Chapter 50

Gu Jun turned his head to look at him, but due to the restricted posture, he couldn't see the other party's face, and thus also couldn't see his expression. Smelling the fragrance of white grass on the other's hair, he considered the likelihood, found it too absurd, and said softly, "Your Highness, please don't joke. Let's hurry back; I'm going to pack my things."

Chao Yan said, "Why don't you believe me? I'm not lying to you."

Gu Jun tilted his head. "Your Highness, don't speak into my ear, it tickles!"

The tail of his voice suddenly spiked; this damn Crown Prince had actually kissed his ear.

It felt as if tiny, fine bugs had crawled across his ear, leaving behind a trail of warmth and dampness. Gu Jun felt as if struck by lightning. His body involuntarily shuddered; he felt discomfort all over and raised his hand to cover his ear.

The swift wind slipped through his fingers, chilling his ear again.

He heard the damn Crown Prince let out a muffled laugh from behind him. The laughter was pleased, fading into the wilderness.

Gu Jun: "..."

"What should you call me?" the other party asked.

Gu Jun held it in for a moment: "Husband."

The other party responded, then asked, "Are you afraid of having your ears kissed?"

Gu Jun also recognized this problem. Before, he had never recognized this problem. Well, before, no one was like this damn Crown Prince—such a psycho—kissing his ear. Gu Jun naturally refused to admit it. Admitting this would bring him no benefit.

"Your Highness... Husband, you launched a sneak attack; I was just a bit slow to react."

Chao Yan hummed meaningfully and said, "I'll tell you in advance next time."

Gu Jun didn't reply. He feared that if he replied, it might carry personal sentiments and the words "damn psycho" would slip out.

Chao Yan straightened up, looking ahead, and said, "Meng and Ning found me and said I am the current Crown Prince. Living in this world, power and influence are hard to abandon. Whether true or not, I have accepted this identity. Going to the capital this time, I am fearful and anxious. Even though my wife has confessed to deceiving me, I still trust my wife. With my wife accompanying me, my heart is at ease."

Gu Jun rubbed his ear.

"Remember, this secret absolutely must not be spoken to outsiders." Chao Yan released his waist and pulled down the hand he was using to rub his ear. "Has my wife heard clearly?"

Gu Jun said, "Clearly. I only covered one ear." Saying this, he reached back and grabbed the other party's hand, firmly placing it back on his waist. Damn Crown Prince, you are not allowed to let go! What if I fall off the horse?

Chao Yan said, "Can you do it?"

Gu Jun didn't quite believe it, but his mouth unconsciously agreed.

Under the current circumstances, what else could he do but agree? If he didn't agree, would the other party then tell the truth?

Gu Jun's eyeballs swirled in their sockets.

Although it lacked morality, he truly wished what the other party said was real. Best if he never recovered his memory for his whole life.

Over twenty years of memories must contain crucial information. If the other party couldn't sort out this information later, then casually dealing with him later wouldn't be so easy.

He would hold onto this secret and leverage it.

The other party's regret over telling him this secret would be useless then. In the meantime, he could do things within his ability to increase his bargaining chips for controlling his own destiny.

The gender issue that had always worried him could also be resolved easily. He could constantly pretend to be in poor health; the other party couldn't force himself on him. If the other party tried to force himself, this secret could always restore his rationality.

Whether the other party was pleased or not, what did it matter to him?

If the other party was truly displeased, he would bundle up and run away. By then, the other party couldn't possibly keep such strict watch over him.

Gu Jun returned to reality and slowly sighed. What fantasy was this? Did he think future developments would unfold according to his imagination?

...

Late at night, they returned to the rented house.

The rented house had its lights on. Inside, it was a bit emptier. The books Chao Yan had borrowed and Bi Laosan's book box were both gone.

Gu Jun thought they should have been returned to their original owners. If those original owners knew who had used their items and who had ghostwritten for them, they'd probably have the relevant items framed by a craftsman.

As for his other things, not to mention being packed, they hadn't even been touched.

Gu Jun drank the medicine kept warm in the kitchen, opened his bundle; inside were his clothes and the unused knockout drug. He took out a set of clothes.

He planned to bathe, sleep for a while, then pack.

Entering the bamboo curtain, taking off his clothes, he saw the bloodstains on the back of his inner garment and only then remembered the wound on his back had split open. After enduring the momentary pain, the wound hadn't hurt later, and he had actually forgotten about it. He couldn't help turning his head to look at his back.

The fine white gauze on his back was half red. Pressing the edge of the gauze lightly caused a pain like ant bites, both painful and itchy.

It should be fine, right?

Gu Jun knitted his brows and looked for a while, then turned back, wrung out a wet cloth, and wiped his body.

After washing, he put on the full set of clothes. He applied ointment to his knees and, using hot water, washed his hair with soap. He applied sesame oil mixed with white grass fragrance to his hair. Carrying a body full of heat, he walked out holding his clothes.

..., hearing a commotion, looked towards his side.

Gu Jun wadded the blood-stained inner garment into his other clothes, walked out of the room, left the inner clothes inside, and gave all the other clothes to the woman waiting outside.

Chao Yan had hired a woman to handle household chores. Gu Jun...

He sat behind the house, washed the inner clothes inside, hung them to dry, and returned to the room empty-handed.

Chao Yan was not in the room. He climbed into bed, about to sleep. Chao Yan walked in carrying two bowls of milky-white wild crucian carp soup.

"Want to eat?" Chao Yan asked.

Gu Jun smelled the aroma and immediately felt hungry. He had been running for several hours. He... washed his hands, picked up a spoon, and obediently sat at the table.

...in front. He picked up the spoon, scooped up some soup, and took a sip.

The taste was mild, the soup thick, very fresh.

Gu Jun's eyes lit up. He put down the spoon, lifted the ceramic bowl, drank it quickly, and looked at Chao Yan: "Husband, is there more?"

Chao Yan calmly pointed to the kitchen.

Gu Jun hugged the bowl, came to the kitchen, and the cook ladled him a full bowl. Only after finishing the second bowl was he satisfied. But at the same time, he was also particularly sleepy. He quickly washed up, climbed into bed, took off his outer clothes, faced the wall, curled into a ball, and fell into a deep sleep.

Chao Yan watched him silently.

"Young gentleman." A moment later, a knock sounded.

Chao Yan put down the fish soup he had barely touched, opened the door, and stepped out.

The attendant said, "The doctor has been invited." He stepped aside to reveal the doctor and his apprentice behind him.

The doctor and his apprentice had been pulled from their beds by the attendant and were still not sober. Chao Yan told the attendant, "Bring two basins of cold water."

After washing their faces with cold water, the doctor and his apprentice finally sobered up completely. The two followed Chao Yan into the room. Chao Yan said to the doctor, "The wound has split open. I must trouble you to take a look. In the entire county, I can only rest assured with your medical skills, which is why I have troubled you repeatedly."

The doctor smiled genially, "Young gentleman, you are too polite."

Chao Yan sat on the bedside and helped up the deeply sleeping Gu Jun, removing his inner garment. The doctor reapplied medicine to the wound on Gu Jun's back and bandaged it neatly, saying, "The tearing isn't severe. You must be careful in the future, or it will leave a scar."

Chao Yan quietly agreed. He pulled the blanket up, wrapped the person in his arms, and summoned the attendant.

The attendant took out an ingot of gold to thank the doctor. The doctor inhaled sharply, reached out his hand, then pulled it back: "Young gentleman, this is too much..."

Chao Yan said, "Your medical skills are worthy of it. Regarding the matter I previously entrusted to you..."

The doctor thought: Dares to take a male wife but doesn't dare let anyone know. Truly a coward. He thought this in his heart but adopted a stern expression on his face and said, "Young gentleman, rest assured. I am not one to speak carelessly, nor is my little apprentice one to speak carelessly."

Chao Yan smiled: "Good. Then I am at ease." He said to the attendant, "It's late. Escort the doctor home properly."

"Please." The attendant said to the doctor. The others left the room and closed the door. Chao Yan pulled back the blanket. A large expanse of snow-white skin was exposed. He lowered his eyes and looked for a moment, then averted his gaze, picked up the inner garment beside him, straightened it, and dressed the person.

...

When Gu Jun woke, the sky was just brightening.

This sleep had been very deep, so deep he hadn't even had a single dream. But for some reason, upon waking, his head was a bit dizzy. Sitting in bed for a moment, the dizziness quickly faded. He didn't think much of it, glanced at the Crown Prince on the outer side, lightly stepped over the other party, and got off the bed.

His outer clothes were on the stool at the bedside. By the daylight, he dressed neatly, washed up, and opened the door.

The cold morning air immediately poured in. Gu Jun sneezed. Scanning outside, he didn't see the attendants' figures. His thoughts instantly became lively.

He felt for his bundle. Just as he touched it, he heard a slight sound from the bed.

Chao Yan was awake.

"What are you doing?" Chao Yan, dressed in his inner clothes, hair loose, sat on the bed, one leg propped up, expression weary and indifferent, asking mildly.

Gu Jun: "..."

Gu Jun grabbed his bundle, put it into the red lacquered wood chest he had specially bought a few days prior for storing things, and said, "I was just packing."

Chao Yan said, "I thought you were going to run away again."

Gu Jun said, "Of course not." He crouched down, shook out the bundle, and the things inside fell out. He folded his clothes one by one, but then realized something was missing. Where was his knockout drug? Where was his twenty taels? He shook the clothes out and searched carefully but still couldn't find it.

Given that only Chao Yan and he were in the room.

The solution was... Gu Jun looked darkly towards Chao Yan.

Chao Yan shuffled over in his shoes, half-crouched, with a curious look, and asked, "What are you looking for?"

Gu Jun stretched out a hand towards him, saying, "Give it back."

Chao Yan said, "Hm? What thing?"

"The knockout drug."

Chao Yan stood up, washing up while answering, "Tossed it. By now, some wild cat has probably carried it off and swallowed it."

Gu Jun knit his brow, looking at him as if his eyes were not eyes and his nose was not a nose. In the end, it wasn't something bought with his own money, so he couldn't demand compensation from the other. He pulled his hand back and sullenly folded his clothes.

Chao Yan wiped the water from his face, lashed his hair up with a hair cord, walked over to the wooden chest, pulled him up in one motion, pinched the soft flesh of his cheek, and said, "Are you still unhappy?"

Gu Jun lifted his head and said indistinctly, "No." With an utterly aggrieved look.

Chao Yan smiled and pulled him into his embrace, saying, "Open your mouth." Gu Jun clamped his mouth shut. The other party kissed his ear. His body trembled, and he hurriedly pushed him away. Yet the other party wouldn't budge, biting his earlobe and gently grinding. Gu Jun was forced to the point of tears and said repeatedly, "Husband, I'll open my mouth, I'll open my mouth." The young man finally let go of his ear.

Right before the sun rose, the two were kissing in the room, indistinguishable from one another.

Gu Jun was kissed until he panted repeatedly. The other party finally released him, saying, "What else needs to be packed? You tell me, I'll do it."

Gu Jun secretly cursed him bitterly behind his back but, upon hearing this, refused outright. The other party insisted on helping him. Chao Yan didn't have much to pack. Gu Jun, having lived here for the same amount of time, naturally also didn't have much to pack. But seeing the other party determined to help, a vengeful idea arose. His eyes rolled, and he said, "This needs to be taken too, and this... and this too..."

You want to help? I'll work you to death.

In the end, even the garlic, scallions, and cilantro from the large water vat were dug up, placed in a small wooden bucket, and stuffed into a corner of the carriage.

Only then did Gu Jun let it go. He grabbed Chao Yan's hand and boarded the carriage.

The space inside the carriage was very large. He sat on the left side of the carriage box, lifted the curtain, and looked outside. Meng Xuan and Ning Fu, on horseback with their men, surrounded the carriage front and back.

Looking past them, Gu Jun saw an attendant giving the landlord a bag of silver. This was because they had caused the landlord trouble during this period.

Gu Jun felt somewhat heavy-hearted and lowered the carriage curtain. The carriage jolted and moved forward. Arriving at the North Gate, Gu Jun heard the voices of Magistrate Gu and others.

Chao Yan lifted the carriage curtain and spoke to Magistrate Gu, as well as the Chief Clerk and County Deputy from Yanlin County beside him.

Through the carriage curtain, Gu Jun saw Magistrate Gu's wife. Seeing him, she performed a salute and then had a servant girl deliver a palm-sized case. Gu Jun opened it and found inside a pair of exquisitely crafted gold-inlaid jade earrings.

Gu Jun looked at Chao Yan.

Chao Yan said, "Accept it. I heard the lady say this is to thank you for saving the lives of her and her son."

Only then did Gu Jun accept it.

Magistrate Gu and the others didn't dare delay the Crown Prince's time. After speaking some flattering words and presenting local specialties, they withdrew.

Chao Yan lowered the carriage curtain. As the curtain fell, Gu Jun caught a glimpse of Bi Laosan hiding among the crowd watching the excitement, his face full of shock, and chuckled to himself. Then he fell back into a heavy mood. He thought, leaving this time, he probably wouldn't return.

.