CH 14

It was not until the sky gradually dimmed that Chang Yuan left the imperial study.

The door of the imperial study opened and closed, and the chief personal attendant, Gao Jin, advanced into the hall, only to see Jin Wang leaning back in the dragon chair, exhaustedly pressing the space between his brows.

Gao Jin walked over. “Your Majesty is tired. Shall this humble servant press it for you?”

“Don’t mind it,” Jin Wang waved his hand and asked, “What is Minister Ye doing now?”

“Minister Ye is still asleep.”

The exhausted look on Jin Wang’s face somewhat dissipated, and a trace of warmth spread across his eyes. “Sleeping the entire afternoon—this guy…”

Gao Jin tentatively said, “This humble servant saw that Minister Ye was not in good spirits these days. Perhaps he……was overworked and……harmed his body.”

Jin Wang swept him a glance. “Are you saying that Gu does not know moderation?”

“I don’t dare.”

The chief personal attendant bowed, but the phrase, “Don’t you know it in your heart?”, was written all over his face.

Jin Wang was pissed. “These past several days, Gu has simply—”

……simply not touched him.

After that fizzled out service, Jin Wang had euphemistically asked the imperial physician.

The imperial physician had said, “A Qianjun’s faith incense is incorporeal, but it can have a great impact on the Kunjun, an impact which is far more powerful than ordinary distilled spirits. Additionally, the suppressant taken by Minister Ye suppresses his faith incense, making it impossible for him to resonate with his Qianjun.”

“To be able to smell and react, but unable to absorb, that was the cause of his drunkenness.”

To put it briefly, unless Ye Shu stopped taking that pill, it would be impossible for him to face Jin Wang’s faith incense soberly.

Of course, there was another way to painstakingly control a Qianjun’s faith incense from being released whenever they were swept away by clouds and rain.

However……it was even worse than abstinence.

Jin Wang neither wanted to misuse himself, nor did he want to fiddle with an unconscious person. Thus the past few days, intimacy between him and Ye Shu was there, but not once did they really go any further.

Jin Wang felt dejected at the thought of all this. Alas, there were always people who threw themselves in front of the muzzle of a gun.

Gao Jin had been following Jin Wang for many years and knew best how to observe his speech and behavior. Seeing that His Majesty was already about to flare, he hurriedly said, “This humble servant has just asked the imperial kitchen to make Minister Ye’s favorite pastry. Evening meal time has arrived. Does Your Majesty want to wake Minister Ye up to dine?”

Sure enough, at the mention of Ye Shu, Jin Wang’s complexion eased up quite a bit, and he said, “Gu will personally go and call him. Prepare the meals.”

—

Ye Shu couldn’t stand the light whenever he slept, therefore the bedchamber was lit only with a dark glazed lamp. When Jin Wang entered, the young man was still sunken in the soft bed, sleeping soundly.

He had asked Chang Yuan a lot today. Every point of dissimilarity concerning Ye Shu in the past three years, every strange occurrence, every little thing; all matters, whether important or trivial.

Jin Wang did not entirely believe all of that guard’s words. But one thing was apparent: these three years were indeed not as simple as he thought.

Was it an imposter, or was it something of a subject best avoided?

Jin Wang had no notion for the time being. He sat down on the bedside, looked at the sleeping figure, and whispered with a sigh, “Just how many more secrets do you have that Gu doesn’t know?”

The young man with closed eyes suddenly said, “Won’t tell you.”

Jin Wang, “……”

For a moment, Jin Wang thought that the young man was deliberately pretending to sleep, but the next second, he heard Ye Shu mumbled, “Why should I tell you…… Bitch hole Jin Wang.”

Jin Wang, “………………”

Very well, still sleeping.

Jin Wang smiled back in anger and leaned down, instantly bringing the two of them extremely close to each other. “Dare you swear one more time?”

Ye Shu, in the dream, seemed to feel the sense of oppression from the outside world, slightly frowned and said, “Bitc—”

Before he could finish that word, he was fiercely blocked.

Jin Wang somewhat used some force, licking and nibbling on those two soft lips, and sucking them hard.

Ye Shu woke up in the middle of this breathless kiss, opened his eyes and his hazy vision immediately met with those beautiful ones.

The two silently stared at each other for a moment.

Ye Shu blinked in a daze, Jin Wang then calmly let go of him. “Awake?”

“I……” Ye Shu, not yet roused from a long sleep, cocked his head and raised his hand to touch his lips that were numb from the kiss.

Jin Wang adored his muddled appearance and couldn’t help but pinch the young man on the cheek.

Warm and smooth; an excellent feel.

Ye Shu’s consciousness gradually returned, and inquired, “You took advantage of me on the sly again?”

“No.” Jin Wang withdrew his hand. Not waiting for Ye Shu to ask again, he added, “This Gu is upright and pure-minded.”

Ye Shu, “……”

There was a knock on the door of the bedchamber. It was the servant bringing in their evening meal.

Jin Wang straightened up. “Don’t sleep, get up and dine.”

Ye Shu slept and ate a lot these days, and his tastes had become very picky—not eating plain food, meat, fish, spicy foods, and even putting aside scallions and ginger. He was even more difficult to serve than the ruler himself.

Contrarily, this ruler was happy to spoil him, and instructed the imperial kitchen to make his favorite dishes in different ways every day.

Various types of delicacies were laid out all over the table. Ye Shu swept a glance, when his eyes stopped at a dainty and exquisite pastry.

Jin Wang tacitly understood and put it on his plate. “Want to eat this?”

“Hmn.” Ye Shu nodded.

The pastry has just the right amount of softness. It was sprinkled with sesame seeds and had a light pink filling in it which tasted sweet and sour; a mouthful of lip-smacking yumminess.

Ye Shu squinted his eyes contentedly.

Jin Wang didn’t touch his chopsticks. He quietly watched him finish a piece and then, putting another piece in front of him, he said leisurely, “Gu remembers that my beloved minister did not like to eat this kind of pastry before.”

Ye Shu’s hand paused and the pastry fell onto the table.

“Gu remembers last year’s evening banquet for all the ministers. The palace had invited a Yangzhou chef who specialised in all kinds of pastries and sweet soups,” Jin Wang paused and then said, “my beloved minister said he didn’t like sweets; and indeed, he didn’t touch a bite that night.”

“Di…Did something like that happen?” Ye Shu pondered for a moment and smiled. “Your Majesty also said that that was in the past. This subject used to dislike these sweet and unctuous foods, but people’s tastes change. What’s strange about that?”

Jin Wang smiled. “Oh, so that’s how it is.”

The two didn’t mention this matter again. Jin Wang placed another piece of pastry in front of Ye Shu once again. A meal so harmonious and warm.

Only the servant waiting on the side listened in a trance.

When did His Majesty have an evening banquet for all the ministers last year? Where did the Yangzhou chef come from? If Minister Ye didn’t like to eat sweets…… Then, some years ago, why on earth would His Majesty always send the palace pastries to the Ye Mansion?

Was his memory faulty???

Have dined to satiety, Ye Shu leaned back on the soft couch, squinting his eyes, lazily rubbing his stomach like a satiated cat.

Jin Wang looked up from the folding memorial. “Not feeling well?”

“No,” Ye Shu said, “a little bloated…”

Jin Wang went on, “Eat once more.”

“……” Ye Shu snorted, not wishing to acknowledge him.

The hall was quiet. For a while, only the sound of the pages turning in Jin Wang’s hands remained.

After a few moments of silence, the door which was left ajar sounded softly and a low meow came from it.

Ye Shu straightened up and his eyes lit up. “San’er is hereee.”

The group of kittens that was brought back was kept in the palace. Except for the mother cat, there were five kittens named individually as Yi, Er, San, Si, Wu.

Kittens grew fast and energetic, bouncing vivaciously everywhere all day long until there was not a single one in sight.

Only the third one loved to play with Ye Shu.

It was determined to live up to its reputation to the very end.

The door opened and the kitten named little San’er rushed in in a flash. The little kitten’s dark, perfectly round eyes turned and caught Ye Shu, who was still sitting on the soft couch.

It clambered as it climbed up onto the couch and took the initiative to stretch its head to Ye Shu’s hand, rubbing it as it did so, letting out a babyish squeal.

Ye Shu didn’t hold back and held up the kitten and kissed it a few times.

When Jin Wang raised his head from the memorial, he caught sight of a man and a kitten, nestled against each other on the soft couch, already fast asleep. He walked towards the couch and first picked up the kitten and handed it to the servant waiting at the side. And then, dipping down, he picked up Ye Shu in his arms.

Seemingly sensing a familiar scent, Ye Shu didn’t open his eyes, but his hands naturally lifted and hooked around Jin Wang’s neck.

Whenever possible, this attitude of dependence was enough to please the other.

Jin Wang’s footsteps lightened a bit and he placed the man carefully on the bed.

Ye Shu’s body touched the soft bed and cozily stretched out, he half opened his eyes and rubbed them with his hands. “Have you finished reviewing the memorials?”

Jin Wang, “No, you should rest first.”

“That won’t do,” Ye Shu instantly sobered up, still struggling to sit up. “You’ll turn back and find reasons to torment people again……”

Jin Wang’s scowled. “……Lie down.”

Ye Shu was too weak to move.

Jin Wang, “Take off your clothes and go to bed.”

Ye Shu obediently did as he was told. He removed his shoes and put his robe aside. Jin Wang bent down and carefully removed his hair ornament from the back of his head.

Like a waterfall, the long hair instantly scattered over the bed.

Jin Wang gazed at him and quietly said, “Tomorrow, we’ll go back to the palace.”

This was not what Ye Shu expected.

His Majesty the Emperor had stayed in this abode for most of the month under the pretext of ‘recuperating’, neither attending court nor accepting summons there in recent days; even the state affairs that were dealt with were only those of great urgency.

Although state affairs were unlikely to be abandoned, the efficiency was bound to be greatly affected.

Not to mention that the plot in the book had yet to come online from the time Ye Shu transmigrated until now.

As luck would have it, His Majesty the Emperor finally remembered that he still had a state to manage.

Ye Shu thought expressionlessly. What a joy to behold.

However, in the next second, Jin Wang added, “Preparations for the wedding ceremony are imminent, and Gu wants to personally supervise and handle them.”

“……”

Jin Wang smiled. “Go to sleep ba, we still have an early day tomorrow.”

Did he transmigrate into a pirated book??? This man really had no sense to his character!

—

Early the next morning, the ruler’s carriage and horses set off from their abode and headed for the imperial city.

The ruler traveled low key this time, with only a few guards accompanying him in front of and behind the carriage, most of them hidden in the shadows.

At the frontmost of the carriage, Chang Yuan was on horseback, looking around vigilantly.

Ye Shu drew down the carriage curtains and let out a sigh of relief.

Jin Wang was true to his word after all and didn’t make a move against Chang Yuan.

“What, Gu didn’t lie to you, did Gu?” Inside the carriage, Jin Wang was leisurely sipping his tea.

Ye Shu nodded and said sincerely, “Many thanks, Your Majesty, for sparing his life.”

“Just a verbal word of thanks?”

Ye Shu asked patiently, “What does Your Majesty want?”

Jin Wang was in no rush to answer. He stared at Ye Shu with unblinking eyes and then gave a slight smile. “Gu, in exchange, wants to know a secret of yours that nobody else knows. You can’t lie.”