Chapter 76 [VIP]
"Brother...brother?"
The boy in red stood before him, his brownish-red eyes, with their beautiful, glass-like pupils, looking at him with concern. His fingertips touched his cheek, feeling the beads of sweat on his face.
Looking at the person in front of him, Xue Yi asked with concern, "Are you alright? You should wake up soon. It's already winter outside, and I wanted to see the snow with my brother."
"You must wake up before winter, okay?"
When Lu Xuejin smiled at him in her youth, her eyes seemed to hold frost and snow, with stars falling into them and shattering into flowing pearls. Her smile melted away the chill brought by the coming winter. Wearing a red cloak, Lu Xuejin entered the plum garden, carrying many red plum blossoms as she walked through the mud, scattering plum petals all over the ground.
“I want to bring some red plum blossoms back with me. My home is a bit too plain, and these red plum blossoms will be perfect for decorating it,” Lu Xuejin said.
good.
Xue Yi tried to speak, but found it difficult to utter a sound. He looked down at his body and saw that many holes of varying sizes had appeared there, reflecting the stark white bones within, from which fireflies-like lights seemed to emerge. His soul seemed to be crawling out of his body like cotton wool.
"Chang... Changyou."
He called out the other person's name, but they were moving too fast for him to catch up. He could only watch helplessly as the boy in red entered the forest, a silent shadow rising from it. The shadow then materialized into the form of a woman, wielding a dagger and about to pierce Changyou's abdomen.
The red-clad youth's figure vanished in an instant, falling beneath the dagger.
Changyou... Changyou.
...Changyou.
Changyou—
"Cough...cough cough." Xue Yi opened his eyes and saw the familiar, opulent palace before him.
His eyelashes were damp with sweat, and mist gathered at the corners of his eyes. His voice was as hoarse as a withered branch rustling in the wind. He had just woken up, and the imperial physician Gu, who was guarding him, was stunned for a moment, then almost burst into tears of joy. Immediately, a strong and resonant voice rang out in the Golden Palace.
"Lord Song—His Majesty has awakened—"
A group of guards and imperial physicians quickly filed in. Xue Yi's heavy eyelids pressed down, but he felt a lightness in his body, as if the pain that had long plagued him had vanished. He touched his forehead and saw that the palace servants were all wearing cotton-padded clothes. Song Zhao rushed in immediately, his usually calm eyes now showing emotion.
"Song Zhao... how long have I been asleep?" he asked.
Song Zhao: "His Majesty has been in a coma for more than a month."
"Is it winter now?" Xue Yi asked. "Has Changyou written to me?"
Xue Yi: "Has there been any news from the south... I dreamt that he was injured."
Song Zhao: "No. Given Lord Lu's abilities, no one should be able to do anything to him. It is Your Majesty who should take care of your health... and read his letters less often."
"..." Xue Yi supported himself on the edge of the bed. He wanted to get out of bed, and all the palace servants immediately knelt down beside him.
"Well... His Majesty is not yet fully recovered. We should wait for Physician Jia to come and examine him."
"Song Zhao, bring me paper and pen. Has the messenger from the south not sent a message? If Changyou arrives, they should send a document." The scene from his dream resurfaced, and the thought that the other party might be injured somewhere he couldn't see made him feel uneasy.
The thick, swirling ink surged forth, and his body, like scattered lamplight, moved toward the other's location.
...
As Lu Xuejin and her group left Dingzhou City, Li Miaosuo's pursuers caught up with them, but they ran into Song Fangting and managed to avoid them.
“Lord Song Fangting will naturally protect the young master, but according to Lord Song Zhao’s decree, Lord Song Zhao will definitely capture the young prince,” Tengluo said.
It rains a lot in the south, and it started raining as soon as they arrived at the inn, turning the sky misty. Koi carp appeared in the pond through the window, their orange-red plumage a festive sight as they darted by.
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuejin said, "We'll take a detour from Suzhou and go directly to Liancheng. There's no need to meet with Song Fangting."
Watching from the side, Tengluo noticed that Murong Yue was still reading his comic book and couldn't help but ask, "We're almost at Liancheng. Although the journey has been bumpy, we've arrived on time. After delivering the official silver, young master, shall we go back?"
Murong Yue, who had been reading, put the book down and looked at the young man beside him. The two looked at each other, having not discussed the matter on the way.
Lu Xuejin asked, "Has Your Highness made up your mind?"
“I have already thought it through,” Murong Yue said. “I am going to Lidu. Once I arrive in Lidu, I will be free.”
"Where is my brother? Are you going back after delivering the official silver?" Murong Yue asked again.
Lu Xuejin: "That's convenient, why don't we escort His Highness to the capital?"
He carefully chose his words, meeting Murong Yue's clear, dark eyes, which held an unfathomable depth. After a moment, Murong Yue returned to his book and asked unhurriedly, "After you've seen me off, are you going back, brother?"
"My eighteenth birthday is coming soon. After you see me off, you will return to the capital. I will find a wife in the capital and get married, and then I can part ways with Brother Changyou amicably."
“Brother, just go back to being Lord Lu. Write to me from time to time to ask how I am doing. If I am not doing well, you don’t need to worry about me. You only need to send me to Lidu, and then you don’t need to care about my life or death. All in all, I have only known you for a year. How can I compare to the emperor, who I grew up with? Besides, he has power and influence, while I am just a prince in his twilight years. You have already done more than enough by sending me to Lidu. How could I ask for anything more?”
Tengluo smelled gunpowder, immediately touched her nose, and turned around while holding the milk tea, worried about being burned by the little prince's anger.
Lu Xuejin listened to the boy's incessant chatter, calculating that His Highness's birthday was approaching. He patiently said, "Of course I should celebrate His Highness's birthday with him. Does His Highness have any birthday gift he would like?"
This meant that he would be leaving after his birthday. Murong Yue looked at him, then stopped reading his comic book and put it down with a "thud".
"No need for me to worry about that. I'll just go back and check on that sickly fellow."
He was angry. Hearing the noise, Tengluo glanced up, and then, perhaps having offended the boy, the door was slammed shut by him. Only the three of them, master and servant, remained on the first floor.
"..." Lu Xuejin watched the boy's departing figure. This time, he didn't indulge him. However, by dinnertime, the child still hadn't come downstairs. He was concerned because of His Highness's mood. He knew His Highness might be doing this on purpose, perhaps peacefully reading in his room. He still couldn't help but want to go and check on him; if he didn't see him, he felt as if the child would disappear.
The rain fell softly outside the window, and the wind blowing in carried a chill.
Lu Xuejin went upstairs and knocked on the door, saying gently, "Your Highness, are you still angry? Why don't you come out for dinner first?"
"I'm not angry. I won't eat it, brother, you can eat it yourself." came the indifferent reply from inside.
"Yue'er, open the door first. If you're unhappy, we can discuss this properly, shall we?" Lu Xuejin said.
His shout finally opened the door. It was pitch black. Murong Yue opened the door and looked at him, his handsome face full of displeasure, his ears red, and his eyes showing a feigned indifference.
Murong Yue: "What do you want to discuss with me, brother? Since you're leaving anyway, what's there to discuss?"
Lu Xuejin entered the room, where the wisteria vines hadn't been cleared away, nor had the prince. He noticed the prince's scribbles on a piece of paper on the table. The young man turned away from him, only glancing at him out of the corner of his eye.
Seeing this, he stepped forward and touched Murong Yue's fingertips, then took his hand. He took the initiative to hug him. Now that His Highness was taller than him, his nose touched Murong Yue's hair, and he saw those fan-shaped eyes roll up, the dark pupils looking at him with ill intent.
A cool fragrance, the scent emanating from His Highness, the clenched fangs he was trying to control. The burning heat of his body when you touch him, the scalded knuckles, and the restrained aura he exudes when you lean in.
"Brother is leaving soon, don't hug me. Let go," Murong Yue said.
He noticed the boy was being stubborn. Although he told him to let go, the boy didn't move, and even subtly wrapped his arms around him, bringing his cheek closer. Like a dried fish offered to his mouth, the cat was considering whether to take a bite.
He asked quietly, "If you don't loosen your grip, what should Your Highness do?"
Upon hearing this, Murong Yue leaned closer to look at him, his fan-shaped eyes widening, revealing a surge of emotions within. His anger vanished in an instant, replaced by a dark, possessive desire. Their noses met, and Murong Yue lowered his head to bite his lips.
His canine teeth grazed his lips, and Murong Yue gripped his chin, forcing him to tilt his head back. He wouldn't let go, so the boy picked him up instead. Picking him up was now effortless, and his innocent expression concealed a smile that seemed to be a punishment for the boy's self-destructive act. He was forced into a corner, his wrists wrapped tightly around his waist, making him unable to move.
"Brother insisted on offering himself up. I want to do more than I should for you, so please accept it."
Lu Xuejin thought to himself that the boy had grown up. The kitten-like boy had turned into a wild beast, baring his claws and fangs in front of him, toying with him like prey. His earlobe was licked wet, and His Highness's kisses landed between his lips and neck. His Highness's breath lingered beside him, and his hands left several red marks on his waist.
His tongue was thick with a raw, moist sensation, and as they intertwined, his breath was swallowed by Murong Yue. His Highness was insatiable, unlike him who knew when to stop. He felt it wasn't enough, kissing every part of his body, determined to go deeper, pressing against him still not enough, holding him close, wanting to pull him into his own. He was utterly curious about every part of his body, his kisses landing on the corners of his eyes, causing them to well up with moisture.
Until that desire touched him, the boy picked him up and was about to crash into him, wrapping his hands around him and making him touch him. A layer of heat settled between his eyebrows and eyes, wet from the hot kiss, his cheeks became damp, his withered fingertips pulled back, only to be grasped by His Highness again.
Murong Yue hugged him and asked, "Isn't Brother Changyou leaving? How about you satisfy me one last time before you go?"
So unreasonable and domineering. If it only happened once, it might be acceptable, but I'm afraid His Highness would use this as an excuse to torment him countless times before he left. He sighed inwardly, looking at the boy's features, and asked, "Didn't I just say... Your Highness, please calm down first, and I'll make it for you after we've discussed it? How about that?"
"Brother teased me first, why should I calm down? Brother Changyou should be the one taking responsibility for me," Murong Yue said with a smile.
A dark smile appeared in the boy's eyes, a smile that carried a possessive desire. The emotion seemed tangible, his eyes observing him intently. He leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
His sweat-drenched brows reflected the boy's lustful gaze, an emotion that consumed him, causing his heart to pound whenever the prince drew near. He still cared. He was still tormented by it, still swayed by the prince's advances.
It wasn't enough that he only had his hands occupied; Murong Yue embraced him completely, the boy nibbling at his earlobe from behind, pulling him closer and lifting his robe to reveal skin that was usually hidden. A patch of snow-white skin, the boy's hand resting on it, leaving a red mark.
A red mark spread between his legs, but he maintained his composure, his glassy eyes turning to look at the boy, meeting his gaze. The prince's cheeks and ears flushed red from the touch, his eyes shrouded in a deep emotion, a desire to devour him whole. He calmed down amidst the dangerous atmosphere, and the prince lifted him up and placed him on his lap.
This posture made him feel insecure. He realized that this cunning cat was pretending to be no different from usual, but was actually testing his limits.
"Your Highness. No."
Lu Xuejin sat on Murong Yue's lap. The food the boy usually ate was now put to good use. He picked him up and placed him on his lap, manipulating him so that he was sitting facing him. Murong Yue couldn't help but rub his forehead because of this position. The boy, however, was quite satisfied with this position. He grabbed his ankles and leaned closer to look at him, easily pulling him into his arms.
Murong Yue confined him to a small space and asked, "Once you return to the palace, I will never see you again. What's wrong with letting me hold you for a while?"
"If that sickly man can hug me, why can't I?"
"..." Lu Xuejin replied, "Your Highness, why do you say such a thing? I have never spoken to my brother like that."
He patiently explained, “I can rest assured that Your Highness has gone to the capital. If I do not return, my brother will come here, and Your Highness will still be in danger. I need to go to the court, and I will come to find Your Highness when I am able to leave.”
Murong Yue: "Am I supposed to live in hiding forever?"
“I don’t want to be separated from my brother. The thought of him leaving makes me feel like there’s no point in living. I just want him to stay by my side and not go anywhere else. If Changyou leaves, you don’t need to contact me anymore. You can live with that emperor. I never want to see you again.”
Lu Xuejin saw the anger blazing in the young man's eyes, a fire that seemed to burn him to ashes. He simply said he wanted to leave, refusing to agree to anything. He had originally expected His Highness to be displeased, but now that things had come to this, seeing the young man's anger, he felt a pang of pity.
This pampered young man couldn't even make his bed without a maid. Although he could still manage, he always seemed a bit unsettling. He could almost picture His Highness living alone, and he would surely be reluctant to leave if he saw him.
“Your Highness should trust me. I am involved in the court affairs and will soon be able to change Your Highness’s situation, and Your Highness will not be confined to this place forever,” Lu Xuejin explained.
Murong Yue: "Brother, you should also believe in me. If you are not by my side, I am like a rootless duckweed. Only with you by my side can I be reborn as a human and live a good life. If you leave, I will revert to my former violent and arrogant self, and I don't know what I will do then. I don't care about the people of Lidu, I will do anything to see you, brother."
...Look at all this nonsense.
Feeling helpless, Lu Xuejin leaned over and kissed the boy's lips, silencing his words.
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