Chapter 55 [VIP]
"Fire! The Prime Minister's residence is on fire!"
The towering flames illuminated their faces as guards rushed to extinguish the fire. Lost in thought, Lu Xuejin noticed a sudden change in Xue Yi's expression; Xue Yi's face paled, and he gripped Lu Xuejin's hand tightly.
His fingers were gripped so tightly they almost broke, and a chilling coldness seeped through his sweat.
“Brother, don’t worry. It must be the negligence of the palace staff. With the Imperial Guards here, it will be resolved soon,” he said to Xue Yi.
Xue Yi's brows furrowed, revealing a complex mix of emotions. Though he remained silent, his feelings were palpable, as if he feared Xue Yi might perish in the fire.
“…It’s alright now,” he said softly.
Both of them had painful memories of the fire. His father died in the fire at the Prime Minister's residence, a fire that destroyed the first half of their lives. They always thought that with time they would forget; but now, the sight of fire still brings back those memories.
“No need to worry. General Xiao and Song Zhao have gone there, and they should be able to find out the truth soon.” Lu Xuejin touched the cold sweat on Xue Yi’s palm. The person beside him lowered his eyes, and beads of sweat dripped down his temples. They walked along the fire-stained palace path, where the flames seemed to have turned into ghostly fire.
“…Changyou,” Xue Yi said, his expression suppressing his emotions, his breathing becoming disordered as he was exposed to the flames.
His fingers were guided by Xue Yi, who led him to his heart and said, "Lately, I've been uneasy, and my dreams are mostly about my youth. I desperately didn't want you to leave the capital, but the matter has already been decided... Your promise to me still stands. Will you come back?"
Behind Lu Xuejin, the curtain of flames shone brightly, falling beside him and illuminating his face. His snow-white robe seemed to be dyed red by the flames, turning into a dazzling color.
“Of course. My brother is my only family, and I will eventually return to the Wei Palace.”
"Brother, just wait for me."
A fire in the palace caused unrest, but Xiao Qi and Song Zhao, both in the palace, quickly dealt with the situation. Lu Xuejin escorted Xue Yi back to Xiyuan Palace. He stood beneath the palace wall, watching as a group of imperial physicians surrounded Xue Yi and saw him enter the temporary palace. Just as he reached the entrance, Xue Yi turned to look at him again, his inscrutable eyes filled with conflicting emotions.
The chill of early autumn swept through the window, and Xue Yi caught a cold and coughed, a pool of blood appearing in his palm.
Lu Xuejin left the palace.
When he left the palace, the fire was not yet completely extinguished, and Murong Yue was already waiting for him in the carriage. After he got into the carriage, the young man pulled the reins, and the carriage slowly moved forward.
A ribbon of light descended from the distant sky, illuminating half of the palace. The ornate plaque of the Golden Palace shone brightly in the distance, its brilliance enhanced by the flames rather than diminishing. The Golden Palace stood beneath the clouds, its splendor bathed in the golden glow of the firelight.
“Your Highness, I will be leaving the palace tomorrow…” Lu Xuejin had already arranged the itinerary for the young man. As soon as he spoke, Murong Yue turned his head to look at him, and after meeting his gaze, he quickly looked away.
I'm not going with my brother tomorrow.
He felt the same way; after revealing his true feelings, he always felt somewhat embarrassed. He didn't show it as obviously as Murong Yue, but seeing the boy's reddened ears stirred up ripples in his heart. Disliking his restless mind, he calmed his emotions.
Lu Xuejin: "Your Highness, you're not coming with me? You've already made your own plans?"
“We’ll meet up again after we leave the capital,” Murong Yue said. “Tomorrow, when Brother passes through the city gate, Xiao Qi has set up four layers of screening at each of the four gates in the capital, a total of sixteen checkpoints. If I go with Brother Changyou, we’ll be more likely to be discovered.”
"My original plan was to find a guard to replace me. If it was discovered, it would distract General Xiao."
"Here's a map." Murong Yue pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, which he had obtained from Xiao Shen. Xiao Shen's drawing was crooked and uneven, but it roughly showed the location of the checkpoints from Fengming Terrace to Zhujiao Alley. Knowing the location would allow them to devise a strategy based on the crowds at the morning market.
Lu Xuejin took the map. He looked at the boy's profile; in the past six months, he had grown a lot, and was beginning to resemble a young man. He pondered for a moment, rationally knowing that the Ninth Prince was right. Xue Yi and Xiao Qi both suspected him now, and would definitely investigate him several times tomorrow.
It would be very dangerous for His Highness to follow him. He stared at the man in a daze, and he felt even more uneasy about letting the little cat go out on an adventure alone.
As he pondered a solution, the young man in front of him spoke up: "With the Wei Palace on fire today, the guards at the gates will surely be reassigned tomorrow. I will act accordingly. Brother, don't worry about me. We'll meet in Youzhou, about twenty miles west of the capital."
"..." Lu Xuejin remained silent. All his plans revolved around keeping His Highness by his side, and now that His Highness had his own ideas, that was naturally a good thing. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to say he was reluctant to part with her, and he felt that the atmosphere between the two of them was particularly awkward today. He looked out at the night sky, pondering the matter, but couldn't figure out what the problem was.
They soon arrived at the side courtyard. Ziyan and Tengluo were busy packing. Tengluo had almost finished packing and was staring blankly at the table, lost in thought.
As the candlelight was lit, Lu Xuejin entered the room and saw Tengluo looking lost in thought. She couldn't help but ask, "Tengluo, is something on your mind?"
"No. Your Highness's luggage has been packed. There are only dolls and bottles left, which Your Highness can pack when you return," Tengluo said.
Ziyan: "Just now, Lord Song came by and brought the luggage that His Majesty prepared for the young master."
Upon hearing this, Murong Yue said, "Since you can't bear to part with Lord Song, why don't you stay in the capital? Anyway, Brother Changyou and I have Sister Ziyan, which is enough."
“I didn’t say that,” Tengluo said unhappily. “I’ll stay here with the young master and the prince and won’t go anywhere.”
Tengluo slumped her face on the table and exclaimed, "I just want the food in Shengjing. I don't know when I'll be back. My glutinous rice balls, my fermented rice wine, my pickled chicken feet, my pickled garlic sprouts, my red bean cakes, my candied hawthorns, my lotus leaf chicken, my sour bamboo shoots, my roasted rabbit legs... and my milk tea."
Lu Xuejin: "Since we can't bear to part with the wisteria, we can buy some to take with us when we leave tomorrow."
"Now that it's getting cold, we should find some ice tomorrow, which should keep it for a while."
"Really?" Tengluo's eyes lit up, and she leaned over to hug Lu Xuejin's waist. "Young Master, you're so kind."
"I heard there was a fire in the palace today," Tengluo released him, slapped her forehead, and asked, "Is the young master alright?"
Lu Xuejin remained calm and replied, "It's nothing. You two should get some rest. We'll get up early tomorrow. The journey is long and bumpy, so we need to be well-rested before we set off."
After instructing Tengluo and Ziyan, he entered the room, with the boy following behind him. Normally, the boy would hug him upon entering, but today he didn't cling to him. He lit a candle and looked at the boy behind him. Murong Yue removed his mask, noticed his gaze, and naturally placed the mask on the table.
"Brother Changyou, you must be tired from playing chess today. Let's get some rest."
The doll still sat in the corner of his bed. After the candlelight went out, Murong Yue quietly got into bed and lay down beside him. He could smell the boy's scent beside him; the boy was sleeping casually. He hadn't noticed it before, but today, as he and the boy bumped into each other from time to time, he realized that the small bed was too cramped.
The space was so narrow that Murong Yue could touch his earlobe by turning to the side. The boy's arm came across, almost half-embracing him. The boy's breath brushed past his ear. Knowing that he wasn't asleep, the boy behind him leaned in and kissed his earlobe, his fingers inadvertently touching it. He said behind him, "...Brother. You smell so good."
"Are you reluctant to part with me tomorrow?" Murong Yue asked, playing with his ear.
He opened his eyes, assuming the boy was just tickling him, and quietly replied, "Since Your Highness already knows, why ask again?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the arm around his waist suddenly tightened, and the boy pulled him into his arms. He realized that the cat liked this position, as if it treated him like dried fish, keeping him close to its chest. The boy slipped his fingers through the gap between their fingers, and their hands intertwined. His lack of reaction was seen as indulgence, and his breath became lighter where his eyelashes fell.
Murong Yue's body temperature was high, and his palms were burning hot. Holding him and holding his hand seemed not enough. His lips brushed against Murong Yue's neck several times, kissing his ear until it was wet. From his ear to his cheek, a layer of moisture was left.
Autumn's chill was evident in the night, and his cheeks flushed slightly from the heat. The boy's earring brushed against his skin, and the kisses continued endlessly. The boy's canine teeth seemed to be heading for something more dangerous, so he had to hold the boy down to stop him from ravaging him.
“…Your Highness.” He sighed softly.
His inner garment was slightly open, revealing a glimpse of his waistline, and his collar was open, partially obscured by his hair. He glanced at the person and said in a low voice, "You need to get up early tomorrow and rest early. Don't move around anymore."
In the darkness, Murong Yue's face was partially obscured, his handsome, aloof features appearing even more striking. The boy's sharply defined jawline was taut, his fan-shaped eyes fixed on him, a somber expression concealing his true nature. The moment he spoke, the boy fell silent.
She remained in the position of holding him, her hand at his waist rising upwards, and accidentally brushed against his chest.
A deep breath fell beside his ear, and Murong Yue said to him, "Brother Changyou... is my bright moon."
He had been teased by the boy all the time, and now that the boy had calmed down, he couldn't fall asleep. He closed his eyes, and the boy was quiet beside him for a while. After a short while, the boy got up in the night and left the bed, moving very quietly.
"..." Are you going out so late?
He sat alone on the bed, watching the boy leave. He watched the boy's retreating figure in the darkness, sat on the bed for a while, but still couldn't shake his unease, so he got up and followed him.
The courtyard was very quiet. Tengluo and Ziyan had already gone to sleep. In the bedroom next to the master bedroom, which was originally prepared for His Highness, but had not been visited since His Highness fell ill and stayed with him, a small lamp was now lit, its dim light appearing and disappearing in the darkness.
Suddenly, he heard a sound. A suppressed panting came from the room, the voice somewhere between a boy and a man, hoarse from puberty, mixed with some indescribable noise, and a "Brother Changyou" fell beside his ear, as if it were being done right next to his ear.
He naturally understood what Murong Yue was doing. He remained standing in the corridor, the dim light in front of him becoming an unspeakable forbidden zone.
You should not go there.
You should not go there.
You should not go there.
He is a gentleman; if he were to go, how would he be any different from a scoundrel peeping at a woman bathing? The late emperor taught him to stay away from women; if he were to see them, it would inevitably arouse his lust. Besides, since Your Highness has come out in the middle of the night, you naturally don't want to be discovered.
Going back is the right thing to do.
He thought this, but his body remained motionless. Like a cat munching on dried fish, it drew him in. His mind went blank, and after taking two steps forward, he saw the figure inside.
Under the lamplight, His Highness's slender fingers were visible, and somewhere around his snow-white belt, the boy held His Highness's outer robe in his hand, while in his other hand, along with the filth, lay the underpants that His Highness had hidden away without the boy even realizing it. The fabric in the boy's hand was damp.
Murong Yue's nose brushed against his outer robe, his teeth biting the snow crane on it until it was wet. His features became sticky with sweat, his brows and eyes burning with a scorching heat, as if he wanted to crush the snow crane's neck. Along with this, an aura of domineering power emanated from him without any concealment. When his nose brushed against the outer robe, his brows and eyes were darkened by the smoke.
The low voice echoed in Lu Xuejin's ears. He stood outside, and the boy sat for half an hour while he watched from outside for half an hour.
After the two of them returned to the room one after the other and pretended to be asleep, they both acted as if nothing had happened.
The next morning, before Lu Xuejin had even woken up, he heard the voice of a young man.
"Changyou, wake up. We should get going."
He opened his eyes and saw the boy's face. Murong Yue looked at him thoughtfully and said, "Brother, did you not sleep well the night before?"
Murong Yue: "You don't look very energetic."
The scene Lu Xuejin had witnessed the day before flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but ask, "How did Your Highness rest?"
“I’m fine,” Murong Yue looked at him, leaned in and touched his cheek with the tip of his nose, then quickly looked away. “With you here, I’m sleeping very well.”
He noticed that the boy had already prepared clothes for him. These were originally prepared by Ziyan, but he didn't know when the boy had started doing them for him. He fell into thought, and the boy's damp outer robe was hanging on the screen.
The young man before him, Murong Yue, was packing his belongings. Half of the things he had collected were gifts for His Highness, along with his belt, all neatly arranged by the boy. The boy's lowered gaze revealed an innocent look. Noticing his gaze, he asked in confusion, "Brother Changyou... what's wrong?"
"Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?" Murong Yue touched his face, leaned closer to him, and tried to look into his eyes with his clear black and white eyes. When he saw him, he blushed again and said to him, "Brother Changyou, is something on your mind?"
"..." Lu Xuejin looked at the kitten's innocent appearance and thought that this was how it was originally. Cats are not so simple-minded... Didn't he already know that?
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly as he changed into the clothes the boy had prepared for him.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but the fabric against his legs seemed damp. Maybe he'd gone to bed late and was just imagining things. After he changed his clothes, Murong Yue looked away and hugged him.
“This outfit suits you perfectly, brother. I chose it especially for you; it looks very good on you. After we leave the capital, I will take care of you,” Murong Yue said to him.
Lu Xuejin dared not agree. He looked through the boy's eyes and saw only a gentle smile, with flickering emotions within, so intense they seemed to melt him.
He touched Murong Yue's temple and said gently, "If Your Highness is happy, then it is not impossible."
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