The brocade box was heavy in his hands. On the moon-white lining rested a pair of accessories: one was a gold press-charm, shaped like a white stork treading upon auspicious clouds, with a string of gentian-flower amethyst tassels held in its beak; the other was a large piece of clear, richly colored amethyst carved into… a little fox sleeping beneath flowers while hugging its tail.
“I get the stork, but what does the fox mean?”
Although his tone was questioning, his voice was sweet and sticky, like a fox that had secretly drunk honey and was now humming in satisfaction. Holding the box, Wei Fu ducked out through the carriage curtain and happily rubbed his way to Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s side, asking him to put them on with his own hands.
“Vermilion and purple” had always been regarded as noble colors, and purple suited him especially well. Yu Gong Zhao Ye hung the amethyst fox pendant at the fox spirit’s waist and answered casually, “You didn’t know? Someone in court gave you a nickname. They call you the ‘Xiling Fox.’ It’s rather cute.”
That definitely was not what they meant…
Wei Fu guiltily wiped away a drop of cold sweat. “Haha, I’ve never heard of that. You Longsha people really do speak beautifully.”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye smoothed the tassels of the press-charm in passing. The delicate little flowers bumped lightly against one another, giving off a fine, pleasant sound.
His expression was calm and focused, as though he were inspecting a finished product, and also as though he were looking over the beloved he had carefully adorned with his own hands.
There was not even the slightest hint of impropriety in that gaze, yet for some reason, it made Wei Fu’s ears heat. It made him clearly feel how he was cherished and treasured, as though gold, silver, pearls, and jade were not precious enough, and heaven, earth, and the shade of flowers were all looking upon him with favor.
Yu Gong Zhao Ye hooked a finger in satisfaction, signaling for him to lower his head, then lightly kissed the corner of Wei Fu’s lips, as if stamping a seal after inspection, and praised, “Very pretty.”
The fox spirit was so captivated by him that his soul nearly left his body, and he blushed all the way to the tips of his ears.
“What made Your Highness suddenly think of giving me this?” Wei Fu took out the small knife from his sleeve and compared it with the amethyst leopard on it. “Did Your Highness carve it yourself?”
Giving jewelry did not really seem like Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s style, but this was indeed something that only Yu Gong Zhao Ye could have made.
“I don’t have that skill. I’d only ruin the material for nothing. I asked a craftsman to carve it.” Yu Gong Zhao Ye was very self-aware. “An ancestral craft, apparently. They once made phoenix crowns for queens before. As expected, the carving is vivid and lifelike.”
“You had a master who makes phoenix crowns carve a fox for you…”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye gave a false cough, refusing to admit that behind Wei Fu’s back, he called him a fox spirit, and forcibly dragged the topic away. “Love of beauty is human nature. The king dresses himself up every day, and the rivers and mountains of the state have not collapsed because of it. Dress however you like. There is no need to care about other people’s eyes. Of course I do not mind either.”
Wei Fu gave a confused “Ah?” For a moment, he did not understand where these words had come from. Yu Gong Zhao Ye glanced at him. “Didn’t you ask me that day whether it would be better to dress up a little?”
He remembered now.
On the day the Capital Security Bureau presented the result of the poisoning case, he had complained in front of Yu Gong Zhao Ye, saying that the king was busy dressing and adorning himself every day. It had originally been a tease, but His Highness had misunderstood and thought Wei Fu was testing the waters.
“That’s not what I meant…” Wei Fu did not know whether to laugh or cry. But dressing for the one who delighted in him was only natural and right; there seemed to be no need to correct it. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Rather than liking dressing up, it would be better to say I like Your Highness dressing me up. That way, Your Highness will like me even more.”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye thought, With this manner of yours, which part of calling you a fox spirit wrongs you?But Wei Fu had already jingled and chimed his way over, using that flattering yet clearly ill-intentioned tone to inquire, “Then, what day is Your Highness’s birthday?”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye did not even turn his head. He looked straight ahead, driving the carriage with an air of solemn righteousness. “What for?”
“Tell me, A’Ying.”
“Want to know?”
Wei Fu nodded devoutly.
Yu Gong Zhao Ye smiled. “Go guess.”
Wei Fu: ?
“Why can’t you tell me?”
Chancellor Wei, who was known in court for being “flexible and quick-witted,” forever had the same first reaction whenever he encountered any obstacle before Yu Gong Zhao Ye. It was not to use his brain, but to charge straight over like a silly goose, nudging him while honking loudly. “Your Highness knows my birthday, but I don’t know yours. That’s not fair!”
“I want to celebrate your birthday with you too! Your Highness—! A’Ying—!!”
But no matter how he pestered, coaxed, acted spoiled, or begged, even chasing after Yu Gong Zhao Ye and kissing him many times, His Highness still relied on his powerful will to keep his mouth shut and did not reveal a single word.
Wei Fu resentfully bit his earlobe and discovered that this piece of cold ice with a heart as hard as iron could not be licked into melting.
At last, he dug his reason out from the field of little pink flowers scattered all over the ground and began to think about why Yu Gong Zhao Ye, who usually yielded to him in every way, would avoid such a harmless little question of all things.
Judging from Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s attitude, this avoidance did not stem from pain or some unspeakable secret, nor did it seem like he was guarding classified information. If they were currently in Bihan City, his birthday would probably be very easy to investigate. So long as Wei Fu intended to, he would find out sooner or later.
His avoidance seemed more like a kind of procrastination born from “fear of trouble”… and perhaps there was also a little bit of wicked intent to watch him jump around anxiously and spin in circles.
Why did Yu Gong Zhao Ye feel that once Wei Fu knew his birthday, there would definitely be trouble?
An invisible tail swayed back and forth behind him. Wei Fu stared at Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s beautifully pale profile in thought. A moment later, inspiration suddenly struck. He straightened with a whoosh and leaned closer, his restless fingers twining around a strand of Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s hair and playing with it as he said softly, “A’Ying, if I remember correctly, we’re the same age, right?”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye glanced at him and said nothing. Wei Fu took this as silent admission, and an ill-intentioned smile immediately appeared at the corner of his lips. Deliberately right in front of Yu Gong Zhao Ye, he drew that lock of hair to his lips and kissed it. “Is your birthday in autumn or winter?” He observed the subtle changes in Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s expression and understood. “Ah, winter.”
“You refuse to tell me because your birthday is later than mine.”
Those fine, broken kisses traveled up along his long hair, gradually invading the space beside Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s ear. Warm breath brushed past his temple, and broken whispers drifted through the wind, while that arrogant smile seemed almost ready to pounce onto his face. “You’re afraid that if I know… I’ll force you to call me gege, aren’t you, A’Ying?”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye: “…”
What a rotten fox. He acted stupid when he ought to be smart, and got clever when he ought to play dumb. In a while, Yu Gong Zhao Ye would simply throw him into the sea.
“Not admitting it?” Wei Fu went to kiss the slightly taut, bow-shaped peak of his lips, pecking him once with every sentence. “So cunning. You’re clearly younger than me, yet before, you even declared that you would be my elder brother, taking advantage of me and deceiving me for so long…”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye was kissed until his spine went numb, and he squeezed a few words out from between his teeth. “Who deceived you… Move aside. Stop blocking me from looking at the road.”
Wei Fu said, “Then call me gege. Call me gege, and I’ll move.”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye: “…”
What had he said? Sure enough, once this little bastard caught hold of a handle, he would never let it go.
He gave Wei Fu an elbow and scolded lightly, “Stop making trouble. If we crash into a tree later, carriage and people together, then I’ll have to call out for you not to die.”
Wei Fu said, “…If you don’t want to, just say you don’t want to. There’s really no need to curse yourself like that. See, I’m sitting properly now. Isn’t gege very good?”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye: “…”
“Are you addicted to this thing?” After being stared at for ages by Wei Fu’s sparkling eyes, Yu Gong Zhao Ye truly had no choice. Both angry and amused, he questioned him, “What’s so good about being gege?”
“It’s good to be your gege,” Wei Fu said with a face full of perfect certainty. “It’s not as though I want to be anyone else’s gege.”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye said, “Then being my younger brother is also quite good.”
Wei Fu said, “Turning black into white… Your Highness, I’m amazed you can even say that.”
“A month or two’s difference doesn’t matter, does it?” Yu Gong Zhao Ye glanced sideways at him. “Besides, weren’t you the one who started it?”
In truth, Wei Fu could not say what specific benefits there were. He only subconsciously felt that being gege meant becoming some kind of intimate “protector.” He wanted to see this person, who seemed indestructible, rely on him, expose all of his vulnerable side before him, think of him first whenever anything happened, and never be able to leave him.
But Yu Gong Zhao Ye seemed to have no weaknesses and did not need anyone to protect him with excessive care. He would even disdain others for holding an umbrella and blocking his view. He truly was very, very difficult to conquer.
Until they reached Yifeng Harbor, dismounted, boarded the boat, and slowly headed out to sea, Wei Fu was still locked in a tug-of-war with Yu Gong Zhao Ye.
The sky gradually darkened. The evening clouds dragged their light skirts and swayed away into the end of the gray-blue sky. The sea turned from clear blue to deep darkness. The waves splashed against the side of the boat with a monotonous and lingering rhythm. Looking around, sea and sky were both vast and boundless, and only a line of lights appeared on the distant shore.
The boat they were riding was called the Golden-Winged Boat, a passenger vessel specially used for people to go out to sea for leisure. Therefore, unlike cargo ships, it was not plain. The hull was decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, adorned especially brilliantly. Needless to say, the guest rooms were spacious and exquisite, and on the second-floor terrace there was a pavilion with flying eaves, furnished with screens, low tables, and other things, where one could lie on a short couch on deck and watch the night scenery.
“Can I really not have you call me gege?”
“No.”
“Then what day is it exactly?”
“Guess.”
“Can I blindfold your eyes tonight?”
“……No.”
“Didn’t you say I could do whatever I wanted today!”
“You can blindfold your own eyes and call me gege.”
Wei Fu was stunned.
“A’Ying, you—you’re so…”
“Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire. Understand?” Yu Gong Zhao Ye said indifferently. “Lust-addled Young Master Wei.”
Wei Fu was rendered speechless by him. After choking for a long while, he suddenly turned over fiercely and pulled Yu Gong Zhao Ye into his arms, biting him on the neck with great effort. He deliberately blew against the back of Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s ear and murmured ambiguously, “I didn’t expect Your Highness liked that sort of thing. That’s fine…”
His Highness, who had been counterattacked, turned his face away, thinking that he had teased him too far, and tried to remedy it. “…I don’t like it that much.”
“But if I can’t see,” Wei Fu pretended not to hear, pressing his forehead against Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s and asking softly to himself, “then A’Ying will have to sit up by himself. Is that all right, good gege?”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye: “…”
Incredible. The fox spirit was showing his power.
He narrowed his eyes in the night wind. In the distant darkness, several streaks of white flame suddenly cut rapidly across the sky. Taking advantage of Wei Fu’s split-second distraction, Yu Gong Zhao Ye lifted his foot to hook Wei Fu’s calf, exerted strength through his waist and abdomen, and twisted. With relaxed ease, he switched their positions. In the blink of an eye, top and bottom reversed, and he was the one pressing Wei Fu down onto the couch.
“……”
“I don’t want to play any gege-didi games with you. Before you do whatever you want, you had better first figure out who I am to you.”
He wore a smile that looked down from above. His lips opened and closed, and those two words merely scratched briefly beside Wei Fu’s ear before they were immediately swept away by the roaring sea wind and drowned beneath the thunderous explosion of fireworks.
Dozens of enormous fireworks burst and bloomed at the same time against the deep-blue night sky. In an instant, ten thousand flowers vied in beauty, and heaven and earth gave birth to spring. The rippling surface of the water reflected a sky full of rainbow colors and golden light, as though an invisible hand had shattered a crystal palace.
The splashing glass turned into a sky full of sparks, dragging colorful tail-flames as they fell from the high heavens into the sea. Flowing light overflowed in brilliant color, like the Heavenly River breaking its banks or mercury pouring across the earth. In the blink of brightness and darkness, another sheet of firefly light rushed one after another into the vast autumn night, continuous and unending, stretching and blooming wantonly, covering the entire sea in a magnificent golden cage woven of light and flame.
The icy moon slowly rose from the eastern horizon of the sea. Out on the water, the faint shadows within the moon’s disc could be seen more clearly, making the moonlight appear even more infinitely bright and pure. Perhaps even dreams would not be so dazzling.
That frost-like moonlight fell lightly beside his cheek.
Wei Fu’s throat rolled with difficulty. He felt that, in a certain instant, his reason had been flattened into ash. Dazedly, he lifted his hand and stroked that soft cheek beneath the cool strands of hair, asking in disbelief, “What did you just… call me?”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye pecked a dragonfly-light kiss on the inside of his wrist and neatly rolled off him. “Nothing.”
“I heard it!” Wei Fu held him tightly, roaring amid the earthshaking booms. “You said it! You called me husband! Didn’t you!”
“You’re not allowed to run! Say it again clearly for me!”
“What?” Yu Gong Zhao Ye played dumb. “It’s too noisy. I can’t hear!”
“Call me husband! Husband!”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye said, “Yes?”
Author’s Notes:
Blindfolded, huh? Haha.
Futile Devices Scans 
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