Chapter 38

Jin Wang unhurriedly removed Ye Shu's clothing.

The porcelain-pale skin beneath was flushed a faint pink, trembling lightly in the cool air, taut with tension.

"Relax." Jin Wang said gently.

The physician had said that with a pregnant kun-sovereign, one must not rush — all movements must be gentle, unhurried, gradual.

The Jin Wang of the past would never have imagined he would one day have such patience as this. He bowed his head and pressed a kiss to the corner of Ye Shu's eye.

Then the side of his face, the bridge of his nose, his lips…

Jin Wang kissed him carefully, his expression growing more shadowed, looking deeply at the person beneath him.

But the delicate, careful attention was itself a slow form of torment now. Ye Shu's mind was burning and hazy in the grip of the arousal cycle. His hands tugged urgently at Jin Wang's clothing.

But his hands had gone almost completely weak — he could barely produce any strength at all.

"Jin Wang…" Ye Shu called out in a hoarse voice, helpless and aggrieved. "Jin Wang…"

"You really are…" Jin Wang let out a helpless sigh. His long fingers settled over him.

…

…

A kun-sovereign's arousal cycle had come fast and fierce. The two of them had held back for so long, constrained by too many considerations — and now that restraint was released, it was impossible to stop.

By the time Ye Shu came back to full consciousness, it was already the evening of the following day.

Awareness seeped slowly back in. He moved his fingers. The tips still tingled, with barely any strength.

Ye Shu's whole body ached terribly. He let out an involuntary low groan — and someone pressed up against his back immediately. "Awake?"

That voice carried a roughness to it, low and deep, enough to make the ears go soft and the mind wander.

…If one could ignore a certain vigorous presence pressing against Ye Shu's back.

Was this person on something?!

Ye Shu's heart lurched. He pushed away the arm around his waist and started to shift toward the far side of the bed — only to be yanked back firmly.

Jin Wang's arms encircled Ye Shu's waist and pulled him close. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Let go of me…" Ye Shu's throat was so hoarse it was nearly gone, and the sound of his own voice startled him.

Jin Wang buried his face in the back of Ye Shu's neck and laughed softly. "Every time — the moment you're awake you turn on me. Little wretch."

Who was the wretch here!

Ye Shu's eyes were dry and sore — one could only imagine how many times he had cried over the past day and night.

Dog. Emperor!

Ye Shu pressed his lips together and buried his face in the pillow, refusing to engage.

Jin Wang paid no mind to the cold shoulder and pressed his warm body closer. "I had someone make congee. Have a little?"

Ye Shu gave a muffled nod. Jin Wang kissed him on the side of the face, then got up to ladle out the congee.

Ye Shu turned over on the dragon bed. A lingering strange feeling remained at his back, and his waist ached too much to straighten.

But beyond that — he didn't feel too badly, actually.

Jin Wang had been very gentle with him this time. Compared to the first time, it might as well have been a different person.

— Ye Shu's first experience had been dreadful, and he was still holding a grudge about it to this day.

Jin Wang came back shortly. He helped Ye Shu sit up, tucked a cushion behind his lower back, and fed him the congee.

Ye Shu accepted the sovereign's service with equanimity.

The bowl of congee was finished quickly. Jin Wang set it aside and picked up a silk cloth to wipe his face carefully.

The events of the past day and night were something of a blur for Ye Shu — but he seemed to vaguely remember… had he let something slip?

"Jin Wang."

Jin Wang looked up at him. "Mm?"

"N— nothing." Ye Shu felt inexplicably guilty for some reason, and lay back down.

Jin Wang watched the young man curled into a ball on the bed, shook his head with a smile, then lay down beside him and drew him into his arms.

His hand slid down Ye Shu's arm and naturally came to rest on his lower belly.

Ye Shu had only a thin inner garment on. The warmth of Jin Wang's palm came through clearly, familiar to him. His body seemed to remember the feeling of being touched intimately by this person, and Ye Shu shivered lightly, a tingling sensation spreading from his spine.

He hadn't fully come out of the arousal cycle yet, and couldn't bear this person being so close.

But Jin Wang made no further move. He only asked quietly: "You found out half a month ago?"

Ye Shu's eyes shifted. He immediately understood what Jin Wang was asking.

"Mm…"

Jin Wang asked: "Why didn't you tell me?"

Ye Shu didn't answer.

"You were angry with me, weren't you." Jin Wang gently stroked the soft skin beneath his palm. His voice dropped very low. "All this time you've been picking fights with me — it was because of this, wasn't it?"

Ye Shu kept his lips pressed tight and still didn't answer.

Jin Wang said earnestly: "I'm sorry."

Ye Shu froze.

He had never expected to hear those three words from Jin Wang's lips.

"I lied to you, and I am sorry." Jin Wang buried his face in the curve of Ye Shu's neck and said quietly: "I should not have acted on my own initiative. I should not have hidden it from you, and I especially should not have enlisted the physician's help to deceive you."

"These past days, I have never known how to broach the subject with you. Some lies are easy to say — taking them back is far harder."

"I only… I was only afraid you would leave again."

Jin Wang's voice was a little muffled.

Thinking about it clearly — the timing of Jin Wang's deception had indeed been right before and after his escape attempt.

This man… had genuinely been terrified he would disappear again in a fit of anger.

A sourness welled up in Ye Shu's throat. He said stiffly: "Don't think a few soft words will make me forgive you. It's not that easy."

"Mm — I understand if you don't forgive me." Jin Wang said. "Just as I said before — once you know the truth, whatever you decide to do with me, I will accept without complaint."

Jin Wang's arms tightened, pulling Ye Shu close against him, and he asked quietly: "But before that — will you tell me what you intend to do?"

Give birth, or not?

In truth, Ye Shu hadn't made up his mind.

When he first found out, he genuinely hadn't wanted the child — which was why he had deceived the physician and obtained the abortifacient.

After that, waiting for Jin Wang to come clean, he had delayed taking it.

But he had never thought about what he should do after Jin Wang finally told the truth and apologized.

Did he really not want this child?

Ye Shu lowered his head and touched his lower belly gently.

There was a small life in there.

Jin Wang's hand settled over his again, covering the back of Ye Shu's hand.

Ye Shu came back to himself and pulled his hand away. "I need a few more days to think."

Jin Wang paused.

Ye Shu said seriously: "The little pup's life can stay for now. Whether it stays depends on how things go — and on how you behave."

Jin Wang couldn't help it. He gave a soft laugh.

Ye Shu frowned. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing — not funny at all." He took Ye Shu by the shoulder and turned him to face him, then pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips and looked directly into his eyes. "Very well. The child and I will work hard together to do better."

Jin Wang's sincere expression had always been something Ye Shu had no defense against. He turned his head and changed the subject. "Your Majesty — do you not have affairs to handle today?"

If he remembered correctly, this man had been tangled up with him since yesterday afternoon and had not left the bedchamber once.

"I took leave." Jin Wang said. "Three days."

Ye Shu: "?"

Jin Wang pressed an affectionate kiss to the side of Ye Shu's face. "Did you think an arousal cycle ends in one day?"

"…"

Those words seemed to be a kind of prophecy — a familiar burning heat began to rise inside Ye Shu almost immediately.

The tips of his ears quietly went red.

He was just about to retreat — but Jin Wang's arm hooked around his waist and gently drew him close.

A kun-sovereign's pheromone drifted through the gauze curtains again.

Ye Shu quickly lost all ability to resist. He was pressed back into the bed by Jin Wang, who kissed him gently. Before consciousness was swept completely away in the tide, only one thought remained in his mind.

Damned arousal cycle. Damned kun-sovereign constitution.

He was going to abort.

Immediately. Right now. This instant.