Yi Hua seemed to remember something and abruptly leaned forward. Ning Xuan was so startled that he retreated two steps across the table, looking exactly like a frightened kitten.
“Was that your first?” Yi Hua’s eyes and brows were filled with teasing amusement.
Bah! He still has the nerve to ask whether that was my first kiss! Someone as handsome, charming, and breathtakingly attractive as me—no, someone as dashing and universally adored as me—couldn’t possibly have reached this age without ever kissing anyone! Even if I haven’t, just because I’ve never eaten pork doesn’t mean I’ve never seen a pig run!
“Who said it was?” Ning Xuan answered before his brain could intervene, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
“Then there’s no issue.” Yi Hua straightened and shrugged, his smile unchanged. “If both parties were willing, what harm is there in one kiss?”
“Who was willing with you?!” Ning Xuan felt as though he was trying to communicate with an alien. When had he ever given Yi Hua the impression that the feeling was mutual?
“You were staring at me with such intense concentration, your face was red, and you didn’t resist when I came closer. Naturally, I assumed you were willing. Besides, weren’t you the one who turned around and kissed me first?” As though he had read Ning Xuan’s mind, Yi Hua thoughtfully explained.
“I never…” Ning Xuan no longer had the strength to argue. This time, even jumping into the Yellow River would not wash him clean. I didn’t resist because I hadn’t recovered yet! And I turned around to kiss you? You were teasing me, and I was trying to shove you away!
He closed the book he had restored by only a third, along with the accursed volume of Spring Palace illustrations that had caused everything. Yi Hua’s interference had destroyed whatever desire Ning Xuan still possessed to care about the books or the consequences of being exposed. He packed away the brushes and ink, then glanced at the moon hanging high outside. He should still be able to sleep for two hours.
“Do you have anything else to do?” Ning Xuan asked without looking back.
Recognizing the order to leave, Yi Hua tactfully walked toward the door. Before departing, he bowed in thanks. “Thank you for sheltering me. Come and find me whenever you need something.”
Watching Yi Hua disappear, Ning Xuan could only hope he would never again suffer the terrible luck of meeting that plague-bringer.
He trudged back to his room with his head hanging. In the pitch-dark interior, Mo Qi’s soft, steady breathing could faintly be heard. Sleep, sleep, sleep—that’s all he knows. How can this fellow live so comfortably when he starts work before sunrise and doesn’t stop until long after sunset?
Ning Xuan tiptoed into bed and tucked the blanket around himself. Though he felt no sleepiness whatsoever, he forced himself to close his eyes and forget the day’s chaos as quickly as possible.
At the same time, a servant’s clear announcement suddenly rang through the courtyard of Tinghe Residence in the western wing. “Prince Rong has arrived!”
The words had barely fallen and Prince Rong Feng Xuanyi had not yet entered the courtyard when shadows stirred within the room. The door flew open, and servants and maids hurried out, arranging themselves respectfully in two rows. Each lowered their eyes, knelt, and bowed. A splendidly dressed man quickly passed between them. Though his steps were slightly hurried, every movement remained graceful and alluring. He knelt elegantly before the others, clasping his hands atop his knees. His lowered face concealed his appearance, yet even beneath rich brocade, his slender figure resembled a delicate willow bending in the wind. Several strands of dark hair had slipped across his forehead and temples, whether deliberately or not, making his smooth, pale skin appear even more flawless beneath the moonlight.
A pair of dark-brown riding boots stopped before him. “Rise.” The deep, magnetic voice alone was enough to unsettle the heart.
The man obediently stood, gazing in fascination at Feng Xuanyi’s handsome face and the familiar trace of a smile upon it. His lips were always faintly raised, always giving others the warmth of a spring breeze, yet no one could ever see through him—and few dared try.
Feng Xuanyi wore no splendid robes, only a thin martial outfit fitted closely at the waist, wrists, and ankles. Even his long black hair had been tied simply with a ribbon. He wore no ornament at all, yet his brilliance made it difficult to look directly at him. Beside him, the other man appeared far more richly dressed. The jewels in his hair alone were worth an unknown fortune, to say nothing of the gold-threaded brocade and the pendant at his waist. Yet for all his expensive finery, he still could not rival Feng Xuanyi’s effortless nobility and presence, even when the prince wore plain clothes without a single jewel.
The man followed Feng Xuanyi inside. Whether they served Tinghe Residence or had accompanied the prince, every servant and maid tactfully remained outside and gently closed the door behind their masters.
“Liu Yin thought Your Highness wasn’t coming tonight.” Liu Yin pouted and complained softly, seeming half aggrieved and half coquettish. Yet the glances he occasionally stole at Feng Xuanyi could not conceal his shyness and anticipation.
Feng Xuanyi chuckled. “If I hadn’t come, wouldn’t you have overturned the entire residence?” He pulled Liu Yin into his arms and indulgently pinched his nose.
Liu Yin settled naturally onto Feng Xuanyi’s lap, wrapped both arms around his neck, and rested his delicate pale face against the man’s chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. When Feng Xuanyi pinched his nose, Liu Yin twisted away in protest. Unable to escape, he cast him a reproachful glance. There was little anger in it, however, and far more captivating seduction. “This lowly one wouldn’t dare. Besides, even if I made a scene, it would be pointless if Your Highness refused to hear it.”
Feng Xuanyi’s faint smile remained. “Are you trying to tell me something?”
The speaker might not have intended anything, but the listener certainly did. Moreover, the person holding Liu Yin intimately was a prince born at the center of power and desire, someone forced to learn intrigue before he had even learned to walk. When it came to political schemes and reading hidden intentions, how many people in the world could surpass him? Over the past two days, the residence had been filled with gossip that the Second Madam, Shen Shuyuan, was furious over Prince Rong’s recent exclusive favor toward his male concubine Liu Yin and had caused an uproar at Tinghe Residence. Early that very morning, she had arrived with an imposing entourage, smashed objects, and shouted abuse. Although no one had come to blows, the female and male concubines who gathered to watch had packed the courtyard so tightly that water could not have passed through. Their eager embellishments had caused the story to spread in vivid detail. Feng Xuanyi might have been occupied with political affairs, but it would have been impossible for him not to hear.
The question sounded casual, and the smile upon Feng Xuanyi’s face did not fade in the slightest, yet Liu Yin’s heart immediately went cold. His body trembled uncontrollably in the prince’s arms.
Feng Xuanyi noticed and laughed softly, though the curve of his lips grew colder and more merciless. One hand gently smoothed the loose hair beside Liu Yin’s temple again and again. “I haven’t said anything. There’s no need to be so frightened.”
Liu Yin relaxed slightly, but did not dare lower his guard. Accompanying a ruler was like accompanying a tiger. Feng Xuanyi had not yet ascended to the highest position, but no one could say which prince would ultimately inherit the Hua Dynasty’s vast realm.
Feng Xuanyi suddenly lowered his head and brushed a kiss across Liu Yin’s forehead. As though the previous exchange had never occurred, he began speaking casually. “See? I came to keep you company as soon as I saw Eighth Brother off. None of the other madams or concubines receives treatment like this.”
The quiet words almost sounded like a display of favor, offering Liu Yin a chance to seek affection, but from a man like Feng Xuanyi, they already represented the greatest concession and escape route he would provide. Liu Yin understood perfectly. The fact that such a person was willing to give him a way to retreat with dignity was already an extraordinary blessing. Given their difference in status, what else could he ask for—or dare demand?
He gazed infatuatedly at the strong, sharply defined line of Feng Xuanyi’s jaw and obediently offered his crimson lips.
Slender hands and bewildering beauty; distant music and drifting gauze. Soft moans rose and fell, graceful and lingering, stirring the heart. The room overflowed with passion—but how much sincerity existed within either heart?