ITOTIABSAM | The Tyrant in the Deep Palace | 72
Half of his body submerged in the water, Xie Ye felt that he wasn't sleeping very deeply.
At least, when Gu Cong lifted him up steadily, he still had some consciousness.
He greatly enjoyed this comfortable state between dream and wakefulness, undisturbed by the headache. His hand automatically followed the memories of the past, hooking around the man's neck and hanging onto him like a koala clinging to a tree trunk.
Although the young man's frame was slender, it still carried the weight inherent to masculinity. Following the pull of gravity, he slowly sank down bit by bit. Gu Cong, standing in the water, couldn't help but express his apology. He wrapped his arms around the young emperor's thighs and lifted him slightly.
Originally, he intended to adopt the usual posture of holding the young emperor sideways with his knees bent. However, when he turned around, the young emperor, still in a daze, wrapped his arms around his neck, forcing Gu Cong to hold him face to face.
This action easily evoked images of holding a child, but fortunately, Xie Ye's frame had not fully developed yet. With his chin resting on Gu Cong's shoulder and his eyelashes gently drooping, he looked perfectly natural.
It was only at this moment that Gu Cong noticed the slight plumpness on the young emperor's legs, contrasting with his own. The skin was taut yet soft to the touch.
"Drip, drip."
Water droplets, carrying a faint medicinal fragrance, slowly gathered on the hem of their clothes before dripping into the pool. Gu Cong suddenly realized that he had become distracted again. He tried to ignore the warm sensation through the layer of fabric on his arm and gently called out, "Your Majesty?"
Xie Ye heard it, but his eyelids didn't want to move.
Gu Cong, who had safely carried the young emperor to the edge of the pool, didn't insist. With a graceful step, he went along with it. "In that case, may I assist you in changing, Your Majesty?"
Having already seen Xie Ye's fierce appearance when he killed someone, a few scars were nothing to Gu Cong. After being tossed around like this, Xie Ye was almost fully awake. He opened his eyes, released his grip, and patted the man's arm that was holding him, indicating for him to let go.
Then, he casually grabbed a set of new inner clothes hanging nearby and went behind a folding screen.
Gu Cong, who was left behind by the young emperor, seemed to want to say something but ultimately remained silent.
Sure enough, after a short while, the young emperor, barefoot, emerged from behind the folding screen. His hairpin was askew, his hair was disheveled, and the size of the inner clothes and trousers on him was obviously several sizes too large. The cuffs covered his fingertips, the hems of his trousers were bunched up, and the collar was loose, revealing his beautiful and fair collarbones with a hint of pink after bathing.
"I prepared these for myself," Gu Cong explained before the young emperor could speak, speaking frankly and skipping over the fact that he hadn't woken him up earlier. "I've only worn them once, they're freshly washed, very clean, and the fabric is quite soft."
Seeming to completely forget about the other set hanging nearby, Gu Cong didn't mention changing for the young emperor, and Xie Ye, whose lips were slightly swollen, didn't push the issue. He allowed Gu Cong to step forward and roll up his cuffs.
Waiting patiently until the man completely relaxed, Xie Ye suddenly furrowed his brows at an angle visible to Gu Cong from the corner of his eye, pretending to be puzzled as he pursed his lips.
As expected, the tension in the other's back tightened.
Like a blaze igniting within him, the touch of the daring youth's lips, which had been light and fleeting, suddenly felt scorching hot against his skin. Gu Cong discreetly glanced at the other's innocent and unaware expression, feeling a mix of worry and anticipation—worry about being discovered and anticipation of being discovered. He wished he had actually done what he had desired most just moments ago.
"Your Majesty?" His already magnetic voice subtly lowered even more as he straightened up and asked, "Is there something bothering Your Majesty?"
But Xie Ye didn't respond directly. Instead, he reached out and pulled the bell cord. "I'll take this outfit," he said, "Have someone bring you a new one."
—A kiss to oneself represented Gu Cong's desire, but Xie Ye was too greedy. He wanted more than just these fleeting things that would fade away with age. He wanted Gu Cong to ponder, to endure, to understand. Ultimately, he couldn't resist, and there would be no chance for him to withdraw.
1101, whose privacy mode had just been disabled, trembled fiercely.
Truth be told, the new world's host was a bit more paranoid than before.
Fortunately, there was still Gu Cong, a transparent thread holding everything together. No matter how influenced he was by Xia Hao, there would always be someone to remind him of what was real.
Just as he regained his normal mode, overwhelmed by the emotions flooding his consciousness, 1101 remembered something it had forgotten: "Pei Yi is still outside."
Roughly calculating, he had been standing there for more than two hours.
Xie Ye felt nothing but boredom.
If the other party had the courage to storm into the Mingguang Hall with a sword and take his head, Xie Ye could still regard this so-called protagonist with some respect. But now? He was tied up and powerless because of a man who saw him as nothing more than a tool. He couldn't help but feel sorry for himself, emanating an awkward energy of "forced circumstances."
Since the other party wanted to play the victim, to sacrifice himself for Prince An, then let him continue standing there. Xie Ye wasn't naive like Xia Hao, too busy with his own affairs to bother with niceties for enemies.
"Boom—"
As he returned from the hot spring, a wind picked up outside, and by nightfall, it was pouring rain.
Having absorbed some of the medicinal effects, Gu Cong, who usually slept lightly, found himself sleeping more soundly than usual. It took several lightning strikes before a loud clap of thunder jolted him awake.
As he opened his eyes, he saw someone standing upright with disheveled hair at the foot of his bed.
The Mingguang Hall was vast, and its layout was clear. The inner chamber where the young emperor slept was always brightly lit, while the outer chamber where Gu Cong resided was dimmer. If anyone else had seen this scene on a rainy night, they might have been scared out of their wits and screamed in terror. But Gu Cong sat up and made room inside, gesturing, "Your Majesty?"
The young man at the low couch's edge remained silent.
In the instant the lightning flashed, Gu Cong saw that the emperor's eyes were pitch-black, deep and dark, like a vortex ready to devour whoever dared to gaze into them.
Uncertain if the other was still awake, Gu Cong remembered an old saying: never wake a sleepwalker, or they might lose their soul. So, instead of speaking, he opened his arms and gently, ever so gently, embraced the other, patting him softly.
Xie Ye was actually quite awake.
After experiencing a setback, he could distinguish between dreams and reality. The imperial bed was too large, and he didn't want to be alone, so he came out. But once he did, he couldn't bear to wake Gu Cong, who was sleeping peacefully, so he could only stand by the bed and watch silently.
Like stroking a cat, Gu Cong gently stroked Xie Ye's back. Seeing no resistance from Xie Ye, Gu Cong exerted a bit of force, lifting him onto the bed.
The low couch reserved for the night attendants was a bit small, and Gu Cong was tall. With the addition of the young emperor, they had no choice but to cuddle closely together.
As expected, Xie Ye wasn't wearing shoes. Gu Cong pulled the blanket over his legs and then used his left hand to carefully find Xie Ye's cold bare feet, warming them with his warm palm.
Finally, the young emperor nestled in his arms reacted: "Itchy."
Gu Cong let out a quiet sigh of relief and whispered, "I'll warm them up for you. It'll feel better."
Resting his head on Gu Cong's shoulder, Xie Ye didn't speak again.
Perhaps because he no longer consumed the toxins hidden in the food sent by Pei Yi, Xie Ye was much quieter than he was on the previous rainy night, lethargic, resembling a sick little animal.
Outside the window, the wind was howling, and the rain was pouring, but inside the blanket, it was warm. It seemed that Xie Ye had regained his senses a bit. He moved his hand and weakly grasped the hem of Gu Cong's clothes.
Gu Cong enjoyed this sense of dependency.
Gu Cong found himself unable to control the dark thoughts that emerged in his mind, wondering if Pei Yi, who had spent several nights lodging in the Mingguang Hall, had also enjoyed similar treatment, or perhaps even more lavish treatment.
Originally, he didn't understand why he, who had never been interested in climbing the ranks or ingratiating himself with the powerful, always felt the need to secretly compare himself with the rumored Pei, and vie for superiority. Now, however, he had some inkling of understanding.
Quietly, Gu Cong tilted his head and suppressed the thoughts in his mind, pretending to casually brush past and planting a fleeting kiss on the young emperor's forehead.
Outside the Mingguang Hall, the scene was completely opposite, a scene of chaos.
The rain was pouring heavily, and the palace attendants who had served the young emperor knew his aversion to rain. Each of them avoided the main hall as much as possible:
Anyway, with Gu Cong there, the emperor didn't need them.
So, outside the spacious sleeping chamber, only Pei Yi and Xia He, who was holding an umbrella for the emperor, remained.
Tonight, the wind was strong, and the rain that blew in soaked their shoes, socks, and clothes, making them shiver with cold. After enduring countless shivers, Xia He's teeth chattered as she moved her lips: "Master, shall we go back?"
“Your Majesty has been enchanted by that Gu fellow, and he won't come out to see you now.”
Pei Yi shook his head, his constitution far from as frail as it appeared.
Xia He, growing anxious, couldn't understand. "But... but what are we doing here? With our Master's kind heart..." He wouldn't soften two degrees just because you stood here all night.
She didn't dare to say the rest of her thoughts, but Pei Yi understood. However, he wasn't standing here for the tyrant behind the doors; he was here for someone else.
In fact, he secretly hoped that after hearing this news, the emperor would think of him a little more.
Unaware that his "rival" was standing outside, performing a melodramatic palace struggle in the pouring rain, Gu Cong patiently comforted the young emperor to sleep, holding him tightly, squeezed on the narrow bed for the whole night.
When he got up the next day to freshen up, he learned that at the hour of Mao, attendant Pei, who had been drenched in the rain all night, collapsed outside the Mingguang Hall.
Knowing that with his current status, as long as he gave the order, the people below would never mention Pei to the emperor again. But Gu Cong hesitated for two seconds and ultimately did not do so.
The power given by the young emperor, he did not want to abuse, and the trust given by the young emperor, he did not want to betray.
When he returned to the room, Xie Ye had already woken up, still wearing his oversized inner clothes, the rolled-up cuffs and trouser legs now hanging down again, the front of the clothes also messed up.
Opening his eyes and not seeing the person he wanted to see, Xie Ye felt a bit low: "Where did you go?"
Gu Cong: "I went to freshen up." After all, he was a fully developed adult male with all the necessary parts, and he couldn't be as open as the previous rainy night. If he didn't get up early, he would definitely be exposed.
Xie Ye didn't think about it as much, after all, in his perception, physiologically, the other person was no different from other eunuchs.
Taking a hot towel to wipe his face, Xie Ye's temples were throbbing, his head still not good, but no longer in constant pain like before.
A bit further away, the palace attendants who knew how picky the emperor was and caught a glimpse of Xie Ye sleeping on the bed in the outer chamber exchanged a discreet glance:
The rumors were true. This eunuch, Gu Cong...
He truly is a vixen.
Author's Note:
Hmm, didn't actually kiss him on the lips, but Xie Ye thought he did, and swiftly took the bait (x;
Don't worry, there will be real kisses soon, hehe.
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