CH 10

The room was so quiet that nothing couldn’t be heard. Gu Yan’s breathing was stagnant, but his heart couldn’t help but beat rapidly. He walked towards the bed almost stiffly and looked at the naked body more clearly.

The young man was curled up on the bed with his back to him and his long, dark hair was spread out all over the bed. His eyelashes were still a little wet and the end of his eyes were faintly red, as if he had suffered a great deal of grievances.

An unspeakable heat rose up from Gu Yan’s body. He took a deep breath and the hand hanging at his side slowly tightened.

Was this little brat doing this deliberately?

Or was he so sure that he wouldn’t dare do anything to him?

Ye Zi turned over in his sleep. Gu Yan shifted his gaze sharply and the tips of his ears quietly turned red. He didn’t dare to look again as he closed his eyes and leaned down, hurriedly pulling the thin quilt over Ye Zi’s body

His fingers hastily touched the warm jade-like skin; it felt like the best ointment, soft and warm, and couldn’t help but draw his attention in even more.

Gu Yan retracted his hand like he had been electrocuted and the root of his ears turned even redder. 

Tucking in the little brat who slept without care, Gu Yan got up and was about to leave. However, at that moment, Ye Zi just so happened to whisper: “Gu Yan, you big bastard.”

Gu Yan: “……”

Gu Yan’s footsteps paused and he gritted his teeth. How petty; to curse him even in his sleep.

Ye Zi didn’t have the best posture and his arm stretched out from the quilt. He hugged the quilt, revealing his bare and thin shoulders, as he murmured something. Gu Yan glanced back, but his gaze became frozen.

Below the other party’s collarbone, there was a shallow scar less than an inch long.

Gu Yan sat down on the edge of the bed and his eyes didn’t move away from the scar for a long time.

This injury was because of him.

At that time, he had been pushed to the edge, lost his mind, and fell into a trap. He was alone and surrounded by the assassins sent to assassinate him. With more than a dozen trained assassins, it was impossible for anyone to escape unscathed.

But this person appeared.

Gu Yan was so anxious that he was going crazy: “Are you crazy? What does it matter to you whether this Prince is dead or alive? Does it look like I need your help?” 

The young man only smiled carelessly as the long sword in his hand swung in a cold and gorgeous arc: “Save some strength, Little Highness. When we have escaped from here, you can scold me any way you want.”

They escaped from the surroundings of more than ten experts but weren’t able to avoid the arrow shot in the dark that headed straight toward Gu Yan’s back.

When Gu Yan heard the noise and turned back, the long arrow had already penetrated the young man’s shoulder blade.

Gu Yan’s eyes darkened and he reached out his hand, gently rubbing on the old wound. It wasn’t until now that Gu Yan finally settled down and looked at the face in front of him seriously.

This face was slightly smaller than the one he remembered, but otherwise, whether it was the knitted brows or the smile or the little habit of holding the quilt when sleeping, everything else was all the same.

Gu Yan’s heartbeat became more and more rapid and the joy of reunion seemed to burst out at this moment.

Previously, Gu Yan still had some uncertainty in his heart. Resurrection was too abstruse, not to mention that there were such mind-boggling things as plants and trees becoming human.

But now, seeing this wound, he was able to confirm everything.

He closed his eyes and silently recited the name that had been haunting him for more than ten years.

Huai Yuan.

——This person’s name in his previous life should be Huai Yuan.

But whether it was Ye Zi or Huai Yuan, he didn’t care.

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As long as he was able to come back, everything was good. 

Gu Yan gazed at Ye Zi’s sleeping face. He curiously lowered his head and gently kissed him on his forehead.

It was a slapdash kiss. Gu Yan lifted his head and suddenly met with Ye Zi’s dazed and open eyes.

Gu Yan: “……”

Ye Zi hadn’t fully woken up from his sleep yet. He blinked and stared at Gu Yan, subconsciously not daring to move.  

——He still thought of himself as a plant.

Gu Yan cleared his throat: “Huai……No, Ye Zi, how do you feel?”

Ye Zi didn’t answer. He looked down at his hands and was surprised: “I changed back again?”

Seeing that the latter didn’t even realize what had just happened, Gu Yan’s heart was half glad and half regretful as he explained in a serious manner, “Just now, you had fallen asleep. And when I came back after leaving for a while, you were already like this.” 

Ye Zi was distressed: “I’m turning into a human one moment and then into a plant the next. What should I do?”

This made it inconvenient to escape. Ye Zi abashedly concealed the second half of the sentence.

Gu Yan reassured: “I have read in the book of Supernaturals that plants, trees, birds and animals can transform when they reach a certain level of cultivation. Maybe you’re just in the early stage of transforming and can’t control it freely yet. You don’t have to worry too much about it.”

“Moreover, even if you continued to look like this, I……wouldn’t mind.”

Ye Zi was listening carefully in the beginning, but when he heard the words nearing the end, he suddenly felt something off: “M-Mind what?” 

The corner of Gu Yan’s mouth curved up and he said gently, “I have instructed the housekeeper to push back the wedding date by two days so as not to be too hasty. These days you will stay in the courtyard, I will arrange for two maids to take care of you.”

Ye Zi was stunned: “No, why——”

Gu Yan spoke for himself: “Sorry, I don’t want to leave you here alone either, but it’s customary for couples not to meet before marriage.”

“Your Majesty, I——”

Gu Yan interrupted him, “Alright, I still have some things to take care of. Be good and stay in the courtyard for a few days and don’t wander around.”

After he finished, he didn’t give Ye Zi a chance to retort as he turned his head and left the room.

Ye Zi sat in the same place for a long time before he came back to his senses from the great shock.

Didn’t he only take a nap? How did the perfectly good Prince Rui suddenly become crazy in a blink of an eye?

Did he really take him for the Princess Consort?

Gu Yan really went crazy this time. Not only did he send a few maidservants to watch over him in the courtyard on day shifts and night shifts, but he also added layers of guards outside the courtyard. Even if Ye Zi tried to escape, he would be seized after taking only a few steps.

But more than that, what really made Ye Zi give up escaping was the stupid cat in the front yard.

In the past few days, he didn’t know whether it was Gu Yan’s order or if that stupid cat really had something against him, it would wander around his courtyard all day long, staring at him with extra diligence.  

There was no escape and Ye Zi could only hope that Gu Yan came back to his senses.

He had the intention to go ask Gu Yan for clarification, but that person strictly adhered to the custom of not seeing each other before marriage and refused to see him. He had no choice; he tried to throw a tantrum in the room, tried to threaten unreasonably, he used all kinds of methods but the person still didn’t show up.  

After a few days of tormenting, Ye Zi’s identity as the Princess Consort was solidified. For a while, rumors that Princess Consort Rui was arrogant and indulgent spread all over Chang’an.

Ye Zi, who was oblivious to all this, was imprisoned like a prisoner for five days before finally meeting the people from outside the courtyard.

——They came to deliver him his wedding attire.

The wedding attire was the current most popular style, the fabric and embroidery were top-notch, and the size was exactly the same as Ye Zi’s figure. Although it was said that Prince Rui would not entertain guests outside the residence on his wedding, all the etiquette and arrangements were in accordance with Imperial standards, without the slightest slack.

If Ye Zi was not one of the protagonists, he would have been interested in checking out the wedding banquet. 

But now……

Ye Zi hugged the extraordinarily well-fitting wedding outfit and wanted to cry.

All he did was carelessly lie and pretended to be the Princess Consort, why on earth did things turn out like this?

Was Gu Yan turning insane ahead of time? ? ?

Tomorrow was the wedding date. If he doesn’t escape, then he could only marry him in a daze. 

Ye Zi made up his mind.

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He sent the servants away early, pretended to go to bed, and waited patiently until midnight. The little servant girl who was sent to serve him was sitting in the outer room dozing. Ye Zi turned back into a little green plant and quietly climbed out from the window.

In the past few days, he had become more and more skilled in the art of transformation and had already been able to use it freely. However, he didn’t have enough strength and his transformation into a human couldn’t last a day. After one day, he would return to his original form.

Ye Zi jumped off the windowsill, bypassed several guards in the courtyard, and climbed out of the courtyard through the dog hole he found earlier. Behind the dog hole was a rockery, under which a set of clothes was hidden, which Ye Zi had smuggled out two days before.

For today’s escape, Ye Zi had prepared well. He changed back to his human form, put on his clothes, and peeked out from the rockery.

The Prince’s manor was silent at night with only a few occasional household servants making their rounds.

Ye Zi easily avoided the servants and quickly crossed the courtyard when he suddenly noticed the sound of wind coming from behind him. Ye Zi instinctively turned around and grabbed the other party’s wrist.

The person in front of him was wearing a dark outfit and his face couldn’t be seen clearly under the hood, however, he could vaguely detect a disturbing smell from him. It was the bloodthirsty coldness that would be left behind after countless lives had been lost.

Such a person’s moves were extremely quick and swift, leaving almost no room for Ye Zi to turn around.

After catching him, even Ye Zi himself was startled.

He obviously didn’t know any martial arts.

The black-clothed man was also slightly stunned but he quickly recovered and broke free from Ye Zi’s shackles before continuing to attack him. He had a long sword hanging from his waist, but he didn’t have the slightest intention of using a weapon. With his bare hands and fist, he exchanged a dozen or so attacks with Ye Zi. 

Ye Zi’s body reacted faster than his brain. He countered every move and even gradually gained the upper hand.

There was a clank in the quiet night sky. Ye Zi pulled out the long sword from the man’s waist and pointed the blade against the opponent’s neck.

Ye Zi had won.

Footsteps resounded and Ye Zi was taken back, but soon, he came to his senses. The previous fight between the two alarmed the attendants in the Prince’s manor, and the crowd surrounded them from all directions, making a path in the middle.

Gu Yan, who hastily put on a robe, walked out of the crowd slowly.

Ye Zi’s hand shook and the long sword fell to the ground with a clang.

Gu Yan asked: “Where are you going?”

Ye Zi instinctively lowered his head and didn’t dare to look at him. However, he quickly remembered his purpose and said with stubbornness: “I’m leaving.”

“Leaving?” Gu Yan’s eyes sank, “You don’t want to marry me?”

Ye Zi had been holding back his anger for the past few days, and at this moment, he couldn’t care less if everyone was watching as he asked loudly: “When did I ever say that I wanted to marry you? Don’t think that I will be afraid of you just because you are a Prince. Do you know what this is called? This is a trade using coercion, stealing a man through force! I want to marry a wife, why should I marry you?!”

Gu Yan’s face was cloudy: “What are you going crazy about?”

“You’re the one who’s crazy!” Ye Zi shouted, “I didn’t promise to be your Princess Consort. You can give that to whoever is willing! Let go of me immediately!” 

Gu Yan narrowed his eyes dangerously as he slowly walked in front of Ye Zi. He lowered his darkened eyes and no emotion could be seen. 

Ye Zi’s heart dropped and all the courage he had gathered with great difficulty disappeared in an instant.

Gu Yan stared at him for a long time and the corners of his mouth hooked up into a helpless smile: “Ye Zi, are you angry with me, angry that I ignored you for the past two days?”

Oh no, this person really was crazy.

********

The author has something to say:

The Princess Consort frequently tries to escape, what should be done? Half of the time it’s because he needs to be punished. Just take him into the bridal chamber and “punish” him a few times.