In the darkness, Jiang Huaichu flushed completely red and nearly turned to leave on the spot.
His methods… why were they always so…
He couldn’t find the right word to describe it. All he could do was grit his teeth and furiously poke the little traitor on the head.
Below, Xiao Yun paused when he heard the bark. Then a wide grin spread across his face.
His little darling had come, still pretending not to be there. He must be mortified and blushing right now. Just the thought of it made Xiao Yun’s heart itch—he wished he could fly up immediately.
Xiao Yun pulled a grappling hook from his bag, dodged the approaching patrol, and, when no one was around, tossed it upward.
The city wall at Nanruo was extremely high—he was using the longest grappling hook available, which could only latch about halfway up. Any higher was physically impossible.
Jiang Huaichu had planned to leave, but seeing him begin to climb, curiosity flickered in his heart. After hesitating a moment, he stayed.
In the night, the grappling hook gleamed faintly as it caught between the gray bricks.
Climbing halfway wasn’t difficult. What Jiang Huaichu was curious about was how, while hanging in midair with no footholds, Xiao Yun planned to throw a second hook all the way to the top and catch the ledge.
For hundreds of years, the Night Gate of Nanruo had been attacked dozens of times. All invaders failed, largely due to this very problem.
Below, Xiao Yun moved with agility. In a few graceful movements, he was halfway up. Jiang Huaichu looked down and could just make out his dark eyes.
The rope had reached its end. Clearly understanding what Jiang Huaichu was thinking, Xiao Yun smirked unseen and pulled another grappling hook from inside his clothes. He pretended to toss it upward.
It failed several times, not even reaching halfway before falling.
Jiang Huaichu’s lips had just begun to curl in amusement when the brick holding the first hook suddenly shifted.
Xiao Yun, clinging with one hand, slipped and dropped a short distance.
Jiang Huaichu’s heart skipped.
Xiao Yun tried a few more times without success. Eventually, due to the darkness, he lost his grip entirely and fell with a crash.
Jiang Huaichu’s heart lurched. Xiao Yun wouldn’t die from a fall—that much he was sure—but who knew how badly he might be hurt?
Climbing a city wall like this, with only one person, was virtually impossible.
But Xiao Yun didn’t stay down. He immediately got up and tried again.
Jiang Huaichu frowned, watching him fall multiple times. When he climbed halfway up again, Jiang Huaichu finally said in a low voice, “Just go back.”
Xiao Yun looked up at him. “I’m not going back. I will get up there tonight.”
Jiang Huaichu replied coolly, “If you fall and die, I won’t bother to collect your body.”
Xiao Yun suddenly smiled. “Then why don’t you throw me a rope and pull me up?”
Jiang Huaichu was stunned. When he realized what he had just heard, he was once again speechless at Xiao Yun’s shamelessness. Angry and flustered, he snapped, “Who would pull you up?!”
He expected Xiao Yun to respond with a threat or sarcastic jab. Instead, Xiao Yun blinked innocently and said, “Baby, won’t you pull me up?”
Jiang Huaichu: “…”
“Pretty please?”
“Aww, baby, you’re the best. Even if not for me, do it for the little wolf cub. Baby!” If he weren’t suspended in midair, Xiao Yun would probably be shamelessly rubbing himself against Jiang Huaichu by now. “I can’t get up on my own. You fortified Nanruo so well. These walls are so tall. So baby, pull me up, okay?”
Xiao Yun noticed Jiang Huaichu wasn’t moving. “Baby, you’re the best. You’re about to marry someone else, aren’t you going to give me some closure? Let’s talk things through, baby, okay?”
Jiang Huaichu replied coldly, “Who’s your baby?”
“You are,” Xiao Yun immediately switched to a pitiful expression. “Baby, my leg hurts, my waist hurts, my back hurts—everything hurts—”
“What does that have to do with me—”
“Ahh, it hurts, it hurts so bad—”
“You—”
“So painful! I can’t take it anymore.”
“…” Jiang Huaichu took a deep breath.
“Just pull me up, baby,” Xiao Yun glanced at him and immediately freed one hand to clutch his lower back. “It really hurts. If you don’t believe me, pull me up and see for yourself. If I’m lying, I’ll give you all my secret stash of money…”
“Who wants—”
The patrolling guards were passing by again. Jiang Huaichu clenched his teeth.
If they kept bickering and his brother the emperor found out, both he and Xiao Yun would be in serious trouble.
“Baby, can we just talk this out, please? I was young and reckless, never liked anyone before, so I made mistakes—it was my first time! Give me a chance to make it up to you, baby!”
Someone usually so authoritative acting this shamelessly somehow looked unusually handsome and endearing in his innocent sincerity.
“…” Jiang Huaichu stared silently.
At his age, Xiao Yun still claimed to be “young and reckless”? Then what did that make Jiang Huaichu—naive and ignorant?
After a moment, Jiang Huaichu said, “Just talking. Say what you need to say, then leave?”
Xiao Yun nodded immediately, solemnly promising.
Jiang Huaichu raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.
Xiao Yun nodded again, assuring him he wouldn’t say a word more.
Jiang Huaichu went off to find a sturdy rope and walked back slowly. As he reached the top of the wall and looked at the rope in his hand, a wave of heat rose to his face.
Jiang Huaichu, what are you doing?
Though it was understandable, the act itself felt… a bit too strange.
Xiao Yun had already spotted him—there was no turning back now. Feeling resigned, Jiang Huaichu tossed the rope down.
Xiao Yun smiled so broadly it was almost impossible to hide. “Baby, don’t pull me—watch the pup. Just tie it up there, I can climb myself.”
“Who’s pulling you.”
Jiang Huaichu tied the rope to a secure point.
Xiao Yun looked up at the rope now dangling from the top, his heart blooming with delight. Tsk tsk, the strongest fortress really was always breached from the inside.
In the blink of an eye, a person stood in front of Jiang Huaichu.
“Awoo!” The little pup stood between them protectively.
Xiao Yun glanced down at it, then without hesitation nudged it aside with his leg, ignoring its protest as he stepped closer to Jiang Huaichu. Jiang Huaichu took a step back and said coolly, “What do you want to say?”
Xiao Yun went straight to the point: “Don’t marry her.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ll marry you.”
Jiang Huaichu’s heart skipped a beat. He tried to act indifferent, but after a long silence, seeing Xiao Yun still staring at him without blinking, he frowned and asked, “Are you serious?”
“What else? This isn’t the first time I’ve said this. You didn’t agree last time. You think I go around asking everyone to marry me?”
Jiang Huaichu said flatly, “The child isn’t yours.”
“Oh,” Xiao Yun leaned lazily against the wall, smiling. “Did you know we have a law in Northern Ning?”
Jiang Huaichu looked at him.
“It says if a woman separates from her husband, she must wait ten months before marrying someone else.”
“Why?”
Xiao Yun looked at him, still smiling: “To prevent the chance of her being unknowingly pregnant, or knowingly pregnant and still marrying the next man—so he ends up raising someone else’s child.”
“I told you, it’s not yours.”
Xiao Yun grinned. “Then how about this—marry me first. When the child is born, I’ll take a look. If it doesn’t look like me, we can divorce. No harm done.”
“…”
“Baby—”
“Xiao Yun.”
Xiao Yun paused. “Hmm? What?”
“Awoo! Awoo!”
“Bite him.”
Xiao Yun stared in disbelief as the little thing he raised himself lunged at him, snarling and baring its teeth, clinging to his ankle and tugging at the hem of his robe.
“What the h*ll—”
But remembering his beloved was watching, and for the sake of the baby’s future mental well-being, he swallowed the curse, glaring at the little traitor. If Jiang Huaichu weren’t here, man and dog might’ve been fighting already.
Jiang Huaichu said coldly: “The marriage must go on. There’s nothing more to discuss.”
Xiao Yun was stunned, clearly not expecting such a firm answer. He hadn’t even finished saying what he needed to say before a bitter ache welled up in his chest. “Do you really not want to marry me that badly?”
Jiang Huaichu was confused. “Why are you so insistent? You already know everything—things you should and shouldn’t know. Given our identities, aren’t you afraid I’ll bring you harm?”
Xiao Yun smiled lazily: “Because I like you.”
“You… like me?”
Xiao Yun teased: “You already said the child’s not mine. If I don’t like you, who do I like—what’s in your belly?”
“And even if this one isn’t mine, the next one will be. If I don’t chase you now, none of them will ever be mine, right?”
“Don’t go! Don’t be mad! I was just being an idiot!” Xiao Yun lunged and hugged him from behind, grabbing his hand.
“Let go.” Jiang Huaichu was flushed with shame and anger.
Xiao Yun didn’t take further liberties. He simply rested his chin on Jiang Huaichu’s shoulder, tilted his head to look at his profile, and softly asked, “Chu Chu, do you like me?”
“I—”
“Think carefully.”
“I—”
“Take your time to consider.”
“I—”
“Actually, never mind. I’m scared. Don’t say it.”
“…” Jiang Huaichu could no longer keep his anger in check.
He said calmly, “Xiao Yun, don’t force this.”
“Why not?”
“Because the cost of failure is too great. Surely you understand that.”
Xiao Yun’s expression lit up: “So my baby does like me! You’re just afraid of failure!”
“…When did I ever say—”
Realizing what he just implied, Jiang Huaichu’s face darkened. “….Who’s your baby!”
Xiao Yun stopped fooling around and nodded cheerfully. “The cost of failure is high, but what if we succeed?”
“I have a child to think about. I won’t go crazy with you. At most, we can be friends—nothing more.”
Xiao Yun said gloomily, “The kind of friend where your own kid calls me Uncle Xiao?”
Jiang Huaichu turned his face away. “…He’s not yours.”
“Jiang Huaichu, don’t be a coward.”
Jiang Huaichu glanced at him. “Xiao Yun, the people of Nanruo and my imperial brother all want to tear you apart. You can’t just ignore the problems and act like some carefree pig.”
Xiao Yun choked. “…Alright, you win.”
Still unwilling to give up, Xiao Yun asked, “Jiang Huaichu, if you say you like me—do you like me for my money?”
Jiang Huaichu remained silent.
Xiao Yun pressed, “Answer me.”
“I don’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not short on money.”
“Do you like me because I’m the emperor?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I don’t lack power.”
“Then—”
Jiang Huaichu clearly didn’t want to go down this road: “I already have all of those things—”
“And so do I,” Xiao Yun interrupted. “So what could I possibly want from you, other than you? I have everything else. The only thing I lack is a wife. Not the kind who cooks and does laundry, but the kind I want to spoil for a lifetime.”
Xiao Yun shed all his usual unseriousness and said solemnly, “Jiang Huaichu, I like you.”
Jiang Huaichu looked at him sharply.
“Everything I own now, I never felt the need to cherish it—because it’s all things I earned on my own. Other than being born, none of it was luck. If it were destroyed, I could start over. But you…” Xiao Yun paused. “Whether or not you like me, that’s not something I can control.”
He shrugged, giving a devil-may-care smile. “That’s why I’ve never liked romantic feelings. You can decide if you like someone, but you can’t decide if they’ll like you back. I never thought there’d be something I’d be afraid of. But here it is—I’m afraid the answer might be no. Do you understand?”
“I’m afraid some things, some people… once missed, are missed forever. Do you understand?”
Jiang Huaichu suddenly felt his eyes sting.
“I don’t even know when I started liking you,” Xiao Yun admitted. “I never thought I’d fall for someone like this, but I did—without warning.”
Jiang Huaichu was silent.
He didn’t know either.
“So don’t marry her, okay?”
“If you have any problems, just tell me—I’ll solve them,” Xiao Yun grinned. “As long as you like Xiao Yun, there’s nothing in this world that Xiao Yun can’t do.”
Jiang Huaichu met those bright, undefeated eyes. He saw himself reflected deeply in them, and his heart stirred.
Those eyes made you believe—without question—that their owner could do anything. They pulled you in, made it impossible to escape.
“I know, status-wise, we’re probably the most unsuitable pair in the world,” Xiao Yun said, then smiled. “But who knows—maybe we’re actually the most suitable.”
“After all, only enemies understand each other so well.”
“Just give me a straight answer,” he continued. “You…” Xiao Yun, a man who had always drifted through romance without getting involved, now looked like a nervous boy confessing for the first time. “Chuchu, do you like me?”
Jiang Huaichu raised a brow with a smile. “And if I said no?”
Xiao Yun sighed. “Then I guess I’ll just have to take what I want again.”
Jiang Huaichu: “…”
“I’ve worked so hard all these years,” Xiao Yun said, pulling him into a hug, tilting his head slightly to gently kiss his pale, bare neck. “Just so I’d still have another way out when everyone else was powerless.”
Jiang Huaichu abruptly looked down.
That kiss was light—desirous, yet more than that.
“Tell me, won’t you?” Xiao Yun asked quietly. “I know you’re shy, don’t like to say it out loud. But if you even like me a little, even just a bit, you—”
Maybe it was the thick night, blurring his vision. Maybe it was the warmth in his ear that set his frozen heart reaching out to test the water. But in that moment, Jiang Huaichu didn’t want to remember who he was. He looked at a stone on the ground, smiled, bent down, and picked it up, shoving it into Xiao Yun’s hand.
Xiao Yun stared at the fist-sized stone, his previously serious expression replaced by bewilderment.
“It’s for you.”
While Xiao Yun stood there dumbfounded, Jiang Huaichu walked away. By the time Xiao Yun recovered, the man was already a distance off.
Xiao Yun was just about to chase after him when a patrol of guards came up behind him.
Up ahead, the little pup was happily chasing after Jiang Huaichu, barking “Awoo!” twice in Xiao Yun’s direction like it was showing off.
Xiao Yun gritted his teeth.
….
Inside the command tent.
As soon as Xie Zhe entered, the usually casual and relaxed Xiao Yun sprang to his feet. “Did you find out?!”
Xie Zhe’s eyes fell on the rock in Xiao Yun’s hand—the one he’d been treating like a sacred relic for hours now, lounging one moment, lying down the next, staring at it like he could bore a hole through it.
He was treating it like a priceless treasure.
“Speak up!” Xiao Yun barked.
Xie Zhe snapped out of it. “We asked some Nanruo locals. They said it’s part of a beautiful local tale. Supposedly, the founding empress of Nanruo was a descendant of a South Sea mermaid…”
Xiao Yun looked incredulous. “That’s nonsense! Made-up propaganda, right? I even had the historians write I’m the reincarnation of a dragon.”
“…I wouldn’t know.”
“Cut the cr*p. Just tell me.”
Xie Zhe said, “Apparently, because of her bloodline, she couldn’t speak until she was seven. Before that, people mocked and bullied her. Even after she could speak, she didn’t like to—acted like a mute.”
“After she grew up, she was as beautiful as a fairy. Countless suitors came to propose, but she never said a word and gave each of them a stone—just a random one she picked up from the ground.”
Xiao Yun looked at the stone in his left hand. “This one?”
“Yes,” Xie Zhe said. “Those suitors all thought she was looking down on them, got angry, left, and never came back. They even mocked her in public.”
Xiao Yun asked, “And then?”
Xie Zhe said, “Even the founding emperor of Nanruo came to propose and only got one of those stones. Everyone thought she looked down on him too. But the emperor thought for a while and then laughed. He said, ‘Some people have hearts, but they only see with their eyes and speak with their mouths. Those who don’t understand her are like rocks themselves—of course she wouldn’t care for them. But those who do, even if she doesn’t say a word, will understand her thoughts in that moment because they are truly paying attention.’
‘The meaning of the stone is essentially—whatever you feel it means, that’s what it means.’”
Xiao Yun’s breath caught: “Then… what happened after that?”
“The emperor returned for her again. According to the historical records, he and the empress spent their whole lives together, one couple for a lifetime.”
After finishing, Xie Zhe looked at Xiao Yun.
Xiao Yun suddenly found it hard to hold the stone: “I think… Jiang Huaichu likes me.”
His expression froze for a moment, and then he said, “…Jiang Huaichu said he liked me?”
“Jiang Huaichu said he liked me?!”
“Jiang Huaichu likes me???”
“Jiang Huaichu likes me!!!”
“Xie Zhe!! He likes me!!”
“Xie Zhe, did you hear that?! Jiang Huaichu said he likes me!!”
“Jiang Huaichu likes me!!”
