I, The Substitute, Am With The Main Character Chapter 60

Hearing Xueya’s words, He Xulan’s expression darkened slightly. After a moment, he got up and brought Xueya’s small box over to the bedside. Xueya’s eyes involuntarily focused on the box, and he reached for his small pouch. But then he realized that, due to the sweat from his fever and having changed his clothes twice, the pouch was no longer on him.

When he noticed the pouch was missing, Xueya’s heart tightened. But when he saw it appear in He Xulan’s hand, he hurriedly sat up, even though he still felt dizzy.

As soon as he sat up, He Xulan glanced over at him, his gaze almost silently asking, “Didn’t you tell me to take all the gold?”

Xueya pursed his lips and could only watch as He Xulan opened the small box.

“Xueya, how many pieces should I take?” He Xulan asked.

Not a single one.

When Xueya told He Xulan to take all the gold, it was just out of frustration. He hadn’t expected He Xulan to actually open the box and start taking the gold.

“If you don’t say anything, I’ll decide for myself. You can tell me to stop at any time.”

He Xulan began taking the gold. Xueya watched as he took out the first piece, then the second. When He Xulan took out the third piece, Xueya finally couldn’t hold back any longer. “Stop, stop, stop! Brother, don’t take any more!”

As promised, He Xulan stopped and handed the box back to Xueya. Xueya looked at the six remaining pieces of gold, feeling as if his heart was being cut to pieces.

He Xulan naturally noticed Xueya’s reaction. Without saying anything, he casually placed the three pieces of gold he’d taken aside and pulled Xueya onto his lap. “Xueya, when you’re with me, I hope you’ll always be honest.”

Still thinking about the gold, Xueya didn’t respond to He Xulan’s words and just lowered his head.

Seeing this, He Xulan remained silent for a moment before saying, “If you truly don’t like practicing calligraphy, then you don’t have to do it anymore.”

The moment he said this, Xueya looked up, his eyes noticeably brighter. “Really?”

“Mhm.”

With He Xulan’s promise, Xueya finally gave a genuine smile, the first in days. He hugged He Xulan’s neck and softly said, “Brother, you’re the best.”

He seemed to have forgotten that just yesterday he had shouted at He Xulan, saying, “I hate you.”

True to his word, He Xulan no longer forced Xueya to practice calligraphy, and Xueya’s days became long and uneventful.

On the first day, Xueya was bored. After breakfast, he saw He Xulan head to the study alone. Not wanting to go to the study himself, Xueya wandered around Ningfu Palace. By the afternoon, he was so bored that he took a nap. Finally, after dinner, Xueya wanted to chat with He Xulan, but He Xulan went back to the study after dinner. Left with nothing to do, Xueya began playing with a puzzle lock.

When He Xulan finally returned, it was late at night. Just as Xueya was about to speak to him, He Xulan asked, “Have you bathed?”

Xueya shook his head.

“Go bathe first,” He Xulan said.

Xueya could only obediently go bathe. When he came out, He Xulan had also finished bathing and was sitting by the window playing chess on a chaise lounge. Xueya couldn’t understand what was so fun about chess. Watching He Xulan engrossed in his game, Xueya silently crawled into bed. He tried to force himself to sleep, but after his long afternoon nap, he had no drowsiness left.

After tossing and turning for what seemed like ages, Xueya noticed that several lamps in the room had been extinguished. He quickly scooted over when he saw He Xulan standing by the bed, and hurriedly said, “Brother.”

“Hm?” He Xulan was untying his outer robe.

“I really liked the custard buns we had today. Can I have some again tomorrow?” Xueya was feeling so bored that he just wanted to chat.

“Sure.” He Xulan climbed into bed.

Xueya wanted to keep talking but then noticed that He Xulan’s hand was at the collar of his clothes. Startled, he looked at He Xulan, but before he could react, He Xulan had already lowered his head, and Xueya only had time to let out a faint, soft sound.

The next day, Xueya didn’t wake up until almost noon. He lazily laid in bed for a long time before changing into the clean clothes by his bedside. Last night, He Xulan had been like a wild beast, even biting his calf. Xueya had wanted to protest but had been too exhausted. He felt like he had been forced onto a small boat, endlessly tossed and turned.

After being served breakfast by Huang Gonggong, Xueya went to the study to complain about He Xulan. But as soon as he entered, He Xulan asked, “Why are you here? Are you here to practice calligraphy?”

“No, no,” Xueya awkwardly retreated.

Feeling that everything had lost its charm, Xueya found a long corridor bathed in sunlight, laid down on one of the wide railings, and basked in the light for a while. The sunlight soon became too bright, so he covered his face with a handkerchief and lazily dozed off.

***

Because of his unwell condition, He Xulan returned to the capital early. The first thing Cui Lingjing did upon returning to the palace was visit Ningfu Palace. As always, though, he didn’t get a chance to speak much with He Xulan before being dismissed.

In Cui Lingjing’s eyes, He Xulan was like the untouchable moon, something to be admired from afar. But after gazing at it for too long, he couldn’t help but feel fatigued. At times like this, he would inevitably think of another person—someone who resembled He Xulan but with a completely different temperament.

Cui Lingjing didn’t want to send Xueya to Ningfu Palace. But he felt guilty toward He Xulan over the relief project, and He Xulan had given him a reason he couldn’t refute.

“On the night of the little New Year, you publicly carried a palace servant into a sedan chair. How do you think the court officials will view such behavior? Do not forget your status as emperor.”

Unable to argue, Cui Lingjing had no choice but to send Xueya away.

When Xueya used to cling to his side every day, Cui Lingjing had found him annoying. Now that the clingy nuisance was gone, he started to feel unsettled. Thinking of Xueya, Cui Lingjing dismissed his attendants and began wandering Ningfu Palace. Unexpectedly, he stumbled upon Xueya sleeping on the railing of a corridor.

Cui Lingjing was surprised to find Xueya napping there, but his attention was soon drawn to the skin peeking out from Xueya’s clothing.

Apparently, after napping in the sunlight for a while, Xueya had grown too warm and unconsciously loosened his clothes. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his snow-white arms. Cui Lingjing couldn’t help but marvel at how such a delicate person could come from a small town in Jiangnan.

Even people raised in the lap of luxury didn’t have skin as fair and tender as Xueya’s. Not only was his skin soft, but it seemed to glow, perfectly complementing his naturally sweet temperament. It was as though he had been born to be coddled.

Thinking back to Little New Year’s Eve, when Xueya had sat on his lap and eagerly loosened his gown, Cui Lingjing couldn’t help but feel his heart flutter. Though he thought of He Xulan, his mind soon wandered back to He Xulan’s cold and distant demeanor toward him.

He was the emperor, not an ordinary man. He had already refrained from favoring the women of the harem for He Xulan’s sake. He Xulan had always been indifferent to his kindness, while others eagerly craved his attention.

With that in mind, Cui Lingjing snorted coldly and picked up the sleeping Xueya from the railing.

Still half-asleep, Xueya didn’t fully comprehend what was happening. His eyes remained closed, not wanting to open. Being in Ningfu Palace, he instinctively assumed the person holding him was He Xulan, so he didn’t resist and snuggled closer into the embrace, continuing to sleep.

Watching Xueya nestled sleepily in his arms, Cui Lingjing couldn’t resist reaching out to touch Xueya’s face. Xueya, feeling the cool hand on his face, nuzzled against it.

After just a few soft nuzzles, the hand abruptly withdrew.

“God…Godfather,” Xueya suddenly heard Cui Lingjing’s voice.

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