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The first thought that Ye Shu had when he heard Xiao Huan’s remark was that this man could not have been sent by Jin Wang to test him, could he?
He was not to blame for being suspicious, because although Jin Wang had not treated him that way recently, his history of countless subversive tricks in the past compelled Ye Shu to be cautious.
With this in mind, Ye Shu took a fresh look at the young man in front of him.
Owing to certain genetic influences, Kunjun tended to have a delicate temperament, but this was not the case with the young man in front of him. Xiao Huan was born in a martial arts family and had trained in that field since he was young. His facial features, in all their beauty and gallantry, combined with his righteous demeanor made it impossible to doubt his integrity.
If this was all an act, then perhaps this man’s acting skills had already reached the acme of perfection.
But Ye Shu remained unconvinced. He weighed his words for a moment and then said, “I’m afraid that is not the right way to address His Majesty, Young Lord Xiao.”
“What’s not right with that?” Xiao Huan snorted. “If my father hadn’t helped him back then, would he have had a chance to take the throne? Good for him, but once the throne had been usurped, he also purged his former courtiers. Wasn’t that how he had Ye Shu-gege killed?”
Ye Shu’s eyelids fluttered, catching Xiao Huan’s implication. “You’re saying that……Minister Ye suffered an unjust death?”
The more Ye Shu listened, the more confused he became, he asked, “But the dog…… ahem, His Majesty is doing quite well now though?”
Xiao Huan looked at him sympathetically.
“You don’t have to worry, I’m not out here fooling you,” Xiao Huan’s voice softened a bit, then said seriously, “I know that ever since Ye Shu-gege died, that dog emperor sought you due to your close resemblance to him, and is keeping you around to torment you in all kinds of ways. Having been treated by him in that manner, it’s no wonder you were so afraid of him.”
Ye Shu, “……”
Had his image in the eyes of outsiders become like this???
Ye Shu pressed his brows. “Young Lord Xiao, you seem to have misunderstood the matter, His Majesty has been treating me quite well and has not……tormented me.”
Xiao Huan fell silent.
He gazed into Ye Shu’s eyes for a long time and then sighed lightly, “It’s so kind of you to speak up for him when he humiliated you like that.”
Ye Shu, “…………”
“You look so much like Ye Shu-gege, for this to happen, too, must be predestined by fate.” Xiao Huan stepped forward and he said in a warm voice, “Come with me to the southern fief. That dog emperor would have to give some face to my father, even if he does find out your whereabouts, he wouldn’t dare to come to take you back so easily either.”
“……No one will ever hurt you again.”
The young man looked so sincere that it was almost impossible to refuse.
Leaving this place was originally something that Ye Shu had been wishing for. He didn’t belong here in the first place. He always had to fear for his life by staying with that tyrant. If Xiao Huan had come a few months earlier, Ye Shu would not have had any hesitation.
But now……
His hand, hidden in the fox fur he wore, went up to caress his abdomen, and his eyes collected slightly.
He……seemed less eager to leave than he was before.
“You’re still uncertain of me, aren’t you?” Xiao Huan questioned. “How about this, I’ll give you a few days to think about it.”
“The end of the year is drawing near. In ten days it will be the Lunar New Year’s Eve, on which His Majesty will host a banquet in the palace in honor of the courtiers. At the third quarter past zishi, I will be waiting at the tree in front of Chongde Gate. If Your Highness has come to a conclusion, then come and find me.”
Xiao Huan persuaded, “I have good intentions, I hope that Your Highness will reflect on them. That dog emperor regards you as a substitute. Let alone the way he has treated you so far, even if he were to treat you well one day, how can you be sure if he is doing it for you or for that person in his heart?”
Ye Shu stood stunned.
The dark alley they were in was dark and, even the moonlight was blocked by the high palace walls, thus Xiao Huan did not notice that Ye Shu’s complexion had suddenly turned somewhat pale.
Xiao Huan leaned against the palace wall, his eyes slightly darkened. “Don’t you know, I have been repenting these days. Had I known this would happen, I should have insisted on taking Ye Shu-gege away. The capital is a place which is festering with ruthlessness and greed, I shouldn’t have let him stay with that dog emperor.”
“Anyhow, do consider it well.”
He patted Ye Shu on the shoulder and turned to walk into the dark alley where he soon disappeared.
Ye Shu went back to his bedchamber alone.
As the night wore on, the lights in the empty hall gradually dimmed. Ye Shu lay on his back on the bed, lost in thought.
Xiao Huan had spoken in a different context, but the words he dropped before he left kept echoing in Ye Shu’s mind.
—“Even if he were to treat you well one day, how can you be sure if he is doing it for you or for that person in his heart?”
Ye Shu had always understood that Jin Wang treated him well all because of the original owner.
Intending to survive, he even intentionally exploited Jin Wang’s feelings for the original owner.
His life was at stake in those days and he could not be bothered to think too much about it.
And now?
He was now in no danger of losing his life, but he was still taking advantage of them.
Some lies were easy to tell but much more difficult to take back than one would think.
This was what Jin Wang had said to him, of which he was no exception.
Ye Shu turned over and buried his face in the pillow.
It was all because Jin Wang treated him so well these days; so well that he almost forgot his own identity, so well that he almost felt……the liking that Jin Wang said to him.
The palace lamps were completely extinguished, and the moonlight superseded the candle lights, illuminating the hall ever more coldly.
Some time passed when a sudden soft creak emanated from the window.
Ye Shu opened his eyes.
It was windy during the night; he had probably forgotten to close the windows.
Ye Shu was not used to having other people serve him. He never let anyone serve him at night in Yongshou Palace, so he usually did all these things himself.
He sighed and slowly got up from the bed.
—Then he met a pair of bright eyes out of the darkness.
“!” Ye Shu was just about to cry out in shock when his mouth was immediately covered forcefully.
The intruder wrapped one hand around his waist and pressed the other hand firmly to his lips, then spoke in a low voice, “Don’t shout, it’s me.”
With the help of the moonlight, Ye Shu was able to clearly see the face in front of him.
Who else could it be if not Jin Wang?
Ye Shu, “……”
Seeing that Ye Shu had calmed down, Jin Wang let go of him.
Both men were somewhat awkward.
Ye Shu suddenly felt a bit of a headache, asking, “Why are you here?”
“I……” Jin Wang looked a bit discomfited as he coughed lightly and feigned seriousness. “Can’t I come to see you?”
Ye Shu was doubtful. “Climbing through the window in the middle of the night instead of using the door and with no formal announcement? Also, what are you wearing, a night suit?”
Jin Wang stared at the wee spot of moonlight at his feet and made no answer.
Ye Shu vaguely realized something, in disbelief as he said, “Have you been coming to my bedchamber in this way every night these days?”
Jin Wang said equivocally, “……Not every night.”
Ye Shu, “……”
He knew that dogs couldn’t mend their ways of eating shit, and the dog emperor couldn’t change his roguish practices.
Can this guy act like a normal human being for a day???
Seeing Ye Shu’s sulking expression, Jin Wang explained, “I didn’t do anything to you, simply holding you for a few hours to sleep and leaving before sunrise. In the past, you would have fallen asleep at this hour, I didn’t know that today you hadn’t yet gone to sleep……”
“Wait, it’s so late, why are you still up?”
“I……I can’t sleep.” Recalling what he had been thinking, Ye Shu’s expression eased a little and he turned back and walked towards the bed.
Jin Wang hurriedly followed him and helped him to lie down. “Why can’t you sleep? Are you feeling unwell?”
“No……” murmured Ye Shu.
Jin Wang looked down at him, a hint of amusement emerged in his eyes. “Thinking about what I told you earlier today?”
Ye Shu did not answer.
Jin Wang pulled the quilt to wrap him up as he said in a warm voice, “If it was this matter, you don’t need to take it too much to heart. I have said that I will give you time, you do not have to think it through right away.”
Ye Shu made a vague sound in response.
Jin Wang helped him tuck in, yet he didn’t leave either, sitting on the bedside and looking at him quietly.
Ye Shu looked up and met his eyes.
Those eyes looked innocent.
Ye Shu sighed and moved to the side. “Come here.”
This may be the first tyrant in history to have to gauge his concubine’s mood before he could get into their bed.
Ye Shu couldn’t help but reflect on when this man had become like so. However, the man in question didn’t seem to see any problem with this, as he happily stripped off his night suit, climbed into bed, and took Ye Shu in his embrace.
The series of movements were so skillful and light that one could not tell how many times he had done them.
Once again, Ye Shu doubted the authenticity of his claim of not coming every night.
The hall was silent in that moment, and in the familiar embrace, Ye Shu finally grew sleepy.
Jin Wang suddenly spoke, “A-Shu, did Gu make you angry by breaking the agreement?”
Ye Shu opened his eyes and spoke in a feeble voice, “Not really……that angry.”
He should have been angry that this man had snuck into his chamber while he was asleep, but for some reason, he just couldn’t bring himself to be angry.
To think that the stately monarch had come here every day in the dead of night for half a month, in disguise, out of sight and without a sound, simply to sleep with him for a few hours, and even having to leave before sunrise.
Not a bit of anger was left in Ye Shu’s heart.
Jin Wang softly stroked his hair and said with a sigh, “Gu was just worried.”
Ye Shu’s eyes flickered.
“Constantly worried that when I wake up, you’ll disappear again. Any moment you are not in sight, I worry even then,” Jin Wang said. “Not that I don’t trust you, but……I can’t help but think that way.”
Ye Shu replied, “The Imperial City has such tight security, where does Your Majesty think I can run away to?”
“No matter how tightly guarded the Imperial City is, one cannot always guard people’s hearts.” Jin Wang mocked a laugh as he shook his head. “Let’s not talk about this stuff. Go to sleep, I’ll be with you.”
Ye Shu agreed and buried his head into Jin Wang’s embrace. But this time, he no longer felt sleepy.
After a moment, Ye Shu called out, “Jin Wang.”
“What?”
“If one day you find out that I deceived you, what will you do?” Ye Shu narrowed his eyes. “Would you……kill me?”
Jin Wang fell silent.
He lifted Ye Shu’s head and looked seriously into those eyes. “I deceived you before, do you want to kill me?”
Ye Shu shook his head. “I don’t.”
“There you go.”
Ye Shu tentatively said, “But what if, what if I deceive you about something very serious?”
Jin Wang brought his palm down to his lower abdomen and tapped it with his fingertips. “More serious than this?”
Ye Shu, without a second thought, “Absolutely.”
“If so……” Jin Wang pondered for a moment before adding, “I still wouldn’t.”
He grinned wickedly and moved closer, saying softly in Ye Shu’s ear, “I’d to chain you to the bed like before, and spend days and nights ‘teasing’ you to the extent that you would never be able to get up from the bed again.”
“You haven’t really yet seen what I’m capable of. I guarantee that once you have a taste of it, you won’t dare have any more fickle thoughts.”
Ye Shu shivered.
Jin Wang gave him a gentle pat on the back of his head. “Alright, stop thinking about it and go to sleep.”
“But—” still feeling unsettled, Ye Shu turned over to sit up, and just as he was about to continue, he suddenly froze.
Jin Wang followed suit and sat up, asking nervously, “What’s wrong?”
Ye Shu looked down at his stomach, his voice trembling, “He, he, he, he—he I think he just……moved?”
(Mini Theatre)
The child who is frantically trying to make his presence felt: Stay awake at night and talk, what talk, annoying, I’m kicking you╭(╯^╰)╮
TN; Just so there’s no misunderstanding, by ‘deception’ Ye Shu is referring to the fact that he is not the ‘original owner’ but a ‘transmigrator.’ :))