His body sank into the soft bedding, yet his heart was in his throat. Xueya gazed at the figure above him, his body trembling slightly. “You…”
“What should you call me?” He Xulan’s voice lacked the previous gentleness, and his eyes were piercing.
Xueya immediately shut his mouth, his eyes and body expressing fear. He feared that He Xulan would kill him. After a moment, Xueya gathered his courage and spoke again, “Empress Dowager, I should go now. If His Majesty finds out I didn’t return…”
He stuttered through the sentence, silenced immediately by a glance from He Xulan, his eyes wide with panic, unable to move.
Perhaps because of the injury, He Xulan was without a crown, his hair simply tied back with a band, even dressed very casually. The wide-sleeved, moon-white gown made him look more like a handsome young man than a country’s empress dowager.
He Xulan lowered his eyes slightly, his voice low. “Are your hands and waist really sore?”
Xueya couldn’t help but hold his breath, his face turned slightly aside, eyes evasive, but he managed a reluctant nod. He was trapped and could only continue with his act unless He Xulan summoned Cui Lingjing to confront him.
After nodding, Xueya mustered a bit of courage, not meeting He Xulan’s eyes. He tried to wriggle out from under her, “Empress Dowager, I really need to go. I only came to deliver medicine to you. It’s going to snow heavily soon… Ah!”
Xueya managed to move an inch before being pulled back, the other’s arm encircling his waist, almost securing him to the bed.
“The snowstorm has begun.” He Xulan’s voice sounded in his ear, warm breath carrying a faint scent of pine onto Xueya’s body.
Though Cui Lingjing had pressed him down, he was far from giving the same oppressive feeling as He Xulan. The adult man’s breath enveloped him, making Xueya feel like an animal being forced to spread out his belly. He didn’t dare move.
Xueya looked at He Xulan in a panic, clutching the bed curtains he’d pulled down, darkening half the bed in the process.
He Xulan’s eyes had lightened, but now, they were as dark as ink.
Xueya instinctively tightened his grip on the bed curtain that had been caught, and in a moment of desperation to survive, he suddenly embraced He Xulan’s waist, forcing a smile. “Brother Empress Dowager, you care about me, right? I haven’t told anyone about what happened that day… please, don’t kill me.”
By the end, his eyes were red.
He Xulan’s expression didn’t change at all. “What happened that day is one thing, Xueya, but today’s events are still ongoing. I want to know if what you just told me is true.”
Xueya froze, staring at He Xulan. In that instant, he suddenly understood what the other person intended to do. He slowly released He Xulan’s waist and raised his hand to cover his collar, but it was already too late. Even his attempts to struggle were too weak compared to He Xulan’s strength.
**
No matter how unwilling Xueya was, his robe fell to the floor, and even his shoes and socks were removed. He laid in the soft, fragrant bedding, feeling a gaze scanning him inch by inch. He tried to struggle, but could only lightly rub his feet against the bedding, unable to free his ankles from the restraints.
Perhaps because it was He Xulan, he felt not only shame but also humiliation, as his recent lies were immediately exposed.
Besides that, Xueya remembered how he had boasted when leaving Red Moon House that he was going to live a good life. Yet, in reality, his life was far from good—he spent every day serving others. Even if it was the current emperor he served, it was still serving, still being a servant.
Cui Lingjing rode in the imperial carriage, while he was only fit to walk on the ground. His shoes were flat-embroidered ones, not at all suitable for snow or rain. He would certainly suffer from frostbite this winter.
Amidst the mixed emotions, Xueya couldn’t help but turn his face away, tears quickly filling his eyes.
“Crying when caught lying, is it?” He Xulan’s tone remained harsh, even somewhat severe. “Today, I’ll teach you a lesson. First, if you lie, you must cover it up completely to avoid detection. Second—”
“Since you lie, you must face the consequences when your lies are discovered.”
Xueya took a deep breath, feeling as if his ankle might be crushed by He Xulan.
He blinked, trying to hold back his tears, but ultimately failed. Not only did he fail, but he also began to sob uncontrollably, his body trembling with each cry.
He clumsily wiped his tears with his hands, finding it futile as they kept streaming down. He finally covered his face with his hands. A sigh sounded nearby, and then Xueya felt a cloak draped over him, and he was lifted up.
Xueya couldn’t help but pause. He peeked through his fingers and indeed saw that it was He Xulan who held him, which made him stop sobbing.
He Xulan pulled down Xueya’s hands covering his face, using a handkerchief to wipe away the tears and traces on Xueya’s face. “The Emperor is your age, but he doesn’t cry like you.” He paused, “You really are just a child.”
Xueya lowered his head slightly. He cared about his appearance and face. He had just spun a lie that was instantly exposed in such a humiliating manner.
He really hated coming to the capital.
“You don’t look good going before His Majesty like this. Take a bath and tidy up, then have your lunch.” He Xulan put down the handkerchief and suddenly glanced at the embroidered shoes on the floor.
He bent down and picked up one of the embroidered shoes. As his fingers touched the thin edge of the shoe, his eyebrows furrowed lightly. Although the embroidered shoes were beautiful, they were not suitable for winter wear.
The same went for the jacket Xueya was wearing—it wasn’t thick enough.
He Xulan picked up the fox fur coat from the nearby stool and wrapped the person in his arms thoroughly before loosening his grip. “Wear my shoes to the bathhouse, where there is water prepared.”
***
Xueya took a hot bath, and his complexion finally turned rosy. He knelt on the soft mattress, holding two hot water bottles, wearing thick woolen socks on his feet, and couldn’t stop his mouth.
Although Cui Lingjing had someone prepare hot meals for him, the food here was not as delicious as He Xulan’s. Xueya managed to finish all the dishes on the small table before reluctantly putting down his chopsticks.
The snowstorm outside seemed to be getting worse.
Xueya secretly opened the window to peek outside, but he caught sight of He Xulan standing in the corridor.
Snowflakes flew into the red lacquered corridor and landed on He Xulan’s shoulder like pear blossoms. He Xulan wore a fox fur coat, his gaze fixed into the distance, lost in thought.
Xueya stared at He Xulan’s back, muttering about how strange he was, then quietly closed the window. He Xulan hadn’t joined him for the meal or escorted him to the bath, which was done by other palace attendants. Xueya poured himself a cup of hot tea, drinking it while wondering why He Xulan hadn’t killed him but instead provided him with a hot bath, warm meals…
Thinking about it, Xueya suddenly remembered a story he had heard before. It was about a hunter who caught a rabbit but didn’t kill it. Instead, the hunter treated the rabbit exceptionally well, feeding it fresh carrots. Initially fearful of the hunter, the rabbit gradually let down its guard and began following the hunter around.
One day, the rabbit was delighted to see the returning hunter and rushed up to him, but this time, the hunter caught it by the ears and lifted it up.
Looking at the rabbit, the hunter said thoughtfully, “Looks like you’ve fattened up. It’s time to eat.”
Xueya shuddered suddenly. At that moment, he felt a pain in his abdomen so severe that he couldn’t sit still and collapsed onto the bed.
As sweat beaded on his forehead, he heard a voice nearby.
“Xueya?” It sounded like He Xulan.
Xueya struggled to open his eyes and saw that it was indeed He Xulan. He squeezed out, “Did you… poison the food?”
He Xulan wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand and calmly replied, “Yes.”
Fury consumed Xueya, and he grabbed He Xulan’s hand with both of his own, sinking his teeth into it.
Even if he died, he wanted to hurt this hunter.
