They laughed and joked like this with smiles on their faces. Ye Xu curiously looked at Wen Mingyu as he suddenly remembered something. “Right, I haven’t asked you yet. I didn’t see you after yesterday night. Did you watch the performance?”
Wen Mingyu paused for a moment, then immediately recalled the image of himself being picked up by Mu Zhan to watch the dragon lantern parade, looking like a little child. His ears uncontrollably burned, but luckily it was not obvious.
“I saw. Swimming dragon lanterns, lion dances, and dry-boat rowing… Ah, there was also that light wheel at Yanfu Gate, very pretty.”
Ye Xu was surprised and a little envious. “You’ve almost seen it all. This year’s light wheel was the most special, more exquisite than in prior years. The silk and gold and jade that hang on it were all from the palace, specifically ordered by the emperor to build it. It’s a pity you can’t get closer. When I saw it last night, there were too many people.”
“His Highness specifically ordered it to be built?” Wen Mingyu subconsciously asked.
“Right,” Ye X’s tidbits of information were always abundant, and without a second thought, he said, “The emperor used to not pay attention to festivals, but this time it’s quite odd. I’ve heard that it’s because the prospective empress is looking forward to the Lantern Festival, so the emperor ordered the construction of this light wheel for his sake. Hey, saying this feels like there’s a concubine laughing, but we’re empresses here, not the same, not the same. The couple’s affection is very good.”
Wen Mingyu discovered that there was such a thing upon hearing this. Thinking carefully, last night when they returned to the palace, he didn’t actually need to go via Yanfu Gate. They deliberately detoured there, and their parking spot was also a great viewing location with no crowds around. That was nothing like what Ye Xu had said.
So this was simply what Mu Zhan had purposefully shown him, but he didn’t say it!
Wen Mingyu’s heartbeat quickened, and he felt like a sea of flowers had suddenly blossomed vibrantly in his heart. It was an indescribable happiness.
The corners of his mouth unconsciously curled, and he smiled.
Ye Xu was caught off guard and shaken by this smile of his, and at the same time, he was also confused. Why was he suddenly so happy?
Chu Shuli felt that Wen Mingyu might have recalled last night’s lantern-viewing date. The air seemed to have an extra touch of sweetness. She didn’t want Ye Xu to foolishly spoil the atmosphere, so she wanted to say to get ready for class.
But she didn’t expect someone to beat her to it. Cai Xinhan passed by them and said plainly, “Class is in session.”
The bell did ring outside, and a reminder should be considered kind, but Cai Xinhan’s tone was uncomfortable to hear, conveying a sort of condescending haughtiness.
The atmosphere froze the moment he spoke.
Wen Mingyu couldn’t help frowning.
In this way, it seemed that the previous feeling that Cai Xinhan was dissatisfied with Ye Xu was not an illusion. It was even said that Cai Xinhan seemed to have some disdain for them.
There was an odd silence between them and Wen Mingyu after Cai Xinhan left. Ye Xu took the lead to break this weird atmosphere, snorting carelessly and speaking coldly, “How noble he believes himself to be. Isn’t it just thanks to his father’s blessings that he can get into Imperial College, or else with his grades, he wouldn’t be able to get in even if he had to retake the exam for a hundred years.”
By now, Wei Chen had already straightened out his uniform, and with his chin held high, he proudly said just one word, “Stupid.”
Ye Xu’s eyes swept over and he added, “I’m talking about Cai Xinhan.”
Neither Chu Shuli nor Shao Yan said anything, but looking at their subtle expressions, odds were they didn’t like this fellow classmate much either.
When the teacher arrived, they didn’t talk any more but sat back down at their respective desks and began to listen to the lecture.
Wen Mingyu later observed a bit and found that Cai XInhan only interacted with students from good backgrounds. And for those with excellent grades like Wei Chen, he would be amiable, but there would also be a hint of contempt for his commoner origins.
Shao Yan had good grades and a good family background. His father was a clean and neutral official who was committed to his work and avoided partisanship. Cai Xinhan’s attitude towards him was average.
For Chu Shuli, Cai Xinhan was even more contemptuous and did not take her words seriously. It seemed as though he believed that women should stay at home and sew flowers instead of attending Imperial College to study. However, he would not show it like the previous bullies, but rather disregard and deny anything she said, mentally stifling her.
Fortunately, Chu Shuli was unaffected by this, remaining with them virtually all the time and seldom coming into contact with Cai Xinhan.
Cai Xinhan treated each of them differently. Wen Mingyu was so repulsed by Cai Xinhan’s snobby and biased behavior that he decided not to interact with Cai Xinhan in the future. Previously, the other party had mentioned that they wanted to be friends, which only made him feel that there was a bad intention.
A day of classes at Imperial College ended.
Wen Mingyu returned to Taiji Hall and immediately threw Cai Xinhan out of his mind. After all, why remember a nasty person.
During the meal, Wen Mingyu chatted with Mu Zhan as usual about the interesting things that happened during the day, and Mu Zhan would also bring up some state affairs and talk to him to see what he had in mind. It felt like a discussion between a ruler and his minister, yet it was lighthearted and not overly serious. For Wen Mingyu, he could learn a lot.
Night fell, and everything plunged into darkness. In the palace, a magnificent palace lantern was lit. The candlelight was soft and hazy, as if stars had fallen to the ground.
Wen Mingyu and Mu Zhan both cleaned up and wore their bedclothes, lying on the bed, ready to sleep.
But Wen Mingyu didn’t close his eyes and sleep like he did in the past; he was particularly spirited and drilled into Mu Zhan’s arms. Then, feeling it still wasn’t close enough, he simply climbed up on his arms and legs and wrapped his arms around Mu Zhan’s neck, turning into a half-plop on top of him.
His arms were folded on Mu Zhan’s chest, his chin resting on it, and his eyes were unblinkingly staring at Mu Zhan. The two of them were so close that he could, forwarding just a bit, paste Mu Zhan’s chin a kiss.
“The light wheel from last night…you had it built because of me?”
Wen Mingyu didn’t hold back and still asked this out.
After he listened to Ye Xu in school today, his mood couldn’t calm down. He intended to ask him when he got back to Taiji Hall in the evening, but he was a little shy until it got late. He couldn’t resist the impulse to ask him.
Mu Zhan froze slightly. His hand went to the back of his neck and squeezed it, watching as the young man trembled a little. Then his other hand went to his waist and wrapped his arms around it. He gently pushed the person up, drawing him closer to himself, their faces almost pressing together. When Wen Mingyu opened his mouth to speak, he would kiss him.
The two men’s breaths were intertwined, hot and sticky, with the scent of fruity wine brushing against their lips and staining them with moistness.
“How did you know?”
Mu Zhan’s sentence was equivalent to an admission.
Wen Mingyu chuckled, not answering. He asked back, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“What would you do if I said it?”
“Then I wouldn’t have left so early last night, ah. The light wheel looks so beautiful, and it was prepared by you. It’s a shame not to take a closer look,” Wen Mingyu said without a second thought.
Mu Zhan curled his lips, feeling visibly good. He said, “It’s nice to come back early, and besides, there’s more than one light wheel. There will be many others in the future.“
Wen Mingyu heard his first sentence, remembering last night’s seldom-stopping ringing of the bell. He wanted to take it off, but Mu Zhan still wouldn’t give it to him, and his face turned red. When Mu Zhan gave him this, he didn’t even consider this.
And after hearing the words that followed, he couldn’t help but let out a low laugh. “Making me look like some kind of calamity…”
“You are not. You demanded nothing from me. I did it on my own initiative,” Mu Zhan said, sounding a little upset, as if it were because Wen Mingyu hadn’t even made any demands of him.
“Moreover, you are not a consort, but this one’s empress.”
His deep and seductive voice was close to his ear, and Wen Mingyu felt itchy, and his heart was beating violently as his hot breath almost kissed him.
Mu Zhan wrapped his arms around him, bowed his head, and kissed him. The kiss was light and tender, barely more than a gentle peck. He replied with a smile, “I won’t go too far and leave you with a bad reputation.”
With that, he pried open the space between Wen Mingyu’s lips and gently plundered his breath, kissing him with such care and softness that it seemed as though he was patiently admiring a priceless find and relishing an exquisite delicacy.
Wen Mingyu’s upper body was resting on top of Mu Zhan, but his legs were still on the bed, and when he inhaled in sharply, he unconsciously tensed his body, causing his lower back to give way to a beautiful curve. His toes curled up and twisted in the soft mattress, creating a crease.
Wen Mingyu, dazed by his kiss, reflected to himself that he had actually been happy when Mu Zhan had done this for him. And it wasn’t done too much; it was done to commemorate the festival so that everyone in the capital could take part in this spectacular lantern display.
He was feeling moved when Mu Zhan suddenly asked, “Any new ideas for the script?”
Wen Mingyu was a bit confused, not knowing why the subject suddenly jumped so much, and was at a loss.
Mu Zhan said, “This one has come up with one for you, about the young master and the bodyguard. The young master was about to take a wife because of his family’s arrangement. When the bodyguard learned about it, he was so furious that he broke up the marriage that evening, abducting the young master—who was dressed in a red wedding dress—back to his home, where he was imprisoned. What do you think?”
Wen Mingyu: “…???”
He was even more dumbfounded. What is this?!
But Mu Zhan was very invested. He turned over and put his hands on the plush mattress next to Wen Mingyu’s face. The shadow shrouded him, with pheromones of wine full of aggression. With a languid smile, he continued, “This one will accompany you to perform it again, so you may write more effectively as if you’re there, okay?”
Wen Mingyu stared blankly. Okay, what okay? It’s obviously not okay!
“Young master, where do you want to go? Go back to get married?” Mu Zhan’s voice was low, coming up to the side of his neck as he said this steadily.
Warm breath spilled onto his skin. Wen Mingyu felt itchy and instinctively reached out to push his chin away. However, his hand was quickly grasped, and he was kissed on the tips of his fingers. Mu Zhan lowered his eyes and stared at him. His eyes were as deep as a vortex, as if he could suck anyone in.
“Don’t move. I’m not happy right now and am easily irritated. The young master doesn’t want to see me angry, right?” Mu Zhan looked at him, his long eyelashes like raven feathers. He squinted slightly, the ends of his eyes raised, and his tone was filled with obvious danger.
Wen Mingyu felt he was probably crazy. Because, looking at Mu Zhan like this, he actually felt a bit thrilled. His scalp began to tingle as he jumped to his feet and asked, “Why are you angry?”
Mu Zhan cocked an eyebrow, and his eyes flashed with surprise. His lips curled up as if he wanted to laugh, but in order to keep the act going, he tightened his grip and said, “The young master is getting married to someone else.”
Wen Mingyu said decisively, “Oh, then I am to be married to someone else.”
Mu Zhan bowered his head and kissed the side of his neck, and he seemed to be attempting to suppress a smile. He faked a cold tone and said, “Then it’s even more unlikely that I will let you go. The young master will stay here for the rest of his life.”
Contrary to his expectation that he would go along with his act, saying don’t be delusional or something like that, the result was that Wen Mingyu answered with an “Okay.”
Mu Zhan looked up and lost his smile. He looked at him.
A good, abusive script just fell apart like this. It’s all sugar; where else can it be acted out.
Mu Zhan lowered the bed curtain, took the person into his arms and kissed him, blurring the words between his lips.
“Then the young master will stay with me forever. Don’t even think of backing out.”
Wen Mingyu’s answer was also straightforward and clear. He kissed him back.
The play didn’t end until the middle of the night, at which point the bodyguard took his young master to the pool and served him before going back to bed again, cradling the young master in his arms as he slept.
On the following day, the palace servants woke them up.
Wen Mingyu got up with half-squinted eyes and climbed up, hugging the brocade quilt. His body trembled twice before collapsing back to the mattress, similar to sinking into soft clouds. Mu Zhan watched him, smiled, and scratched his chin, “So sleepy, how about not going?”
Wen Mingyu opened his eyes in an instant. “No way.”
He yawned and dawdled down to the edge of the bed. Mu Zhan helped him by the hand and laughed, “I’ll serve the young master.”
Wen Mingyu gave him a glare and wanted to do it by himself, but Mu Zhan wasn’t kidding. He actually took charge and assisted him in washing himself and changing his clothes.
After having breakfast, they set off together and only separated midway.
Imperial College.
When Wen Mingyu walked into the classroom and sat down, Wei Chen was already there. As soon as he spotted him, he looked as if he had something to say. He proceeded to walk over before abruptly stopping with a puzzled look on his face. “Are there mosquitoes even in this weather?’
Wen Mingyu froze.
Wei Chen raised his hand, and his fingers dotted around his neck. “You have red dots here. You’ve been bitten by mosquitoes.”
Wen Mingyu suddenly understood him. His ears turned red, and he answered dryly, “Yes… yes, there were mosquitoes.”
After saying that, Wen Mingyu, not wanting to upset the child, hurriedly shifted the subject and asked him what he had come over to talk about. Fortunately, Wei Chen also just casually said so, didn’t pay attention to it, and began chatting about the subject along the way.
As class was about to start, Wen Mingyu reached out to grab a book, only to suddenly find that the position of his things seemed to be a little out of place and not at all like he had always organized.
He instinctively flipped through it and saw nothing was missing. Perhaps someone bumped into his desk by accident?
The teacher had already walked into the room and was giving a lecture, so Wen Mingyu returned his attention to the class and did not think about it again.
ChiFu: when I am ill, I feel very depressed and want to just sink into a hole XD This chapter made me smile ~ so sorry for the long inactivity!
And I hope the days ahead will be bountiful and full of good happenings. Good luck to everyone ~