yan's parents.
Looking at his brother's useless state and then at the drunken man on the bed, Xiao Che felt a surge of anger rising within him.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to pull down Xiao Yu's pants and spank him, and said sternly, "Go back to your palace and copy the 'Ten Thoughts on Advising Emperor Taizong' a hundred times! You are not allowed to leave the palace until you have finished copying it!"
Xiao Yu scrambled to his feet, saying, "Yes, yes, yes, Your Majesty, I'll go back and copy it right away! I'll copy it right away!" As he spoke, he backed away, afraid that if he was a step too slow, his elder brother would change his mind and make him copy it two hundred times instead of one hundred.
After Xiao Yu disappeared in a disheveled state at the door, Xiao Che turned his gaze back to Lin Yan on the soft couch.
Completely drunk, Lin Yan seemed uncomfortable in the position. He groaned and rolled over, turning to face inward and curling up, revealing a section of his fair nape. His loose black hair clung to his sweaty skin, making him look vulnerable and defenseless.
He was still mumbling something indistinctly: "Delicious... another cup..."
Xiao Che's temple throbbed.
He stared at the back of his neck for a moment, then finally sighed helplessly. His anger strangely dissipated, leaving only a headache.
He bent down, trying to straighten Lin Yan up so that he could at least sleep more comfortably.
No sooner had his fingers touched Lin Yan's shoulder than Lin Yan, as if startled, suddenly swung his hand, striking Xiao Che's arm with a light but unrestrained, drunken swagger.
"Stop fooling around..." Lin Yan frowned with his eyes closed, his tone heavy with nasal dissatisfaction, as if scolding the person who disturbed his sweet dreams, "...Go away."
Xiao Che: "..."
Li Defu, watching from the side, was terrified. He quickly stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, this old servant should go and fetch someone."
"No need." Xiao Che waved his hand, signaling him to step back.
He reached out again, this time with even more care, gently slipping his hand under Lin Yan's armpit and behind his knee.
A drunk person is very heavy, but Xiao Che, being a martial artist, had amazing arm strength and easily lifted Lin Yan up in his arms.
Feeling uneasy in the weightlessness, Lin Yan tilted her head and naturally nestled into Xiao Che's neck. Her warm breath, carrying the sweet scent of fruit wine, sprayed unhindered onto Xiao Che's exposed skin.
Xiao Che's body suddenly stiffened, and his arms tightened around the person.
The breath was hot and moist, carrying Lin Yan's unique scent and a sweet, cloying aroma of alcohol, like feathers brushing against his neck and rushing straight to his brain.
Xiao Che's Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably. Holding the person in his arms, he stood there, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
"Your Majesty?" Li Defu asked in a low voice.
Xiao Che snapped back to his senses, suppressed the strange tremor in his heart, straightened his face, picked up Lin Yan, and strode towards the bed in the inner room.
His steps were steady, his arms taut to minimize any jolting, as if he were holding some rare and fragile treasure.
Walking to the bedside, Xiao Che stiffly put Lin Yan down.
As soon as Lin Yan touched the soft bedding, he automatically found a comfortable spot, curled up, and stopped moving.
Xiao Che stood by the bed, frowning as he looked at Lin Yan's drunken and unconscious state.
Sleeping in a robe and shoes would definitely be uncomfortable.
He hesitated for a moment, but finally reached out and clumsily took off Lin Yan's official boots, revealing white cloth socks underneath.
Then, he reached for Lin Yan's collar.
Unbuttoning the official robe was clearly an unfamiliar task for the emperor. His fingertips even trembled slightly. It took him a lot of effort to peel off the official robe, which was stained with the smell of alcohol, and throw it aside.
After doing all this, Xiao Che's ears were burning.
He pulled the brocade quilt over Lin Yan, covering him completely except for his head.
Just as he was about to sit up, Ah Man, who was curled up in a ball and sleeping soundly at the far end of the bed, was awakened by the noise. She meowed in dissatisfaction, and her emerald green cat eyes looked at Xiao Che in the dim light.
Xiao Che paused, then whispered to the cat, "Be quiet, don't disturb his sleep."
Aman flicked its tail, seemingly understanding, yet also seemingly too lazy to pay attention. It put its paws in its pocket, changed direction, and continued sleeping.
Li Defu went and brought over a bowl of hangover soup.
Xiao Che took the hangover soup, sat down by the bed, and tried to call out softly, "Lin Yan? Get up and drink some hangover soup before you go back to sleep."
Lin Yan did not react.
Xiao Che had no choice but to reach out and gently pat his cheek: "Lin Yan?"
Perhaps it was the ordeal, or perhaps it was the aroma of the hangover soup that stimulated Lin Yan's eyelashes, causing them to tremble a few times, and she managed to open her eyes a crack with great difficulty.
His eyes were completely unfocused and covered with a thick layer of moisture, clearly indicating that he was still very drunk.
He looked blankly at Xiao Che in front of him, seemingly trying to make out his features, but he couldn't see anything clearly.
"Ugh..." he mumbled, his brow furrowed, a look of grievance and dissatisfaction typical of a drunkard on his face, "...The dream...it's happening again..."
Xiao Che: "..."
Li Defu silently took a step back, wishing he could shrink himself into a crack in the wall.
Why should an elderly person like him face such a scene?
Lin Yan strained to open his eyes, trying to make out the figure in front of him, muttering intermittently, "Where are the peach blossoms? This time... there aren't any peach blossoms?"
His gaze finally managed to focus on Xiao Che's face, scrutinizing him carefully and without restraint. Then, as if he had discovered something new and interesting, he suddenly grinned foolishly and exclaimed indistinctly, "Hey! This is handsome... even more handsome than a celebrity..."
As he spoke, he actually reached out and tremblingly touched Xiao Che's face.
Xiao Che was completely unprepared for this move and momentarily forgot to dodge.
The cool, slightly alcohol-scented fingertips touched his brow bone directly.
Lin Yan's movements were slow and light, with the clumsiness and stubbornness characteristic of a drunkard, and it was unclear what he was trying to do.
Her fingers slowly slid down Xiao Che's brow bone, across his straight nose, and finally rested on his lips, which were always tightly pursed and seemed too cold-hearted, and she gently pressed them.
“Soft.” He chuckled again, as if he had come to some interesting conclusion.
Xiao Che's body stiffened, as if he had been frozen in place. He felt as if tiny flames were being lit wherever the wine-scented fingertips touched, burning his skin and making his blood rush.
You could even feel the thin calluses on Lin Yan's fingertips from holding the pen.
Lin Yan was completely unaware that he was pulling the tiger's fur. He even went further, his fingers continuing downwards, tracing the well-defined jawline and touching the slightly protruding Adam's apple.
"It moves..." He pressed it with his finger out of curiosity, feeling the slight rolling motion.
Xiao Che's breathing suddenly quickened, and he grabbed Lin Yan's misbehaving wrist, his voice hoarse: "Lin Yan, you're being insolent."
However, the drunkard couldn't understand the threat at all.
Lin Yan was unhappy that her wrist had been grabbed. She struggled to pull away, muttering a complaint, "Don't move! Let me touch you..."
His gaze remained fixed on Xiao Che's face, his brows furrowed, as if he were trying to think of something with his alcohol-induced mind.
After watching for a while, he suddenly leaned closer, his nose almost touching Xiao Che's chin, and uttered that earth-shattering name with utmost seriousness, enunciating each word clearly:
"Xiao Che?"
These two words, like a thunderclap, resounded in the silent palace.
Li Defu's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down on the spot.
Oh dear! Lord Lin!
Is His Majesty's name something that can be addressed directly?
Xiao Che's pupils contracted sharply, and his grip on Lin Yan's wrist tightened involuntarily.
Did he know?
He actually knew? Recognizing him while so drunk?
However, before Xiao Che could process the shock and indescribable tremor that surged in his heart, Lin Yan's next words left Xiao Che speechless.
Lin Yan seemed to have completed some major identity verification, letting out a satisfied sigh of relief. Then, as if overwhelmed by immense grievance, she tilted her head and leaned weakly into Xiao Che's arms, her forehead pressed against Xiao Che's chest, mumbling indistinctly, "I hate... I hate... going to... work..."
"Even in my dreams... I can't get a good night's sleep!"
After saying that, Lin Yan seemed to have exhausted her last bit of strength. She snuggled her head against Xiao Che's chest, found a comfortable position, and her breathing became even and long again—she had fallen asleep again!
Xiao Che was left sitting stiffly on the edge of the bed, holding his sleeping minister in his arms. A small patch of his clothes was dampened by the other's warm breath, and the rebellious and shocking drunken words echoed repeatedly in his ears.
Each word was like a small hammer, striking precisely the most vulnerable spot in Xiao Che's heart.
Xiao Che knew that Lin Yan was talking nonsense in a drunken stupor, and that he was just making things up.
But the dependence, the complaints in his tone, and even the way he called out "Xiao Che" by his full name, all carried an indescribable intimacy and authenticity.
Stripped of all the formalities of ruler and subject, only the most authentic Lin Yan remains.
The Lin Yan who would mentally complain about him, be overjoyed by his rewards, stay at his place because she didn't want to go home, and even... dream about him.
They were completely devoted to each other, but their minds were thrown into chaos.
All reason, restraint, and imperial majesty crumbled at this moment.
Xiao Che looked down at the fluffy head in his arms, listened to the even breathing, and felt the warmth and weight coming from his chest.
To hell with the distinction between ruler and subject!
Xiao Che tightened his arms around her, pulling her even closer, and then fell down with the force of the movement—
He actually hugged Lin Yan and lay down directly on the bed that originally belonged only to Lin Yan!
The brocade quilt sank deep, making a dull thud.
Aman, who was sleeping at the innermost part of the bed, was completely awakened by the loud noise. She protested with a "meow" and nimbly jumped to the foot of the bed, looking at the two-legged beast that had suddenly invaded her territory with dissatisfaction.
Xiao Che had no time to pay attention to the cat's dissatisfaction.
He lay on his side, holding Lin Yan completely in his arms, his chin resting on the other's soft hair, his nose filled with the scent of alcohol, cool fragrance, and Lin Yan's own aroma.
The body in her arms was warm and soft, relaxed from being drunk, and she leaned on him without reservation.
Xiao Che closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and firmly imprinted those shocking drunken words, those bold touches, and the real, warm touch in his arms into his heart.
To hell with tomorrow, tomorrow after tomorrow, there are so many tomorrows, he will seize today.
Let's talk about it after Lin Yan sobers up.
In any case, it was Lin Yan who provoked him first.
He was just... taking advantage of the situation.
Thinking this, Xiao Che tightened his arms, holding the person in his arms even closer, as if trying to lock in this moment of transgression and warmth.
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Author's note: I won't say who got the most pleasure [doge emoji]
The "Ten Thoughts on Advising Emperor Taizong" is a reference to the TV series "Empresses in the Palace" [Let me see].
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