It Turns out that I am Beautiful, Strong and Miserable [Quick Wear] - 82

 

ITOTIABSAM | The Tyrant in the Deep Palace | 82

Gu Cong kissed Xie Ye's lips gently .

The young emperor's hand was injured, and Gu Cong felt intense heartache. He didn't care whether anyone was watching around him. He simply lifted Xie Ye horizontally and swiftly entered the room.

Having prepared for the worst-case scenario early on, besides weapons, silver coins, and changes of clothes in the room, there were also medicines prepared. Despite gripping tightly after the bowstring cut, the bleeding hadn't completely stopped. Gu Cong dabbed some alcohol onto a clean cloth and said softly, "It might sting a bit, Your Majesty, please bear with it."

Although he said so, he was actually prepared for the young emperor to bite his shoulder in pain. However, the young emperor remained quiet, sticking close to him, rubbing against him incessantly, as if wanting to hide his entire self in Gu Cong's embrace.

The blood spread densely on the pure white cloth, then it was tossed into the basin, gradually forming concentric circles of faint red ripples. By the time Xie Ye was clean from head to toe, medicated and bandaged, Gu Cong's forehead was beaded with a thin layer of sweat.

"I'll go dispose of these dirty things," Gu Cong's sleeve was firmly grasped, worried that the wound might start bleeding again. He patiently said, "Your Majesty, don't you value cleanliness the most?"

The hand wrapped in gauze refused to let go.

As this place had to remain inconspicuous as a hiding spot, apart from the imperial guards, there were no attendants arranged nearby, naturally no one could come to help.

Gu Cong was helpless, so he had to bend over following the young emperor's strength, and kissed him, "I'll be back soon, I’ll keep the door open, and let Your Majesty supervise, alright?"

Xie Ye still had his eyes open, shaking his head.

The soiled outer robe was removed and piled up at the foot of the bed. He seemed to have figured out that this man wouldn't harm him, using both hands and feet, entangling him like a snake, drawing the most pleasant warmth from him at this moment.

Gu Cong's heartbeat, scent, and even breath seemed to have turned into a potent medicine, effectively suppressing the intense pain surging through his mind.

Yet, Xie Ye still felt it wasn't enough.

In the past, he had some reservations because this body was naturally frail, and he was younger than in the previous two worlds, fearing he couldn't withstand the ordeal.

But now, having been injured himself, with Gu Cong's character, it was akin to holding a get-out-of-jail-free card. Greedily and recklessly, Xie Ye completely treated the man as a large, obedient body pillow, occasionally even kissing the areas he found satisfactory.

He swore, he absolutely had no ulterior motives, it was merely the pain nearing the point of death.

Until his wrist was held down, sinking deep into the bedding below.

Xie Ye sobered up in an instant: "I'm injured."

"I know." Gu Cong removed his belt with one hand, then proceeded to tie the young emperor's right wrist to the bedhead, neither too tight nor too loose. "That's why Your Majesty must not move recklessly."

"Wait until Your Majesty can do as you please."

"This way the wound won't worsen."

Indeed, the knots were well tied, the fabric was soft, not causing any pain, yet effectively restraining the curling of the fingers. In the end, even the bandage soaked with medicine didn't show any redness.

Initially, Gu Cong wasn't satisfied with the current environment. It was too crude, the sharp swords gleamed in the candlelight, the blood from treating the wound hadn't been disposed of, none of it was befitting for the delicate and precious young emperor.

However, human patience had its limits. The old dwelling, the youth who had relied entirely on him, all were like enchantments, constantly tempting him to seek more.

"It was Your Majesty who provoked me first." Innocently, he kissed the young emperor's lips, no longer gentle or coaxing, but forcefully stifling the muffled groans, grinding their teeth against each other, tasting a hint of sweetness.

This was entirely different from the pain brought by the "setting".

Subtle yet remarkably vivid, filled with intimacy that claimed each other, mingled with the spine-tingling numbness, it made Xie Ye completely forget his initial fear and actively pursue it.

But alas, his hands were bound.

Under the guise of doing it for his own good, the man was no longer as accommodating as before. He couldn't be easily swayed with a few strokes of the metaphorical cat's paw; instead, he resembled a wild beast released from its cage in a menagerie, pouncing on its prey, carefully examining and indulging in its ferocity. In the end, it caused a string of physiological tears.

As for 1101, which was usually blocked out of everyday activities, it had long grown accustomed to the darkened room. However, this time, it had no mood for leisurely pursuits or binge-watching dramas. It constantly calculated the time, fearing that if something unexpected were to happen, it wouldn't be able to deliver the life-saving medication in time.

...The harmony regulations should be suspended in emergency situations, right?

But in reality, when 1101 was summoned from the darkened room without a hitch, it was already dawn. Its host was snuggled in someone's arms, sleeping soundly, with a remarkably stable mental state.

Although it wanted to express a timely sigh of "the power of love is truly great," rationality derived from data computations told it that this was most likely due to exhaustion.

The tranquilizers, which had not been used before, ended up in the same fate as the rest, making no significant difference.

The courtyard was secluded and quiet. Xie Ye slept until the afternoon, feeling refreshed, with only some slight soreness from overuse. The wrist tied to the bedhead had been released early on, just as Gu Cong had said, not a single touch had reached the wound. Even the skin that had been bound only showed a faint red mark.

But the thought of the belt's final purpose made Xie Ye unable to resist lifting his foot, wanting to kick the other off the bed.

Unfortunately, he couldn't muster any strength now. Thinking himself fierce, he only managed a feeble movement, barely shifting two centimeters.

Gu Cong could guess what the other was struggling with. His large hand skillfully supported the young emperor's waist, whispering softly, "I'm doing this for Your Majesty's own good."

He woke up before dawn, not only cleaning himself and the young emperor but also tidying up the room. Thanks to the diligence of the other palace attendants, the bloodstains and medicinal powder from last night were nowhere to be seen. The window was opened a crack, allowing a gentle breeze to waft in, carrying the refreshing scent of rain-drenched foliage.

"The medicinal bath hasn't stopped, so I must continue to look out for Your Majesty," Gu Cong said earnestly, relaxing the young man's stiff muscles through his nightwear. He smiled, "Once Your Majesty is fully recovered, I'll make sure you have a great time."

Xie Ye, who couldn't get out of bed, pondered silently.

Who would truly have a great time?

However, after multiple medicinal baths, someone clearly knew too well how to make themselves comfortable. They were like a cat that had been thoroughly pampered, going along with the flow, too lazy even to muster the strength to glare at the other.

The headache that had plagued Xie Ye since his transmigration had noticeably eased, especially when he was close to Gu Cong, it was almost nonexistent. Xie Ye rarely had the opportunity to sleep in, but this time, he slept soundly until evening. He then got up, ate some light dishes, and had a bowl of porridge. Even when the abrupt arrival of the imperial guards disrupted his appetite, he didn't get angry.

After all, a certain system had just expressed surprise in his mind:

Xi Jinyu was dead.

But not because of the arrow wound from last night, but because of Pei Yi, who was also locked in the woodshed.

When Xi Jinyu was thrown in, Pei Yi was curled up in a dark corner, enduring the excruciating pain of ruptured tendons and ligaments.

Leading the imperial guards was Eunuch Li. Pei Yi had never seen Xi Jinyu in such a sorry state, nor had he ever imagined that Li, the steward who made his life difficult at every turn in the palace, was once under the command of Prince An.

The undercover dark guard responsible for this task was most afraid and taboo about his identity being exposed. Yet, the master so easily divulged everything to others, even to someone who wasn't a confidant, just a flimsy wallflower.

Rationally, Pei Yi could understand that to gain the trust of the eunuch steward, who had not been repelled before and had served faithfully for two dynasties, the master had to show some sincerity and be straightforward. But when this "sincerity" involved himself, Pei Yi felt nothing but anger.

It turned out he had been played for a fool all along.

No wonder the tyrant had laughed with such mockery.

Did the master truly have no idea about the humiliation, torture, and suffering Pei Yi endured in the palace? How much of those sweet kisses and words of affection, which drove him to attempt to assassinate the tyrant overnight, were genuine?

It seemed it was all to deal with Miss Xue.

As if an invisible filter shattered before his eyes, Pei Yi felt more awake than ever before.

Years of unrequited love couldn't be abandoned in a single day, but the resentment suppressed by their master-servant relationship surged up. He should have done everything possible to help the master escape, but in the end, he only played the role of a compliant and harmless sheep, bandaging his master's wounds and letting him think he was still the easily fooled lamb, brimming with love.

"Rest, my lord," he heard himself say. "You've lost too much blood. I'll wake you up when the guards are lax in the early morning."

In the dim woodshed, the sounds of weary breathing gradually filled the air.

...How did the tyrant feel when he personally strangled the beloved foreign dog?

He probably understood it to some extent now.

Countless days and nights of training had paid off as Pei Yi silently approached the man. His eyes widened greedily, tracing the man's elegant features and cold lips with his gaze, then he reached out his hands.

"Huh!"

His neck was tightly gripped, cutting off his breath. Xi Jinyu suddenly opened his eyes, staring in disbelief at the familiar yet unfamiliar face before him, struggling desperately.

But how could an injured prince, despite his martial arts training, match up against the skilled dark guard carefully cultivated by the household, even if this guard had severed the tendons in his right hand?

"It's the tyrant's fault. The tyrant drugged me." The wound, barely scabbed over, burst open, blood spraying everywhere. Pei Yi, however, paid no attention, crazed, using all his strength to strangle the man's throat. He seemed both in agony and ecstatic, tears streaming down his face as he leaned in close to the man's lips, murmuring affectionately like a lover:

"I'll be with you, don't be afraid."

Pei Yi was a specialized assassin, and he had made no significant noise throughout the encounter. By the time the guards outside realized something was wrong and rushed in, Xi Jinyu had already breathed his last.

With disheveled hair, Pei Yi held the man's body tightly, his eyes seemingly devoid of focus, muttering to himself as if no one else were present: "Mine! Mine!"

"It's all the tyrant's fault."

This scene was truly horrifying, and the traitorous words from the rebel were utterly blasphemous. The guards responsible for watching the woodshed quickly sent someone to inform the emperor. Only Eunuch Li, who had been mocked by Xi Jinyu the night before, seemed to understand something, chuckling:

"Pei, what nonsense are you talking about?"

"The emperor has never been despicable to add drugs to the soup just like you did.” 

"No drugs?"

The murmuring stopped, and Pei Yi raised his head in confusion.

It seemed like the ending of the antagonist as described in the original work. He looked towards Eunuch Li, who was standing by the door, silhouetted against the sunlight, and heard him say casually:

"At this point, what would we gain from deceiving you?"

A blade of searing fire pierced through his chest, and suddenly, a piercing, inhuman wail echoed in the woodshed—

In the palace chamber, Xie Ye declined Xue Hai's request to oversee the situation on-site.

An invisible energy permeated the air. Xie Ye lightly flicked his fingertip, tasting it on his lips from an angle Gu Cong couldn't see:

【It's easiest for the protagonist to kill another protagonist.】

【Isn't it?】

【System.】

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Author's Note:

Well, Xie Ye before his "salted fish" period was probably like this.

After experiencing too many reversals, even the act of reversing itself can become dull, so the host seen by 1101 would likely be quite "Buddhist" about things.