TL: Hua
Chapter 92: A Heart’s Illness – Doctor Pei is always at your service!
“Snow weighs down the pines and cassia in front of the courtyard; dotted lanterns hang under the eaves.” Pei Xiting snuggled in Zong Suiyang’s arms. They squeezed together onto a recliner, sharing a single blanket.
“Are you hungry?” Zong Suiyang asked softly, playing with Pei Xiting’s fingers.
For dinner, Pei Xiting had eaten porridge with a few light dishes and a steamed lamb leg. He was completely full, so how could he be hungry so soon? He rubbed his head against Zong Suiyang’s chin and said, “You haven’t had any meetings these days?”
“What do you think Zong Lu is for?” Zong Suiyang replied. “You train soldiers for a thousand days to use them for one.”
Pei Xiting chuckled. He then said, “Where’s Little King? I haven’t seen it in a couple of days.”
“Hiding outside, too scared to come over,” Zong Suiyang glanced toward the door and said in a calm voice. “It peeks in sometimes, but it’s not being honest.”
“You’re not thoroughly strict as a father, so it’s both afraid of you and not so afraid. Just like me,” Pei Xiting said. “You reject me, but not without leaving some room for negotiation. So you can only make me retreat for a while, but you have no other power.”
Zong Suiyang pressed his head against Pei Xiting’s and asked, “Do you resent me?”
“How should I put it… I was very angry at the time, but it wasn’t to the point of resentment. Since I was the one who pursued you, I was prepared for rejection. I just never expected that I would open my heart to you again,” Pei Xiting said.
Zong Suiyang said, “You are very honest and brave.”
“My affection for you is not something to be ashamed of or hidden. I don’t feel I’m being dishonest or unbrave,” Pei Xiting said, caressing Zong Suiyang’s fingers. He suddenly remembered something and joked, “I once heard people say that you shouldn’t be too proactive when you like someone, or you’ll lose your worth.”
“That’s a twisted logic,” Zong Suiyang said.
Pei Xiting tilted his head to look at Zong Suiyang. “Many people say that, which means this theory has a solid practical basis.”
Zong Suiyang gave a look that said, “Fine,” and said, “Since you know that, why didn’t you learn a lesson from it?”
“Because I trust you,” Pei Xiting said. “You wouldn’t use my feelings for anything, and you’re a thoughtful person. You wouldn’t agree to my pursuit just because of a fleeting novelty.”
“Fool,” Zong Suiyang said, “Today is different from tomorrow. No matter how happy we are today, we may hate each other tomorrow.”
“You can’t say that,” Pei Xiting instructed anxiously. “You should say, ‘Ah, darling, I’ll love you forever!'”
Zong Suiyang examined Pei Xiting, reached out to pinch his Adam’s apple, and asked, “Got a frog in your throat?”
“That’s called a vocal fry; it’s very sexy. You just don’t know how to appreciate it,” Pei Xiting pouted, urging him, “Hurry up, I want to hear your vocal fry.”
Zong Suiyang declined, “I’m afraid I can’t help you.”
“A man can’t say he can’t, especially a super macho man like you!” Pei Xiting grabbed Zong Suiyang’s collar, half-coaxing, half-threatening him. “Just say it, hurry, hurry!”
Zong Suiyang let him wiggle and rub against him. Things got stirred up again. Their eyes met, and Pei Xiting didn’t dare to cause any more trouble. He withdrew his hand and timidly huddled into a ball.
Zong Suiyang held him tight and teased, “Feeling comfortable now?”
“Not very comfortable,” Pei Xiting said like an honest man, with a simple smile. “If I poked you in the butt with a big iron rod, would you be comfortable?”
“I don’t know, but I know you’re in for it,” Zong Suiyang said. With that, he picked up Pei Xiting and turned to walk toward the inner room.
Pei Xiting was so scared that he felt like his soul had half-left his body. He quickly wrapped his arms around Zong Suiyang’s neck and begged bitterly, “I was wrong, I was wrong; this child really can’t go on! This is premeditated murder!”
Zong Suiyang looked down at him and said, “What should I do then?”
“It’s snowing outside,” Pei Xiting suggested cautiously. “How about you go out and get some fresh air, feel the bitter cold of nature, and calm down?”
“Pei Xiting,” Zong Suiyang leaned in and touched his forehead to Pei Xiting’s, smiling. “Don’t you feel bad for me?”
Zong Suiyang’s smile was a contradiction; it was generally charming, but it either captivated Pei Xiting or terrified him. This time, it was clearly the latter.
“I do feel bad, of course, I do! You can feel my heart; it’s trembling with pain!” Pei Xiting said with a forced smile, rubbing his forehead against Zong Suiyang’s. “Your Highness, Fuchuan, I really can’t go on. We need to take the path of sustainable development.”
“Sustainable development,” Zong Suiyang understood the meaning and then said, “Fine, but what about me? You’re the one who started the fire. There’s no way you can just ask me to let you go while you leave me hanging.”
Pei Xiting reluctantly offered his hands. “This young man and his ten fingers are dedicated to serving Your Highness!”
Zong Suiyang carried Pei Xiting back to the edge of the bed and let him sit on his lap. He wrapped his arms around his waist and said, “Are there any other options?”
It seemed that a hand job wouldn’t satisfy His Highness the Crown Prince. Pei Xiting’s smile was miserable. “You bit my tongue, which has kept me from eating spicy food or drinking wine for the past few days. Do you really want to torture it further? That’s too vicious and inhumane.”
“Poor little thing.” Zong Suiyang’s gaze slid down from Pei Xiting’s pretentious face and finally stopped at the pair of slender legs, and his eyes lit up slightly.
“No, no, no!” Pei Xiting squeezed his legs together and reached out to cover Zong Suiyang’s eyes. “My skin is already chafed; let’s not reuse something that’s already broken!”
Zong Suiyang was too lazy to listen anymore. He laid Pei Xiting down in the blankets, grabbed his two struggling legs, and yanked off a garter. He then leaned down on top of him.
He poked the soles of his feet hard a few times, and Pei Xiting’s toes curled up. He was so ticklish that his whole body trembled. He couldn’t move, so he could only bury his face in the blanket and whine.
“Bastard, worse than an animal…”
Zong Suiyang pinched Pei Xiting’s face, forced him to look up, leaned in, and passionately kissed the grumbling mouth.
Once Pandora’s Box was opened, it couldn’t be closed by itself. About fifteen minutes later, Pei Xiting was lying on his stomach on the pillow, panting and trembling. He said, “I-I’m going to see Doctor Su.”
He somewhat missed the abstinent and aloof Crown Prince of the past!
Zong Suiyang was sitting on the edge of the bed, wiping himself with a cloth. He asked, “What for?”
“To have him prescribe medicine for you, to cure your illness,” Pei Xiting said, looking completely without hope.
“You’re a hypocrite,” Zong Suiyang said with a righteous tone. “Why didn’t you say that when you were enjoying yourself?”
Pei Xiting reached out and poked his waist. “When was I enjoying myself? Which eye of yours saw that?”
“Both my eyes saw it, and both my ears heard it.” Zong Suiyang’s gaze was calm, and his tone was placid, but the words that came out made Pei Xiting wish he could stuff a blanket in his mouth. “‘I love this so much,’ ‘Don’t stop,’ ‘I want more,’ ‘I’m going to die’…”
“Aaaargh!” Pei Xiting slammed the bed and roared, “Shut up!”
Zong Suiyang obediently shut up.
Their eyes met. Zong Suiyang leaned in, pressing the head of the now-upright Pei Xiting back down onto the pillow, head-to-head. He said, “There’s one more thing that’s etched in my memory.”
It definitely wasn’t anything clean. Pei Xiting’s gut feeling told him not to ask, but his mouth had a mind of its own. He said, “What is it?”
Zong Suiyang covered half his face with his hand and whispered three words to him like a secret.
“…” Pei Xiting said faintly, “You shameless person.”
“I was just repeating what you said,” Zong Suiyang said, the implication being that the shameless person was someone else.
“You forced me to say it,” Pei Xiting said righteously. “I’m a polite, well-mannered person who has risen above low-level tastes. I could never say such lewd things.”
“No, it was incredibly beautiful,” Zong Suiyang disagreed with Pei Xiting’s description and countered him, his gaze deep. “So I really wish I could listen to your words and just make you my own, right on this bed.”
Pei Xiting flipped over, put his hands together, and begged, “Brother, please, I beg you, maintain your initial persona, thank you.”
“Don’t you like me this way?” Zong Suiyang seemed confused, even a little wronged. His heavy eyes pressed down on Pei Xiting. “You asked me to open my heart. So now, whatever I think, I say, without exaggeration or embellishment. I’m truly making my actions consistent with my words.”
Pei Xiting said with a forced smile, “I love it.”
Zong Suiyang was not satisfied. He pressed down on the top of his head and asked again, “Don’t you like me this way?”
“…” Pei Xiting pursed his lips and gave a slight smile. “I love it.”
He continued to himself, “I’m not going to Doctor Su for medicine anymore. I don’t want you to actually lose it!”
“You worry too much.” Zong Suiyang pinched Pei Xiting’s cheek and released him.
Pei Xiting lay on his side, watching Zong Suiyang get up to light some incense. He said, “Of course I have to worry. Even though that thing is on your body, it’s my precious darling now.”
Zong Suiyang turned to look at him with a fierce gaze.
Pei Xiting laughed, hiding further under the blankets. After a moment, he slyly peeked out with just his eyes and said, “I’m telling you, this is actually a kind of psychological illness.”
Zong Suiyang returned to the edge of the bed and patted Pei Xiting, telling him to roll over. He pulled down the bed curtains after getting in. As soon as he lay down, Pei Xiting rolled into his arms. He held him and said, “Are you quite the expert?”
“Not really, I just know a little,” Pei Xiting said. “Medication isn’t enough; you need psychological treatment as well.”
He was acting like a proper doctor, so Zong Suiyang teased, “What brilliant plan does Doctor Pei have?”
Pei Xiting said, “The medical treatment is up to Doctor Su; you have to ask him to change the prescription. As for the psychological treatment, you can leave that to me.”
Zong Suiyang’s birth mother had died young, and his father was a madman. From a young age, he had faced frequent and intense dangers. Of course, Pei Xiting suspected this was one of Zong Suiyang’s ways of coping, that he used blood and violence to vent his repressed inner feelings. During the time Crown Prince Yuanhe was in trouble, Zong Suiyang was even more anxious. Therefore, you could say that he had been in a state of instability from childhood to youth, suffering both physical and mental trauma, which ultimately made him even more reclusive and repressed.
“…If only I had appeared a little earlier,” Pei Xiting blurted out.
Zong Suiyang was stunned for a moment and then comforted him, “It’s not too late now.”
“If I had appeared earlier, I would have pursued you earlier and pestered you to take me wherever you went. Then I could have been by your side. Although you were never truly alone, I’m different from Commander Yu and the others, aren’t I?” Pei Xiting said.
“Yes, you are different.” Zong Suiyang saw that Pei Xiting was feeling down and quickly tried to cheer him up. “Doctor Pei, you still haven’t told me how you’re going to cure my illness.”
Doctor Pei snapped back to reality, winked at Zong Suiyang, and said with a smile, “With me treating you like my precious darling, I guarantee you a speedy recovery.”
“Alright, I believe in Doctor Pei.” Zong Suiyang kissed Pei Xiting’s lips and whispered, “From now on, you’ll have to give me lots of affection.”
Pei Xiting didn’t say anything. He buried his head in Zong Suiyang’s arms, put his leg over him, and held him tightly.
Zong Suiyang said, “I can’t breathe.”
“You didn’t mind my weight when you were holding me and doing it, but now you’re complaining?” Pei Xiting glared at him.
Zong Suiyang didn’t dare to argue. He held Pei Xiting and rolled over, and after a moment of playing around, he said, “Be obedient, go to sleep.”
“Oh,” Pei Xiting said coolly. “Good night.”
Zong Suiyang kissed Pei Xiting’s cheek, tucked him in, and said, “Good night, and have sweet dreams.”
—
“His Highness still hasn’t appeared today. What’s going on? We’ve never had a situation like this before. Could it be… could His Highness’s life be in danger?!”
The ministers who were gathered together and whispering all took a deep breath when they heard this, but no one thought the speaker was exaggerating. Because you have to know that although His Highness rarely presided over court meetings, he was definitely not unconcerned about state affairs. On the contrary, his track record was impressive.
For instance, there was a time when he, with a high fever and a pale, weary face, deliberated with his officials from dusk until dawn. In the middle of the night, he even presided over an embezzlement case. When the morning session ended, he walked more steadily than any of the other ministers. Another time, shortly after he moved into the East Palace, he was targeted in an assassination attempt by rebels. The air in the pavilion was still thick with the smell of blood, but he, with two arrowheads just removed from his body, lay on a chaise longue discussing disaster relief with the ministers of the six ministries. Just a few days later, the ministers received news that the Crown Prince had already arrived in the disaster-stricken county. There were countless such examples. In short, the Crown Prince was so diligent, strong, and robust that it terrified the ministers!
But now, the Crown Prince had been absent from three consecutive sessions. Even his close guard, Commander Yu, was missing. How could they not be afraid?
The officials broke into small groups, debating fiercely about why the Crown Prince had been absent for three sessions without cause. They all came to the same terrifying conclusion. Just as they chose a representative team—the most fearless censors—to go and ask the little prince about the Crown Prince’s whereabouts, a group of people suddenly emerged from the corridor.
At the head of the group was none other than the Crown Prince himself!
He was wearing a gold-embroidered cloak, a tall cap, and brocade robes. His face was as fair as snow, and he looked… very healthy! In fact, his complexion was rosier than usual, suggesting he was in a good mood.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief, feeling as if the weather had suddenly brightened.
“Hey, Deputy Minister Pei, isn’t that your third son?” The Minister of Imperial Households patted Pei Yan’s arm and stared in horror at the young man following Zong Suiyang. “Why is your third son wearing the same style of cloak as the Crown Prince? That’s a violation of regulations and a great disrespect!”
Pei Yan replied in equal horror, “I… I really didn’t know!”
“Oh, I heard it was a winter garment bestowed by the Empress.” The Minister of Rites was in charge of ancestral temple sacrifices. He had just gone to Fengyi Palace two days ago to report the year-end sacrificial arrangements to Empress Qu and the little prince, overhearing the tidbit. He smiled and said, “Deputy Minister Pei, the Empress is very fond of your third son. That cloak would not be out of place even on an imperial prince. It’s truly a blessing to have such a lovable son.”
“I am grateful for Her Majesty’s favor…” Pei Yan offered a dry chuckle, sighing inwardly.
The Crown Prince entered Mingzheng Hall and told Pei Xiting to go to the sleeping quarters to rest before summoning the officials for the meeting.
Little King, acting sneakily and poised for action, immediately seized the opportunity to find Pei Xiting to play once the two were finally separated. Pei Xiting stroked the tiger’s head and walked it along the corridor, where he saw palace attendants pruning flowers and branches.
“Shouldn’t we hang some festive lanterns or tassels?”
The garden manager, who was giving instructions, immediately walked to the corridor, bowed to Pei Xiting, and said, “Pei-wenshu, you don’t know, but in the past, we never hung these small things. His Highness likes simplicity.”
“The New Year is next month. If we don’t hang anything, these branches will be bare and desolate,” Pei Xiting said. “Go ahead and hang them. I’ll talk to His Highness about it.”
The manager didn’t doubt Pei-wenshu’s influence with the Crown Prince; their relationship was known to everyone in the East Palace. He quickly agreed with a smile, “We happen to have quite a few small lanterns stored in the storeroom, all of which were distributed by the palace in the past. It will be so pretty at night once we hang them.”
“Alright, you all get back to work,” Pei Xiting said, patting Little King before walking away.
They took a leisurely stroll around the corridor. By the time they returned to the front, the meeting had ended, and the ministers were leaving the palace one after another. As Pei Xiting got closer, he overheard someone say, “This matter is too strange,” and raised his eyebrows. He turned to You Zong, who had just emerged, and asked, “My lord, did something happen?”
Little King bumped its head against You Zong’s leg, not for any reason other than to be provocative. You Zong, however, chose not to engage, successfully defusing the situation. He said, “Someone wants to clear Crown Prince Yuanhe’s name.”
Pei Xiting was startled. “Who?”
“We don’t know. Someone posted a letter written in blood on the notice board of the government office this morning. The common people saw it, and the rumor has spread like wildfire, causing an uproar in Yejing,” You Zong said. “With the New Year approaching, in order to appease the public and prevent unrest, His Highness has ordered the Three Judicial Offices to re-examine the case of Crown Prince Yuanhe, with the Longhe Division providing supervision.”
Pei Xiting raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He saw You Zong off, and on the way, he said, “Oh, by the way, I painted a picture for your younger brother.”
You Zong was taken aback.
“I was staying in the mountains for the past two days and couldn’t run around, so I was bored indoors. I happened to hear His Highness say that the portrait he painted of your brother is probably old, so I repainted one,” Pei Xiting said. “If you don’t mind, I will give it to you next time you enter the palace.”
“…I don’t mind.” You Zong smiled slightly and said, “Thank you.”
Pei Xiting smiled and said, “It’s no trouble. You don’t have to thank me. I’ll have it mounted for you. It’s cold in the winter, and the painting could be damaged.”
“Good,” You Zong looked to the side at the person walking toward them and said nothing.
Pei Xiting followed his gaze and met Shangguan Jie’s eyes.
“Lord You.” Shangguan Jie and You Zong exchanged greetings, and then he turned to Pei Xiting and said, “Xiting, I have something to tell you.”
Pei Xiting said, “Young Marquis, you can speak your mind. Lord You is not an outsider.”
“…” He’s not an outsider; he’s your lover! Shangguan Jie gritted his teeth inwardly. But with You Zong standing right there, and this being the East Palace, he couldn’t force Pei Xiting to leave. He had to restrain himself.
Shangguan Jie told himself to not get riled up, not to be rude, and not to act recklessly. He took a deep breath before asking, “Did you like the birthday gift I gave you?”
Pei Xiting was momentarily stunned. Had Shangguan Jie given him a birthday gift?
You Zong kept his eyes down and said nothing.
Pei Xiting thought about it carefully but couldn’t recall anything. After all, he had been inseparable from the Crown Prince for the past few days and hadn’t had a chance to look at the gift list. He could only politely say, “Thank you for the thoughtfulness, Young Marquis.”
“As long as you like it, I…” Shangguan Jie trailed off.
“Young Marquis, just say what you want to say,” Pei Xiting said with a half-smile. “You’re not one to think before you speak.”
Shangguan Jie met Pei Xiting’s gaze and suddenly remembered the incident at Fumeng Tower. He was speechless for a moment. After a moment’s silence, he said, “Have you had any strange dreams recently?”
Pei Xiting thought for a moment and said, “Do wet dreams count?”
Shangguan Jie subconsciously glanced at You Zong, his heart burning with jealousy. Was he flirting right in front of him?!
You Zong: “…”
“…No, they don’t count.” Shangguan Jie took a deep breath, almost grinding his teeth as he said, “I’m talking about very strange dreams, for example… about a past life?”
“Oh—” Pei Xiting drew out the sound. Under Shangguan Jie’s expectant gaze, he shook his head slightly. “No.”
Shangguan Jie’s eyes dimmed, but he quickly convinced himself, saying, “It’s better if you haven’t…”
Pei Xiting was now certain that Shangguan Jie had indeed dreamed about the original plot involving him and “Pei Xiting,” but he believed it was a past life. Shangguan Jie hoped that “Pei Xiting” had the same dreams to confirm their deep connection, but on second thought, he realized that if “Pei Xiting” knew what had happened between them, he would resent him deeply, so it was better for him not to know.
Seeing Shangguan Jie’s increasingly obvious look, You Zong said, “Xiting, you don’t need to see me out. His Highness is still waiting for your documents and ledgers.”
“Oh, then I’ll head back.” Pei Xiting nodded to You Zong. “Take care, my lord.”
You Zong nodded in response, then looked at Shangguan Jie and said, “Young Marquis, let’s walk together.”
“…” Shangguan Jie forced a smile. “Lord You, you don’t have to be so enthusiastic.”
“His Highness has ordered a re-examination of the Crown Prince Yuanhe case. The Grand Minister who presided over the case back then with the Imperial Censor Wang Wei and former Minister of Justice Wen Guogong was your father, Marquis Shangguan,” You Zong said. “Young Marquis, we have a lot to talk about.”
Shangguan Jie’s expression changed slightly. “In that case, Lord You, please.”
After he spoke, he looked at Pei Xiting, who had just turned and walked away. The tiger even turned its head and glared at him fiercely, as if warning him not to get close to Pei Xiting.
Shangguan Jie stared at Pei Xiting’s back, his heart a tangle of complex emotions. Suddenly, his vision was filled with You Zong’s expressionless face.
“…”
“Young Marquis,” You Zong said, gesturing with his hand. “After you.”
Shangguan Jie could no longer hold back. “Lord You really cares about Xiting, don’t you!”
“Xiting is very likable, and I feel the same,” You Zong said warmly.
To Shangguan Jie, this was not just a hint but also a warning—a declaration of ownership. His expression turned twisted. “Since Lord You knows that Xiting is so likable, you shouldn’t be so stingy as to not even let others look at him.”
“I don’t care if others look at him, but…” You Zong paused for a moment, saying meaningfully, “If that gaze is unwelcome to Xiting, then I will naturally intervene.”
Shangguan Jie: “…”
(ಡ艸ಡ) stupid Jie
Boss You is best man ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧