Xia Xi didn't have the face to see other people this time, even though Chu Lan held him for a long time, he still buried his head on his chest and refused to raise his head. His face was red enough to drip blood. Chu Lan was in a good mood and played with his long hair, he blew hot air into his ear and threatened in a low voice: "If you ignore me any longer, I'll take you outside."
Xia Xi was startled and raised his head hastily, only to realize that Chu Lan was joking after seeing the playful smile on his face. Xia Xi closed his eyes and said with a slight accusation in his tone: "How can you do such a thing... My King... How could you be so bad..." He was too ashamed to even linger on the fact that they were seen having sex. Although the keys parts were all hidden, the sounds and motions were all clear, he even orgasmed from the nervousness of being watched.
Chu Lan sucked on his lips and deliberately said: "It was you who made me like this. My badness is your fault, you have to take full responsibility!"
Xia Xi was startled and retorted in a low voice, "You're wrong..." Chu Lan's expression turned serious, he held his hand and played with his fingers, explaining a plausible possibility: "Then I'll explain once in for all; when I got married, I was only twelve years old. I didn't know anything. This continued until I was sixteen when I started kissing you for the first time. My Barbarians don't have any picturebooks about this aspect, nor do they have any special teachers in the Palace. You're five years older than me and when you got married off, you were given a very detailed book of erotica, so you knew everything but deliberately didn't teach me." Xia Xi's face flushed, and he couldn't say anything to refute this. Chu Lan continued to explain seriously: "You didn't teach me and made me hold back for a whole year. I didn't know what real sex was until I saw that live show in the brothel when we were travelling. The people there are naturally ten times more promiscuous than normal, so why shouldn't the way of intercourse I learned grow crooked?"
Xia Xi stared at him blankly, "You... you..." For a moment, he even forgot to use honorifics¹.
Chu Lan laughed and said, "So it all ties back to you. If only you had taught me well and didn't let me hold back for so long, I wouldn't be what I am now. Xi'er, do you know? When I saw you, I regretted the time I wasted in vain, I wanted to ask for double of it back. You say, should I ask for it back?"
Xia Xi had no way of refuting his series of remarks. He felt that it wasn't quite righteous, but it seemed to be a bit right. He opened his mouth for a long while, finally lost the battle, and whispered: "I was wrong..."
Chu Lan smiled even more happily, "Yes, you were wrong, so you have to make up for me." He kissed Xia Xi's lips, and soon his tone cooled down again, "Besides, she doesn't understand rules. Trespassing on the Queen's bedroom without announcing herself. This is because you're a lenient master, you have a good temper and you're easy to talk to. Is it possible that she used to behave like this back in the Xia Palace? If that's the case, I'll forgive her for not wanting to live now!" He rolled his eyes and said: "What's more, our voices were so clear just now. Even if she didn't recognise me, she should've known that you were inside and quitted immediately. Not only didn't she leave, but she also lifted the bed curtain. Xi'er, do you think she was worried about you or wanted to do something else?"
Xia Xi was taken aback. He was just simply embarrassed at that time, he simply forgot to think about deeper things. When Chu Lan mentioned it, he felt a bit wrong in his heart, but he had been with Cai Huan for many years and didn't want to think of her too badly. "Perhaps, maybe she didn't understand and treated it... as pain..."
Chu Lan sneered, gently massaging his lower back, he said: "How much strength I just used and what kind of noise you made, shouldn't this be obvious? If she doesn't even understand this, then she wouldn't do anything to seduce me. Of course, she knows what we were doing on this bed, and I also know that she's sent people to pay attention to my whereabouts. She should've felt that it was impossible for me to appear in your bed at this time, and you obviously had a second person besides you. She had to gamble and see who the person on the bed was." When Xia Xi heard his analysis, his heart turned cold. Chu Lan continued: "Xi'er, guess what, if she saw that the person lying with you wasn't me, do you think she would help you to conceal it, or will she shout loudly, bring everyone in and expose all of this?"
Xia Xi really felt cold now, his face was red and white and it took a while before he said: "I... how could I be with other men..." Chu Lan laughed and kissed him, "I know. And I'll never let this happen again either. I just want to tell you that you can't keep staving away the guilt for her. She's not the simple person you think she is. If you're happy with it, I'll walk with her and say a few words, so stay away and don't see her again. If you don't want to see her at all, I'll make other arrangements for her."
The meaning behind his words was like a cold blade, Xia Xi shook his head quickly, grabbing his arm and whispering: "I'll stay away from her in the future. Don't do anything to her. I know she's just someone who just likes some money and luxury. I want her to live a bit better. The Palace is so big, it's fine to give her a place to stay."
Chu Lan rubbed his nose, his voice softened, "As long as you protect her, I won't do anything to her. Since she's safe and sound, don't talk about her. Xi'er, give me some more affection this afternoon. I have to go to the school grounds again."
The high-spirited man's genitals rubbed against his thigh, swollen and firm, Xia Xi couldn't bear his teasing, he separated his legs and gave in.
After that time, Cai Huan didn't come for a few days, Xia Xi was ashamed of going out, so he just wandered around in his palace. His belly was getting heavier and heavier, and fetal movement was frequent. Several maids who have given birth said that the child in his belly looked like a little prince. Xia Xi didn't mind if he had a son or a daughter, because one of his biggest desire was to not have an intersex child. Although the Barbarians didn't think that such a physique was unlucky, it was still difficult to survive with such a body as it was with him. Similarly, if not for his mother's desperate protection, he would've been buried alive in the soil the moment he was born.
Recently, the Barbarian nation had begun holding a grand wrestling match, Chu Lan also participated in it. Xia Xi originally wanted to attend, but he stayed in the Palace because of his pregnancy. Because the venue was a little far away from Yudu, it took Chu Lan three days to come back, Xia Xi had to sleep all alone after a long indulgence.
On the evening of the second day, Xia Xi waited for Xia Chun to come back to have a meal together. After waiting for a long time without anyone arriving, he asked Lan Duo'er to send a Palace clerk to remind him, saying: "Tell him that even studying should be moderated, he shouldn't overwork himself."
The Palace clerk went, Xia Xi stood at the door holding his pregnant belly, Ran Duo'er took a thin cloak to put on him and said warmly: "His Royal Highness, the wind is strong, should we go in and wait?"
Xia Xi nodded lightly. The two were about to enter, but a few people appeared in front of the door, the person walking in the front was Cai Huan.
Xia Xi hadn't seen her for several days and suddenly met her gaze, the images of that day came to mind uncontrollably, making him very uncomfortable. Cai Huan was obviously also a little uncomfortable, her steps were paused, but soon a smile filled her face, she walked up to him quickly, squeezing Lan Duo'er away to support him and asking, "Why is Your Highness standing? In this weather? You don't happen to be waiting for me, right?"
The little joke made Xia Xi relax a bit. With a small smile on his face, he said: "I'm waiting for Chun'er to come back so that we could eat together, have you eaten?"
Cai Huan said: "I've eaten, I think that Your Highness should drink more soup while pregnant, so I boiled a bowl for replenishment and delivered it here." The maid behind her was indeed holding a crock in her hand, and it was still exuding steam. Xia Xi thanked her and walked inside the room with her. Cai Huan helped him sit on a chair, took out the pot of soup, and opened the lid to transfer it to Xia Xi's bowl. Lan Duo'er stopped her, she blocked her and said: "Noble concubine, His Royal Highness's diet is regulated, he doesn't eat casually for fear of conflict of foods."
Cai Huan smiled, as if she had heard something very ridiculous, she said: "When I was with Your Highness, I didn't see even a shadow of you. Don't test me with such words. Besides, this soup's recipe was something I learned from Your Highness. Even His Highness can't count know how many times he had drunk this before, why can't he drink it this time?" She looked at Xia Xi again and said aggrievedly: "His Royal Highness, I spent two hours making this, from selecting the ingredients to making the pot. I did it all by myself, other's hands couldn't even come close."
Xia Xi never rejected the kindness of others, and indeed, as Cai Huan had said, he didn't know how many times he had drunk soup she had boiled before. Even after he returned to the Palace, Cai Huan had delivered soup before and he had drank it. There had been no problem then, so he said: "It should be fine, Lan Duo'er."
When Lan Duo'er heard him say this, she could only stand away. Cai Huan smiled, she took Xia Xi's bowl and began to serve the soup. The creamy-white soup exuded a nice fragrance. It had been boiled with big bones and contained some longan, red dates and other things. Seeing her acting so cautiously, Xia Xi couldn't help thinking of the words that Chu Lan said last time, he felt that he might've been thinking too much. He smiled and said warmly, "Cai Huan, thank you very much."
Cai Huan hurriedly said: "It wasn't hard. Your Majesty treats me so well, I remember it in my heart. I don't have anything to repay you with, so I can only do these little things." She held the half-full bowl, presenting it with her hands in front of Xia Xi. Just as Xia Xi was about to take it, Lan Duo'er took it first and said, "Your Majesty, the soup is still too hot, be careful to not burn your mouth, it's best to let it cool first." Xia Chun had already walked in while she was talking.
The child looked a lot older than before, but his handsome face was as tight as always tight. Only when he sees Xia Xi would a smile appear. Xia Xi looked at his sweaty face and said distressedly: "Why did you come back so late? I'll tell your master next time to let you leave school earlier. It's already so late now, your stomach is definitely starving." He let Lan Duo'er fetch water to wash Xia Chun's hands and face. Lan Duo'er put a pot of warm water on top of the shelf beside Xia Xi, waiting for Xia Chun to wash.
Xia Xi kept fussing, Cai Huan suddenly said, "His Royal Highness, the soup is cool, drink it quickly. It won't taste good when it gets cold."
Xia Xi nodded slightly and was about to ask someone to go serve the bowl, but Cai Huan took the lead to lift the bowl and hand it to him. Xia Xi reached out to pick it up and touched her hand. He felt like her hand was cold as ice, and there was a slight tremor. Xia Xi glanced at her with some confusion, but Cai Huan avoided his sight. Xia Xi took the soup and was about to take a sip when a voice suddenly rang, "You can't drink that!"
Xia Xi was stunned. The sound was too abrupt, and the voice was unfamiliar. He had never heard it before and hadn't reacted yet. A small figure ran up to him and snatched the soup bowl he was about to put in his mouth.
Xia Xi realized that the person who spoke just now was Xia Chun.
_____
Notes:
1- There are two honorifics for 'you' which are both pronounced 'ni' there's one more casual while the other is more reverent. Sort of like 'Sir/Madam'\n<b>___</b>
<b>PastTimer: I felt kinda sorry for you guys who have to dangle from a cliffhanger like this so I wanted to do a double update, but... I guess I'm too lazy in the end 😇</b>
<b>You know, you guys, I thought that this project wouldn't get much approval or clicks because of the unusual NSFW content, but judging from the number of reads on the (M) chapters, I guess that you're actually pretty into that huh >_></b>