CH 39

Ch 39 Otherwise, just go back.

Qinghe Hall was full of harmony.

On New Year’s Eve, the princes and dukes will also come with their families. The inner hall was full of concubines, princesses and female relatives of various mansions. Only the Empress Dowager Zhao said she was unwell and did not come. The outer hall was Emperor Qianming, the princes and dukes, toasting, chatting and laughing.

Xie Chaoyuan walked to his seat and sat down. Xie Chaoling followed behind him with his head bowed, trying not to attract attention.

“Pour alcohol for this king.” Xie Chaoyuan put down his glass and motioned to Xie Chaoling who was kneeling beside him.

Xie Chaoling raised his eyes and looked at him silently. Xie Chaoyuan said again: “Can’t do it? Do you need this king to teach you?”

Xie Chaoling picked up the jug.

Xie Chaoyuan watched his movements, and said leisurely: “You are not from King Xun’s mansion, why did you come to the Qinghe Hall with King Xun? What do you want to do?”

Xie Chaoling didn’t want to talk to anyone, so he helped him fill the alcohol glass and reached out his hand to signal for a moment.

Xie Chaoyuan sneered: “If it wasn’t for this king’s kindness to bring you in, you would have to stand outside for at least two hours before you can eat the leftovers given by the nobles here. On such a cold day, people who are not used to standing and can’t do it will suffer a serious crime.”

Xie Chaoling said in his heart that he was not a fool, he would have already escaped in two hours.

Xie Chaoyuan glanced at him again: “This King can see that you are not used to serving people. Has no one taught you how to pour alcohol and serve dishes for a master?”

Xie Chaoling resisted pouring the alcohol on his face. Impulsively, he took the alcohol glass with both hands and gave it to him.

Xie Chaoyuan smiled and took a sip from his hand. Xie Chaoling picked up the chopsticks again, and twisted the vegetables into Xie Chaoyuan’s bowl, seeing that he didn’t intend to do it himself at all, endured it again and again, picked up the vegetables and fed them to his mouth .

Xie Chaoyuan looked at him with great interest, only willing to eat the food and drink brought to his mouth. After a few times, Xie Chaoling put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hands, took a deep breath, sat closer, hooked the palm of Xie Chaoyuan’s sleeve, and said softly: “Your Highness, I was wrong, please let me go.”

Xie Chaoyuan’s smile faded away, he stared at him for a while, then turned his eyes away.

“Your Highness…” Xie Chaoling said in embarrassment.

Under the sleeve, Xie Chaoyuan squeezed his hand hard.

Xie Chaoling breathed a sigh of relief.

When hot dishes and cold dishes were served one after another, Xie Chaoyuan would pick out some of each dish for Xie Chaoling to eat.

It was common to reward food and drink to servants on such an occasion, so his behavior was not surprising. Xie Chaoling was not polite about it and he happened to be hungry.

After drinking for three rounds, Xie Chaorong, who was drunk again, walked to Xie Chaoyuan’s table, his eyes fell on Xie Chaoling behind him. He frowned: “Isn’t this the person brought by this king? What does King Ke mean by this? Are you planning to rob a person from this King?”

Xie Chaoling continued to pour alcohol for Xie Chaoyuan, and Xie Chaoyuan poured the alcohol into his mouth: “Second brother is joking, the person I just picked up outside, how could it be brought by second brother, he himself said no .”

Then he asked Xie Chaoling: “Are you from King Xun’s residence?”

Xie Chaoling quickly shook his head.

Xie Chaorong was very annoyed, and he couldn’t say that he had forcibly brought the person from the East Palace. Finally, he stretched out his fingers and tapped Xie Chaoyuan hard, and went back to his seat.

Xie Chaoyuan didn’t care.

This commotion was soon noticed by others. Xie Chaoling hurriedly lowered his head, and carefully shrank behind Xie Chaoyuan, showing a docile look.

Even Emperor Qianming who was sitting on the main seat heard the movement and asked: “What are you doing again?”

Xie Chaoyuan blocked the person behind him without any trace, and replied respectfully: “It’s nothing, my second brother and I were just playing around.”

Emperor Qianming turned his head and gave Xie Chaorong a hard look. The old man saw it just now, this stupid son was drinking madly again.

On the emperor’s left, Xie Fengzhen frowned and looked at Xie Chaoling, who shook his head lightly behind Xie Chaoyuan.

Signaling to Xie Fengzhen, he was fine.

Before the family banquet was over, Xie Chaoyuan put down the bowl and chopsticks, and asked Xie Chaoling, “Are you full?”

Xie Chaoling nodded.

“Then let’s go.”

Xie Chaoling was a little surprised, the emperor was still there, yet this boy dared to withdraw early.

Xie Chaoyuan didn’t take it seriously, and while everyone was drinking, he got up and led him back quietly.

Watching Xie Chaoyuan and the people beside him disappear from their backs, Xie Chaoyi put down his chopsticks and rested his chin with one hand, thoughtfully.

After a while, he beckoned to his servant, and said in a low voice, “Send someone smarter to follow up and have a look. The man brought by Sixth Brother looks familiar and strange.”

Walking out of Qinghe Hall, Xie Chaoling let out a big sneeze. Xie Chaoyuan’s cloak fell to his shoulders. Xie Chaoling said, “How did Your Highness recognize me?” 

Xie Chaoyuan said coldly, “I can tell at a glance.”

His elder brother crown prince could barely bluff people by pretending to be a bodyguard, but he was not at all like a servant at all, otherwise he would not have even risen suspicious from that idiot Xie Chaorong causing him to forcibly take him away halfway.

Xie Chaoling turned his mind quickly, and took the initiative to explain: “Today’s New Year’s Eve, His Highness entered the palace. I was really bored and lonely by myself. I didn’t know if His Highness could go back tonight. I missed His Highness, so I followed him out. “

Xie Chaoyuan stopped in his tracks, looked sideways at him, and there was even mockery in his eyes, making it clear that he didn’t believe Xie Chaoling’s nonsense.

Xie Chaoling blinked: “…Really.”

Xie Chaoyuan’s chuckle with unknown meaning dissipated in the cold wind.

Xie Chaoling closed his mouth.

After walking for a while, Xie Chaoyuan ordered someone to carry the warm sedan chair.

Xie Chaoling didn’t want to leave. Before getting into the sedan chair, Xie Chaoyuan suddenly bent down, grabbed some snow water on the ground, squeezed Xie Chaoling’s face, and rubbed it vigorously a few times.

Xie Chaoling’s original face was gradually revealed, and all the servants lowered their heads.

Xie Chaoling looked at Xie Chaoyuan and smiled: “What are you doing, Your Highness?”

Xie Chaoyuan helped him wipe off the snow on his forehead, and said lightly, “Linlang is not good at craftsmanship, so don’t do it yourself in the future.” 

Xie Chaoling laughed and said: “Your Highness hates that the appearance I made myself looks too ugly?”

Xie Chaoyuan ignored him and led him into the sedan chair.

The person hiding behind the palace wall covered his mouth tightly, so as not to scream. He watched the people from King Ke’s mansion walk away, and after suppressing his astonishment, he ran back quickly to return.

After leaving the palace and getting on the carriage, Xie Chaoyuan ordered people to go back directly to the manor.

Xie Chaoling reminded him: “It’s so late, why don’t you go back after a rest in the city?”

Xie Chaoyuan glanced at him, without saying a word, closed his eyes and leaned against the carriage wall behind him.

Xie Chaoling frowned: “Why don’t you light the lamp, Your Highness?”

In the next moment, Xie Chaoyuan stretched out his hand to grab him, turned him over and pressed him down.

Xie Chaoyuan’s breath approached, and his voice was right next to his ear: “You really missed me?”

Xie Chaoling choked for a moment.

“…En.”

Coming into the palace today, other than paying homage to his mother and explaining some things, it was true that he was lonely and bored.

“Today’s matter, I won’t calculate it with you for the time being.” Xie Chaoyuan said, slowly rubbing his fingers on his chin.

“Will Your Highness keep his word?” Xie Chaoling asked in a low voice.

Xie Chaoyuan brushed his lips with his fingertips.

Xie Chaoling couldn’t bear such unhurried teasing, so he hooked the person and kissed him proactively.

After returning to the manor, Xie Chaoling yawned profusely, fell into the bed after a simple wash and was about to fall asleep, when he dazedly sensed that Xie Chaoyuan pulled down the bed curtain and was approaching. He didn’t want to move, closed his eyes and raised his hand to pat the face of the person on his body: “Stop making trouble, go to sleep.”

Xie Chaoyuan clasped his hands, joined his hands together, wrapped the soft silk ribbon around his wrists, pressed it to the head of the bed, and tied it tightly to the pillar.

When Xie Chaoling came to his senses, his hands were bound and he couldn’t move. He opened his eyes in the dark, met Xie Chaoyuan’s gloomy gaze, his heart skipped a beat, and he woke up instantly after dozing off: “What are you doing?”

Xie Chaoyuan’s dry lips slowly rubbed together. He said on his cheek: “Brother was disobedient again today.”

“You said just now that you won’t calculate…”

“I was talking about temporarily.”

Xie Chaoling finally understood that the temporary effect had passed, and this person fell ill again.

“What do you want?”

Xie Chaoyuan stroked his temple hair with his fingers, then bowed his head and kissed his lips.

Lips and tongue were pushed in and Xie Chaoling felt that the tip of his tongue was being bitten, and he quickly tasted a salty taste in his mouth. He was in pain for a while, then wanted to struggle, but his hands could not move until he couldn’t breathe.

Xie Chaoling turned his head away fiercely, his face was flushed red, and the tip of his tongue was bitten by this little beast: “Enough, what do you want to do?”

“Linlang is only obedient at this time,” Xie Chaoyuan said in a lower voice, ” I’m still too soft-hearted towards you, so I should tie you up so that you can’t go anywhere, so that you can be completely at peace.” 

Xie Chaoling sneered: “You dare try??” 

Xie Chaoyuan flicked the end of his eyes: “If today you didn’t happen to bump into me, will you have come back?”

Xie Chaoling was angry, if he didn’t plan to come back, this person thought he would be here now? Seriously, it doesn’t make sense at all.

“Go away,” he said.

Xie Chaoling closed his eyes, unwilling to look at Xie Chaoyuan again.

In the darkness, the breathing of the person on his body gradually became heavy, as if trying to suppress something. After a while, Xie Chaoling heard him get up, and the lights in the room were lit again.

Xie Chaoyuan sat back on the bed and untied the silk cloth binding Xie Chaoling’s wrist. Xie Chaoling opened his eyes and looked over. Xie Chaoyuan was staring at him with downcast eyes.

Xie Chaoling asked, “Why don’t you continue to tie me up?”

His skin was tender, his hands and wrists turned red after being tied up for a while. Xie Chaoyuan led him over, bowed his head and kneaded him silently.

“Speak, is His Highness King Ke mute?” Xie Chaoling frowned.

“There’s nothing to say.” 

Xie Chaoling said angrily, “You’re sick.”

Xie Chaoyuan didn’t deny it: “I won’t ask you who helped you with today’s matter. Everyone in the manor will be beaten with 20 sticks. If there is another time, the punishment will be doubled.”

“Your Highness is threatening me with his own people?” Xie Chaoling almost laughed angrily at him.

Xie Chaoyuan still squeezed his wrist slowly: “If Linlang doesn’t care about other people’s lives, then just pretend I didn’t say it.”

“I don’t care,” Xie Chaoling said coldly, “They are yours, and you don’t care about them, so why do I have to care? What does it matter to me if you kill or cut them?”

Xie Chaoyuan raised his eyes and looked at him: “Okay then.”

…Okay, what then?

“A person like Linlang has no heart,” Xie Chaoyuan said suddenly, “It seems like you would be good to everyone, but in fact no one can really enter your heart.”

Xie Chaoling frowned even more when he heard this, and without waiting for him to say anything, Xie Chaoyuan continued: “At first I just thought that it would be good if I could lock you up. Even if I broke your leg, I still want to lock you up by my side. After I gave birth to those expectations that I shouldn’t have. You said you would like me. I took it seriously, but I just took it seriously. You won’t like me. You lied to me when you said you were lonely and thinking about me. You still have to go, even if you don’t leave now, you will leave in the future, so I can only lay a spell on you and lock you up like I planned at the beginning.”

“That’s fine, you’re still mine alone, it doesn’t matter if you don’t like me, just stay by my side.”

Xie Chaoling’s thoughts sank little by little.

Xie Chaoyuan was actually right, he will leave sooner or later, he was the heir of the East Palace, he cannot stay here forever, his shallow reluctance was actually not worth mentioning.

So this person doesn’t believe him, doesn’t believe what he says, and is afraid of being alone.

Xie Chaoling was speechless.

Xie Chaoyuan didn’t continue talking. After a moment of silence, he raised his hand to caress Xie Chaoling’s cheek, and eased his voice: “It’s late, I won’t disturb you anymore, go to sleep.”

“…What about you?”

“Can’t sleep, I will go to the front study to read.” Xie Chaoyuan said calmly.

Helping Xie Chaoling turn off the lights again, the door opened and closed, and Xie Chaoyuan went out of the room.

Xie Chaoling sat silently in the dark for a while, then got up and got out of bed and walked to the window. Xie Chaoyuan didn’t ask anyone to follow, he carried the palace lantern by himself, and with the dim candlelight against his somewhat lonely back, he disappeared at the gate of the courtyard.

Xie Chaoling came back to his senses in a daze, only then did he notice that there were many more guards inside and outside the yard, Xie Chaoyuan was planning to lock him here completely.

Otherwise, just go back.

Xie Chaoling’s mind was depressed, and it seemed that there was no point in staying any longer. When the matter in front of him was over, he might as well go back when he found a suitable time.

From the day he entered the East Palace, he knew that with his status, he was not qualified to be willful.

Huang Liang had a dream, which was fleeting, and he would eventually wake up one day.