After Being Reborn as the Chief Eunuch Chapter 74

Chapter 74: Extra 2

Long ago, Li Zhan had been waiting for this very day to arrive.

Finally, as the saying goes, hard work pays off — he had indeed been rewarded with this moment.

Li Zhan’s heart was filled with excitement, but he was completely unaware of the fierce inner struggle that Ji Qingzhou was going through.

Unlike Li Zhan’s eager anticipation, Ji Qingzhou had never really looked forward to this event from the very beginning…

In his previous life, Ji Qingzhou had no experience with love, and in his youth, he had never received any positive guidance or enlightenment about such matters. Before meeting Li Zhan, he hadn’t even realized he might be attracted to men.

Because of this, his understanding of relationships between men was truly limited.

The only memories and knowledge he had came from that night at Fengxian Pavilion.

That night’s memory held no happiness for him at all.

Even though he had been with Li Zhan for quite some time now, and their feelings for each other were mutual, Ji Qingzhou still avoided recalling that night.

Because the only feeling he had from that night was pain.

So much pain that even now, thinking about it made his legs go weak.

Therefore, when he learned that they would have to go through it again tonight, Ji Qingzhou’s heart was filled with resistance.

In the bathhouse, the steam swirled thickly.

Li Zhan looked at Ji Qingzhou through the mist, unable to resist leaning forward to kiss his lips, but he did nothing more.

Li Zhan had waited so long; now, with only the bath left, he still could restrain himself.

He hoped every step of tonight would go according to plan. To him, it was like some kind of ritual—carrying a sacredness that shouldn’t be rushed or disturbed.

“Um…” Ji Qingzhou looked toward Li Zhan with a somewhat uneasy expression.

He wanted to discuss with Li Zhan whether they could skip the “deep connection” part.

Honestly, he thought that not doing that and just using his hands would be fine.

It would just make his hands a little sore, no harm at all, easy and pleasant, and not painful—how nice would that be?

Why insist on the “deep connection”?

Ji Qingzhou really couldn’t imagine what pleasure there could be in it that made Li Zhan so excited.

“I was thinking…” Ji Qingzhou hesitated before speaking, his gaze subconsciously flickering to the little Li Zhan.

He silently marveled at Li Zhan’s impressive size—something he wouldn’t even dare to imagine!

“What? You’re already thinking about it?” Li Zhan noticed the amused look in Ji Qingzhou’s eyes and teased.

Ji Qingzhou cleared his throat lightly, speaking with a tone of negotiation: “I was thinking… could we maybe not do that tonight?”

“Do what?” Li Zhan pretended not to know.

Ji Qingzhou swallowed nervously and said, “You know… that.”

Li Zhan was taken aback for a moment, then said, “Tonight’s our wedding day. Don’t you want to?”

“I want to—maybe we can do it another way?” Ji Qingzhou leaned closer to Li Zhan, cheeks flushed.

“Back then, maybe, but tonight…” Li Zhan clearly didn’t want to give up so easily.

Ji Qingzhou leaned in and kissed Li Zhan, saying softly, “I’ll kiss you instead.”

Li Zhan’s eyes fell on Ji Qingzhou’s flushed lips, and blood immediately rushed to his head. As he pictured the scene in his mind, he instantly wavered. He knew that Ji Qingzhou would never have made such an offer in the past.

The thought of Ji Qingzhou’s soft lips and warm tongue made Li Zhan give up his insistence right away.

“Deep connection” could wait a little longer. Tonight, Ji Qingzhou was in such rare spirits, and he didn’t want to disappoint him—otherwise, who knew when the next chance would come.

…

…

Half an hour later, Ji Qingzhou got up to rinse his mouth.

He hadn’t expected Li Zhan to have such “stamina,” which left his jaw sore.

Li Zhan, still not satisfied, walked over and hugged him from behind. Without giving him a chance to refuse, he pinched Ji Qingzhou’s chin to turn his head and kissed him.

“Do you really like this?” Li Zhan asked.

Ji Qingzhou thought to himself, I don’t like it. It’s exhausting. But not wanting to spoil Li Zhan’s mood, he nodded.

Li Zhan immediately felt a rush of joy inside. He thought to himself that there would be plenty more chances like this going forward.

Although this wasn’t the same as the “deep connection” they had talked about, the experience still felt very good to Li Zhan.

Especially seeing the tears welling in Ji Qingzhou’s eyes, which gave him a powerful thrill.

He had thought such moments would be rare, but to his surprise, the next day Ji Qingzhou repeated the same act.

Recalling how good it felt the night before, Li Zhan naturally didn’t refuse.

It wasn’t until the third day that Li Zhan sensed something was off.

Ji Qingzhou wasn’t really giving him a “taste” of affection. It was clear he was avoiding something else, using this to divert Li Zhan’s attention.

So that night, Li Zhan restrained himself for once and refused.

Ji Qingzhou, realizing his trick had been seen through, felt awkward.

“Tell me honestly, are you hiding something from me?” Li Zhan asked.

Ji Qingzhou’s eyes flickered slightly as he said, “Don’t you like it when I do that for you?”

“Of course I like it, I like it very much,” Li Zhan replied. “But we’re married now. We can’t keep doing it like this forever… I want to be closer to you. You understand, right? Like other married couples—completely one, inseparable.”

Hearing this, Ji Qingzhou’s face flushed. He leaned forward and kissed Li Zhan’s lips.

Li Zhan was deeply moved by this and immediately wrapped an arm around him, pulling him onto the bed.

But at that moment, Li Zhan noticed Ji Qingzhou’s body trembled slightly.

It wasn’t excitement — it seemed more like fear.

“Are you scared?” Li Zhan asked in surprise.

“I’m just a little nervous,” Ji Qingzhou said.

Li Zhan reached out to touch the youth’s forehead gently and said warmly, “Since we’re husband and wife, you can honestly tell me how you feel. I want to be close to you, but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable in the slightest. Tell me, is it that you don’t want to be close to me?”

“I’m afraid it will hurt…” Ji Qingzhou said softly.

Li Zhan was stunned for a moment before realizing.

Worried Li Zhan might overthink it, Ji Qingzhou explained, “That night at Fengxian Pavilion, it hurt a lot, and I got injured. I couldn’t even walk properly for several days. I’m just a little scared… but it’s okay. Come on, I’ll grit my teeth and endure it; maybe it will be better.”

After speaking, Ji Qingzhou took a deep breath and put on a determined expression, as if ready to face anything.

Li Zhan stroked his tightly closed eyes and finally leaned in to kiss his forehead.

Ji Qingzhou opened his eyes to look at him, only to hear Li Zhan say, “Let’s do it another day. Tonight, we’ll skip it.”

“Are you upset?” Ji Qingzhou asked. “Am I being a spoil-sport?”

Li Zhan hurriedly said, “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. Last time, I was under the influence of medicine and completely ignored your feelings. This time, it’s our first night after getting married, and I just want you to be happy.”

Ji Qingzhou stared at Li Zhan blankly, feeling a complex mix of emotions.

Li Zhan kissed him again and said, “In a few days, when we’re both ready, it won’t be too late.”

Ji Qingzhou hadn’t expected Li Zhan to make that decision. It warmed his heart but also made him feel a little guilty.

He couldn’t help thinking that maybe he was being a bit too sensitive. After all, he was a grown man. What was it but a little injury, some blood, and at worst, a few days when he couldn’t walk—nothing life-threatening.

The next day, Ji Qingzhou adjusted his mood and decided to be more proactive that night.

No matter what, this hurdle had to be overcome.

Unexpectedly, Li Zhan stayed in the palace that night instead of returning to the Prince Residence.

Dong Dong personally came to deliver a message: Wang Ye planned to stay at Yinghui Pavilion to “work overtime” for the next few days, implying he did not intend to return during that time.

This news left Ji Qingzhou feeling very conflicted.

He thought Li Zhan was angry and was giving him the cold shoulder.

He had read in the past that newlyweds often faced disagreements due to emotional or intimate incompatibilities, but never imagined such a thing would happen to himself.

Li Zhan wanted a few days to cool off; Ji Qingzhou felt he needed to calm down as well.

Before marriage, he hadn’t realized how complicated life together could be.

Especially with matters like this, the pressure fell entirely on his shoulders.

Ji Qingzhou couldn’t help but think it would be nice if their roles were reversed.

Li Zhan surely wasn’t afraid of pain.

But imagining himself in Li Zhan’s place felt strange and out of sync.

Around noon the next day, Tu Dayou came to the Prince Residence.

Ji Qinglan had made another pair of boots for Ji Qingzhou and entrusted him to deliver them.

“Why didn’t she come herself?” Ji Qingzhou asked.

“Eldest Young Master doesn’t want her to visit the residence too often, fearing rumors if people see her too much,” Tu Dayou explained.

Ji Qingzhou chuckled, “Big brother’s always so cautious, living too carefully.”

Tu Dayou smiled and said, “Eldest Young Master suffered a lot in the northwest. Naturally, he’s wary of everything now, afraid of another repeat of the past.”

Ji Qingzhou felt a pang in his heart and immediately understood Ji Qinghuai’s feelings. Though Ji Qingzhou had spent a long time in the palace, he had avoided many setbacks thanks to knowing part of the bigger picture and Li Zhan’s protection. Ji Qinghuai’s situation was different. During the past many months in the northwest, Ji Qinghuai had lived every day as if walking on thin ice.

Ji Qingzhou tried on the boots and then handed them over to Guo Zi to keep.

Tu Dayou stayed and played with the child, noticing a hint of worry in Ji Qingzhou’s expression.

“Something on your mind?” Tu Dayou asked.

“Not really, it’s nothing,” Ji Qingzhou smiled.

He wasn’t about to share the private matters with Tu Dayou — while not exactly a family shame, it was still too personal and awkward to discuss.

Besides, even if he said something, Tu Dayou couldn’t really help.

“By the way, Eldest Young Master said he wants to take a trip to the outskirts of the capital these days. He used to have a colleague who owns a garden out there, and he wants to stay there for a few days,” Tu Dayou said. “His leg injury has healed, but his body isn’t fully strong yet. I’ll go with him to take care of him. If you’re feeling down, you could come along.”

Ji Qingzhou considered it. He had planned to decline but since Li Zhan hadn’t returned to the residence these days, he felt tempted.

“That sounds good. The child is with Guo Zi and the others, so it doesn’t matter if I’m there or not,” Ji Qingzhou said.

“All right, then remember to notify the prince. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow,” Tu Dayou said.

Ji Qingzhou nodded quickly.

Some problems couldn’t be carried forever; they had to be solved.

These days were a chance for both him and Li Zhan to cool off. When he returned to the capital, he would need to have a serious talk with Li Zhan.

It was true Li Zhan hadn’t gone back to the residence recently, but it wasn’t to cause trouble.

In fact, Li Zhan had been working overtime and hadn’t forgotten to think of ways to resolve this “small problem” between them.

He felt he had been too reckless before, ignoring Ji Qingzhou’s feelings.

So this time, he planned to make it up to him with a perfect solution — one that would not only eliminate Ji Qingzhou’s “fear” but also bring him enjoyment, so that the very thought of it in the future wouldn’t make Ji Qingzhou shrink back, preserving the happiness in their life.

Li Zhan lacked experience in this area.

Or rather, he and Ji Qingzhou shared the same experience — only that one night at Fengxian Pavilion.

But Li Zhan knew many people who had more experience.

Originally, Li Zhan wanted to seek help from Tang Shu, but Tang Shu had mistakenly assumed they had already “gone all the way,” and Li Zhan never bothered to correct him, letting the misunderstanding linger. Because of this, he now felt too embarrassed to approach Tang Shu.

After hesitating for a day, Li Zhan went to see Qi Jingchuan.

Qi Jingchuan had now become a permanent resident at the capital’s post station, practically treating it as his own home.

The reason Li Zhan had not yet returned to Liang Kingdom was obvious without asking him.

“Wang Ye, what brings you here?” Qi Jingchuan looked surprised to see Li Zhan arrive alone.

Li Zhan scratched his head, feeling a bit awkward, and said, “I came to get some advice from you.”

“Advice on what?” Qi Jingchuan asked curiously. “Don’t tell me you want to learn carpentry from me?”

Li Zhan asked, “Between you and Qin Zheng… who’s the one on top in that area?”

Qi Jingchuan gave Li Zhan a meaningful look and replied, “Wang Ye, don’t you think that’s a rather unnecessary question?”

“Ahem…” Li Zhan cleared his throat and tried to act composed. “I have some questions I’d like to ask you.”

“Please ask away,” Qi Jingchuan said.

“You and Qin Zheng…” Li Zhan cleared his throat again and continued, “Does he ever fear pain?”

“Of course not,” Qi Jingchuan said confidently. “My skills in this area surpass my carpentry work. How could I let him suffer?”

Li Zhan felt speechless, as if Qi Jingchuan was teasing him.

Qi Jingchuan, hearing the question, had already guessed Li Zhan’s purpose for coming.

But he didn’t expect Li Zhan to wait this long before asking — quite the show of patience!

“Wang Ye, everything has its rules, just like carpentry. Look at these mortise and tenon joints — they are naturally designed to fit perfectly. But if they come together too easily, it wouldn’t be sturdy. So I make them fit just right, but with some effort, to ensure strength,” Qi Jingchuan explained.

Li Zhan asked, “But…”

“The first time is never that smooth; you have to figure out a way,” Qi Jingchuan said.

Then he leaned close to Li Zhan’s ear and gave him some pointed advice.

Li Zhan listened in amazement and nodded repeatedly.

When he left the post station, his expression showed he felt “well prepared.”

Meanwhile, after Ji Qingzhou sent word to Li Zhan, he accompanied Ji Qinghuai and Tu Dayou to the outskirts of the capital.

Ji Qinghuai’s colleague’s garden was smaller than Li Zhan’s estate but much more exquisite.

Once there, Ji Qingzhou felt bored and didn’t feel like approaching Ji Qinghuai.

His older brother was too serious, while Ji Qingzhou was more easygoing; he felt stiff and constrained around him, so he preferred to be alone.

That day, he heard there was a hot spring behind the garden and thought he might go soak and relax.

Since no one else lived in the garden besides him, Ji Qinghuai, and Tu Dayou, there was no need to be shy.

However, when he neared the hot spring pool behind the garden, he overheard some very unexpected sounds through a fake rock formation.

The sounds came from two men — one voice restrained, the other more uninhibited.

And Ji Qingzhou could easily tell what the two men were doing at that moment.

He immediately felt embarrassed and quietly slipped away.

After returning, Ji Qingzhou’s mind was still unsettled.

The sounds he had heard were full of suggestive implications.

More than that, it wasn’t as painful as he had imagined; he even heard unmistakable pleasure in one of the voices.

Could it be that such things weren’t as frightening as he had thought?

Otherwise, why did so many people keep enjoying them so much?

Or maybe there had been a problem at some step between him and Li Zhan?

Ji Qingzhou felt confused and hid in his room for most of the day without going out. Later, he drank nearly half a jug of wine brought by others.

That afternoon, Ji Qingzhou lay drunkenly on the couch, dozing off, dreaming again about that hot spring pool.

Only this time, the people in the pool were himself and Li Zhan…

In the dream, his blood surged, and he woke up.

The scene lingered long in his mind, and the feeling left him restless.

Ji Qingzhou took a deep breath, intending to take a shower to calm down, when someone knocked at the door.

He walked over and opened it, immediately stunned.

Li Zhan stood there at the door, draped in a cloak and holding a wooden box in his hands.

After being apart for several days, their sudden reunion felt very strange.

At that moment, Ji Qingzhou suddenly understood the meaning behind the saying, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

Of course, in their case, it was a little separation plus newlywed excitement.

“Did you miss me?” Li Zhan asked.

“Why did you come?” Ji Qingzhou asked back.

Li Zhan chuckled softly and whispered in his ear, “I came to consummate our marriage.”

Ji Qingzhou loosened his grip slightly, and immediately his ears flushed red.

After all that had happened, Ji Qingzhou felt less afraid.

Or maybe it was the lingering effects of the alcohol, but hearing Li Zhan say this didn’t make him resist—instead, deep inside, a faint hope stirred.

Li Zhan pulled him inside, first holding him close and kissing him for a while before slightly pulling away.

Then he opened the wooden box he had brought and showed it to Ji Qingzhou, whose face instantly turned bright red.

Inside the box were several “jade-shaped” objects of varying sizes, each crafted with exquisite detail, like works of art.

“Later, we can start with a small one to try it out. When you get used to it, we’ll move on to bigger ones, until…” Li Zhan explained seriously, making Ji Qingzhou’s face burn even more.

Ji Qingzhou reached out, squeezed Li Zhan’s hand, and whispered, “Maybe we shouldn’t…”

Li Zhan looked at him, about to reply, but Ji Qingzhou quickly added, “Just come right in.”

Li Zhan: !!!

Ji Qingzhou’s proposal came unexpectedly, and although he seemed a little nervous, he no longer felt as tense as before.

Before Li Zhan could react, Ji Qingzhou leaned forward and kissed him.

As their lips parted, Li Zhan pressed him into his embrace with greater urgency and passion, sealing the kiss…

….

….

That day, Li Zhan only stopped when night had fallen completely.

Ji Qingzhou lay face down on the pillow, utterly drained of energy.

Li Zhan leaned close to his ear and softly asked, “Does it hurt?”

“Mm, it’s okay,” Ji Qingzhou murmured.

It still hurt a bit, but it was much better than he had imagined.

Compared to that night in Fengxian Pavilion, it was like night and day.

If he had known it would be like this, he wouldn’t have been so nervous before!

“Besides pain, any other feelings?” Li Zhan asked quietly.

“No,” Ji Qingzhou’s ears flushed, and he turned away, refusing to look at Li Zhan.

Li Zhan found his embarrassed expression amusing and continued, “When I asked you earlier, you didn’t say that. Why change your tune now?”

Ji Qingzhou pinched Li Zhan’s arm but stayed silent.

Still, Li Zhan saw the tips of his ears turn even redder…

From that day on, Ji Qingzhou had completely overcome that hurdle.

As for the things Qi Jingchuan had bought, Li Zhan never used them at all.

Later, back at the prince residence, Li Zhan would occasionally bring out the wooden box, thinking it was a waste to leave it unused. He tried them with Ji Qingzhou, but Ji Qingzhou didn’t seem to like the cold objects much, so Li Zhan put the box away again.

After that day, Li Zhan and Ji Qingzhou spent two more days goofing around in the garden.

On the third day, back in the capital, they endured a round of complaints from the young emperor.

The young emperor was still a child and didn’t understand all the complicated adult matters. He only knew that his Imperial Uncle and Zhouzhou had mysteriously disappeared for several days, leaving him “all alone” guarding the palace.

The most frustrating part was that with Li Zhan gone, no one dared to make decisions, so the young emperor hadn’t been allowed out of the palace for three days and naturally hadn’t gone to the Prince Residence.

The young emperor thought: my poor brother hasn’t been seen for days; he must miss him terribly.

Yet when his good Imperial Uncle returned, he looked radiant, as if something wonderful had happened!

The young emperor’s way of showing anger was simple: he refused to talk and often scowled at Li Zhan, making sure Li Zhan knew he was mad. Ji Qingzhou fared a bit better because he looked more natural upon return, unlike Li Zhan, who looked triumphant as if he’d struck gold.

So the young emperor spared Ji Qingzhou his scowls and reserved all his “anger” for Li Zhan.

“Cong’er is still mad, maybe we should cheer him up?” Ji Qingzhou suggested to Li Zhan.

Li Zhan smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Ze’er knows how to comfort him. We don’t need to bother.”

Sure enough, no sooner had Li Zhan spoken than the young emperor turned around with a surprised face and told Li Zhan and Ji Qingzhou, “He just smiled at me! Imperial Uncle, Zhouzhou, Ze’er just smiled at me!”

Ji Qingzhou: …

Truly, there’s always someone to handle someone else.

“Come on, let’s get back to our own business,” Li Zhan whispered into Ji Qingzhou’s ear.

Ji Qingzhou heard the teasing tone and knew what was coming. He hurriedly said, “It’s not even dark yet; Cong’er is still here.”

Li Zhan glanced at the young emperor’s back and said softly, “Don’t worry, he won’t move an inch for at least another hour.”

Ji Qingzhou looked at the young emperor worriedly but still half-heartedly let Li Zhan take him away…

Author’s note: Young emperor: Hmph.

Zai Zai: Hehe.

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