AYM Chapter 16

Warning: Dub-con(? idk 😞)

“Li Jiang?!”

 

“Third Young Master, please rest for a moment. We’ll go prepare your dinner!”

 

After a flurry of hurried footsteps outside, everything fell silent. Li Xuanming lit the lamps in the room one by one, then walked straight to the bed. Under Yan Yihuan’s panicked gaze, he removed every single talisman paper.

 

“Did you really think these things could stop me?”

 

Under the warm yellow glow of the candlelight, Li Xuanming’s face appeared particularly gentle, with an almost seductive smile that seemed to draw one’s soul. Yan Yihuan, who was still gripped by fear, was momentarily dazed. Only when his wrist was firmly seized by an irresistible force did he snap back to reality.

 

“Zhao Chufeng, are you a human or a demon?” Knowing he couldn’t break free, Yan Yihuan stopped struggling in vain. But the mix of fear, grievance, and anger overwhelmed him, and he couldn’t help but shout, “Why must you humiliate me like this!”

 

“Humiliate you?” Li Xuanming stopped in his tracks and turned his head, an innocent look appearing on his face. “How can such a joyful thing be called humiliation? Back in Linjing, wasn’t it you who went to great lengths to get close to me?”

 

“Joyful?!” Yan Yihuan was utterly shocked. “The only one finding it joyful is you!”

 

This statement actually startled Li Xuanming a little, he seemed to ponder it seriously, “True, for someone like you, it might be a bit difficult to endure.”

 

Then he lowered his head and gently placed a soft kiss on Yan Yihuan’s smooth forehead, “But if you didn’t struggle so much, I could’ve taken it step by step.” 

 

Yan Yihuan was dumbfounded. He’d never encountered someone so shameless in his entire life. If he didn’t resist, was he supposed to just lie there and let it happen?!

 

“So, I brought something with me today.” Li Xuanming’s gaze fell on an intricately patterned, extremely luxurious wooden box on the table. “Care to open it and take a look?”

 

Yan Yihuan scoffed disdainfully. Taking advantage of the moment when Li Xuanming let go of his hands, he subtly shifted himself a little farther away without drawing attention.

 

“I’ve seen all kinds of treasures before.”

 

Li Xuanming chuckled. “This item, leaving aside the rarity of its materials, is something I’m certain you’ve never seen before.”

 

Yan Yihuan couldn’t help but feel curious, but Li Xuanming deliberately opened the box facing himself, propping up the lid just enough to block Yan Yihuan’s view. Yan Yihuan leaned slightly to the side to sneak a peek, but he still couldn’t see anything.

 

Not only is he a scoundrel, but he’s petty too!

 

As though hearing Yan Yihuan’s silent complaint, Li Xuanming turned the box around and generously pushed it in front of him, “Take a look?”

 

Yan Yihuan cast a glance at the box. Inside, nestled neatly on a bed of rich velvet, were three lotus roots[mfn]

Fun fact: Apparently Empress Dowager Cixi had a jade lotus root too, tough its meaning/use is completely different as these 3 lotus roots in this story. Some extra links: Video-47 Years of Widowhood, The Story of Empress Dowager Cixi and a Jade Lotus Root Website-What’s the use of the “Jade Lotus Root” that Li Lianying gave to Cixi?Why doesn’t Cixi leave her body when she sleeps?[/mfn] made of white jade, all of similar length but varying thickness. The jade was extremely lustrous, but the carving was somewhat simple, with only some shallow patterns, unlike the intricate designs favored by people today.

 

“Ordinary and unremarkable.” Yan Yihuan sneered disdainfully. “Such things wouldn’t even be worth a glance in the Residence of King Yan.”

 

As soon as the words were spoken, his wrist was suddenly tugged forward.

 

“Try touching it.” 

 

Li Xuanming’s tone seemed as if he was offering a suggestion, but when had he ever truly given him a choice? Despite his reluctance, Yan Yihuan’s hand was pressed onto the jade lotus root.

 

Once his fingertips touched the jade, Yan Yihuan let out a small “huh”. Without needing Li Xuanming to hold his wrist any longer, he picked up one of the jade segments himself to examine it closely.

 

Watching the jade-like white hand wrap around the jade, pink fingertips tracing the patterns along its surface, Li Xuanming’s breath hitched and a faint tension begun to build up in his lower abdomen.

 

“This is warm jade?” Yan Yihuan exclaimed, surprised by the faint warmth seeping into his palm from the jade lotus root. “Back then, my father had a hard time getting a piece the size of half a palm. He had pendants made for my mother and me.”

 

Yan Yihuan gestured with his fingers, “That piece was only this small. How large was this piece that you could actually carve out three complete jade lotus roots like this.”

 

“Correct, it’s warm jade. Do you know what this jade lotus root is for?” Li Xuanming asked.

 

“What else? It’s for decoration, isn’t it?” Yan Yihuan placed the jade back into the box. “To use such a precious stone for something like this is a waste of its worth.”

 

“As long as it’s used well, it won’t be a waste,” Li Xuanming’s voice was already a bit hoarse. Yan Yihuan didn’t notice the shift in his tone, as he discovered that there was a small drawer hidden beneath the box. Curious, he pulled it open to reveal yet another piece of warm jade tucked neatly inside. 

 

It’s just that this one is extremely thin, completely smooth, with only a round jade bead carved at the top, making it look like a small hairpin. 

 

“What’s this one for?” It looked like a needle, but yet it wasn’t a needle. Yan Yihuan’s fingertips slid back and forth over it a few times before he closed the drawer.

 

“No rush.” Li Xuanming’s eyes darkened as he picked out the thinnest piece of jade lotus root from the box. “Let me tell you what this is really used for.”

 

Yellow talismans scattered across the floor. Fluttering occasionally, it was unclear whether they were stirred by the gentle breeze slipping in through the window or by the subtle, restless breaths.

 

The rope used to tie the bed curtains was gone, causing the curtains to hang down in a somewhat disheveled manner. A corner of the curtain was draped over the bed, revealing a gap that was not too narrow.

 

But the room was too dark, only the faint outline of two pale arms could be seen lifted high together, preventing the body from slipping down.

 

Suddenly, those arms trembled violently. The muscles tensed from exertion, tracing an arc as brilliant and vivid as a rainbow.

 

“No, don’t… this won’t do…”

 

The opened brocade box was now empty, while two pieces of white jade lotus root were tossed aside in disarray, still glistening.

 

The wind outside had stopped at some point. The rope used to secure the bed curtains now dangled motionless from the bedside, tears soaked a large patch on the pillow. The person who still had teardrops clinging onto his eyelids was too tired to open his eyes, yet he still trembled slightly from time to time.

 

The next day, when he woke up, it was already bright outside. Yan Yihuan lay staring blankly at the canopy above the bed. He instinctively reached out to his side, but the cold bedding indicated that the other person had long since left. Yet the lingering soreness in his body and the brocade box still sitting on the nearby table served as stark reminders of last night’s debauchery.

 

His body was clean, yet he had no memory of being wiped down. It seemed that he had once again lost consciousness in the end. Last night had still been painful, as usual, but Zhao Chufeng was clearly more patient than before. Later on… later on, it hadn’t been only pain.

 

The body does not lie. Yan Yihuan pulled the blanket over his head without a word, closing his eyes in the darkness. So what if there had been a fleeting moment of pleasure? He couldn’t let this continue. He had to submit a petition to the Emperor as soon as possible!

 

Meanwhile, at this moment, the very Emperor he was thinking about had a darkened expression. Even the officials who had come to seek an audience quickly withdrew, choosing to report at another time.

 

Last night, at the height of passion, the last words that unconsciously escaped from Yan Yihuan’s lips were:

 

“Jing ge, save me.”

 

That soft call of “Jing ge” came from the very lips he had kissed countless times. It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, chilling him to the bone. The hands that had been pressing firmly against Yan Yihuan’s shoulder blades almost shifted to grip the back of his neck.

 

When he flipped the person over, he had intended to question him harshly. But seeing him already dazed and muddled, Li Xuanming forcibly swallowed his fury and returned to the palace early. Now, the entire palace was filled with unease.

 

At the entrance, a eunuch standing guard caught sight of a tall figure dressed in a dark red Grand Secretary’s court robe approaching, walking at a leisurely pace. Upon recognizing the man, the eunuch couldn’t help but show a delighted expression. As if seeing a savior, he hurriedly stepped forward and said,

 

“Lord Ming has finally arrived! His Majesty seems displeased today, would you please take a look?”

 

Lord Ming merely smiled brightly, seemingly unconcerned. He strode to the study doors, his voice unhurried yet unexpectedly deep and pleasant.

 

“Your Majesty, this minister, Ming Zhang, requests an audience.”

 

There was a brief silence inside the hall before Li Xuanming’s voice rang out,

 

“Enter.”

 

Ming Zhang stepped into the hall, and as he performed a deep bow, the palace attendants within had already begun to withdraw from the inner hall. The last one to leave even made sure to close the doors behind them.

 

“Your Majesty,” Ming Zhang still wore a faint smile, his eyebrows slightly furrowed as he said, “The Crown Prince of Qin is preparing to make a move.”

 

Li Xuanming’s hand, holding a brush, paused slightly. “When?”

 

“Qiyuan Festival.”

 

Author’s note:

Babies, be careful not to drop your bitter tea seeds[mfn]The online term “苦茶子 (kǔ chá zǐ – bitter tea seeds” is actually a homophonic pun of “裤衩子(kùchǎ zǐ – pants)”. Netizens often use this word to ridicule(jokingly) those who can’t walk when they see handsome men and beautiful women. When someone is attracted to handsome men or beautiful women online and shows a state of fascination, netizens in the comment area will use puns like “Put on some clothes” and “Your bitter tea seeds(pants) are flying” to ridicule them, describing the other party as shameless.[/mfn] when commenting, okay? I don’t want to get bonked on the head, boohoo! Mwah!