Jiang Wu slept deeply.
He skipped dinner that night, then breakfast and lunch the next day, and by the afternoon, still showed no signs of waking.
After confirming that he was indeed just asleep, and with Imperial Physician Gu keeping watch, Yin Wuzhi left for the imperial study to attend to business.
Gu Yan stayed by the bed, checking on the Emperor’s safety from time to time and recording his medical notes to prevent any mistakes.
Around mid-afternoon, he finally saw Jiang Wu open his eyes.
Gu Yan let out a sigh of relief and gently called, “Your Majesty, are you awake?”
Jiang Wu stared blankly at the bedpost for a while, then closed his eyes, only to open them again after a moment. He repeated this several times before fully waking up. “Hungry.”
“Alright, let’s eat.” Gu Yan gave the order, but considering that Jiang Wu had just woken up, he didn’t push for exercise, opting instead to have him fed while he rested.
Jiang Wu enjoyed eating in bed. It gave him a sense of comfort, knowing he could lie down whenever he was full.
Previously, he wasn’t familiar with human food and didn’t like using his brain. Qi Hanmiao, worried about exposing his laziness, kept it hidden, feeding him plain porridge for a long time.
Though Jiang Wu wasn’t too picky about food, he had to admit that human taste buds existed to be indulged.
After Yin Wuzhi arrived, he discovered that delicious and varied foods could indeed bring joy to the spirit.
After he had eaten his fill, Jiang Wu glanced out the window and said, “It’s a nice day.”
“It is,” Gu Yan agreed. “Would Your Majesty like to go for a walk?”
“Hug,” Jiang Wu said, opening his arms. “Sit by the door.”
“This minister meant for Your Majesty to walk on your own. How about that?”
“Hug.”
“Your Majesty, you were so exhausted yesterday that you fell asleep with your eyes open. I think your body could use more exercise.”
“Hug.”
“…” Unable to persuade him, Gu Yan had no choice but to lift him up.
The Emperor’s body was soft and warm, and as soon as he was held, a blush crept across the young Imperial Physician’s face.
Jiang Wu squinted in contentment, basking in the warmth of the sunlight, and thought fondly of the cozy little couch he used to lounge on.
Gu Yan carried him to the veranda, where Jiang Wu stretched out a thin finger. “Put me here.”
Gu Yan pretended not to understand. “Does Your Majesty want to stand here?”
Jiang Wu turned his head belatedly.
The spot where his small couch used to be was now empty.
He turned back to look at Gu Yan, who seemed completely clueless about what had happened in the Taiji Hall.
So, Jiang Wu looked to Qi Hanmiao.
Qi Hanmiao braced himself and said, “The chairs… the chairs are gone.”
Jiang Wu: “Bring it back.”
“…The Shizi said His Majesty isn’t allowed to sit anymore.”
Jiang Wu’s gaze deepened, cold and unnerving. “Who is the Emperor here, him or me?”
“Your Majesty,” Gu Yan said as he gently set Jiang Wu down. Forced to stand, Jiang Wu listened as Gu Yan continued, “The Shizi meant for Your Majesty to stretch and move more.”
Jiang Wu stared at him blankly.
“…Or we could find someone to help Your Majesty move and stretch.”
“Bring him here.”
“The Shizi is very busy. Perhaps I can take Your Majesty out for a try first?” Gu Yan took the sleeve attachment from Qi Hanmiao and stepped closer, meeting Jiang Wu’s glazed eyes.
Jiang Wu repeated, “Bring him here.”
Qi Hanmiao wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Gu Yan, concerned that Jiang Wu might be angry, spoke in a gentler tone. “The Shizi is only thinking of Your Majesty’s well-being. Let’s just give it a try. If you don’t like it, we can stop. How does that sound?”
Jiang Wu simply stared at him, his expression unreadable, making it impossible to tell if he agreed or not.
Gu Yan, a bit nervous, remembered that others had always spoken of the Emperor as kind and gentle. From his own experience, Jiang Wu didn’t seem like someone with a violent nature, so he cautiously approached, taking Jiang Wu’s hand and pulling him forward.
Jiang Wu: “…What are you doing?”
He was merely asking, without any hint of anger, which put Gu Yan slightly at ease. Holding Jiang Wu’s hand, he explained, “The Shizi said to find someone to help Your Majesty walk.”
Jiang Wu didn’t fully understand.
But the underlying message was that he didn’t have to do anything himself, so he didn’t resist.
Suddenly, his waist tightened, and his body lifted off the ground. Forced onto his toes, he looked down to see Qi Hanmiao quickly tying his legs and arms to Gu Yan.
Jiang Wu looked at his own arm, now bound to Gu Yan’s, and in the next second, Gu Yan lifted his leg, causing Jiang Wu to be pulled along and take a step forward.
Jiang Wu’s eyes widened in surprise.
Gu Yan, observing him carefully, asked as they moved, “How does it feel, Your Majesty?”
Jiang Wu’s toes barely touched the ground, and in this position, he hardly needed to exert any effort. It felt as if he were floating.
“Walk.”
“Ahem.” Gu Yan led him to the courtyard, then raised his arm. Jiang Wu was forced to lift his arm as well, only for Gu Yan to hold it up without moving further.
Jiang Wu: “?”
Though he was being made to hold his arm up, he still felt tired and said, “Lower it.”
Gu Yan adjusted his arm slightly, holding it horizontally. “This is for Your Majesty’s benefit.”
“Release.”
“Just hold on a little longer.”
“Release.”
“You need to listen to the doctor.”
“…”
Humans would never understand the joy of a wandering soul. Their shallow minds limited their understanding, making them think Jiang Wu’s behavior needed correcting.
In the imperial study, the Yin Wuzhi briefly looked up from his work, glancing out the window. By now, he should be awake, right?
He stood up, stretched, and imagined Jiang Wu waking up and finding no chairs in the room, which brought a subtle ripple of amusement to his heart.
Although Jiang Wu rarely showed much expression, there were times when he stared blankly at a certain spot, a trace of confusion flickering across his face. It was a cold yet perplexed look, not unlike a cat fixating on a point without moving.
Yin Wuzhi quickly made his way back to the Taiji Hall.
Before he even entered, he heard Gu Yan’s voice, “How about this? Does it hurt?”
He’s really awake!
Yin Wuzhi rushed in like a gust of wind.
Following the sound, he arrived at the veranda, where the scene of Gu Yan and Jiang Wu, bound together, suddenly filled his view.
His sparkling eyes seemed to dull, absorbing nothing but silence.
Yin Wuzhi looked at their intertwined arms, then their bound legs, and finally at the belts tied around their waists.
“…” His breathing became shallow.
“Finished with your work, Shizi?” Qi Hanmiao, noticing his arrival, smiled. “Imperial Physician Gu is helping His Majesty exercise. His Majesty doesn’t seem to mind at all. Your plan really worked.”
Compliments aside, Yin Wuzhi didn’t spare a glance at Qi Hanmiao as he walked straight ahead.
His lower lip curled slightly before he suppressed it, his face clouding over. “How long have you two been at this?”
Gu Yan stopped moving and turned Jiang Wu to face him. “His Majesty has been awake for about the time it takes for one incense stick to burn.”
Yin Wuzhi’s eyes swept over Gu Yan’s face like needles, before landing on Jiang Wu. “An incense stick’s time… You must be exhausted, Imperial Physician Gu.”
Jiang Wu spoke up, “I’m tired too.”
Yin Wuzhi calmly walked over and said, “Let me take over.”
Jiang Wu repeated, “I’m tired.”
Yin Wuzhi began untying the belts around their waists, then moved to the sleeves, and finally crouched down to undo the ties around their legs.
Once the leg ties were loosened, Jiang Wu’s heels touched the ground for the first time. Gu Yan held him steady, casting a wary glance at Yin Wuzhi’s unnaturally calm expression. He warned, “His Majesty is already tired. It’s best not to push him too hard at first.”
Without a word, Yin Wuzhi reached for Jiang Wu, but Gu Yan instinctively tightened his hold, pressing Jiang Wu against his chest with a disapproving look. “His Majesty said he’s tired.”
Jiang Wu nodded in agreement, “Mm.”
“That’s exactly why you’re exhausted after just a short walk. It’s because you never move.” Yin Wuzhi’s hand slipped between Jiang Wu and Gu Yan, attempting to pull him away. But Gu Yan tightened his grip once again, his brow furrowing. “Yin Shizi.”
Jiang Wu, now sandwiched between Gu Yan’s arms at his waist and Yin Wuzhi’s arms at his back, felt like a puppet stuck between the two. He looked at Yin Wuzhi and slowly said, “I don’t want to walk anymore.”
Yin Wuzhi grabbed Gu Yan’s wrist with his other hand. Surprised, Gu Yan was suddenly yanked aside as Yin Wuzhi pulled Jiang Wu into his arms. “Whether you walk or not is up to me.”
Gu Yan, despite his naivety, had figured out what was happening.
He looked at the emperor, who was being restrained again at his waist by Yin Wuzhi, and explained, “I was worried about disturbing your Highness’s official duties, which is why I took the liberty to bring His Majesty for some exercise. This was indeed my mistake, but His Majesty is innocent; he had no idea you were waiting for him.”
“Who was waiting for him?”
“……” Gu Yan paused for a moment and replied helplessly, “Regardless, His Majesty just said he was tired. It would be best to stop here.”
Yin Wuzhi tightened the waist restraint, forcing the emperor’s toes to dangle in the air. Realizing something, he said, “Yin Wuzhi, I don’t want this anymore.”
“Your Highness…”
“Please assist.”
“I don’t want it.”
“Shut up.”
“……” The emperor couldn’t raise his voice against him, and when he turned to look, he couldn’t manage to do so. “Who dares to bind me, I will have their entire clan executed.”
Qi Hanmiao suddenly knelt down.
Yin Wuzhi pressed his lower lip and his upper lip.
But in an instant, he unfastened the waist restraint, and the emperor sat down on the top of his feet.
Yin Wuzhi withdrew his foot and left without looking back.
Jiang Wu found himself sitting on the cold ground, and was quickly picked up again by Gu Yan. “Your Majesty, don’t be angry with your Highness; he cares about you a lot.”
“Hmm.”
Once Jiang Wu was cleaned of the dirt on him and placed back on the dragon bed, he asked, “Where did he go?”
Qi Hanmiao replied, “This servant does not know.”
“Go take a look.”
Qi Hanmiao had no choice but to send someone to check. After a short while, he returned to inform Jiang Wu, “His Highness has gone to the warm pool.”
“Oh.” Jiang Wu didn’t ask further.
Gu Yan said, “Your Majesty, you seem to like Yin Shizi quite a bit.”
“I do.” Jiang Wu said casually, “I like beautiful things.”
It turned out that even someone as proud as Yin Shizi was merely an object in the emperor’s eyes.
Gu Yan lowered his eyelashes and said, “In that case, Your Majesty should rest well. I will take my leave.”
“Mmm.”
After he left, Jiang Wu ordered people to carry him to the warm pool.
Today, he couldn’t quite understand Yin Wuzhi; why did he insist on making him walk? Was it simply to tease him?
He wasn’t usually this impulsive.
The warm pool was as steamy as ever, and when Jiang Wu was placed down by the pool, he didn’t see Yin Wuzhi’s figure. He languidly slumped into a chair, staring blankly at the surface of the water.
Under the water, Yin Wuzhi squatted, holding his breath with his eyes closed, completely still.
Jiang Wu yawned, his gaze lazy, not making a sound.
In the silence, the only sound was the gentle trickle of water from the dragon’s head.
For a moment, Jiang Wu let himself empty his thoughts to the rhythm of the natural sounds, but when he regained focus, he noticed that Yin Wuzhi was still submerged.
“Yin Wuzhi.” The young man was too stubborn, and Jiang Wu worried he would drown down there. “Come out.”
“……”
Bubbles rose to the surface.
He should be about to run out of breath.
Not knowing how strong his willpower was, Jiang Wu thought to himself that when he didn’t want to see others, he would rather suffocate inside.
Yin Wuzhi could not die.
“Someone come.” Jiang Wu called out, “Summon King Dingnan into the palace.”
“Splash—”
The transparent waterfall splashed down his cheeks. Yin Wuzhi’s hair was jet-black, his skin pale as snow, and he stood expressionless as he straightened up from the water.
The young man’s body was firm and toned, water droplets sliding down his chiseled abs. At first glance, he looked like a flawless marble sculpture.
“Why are you calling for my father?”
“To have him come and fish you out.”
Yin Wuzhi stepped out of the warm pool, his wet black hair clinging to his fair neck, a striking contrast in color. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around himself, coldly saying, “I want to go home.”
“Why?”
Yin Wuzhi’s mind was a whirlwind of emotions, yet his throat felt blocked. He sat beside Jiang Wu, turning slightly away from him, his eyelids damp and reddened. He stiffly repeated, “I want to go home.”
“No.”
“Why are you keeping me here?”
“Because I want to.”
“You…” Yin Wuzhi looked at him, then pursed his lips and turned away again, saying, “You’d better understand, I…”
He wanted to say, *I will never like you.*
But then he remembered how much Jiang Wu liked him, and if he said that, even if Jiang Wu didn’t show it, he would definitely be hurt inside.
In the end, he changed it to, “I’m not someone who doesn’t get angry.”
Jiang Wu glanced at him, looked for a moment, then grew tired and closed his eyes.
“Are you angry?”
“Yes.”
“Angry about what?”
Yin Wuzhi was silent for a while before saying, “That idea was mine.”
Jiang Wu: “.”
So that’s what it was.
