Chapter 14: Vinegar Flying Horizontally
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Yu Zhen strode into the backyard with the fruit tray, feeling relieved that Xiao Zipei, who was being bound and whipped, only suffered superficial injuries. He quietly positioned himself behind Young Master Ning Xiang.
So, Yan Tenghua was indeed here!
A surge of anger and indignation flickered in Yu Zhen’s eyes. If it weren’t for the crowd around, he would have surely engaged in a deadly battle right then and there! Give me back my dignity, you bastard!
The lush trees in the garden obscured the sky, casting dappled sunlight on the ground, creating a pattern of light resembling honeycombs.
Occasionally, a few fresh green leaves would flutter down, catching the attention of King Yan. He had little interest in what was happening in the garden, finding Young Master Ning Xiang’s pretense of innocence and righteousness rather dull compared to the excitement of a fiery man.
But in that moment of distraction, he suddenly felt a strong aura of hostility nearby. His body tensed, and he quickly turned to look behind him, only to be met with a face that could be considered extremely beautiful, albeit with a twisted expression of clenched teeth and seething anger, as if he wanted to skin the person in front of him alive. It was quite repulsive.
King Yan immediately relaxed his guard, feeling an uncontrollable surge of joy in his heart. However, the thought that he had risked coming here for Xiao Zipei left a bitter taste in his mouth. “Ning Xiang, I don’t want to see bloodshed today. Xiao Zipei is the chief commander of my appointed Imperial Guards and it’s his duty to guard the palace. It was wrong of you to trespass into my forbidden territory, wasn’t it? If you think of me, I will naturally return to your side. There’s no need to be anxious.”
Young Master Ning Xiang’s cheeks flushed red like overripe persimmons. Liu Yu Zhen cast a disdainful glance and ignored him.
His gaze shifted to Xiao Zipei’s wound, quickly assessing whether he needed urgent treatment. If necessary, he wouldn’t hesitate to take down everyone here with his seemingly fragile body, except for one person who might take him down instead.
He tried his best to avoid conflict with King Yan. It was best if King Yan didn’t see him. The guy seemed solely focused on teasing Young Master Ning Xiang, so he probably wouldn’t bother with him. He just needed to see if Young Master Ning Xiang intended to act against Xiao Zipei.
“Ning Xiang has been waiting for you at the Peace Pavilion since the month before last. You promised to play chess with him. Have you forgotten?”
“How could I forget? If it weren’t for the busy political affairs and the urgent need for military funds at the border, I wouldn’t have left you alone to guard the Peace Pavilion.” As he spoke, he glanced at Liu Yu Zhen’s expression, but no matter what he said, Liu Yu Zhen’s eyes remained fixed firmly on Xiao Zipei, ignoring him completely.
King Yan withdrew his gaze from the corner of his eye and focused it on Young Master Ning Xiang. Compared to Liu Yu Zhen, it seemed as if all the men and women in the world were dull and colorless. He didn’t like seeing Liu Yu Zhen dressed as a woman. Firstly, because Liu Yu Zhen’s expression didn’t suit it, perhaps the former gentle and delicate Prime Minister Liu would have been more appropriate. Secondly, he didn’t want other men to see Liu Yu Zhen’s beauty. It belonged to him, and him alone!
Before properly disciplining this disobedient Prime Minister, he wanted to prove something first…
Just as Young Master Ning Xiang was about to speak, King Yan suddenly pulled him close, enveloping him in his strong arms. In the embrace of King Yan, Young Master Ning Xiang felt like a meek and flattered little rabbit. However, the excitement swirling in his eyes was not for this handsome young man in luxurious clothes.
As if the air had frozen, King Yan’s lips landed firmly on Young Master Ning Xiang’s.
Liu Yu Zhen, naturally nonchalant, remained unaffected, dismissing King Yan’s deliberate demeanor as another burst of hormones.
But in the eyes of King Yan, it was a blatant display of disdain. Did he not care about their ambiguous relationship? Why didn’t he care?
King Yan’s kiss grew more and more intense, treating Young Master Ning Xiang as a mere object of release, turning a romantic gesture into a violent assault. Perhaps accustomed to such treatment, Young Master Ning Xiang remained silent, but visibly excited, pressed against King Yan’s chest.
Sensing his discomfort, Young Master Ning Xiang, ever resourceful, quickly spoke up: “Your Majesty, tomorrow Ning Xiang will request from my father the allocation of funds to aid the urgent situation at the border. This way, Your Majesty will have more time to accompany Ning Xiang, right?”
King Yan was brought back to his senses by his soft voice. Yes, this was what he wanted. If it weren’t for the financial power resting in Xu Hui’s hands, Young Master Ning Xiang would be nothing more than a plaything, and there would be no need to leverage him for financial support. Yet King Yan still smiled, soothingly saying, “Of course, I also want to accompany Ning Xiang. How about tonight… I stay at the Peace Pavilion? Do you like that, Ning Xiang?”
He had asked the same question to Liu Yu Zhen before. “Do you like it?” The answer used to be “Please, I beg you, let me go,” until that day when Liu Yu Zhen stared back and said, “When I recover my strength, I’ll have you.” Heh, were those the words of the refined Prime Minister Liu?
Thinking of this, his initially feigned smile suddenly became genuine and unguarded, laid bare in front of Young Master Ning Xiang.
Yan Tenghua, with his strong and masculine demeanor, unexpectedly had such a gentle smile.
Liu Yu Zhen felt his legs go weak and his head spinning. Perhaps this body had a low hemoglobin level in its previous life! “Will this ever end? I’m starting to feel tired again. If I don’t leave soon, I might collapse here in a while. I really shouldn’t have come in so impulsively.”
He complained inwardly, finding the person he bumped into earlier much more intriguing than the detestable and vulgar King Yan. The disappointment in that person’s expression, displayed on a refined and noble face, left him with an inexplicable sense of loss. With King Yan not laying a hand on General Xiao, nor showing any intention of releasing anyone, Yu Zhen couldn’t help but wonder what to do next. Otherwise, he might end up staring blankly at that person’s eyes.
However, just then, King Yan’s voice rang out like a general amnesty: “Alright, release General Xiao and send him back. The palace still needs him to guard. We can’t afford to lose anything that should be in the palace. If anything is missing from my palace later, I’ll resort to the most severe punishment.”
There was an underlying message in his words, and Yu Zhen wasn’t sure if he had been discovered. Nevertheless, as long as General Xiao was released, that was all that mattered. He would go back on his own without needing King Yan’s reminder!
“Hey? Which palace are you from? Why hasn’t this young master seen you before?” Yu Zhen’s heart sank again. This Young Master Ning Xiang seemed to have sharp eyes! Damn it, what should he do now? He couldn’t speak; he was aware of his rudeness. If he were exposed, he might be taken for an assassin.
So he quickly handed over the fruit tray, pretending not to speak and making grunting noises to indicate that it was for delivering fruits and vegetables.
Young Master Ning Xiang was not an ordinary person; he seemed to be very concerned about Yu Zhen’s appearance. He knocked over Yu Zhen’s fruit tray with one hand and ordered, “Get out!” For Yu Zhen, this command was a relief.
“Wait!” King Yan’s voice rang out, mercilessly calling him back, “This is a maid I brought. How about letting him serve tonight?”
Huge shoutout to @denkoumaru on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
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