Li Xuanming’s frustration eased a little the moment Yan Yihuan appeared. His expression remained impassive, but when his gaze swept over the silk ribbon, he still frowned slightly.
It was obvious that Yan Yihuan had used both hands and mouth to tie it himself. He had not shown himself any mercy either. It looked even tighter than when Li Xuanming usually did it.
Seeing the emperor stare at him in silence, Yan Yihuan grew even more flustered. He stepped closer and sat at the edge of the bed. Seeing no movement from Li Xuanming, Yan Yihuan grew bolder.
He had planned to ease himself down slowly, but with his hands bound, he was unable to steady his weight and lost his balance, letting out a soft cry as he toppled over.
Li Xuanming had only wanted to see what he was up to, but the movement was so sudden that he reached out on instinct and caught him by the chest. Something hard pressed against his palm at the same time. Yan Yihuan let out a sharp breath and shrank back a little, biting his lower lip until the sensation passed. Then he simply lay back on the bed and obediently raised both hands over his head.
He dared not speak again, but the expectation in his eyes was obvious. The slight fear in them only made him look even easier to bully.
In the dim candlelight, a faint gleam shifted across Li Xuanming’s deep gaze as he looked slowly from those wrists, bound tight enough to turn pale, down to Yan Yihuan, who was purposely trying to behave well.
The weather had begun to warm, and his clothes were no longer as thick as before. With his arms raised so high, the fabric stretched tight across his chest, outlining a shape that should not have been there. Under the cloth, a thin chain could be seen faintly winding its way downward.
A thought stirred in Li Xuanming’s mind. He brushed lightly over the spot through the fabric. Yan Yihuan shivered, turned his head aside and let out a few muffled sounds against his arm.
The yellow candlelight flickered a few times as if struggling to push its light onto the bed, yet it was still too weak to see anything clearly.
Hidden in the darkness, Yan Yihuan managed to conceal the flush that had spread almost all over his body, but he could not hide his reaction. At the hem of his close-fitting long shirt, a faint suspicious mark had already appeared.
Hearing the slightly quickened breathing beside his ear, Yan Yihuan steadied himself and thought that even if you are the Emperor, holding something in halfway is uncomfortable all the same.
With that thought giving him courage, he lifted his waist as best he could. Hoping to be taken into those hands, he asked softly,
“Your Majesty, are you not angry anymore?”
The way he asked made it sound as if everything earlier had been childish roughhousing. Li Xuanming gave him a calm glance and leaned back, putting a little more distance between them.
“Then do you know what Zhen is angry about?”
Such a calm question was like a bucket of cold water over his head. Yan Yihuan froze, feeling uneasy as he tried to sit up, not expecting that the Emperor was still angry,
“I asked Eunuch Shen when I came back, but he said it was between me and Your Majesty, and refused to tell me.” Yan Yihuan muttered softly, “If I did something wrong, Your Majesty can just tell me. Leaving so suddenly like that made my chest feel tight. It felt terrible.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere inside the bed curtains no longer felt as icy as before. Under Yan Yihuan’s surprised gaze, Li Xuanming stood up and relit the candlestick by the bed.
The flame gradually grew brighter, leaving even the smallest shifts in Yan Yihuan’s expression impossible to hide.
“Then Zhen will ask again.” Li Xuanming looked down at him from above, “Since you’ve already agreed, what do you take Zhen for?”
Why was it still this life-ending question??
Yan Yihuan was a little stunned, but his heart skipped a beat. He suddenly remembered that the Emperor had asked him whether he agreed to something, and after that the Emperor’s expression had changed all at once.
“Agreed?” Yan Yihuan lifted his head in confusion, “What did I agree to?”
“You’re asking Zhen?”
“Then who else should I ask?”
There was no one else here.
His eyes were wet and full of innocence. He lowered his head and glanced at his own chest. With a soft touch of pleading in his voice, he said,
“Your Majesty, can I take this off first? It hurts if it stays on too long.” He quickly lifted his hands, “I cannot take it off myself.”
It really could not be worn for too long. Li Xuanming had planned to get a clear answer, but all he could do was helplessly sigh quietly as he reached out to untie Yan Yihuan’s sash.
A chill slipped in through the opening of his loosened undergarment, making Yan Yihuan shiver involuntarily and ache even more.
What had been a pale flush was now completely red, looking pitiful.
A dark glint passed through Li Xuanming’s eyes, but he still did not remove it for him. Instead, he hooked his finger around the fine chain and wound it around his fingertip.
“Tell the truth. What exactly did you and Xu Xinyao talk about.”
“Ah…?” Even the tip of Yan Yihuan’s nose had turned red. Tears clung to the corners of his eyes, “We just caught up about the past. Ming Zhang ge was there the whole time.”
“And he never told you why he came to the capital?”
“Isn’t it for business?” Yan Yihuan was completely confused. He was afraid the chain would be tugged if he moved, so he forced himself to stay still. “Father wrote in his letter that he came to the capital to do business.”
They had talked for an entire afternoon, yet Xu Xinyao had not mentioned his true purpose? That surprised Li Xuanming a little.
When the people from Youluo Jian delivered the message, he was still discussing matters with his ministers. The moment he opened it, he nearly crushed the bamboo tube that was used to pass the message.
Never would he have thought that the Residence of King Yan was planning Yan Yihuan’s marriage. Even more unexpected was that they had already chosen a date for the betrothal.
The moment he remembered that that person was currently with Yan Yihuan, a prickling agitation crawled along his back. He could not wait even a moment longer.
It was only on the way to the restaurant that Li Xuanming gradually understood what exactly he had been anxious about. As emperor, he feared no one, no matter who the other person was. What he feared… was Yan Yihuan’s choice.
Just like that day when he questioned him beneath the ancient tree, Yan Yihuan had answered so easily and naturally. He had no one he wished to spend the rest of his life with.
In other words, whether that person was him or not did not matter at all.
Li Xuanming flicked his hand, and something golden arced through the air before falling onto the floor with a faint metallic clatter.
Yan Yihuan trembled for a moment before releasing his lower lip, which had been bitten until it turned white, “So Your Majesty is angry because of Xu Xinyao?”
“Yan Yihuan.” Li Xuanming grasped his bound wrists with one hand and pressed them down. Yan Yihuan’s eyes flew wide as he was forced onto his back, and then those stunning eyes fixed on him as if trying to pierce straight through him.
“Since Xu Xinyao did not say it, then I will.”
A dangerous aura enveloped him. Yan Yihuan’s pupils contracted slightly as he instinctively tried to turn away, but that warm breath brushed against the shell of his ear and did not let him escape.
“Your father and the Xu family have already agreed. Your betrothal to Xu Xinyao has been set for the sixth day of the fourth month next year.”
Yan Yihuan whipped his head around at that, his eyes widening in shock as he cried out,
“Impossible!”
“Why is it impossible?”
“Even my eldest brother is only engaged. How could it possibly be my turn!” Yan Yihuan didn’t even know why his heart was so panicked, “With Big Brother Xu? That’s absurd!”
“Absurd? I’d say both your families are quite happy to see it happen.” Being stared at so closely by those unfathomable eyes, Yan Yihuan felt a jolt of fear. He struggled to turn away, but his bound hands kept him restrained, making him regret coming up with such a foolish idea.
A sharp pain in his chin forced Yan Yihuan to face him, but he dared not meet those eyes again. He lowered his gaze, staring blankly at the beautifully thin lips, which spoke each word in a way that sent a shock of fear through him,
“Your father has even prepared the property and deeds for the accompanying marriage house. All that’s left is for you to resign from your post as Grand Historian and go back to marry happily.”
