Chapter 55: Jinling City (24)
Lin Zikui himself wasn’t even sure what he looked like right now. There was a bronze mirror in the room, but it was too dim and blurry to let him see his current appearance clearly.
He wasn’t wearing any inner garments—only a semi-transparent, bamboo-green robe was draped over his body. Lin Zikui could imagine why Zhao Ling had been staring at him so intently. This appearance truly was improper.
He kicked the door shut behind him and was just about to change into a clean inner robe when the door creaked open with a soft sound. Lin Zikui hadn’t finished changing yet and quickly reached out to lower the silver hook that held up the bed curtains.
He had forgotten—the mosquito netting had just been replaced, and it was thin enough to let light and shadows pass through. Xiao Fu strode inside and lifted the curtain without hesitation.
Lin Zikui was sitting in the corner, hugging the disheveled silk bedding, only his damp head and two pale arms exposed.
Xiao Fu looked at him. He looked back at Xiao Fu.
“I—I was changing,” Lin Zikui said, averting his gaze.
“You’re changing. And I can’t look?”
Of course he could, but Lin Zikui couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud. Xiao Fu climbed onto the slightly stuffy bed and let the white canopy fall down around them. Lin Zikui clutched the light green silk quilt and silently stared at him.
Xiao Fu didn’t look away. “Go on and change. I’m watching.”
Lin Zikui, “Then I won’t change.”
Xiao Fu, “Aren’t you supposed to make windmills with the Fourth later this afternoon? If you don’t change, how will you go out?”
“I’ll wait until you leave,” Lin Zikui said in a low voice.
“What if I don’t leave?” Xiao Fu replied as he inched closer. The heavy breath and rising body heat of summer crept up Lin Zikui’s arm. He curled his toes and found himself backed into a corner of the bed by Zhao Ling. His skin broke out in goosebumps.
When it came to intimacy, Lin Zikui was always the passive one. He wanted to resist, but had no good reason. He wanted to push Zhao Ling away but feared making him angry. So more often than not, he allowed Zhao Ling to hover at the edge of his limits.
A kiss was one thing—Lin Zikui could still endure that. But knowing how enthusiastic Zhao Ling became when things got intimate, Lin Zikui feared that a kiss would never be just a kiss.
Amid the noisy hum of cicadas, Lin Zikui turned his head slightly, baring his neck, and whispered very softly, “It’s hot. I just bathed, I don’t want to sweat again.”
“You’re just shy about me watching, aren’t you? Then close your eyes,” Xiao Fu said, lowering his voice to match Lin Zikui’s. He slipped the bamboo-green waist sash from Lin Zikui’s robe—it was thin, just wide enough to cover his eyes, and the light still filtered faintly through. He placed it gently over Lin Zikui’s eyelids.
Lin Zikui shut his eyes almost instinctively, though his lashes trembled uneasily. Even through the thin sash, he could sense the figure and movements of the person in front of him. He also felt when Zhao Ling undid the black sash of his own brocade robe and laid it over the first one, tying it behind Lin Zikui’s head in a knot.
Lin Zikui bit his lip. The darkness before his eyes became complete.
The sound of cicadas outside the window lattice, and the closeness of another’s breathing, grew sharper and clearer.
At first, Xiao Fu seemed to take a thick face towel and gently dried Lin Zikui’s hair, wiping slowly, inch by inch, soaking up all the lingering water droplets. Lin Zikui shrank his shoulders slightly, his heart suspended in anticipation.
Then, Xiao Fu began to kiss his shoulder, trailing up the delicate curve of his neck to his ear.
Lin Zikui silently pressed his forehead against the pearwood bedframe.
He didn’t make a sound—only trembled.
When Zhao Ling kissed lower again, going from his back to even more daring places, Lin Zikui suddenly raised a hand to push him away, only to have both wrists captured by a single palm.
“What kind of husband doesn’t even get to see his bride two months after the wedding, hmm? Don’t you think so, Husband?” Xiao Fu said. He pulled out another sash—there had been two inside the robe—and the white cotton belt looped around twice, binding Lin Zikui’s wrists behind him. The knot was loose; it didn’t dig into his skin. Lin Zikui bit down uncontrollably on his lip, suppressing the sound that almost spilled from his throat. After several kisses from Xiao Lang, his waist collapsed beneath him. He buried his face into the pillow in utter disarray.
Knowing the child was napping in the side room, Lin Zikui had been on edge the entire time. In the end, he almost cried, choking out that he couldn’t take it anymore and begging him to stop kissing.
Xiao Zhaoling, “What part can’t take it—here? Or here?”
This wasn’t like when Lin Zikui had already fallen asleep and Xiao Fu was trying to sneak in a nap. It was only early afternoon—the sunlight outside the canopy was still bright and clear. The Fourth Prince likely wouldn’t wake until the hour of Shen (around 5–7 PM), and Xiao Fu, now in the mood, wanted to torment him. Lin Zikui’s hair had already dried earlier, but now it was soaked in sweat again and would have to be washed once more.
Lin Zikui had never imagined that something meant to be playful could last so long! To indulge in such indecency in broad daylight—how absurd!
He asked Zhao Ling what time it was. Xiao Fu squinted toward the window and casually replied, “It’s the hour of Shen now.”
Lin Zikui immediately sat up with a jolt. “Then untie me—it’s been a full hour!”
Xiao Fu lifted the bed curtains. He, too, was covered in sweat. The heat during this hour was stifling—even just sitting still could leave one drenched. Let alone being physically close—just hugging could make someone sweat buckets.
Lin Zikui wanted to go wash up, and Xiao Fu pulled him over to untie the strap around his wrists. Lin Zikui immediately tugged off the two sashes covering his eyes. The sudden burst of daylight made him squint in discomfort and close his eyes again.
He slowly adjusted. Xiao Fu, in a softened mood, leaned in to kiss his lips. But Lin Zikui caught an odd taste and abruptly opened his eyes, hesitating. “Just now… did you… eat it? Doesn’t it taste awful?”
Xiao Fu chuckled, “What’s so bad about serving my Little Husband?” He really didn’t understand what people meant by “taste.” He had eaten it, so what? Lin Zikui’s ears flushed red from embarrassment. His lips trembled slightly, but he couldn’t even think of a proper retort.
Xiao Fu took his hand and said with a grin, “It’s like eating candy.”
Lin Zikui was stunned. “You…”
Xiao Fu’s tone was almost innocent, and his eyes were, too—dark and bright. “You like children, don’t you, Lin Lang? But the Fourth belongs to someone else. So I ate it… what if I end up being able to bear one, too?”
Lin Zikui’s vision went black. His face flushed a deep red all at once. He yanked on his clothes and pushed open the window, shouting for the servants in the courtyard to fetch some well water.
Xiao Fu was still savoring the moment, when he saw Lin Zikui leaning against the window, a bit unsteady on his feet.
What’s going on? That shouldn’t be the case.
He’d gone to great lengths to let Lin Lang experience the pleasure, but he hadn’t done anything that outrageous.
After thinking it over, Xiao Fu figured he’d probably just worn him out too much.
“Fetch more well water, and those lychees and bayberries I brought—tell the kitchen to add some ice and make a few bowls of chilled drinks. Also, have someone bring more ice. From now on, bring a cart of ice back here every day.” He called out, opening another window. Just as he spoke, a guard came from more than ten feet away and reported, the young master has woken up.
Xiao Fu, “Woke up already? Have him go back to sleep.”
The guard. “Uh… yes.”
“Yun’er is awake?” Lin Zikui grew anxious. The moment the well water arrived, he quickly rinsed off. Just as Xiao Fu finished dressing, Lin Zikui had already finished washing and drying and rushed out, clearly very fond of the child.
Xiao Fu: “…”
Yuwen Yun had followed his royal father’s instructions to the letter. When told to keep sleeping, he really did continue lying down, though the heat made him pant quietly, pretending to be asleep.
As soon as Lin Zikui stepped into the room, Yuwen Yun opened one eye.
“Yun’er, are you still sleeping?” Lin Zikui asked.
Their gazes met—his eyes to the boy’s slightly opened one. Yuwen Yun said, “Master, Elder Brother told me to keep sleeping. I didn’t dare disobey.”
“Is he always this strict with you at home?” Lin Zikui knew they weren’t truly brothers—Yun’er was a child from Xiao Zhaoling’s relative’s family.
“At home?” Yun’er tilted his head, then shook it. “Elder Brother is stricter with my royal… with my older brothers. He makes them practice riding and archery, sparring, and even studying for tests.”
Lin Zikui sat down. Yun’er looked at his hair, still loose and slightly disheveled. It had been tangled earlier by Xiao Fu and only just brushed smooth again. Yun’er stared and said, “Your hair looks like silk.”
Children were sweet talkers and loved to praise people. His mother had often taught him to treat all elders this way. Before she passed, she reminded him to be filial to his royal father and listen well—so that his royal father would like him.
On the carriage ride out of the palace, his royal father had said, “If you make Master Lin happy, I’ll take you out of the palace again next time.”
Lin Zikui was a little embarrassed from all the compliments. He scooped the boy up. “Shall we go make windmills together?”
“I want to… but Elder Brother said no.”
“He gave his permission. Don’t worry about him.”
“But Elder Brother will get angry.”
“He won’t. If he dares get mad at you, I’ll get mad at him.”
Outside the door, Xiao Fu—who hadn’t come in for a while—had excellent hearing. He heard every word and his face turned dark with irritation.
Yuwen Yun said, “But no one in the world dares get mad at him. Everyone’s afraid of him.”
Lin Zikui thought he meant Xiao Zhaoling was just moody and skilled in martial arts, and shook his head. “Master dares to. I’m not afraid of him.”
Xiao Zhaoling pushed the door open.
Lin Zikui looked over at him.
Xiao Zhaoling said, “Didn’t you say you were going to make windmills to cool off? How are you two going to do that? Show me the plans—I’ll saw the wood.”
The cooling windmill was Lin Zikui’s own invention, adapted from the mechanism of a waterwheel. By simply pedaling, it could generate strong gusts of wind with ease.
They worked for two full hours but only managed to finish half. The sky darkened, and dusk approached.
Xiao Fu ordered his people to escort the Fourth Prince back. On the carriage, Yuwen Yun looked back wistfully. “Master, can I come again tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” Lin Zikui thought for a moment. “If your family allows it, my door’s always open.”
Yuwen Yun turned his hopeful eyes to his royal father.
But royal father didn’t even look at him and simply ordered the driver, “Take him back.”
Lin Zikui watched the carriage slowly disappear and asked, “Does he still have a stepmother at home?” In truth, he hadn’t asked a single inappropriate question the entire day—not about Xiao Zhaoling’s family, nor Yun’er’s. But Yun’er had mentioned himself that his mother wasn’t favored.
Xiao Fu thought for a moment and said, “Oh, the stepmother died too. But there are still some concubines.”
Lin Zikui asked, “What about grandparents? The child lost both parents at such a young age… is there anyone at home who truly cares for him?”
Xiao Fu turned to look at him, realizing Lin Zikui was once again worrying about things that weren’t his concern. “He’s just a concubine’s son, but his life isn’t too bad. Can’t you tell? No matter what he does, there’s always someone fussing over him. He’s never suffered a day in his life.”
“Oh…” Lin Zikui lowered his head slightly. Losing both parents—that was something he could relate to. As for the child… he had thought about that before. Zhao Ling was his spouse, but couldn’t bear children. If they were never able to raise a child of their own, then when he grew old, he could take in some good students—at least someone would be there to care for them in their old age.
He didn’t dwell on it. Back inside the house, the kitchen sent up two bowls of freshly made chilled lychee and bayberry drink—pounded with ice and yellow sugar, adorned with flower petals. Lin Zikui couldn’t resist and finished both bowls that afternoon. He had never eaten lychees or bayberries before. They were rare delicacies.
Seeing how much he liked them, Xiao Fu sent someone back to the palace to bring more. They were tribute fruits, shared between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. The four princes had their share too.
Xiao Fu simply took the portion originally meant for Yuwen Yun. The boy was still young—what did he know? It was better to offer these delicious treats to his dear little husband.
That evening, another two bowls were sent. At this point, even if Lin Zikui were slow to catch on, he had to suspect something.
These kinds of delicacies were priceless and rare. Their taste was sweet and refreshing—truly fit for royalty. How could an ordinary person so casually get their hands on them?
Could it be… that Zhao Ling had some connection to the royal family?
He had said he was from Yunnan. Lin Zikui began to wonder—could he be from Prince Yunnan Residence?
He couldn’t help imagining something grander—and the thought left him both uneasy and a little fearful. Still, he never assumed it was anything that unreachable.
If you’re loving the tangled fates and slow-burning tension in Peach Blossom Decree, help Ciacia keep the petals falling by buying her a Kofi.
Can’t bear the suspense? Join the Duo-a-cia Tier to unlock up to 5 chapters early—and get ahead of the drama before the next decree drops.
