Although Xie Bufeng still had some residual poison, as emperor, handling state affairs was his top priority.
That afternoon, Xie Bufeng was reluctantly sent off by Wen Qingci to review memorials.
After some bargaining, Xie Bufeng used the excuse that the imperial study hadn’t been repaired yet to stay in the small courtyard of the Imperial Medical Bureau, squeezing in with Wen Qingci to handle official business.
Meanwhile, Yu Guanlin also came over to discuss the school’s opening with Wen Qingci.
The small wooden window was propped open with a stick.
Xie Bufeng sat at the desk, reviewing memorials.
At the turn of summer and autumn, the sky was high and the clouds light, neither hot nor cold.
Wen Qingci simply had a table set up in the courtyard and sat across from Yu Guanlin.
There was a faint scent of osmanthus in the air.
Steam from hot tea drifted before their eyes like fine threads.
It wasn’t until the eunuch’s voice came from outside the courtyard that Wen Qingci finally tore his attention away.
“-His Highness Prince Heng, Her Highness the Princess have arrived.”
Hearing these unfamiliar titles, Wen Qingci paused before realizing the eunuch was referring to Xie Guanzhi and Xie Fuyin.
He stood up and looked toward the courtyard gate.
Before seeing them, he heard their voices.
The next moment, Wen Qingci heard the patter of footsteps coming down the palace path.
Before he and Yu Guanlin could bow, Xie Fuyin appeared at the gate with a small basket.
Wen Qingci saw that the basket was not filled with hay for rabbits, but with several peaches.
“Physician Wen! These are from Fuyin-try one!”
She hopped over the threshold, picked up a peach from the basket, and handed it to Wen Qingci.
Then, like presenting a treasure, she said, “I picked it myself, Physician Wen, try it, it’s really delicious!”
Xie Fuyin was still a child, after all.
Dressed in palace attire, she nearly tripped over a stone on the ground.
“Careful!”
Luckily, Wen Qingci reacted quickly. He had already stood up and took two steps forward, gently catching Xie Fuyin in his arms.
He also took the peach from her hand.
There were still water droplets on the peach-it had clearly just been washed.
Children always focus on different things than adults.
Wen Qingci’s story had already spread throughout Yongdu in a single day.
Everyone was curious whether his “return from the dead” was due to secret arts from the Valley of Divine Physicians or because the emperor had truly gained the favor of the gods.
But Xie Fuyin only knew that the Physician Wen who played with her was back.
She wasn’t frightened by nearly falling; instead, she hugged Wen Qingci’s neck and laughed.
“Wonderful, wonderful!” Her face was full of happiness as she blinked her amber eyes at Wen Qingci. “Physician Wen, try it!”
Then she hugged him tightly again, repeating with joy, “Physician Wen really came back!”
Seeing her like this, Wen Qingci couldn’t help but laugh.
He gently hugged Xie Fuyin back before letting the little girl go.
“All right, thank you, Your Highness,” Wen Qingci obediently took a bite.
The next second, sweet juice filled his mouth.
At this moment, Xie Guanzhi, who had been following behind, also entered the courtyard.
With the investiture ceremony approaching, there was much to be done.
As with Xie Bufeng’s own ascension, the ceremonial robes for the investiture were being prepared by the Empress Dowager.
After morning court, Xie Guanzhi had gone to Huixin Palace to discuss this with the Empress Dowager.
When they finished, the Empress Dowager asked if he had any plans. He casually replied, “I’m going to see Physician Wen,” and Xie Fuyin had immediately followed along like a little shadow.
Unlike the excited Xie Fuyin, Xie Guanzhi’s eyes were red as soon as he reached the courtyard.
He sniffled as he walked forward.
It had to be said, his time under house arrest at the imperial monastery had matured him a lot.
As a teenager, he would have thrown a tantrum, asking why, if Wen Qingci hadn’t died, he’d hidden from everyone in Yongdu, wearing a veil and refusing to acknowledge them.
But now, though he still didn’t know exactly how Wen Qingci had “come back to life,” he vaguely understood why he’d worn the veil.
-Wen Qingci’s identity as a “medicine man” was already known throughout Yongdu.
Staying here with his identity exposed was simply too dangerous.
So as he approached, the first thing Xie Guanzhi said was: “Over the past year, His Majesty has dealt with a lot of people. Now everyone in Yongdu knows who you are, and what His Majesty is capable of. No one will ever dare covet your blood again.”
Before Wen Qingci’s faked death, he hadn’t known Xie Bufeng could read the evil in people’s hearts, and he really had worried about this.
It was even one of the reasons he’d had to leave Taishu Palace.
But now, with his memories restored and knowing everything, Wen Qingci was no longer afraid.
After saying this, Xie Guanzhi couldn’t help but sniffle again: “So… so you can stay here in peace now…”
Wen Qingci paused, then smiled gently. “All right.”
With that, the always-serious Xie Guanzhi stepped forward, patted Wen Qingci’s shoulder, and then opened his arms, wanting to hug him like Xie Fuyin had.
-In the Wei dynasty, it was perfectly normal for men to embrace after a long separation.
But before Xie Guanzhi could touch Wen Qingci, another hand landed heavily on his shoulder.
With a slight push, he was moved aside.
“…Your Majesty?!”
Xie Guanzhi froze, only then realizing that Xie Bufeng was also there.
Xie Bufeng narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, “As Prince Heng, you should be more mindful of decorum.”
“Huh? But…”
Xie Guanzhi wanted to say, but isn’t Fuyin, as the princess, being even less proper?
But before he could finish, Xie Bufeng shot him a warning glare.
Then, for the first time, it dawned on him: Xie Bufeng actually had a day when he’d scold someone else for breaking the rules?
What was going on?
Young Xie Fuyin didn’t notice the strange atmosphere.
Seeing Xie Bufeng appear, she happily exclaimed, “Brother, you try one too! I picked these peaches myself-they’re especially sweet!”
She grabbed a peach from the basket and held it up high.
“Okay,” Xie Bufeng replied.
But instead of taking the peach from Xie Fuyin, he took Wen Qingci’s wrist, brought Wen Qingci’s hand to his lips, and, using this motion, took a bite.
Xie Bufeng’s actions were so natural that even Xie Fuyin sensed something was off: “Huh?”
Wen Qingci: “!!!”
At this moment, Yu Guanlin, who had been trying to minimize his presence, finally cleared his throat and smiled at Xie Fuyin: “Your Highness, would you be willing to give this old minister one as well?”
“Of course!” Xie Fuyin immediately responded.
She took a peach from the basket and handed it to Yu Guanlin.
Xie Guanzhi, meanwhile, stood rooted to the spot, his gaze swinging in shock between Wen Qingci and Xie Bufeng.
He silently recalled all those rumors he’d once heard but never believed…
*
The “Imperial Study” was just the common name for the emperor’s office.
In reality, it was not a single room, but an entire palace.
Besides handling affairs of state, it was also where the emperor lived day to day.
That night, Xie Bufeng once again used the excuse of “unfinished renovations” to stay over.
Wen Qingci, long used to sharing quarters with Xie Bufeng, didn’t think much of it.
Until late at night…
The bedroom door was gently pushed open.
With a faint creak, the light-sleeping Wen Qingci frowned.
Xie Bufeng, just out of the bath and still damp, entered the room.
This time, he didn’t sleep on the outer couch as usual.
Instead, after a pause, he walked around the screen and came to Wen Qingci’s bedside.
Hearing footsteps, Wen Qingci sleepily opened his eyes.
“…Your Majesty?”
Seeing who was beside him in the faint starlight, Wen Qingci tried to sit up and couldn’t help but ask, “Is something wrong?”
Standing with his back to the light, Xie Bufeng’s expression was unreadable.
Wen Qingci’s voice, still thick with sleep, was muffled.
His gaze was dazed and tired, completely unguarded.
Long hair slipped down from his neck, over his shoulder, and onto his chest.
Xie Bufeng didn’t answer Wen Qingci’s question. Instead, he suddenly leaned down and gently swept Wen Qingci’s hair behind his back.
His movements were exceptionally gentle.
But through the darkness, Wen Qingci finally sensed the danger in Xie Bufeng.
He became fully awake.
He realized he was lying in Xie Bufeng’s arms.
Through the thin underclothes, Wen Qingci could not only smell the dragon’s blood incense on Xie Bufeng, but could also clearly feel his body heat and the contours of his muscles.
“No need to get up.” Xie Bufeng pulled Wen Qingci into his embrace.
Then, with utter boldness, he pressed a kiss to the corner of Wen Qingci’s lips.
There was a hint of laughter in Xie Bufeng’s voice: “What should we do, my beloved?”
…What, what should they do?
In the next moment, Wen Qingci’s view suddenly shifted.
By the time he realized what had happened, Xie Bufeng was holding him by the waist, lying together on the inner side of the bed.
The starlight was blocked by Xie Bufeng’s back.
Around them, only each other’s breath remained.
As if reading Wen Qingci’s confusion, Xie Bufeng leaned close to his ear and whispered, “I want to take things further, to share a bed and pillow with you-what should I do?”
He held Wen Qingci tightly, coiling around him like a python.
At this moment, Xie Bufeng was unwilling… unwilling to sleep on the other side of the screen as he had before.
In the darkness, every breath, heartbeat, and subtle change was infinitely magnified.
Xie Bufeng stared deeply at the person in his arms.
Faint starlight fell on Wen Qingci.
His skin was so pale it was almost translucent.
That spot of cinnabar seemed to invite a kiss.
Wen Qingci’s breathing grew erratic.
He instinctively wanted to push Xie Bufeng away, but in the end, he only gripped the front of Xie Bufeng’s robe, took a deep breath, and slowly closed his eyes.
Wen Qingci’s heart felt as if it would burst from his chest.
He slowly shifted, making room on the pillow for Xie Bufeng.
As if he truly meant to “share a pillow” with him.
Xie Bufeng’s fingers paused.
By starlight, Wen Qingci’s cheeks flushed faintly.
But his trembling lashes, light as butterfly wings, betrayed his nervousness.
There was no way Wen Qingci didn’t understand what “sharing a bed and pillow” meant-he was just pretending.
But Xie Bufeng was not the least bit displeased.
On the contrary, even his eyes brimmed with laughter.
Taking advantage of Wen Qingci’s acquiescence, he lowered the bed curtains, trapping the two of them together in this small world.
Xie Bufeng’s fingers continued their mischief, slowly sliding down Wen Qingci’s waist.
The pale figure in his arms trembled uncontrollably.
It was as if Xie Bufeng was using his actions to show Wen Qingci what “taking things further” really meant.
Author’s note:
Wen Qingci: Playing dumb
Xie Bufeng: Unrestrained
