The winter in Shangjing was much colder than the southern town in Jiangnan where Xueya had grown up. He huddled under the table, hugging his arms, eagerly waiting for He Xulan to return. His legs had almost gone numb from waiting when he finally heard a sound.
Someone had come in.
Xueya’s eyes lit up, and he held his breath. The town he was from was by the sea, and the Red Moon House was built on a lake. He had been good at swimming since childhood and had perfected the art of holding his breath.
The footsteps approached and stopped in front of the table.
Xueya recognized He Xulan’s boots and was about to secretly reach out to grab his ankle like last time to startle him. However, before he could move, he heard another voice.
“Imperial Tutor Xu is preparing to resign due to Consort Shu’s matter. When does Empress Dowager plan to deal with that person named Xueya?”
This voice seemed familiar, and Xueya noticed that the person mentioned him.
Deal with him? What did that mean?
The voice continued, “Do you need me to take action?”
Finally, He Xulan spoke calmly, “This matter is not urgent. I want you to handle another matter first.” His words paused suddenly. He Xulan’s eyes shifted to the table, and the man standing behind him followed his gaze under the table.
He Xulan glanced sideways at the man behind him. “You should withdraw first.”
“Yes.” The man spoke and lifted his hand, making a slashing motion.
He Xulan remained unresponsive. The man understood, nodded slightly, and left the hall. He Xulan, who remained, looked under the table again and spoke softly, “Stop hiding, come out.”
Under the table, Xueya was stiff all over. After a while, he crawled out from under the table and stood up. When he saw He Xulan, he couldn’t help but tremble, his lips turning pale. “Are you going to kill me?”
He Xulan looked surprised. “Why would you think that, Xueya? Come to Older Brother.”
He reached out to Xueya, but when Xueya saw his hand, he instinctively stepped back.
Xueya had heard from Consort Shu that Imperial Tutor Xu of the current court was her father. Although he didn’t understand why Imperial Tutor Xu was resigning, it seemed to be connected to him and Consort Shu. Consort Shu had been punished at the Qingyan Convent, while he, a lowly person, was living well in the palace. Now thinking back, it didn’t seem right.
Moreover, how could someone in this world be kind to him for no reason?
It was all fake. No one in this world would truly be kind to him.
Xueya wiped away the tears that fell with the back of his hand and gritted his teeth. “Since you’re not going to kill me, then I’ll leave.”
After saying that, he ran outside, and He Xulan didn’t stop him. Xueya ran all the way to the east side small gate, where he violently tore off the key hanging on his wrist and threw it to the ground.
Xueya was afraid of losing this key, so he had specially made a rope to hang the key on his wrist.
Now that he had thrown away the key, he walked away without looking back, feeling as if he had lost his soul. He only knew to head towards the Fengrui Palace. Just as he was about to reach the Fengrui Palace, Xueya was suddenly stopped by someone.
“Xueya, what’s wrong with you?”
Xueya looked up and saw it was Liang Mu, which only made him feel worse. Liang Mu was He Xulan’s man. Xueya tried to walk past him, but Liang Mu was annoyingly persistent, grabbing onto him and refusing to let go, making Xueya’s anger surge.
He shoved Liang Mu hard. “Get lost! Who needs your fake kindness?”
After several pushes that didn’t work, Liang Mu dragged him over to the flowerbed.
“What’s wrong with you?” Liang Mu took out a silk handkerchief, trying to wipe the tears from Xueya’s face, but Xueya turned away, tears streaming down. Seeing this, Liang Mu lowered his voice. “Is it because I ignored you before? I was a bit upset because you said you’d be back soon… That’s why I didn’t talk to you. But don’t cry, okay? I’m sorry. I won’t ignore you anymore.”
Xueya stayed silent, tears flowing like water.
Liang Mu tried to wipe his tears, but the more he wiped, the more tears came, leaving him helpless. Just as he was about to say something, Xueya started hitting him again. “Go away! I don’t want your comfort!”
His weak punches meant nothing to Liang Mu, who stood there taking them with a smile. “Don’t be mad. I’m on duty again tomorrow. Do you want something from outside the palace? Candied hawthorn? Sugar figurines?”
Xueya was beyond annoyed with Liang Mu. Hearing him continue to chatter, he lowered his head and bit Liang Mu’s hand hard. Liang Mu gasped, and Xueya took the chance to push him away and run off.
He rushed back to his room, downed several cups of water, and his mind began to clear. What “brother”? He didn’t need that. Whether He Xulan’s affection was real or fake, he wouldn’t hold back when dealing with him.
Thinking this, Xueya’s mind shifted to Cui Lingjing.
He had to cling tightly to Cui Lingjing’s powerful support. Only by making Cui Lingjing fall in love with him could he rise to a position of power, second only to one. Then, no one would be able to bully him—he’d be the one doing the bullying.
Xueya stood up, walked to the vanity, and slowly wiped away the remaining tears with a handkerchief. He washed his face and changed into fresh clothes before heading out to find Xu Pingnan.
When Xu Pingnan saw Xueya, he frowned. “What are you doing here?”
“Xu Gonggong, please help me. I really want to meet His Majesty,” Xueya pleaded, taking something out from his sleeve. It was all the monthly stipends he had received since entering the palace.
Xu Pingnan glanced at the copper coins on the table and scoffed, “This little money? Do you take me for a beggar?”
Xueya’s face stiffened, and he removed a jade bracelet from his wrist and placed it on the table. “How about this? This is mine, not something from the palace.”
Xu Pingnan’s interest piqued at the sight of the bracelet. He picked it up, examined it in the sunlight, then tucked it into his chest pocket. He eyed Xueya and said, “Let’s be clear. I’ll only arrange for you to see His Majesty once. Don’t come looking for me for this again. Also, if His Majesty asks…”
“I would never implicate you, Xu Gonggong. If His Majesty holds me accountable, I’ll bear the blame alone,” Xueya quickly assured him.
Xu Pingnan thought for a moment and said, “His Majesty is in a good mood today. Wait for my message.”
Xueya ended up waiting until nightfall when Xu Pingnan sent a young eunuch to summon him. It so happened that His Majesty, Cui Lingjing, had just finished bathing and needed someone to help dry his hair. The palace servant who usually attended to this task had caught a cold, so Xu Pingnan arranged for Xueya to take his place.
To Xu Pingnan’s credit, he was quite efficient after receiving the bribe. Drying hair was certainly a better job than carrying a water basin like last time.
Xueya changed into light, flexible clothing, washed his hands, and hung a sachet around his waist. When notified that His Majesty was almost done with his bath, he hurriedly took a towel and entered the bathhouse.
The room was steamy, heated by an underground furnace. As Xueya entered, he glanced behind the screen where Cui Lingjing was already stepping out of the bath. He caught a glimpse of His Majesty dressing.
Though Cui Lingjing and Xueya were of the same age, their builds were entirely different. Cui Lingjing resembled a young leopard on the verge of maturity, with lean muscles beginning to show under his skin, hinting at his growing strength.
Cui Lingjing’s hair was mostly dry, having been toweled off by other palace servants. Xueya’s task was to ensure it was completely dried. Once dressed, His Majesty stepped outside the screen and sat on a couch in the bathhouse lounge, while the other servants tidied up.
With the room still warm from the furnace, Cui Lingjing wore little and even tugged at his collar, feeling hot. He grabbed a book that had been prepared and began to read. Suddenly, his nose twitched, and he turned sharply. The moment he saw Xueya, the surprise in his eyes quickly faded.
“Why is it you?” Cui Lingjing asked.
Xueya bowed and recited the explanation he had prepared, “Ming Gonggong caught a cold today, so I’m here to serve Your Majesty.”
Cui Lingjing narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Xueya. Suddenly, he reached out and took the sachet from Xueya’s waist. After a light sniff, his expression darkened dangerously.
“All of you, get out!” Cui Lingjing barked at the remaining servants tidying the bathhouse.
Sensing his anger, the servants quickly retreated. Xueya hadn’t expected the sachet to cause such a reaction but tried to remain calm. He even offered, “Does Your Majesty like this sachet? I can embroider one for you.”
“Sachet? I want to know where the fragrance in this sachet comes from,” Cui Lingjing’s voice turned cold.
Xueya calmly replied, “I made the fragrance myself.”
“Made it? Do you know how many rare and expensive ingredients are in this scent? How could someone like you afford such things?” Cui Lingjing angrily pushed aside Xueya’s hand, which was still drying his hair.
Xueya’s hand turned red from the blow, but he calmly set the towel aside and retrieved the sachet from Cui Lingjing’s hand. “Your Majesty might have misunderstood. There are no rare ingredients in this fragrance.”
He opened the sachet and poured out its contents. “These are all basic materials: beeswax, cloves, dried osmanthus, and sweet flag.”
Xueya silently thanked his foresight. When he had originally received the recipe for the fragrance from He Xulan, he had gone to the perfume workshop to inquire if it could be made. The workshop had informed him that some of the ingredients were too rare and expensive for him to afford, even if he saved his monthly stipend for five years.
However, a perfumer had suggested substituting the rare ingredients with more common materials. Xueya had done so, keeping the more affordable version for use tonight, instead of the original rare recipe from He Xulan.
Cui Lingjing’s expression softened slightly upon seeing the simple ingredients in Xueya’s palm, and he looked away.
“If Your Majesty is no longer angry, may I continue drying your hair?” Xueya asked quietly.
Having wrongly accused Xueya, Cui Lingjing grunted in response. Xueya washed his hands and resumed drying His Majesty’s hair. As he worked, he offered, “Would Your Majesty like a massage? You work tirelessly and must be exhausted.”
When Cui Lingjing remained silent, Xueya took the initiative. He gently massaged Cui Lingjing’s temples, working his way down to his shoulders. His touch was light yet firm, and even someone as picky as Cui Lingjing couldn’t find fault with it. Gradually, His Majesty closed his eyes, appearing to rest.
The massage, however, was tiring for Xueya. By the time he reached Cui Lingjing’s shoulders again, his hands were aching. He paused to catch his breath, only to hear Cui Lingjing’s drowsy voice ask, “Why did you stop?”
“My hands are sore,” Xueya admitted, somewhat embarrassed.
Cui Lingjing opened his eyes and glanced at Xueya, then looked down at his hands—white and delicate, as if they had never experienced hardship. He stared at them for a long time before suddenly saying, “Go wash your hands and come back.”
Xueya obeyed.
When he returned, Cui Lingjing unexpectedly grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard, before letting go and pinching Xueya’s cheek as if it were dough.
Cui Lingjing didn’t know his own strength, and within moments, Xueya’s face turned bright red. The emperor, amused, remarked, “Why aren’t you crying today?”
But no sooner had he said that than tears fell onto his hand.
Cui Lingjing couldn’t help but laugh. Just as he was about to mock Xueya for his ability to cry on demand, he found himself suddenly embraced.
The person hugging him was incredibly bold, not only holding him but also burying their face in his shoulder.
Cui Lingjing tried to push him away but found, oddly, that he couldn’t. No matter how hard he tried, the usually weak little thing clung to him like a vine. To make matters worse, he was crying.
“Where do all these tears come from? Are you made of water?” Cui Lingjing wondered.
“Your Majesty,” Xueya sobbed, his voice muffled. “I really like you, Your Majesty. I like you so much. Please, be kind to me… *sob*…”
There are so many tears to fall? Is it water?
“Your Majesty.” Xue Ya’s voice was nasal, clearly on the verge of tears. “This servant truly loves Your Majesty, loves you so much. Please, Your Majesty, show this servant some affection… sob sob…”
Author’s note:
Liang Mu: Why won’t you hug me? Is it because I’m not standing high enough?
Cui Lingjing: Because you’re not good-looking enough, got it?
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