“So? Any ideas yet?”
At some unknown moment, Yi Hua had quietly drawn close. Leaning down, he spoke beside Ning Xuan’s ear, his warm, damp breath brushing against the sensitive skin behind it. The sudden proximity startled Ning Xuan so badly that his entire body stiffened, turning rigid as wood.
Taking advantage of his taller frame, Yi Hua braced both hands on the table, reaching around from behind Ning Xuan’s shoulders. Surrounded on all sides by that scorching presence, Ning Xuan felt utterly trapped, unable to move an inch. One of Yi Hua’s hands even casually flipped a page, as though consulting it for reference.
“This artist is quite accomplished,” Yi Hua mused, his voice low as he lingered thoughtfully. “Look at the expression, the composition, the interplay between solid and void—the gradations of ink, rich yet controlled…”
After a brief pause, he returned to the original page with a sweeping motion of his hand. Without the slightest restraint, he pointed directly at the blurred, most intimate connection between the entwined figures. “And here—how exactly are you supposed to redraw this part?”
Ning Xuan’s already flushed face surged to an unbearable heat. His mind exploded into chaos. Of all the things—why did I have to pick up a damn spring palace manual while airing books? And why, of all places, did my sweat have to smudge that part?!
“Haha… th-this… no rush, no rush…” he forced out with difficulty. His throat felt dry as sand. Normally quick-witted and sharp-tongued, he now stumbled helplessly over his own words.
It was one thing for two grown men to sit together in the dead of night, chatting under lamplight—but poring over a spring palace manual together? And one depicting male intimacy, no less?!
Panicking, Ning Xuan reached out, intending to snap the book shut and brush the matter aside with a laugh. But Yi Hua was quicker—his hand darted out, blocking the pages midway.
“Why the hurry to close it?” Yi Hua said calmly. “With our current status, such things are rare to come by. We might as well study it—there’s plenty to learn. Who knows, it might even come in handy someday.”
He spoke with perfect seriousness, as though what he was studying so intently was not an explicit manual, but some grand treatise on military strategy.
“Take this part, for instance—” He flipped back to the page labeled Riding Position, pointing at the two intertwined figures. “How deep do you think it has to go to bring about this kind of reaction?”
Damn it! Ning Xuan nearly exploded. Not only was he stuck in the middle of the night examining explicit illustrations of men with another man—he was now expected to enthusiastically discuss the fine points of technique?!
Even if this guy had fallen from wealth, he was still once a scholar, wasn’t he? Where the hell was his sense of shame? That face of his—thicker than the imperial city walls!
“The sons of wealthy families don’t study merely to pass the imperial exams and bring honor to their clan like common folk,” Yi Hua remarked casually, as though reading Ning Xuan’s thoughts. “Haven’t you heard of wastrel young masters?”
Though Ning Xuan only showed him a profile, Yi Hua seemed uncannily perceptive.
His arms tightened slightly, further trapping Ning Xuan within his hold. The sudden closeness left Ning Xuan flustered, too awkward even to push him away. The involuntary twitching of his face only earned a soft, amused chuckle at his ear.
A glint flashed in Ning Xuan’s bright black eyes—then realization dawned. Yi Hua was clearly getting back at him for earlier, deliberately teasing him.
His brows drew together. His delicate face, still carrying a trace of youthful softness, puffed slightly with irritation. Turning his head, intending to retaliate blow for blow, Ning Xuan forgot just how close they already were.
A searing warmth brushed across his cheek.
Like a dragonfly skimming the water, their lips met—just barely—but it felt as though countless tiny currents surged through that fleeting contact, racing along every nerve and striking straight into the mind, spreading throughout his entire body.
The unexpected touch stunned them both.
Even Yi Hua, who had worn that constant half-smile, froze momentarily. As for Ning Xuan—already stiff—he turned to stone entirely, locked in a twisted posture, his expression one of utter disbelief.
Their eyes met.
Dark pupils reflected one another like clear mirrors. The distance between them shrank, their images growing larger, closer—until Ning Xuan finally realized just how intimate the moment had become, how dangerously suggestive the atmosphere.
By then, Yi Hua’s heated breath had already mingled with his own. He could even catch the man’s distinct scent, drifting faintly but unmistakably.
“Mm—!”
Just as Ning Xuan tried to push him away, the suddenly looming face froze him in place again. His dark eyes widened in shock as warm breath passed between them.
He could only stiffly register the sensation of moist warmth tracing along his lips, as though in disbelief—until that probing heat attempted to deepen further.
Like a thunderclap striking his mind, Ning Xuan snapped awake.
Without hesitation, he bit down viciously on the offending intrusion. Though Yi Hua reacted quickly, he was still a moment too late to avoid it entirely.
“Mm.” Yi Hua wiped the faint trace of blood from his tongue with the back of his hand, clicking his tongue with a hint of lingering amusement. “Not a bad taste—but wasn’t that a bit ruthless? Look, you’ve drawn blood.”
He even stuck out his tongue pitifully for Ning Xuan to inspect.
Seeing not a shred of remorse on his face, Ning Xuan’s anger surged even higher. Gathering all his strength, he lunged forward—only for Yi Hua to sidestep him effortlessly.
Losing his balance, Ning Xuan braced for an inevitable collision with the ground—yet instead found himself caught in Yi Hua’s arms, spared from the fall.
“Tsk, tsk,” Yi Hua sighed dramatically. “If you wanted to throw yourself into my embrace, there’s no need to rush. If you’re interested, I certainly wouldn’t refuse.”
As he spoke, he even sounded as though he were the one being taken advantage of.
How did I forget? Ning Xuan cursed inwardly. He’s a guard—of course he knows martial arts! And I just charged at him head-on like an idiot!
Now held firmly in Yi Hua’s embrace in a posture straight out of some heroic rescue, and forced to endure his teasing murmured at close range, Ning Xuan ground his teeth in fury.
I’m the one who got taken advantage of here, alright?!
His round, bright eyes glared fiercely, his usually alluring phoenix eyes stretched wide with indignation. He stared fixedly at Yi Hua’s approaching face, brimming with unfinished intent, his entire body tense like a drawn bow.
Try that again, and I’ll bite you to death, his expression seemed to say.
They remained locked like that for a moment—until Yi Hua was the first to break, letting out a soft laugh.
“Heh… what kind of expression is that? We’re both men—it was just a kiss. It didn’t even amount to anything. You won’t lose a piece of flesh over it.”
He released his hold on Ning Xuan, then added lazily, “Anyone seeing that look on your face would think I’d killed your parents, violated your wife, and was about to do the same to you before killing you.”
The moment he was free, Ning Xuan darted away to the other side of the table as though avoiding a highly contagious plague. His lively black eyes remained fixed warily on Yi Hua, afraid he might suddenly do something outrageous again.
“Are you out of your damn mind?” Ning Xuan snapped. “Showing up out of nowhere in the middle of the night, causing all this trouble—and then this—and you still have the nerve to say it’s nothing? Go out there and let some random stranger force a kiss on you—see if you still think it’s no big deal!”
Yi Hua remained completely unfazed. Instead, he shrugged nonchalantly and said with a grin, “Sure. You’re welcome to return the favor anytime.”
Damn it!
There was simply no reasoning with him.
Between himself and the people of this era, there was clearly an unbridgeable gulf.
Futile Devices Scans 
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