TL: Hua
Chapter 86: Elegance – Little King: Zzzzz
Yu Shaoyun came in to change the incense and saw Zong Suiyang teaching Pei Xiting to play the zither. Their palms were pressed against each other’s backs, their fingertips occasionally intertwined. The two of them were completely engrossed in their “study,” oblivious to anyone coming or going. Yu Shaoyun made a quiet sound of admiration and tiptoed out.
Little King was glaring from outside the door. Yu Shaoyun leaned down and rubbed its head. “They’re as close as can be. You shouldn’t go in and disturb them. Be careful, or His Highness might get mad and cut your meat ration.”
Little King didn’t understand what he was saying, but it could sense the kindness or coldness in its master’s gaze. It particularly felt its master’s disapproval whenever it got too close to Pei Xiting.
Yu Shaoyun patted the cub. Little King nudged its head toward the bedroom door but still didn’t dare to go in. With a reluctant twist, it walked away.
“What are you thinking about?” Zong Suiyang suddenly asked from inside the room.
Pei Xiting, following Zong Suiyang’s finger movements, said in confusion, “How can you tell? I was playing so seriously.”
“With your level of skill…” Zong Suiyang didn’t finish his sentence, but Pei Xiting patted the back of his hand. “Alright, I won’t talk about you. I’ll talk about your business.”
“I was just thinking about where my yiniang should live once I get her out of the house,” Pei Xiting said. “I originally thought if she were coming out today, I’d have her stay in my courtyard temporarily. But since she’s not coming out today, I have more time to think about it.”
He turned slightly to face Zong Suiyang. “See, there are only three rooms in my courtyard. One for me, one for Yuan Fang, and one for Cheng Lu and Cheng Fu. It’s full. The storage room is empty, so it could be converted into a bedroom, but it’s not convenient for her to be squeezed in with a bunch of men. It’s not a proper house with separate entrances.”
“One room for you?” Zong Suiyang asked.
Pei Xiting immediately corrected himself. “One room for us.”
Zong Suiyang was satisfied. “So, what are your plans?”
“I plan to find a courtyard near Lanyin Street to rent for her. I also need to get Old Nanny Chang out. She’s been with my yiniang since she entered the Pei household; she’s a trusted elder, and I’d feel better with her there. Besides that, I need to find a few capable and smart maids and attendants to take care of the courtyard for her.” Pei Xiting said.
“It’s almost the end of the year, so it’s not easy to find a suitable courtyard. There are houses available, but it might be too lonely for your yiniang to live there alone, and it would be a hassle to manage,” Zong Suiyang said, stroking Pei Xiting’s troubled face, his hand moving gently from his cheek to his chin. “I have a solution, but it depends on whether you two are willing.”
Pei Xiting felt a little ticklish but resisted the urge to pull away. He cupped his hands and said, “Please, Your Highness, I’m all ears.”
Zong Suiyang took hold of his playful fists and toyed with them in his palm. “The Dancing and Music Academy.”
Pei Xiting was stunned. “Doesn’t that mean she has to enter the palace?”
“Didn’t you say your yiniang has been practicing her dancing lately? The Dancing and Music Academy is a very suitable place for her,” Zong Suiyang said.
Pei Xiting rubbed his chin, pondering the idea.
Bu Suying had been a celebrated performer on stage before. Now that she was willing to take it up again, she must be willing to be in the public eye once more. The Dancing and Music Academy was indeed a good place for her. Aunt Leng, the director of the academy, had been willing to speak on her behalf to Lord You before, so she must be a person who values loyalty. Bu Suying would have someone to look out for her if she went there now.
Furthermore, by entering the academy, Bu Suying could not only continue dancing but also get a “position” in the palace, which would solve her living and food expenses. It was killing two birds with one stone.
Zong Suiyang had been watching Pei Xiting, and when he saw the determined expression on his face, he said, “I’ll handle things in the palace. I’ll naturally tell Aunt Leng to take good care of your yiniang, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“With you saying that, of course I’m at ease,” Pei Xiting said with a chuckle, hugging Zong Suiyang’s arm. “Regardless of whether my yiniang wants to go to the academy, thank you for your kindness, Your Highness.”
Zong Suiyang flicked Pei Xiting’s forehead. “You said you’d cling to my leg so candidly and directly this morning, so why are you now acting shy?”
“Our relationship is different now,” Pei Xiting said, not letting go. He confessed his thoughts honestly. “I’m worried you’ll think I have ulterior motives.”
“With our relationship now, it’s only right for me to look out for you,” Zong Suiyang said. “Are you going to avoid me on purpose in the future and ask everyone else for help?”
“Hehe,” Pei Xiting said.
What a silly boy. Zong Suiyang shook his head. “You have your own sense of propriety, but sometimes being too proper can make you seem stiff. You’re a forthright person; just tell me what’s on your mind. If you do something taboo, I’ll just give you a look, and I’m sure you’ll get it. Why constantly worry about it?”
“Who would dare to do something taboo in front of the Crown Prince?” Pei Xiting said.
“Am I the Crown Prince right now?” Zong Suiyang teased. “When you were yelling and challenging my entire ancestry, why didn’t you treat me like the Crown Prince?”
Pei Xiting said with dignity, “When I’m angry, I’m especially ‘brave.'”
“You’re already very ‘brave’ on a normal day,” Zong Suiyang said, rubbing Pei Xiting’s head. The little fox nudged his palm, and a tingling sensation shot through his hand. He pulled his hand back, took a moment to compose himself, and then said, “Let’s leave it at this for now. Go talk to your yiniang yourself. If she agrees, just let Chang An know, and someone will take care of the rest. If she doesn’t, we can discuss other options.”
Chang An was the guard who had been following Pei Xiting recently. Pei Xiting nodded and said, “Good,” and then pulled Zong Suiyang to continue his zither lesson.
Zong Suiyang naturally had no objections.
The next day, after his shift ended, Pei Xiting went to the Pei mansion and told Bu Suying about the Dancing and Music Academy.
Bu Suying was sitting at her dressing table organizing her makeup box. When she heard his suggestion, she said, “The Dancing and Music Academy is a good place. Few dancers wouldn’t want to go there. But the palace has strict rules. If I go in, will it be difficult for me to see you again?”
Pei Xiting, who was standing at the door overseeing the moving of luggage, walked back into the room. “You’ve forgotten that I’m now a clerk in the East Palace.”
“I haven’t forgotten, but you work in the East Palace. How can you just run around outside? And I can’t just get close to the East Palace either. You’ll have to leave the palace as soon as your shift is over,” Bu Suying said.
Pei Xiting thought for a moment and decided not to reveal his “boyfriend’s” identity just yet. It wasn’t because he was hiding it from Bu Suying, but because he was afraid of scaring her. Although Bu Suying wouldn’t care about the identity of his confidant, she might not “love” someone of such great wealth, especially such an overwhelming one. She would most likely first be afraid that such immense fortune might be the death of him, and she wouldn’t be able to rest easy.
“My confidant is a person from the East Palace,” Pei Xiting said, half-truthfully. “He has some influence with the Crown Prince.”
“What?” Bu Suying said in surprise. “Someone from the East Palace?”
Pei Xiting nodded a little guiltily.
“Then he must be young and promising, with a bright future ahead. But,” Bu Suying said with worry, “if the Crown Prince finds out about your relationship, will it…?”
The Crown Prince himself is the one who’s “gay.“ Pei Xiting mumbled in his heart. He shook his head and said, “The Crown Prince is a very open-minded person. He rarely interferes in his subordinates’ personal affairs. As long as his trusted aides don’t do anything that harms heaven and earth, the Crown Prince won’t say anything.”
Bu Suying breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. In that case, I am very willing to go to the Dancing and Music Academy.”
“Great,” Pei Xiting said. “I’ll help you pack.”
When Bu Suying was leaving, Pei Yan and Pei Jintang both came.
After all, they had been in love once, a bond that had lasted for half a lifetime. Pei Yan’s expression was complex as he stood to the side, talking with Bu Suying. Pei Jintang, not wanting to intrude, went and stood with Pei Xiting, saying, “Hey, can I ask you something?”
Pei Xiting nodded. “Go on.”
“I ran into Jingzhu outside today. He’s lost a lot of weight and looks pale and listless, like he’s got something on his mind. But when I asked him, he wouldn’t say anything,” Pei Jintang said. “Did something happen when you went to Enzhou?”
“I can’t say much, so I’ll just tell you this,” Pei Xiting said. “That friend of yours isn’t simple, and the things he’s done aren’t simple either. You’d better be careful and not treat him like an innocent little lamb.”
Pei Jintang’s heart skipped a beat at that. He didn’t ask any more questions, only saying, “I always feel like the way Jingzhu looks at me is strange, very similar to the way the young Marquis Shangguan looked at me last time we met.”
Pei Xiting thought about it for a moment, then said, “Forget about him. The most important thing is for you to focus on preparing for the military exams.”
“You’re right,” Pei Jintang said.
A moment later, Bu Suying came over. Pei Xiting then said his goodbyes to Pei Yan and led Bu Suying toward the exit. Pei Jintang walked with them, sending them off. “Yiniang, we’ll be seeing each other often from now on, so I won’t say any farewell words.”
As the group departed, Pei Yan watched Bu Suying’s receding back, feeling a sense of loss and his eyes welling up.
Pei Xiting and Bu Suying arrived at the palace gates in a carriage. Pei Xiting got out first and reached out to help Bu Suying down. He turned and saw Pei Qinghe.
“Bu-yiniang, Third Brother,” Pei Qinghe quickly stepped forward to greet them.
Bu Suying looked at the young lady in her palace attire, looking exceptionally beautiful, and smiled, giving a soft sound of acknowledgment.
“I heard that yiniang is entering the Imperial Music and Dance Academy, so I came to pick you up,” Pei Qinghe said, stepping forward and taking Bu Suying’s arm. “Now that you’re no longer my yiniang, what should I call you from now on?”
“Just call me as you always have. There’s no need to be so formal,” Bu Suying replied.
Pei Qinghe gave a soft acknowledgment and said, “Yiniang, if you need anything in the future, just come to me. Although I’m not an influential figure, I have been here a little longer than you, so I’m a bit more familiar with things.”
Just as they were speaking, a figure appeared on the palace path. Dressed in magnificent palace robes, her age was indiscernible, but her figure was exquisite. She walked with a graceful, light, and ethereal gait, as if she were floating.
Pei Xiting guessed this was the headmistress of the academy, Aunt Leng.
Sure enough, as soon as Bu Suying saw her, she went up to her and said, “Su Niang, it’s been a long time.”
“It’s been more than ten years,” Aunt Leng said, walking up to Bu Suying. She examined her, sighing with a smile, “You’re still the same; you don’t seem to have aged at all. When I asked you to join the academy before, you didn’t. I just thought we weren’t destined, but it turns out the time just wasn’t right.”
Bu Suying hesitated, then finally said, “Thank you, Su Niang, for not minding and still being willing to take me in.”
Aunt Leng glanced at Pei Xiting. Commander Yu from the East Palace had personally delivered the message, saying to arrange for Bu Suying to enter the academy and specifically instructing her to take good care of her and ensure she wasn’t neglected or bullied. She knew whose orders these were and who they were for. Although she would have been willing to help even without the order, it made her look at Pei Xiting with a bit of curiosity.
“You are destined to be at the academy,” Aunt Leng said, looking back at Bu Suying. “Let’s go; I’ll take you there.”
Bu Suying nodded, glanced at Pei Xiting, and after he gave a nod, she followed Aunt Leng. Pei Qinghe bowed to Pei Xiting, then turned and followed them.
Pei Xiting watched the group walk away before returning to the East Palace. As he entered, he saw Little King lying in the grass beside the stone path. It didn’t come to him immediately and looked a little listless.
Pei Xiting walked over immediately, knelt down, and stroked Little King’s head. He frowned and asked, “Are you sick?”
Little King rubbed against his hand. Pei Xiting was about to call for a vet. A palace servant came out from behind the rockery, carrying a basket, and said, “Please don’t worry, Pei-wenshu. Little King isn’t sick; it’s just in a bad mood and a bit down.”
Physical illnesses could at least be diagnosed, but wasn’t a heart problem even harder to cure? Pei Xiting scratched Little King’s head. It suddenly looked up, its round, amber eyes watery and looking particularly wronged.
Pei Xiting’s heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly understood. He sat down on the spot, cradled Little King’s head, and said, “I haven’t played with you much in the last two days, and you’re unhappy about it, aren’t you?”
Little King didn’t understand the words, but it could feel Pei Xiting’s movements and scent. It rumbled softly and gently pawed at Pei Xiting’s arm, the force as light as if it were touching a flower or a blade of grass, as if afraid of crushing it.
Pei Xiting fell forward, collapsing onto Little King. He hugged its head with one hand and stroked its fur with the other, apologizing to it.
A palace servant passed by and saw the man and the tiger, heads together, one mumbling and the other rumbling, communicating about who knows what. But when the servant passed by for the last time, they saw Pei-wenshu sleeping soundly while hugging Little King, who no longer looked sad, clearly having been cured by Pei Xiting.
Zong Suiyang received the news, picked up a cloak, and walked to the man and tiger’s resting place. He gently patted Little King, who looked up at him, signaling it not to move. He bent down and placed the cloak over Pei Xiting. He lightly poked a small bit of plump flesh squeezed onto the tiger’s back, then looked at Little King.
The amber eyes stared at him, looking both affectionate and a little timid. Zong Suiyang reached out and stroked its head, saying softly, “This time you didn’t act recklessly in your temper but instead learned how to use the self-torture tactic?”
Little King had its own exclusive grassy area in the East Palace, but today it had deliberately come here to ensure Pei Xiting would see it the moment he entered the palace gates. It was getting smarter.
The tiger rubbed against the back of Zong Suiyang’s hand and whimpered, lowering its head in guilt. Zong Suiyang clicked his tongue but said nothing more, standing up and walking to a nearby pavilion.
A palace servant placed a stack of documents on the table and neatly arranged the writing tools. Yu Shaoyun brought a cup of tea to Zong Suiyang’s side, glanced at Pei Xiting sleeping on the tiger’s back, and said, “Lately, quite a few people have been asking about Pei-wenshu, wanting to know his family background from eighteen generations back. What do you think? Should we issue an order to stop them from prying?”
Zong Suiyang opened a document and said, “It’s fine.”
Yu Shaoyun said, “Others don’t matter, and if they find out about your relationship with him, it would actually serve as a layer of protection for Pei-wenshu. I’m just worried that Huo Yue might be among them. If he suspects that the relationship you two have isn’t the one Pei-wenshu fabricated, won’t our act fall apart?”
“Act for whom?” Zong Suiyang’s tone was a bit low as he quickly wrote his critique on the document with a red brush. “As long as he dares to appear near Xiting, I’ll dismember him and scatter his ashes without asking for a reason.”
This showed a deep hatred for Huo Yue’s drugging incident. Yu Shaoyun understood, quietly agreed, and then said, “By the way, Pei-wenshu’s birthday is coming up.”
“I know,” Zong Suiyang said, looking at Yu Shaoyun. “What are you getting at?”
Yu Shaoyun smiled and said, “I just thought since it’s your first time falling in love, you might not have any preparations.”
“This is something I do know,” Zong Suiyang said.
Yu Shaoyun said, “So have you thought about what birthday gift to get Pei-wenshu?”
“Naturally, I’ll get him what he wants,” Zong Suiyang said. “There’s one person who knows the answer to that best.”
Yu Shaoyun was relieved, unaware that he was relieved too soon. The “one person” Zong Suiyang was referring to was none other than the birthday boy himself.
At night, Pei Xiting sat in the corridor, knitting a yarn ball for Little King. Zong Suiyang, holding a document, sat down behind him and asked, “What do you want for your birthday this year?”
Yu Shaoyun, who was standing in the corridor, choked on his own saliva and looked at His Highness in disbelief: Do you know what a surprise is? Do you?!
Zong Suiyang didn’t quite understand. He just thought the rule for giving gifts was to give what the other person liked, so the best way was to give the birthday boy what he wanted. Was that strange?
“Huh?” The birthday boy was stunned. “Birthday… oh, right, my birthday is on the first day of the eleventh lunar month. It’s coming up soon, isn’t it?”
Well, Yu Shaoyun secretly sighed. The birthday boy himself hadn’t even remembered it.
When his grandfather was alive, Pei Xiting celebrated his birthday every year and remembered it well. After his grandfather passed away, he stopped celebrating it. Feasting and receiving gifts were just for social relations; how many people were sincerely celebrating? He was too lazy to go through the trouble.
Zong Suiyang had been observing Pei Xiting’s face and didn’t miss the fleeting look of nostalgia and wistfulness—that look again. It was as if there was a person hidden in Pei Xiting’s heart, one who only existed in the past.
Was it the elder who gave him his courtesy name?
“I don’t know what I want,” Pei Xiting scratched his head. “I didn’t really celebrate my birthday much before.”
Zong Suiyang came back to his senses and said, “That’s fine. Take your time to think.”
“Now that I think about it, there’s really nothing I want,” Pei Xiting said with a smile, tossing the question back to Zong Suiyang. “Anything you give me is fine.”
Zong Suiyang didn’t fall for it and said, “I don’t want your ‘anything is fine.’ I want you to be happy.”
“I’ll be happy with whatever you sincerely offer. Unless,” Pei Xiting raised an eyebrow, “you give me yourself.”
Zong Suiyang replied, “I thought our current relationship already fulfilled that request.”
“Ah, there’s still room for improvement. For instance,” Pei Xiting eyed Zong Suiyang up and down with a mischievous glint, “what if you came out of a box wearing only a thin veil, revealing and concealing just enough, and you’d invite me to untie the red ribbons on you with my own hands? Then, with a shy blush, you’d say, ‘Master, please enjoy me to your heart’s content, hahaha…'”
Pei Xiting spoke while imagining the scene, finding it more comical than amorous, and burst into uncontrollable laughter. Zong Suiyang stared at him and suddenly chuckled. Pei Xiting immediately sensed danger, jumped up, and ran, not forgetting to call for Little King.
The tiger, with its nimble body, took off at full speed. After running a short distance, it suddenly heard a scream and skidded to a halt. It turned its head to see—
Pei Xiting’s strength was no match for his bravery. Zong Suiyang had somehow hoisted him onto his shoulder. He was flailing his arms and legs, calling for help. The people in the corridor either lowered their heads to avoid hearing or offered silent condolences—in short, no one came to his rescue. Little King suddenly felt a great responsibility and rushed back, only to be stopped by a single glance from Zong Suiyang. It lowered its head and ears and stood obediently by the side.
Pei Xiting wailed pitifully. As he was carried from the corridor into the bedchamber, he immediately offered an insincere plea for mercy and forgiveness. But no sooner had he cried, “I was wrong,” than Zong Suiyang pressed him against a red pillar.
The pillar was cold and hard, but Zong Suiyang’s embrace was warm. Caught between the two, Pei Xiting felt as if he were in both fire and ice. His feet dangled in the air, unable to touch the ground, so he simply wrapped his legs around Zong Suiyang’s waist and said in a wronged tone, “Let’s just talk things through nicely.”
The little fox’s eyes were cunning; there was not a hint of fear. Zong Suiyang narrowed his eyes and took a half-step closer.
The little fox immediately let out a dramatic shriek, “You’re going to squash me into a meat pie!”
“Your voice is full of vigor; you can still hold on,” Zong Suiyang said coolly, rejecting the plea. He tilted his head slightly and brushed his nose against Pei Xiting’s. “Does it still hurt?”
Pei Xiting, in the mood for some mischief, feigned ignorance. “What part are you asking about?”
Zong Suiyang said nothing. He held Pei Xiting with one hand and let the other slide down his supple waist and back, pulling down a section of his inner trousers.
The trousers hung precariously on his hips and thighs. With his skin pressed against the red pillar, Pei Xiting shivered, looking at Zong Suiyang with a mix of timidity and delight. Zong Suiyang’s temple twitched. His palm enclosed Pei Xiting’s buttocks, and as his fingertips slid into a gap, the person in his arms trembled, and a pained moan escaped his lips.
“All right,” Zong Suiyang said, holding back as he withdrew his hand. He stroked Pei Xiting’s tightly pressed lips, coaxing, “I won’t touch it.”
But now both of them were aroused, and there was no way they could simply separate. Pei Xiting lowered his eyes and glanced at Zong Suiyang, his gaze burning with a fiery passion. A sudden surge of unidentifiable heat rushed through Zong Suiyang, and he carried the person deeper into the chamber.
As the weather grew colder, and because Pei Xiting loved to simply flop down and lie wherever he was, the soft couch had been replaced with a larger, more spacious one, covered with a warm, thick blanket and gold-threaded pillows.
Pei Xiting was tossed onto the blanket, where he sat up with his hands and feet. Zong Suiyang stood before the couch, tall and elegant, looking down at him. Pei Xiting felt a mix of fondness and apprehension. “The cut on my lip isn’t healed yet,” he said.
The words were both an invitation and a plea. Zong Suiyang stroked Pei Xiting’s flushed cheeks and rosy lips. Pei Xiting looked up at him, and neither said a word, understanding each other with their eyes alone.
Yu Shaoyun still couldn’t stop Little King from sneaking in. Knowing his large size made it difficult to hide, Little King tiptoed straight for the twelve-panel landscape screen that separated the inner and outer bedchambers.
The tall, long screen easily concealed Little King’s body. The tiger’s head cautiously peered forward, its amber eyes looking through the delicate, embroidered gauze. It saw its master with his back turned and his friend sitting on the couch, his face pressed against the master’s body, rubbing slightly, but not moving away for a long time.
Little King’s ears twitched, and it keenly heard a muffled sob. Its friend was crying!
Zong Suiyang held the back of Pei Xiting’s neck, his thumb occasionally and lightly caressing the thin skin around his throat as if to soothe him, but his other four fingers never relaxed their grip.
Little King, mustering its courage, ran to Zong Suiyang and bit his robe. Zong Suiyang didn’t get angry or scold it. Instead, Pei Xiting, who had heard the commotion and slightly opened his eyes, was startled, and his throat involuntarily tightened.
Zong Suiyang let out a muffled groan and finally released his grip. Pei Xiting fell backward onto the pillow, turning his head and coughing uncontrollably.
Things seemed to have gotten more serious. Little King quickly let go of the robe, staring blankly at Pei Xiting. Pei Xiting, with tears in his eyes from coughing, finally stopped and immediately pounced on Little King. “Don’t look at things that are not proper! Didn’t your dad teach you that?”
The little tiger’s dad, with a slow, deliberate manner, smoothed out his robe and stood by, looking very much like a proper gentleman. He said, “If a son is not taught, the father is at fault. I will apologize for Little King.”
“Who needs that?” Pei Xiting glared up at Zong Suiyang, but then he noticed Zong Suiyang’s gaze on his face deepen. He paused and instinctively tried to turn away, but Zong Suiyang was a step faster, reaching out and gently wiping his lips.
“Hmm,” Zong Suiyang examined Pei Xiting’s mouth and said with satisfaction, “This time, it’s not hurt.”
“Who says so? It’s a deep injury, an internal one!” Pei Xiting opened his mouth, whining that it hurt.
Zong Suiyang leaned down and cupped his cheeks, looking as if he were about to kiss him, but not quite. Pei Xiting grumbled that Zong Suiyang shouldn’t be disgusted by what was his and forcefully tilted his head to kiss him, earning a taste of honey for himself.
Little King was forced to be a cushion between the two, eager to escape, but Pei Xiting had his head trapped under his arm, determined to lecture him on the rule of “don’t look at things that are not proper.”
Yu Shaoyun, hearing Little King’s purring and pawing on the ground from the corridor, pretended not to notice.
It was the little guy’s fault for interrupting the couple’s special time. He could just stay “detained” for a while.
Ohhhhh! Giving BJs （◎´ 〇｀◎）LOL