Qi Xutian was about to speak but the voice of Chief Liu came through the door of the Imperial Study, "Your Majesty, dinner is ready."
"Alright, I know." Liu Yi appeared at an inopportune time. Qi Xutian looked at Qi Mingyue's smiling eyes and smiled suggestively, "MingEr might not be hungry right now, but I'm famished. It's better to satisfy me first..."
Outside the door, Liu Yi's calm voice came in again, "Since Your Highness is not well, this minister instructed the Imperial Dining Room to prepare a lighter meal. When will Your Highness eat?"
"I'm coming, I've bothered Chief Liu with this trouble." Qi Mingyue raised his voice to reply, saying the word 'bother' with an obvious smile. Naturally, he knew that the timing of Chief Liu's appearance was too coincidental.
Qi Xutian frowned as he watched MingEr get up, straighten his clothes, and walk towards the door. After walking a few steps, he turned back and smiled at him, "Aren't you hungry, Father? If you don't come to dine with me, the food would get cold."
The pride in Qi Mingyue's eyes caused Qi Xutian to curve his lips, approach him from behind, and pull Qi Mingyue into his arms. He leaned over to complain in a whisper next to his ear, "What about me? I still... feel hot." And he tightened his grip further and ground his lower half against him.
Feeling the hardness against his buttocks made Qi Mingyue stiffen, he turned back and glared at him, "Father--"
He was overstimulated this time. What could they do now? They couldn't just do anything in the Imperial study with Chief Liu standing right in front of the door.
Although the door was closed, for Chief Liu, its presence or absence made no difference. Not to mention there was Wu Yao as well as the shadow guards in the dark. They weren't allowed to enter the bedroom, but here, he had seen them enter. Although he didn't mind, he didn't have the habit of doing private things under the watch of others.
Qi Xutian thought of this too and regretfully let go of him but still picked him up to kiss him for a while before letting go.
When the door was opened, Liu Yi - who had been waiting outside the door - didn't appear any different and still looked calm. Qi Xutian smiled at him, "Liu Yi, you did that intentionally." It seemed like a compliment but Liu Yi naturally knew of the warning in His Majesty's smile.
"I don't dare. His Highness is unwell, I would naturally not dare to neglect." With a flat look, Liu Yi bowed and walked to the side. Qi Xutian snorted coldly but no longer said anything. MingEr was indeed unwell, it was inappropriate.
When they arrived at the front hall, the table was filled with various dishes. Both of them sat down to eat together.
Qi Mingyue randomly picked the vegetables in front of him, put them in his mouth, and nodded with satisfaction. The crisp vegetables were quite suitable for his taste. He tasted a few more with his chopsticks then remembered that Father Emperor was in the study longer than usual. He couldn't help asking: "Father returned late. Were you busy with court affairs?"
"I was just being interrupted repeatedly, so it took some time to sanction them. And those in the harem began to be restless again." Qi Xutian picked up a fish with chopsticks and smiled as he put it into his bowl, "You need to eat more to grow up fast."
Qi Mingyue was drinking soup and coughed lightly at his words, "Thank you, Father, for your concern." He took a handkerchief and wiped his mouth. How could he not understand what he meant? Facing his eyes filled with an evil smile, Qi Mingyue raised his brows and said with profound meaning in his eyes, "Mingyue also hopes to grow up sooner." Only then could he see how Father Emperor would look under him, he wondered what kind of an amorous feeling that would be...
The two of them were eating while thinking about each other, formulating cunning plans. Liu Yi, who was standing close by, looked at such a similar pair of father and son, shook his head, and flashed a smile.
"Liu Yi, why are you shaking your head? What do you want to say?" Qi Xutian asked intentionally because they were interrupted by him earlier.
Chief Liu just couldn't stand his Father's face. He kept to himself usually and it was rare for him to show expressions. Father Emperor was really vengeful and remembered his enemies. Qi Mingyue looked at Liu Yi with sympathy.
"The minister just remembered that His Highness' Mother came recently. Since she hasn't been able to meet His Highness these days, she misses him. It's a pity." Then he shook his head again, his face impassive but his eyes were smiling with a deeper meaning.
"Oh? Consort Mother often comes to the Imperial Study to visit Father? Why didn't you tell me that I don't need to go to Ningxi Pavilion to meet her? As long as I wait with you, I could have seen her?" Qi Mingyue's eyes brimming with interest swept over to his figure.
Qi Xutian smiled, "Isn't MingEr waiting to watch the show? But now that it's starting, how can you disturb the interest of others? I didn't intend to hide it, but I just didn't want you to be too close to her." Because one day, when he would have to deal with her, he wouldn't feel sad or reluctant.
With his eyes closed, Qi Mingyue said lightly: "Consort Mother just wants Father's love. She's the same as the Empress and other concubines of the palace." But the man beside him gave all his feelings to his own son.
"MingEr always pities those women easily but why don't you pity your Father more? The harem is as beautiful as a cloud, even though I'm very passionate, I can't care for each of them one by one. Moreover, with you here, why would I wrong myself by caring about them and make you unhappy?"
Indeed, if he really saw his Father care about others as much he cared about him, he wouldn't be able to bear it. But Father seemed to be a little dissatisfied with his attitude. "I am not a philanthropist. To say I show kindness and pity towards others, there are only Hong Qui and Ying Ran who were sent by you, and even they have been dispatched by you to do business because of it. I don't pity anyone else." Although dissatisfied, he wasn't angry about it. Unexpectedly, he remembered Princess Ninglu who had been banned because of him. Since then, she had rarely been seen. He might not even be able to recognise her if he ever saw her again.
"There is also Jiang Yao." Qi Xutian reminded coldly while adding some more dishes to his bowl.
Qi Mingyue swallowed the food in his mouth, then sighed helplessly, "Tomorrow, I have to go to Ranxin Pavilion. Don't be angry with her, I will come back after I understand the matter of Nian Chen, so don't go looking for me again." In order for the situation to not be as chaotic as the aftermath of the last incident, he had to warn him. Although Jiang Yao's position was unshakable, rumours would still hurt her. Thinking of her past, he inevitably felt some pity for her and didn't want her to be hurt again.
•×•×•×•
The next day, in Ranxin Pavilion, Jiang Yao was sitting in front of the window, fiddling with the small claws of Little Black. She heard a maid come in to report about the Second Prince Qi Mingyue's visit. She couldn't help showing a little surprise.
Looking down from the windowsill, the jade-coloured figure was waiting outside the pavilion, looking around the courtyard full of Luotong flowers as they swayed gently along with the breeze. A few red petals fell down, embellished the ground. The sight of the teenager's leisurely posture with the flame-like flowers was like a gorgeous painting, it effortlessly made people fascinated.
It was really... Why can't I hate him? With a sigh, Jiang Yao withdrew her gaze, ordered for refreshments to be prepared and invited him in. She watched the young man walk inside the pavilion calmly and disappear from her sight.
After adjusting her clothes, she tied up her long hair and put on her leather wrist guard. Little Black fluttered his wings a few times and latched onto her arm, the wristguard acted as a cushion. Rubbing her finger against his sharp beak, she said, "Little Black, I'm going to see that guy again, I can't do anything stupid this time. Vomiting blood is not fun at all." She chuckled and made her way downstairs.
Qi Mingyue looked around the still disorderly outer hall and raised his lips into a small smile. She was still the same as last time and brought her Little Black downstairs.
"I didn't know that Your Highness was coming, please forgive Jiang Yao for being negligent. Do you want to drink tea?" She waved her hand to make the maid retreat and placed Little Black on the scaffold beside her. She sat down on a random couch, picked up a celadon tea bowl, poured a cup of tea for him and handed it over.
He rarely saw such a tea bowl in the palace. The items he usually used were very finely made. This bowl wasn't jade-like white akin to fine porcelain, instead, it was a small jade cup. The one he received in his hand was of ordinary texture, with blue and white flowers, and of rough and clumsy craftsmanship. It could be found everywhere outside the palace. For Qi Mingyue, it felt a little unusual but pleasant.
Seeing him stare at the teacup without speaking, Jiang Yao smiled and said, "You might not be used to it. I have other cups here, I can order someone to change it."
"No, it's alright. I think it's better to use this tea bowl. It makes me feel as if I'm not in the palace but sitting at a friend's house. It's very relaxing." After smelling the fragrance of the tea, he showed a smile and spoke, "Does Your Highness know why I came here?"
Upon hearing his words of feeling relaxed at a friend's house, she felt stunned. After listening to his question, Jiang Yao nodded apologetically, "I didn't know that I ended up making Your Highness suffer because of my arbitrary actions. I'm afraid Your Highness is here today to inquire about it."
"I am here to ask Your Highness for advice."
Jiang Yao stared at him in astonishment and intended to speak but choked on her words and started coughing. Gasping, she took medicine out of the sleeve and ate it. Feeling relieved, she addressed the youngster's concerned eyes. "His Majesty has always been merciless in his actions but this time, he has already shown mercy." She explained with a smile and continued, "Don't call Your Highness or the like, just call me Jiang Yao, alright? We don't have to be so ceremonial, I don't care about those manners."
Qi Mingyue took a sip of tea and felt that this scene was very familiar as if he had returned to that day. He couldn't help but smile gently, "Then, can I call you 'Yao'? My 'Second Highness' title should also be changed, don't you think so?"
"Well, Mingyue." She chuckled but then it gradually faded away, "If His Majesty heard it, he'll get angry again." Her eyes involuntarily turned to look outside the window in a certain direction with a bitter smile on her lips.
Qi Mingyue followed her gaze and found that in the distance of that direction was the Xuantian Palace, across the Taoist walls, with layers on pavilions, such a distance but she was still willing to do it. There was the twelve floor Jing Xiaozhuang, Wang Xiang, the fairy tower...
"Yao... fell in love with Father on the day you were rescued by him." And that's why she was willing to stay in the palace and only ask for a moment of warmth.
Indus: I know the title doesn't make sense. That's MTL for you. *shrugs* The Chinese characters literally translated to Palace Words.
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