Chapter 29
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Xue Yuan considered using the inkstone to kill the provoking Chu Wei, but if he did, the emperor would likely be truly angry.
The little emperor’s anger wasn’t terrifying. As long as Xue Yuan wasn’t dead, as long as he was alive, he could endure anything. The emperor’s punishments, be they physical or mental torture, Xue Yuan could withstand.
The only thing he couldn’t tolerate was humiliation.
But even fearless Xue Yuan didn’t want to see the emperor genuinely angry at him. The emperor rarely smiled at him, and now Xue Yuan wondered why this dog of a scholar could earn those smiles when he could not.
On his way to the Hanlin Academy, Xue Yuan pondered why the emperor couldn’t smile at him.
If the emperor smiled at him, he’d happily wash horses again. If the emperor’s face softened, Xue Yuan would stay submerged in water all day without complaint.
The more he couldn’t have it, the more he wanted it. Xue Yuan was truly despicable, unable to bear being treated differently. The more the young emperor treated him coldly and punished him harshly, the more he longed to see a kind expression directed at him.
Despicable to the bone.
When Xue Yuan arrived at the Hanlin Academy with the two inkstones, Chu Wei and Kong Yilin hurried out upon hearing that the emperor had sent gifts. The first person they saw was Xue Yuan.
Kong Yilin didn’t recognize Xue Yuan, but Chu Wei’s face turned cold at the sight of him, his disdain barely concealed.
“And who might this be?” Kong Yilin stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting.
Xue Yuan put on a friendly smile. “You must be Compiler Kong the emperor mentioned?”
Kong Yilin nodded and his gaze fell on the intricately carved wooden boxes in Xue Yuan’s hands.
Chu Wei stepped forward with a blank expression, also cupping his hands. “Thank you, Guard Xue, for making the trip.”
“Serving the emperor is no trouble at all,” Xue Yuan replied with a fake smile. “It’s what I should do.”
Kong Yilin seemed unaware of the tension between them. “Guard Xue, may I ask what the emperor has bestowed upon us?”
Xue Yuan tossed the two wooden boxes into his arms. “Inkstones.”
Kong Yilin smiled. “Thank you for the emperor’s gift.”
Chu Wei glanced at the wooden box in Kong Yilin’s hands and smiled as well.
To Xue Yuan, this smile was evidence of Chu Wei’s intentions toward the emperor. Xue Yuan’s smile vanished, replaced by a cold look. He cast a murderous glance at Chu Wei before turning to leave. Chu Wei, equally disgusted, watched him go with loathing. The two were like oil and water.
Xue Yuan walked back to the emperor’s bedchamber with a sour expression.
As he neared the bedchamber, the “gift” he had been carrying suddenly jumped out and ran away quickly.
Caught off guard, Xue Yuan furrowed his brow and angrily chased after it.
***
Inside the hall, a palace maid felt something furry brush her foot. She looked down, her face paling in shock, and screamed.
The small creature darted around in a panic, causing the palace maids to scream and scatter. Their faces were pale, their bodies trembling, and the hall was in chaos.
Tian Fusheng shouted, “What are you screaming about?”
A palace maid, on the verge of tears, cried, “Steward, there’s a mouse here.”
Those serving in the palace, especially those close to the emperor, had never seen such a thing.
Gu Yuanbai remained calm, continuing his meal and instructing the guards to catch the mouse. The girls, terrified of such creatures, were on the verge of tears.
The guards scrambled around, making the hall even more chaotic. Gu Yuanbai suddenly heard a small “squeak.” He paused, put down his chopsticks, and looked under the table. There, he met a pair of beady black eyes.
“Little thing,” Gu Yuanbai reached out his hand and smiled, “you know how to hide.”
No one dared approach the emperor.
The little mouse, with its gray fur, sniffed Gu Yuanbai’s hand. Perhaps it smelled food, so it climbed onto his hand.
Gu Yuanbai lifted his hand and gently stroked the little creature’s fur, which was sleek and smooth. Clearly, it was a well-kept pet.
Tian Fusheng’s eyes widened at the sight of the creature in the emperor’s hand. “Your Majesty!”
The guards, in the middle of catching the mouse, looked up in shock. The Chief Guard hurriedly stepped forward, “Your Majesty, let me take care of it!”
“No need,” Gu Yuanbai placed the mouse on the table and used his chopsticks to offer it a piece of meat. Watching the mouse nibble on the meat, he leisurely stroked its fur with his fingertips. “It’s just a little thing. It’s quite pleasant to touch.”
Seeing that the mouse didn’t seem harmful, Tian Fusheng ordered the palace maids to calm down. The maids wiped their tears, steadied their nerves, and returned to their positions.
As Gu Yuanbai resumed his meal, Xue Yuan walked in. He immediately noticed the mouse on the table eating meat and his eyelid twitched. So, it was here.
Gu Yuanbai saw him enter. “Did you deliver the items?”
Xue Yuan replied, “Yes.”
Gu Yuanbai had intended to ask if he had hit it off with Chu Wei but decided against it, feeling too lazy to inquire further. He nodded lazily, indicating for Xue Yuan to stand aside.
Instead of moving, Xue Yuan said, “Your Majesty, that little pet is mine.”
Gu Yuanbai paused and looked up at him. “You raised it?”
Xue Yuan nodded. “I thought the Little Ingrate in the palace might get lonely, so I brought this pet to keep it company.”
“The Little Ingrate?” Gu Yuanbai asked, puzzled. “Who is that?”
“It’s Your Majesty’s Ferghana horse,” Xue Yuan said, half-joking. “That horse is quite ungrateful. I feed it and bathe it, yet it still kicks me.”
Gu Yuanbai laughed at the image. “That horse is called Hongyun.”
Xue Yuan pretended to understand. “I’ll remember that.”
Gu Yuanbai, still holding the mouse, asked, “What’s this little thing called?”
“I haven’t named it yet,” Xue Yuan replied.
Gu Yuanbai, seeing the mouse finish its meat, grabbed it by the neck and tossed it to Xue Yuan. “Since it’s for Hongyun, take it to him.”
Xue Yuan caught the mouse deftly. “Your Majesty doesn’t like it?”
As he wiped his hands with a handkerchief, Gu Yuanbai, the intricate embroidery on the cloth not as beautiful as his hands, glanced at Xue Yuan. “Compared to this little thing, I prefer the wolf you keep at your residence.”
Xue Yuan said, “Your Majesty, wolves can bite.”
The emperor was unfazed. “A few beatings and some hunger, and it will obey.”
Xue Yuan grinned. “As Your Majesty says.”
The meal was cleared away by the palace attendants, and Gu Yuanbai took his people out for a stroll to aid digestion. He walked ahead, wearing a darker-colored regular robe today, the hidden patterns faintly visible as he moved. The dark attire accentuated his fair skin, making his wrists and neck look even more delicate.
Xue Yuan followed behind, glancing at Gu Yuanbai’s back and then at the little mouse in his arms.
“Useless thing,” he muttered disdainfully, “can’t even attract a person.”
The little mouse blinked its beady black eyes, not understanding a word Xue Yuan said.
The imperial garden was in full bloom, with various flowers and plants creating a dazzling array of colors. After strolling for a while, Gu Yuanbai eventually stopped under a lush tree.
Tian Fusheng looked around and suddenly pointed to the top of the tree with a smile, “Your Majesty, look.”
Gu Yuanbai looked up and saw a small kite partially hidden among the leaves, its yellow corner peeking out. Tian Fusheng laughed, “This kite looks old. It must have been left by one of the concubines during the previous emperor’s time.”
Gu Yuanbai glanced at it for a moment, and Xue Yuan stepped forward, “Your Majesty, shall I retrieve it?”
He now paid extra attention to Gu Yuanbai’s expressions, as if he had been tamed. Gu Yuanbai knew it wasn’t that simple, but he was quite pleased with Xue Yuan’s attitude.
It was very satisfying to his sense of conquest.
Gu Yuanbai nodded, and Xue Yuan looked up at the tree, tossed the little mouse to the ground, and swiftly climbed up.
He was tall, with long arms and legs, and unusually strong. In no time, he reached the kite, making it look effortless.
The onlookers expected nothing to go wrong. But unexpectedly, while getting down from the tree, Xue Yuan accidentally jumped right next to the emperor. Gu Yuanbai instinctively stepped back, losing his balance, and Xue Yuan fell towards him.
With his back against the tree, Gu Yuanbai was pressed against the trunk by Xue Yuan. Xue Yuan barely managed to brace himself against the tree to avoid crushing the emperor and apologized, “Your Majesty, I seem to have stepped on a small stone and lost my footing.”
Warm breath brushed against Gu Yuanbai, causing his fair skin to flush. The emperor, being extremely delicate, appeared so soft and white up close, like a cloud that would melt at the slightest touch.
Gu Yuanbai looked up, his neck taut, and frowned impatiently, “Step back.”
Just as Xue Yuan was about to move away, a swarm of wasps suddenly approached. His expression changed, and he quickly pressed the emperor’s head against his chest, lowering his own head into the emperor’s hair.
“Where did these wasps come from?!” Tian Fusheng cried out in fear.
“Not good, protect the emperor!” The Chief Guard’s face changed, “Someone must have accidentally disturbed a wasp nest!”
Everyone rushed towards Gu Yuanbai. He scowled, his face buried in Xue Yuan’s chest.
The heat from Xue Yuan’s body passed through, and Gu Yuanbai thought, what does this man eat to be so warm, like a furnace?
“What’s the situation outside?” Gu Yuanbai’s voice was muffled, “Who was so reckless?”
Xue Yuan’s brows furrowed, pressing the emperor tightly, “Don’t speak.”
Gu Yuanbai’s forehead veins bulged. It was as if Xue Yuan sensed his anger and looked around, spotting a gap in the bushes. He rolled with Gu Yuanbai into the gap, avoiding the swarm of wasps.
By the time Gu Yuanbai regained his senses, the sound of wasps was gone.
He stood up and saw people running around outside the bushes, trying to escape the stings. Wasps in ancient times were more aggressive than today’s, stinging relentlessly and with more potent venom. Perhaps a palace servant had accidentally disturbed the nest, causing the chaos.
Xue Yuan stood beside the emperor and casually asked, “Your Majesty, what incense do you use? Even your hair smells fragrant.”
Gu Yuanbai, focused on the scene before him, didn’t hear clearly, “Hmm?”
Xue Yuan didn’t repeat himself. He noticed a wasp on a nearby leaf, quickly pulled the emperor into his arms, and stepped back several paces.
Gu Yuanbai, dizzy from the sudden movement, heard Xue Yuan’s nonsensical words from behind him.
“Your Majesty, you once scolded me for being presumptuous. I felt wronged because that wasn’t presumptuousness,” Xue Yuan said, his hand still on the emperor’s waist, “Your Majesty, this is presumptuousness.”
Got it?
If in the future any man treats you this way, he’s being presumptuous.
—Someone like Chu Wei can be executed for it.
But being touched by him was different.
Xue Yuan didn’t like men, so it didn’t matter if he did such things.
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