CH 101

December 9, 2022Merchie

The door to the little pavilion was pushed open. Inside, it was pitch black.

After adjusting to the darkness, one could make out the layout and furnishings of the room.

It was exactly the same as before; nothing had changed.

Pei Zheng led Shen Shijiu inside and had him sit on the bed, before he turned to light a candle.

Illuminated by the dim, golden candlelight, Shen Shijiu’s ragged clothing and bleeding palm appeared in Pei Zheng’s vision.

He strode over and grabbed the bleeding little hand, “Medicine.”

Shen Shijiu lifted his other hand slightly; he was unable to retrieve the medicine himself, so Pei Zheng slipped his fingers into the cuff of his torn robe, grasped the box of ointment in his sleeve, and then opened it.

The cool linament mixed with bloodstains and covered the wound; the cut had finally stopped bleeding.

The ointment on Pei Zheng’s fingers was already gone, but he was still tracing circles on Shen Shijiu’s skin, which made him itchy.

“Take off your clothes.”

“Ah?” Shen Shijiu lifted his head, thinking he had heard wrong.

“Take them off so I can take a look.”

With a flick of Pei Zheng’s fingers, the lace over Shen Shijiu’s chest came undone.

The young man’s ears reddened. Although he had changed clothes in His Lordship’s room once before, he had been behind a screen. He had never changed in front of His Lordship before.

While he was dithering, Pei Zheng had already pulled down his outer robe past his shoulders, though his white underrobe still remained untouched.

Shen Shijiu mumbled quietly, “I can’t just randomly strip in front of other people, that’s indecent…”

Unexpectedly, Pei Zheng heard every word. He chuckled and tilted Shen Shijiu’s chin up.

“What did you say?”

Shen Shijiu gazed into dark eyes that resembled deep pools of water, and felt that he was about to drown in them, so he quickly looked away.

“I… I didn’t say anything…”

With his other hand, Pei Zheng quickly stripped off Shen Shijiu’s outer robe and tossed it to the side.

The little doctor watched as his clothes were scattered to the side. Suddenly, he felt a cool sensation on his calves; at some point, the legs of his pants had been lifted.

Pei Zheng knelt in front of him and held his calf. The skin on that slender, straight leg was usually clear and smooth, but now, his knee was bruised; it appeared to be an old injury that hadn’t yet healed before it was covered by a new one.

Pei Zheng lifted his hand and gently pressed down on the bruise. Shen Shijiu reflexively shrank backward, his eyebrows knitted from the pain.

“Does it hurt?’

Shen Shijiu’s eyes were watery, and he didn’t even try to hide it; he wore his heart on his sleeve.

“It hurts, it hurts a lot… My hand hurts too… Everything hurts…”

His tone was so pitiful and aggrieved, and Pei Zheng’s heart immediately softened.

He beckoned to Shen Shijiu, hooking a finger toward him.

Shen Shijiu obediently lowered his head, wiped his tears, and looked at Pei Zheng with a muddled expression.

Pei Zheng hooked his finger again.

Shen Shijiu leaned down a bit more.

“My Lord-“

Before he could finish speaking, his mouth was blocked by another. Shen Shijiu’s eyes widened slightly, but when he saw how close Pei Zheng was, he immediately shut them again.

“Done.”

Shen Shijiu’s lips cooled. He opened his eyes, and saw that Pei Zheng had stood back up; ointment had been applied to his knees, and his pant legs had been let down.

His wound had been smeared with ointment, and his mind was soothed. Shen Shijiu was exhausted and extremely sleepy, and was fighting to keep his eyelids open.

He looked up and saw that Pei Zheng was standing next to a nearby shelf. He took something out and placed it on the desk, before he walking back toward Shen Shijiu.

At that moment, Shen Shijiu yawned, and a few tears flowed out.

The Prime Minister went over and wiped them away with his fingers.

“Come here.”

Although Shen Shijiu didn’t know what they were going to do, he nodded and was about to get off the bed. But the moment his foot touched the ground, he felt a slight pain in his knee.

“My Lord… my knee hurts…”

Shen Shijiu pouted, and sat in place while pointing at his knees.

Pei Zheng’s heart jumped. When he first met the little prince, he had the same tender, spoiled attitude.

At that time, the little prince had only just gained the support of Pei Zheng, but suddenly became very spoiled. If he bumped his hand on something, his eyes would redden, and he would cajole Pei Zheng into consoling him

But later, after so many things happened, that little prince became very tough. No matter what injury he suffered, he would swallow his tears and blood back into his stomach. He became very careful around Pei Zheng, and tried his best to please him.

Now, Pei Zheng thought it would’ve been better if the little prince hadn’t become so tough, and remained a fragile crybaby. No matter what happened, he would run into his arms and cry, and Pei Zheng could shoulder everything for that small man.

Shen Shijiu touched his knees. He wasn’t lying, his leg really did hurt quite a bit. It would be better if His Lordship just brought that thing to the side of the bed, so he wouldn’t have to stumble there.

Pei Zheng also didn’t plan on having him walk over by himself. He reached out, grabbed him by the waist, lifted him off the bed, and carried him over to the desk.

Shen Shijiu was plopped onto the table, and Pei Zheng stood between his legs. He was so close; Shen Shijiu felt a bit dizzy.

He smelled what seemed to be the scent of alcohol.

So, earlier, it was wine that Lord Pei had gone over to fetch.

Pei Zheng opened the wine jar. He held it with one hand and took a gulp. Wine spilled down his chin and flowed into his black robe.

Then, Pei Zheng lifted the wine jar to Shen Shijiu’s lips.

Shen Shijiu shook his head, “I can’t drink alcohol, shifu told me that I can’t…”

“Your shifu told you that?” Pei Zheng took another sip, before he leaned towards him, closing in, rendering him unable to escape.

“Do you listen to your shifu, or do you listen to me?”

Shen Shijiu’s breathing suddenly became labored, and he stuttered as he spoke.

“I-I listen to my shifu, b-but, but I also, l-listen to you, my Lord…”

The wine jar was placed at Shen Shijiu’s lips again, and gently pressed against them.

“Listen to me. Open your mouth.”

Shen Shijiu slowly opened his mouth.

I’ll just drink a little bit, since shifu doesn’t know about this, it should be fine.

But why was His Lordship insisting that he drink alcohol?

The strong, spicy wine filled his mouth, and flowed into his throat, burning all the way down to his stomach. Shen Shijiu coughed several times until tears streamed out, “S-so spicy, no more…”

Pei Zheng drank the rest of the wine in the jar, before he put it down, and stared fixedly at Shen Shijiu, motionless.

After a little while, Shen Shijiu felt even dizzier. That wine was too strong; with his meager alcohol tolerance, he was drunk after a single sip.

“It’s so hot, why is it so hot…”

His small hands impatiently tore at his neckline, and his tightly-tied collar became slightly mussed, revealing his fair neck and delicate collarbone. Pei Zheng’s gaze shifted downward, resting on that collarbone.

That originally clean, white collarbone was now glowing a faint red; several long, slender petals slowly appeared, growing clearer and more distinct as they covered that protruding bone and stretched down beneath his lapel.

Pei Zheng’s breathing became even heavier, and his fingers began to tremble uncontrollably, and it took every drop of strength he had to smoothly peel that lapel aside.

An alluring, flame-red lotus bloomed magnificently on his collarbone. The center of the flower was very dark, so that it would be able to mask the ring of bite marks underneath.

That tattoo artist said that he had only tattooed this red lotus once, and hadn’t tattooed the design on anyone else. And because the cinnabar that had been used possessed unique qualities, the design could be hidden with the use of a special drug.

But no matter what he did to hide it, as long as he was excited, it would definitely be revealed.

So what could be done to excite him?

Pei Zheng originally had another method in mind, but the tattoo artist said that drinking alcohol would suffice.

That tattoo artist was no idiot: after he’d tattooed Qi Changyi at the Prime Minister’s Manor, he had never mentioned it to anyone.

Yet Qi Bingzhi had still found a way to uncover this matter. She had searched everywhere, and eventually managed to find this tattoo artist – she wanted to find out who Pei Zheng asked him to tattoo, if the tattoo had really been for Qi Changyi, as well as what the design was.

The tattoo artist had not divulged even the slightest bit of information, and because of this, Qi Bingzhi had retaliated against the tattoo artist, and framed him, causing him to be sent to prison.

Fortunately, Pei Zheng had found him again, and finally freed him. He’d also given the unfortunate artisan a large sum of money, to ensure his financial security for the rest of his life.

Pei Zheng slowly retracted his fingers and looked at Shen Shijiu, whose consciousness was growing hazy. Now, he had no clue what to do next.

All of his hopes and inklings had now come to fruition, but he suddenly felt a sense of unrealness.

This person before him, who could cry and laugh, who would nestle obediently into his arms, was he real? Had he actually returned?

What if all of this was just a dream? What if he woke up, and discovered that it was just another mundane night in the midst of these past three years?

“You’re so cold… it feels so good…”

A soft, warm little body pressed against him, fitting perfectly against his chest. A little head sagged onto his shoulder, breathing rhythmically and exhaling puffs of warm air.

“My Lord… I-I’ll just sleep while I hug you… okay…”

Pei Zheng’s fingers clenched for a moment, before he carried Shen Shijiu off the table. Cupping his buttocks in his palms, Pei Zheng walked back to the side of the bed.

He slowly bent over, and gently placed him on the bed.

Shen Shijiu was still clutching the hem of Pei Zheng’s robe, “D-don’t go… Don’t… leave me…”

Pei Zheng sat down on the side of the bed, “I won’t.”

The candlelight was very dim, but it didn’t hinder Pei Zheng’s vision. His gaze moved back and forth over every inch of Shen Shijiu’s face.

There wasn’t a trace of his previous appearance left; he really did look quite ugly now.

But this ugliness was adorable.

Pei Zheng caressed Shen Shijiu’s cheek with his fingers. He didn’t know how much the little prince had suffered; he had only managed to survive by wearing this mask.

He didn’t know what had happened to the face beneath that mask.

But even if his face was disfigured, he would forever be that gorgeous1 little prince in Pei Zheng’s heart.

When he had been with that small man, he didn’t know what it meant to value someone; to love someone. Only after losing him did Pei Zheng realize that the terrible, wrenching pain in his heart was love.

In the beginning, it was a momentary selfish desire that caused him to bind that little prince to his side. His cruelty and ruthlessness had all been for Qi Changfeng. But the insignificant bit of tenderness and pity he had given that small man was sincere.

He had killed too many people to count, and his methods were tyrannical. Pei Zheng had simply accepted that there wasn’t a single person in this world that didn’t hate him.

He thought that he would never have any feelings in this life. Yet he had fallen in love with that little prince. A love that melted deep into his bones; a love that he couldn’t fight at all…

A draft of wind blew in, and the candles were suddenly extinguished.

A shadow stood outside the door.

Cheng Feng didn’t want to disturb Pei Zheng, but this matter was out of his control.

He knocked on the door.

“Master, Her Highness the Empress has summoned you to the palace.”

Notes

I AM TEARING UP WHATTTTT

Also, that part about his hand on his butt, that wasn’t meant to be perverted, he’s just carrying him.

Thanks for reading~

1. Describing him as 倾城 here again ;3