Chapter 68
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Once everything settled down, the screen in the private room was put back.
“Your Highness, Your Royal Consort, if there’s nothing else, I will take my leave and not disturb you two any further?”
The storyteller, having narrowly escaped with his life, now valued it dearly. Seeing the situation, he tried to leave tactfully. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. Xue Fangli glanced at him and said in a calm voice, “Leave? I still have questions for you.”
The storyteller sighed inwardly but forced a smile. “Your Highness, please ask.”
“Where did you hear the story you just told?”
“Your Highness…”
The storyteller naturally didn’t dare hide the truth. “A beggar told it to me.”
“I make a living by storytelling, and those beggars travel far and wide, seeing and hearing many things. If I buy them a meal, they tell me a story in return.”
Xue Fangli: “Do you remember what the beggar looked like?”
The storyteller thought for a moment and said with a bitter smile, “Your Highness, he was a beggar, covered in dirt, so I couldn’t see his features clearly. However… he seemed to be around your age.”
Xue Fangli asked him again, “Where did you meet this beggar?”
Without hesitation, the storyteller replied, “By the old locust tree outside the city.”
Xue Fangli nodded and glanced at his guard. “Go find him.”
The guard received the order, “Yes, Your Highness.”
Since it was a deep palace secret, it was naturally a serious matter. The storyteller quickly said, “Your Highness, this was the first time I told this story today, and I will never tell it again. I swear I won’t dare to tell it again.”
The storyteller kowtowed several times again, but Xue Fangli didn’t respond.
In his view, a dead man couldn’t speak, making them more reliable than promises.
But—”Your Highness, stop scaring him.”
Jiang Juan sniffed the sake in the wine pot for a while without identifying its type, then looked up. He genuinely believed that His Highness was merely frightening the man and hadn’t taken it seriously at all.
Xue Fangli glanced at him and finally said indifferently to the storyteller, “You may leave.”
The storyteller sighed in relief, gave one more kowtow, then stood up.
Before turning around, he saw His Highness pulling the Royal Consort into his arms, lifting a wine cup to Jiang Juan’s lips with a playful smile, “You’ve been sniffing it for so long, want to take a sip?”
Jiang Juan shook his head and pushed his hand away, but then noticed the storyteller still hadn’t left. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Xue Fangli, without looking up, said in a harsh tone, “Are you reluctant to leave?”
“Yes, I’ll leave immediately.”
The storyteller shivered, wishing he could move faster, yet a bold thought crossed his mind.
It seemed the prince truly did dote on his Royal Consort, just as the rumors suggested.
Perhaps… he could tweak today’s events a bit and tell it as a story?
After the storyteller left, Jiang Juan felt slightly better, but he still complained, “Your Highness, please don’t just lift me up like that suddenly.”
Xue Fangli responded with a noncommittal “Hmm,” seeming to humor Jiang Juan without any real intention.
Jiang Juan noticed this and turned to look at him, dissatisfied. Xue Fangli met his gaze and suddenly asked, “The storyteller was doing fine, why did you stop him from continuing?”
Xue Fangli smiled, “Wife, you certainly have authority.”
Jiang Juan suspected he was being teased but had no evidence, “None of your business.”
Xue Fangli then slowly said, “Aren’t you curious?”
Jiang Juan paused, realizing he hadn’t planned on asking. After all, it wasn’t a pleasant memory for His Highness. So he honestly replied, “No.”
“Do you want to know why he never showed up in the end?”
Out of the blue, Xue Fangli asked this question. Jiang Juan immediately understood.
The “he” His Highness referred to was likely the person who promised to take Beauty Yu away but never appeared.
“Your Highness, I don’t…”
“He was shot to death by a volley of arrows.”
Jiang Juan couldn’t stop it and was forced to hear the answer. His eyelashes fluttered, and after a long moment, he just responded with an “Oh,” without any further reaction.
Xue Fangli studied him with interest for a while, then spoke softly and slowly, as if probing or tempting him.
“Don’t you pity him?”
After a pause, Xue Fangli rephrased, “Am I… a damned bastard?”
His fingers touched the wine pot, slowly tightening around it. Jiang Juan picked up the wine pot and shook it several times, listening to the sloshing of the wine, but he didn’t say anything.
According to the storyteller’s tale—His Highness saw the letter, and Beauty Yu begged him not to tell the emperor. But in the end, Beauty Yu waited for her husband but he never arrive, meaning…
His Highness didn’t keep the secret for her. Beauty Yu’s hopes were dashed, and her husband was shot to death by arrows.
That man was pitiable, indeed.
His wife was taken by the emperor, and he lost his life.
But.
But.
Jiang Juan understood all this, yet he couldn’t blame His Highness.
Not only did he not blame His Highness, he could find countless reasons to excuse him.
Beauty Yu didn’t treat him well, Beauty Yu always tormented him.
But no matter what, if the story were true, His Highness did something wrong.
Yet…
He still had many reasons to excuse him.
It was wrong.
But he was biased towards His Highness.
“Don’t say that about yourself.”
Jiang Juan lowered his eyelashes and spoke softly, “You just, you just…”
He wasn’t good at comforting people, yet he naturally began to excuse him. Jiang Juan murmured, “You didn’t expect it to turn out like this.”
Xue Fangli’s movements paused, and after a while, he lowered his eyes, staring intently at Jiang Juan.
The youth was always kind-hearted, liked to meddle in other people’s business, and liked to save those in distress. But at this moment, hearing this matter, the youth didn’t blame him or scorn him. He was just clumsily trying to comfort him.
After watching for a long time, Xue Fangli suddenly pulled Jiang Juan into his arms, holding him tightly as if trying to merge him into his own bones.
“Yes, I didn’t know.”
Xue Fangli’s voice was low and hoarse.
Jiang Juan was stunned, his heart involuntarily tightening. He turned to gently embrace Xue Fangli, patting his back softly, his brows slowly knitting together as if deeply worried.
Xue Fangli lowered his head, the faint scent of herbs lingering in his nostrils. He enjoyed the comfort of the person in his arms, feeling the warmth and softness, and his expression was filled with joy.
“Just kidding.”
After an unknown length of time, Xue Fangli lifted his crimson lips, smiling almost wickedly, “Little Bodhisattva, do you know, you’ve developed a mortal heart?”
Jiang Juan: “Huh?”
Jiang Juan looked up in shock, and Xue Fangli smiled, “If I had really caused his death, you would never have known about it.”
“It was my father who found out on his own; it had nothing to do with me.”
Jiang Juan: “???”
So His Highness had been lying to him.
He had comforted His Highness for so long.
He had even secretly blamed himself.
How could His Highness be like this?
Jiang Juan was unhappy. He let go and immediately stopped hugging Xue Fangli, but the next second, his hands were on Xue Fangli’s face, gently pinching him. Jiang Juan said in frustration, “Why do you keep lying to me, is it that fun?”
Xue Fangli’s gaze dropped slightly, his tone leisurely, “Of course, it is.”
Jiang Juan, feeling dejected, said, “You’re so annoying.”
He was a bit annoyed and tried to push Xue Fangli away, refusing to stay in his arms, but Xue Fangli held him tightly. Jiang Juan couldn’t break free, so he said in exasperation, “Let go.”
Xue Fangli ignored him, so Jiang Juan lowered his head and tugged at Xue Fangli’s fingers. After a few tugs, Xue Fangli spoke again, his tone still calm.
“It wasn’t me who told my father, but she… Jiang Qingmei, believed it was me who informed him.”
Jiang Juan was stunned.
Xue Fangli’s tone was so calm, as if he were merely asking Jiang Juan if he wanted a snack. He said, “She already hated me, and after learning that Qi Xiuran died from a barrage of arrows, her hatred intensified.”
Jiang Juan let out a small exclamation, his brows furrowing again.
A moment ago, he was annoyed at being deceived, but with just a few words, he softened again.
He really had a short memory and hadn’t even considered whether His Highness might be lying to him again. Jiang Juan looked up, his eyes filled with compassion, and sighed softly.
“Your Highness, you…”
He might have a short memory, but Jiang Juan could hold grudges. His Highness had tricked him once, but Beauty Yu was the source of all His Highness’s misfortunes. Jiang Juan wanted to comfort him, so after some thought, he said slowly, “Your Highness, I want to comfort you. Is that okay?”
Xue Fangli looked down at him, “Hmm.”
Jiang Juan didn’t move immediately. He glanced at Xue Fangli and said, “Then… apologize to me first.”
“You lied to me again. Apologize, and then I’ll comfort you again.”
Xue Fangli had initially just wanted to tease Jiang Juan and then coax him. He knew how soft-hearted the youth was, but Jiang Juan’s reaction intrigued him. Nodding, he said, “…Sorry.”
Xue Fangli’s eyes lowered, his expression weary, as if just mentioning Beauty Yu dragged him back into endless pain and hatred.
Jiang Juan received the apology, and being a generous person, he immediately let it go. He hugged Xue Fangli again, wrapping his arms around his neck like a small animal, rubbing his face against him in a clumsy but endearing way.
It was more like he was being affectionate than comforting.
After a while, Jiang Juan asked, “Your Highness, do you feel a bit better?”
Xue Fangli: “Not really.”
Jiang Juan blinked, not very skilled at comforting others. He had only a few fixed phrases and didn’t want His Highness to be unhappy. He asked, “What can I do to make you happy?”
Xue Fangli glanced at Jiang Juan’s light-colored lips and said casually, “Maybe a kiss from you will do.”
Jiang Juan: “No…”
Instinctively wanting to refuse, he noticed Xue Fangli’s eyelids drooping, looking uninterested. Jiang Juan quickly shut his mouth. After a moment of silence, he asked awkwardly, “Can’t we do something else? Isn’t there anything else that can make you happy?”
As he spoke, an idea struck him. Back at the riding grounds, His Highness seemed particularly interested in the mole on his body. Jiang Juan would rather be bitten than kissed. Hesitantly, he suggested, “Your Highness, how about I let you bite me?”
Let him bite?
Xue Fangli’s lips curved slightly, then he quickly suppressed the smile. He gently caressed Jiang Juan’s face and said noncommittally, “You’re too afraid of pain.”
Jiang Juan was indeed afraid of pain, but seeing His Highness in a bad mood yet still considerate of him, he wanted even more to make him happy. After all, whenever something troubled him, His Highness would always cheer him up. Jiang Juan said, “I’m afraid of pain, but if you bite lightly, it’ll be okay.”
Saying this, Jiang Juan shifted his position to face Xue Fangli while sitting in his lap. After a few seconds of hesitation, he gathered up the long black hair draped over his shoulder, leaned forward, and said generously, “Your Highness, you can bite me.”
Xue Fangli gazed at him, his eyes lowering to the red mole.
The skin on the youth’s shoulder and neck was a pristine white, with the exception of that vivid red mole, the most striking color on his body.
Lifting a pale hand, Xue Fangli’s fingers brushed over the mole, causing him to make a soft, silent click with his tongue.
The Buddha fed his flesh to the eagle, and his little Bodhisattva was offering himself to him.
He couldn’t ask for more.
His fingers glided over the spot before finally gripping the youth’s rounded shoulder. Lowering his head, the scent of herbal medicine lingered in the air as Xue Fangli bit down.
His breath was warm and moist.
Jiang Juan’s eyelashes fluttered, his fingertips tightening around Xue Fangli’s sleeve.
Lips and tongue roamed, teeth grazing lightly.
It tickled, it really tickled.
Jiang Juan breathed softly, “Your… Your Highness, is that enough?”
The restaurant wasn’t quiet, and the private room they were in wasn’t completely isolated. The screen shielded their actions from prying eyes but didn’t block out the noise.
Outside the screen, people came and went, voices filled the air, but no one knew what they were doing inside.
Realizing they were in a public place, Jiang Juan wanted to push Xue Fangli away again. Sensing his intention, Xue Fangli bit down harder, punishing him.
“…Your Highness.”
The sensation wasn’t painful, but Jiang Juan’s shoulder and neck felt scalding hot, leaving him somewhat dazed. He gazed at Xue Fangli, his voice like a cat’s soft complaint, “I let you bite once, but you bit many times.”
“Stop biting.”
His voice had softened to a liquid quality, the more he acted spoiled, the less Xue Fangli wanted to let go. Especially since the youth’s fair skin had turned a delicate shade of red out of embarrassment, making him look even more alluring, with a sweetness that was hard to resist.
“Your Highness.”
Jiang Juan called out again, and after savoring the red mole several times, Xue Fangli was finally satisfied. He lifted his eyelids and, with a lascivious tone, asked, “Don’t want to be bitten anymore?”
“…Mm.”
Xue Fangli cupped his jaw, “Then let me kiss you once.”
Jiang Juan slowly lifted his eyelashes.
The sensation on his neck remained, like feathers brushing against him, leaving a wet trail.
And this dampness came from a single source.
Jiang Juan’s gaze landed on Xue Fangli’s lips.
To let him kiss.
To let His Highness kiss him.
Last time, His Highness kissed his forehead.
It was soft, and he didn’t mind it.
Jiang Juan was lost in thought until the hand holding his jaw tightened slightly, bringing him back to reality.
Their gazes met, breaths intertwined.
“Mm?”
Xue Fangli’s lips were a vivid red, and he smiled lightly, his tongue sweeping over his lips, making them glisten. “Not saying anything means you agree.”
Thump, thump.
Jiang Juan could hear his own heartbeat again.
He should say something.
Thump, thump.
His heartbeat was eager, as if anticipating something.
In his daze, Jiang Juan unexpectedly recalled a recent statement from His Highness.
—Little Bodhisattva, do you know, you’ve developed a mortal heart?”
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Obrigada pela tradução!😻