WAYCAC Chapter 91

TL: Hua

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Chapter 91: First Snow – “Yes, it’s for you.”

After three rounds of drinks, Pei Xiting whispered to Zong Suiyang that he was going to the back hall to see Yuan Fang’s gift while everyone was busy.

The wooden box was placed in the most conspicuous spot, on the tea table. Pei Xiting leaned over and opened it. Inside was the same plum blossom crossbow, but it felt lighter than before, and the matching bolts were new. He had previously complained that the old one was a little hard to use, so Yuan Fang had taken it back and modified it.

Pei Xiting expertly assembled a bolt, and just as he was thinking of test-firing it, he felt footsteps behind him. He spun around, but no one was there.

“…” Pei Xiting frowned.

The guests tonight were very important people, so there must be many guards hidden all over the mountain. There was no way an outsider could sneak in so quietly. Was it someone from Yufei Terrace? No, that couldn’t be right; he had the personal guards Zong Suiyang gave him. How could someone with malicious intent get so close without a sound?

In an instant, Pei Xiting guessed what had happened. He ran out of the back hall, and something brushed past his head. He looked up and saw a person sitting on the roof—it was Yuan Fang!

“When did you get here?” Pei Xiting asked.

“Just now,” Yuan Fang replied. “I took a job in Yejing, and I came here after I finished it.”

Pei Xiting laughed. “It seems like it was a significant job if even Corridor Master Fu sent you.”

“The Crown Prince’s business is always significant,” Yuan Fang said.

Pei Xiting was taken aback for a moment. “What kind of business? Can you tell me a little bit about it?”

“One was to secretly escort someone to the East Palace. The second,” Yuan Fang smiled at Pei Xiting, “was to come celebrate your birthday.”

No wonder Zong Suiyang’s expression was a little strange earlier when he mentioned Yuan Fang. It turned out he knew Yuan Fang would show up soon. Pei Xiting scratched his head and said, “Then hurry up and come down! Come to the main hall for dinner. The big steamed buns I specially ordered haven’t been touched yet.”

Yuan Fang knew who was in the main hall and wasn’t keen on joining, but when he heard the word “specially,” he agreed. “Alright.”

He did a mid-air somersault and landed lightly in front of Pei Xiting. Pei Xiting led him toward the hall and asked, “When are you leaving this time?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” Yuan Fang said.

“Then don’t leave until after the new year. It’s snowing now, and traveling back and forth would be a hassle,” Pei Xiting declared. After they returned to the main hall, he added a seat for Yuan Fang, drank three cups with him, and asked the kitchen to make another steaming basket of lamb buns before going to pour wine for Zong Suiyang.

This wine seemed to have a lot of weight. Zong Suiyang saw the smile on Pei Xiting’s face and already guessed what the little fox was up to, but he didn’t show it. Instead, he feigned a headache and held his forehead, saying, “I can’t drink anymore.”

Zong Suiyang had certainly broken his rules tonight, drinking a lot with the birthday boy. Pei Xiting didn’t doubt him for a second. He immediately put down the wine cup and reached out to touch Zong Suiyang’s face, worriedly asking, “Then don’t drink anymore… Hey, since Doctor Su is here, should I ask him to take a look at you?”

“It’s just the alcohol getting to me; there’s no need for a doctor,” Zong Suiyang said.

That was true. “Then I’ll help you outside to get some fresh air?” Pei Xiting suggested.

Zong Suiyang nodded and took the hand Pei Xiting offered him. He slowly stood up, leaning his weight on the birthday boy as they went to the back hall together.

The snow was getting heavier, carried by a cold wind. Zong Suiyang reached out and touched Pei Xiting’s ear. “Are you cold?” he asked.

“I’m fine. “I’ve had so much wine, I’m warm inside,” Pei Xiting replied. As soon as he spoke, Zong Suiyang pulled him into his cloak, wrapping him up completely.

Without a word, Zong Suiyang kissed him. After a moment of feigned resistance, Pei Xiting kissed him back. Their tongues, hot from the wine, tangled with a fiery heat.

Pei Xiting was dazed until a hand slipped under his clothes. He finally came to his senses and pushed Zong Suiyang’s waist gently. “We’re outside! Behave yourself!”

The kiss was interrupted, and so was the good time. Zong Suiyang’s eyes darkened, and he stared at Pei Xiting with dissatisfaction.

The stare made Pei Xiting’s body heat up. Just as he was about to speak, Zong Suiyang grabbed his waist and pressed him against the latticework of the corridor. “What’s wrong with being outside?”

Crammed together in a single cloak, their chests and waists pressed against each other, none of their physical reactions could be hidden. Pei Xiting tried to wiggle away, which only made things worse. He dared not move anymore and said, “We need to be mindful of others. There are so many people in the main hall.”

“This isn’t the main hall, and no one can get in here,” Zong Suiyang said, kissing the tip of Pei Xiting’s nose in a fleeting touch. “Don’t you want your birthday gift?”

“I do,” Pei Xiting said, no longer resisting. He wrapped his arms around Zong Suiyang’s waist and kissed him passionately.

“Actually, the first time I saw you, I was captivated,” Pei Xiting said, rubbing his cheek against Zong Suiyang’s, a warm breath escaping his lips. “I wondered, where did this great beauty come from?”

“I thought you were afraid of me,” Zong Suiyang said, biting into the soft flesh of Pei Xiting’s neck and grinding his teeth, eliciting a soft moan. The sound was so lovely that Zong Suiyang’s heart fluttered. He said in a hoarse voice, “I remember the look in your eyes back then: amazement, curiosity, tension, and a hint of seduction that you weren’t even aware of.”

Pei Xiting adamantly denied it. “Who was seducing you? Don’t go making stuff up just because I’m so into you now.”

“If you don’t admit it, you don’t have to,” Zong Suiyang said, kissing Pei Xiting’s chin and coaxing him to look up. He smiled lightly. “No one has ever looked at me that way.”

Pei Xiting said sourly, “What about Huo Yue?”

“What is he to me? Why would you care about him?” Zong Suiyang sniffed at Pei Xiting’s lips. “My little jealous fox.”

Pei Xiting just grunted and didn’t say anything, his eyes darting around. He looked so cute that Zong Suiyang couldn’t help but pinch his flushed cheeks and bite him.

Pei Xiting yelped in pain and pushed him away. “I’ll hit you!”

Zong Suiyang dodged the kick meant for him and chuckled. Pei Xiting must have taken that as a mockery and immediately chased after him.

Zong Suiyang propped himself up on the chaise longue and nimbly vaulted over the railing, landing in the snow and watching him with a smile.

Pei Xiting thought that he would never forget this scene, unless he became senile.

“Idiot,” Zong Suiyang said softly.

Pei Xiting snapped back to reality and rubbed his face. “You’re the idiot!”

He furiously chased after him. Just as he was about to catch Zong Suiyang, the bastard climbed onto the roof, looking down at him leisurely.

Pei Xiting, furious but helpless, found a red pillar and began to climb up with his hands and feet. Zong Suiyang crouched down and held out a hand, teasing him. Pei Xiting bared his teeth and said, “Don’t you dare run! I’ll bite two ounces of flesh off you!”

“What will you do after that?” Zong Suiyang asked.

It took Pei Xiting a moment to understand, and he accused him. “You’re a beast with a filthy mind.”

Zong Suiyang disagreed and said with sympathy, “Why insult yourself?”

My mind is full of you—Pei Xiting understood and said, “What cheesy love talk!”

Zong Suiyang was rejected, and his gaze turned cold as he refused to offer a helping hand.

After a monumental effort, Pei Xiting finally climbed onto the roof. He reached out to grab Zong Suiyang’s robe. “Pull me up, or I’ll pull your pants down!”

“I don’t mind,” Zong Suiyang said.

“Fine, you proud Zong Suiyang, you just wait!” Pei Xiting used his momentum to stand firm, then lunged at Zong Suiyang. Zong Suiyang deftly dodged, and Pei Xiting missed him entirely.

“Don’t let me catch you!” Pei Xiting chased Zong Suiyang all over the roof, experiencing firsthand what it meant for something to be “so close, yet so far.” Nine out of ten times, his hand touched Zong Suiyang’s robe, but he just couldn’t get a good grip.

Pei Xiting stopped, breathing heavily. His eyes darted around, and he suddenly ran to the edge of the roof and jumped off.

The wind whistled past. In an instant, Pei Xiting’s vision blurred. Before he could even open his eyes, he quickly reached out and grabbed the person who was holding him tightly in his arms and said triumphantly, “Got you!”

Zong Suiyang held Pei Xiting tightly by the waist and under his knees, his smile gone. He just stared at him blankly.

Pei Xiting puffed out his cheeks, then hugged Zong Suiyang’s neck and began to cry without a word. “Oh, the audacity! Someone is giving the birthday boy a bad attitude…”

Zong Suiyang sighed, tossed the little fox up, and then caught him again, holding him tightly. “Stop fooling around,” he said.

“This is called strategy,” Pei Xiting retorted. Before Zong Suiyang could mock him, he quickly added, “And I knew you would catch me anyway.”

Zong Suiyang had no retort. He just held Pei Xiting and spun him around once. Pei Xiting kicked his legs and landed on the ground, grabbing a handful of snow and molding it into a small ball. “If we wait a few more days, we can build a snowman,” he said.

“Don’t freeze your hands,” Zong Suiyang said, taking the small snowball from Pei Xiting’s hand. He brushed the loose snow off his hands, then held them tightly. “Are you cold?”

Pei Xiting grinned foolishly. “No, I’m not.”

Zong Suiyang pinched Pei Xiting’s face. “I’ll go get a hand warmer and help you make a snowball.”

“I’m not going,” Pei Xiting said, leaning onto Zong Suiyang’s back. He tucked his hands into Zong Suiyang’s cloak and gave his order, “I want a ‘Zong Suiyang’.”

Zong Suiyang said nothing. His long, slender fingers skillfully kneaded the snow, but all he produced was a useless lump of slush. The Crown Prince didn’t believe in giving up, so he kneaded another one.

Pei Xiting laughed heartily next to his face, rubbing his head and cheek against him. Zong Suiyang, defeated, suddenly started laughing too. “It seems I underestimated this skill.”

“No, it’s because there’s not enough snow. When it gets thicker, I’ll get a spoon from the kitchen and scoop one up. One scoop, one Zong Suiyang,” Pei Xiting said. He reached out to brush the snow off Zong Suiyang’s clothes, then pulled him up. The four hands quickly and messily retreated into Zong Suiyang’s cloak.

Zong Suiyang looked up at Pei Xiting, who happened to be looking at him too. His eyes, like little lanterns, held a smile and were brighter than the red flowers and green trees in the midst of the falling snow.

The world seemed to fall silent. Zong Suiyang’s expression became subdued. He gently took Pei Xiting’s hand, lacing their fingers together. Pei Xiting didn’t say a word, quietly following him.

It felt like they rarely walked together hand-in-hand like this.

The two of them walked under the corridor. Zong Suiyang walked on the outer side, his hair and the white fox fur collar of his robe fluttering in the cold wind. Pei Xiting couldn’t walk in a straight line. He suddenly started humming a tune, and after just a few notes, he started kicking his legs and walked half a circle around Zong Suiyang…

Suddenly, their eyes met. Zong Suiyang didn’t say a word, but Pei Xiting obediently snuggled into his arms.

Zong Suiyang picked him up and carried him steadily into the prepared room. He set Pei Xiting down on the floor, helped him take off his cloak, and patted his back. “Go take a hot bath to get rid of the cold.”

Pei Xiting didn’t leave right away. He thoughtfully helped Zong Suiyang take off his cloak as well, hanging it on a mahogany rack nearby before going into the inner room.

The bath here wasn’t as big as the hot springs in the East Palace or the Chaohua Mountain Villa, but it looked nice. Pei Xiting sat on a stool by the tub, tied his hair into a bun, took off his shoes, and slid into the water.

The hot water enveloped his body. It felt wonderful. Pei Xiting looked up and saw Zong Suiyang walking toward him, unbuttoning his clothes. It was like peeling an onion, each layer more spicy than the last. Strange tears streamed from the corners of Pei Xiting’s mouth, and when Zong Suiyang came down, he immediately pounced on him.

Zong Suiyang leaned against the side of the tub as he and Pei Xiting kissed, the wet sounds making for an intimate atmosphere. The little fox was impatient, writhing in his arms. Whether it was deliberate teasing or not didn’t matter; tonight, he was going to be completely devoured.

“There’s no…” Pei Xiting gasped as a kiss landed on his chest.

Who said there wasn’t? Zong Suiyang turned Pei Xiting around and pushed him against the side of the tub. He reached out, opened a sandalwood box on the long table, and took out a small jar. Biting Pei Xiting’s soft lips, he said, “I’ve prepared.”

“You…” Before Pei Xiting could finish, Zong Suiyang picked him up and placed him on the soft cushion on the shore, his legs forced onto Zong Suiyang’s shoulders. When Zong Suiyang leaned in close, Pei Xiting gasped and fell back onto the blanket.

The white snow pressed down on the moonlight, keeping it from shining through. Only the lanterns in the corridor illuminated the latticework of the window, casting a brilliant glow. A pair of lotus lanterns stood by the shore, their faint yellow light illuminating a snow-white snake. It was as gentle as water, yet as wild as fire. Pei Xiting’s watery eyes looked at it in a daze until they were covered by a large, slender hand.

Pei Xiting was plunged into darkness, his only sense of the world being Zong Suiyang. Zong Suiyang’s warm embrace, his solid arms, his enticing scent, his low gasps… Zong Suiyang was firm and warm, hugging him, touching him, and pushing into him.

They were in perfect harmony.

They were lost in a frenzy of passion.

When Little King found them by scent, Zong Suiyang and Pei Xiting had already moved to the bed. Pei Xiting’s forehead was pressed against the bed. He was half-asleep when he felt something scratching his forehead. He opened his eyes and came face-to-face with Little King.

Pei Xiting was startled, his body tensing up. The person behind him also froze for a moment. Pei Xiting raised his hand to scratch Little King’s head, trying to coax it out. Zong Suiyang leaned down, however, and held the hand that was scratching Little King. “Aren’t you two good friends? Why are you in such a hurry to get rid of it?”

“…But we’re not that kind of good friends that can watch this happen,” Pei Xiting said, meeting the amber eyes. He felt like a bad guy corrupting a child and couldn’t help but turn his head to urge Zong Suiyang, “You hurry up and tell it to leave!”

Zong Suiyang smiled and said, “Wrong tone.”

That bastard. Pei Xiting glared at Zong Suiyang. Zong Suiyang raised his hand to pinch his face, then kissed him thoroughly before looking up at Little King. “Your daddy told you to leave.”

“Who’s its daddy?” Pei Xiting said.

“You can’t be its mommy, either,” Zong Suiyang said.

Pei Xiting was unable to retort. Seeing that Little King wasn’t leaving but was instead peeking around curiously, he got flustered and kissed it, saying, “Be a good boy, go outside…”

Little King looked up and met Zong Suiyang’s suddenly dark gaze. It shivered in fright, turned around, and scrambled out of the room.

Pei Xiting couldn’t kneel anymore and fell down, firmly pinned by Zong Suiyang. The person on top of him was angry, he could tell, but he didn’t know how bad the situation was and said, “If you had told it to leave sooner, I wouldn’t have… Ah!”

Zong Suiyang said nothing and bit down on Pei Xiting’s shoulder.

The guard outside the door quietly closed it and shrugged at Yu Shaoyun, who had come over to check on them with a wine pot. “Breakfast can be delayed until tomorrow morning.”

The information was a lot to take in. Yu Shaoyun heard the noises from inside the room and looked down at Little King hiding behind the guard. “What are you doing here!” he asked in a low voice.

Little King didn’t know what was happening. It had eaten its fill in its seat, then discovered that its owner and good friend were gone. It had searched everywhere and found this room. Outside the door, it heard its good friend pleading in a sad voice, so it went inside to investigate. It then saw its owner bullying its good friend, so it went forward to plead for its good friend, only to get a kiss from its good friend and a cold, ruthless stare from its owner. So it quickly ran away.

Little King didn’t understand anything, but it knew it couldn’t appear in front of its owner for a while, or else its food bowl might be confiscated. Taking advantage of the late night, it scurried away.

But Little King didn’t expect that it wouldn’t see its good friend again for a full three days.

“Is everything really alright?” The guard in the corridor, who had gone through two shift changes and been tormented by the sounds from inside, had gone from blushing to being completely numb. He cornered Yu Shaoyun, who had come to check on them, and whispered, “How long has it been? We’ve sent in water and congee, but no one has come out.”

“It should be fine… right?” Yu Shaoyun stroked his chin and said with a chuckle, “This is what they mean by a king no longer holding court in the morning.”

As they were whispering, the door suddenly opened. The guards in the corridor all straightened up, looking straight ahead.

Yu Shaoyun quickly composed himself and stepped forward. “Your Highness.”

Zong Suiyang was wearing an outer robe, his long neck exposed, with several red teeth marks and hickeys. He glanced at the accumulated snow in the courtyard and said, “For dinner, make some black rice congee with a serving of dragon and phoenix pastry. Nothing else.”

Yu Shaoyun didn’t dare to look further. He quickly agreed and turned to give the order. “The clean clothes have already been brought over and are being scented in the next room,” he added.

“Bring them over later,” Zong Suiyang said with a glance. “Where is Little King?”

“It’s hiding outside,” Yu Shaoyun said.

Zong Suiyang said nothing and turned back into the room. Yu Shaoyun closed the door behind him.

The candlelight in the room had gone out. Pei Xiting was lying in bed, looking as if he had just been pulled out of a steamer, his whole face flushed red.

Zong Suiyang reached out and touched Pei Xiting’s forehead. When he confirmed there was no fever, he pulled his hand back and lightly slipped into the covers, holding Pei Xiting and falling asleep with him.

When he woke up, the window was dark. Zong Suiyang’s eyes were wide awake. He pressed Pei Xiting’s forehead again; his body temperature was normal.

Pei Xiting slowly opened his eyes, struggling to keep his eyelids up. He opened his red and swollen mouth and let out a soundless “Ah—”

“I’m sorry,” Zong Suiyang said coaxingly. “It was my fault this time.”

“Beast,” Pei Xiting condemned him in a hoarse voice. He was condemning this beast who had no self-control and also condemning his own tendency to flirt with death. He knew this person was not only a beast but also sick, so why had he kept trying to seduce him?

Sigh.

Pei Xiting reflected on his behavior and decided it was due to the seductive allure of beauty. What young, virile man could hold a beautiful person in his arms and remain unmoved? He, Pei Xiting, certainly couldn’t.

Sigh.

Pei Xiting slowly closed his eyes and said with a faint whisper, “I’m hungry.”

Zong Suiyang called Yu Shaoyun in and ordered dinner. He then held Pei Xiting in a semi-reclining position against the headboard and said, “I’ve had them make the two things you asked for before you fell asleep. Do you want anything else to eat now?”

“Before I fainted, not before I fell asleep, thank you,” Pei Xiting corrected Zong Suiyang’s words, then shook his head. “I don’t want anything else. Right now, I can only have warm, light things like congee and soup.”

Zong Suiyang stroked his face. “Have something to fill your stomach first. Rest for a couple of days, and you’ll be a brave man again.”

Pei Xiting nodded solemnly. When their eyes met, he burst out laughing. He tilted his head slightly and rubbed Zong Suiyang’s cheek. “You don’t need to stay with me anymore. You can go back tomorrow. I said I’d help you with your official duties, but it seems I won’t be able to keep that promise.”

“I’ll stay here with you. When you’ve rested well, we’ll go back together,” Zong Suiyang said. “Don’t worry about anything else.”

Pei Xiting didn’t insist. “Did Yuan Fang leave?” he asked.

“No,” Zong Suiyang said. “Didn’t you want him to stay?”

Pei Xiting looked up and kissed Zong Suiyang. “I want to celebrate the New Year with the person I love and my friends and family.”

“I understand. No one will take him away.” Zong Suiyang coaxed, “Don’t worry.”

The Crown Prince was being completely obedient. Pei Xiting laughed foolishly and raised his arm to touch Zong Suiyang’s face, but he discovered a dark jade bracelet on his wrist. It was a deep, rich color with a smooth texture and a simple, elegant design.

Pei Xiting was stunned. “I thought you were giving me the beaded bracelet you got from the auction in Enzhou that Mei Xiu was bidding on?”

And he had put it on Pei Xiting before he was about to get intimate with him.

“That one is here.” Zong Suiyang lifted his right hand and shook it, revealing a string of vibrant beads. “Bu Zhi said he saw something that would suit you, so I went to the auction that day.”

Pei Xiting chuckled. He had no idea he and Mei Xiu showing up at the auction and Mei Xiu bidding would make the Crown Prince so jealous. It was no wonder the air around the Crown Prince was so frigid when he followed Mei Xiu into the “rival’s” room. He then shook his left hand and asked, “So, what’s the story behind this one?”

“It’s a relic of my mother, Consort Wan, and a family heirloom of the Qu family,” Zong Suiyang said.

“Then how can you give it to me?” Pei Xiting said, trying to take it off, but Zong Suiyang held his wrist.

Zong Suiyang said softly, “My mother was the youngest daughter in the family, cherished by her parents and spoiled by her siblings. Before she married, my grandmother gave her this pair of bracelets. Later, before she passed away, she gave the bracelets to the empress to keep for me.”

“Did Consort Wan and His Majesty have a bad relationship?” Pei Xiting asked.

“No. They were deeply in love and made grand promises to each other, but it was precisely because they were so in love that my mother couldn’t become the empress,” Zong Suiyang said. “In the emperor’s eyes, how could his heir be so swayed by a woman? How could he be led around by feelings of love? Unlimited power or a woman—which is more important?”

“To people in love, their beloved is the most important,” Pei Xiting said. “But in an imperial family, even if His Majesty had steadfastly chosen Consort Wan back then, it wouldn’t have ended well. It might have even cost Consort Wan her life and implicated the entire Cui family.”

“Yes,” Zong Suiyang said, his eyes lowered. “That’s why he went mad.”

Emperor Xining once believed that as emperor, his word was law, and no one could ever threaten him or force him to choose between two things. But Consort Wan died too early, before his plans to depose the empress could be fully realized.

“He used to cry in his chambers in front of my mother’s portrait. Sometimes he would shed tears silently, and other times he would break down and cry uncontrollably. Once, on my mother’s death anniversary, he held me, then threw a wine pot and a flint on the ground, intending to burn us to death. I was a little scared at the time, but I didn’t cry,” Zong Suiyang said. “Later, the empress rushed over, had the fire put out, and held me, weeping bitterly.”

“They were both mourning Consort Wan,” Pei Xiting said. “Do you miss her?”

“I never had the chance to say a word to her,” Zong Suiyang said. After a pause, he added, “I used to think about her when I was a child.”

Pei Xiting raised his hand to touch Zong Suiyang’s face, saying nothing. Zong Suiyang lowered his head and kissed the back of his hand, saying softly, “It looks very good on you.”

Pei Xiting felt that this was an important item and should be treated with caution. “This is for your future wife.”

“Yes,” Zong Suiyang said. “It’s for you.”

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