Chapter 87
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“…”. Feeling the warmth of soft lips, Fu Nian instinctively moved back slightly, his breathing unintentionally becoming heavier.
However, it was just a slight movement, and he ultimately remained obedient to the command, trying not to move at all and maintaining his curled sitting posture. He was forced to accept the wetness of the lips and the warmth of the breath.
The scorching temperature of the lips did not stop after just a brief touch; it lingered on his slightly protruding belly. The movement was devout, as Chu Zhaoyi kissed him, he also felt the tiny movements inside his belly.
“Your Majesty…” Fu Nian, noticing that Chu Zhaoyi hadn’t lifted his head for a long time and not daring to move backward, could only remind him softly.
This was the first time he had been ordered to sit in front of Chu Zhaoyi with his clothes open in full view under the bright candlelight, allowing Chu Zhaoyi to observe and kiss him up close.
After saying “Your Majesty,” Fu Nian felt the prolonged kiss on his belly suddenly intensify.
The silent and devout kiss began to turn into small, forceful kisses, lingering on his soft skin, intentionally producing sounds that were making him blush and feel excited. Occasionally, there were even sounds of water and muffled groans.
Chu Zhaoyi was undoubtedly doing it on purpose…
Fu Nian gritted his teeth. No matter how he tried to remain still, his clenched fists were trembling.
His own skin, which he had hardly touched, was now being taken care of with gentle kisses, giving him an indescribable sensation.
“Your Majesty, Physician Xu is here.”
Hearing Li Gonggong’s shouts from outside, Fu Nian couldn’t care less about decorum. He hurriedly pushed Chu Zhaoyi’s shoulder, quickly fastened his layers of clothing, and put on his boots.
By the time the royal physician entered, Fu Nian was squatting on the ground, pretending to be calm while tidying up the scattered pieces of his armor. In reality, he was disguising the fact that he hadn’t properly arranged his pants in the midst of the chaos.
The physician glanced at the casually lounging Chu Zhaoyi on the dragon bed and then at the meticulously dressed Fu Nian who was focused on arranging his attire. “Your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to say, please leave the daily matters to your gonggongs for now. Lord Fu bears a double burden, and he will be more fatigued than usual, even though he used to be a martial general. At this hour, he should start resting, avoiding unnecessary exertion.”
Fu Nian, feeling that the physician’s words sounded as if Chu Zhaoyi was mistreating him, hurriedly stood up from the ground.
“I’ll take note of Physician Xu’s advice. I will be more careful in the future,” Chu Zhaoyi calmly responded, glancing at Fu Nian who was standing nearby.
In his haste to stand, Fu Nian had accidentally fastened the inner garment’s clasps too tightly to the outer clothing, almost revealing his disheveled state from earlier. Chu Zhaoyi didn’t verbally remind him but instead summoned him over. “Ah Nian, come here, let the physician take a look.”
“Yes,” Fu Nian replied. He obediently sat down without fidgeting, not wanting to further tarnish his image in Chu Zhaoyi’s eyes.
The physician examined him, feeling around his body for a while, before turning to Chu Zhaoyi. “Your Majesty, a while ago, Lord Fu sustained a severe injury. Although he miraculously survived, it seems that the fetal condition is not entirely healthy. He must be extra cautious in the future, especially avoiding combat.” After finishing speaking, Physician Xu glanced at Fu Nian, the guest of honor from the Imperial Hospital. “I humbly request Your Majesty to temporarily relieve Lord Fu from combat duties.”
Fu Nian didn’t interrupt, just sat upright, attempting to appear composed.
Each injury on his body, every time he was seriously injured and sent to the Imperial Hospital, was almost never related to Chu Zhaoyi.
“I understand,” Chu Zhaoyi replied before turning his gaze to Fu Nian, who was sitting obediently. “In the past, it was my negligence. I’ll be more mindful in the future.”
“Now, let me withdraw to prescribe medication and dietary plans. I implore Your Majesty and Lord Fu to get some rest, especially Lord Fu,” Physician Xu added before leaving.
After the physician departed, Fu Nian heard a faint voice from his side.
“Ah Nian, next time, you don’t need to rush to put on your clothes so neatly and act like nothing happened. There’s a saying, ‘Trying to cover up actually makes it more conspicuous.'”
Hearing Chu Zhaoyi’s calm voice, Fu Nian froze for three seconds, then quickly stood up and walked to a bronze mirror.
—He saw that the inner garment’s fastenings were tightly clasped to the outer clothing, with a stark color contrast. The overlapping collar was a mess, and the waist and cuffs were also twisted due to his hurried dressing.
It looked exactly like someone who had done something secret and was trying to hastily cover up the scene.
Fu Nian: “…”
He thought he had done a good job of concealing it.
In the end, he sat honestly on the bed and allowed Chu Zhaoyi to cut through the knots of his clothing with scissors.
“When the physician reprimanded you earlier, why didn’t you tell the truth? It wasn’t your orders, nor was it related to your duties. Clearly, it was because you enjoy getting injured,” Chu Zhaoyi commented while cutting Fu Nian’s clothing.
Chu Zhaoyi put down the scissors, admired the torn pieces of Fu Nian’s clothing, blew out the candle, and pulled Fu Nian to lie down beside him. “Since you entered the palace, I’ve taught you etiquette, rules, responsibilities, and even reading and writing. You’ve excelled at everything. However, when you returned this time and I saw you eating alone without even checking the temperature, pouring scalding porridge down your throat and wolfing it down until your throat peeled, I realized that I only taught you to protect and fulfill your duties, but I never taught you to cherish yourself and consider your own well-being.”
Upon hearing this, Fu Nian paused for a moment.
His duty was to protect his master at all costs, even if it meant risking his life. Suddenly being ordered to take care of himself… well, the heir to the dragon throne was a matter of national importance, and he did need to pay more attention to his health, or else the life growing inside him might suffer.
“I understand. I will follow the physician’s advice this time and do my best for Your Majesty… and for the future of the kingdom,” Fu Nian said, ending the sentence somewhat awkwardly with a slight cough.
“You—” Chu Zhaoyi began but stopped himself.
Fu Nian: ?
In the darkness, he could see that Chu Zhaoyi’s expression was somewhat complex, with a thousand words written on his face, yet he couldn’t utter a single one.
“Ah Nian, you used to talk about trivial matters before bedtime, or share stories from outside the palace and the royal mansion. Why are you so silent in private now?” It took a while, but he finally heard Chu Zhaoyi’s soft voice. It sounded somewhat plaintive, or perhaps it was just his imagination.
Fu Nian recalled that many, many years ago, when he was young and infatuated, he couldn’t help but talk about anything that came to mind when he laid beside Chu Zhaoyi.
“Because… Your Majesty didn’t seem to enjoy listening to it. Every time, you would scold me to keep quiet and say that discussing these trivial matters wasn’t dignified,” Fu Nian said, sounding quite puzzled. “Why do you suddenly ask about this now?”
In the winter, the nights were long, and the days were short. Even if he had been exhausted the previous night, Fu Nian was accustomed to waking up before dawn.
However, this time, he was forcefully pushed back into bed before he could get up.
Fu Nian struggled a few times but failed to get up. Moreover, the warmth of the body beside him was reassuring, so after a few taps on his head, he fell back into a drowsy sleep.
When he woke up again, it was the sunlight streaming through the window that pierced his eyes.
Fu Nian sat up suddenly, realizing that he had overslept today.
The bed beside him was already empty, and not even the residual warmth remained.
He quickly got up.
As soon as he stood up, Fu Nian noticed that his inner garment had been torn to shreds, and the light armor on the rack had disappeared, replaced by a set of clothing that resembled the attire of the Shadow Guards. The material was even finer than the standard attire, and it was of the same raven color, but this one was clearly made from high-quality silk. It was not as form-fitting as the standard attire and was more suitable for non-combat purposes.
Recalling the physician’s advice from the day before, Fu Nian decided to change into this slightly loose-fitting clothing.
After fastening his cuffs, Fu Nian walked to a bronze mirror to take a look.
Even with a waist belt, the loose silk easily covered the protrusion of his abdomen. He no longer needed to tightly bind it every day to conceal it from prying eyes.
In the rare winter sunshine, Fu Nian hurried to the Interrogation Hall and showed his waist token to the guards at the entrance.
“Lord Fu, please go inside. The interrogation didn’t make Lord Nineteen suffer much, and the physician has just checked him. It’s up to you to decide his next destination.”
“What is His Majesty’s intention?” Fu Nian asked.
“His Majesty didn’t say much, only that if you’re too lazy to decide, he will consider Lord Nineteen’s contributions and won’t mistreat him.”
Fu Nian indicated that he understood.
Inside, Fu Nian smelled a strong medicinal scent and frowned.
“You’re here,” Fu Nineteen’s voice was cold and muffled, as if he didn’t welcome Fu Nian’s arrival.
Fu Nian: “Senior Brother.”
After calling him Senior Brother, Fu Nian felt Fu Nineteen’s gaze slowly turning toward him, as if he were questioning him silently: How can you still call me Senior Brother after you killed our master with your own hands?
“Little Nian,” Fu Nineteen’s voice remained emotionless.
Fu Nian didn’t continue speaking and stood upright in his place.
In the silence, Fu Nian sensed some movement in Fu Nineteen’s arm.
Having spent over a decade together, often on missions, Fu Nian knew instantly when Fu Nineteen’s arm moved that he was reaching for a sword. Almost instinctively, Fu Nian reached into his sleeve to grasp a blade.
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