Chapter 39

Jin Wang used the excuse of illness to take three days off.

Three full days and nights — from the moment Jin Wang brought him back from the Huitong Tower, Ye Shu hadn't managed a proper meal, let alone a peaceful night's sleep.

The dragon bed, the writing table, the dragon throne, the bathing pool… everywhere Ye Shu had ever thought about or never thought about had now been left with memories too mortifying to revisit.

How could any setting be this inhumane. There was truly no room left to breathe.

After the last time, Ye Shu's pale fingers gripped the smooth wet rim of the bathing pool and thought this with utter exhaustion.

Jin Wang swept his damp hair aside and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Tender, careful kisses fell across his face, tracing the line of his cheek downward, to his slender neck.

"Don't…" Ye Shu's voice was hoarse. He didn't have the strength left to push him away, and shrank faintly. "Stop tormenting me, I really can't take any more…"

Jin Wang pulled him into his arms, naturally encircling his waist. "Weren't you the one demanding We keep going just a moment ago? How is it you can't manage now?"

"Don't— don't say any more…"

Ye Shu couldn't bear to look at himself during the arousal cycle.

That innate physical instinct was beyond any human will to control. When the tidal rush came, every shred of dignity and restraint was washed away, leaving only an intense, urgent craving burning at the core of him.

Like a beast escaped from its cage, surrendering to its most primal nature in that extreme, consuming pleasure.

As for Jin Wang — this man had been absolutely insufferable.

Knowing full well that Ye Shu couldn't resist the feeling, he still liked to tease, and especially enjoyed drawing out things that were impossible to say aloud — and wouldn't give him what he needed until he said them. The trouble was that Ye Shu was at his most defenseless during all of this, and fell for it time and time again.

Over these three days, everything he should and shouldn't have said had been said in full.

He didn't want to live.

He couldn't fathom how such a despicable person could exist in the world.

That despicable person was still taking advantage of him with lingering satisfaction. Those hands were long and sure — like the finest musician, knowing exactly how to coax out the most exquisite sounds.

Ye Shu could clearly feel those hands slowly moving lower. He begged weakly: "Your Majesty, please have mercy — I genuinely can't go on…"

"Wrong — change the form of address." Jin Wang leaned close to his ear and said softly: "Think again. How were you calling for me just now?"

Ye Shu couldn't get the words out. When pushed too far, he sank his teeth into Jin Wang's shoulder.

"Hiss." Jin Wang made a pained sound but didn't move away. His fingertip stroked gently at the back of Ye Shu's neck. "Still calling me a dog — I think you're the little animal here, biting people."

Ye Shu was so mortified his ears were burning. He bit down harder.

His Majesty was, after all, not truly a beast. Once Ye Shu stopped being in the grip of the arousal cycle, he didn't press further. Jin Wang washed him clean and soaked him in the bath for half an hour, then carried him out.

The floor around the pool was slippery. Jin Wang didn't dare let Ye Shu stand, so he helped him dress first and set him comfortably on the small couch beside the pool, then turned to get his own clothes.

Ye Shu watched him dress from the couch.

Jin Wang had a tall, lean frame, with very broad shoulders and back. Years of martial training had given him a lean, powerful musculature — well-proportioned, graceful, pleasing to look at. The one blemish was that his shoulders and back were now covered in vivid red marks, standing out starkly against pale skin.

Noticing his gaze, Jin Wang smiled over at him. "What are you looking at? Those are all your doing."

Ye Shu immediately looked away.

Jin Wang put on his bathrobe and walked over to Ye Shu. He bent down. "I shouldn't have called you a little animal — you're more of a little wild cat."

Ye Shu turned his head and couldn't bring himself to look, going red to the neck.

Jin Wang laughed softly and picked him up. "Time to go home, little wild cat."

Jin Wang carried Ye Shu back to the bedchamber.

A meal had been laid out on the table.

During these three days, Jin Wang had cleared all the attendants out of Yangxin Hall. Except at mealtimes when someone brought food, the entire hall — and the Qianqing Palace beyond it — had been utterly silent, without a single human voice.

Even the patrolling guards and the shadow guards on duty hadn't dared go near.

Jin Wang wanted to carry Ye Shu back to bed. Ye Shu refused, insisting on getting down to eat at the table.

Three days, and his feet hadn't touched the floor once!

Jin Wang met his eyes, let out a conceding sigh, and set him down. The moment Ye Shu's feet touched the floor, his legs buckled — and Jin Wang, who had been ready for exactly this, caught him.

"…"

Jin Wang gave him a look that clearly said: serves you right for showing off.

Ye Shu flexed his aching, numb legs and pointed toward the dining table as though nothing had happened. "Help me over there."

Jin Wang obliged without comment.

Since Ye Shu had said those words about watching how he behaved, Jin Wang had been exceptionally attentive to him. The sovereign of a nation had personally seen to his food, clothing, bathing, and grooming, and had been on call at any hour of the day or night for other needs — probably more useful than taking a concubine.

Ye Shu thought this quietly to himself as he watched Jin Wang serve him with his chopsticks.

Neither of them had left the bedchamber. They were both wearing only soft bathrobes.

His Majesty the sovereign was ordinarily immaculate in his appearance, but now he was not. His hair was slightly damp, loosely gathered at the back with a ribbon, a few strands falling across his forehead — an unusual laziness about him that Ye Shu didn't often see.

A water droplet traced down his long neck and disappeared into the dark collar of the robe. The lapels were loose, and faintly visible beneath were collarbones covered in suggestive red marks.

Ye Shu felt his throat go dry. He thought this look was more dangerous than if the man had nothing on at all.

The congee in his bowl didn't seem so appetizing anymore.

Jin Wang paused in the act of placing food in his bowl and set down the chopsticks. "Ye Shu."

Ye Shu guiltily looked away. "What?"

"You really are…" Jin Wang pressed his fingers to his brow with exasperation, and forcefully made himself ignore the frankly inviting scent in the air. "Eat your meal properly. Eat and then go straight to sleep."

He paused and added: "…You'll be the one who suffers if you don't."

Ye Shu understood perfectly well what he meant. His cheeks burned hot. He didn't dare let his mind wander any further.

"The Dayan envoy departs the capital tomorrow afternoon." Jin Wang said suddenly.

Ye Shu was somewhat distracted, and gave an "mm" — then, a moment later, caught up with himself. "Weren't they meant to leave yesterday?"

"More precisely, the day before yesterday." Jin Wang placed a piece of green vegetable in Ye Shu's bowl, his voice perfectly even. "Word has it that the Second Prince of Yan suddenly fell ill, delaying the envoy's departure."

"Yu Yan fell ill?" Ye Shu was startled. Seeing Jin Wang's brow arch, he instantly changed his tone. "What wonderful news."

Jin Wang: "…"

As timid as ever.

Ye Shu going into the arousal cycle had been because of Yu Yan's breath-suppressing incense, but in his view, Yu Yan hadn't known any better — he didn't hold it against him.

Jin Wang, however, was petty enough that he probably wouldn't be so magnanimous.

Come to think of it, Yu Yan had been perfectly hale and energetic when they met that day, and then went home and fell ill — could this man have had a hand in it?

Ye Shu glanced at Jin Wang, feeling a flicker of concern.

His suspicious expression was entirely undisguised. Jin Wang didn't need to ask to know what he was thinking. "It wasn't Us."

Ye Shu narrowed his eyes, not entirely convinced.

"…" Jin Wang said patiently: "Yu Yan is a kun-sovereign, and an unmarked kun-sovereign at that."

Ye Shu: "I know."

Jin Wang asked: "Do you know what happens when a kun-sovereign witnesses another kun-sovereign going into an arousal cycle in front of them?"

Ye Shu paused.

He hadn't read this far in his studies yet.

But Ye Shu was quick-witted and quickly understood what Jin Wang meant. "You mean he… he was affected by me?"

Jin Wang nodded. "Yes."

When Jin Wang had rushed to the Huitong Tower that day, the breath-suppressing incense had already stopped working. Jin Wang had seen at a glance that Yu Yan was an unmarked kun-sovereign.

He was entirely inexperienced and had been using breath-suppressing incense to repress his natural instincts all along. After being immersed in high-concentration kun-sovereign pheromone for that long, being drawn into an arousal cycle was the most natural thing in the world.

Ye Shu put down his chopsticks and was about to stand up.

Jin Wang quickly stopped him. "Where are you going?"

"To check on him." Ye Shu said. "If he's in an arousal cycle, the people in the envoy party will definitely find out — then there'll be no way to hide his identity anymore. And if that happens, his position as heir…"

Ye Shu gave a small cough and said: "Then won't he have no way to transmit information to Your Majesty?"

"Don't worry." Jin Wang pressed Ye Shu back into his seat. "There are people among the envoy party who answer to Us. From what We've been informed, the Second Prince's identity has not yet been exposed."

"How is that possible…"

"We'll find out when We go to see the envoy off tomorrow." Jin Wang said. "Eat."

Ye Shu gave an "oh" and reluctantly put his mind at ease.

After the midday meal, Jin Wang still couldn't hold himself back from some gentle mischief, pressing Ye Shu down onto the bed for a tender interlude.

What could he do — the little one refused to sleep, and just lay there looking at him with that aggrieved expression. No man could have held out.

That afternoon, Ye Shu lay contentedly with his face buried in the pillow, half-asleep.

Jin Wang helped him clean up and bent down to kiss him, but Ye Shu groggily dodged away. "Don't bother me…"

Jin Wang was both amused and helpless.

"When you want it you come burrowing into my arms, once you're satisfied you won't let me near you…" Jin Wang pulled him close, ruffled his hair, and gave his cheek an unthreatening pinch. "You little wretch — what do you take me for?"

"…" Ye Shu murmured something low and buried his face in Jin Wang's chest.

And fell asleep in moments.

The following day, Ye Shu's arousal cycle was completely over, and he was determined to go along to see the envoy off.

Jin Wang's attempts to dissuade him were fruitless. He had no choice but to bring Ye Shu to the city gate.

When Jin Wang had helped Ye Shu half-carry half-walk out of the carriage, Yu Yan was being helped down from the Dayan envoy's carriage at the same moment.

The two of them looked at each other across the crowd and the carriages. In each other's eyes, they saw something remarkably similar.

Ye Shu: "…"

Yu Yan: "…"

To demonstrate the sovereign's respect for Dayan, the Changlu send-off party was not small.

Jin Wang led the escort officials ahead, exchanging a few ceremonial words with the Dayan envoy. The two kun-sovereigns stood toward the back of the crowd, the atmosphere between them an oddly loaded silence.

Ye Shu couldn't help asking: "These past few days, you…"

"Cough cough cough——" Yu Yan suddenly turned his head aside and erupted in a theatrical bout of coughing. "I… cough cough… I merely caught a chill. Cough cough cough… thank you for your concern, consort."

Ye Shu: "…"

…Not even a convincing performance.

Suddenly, a fox fur cloak was draped over Yu Yan's shoulders.

Both of them looked back at the same time. The black-robed guard said with concern: "My lord, be careful not to catch cold."

"…" Yu Yan's body went rigid for a moment. He stopped coughing. He frowned and snapped: "Didn't I tell you to go stand watch at the front? What are you doing over here — go, go, go!"

Mu Yuǎn guī's eyes flashed with a brief shadow. He said quietly "yes" and turned to leave.

Ye Shu studied Yu Yan with suspicion.

Yu Yan's ears had inexplicably gone a bit red. He cleared his throat and gestured for someone to bring forward a brocade box. "Coming to the capital this time — I must thank the consort for the hospitality. This small gift is something I went to considerable trouble to find. I hope the consort and His Majesty will accept it."

The brocade box was finely made and not small — it needed both hands to hold. Ye Shu hefted it experimentally. It was quite heavy.

Ye Shu asked: "What is inside?"

"The consort will know once they look." Yu Yan wore a small smile. He gave the box a solemn pat. "Remember to open it together with His Majesty."