In the darkness, the smoke of the aromatic incense lingered. The fragrance was so that it felt soft and pleasant to the touch and evoked a feeling of intoxication. When Yan Qing entered the room, he did not let go of Qi Mingyue's hand.
There was not a trace of light in the room. The sound of clothes rubbing against each other was particularly clear in the quiet space. The feeling under his feet was very soft, as if stepping on clouds. After taking a few steps inside, it wasn’t known what he (YQ) fiddled with but the room gradually brightened up with a soft warm light.
Qi Mingyue looked at the scene in front of him and saw thin turquoise drapes falling layer by layer on either side of the bed. Amidst the shades of green, a dark red pillow embroidered with gold lay, revealing an alluring charm. The bed was not neatly made and the pillow wasn’t arranged in place, rather, it rested carelessly on the bed. The corner of the bed cover laid trailing on the ground, and against the pure white flooring, it was actually a charming colour.
Qi Mingyue felt his cheek being touched lightly and looked up to find a person standing in front of him.
The man in front of him was slightly taller and did not appear to be too old, just over twenty. He had sword eyebrows that were slightly raised and his eyes seem to be covered with a fine layer of mist, containing endless gentleness and charm. His lips were well-defined and not tinted with artificial colour, rather, they were naturally crimson and revealed a bit of sensual charm.
Those pair of eyes that seemed to be enveloped in light mist were now focused on him, Qi Mingyue met his gaze, “You are indeed worthy of your fame,” he praised while slightly avoided the hand touching his face and sat down on a chair on the side, “I wonder why Young Master Yan Qing wanted to see me? Just for the music you happened to hear while passing by?”
He had never met anyone who could remain so calm after meeting him, even somewhat aloof. However, if it was the person in front of him, Yan Qing wasn’t surprised. He had long heard from the young servant boy that the person who played Tianyin was extraordinary. But only after meeting him in person did he realize that the word “extraordinary” could not describe the elegance of the person in front of him. Thinking of the purpose of inviting him here, the mist in his eyes gradually thickened. Yan Qing retracted his hand, leaned over and brushed his lips against Qi Mingyue’s ear, “I didn’t just happen to hear, it means that you and I are destined. It's not often that you get to hear Tianyin, how could I miss it?”
Hearing this, a trace of surprise flashed in Qi Mingyue’s heart. He had heard Yan Qing remark on Ruan Tianqi’s identity before, and now, he also knew about Tianyin. The identity of Liufang Pavilion’s top eye candy may not be so simple. With a light nonchalant smile in his eyes, he said lightly, “It seems that Young Master Yan Qing is more than just a good-looking man.”
“I am naturally more than that, I also know quite a lot about...”
A soft sigh reached his (QM) ears after he trailed off with a suggestive undertone. Qi Mingyue didn't understand what exactly Yan Qing was aiming for with such an attitude. It was already getting late now and when he thought of that person, Qi Mingyue suddenly lost interest in probing further, “Young Master Yan Qing wanted to see someone who could play Tianyin and now you have already seen me. If there is nothing else, I will be leaving.”
Upon seeing him getting up to leave, Yan Qing suddenly reached out and wrapped an arm around his waist, “Weren’t you fine a moment ago? Why are you in a hurry to leave now? Is it me making you leave in such haste? Could it be that Ziyao really isn’t attracted to me?”
Looking at the arm encircling his waist, Qi Mingyue's eyes gradually turned cold, “Yan Qing's demeanour is indeed appealing, but unfortunately... I am not interested in people with ulterior motives.” While speaking in a cold tone, a sharp gleam flashed past Qi Mingyue's eyes. He tilted his head sideways and grabbed ahold of his (YQ) wrist that brushed against the side of his neck.
He saw a sharp spike with a chilling glint, an icy shade of turquoise. The person holding it was still smiling, the mist in his eyes became thicker and his eyes grew darker, “It turns out Ziyao not only knows Tianyin but also his martial arts is not weak.”
Half embracing Qi Mingyue, Yan Qing bowed his head and whispered in his ear. His voice was soft, but the chillingly glinting spike was still in his hold. From an outsider's perspective, the two were nestled very close together as if whispering intimately. One stood in the front and the other tightly pressed against him from behind, their hair entwined and evoked a sense of indescribable tenderness. But under this gentle entanglement, an uncanny and peculiar silence lingered.
Qi Mingyue lowered his head and lightly curled his lips. Yan Qing was startled by his cold smile. Such a smile... he seemed to have seen somewhere before. Although it was a long time ago, it left a very deep impression on him. Just as he was about to ask something, the partially closed door slammed open.
A tall figure steadily walked inside. His white robe shrouded under the shadow of the door frame appeared to glow with an indistinct brilliance. A light golden mask covered most of his appearance and partially revealing the lower half of his face, faintly giving a hint to his extraordinarily handsome appearance. The corners of his lips were raised into a light smile, but this smile was frigid and cruel.
“Yan Qing, if you want to die, I[1] will help you make it happen.” These frosty words were spat out word-by-word as he walked into the room step by step with his entire figure raging in fury and murderous intent.
[1] Here, he referred to himself as 本尊 (běnzūn) which can be understood as something like ‘this lord’ but its translation is ‘this venerable/deity’ and it’s an honourable form of addressing oneself to signify higher position/status/power. It is mostly used in xianxia/wuxia (aka some form of cultivation) novels.
This smile was very similar to the one he had just seen, the same lightness and the same coldness, but the person in front of him bore the iciness of death. Yan Qing suddenly realised where this familiar feeling came from. Seeing him approach step by step, he couldn’t help himself from feeling an inexplicable sense of dread. Although he hadn't seen him for a long time, when facing this person, that profound fear was still as clear as yesterday.
Yan Qing hurriedly took a few steps back, he actually came here in person! Could it be that Cheng Ziyao had some special origin and couldn’t be acted upon?
Retracting the spike in his hold, he bowed and said, “Your Excellency, forgive me. I didn’t know, but because of his Tianyin, I...”
“You don’t need to explain.”
Blood splattered as a sharp blade cut across Yan Qing's arm. The blood dripped on the ground and the spike also fell on the floor, completely making the charming atmosphere in the room disappear. What was left was chilling frostiness and the rusty smell of blood. The man’s figure exuded a sense of oppression and his daunting presence almost suffocated people.
Qi Mingyue stared at him and his face was still calm but his eyes remained unblinking, focused and eager; they flashed and revealed the surging emotion in his heart. His lips parted but he didn't say anything. That man stared at him, their eyes intertwined and the tenderness between the two of them made Yan Qing astonished and confused.
“Don't take his life... Xu...” After hesitating for a while, Qi Mingyue finally spoke. Although he was interceding for Yan Qing, his eyes were still fixed on the man wearing the golden mask.
The sword’s blade paused right over Yan Qing's chest and his murderous aura gradually dissipated. The man’s eyes flashed with some indistinct emotion, deep and dark, but as hot as an inferno. He spoke in a somewhat low voice, “Say it again... what did you call me just now?”
Did Father Emperor think he wouldn’t recognize him like this? Such a familiar presence, such an unforgettable voice. Although they had been separated for a long time, how could he forget their intimate entanglement day after day on the bed, that soft teasing chuckle, those flirtatious devious eyes, and the hand that always lingered around his waist? Right in front of him was the man he cared the most about, how could he not know?
Qi Mingyue approached him and held the hand grasping the raised sword, “Xu...” He didn’t want his identity to be exposed so it was inconvenient to call him by their usual form of address, but as soon as this word was spoken, because of seeing each other again after such a long separation, it soothed the pain of their parting. Suddenly, he felt solace and a sense of peace and contentment. Although they were father and son, this father was also his pride.
Upon seeing that the curvature of Lord Sovereign’s lips become more pronounced, Yan Qing paled a little. He knew that there was such a character in the lord’s name, but no one had ever been so audacious.
Cheng Ziyao dared to call him this way, I’m afraid...
To his surprise, Lord showed a gentle smile that no one had ever seen before. The tip of the sword resting over his chest was no longer like before; previously, it had almost pierced his heart and lungs, but now it gradually relaxed its force. Yan Qing held his still bleeding wrist and didn’t dare stop the bleeding, he just closed his eyes. He naturally understood at this moment that the person who was almost injured by him earlier had a very close relationship with the Lord, so what he suffered through was justified. He could only sigh at his bad luck, he shouldn’t have acted against this person.
It was the first time Qi Xutian heard his name come out of MingEr’s mouth. His already deep eyes darkened further. The mixture of his lust for MingEr, the yearning and his pent-up desire as well as the intent to kill Yan Qing, these strong emotions almost made him unable to control himself.
He thought that MingEr would come back to the palace immediately after coming down from the mountain, but later when he learned that he was chatting and laughing with people at the restaurant, he planned to pick him up. However, he heard that he (QM) had followed someone to Liufang Pavilion, which was a famous place for pleasure, how could he not know? When he thought of MingEr entering that place full of prostitutes, how he would come close and laugh with whoever and how many people would see his excellence, he could no longer bear the crazy murderous intent surging in his heart and threw the oblivious ministers aside and rushed over.
When he pushed open the door, he saw such a scene.
His tender appearance was gone. The young man's posture was outstanding, upright and handsome. The small section of his cheek exposed from his side profile was no longer as peaceful as in his sleep, rather, it was breathtakingly elegant and poised. His slightly raised lips, that flexible and strong waist, and his long hair that rested classily, but he was leaning in the arms of another. The two of them were leaning against each other intimately and Yan Qing bowed his head close to his (QM) ear, his hair fell softly and entangled with MingEr’s. Such a scene made his heart suddenly ignite with strong, crazy killing intent.
MingEr could only be his.
Thinking of this, his eyes flushed blood-red and the tip of his sword that was previously drooping down stabbed forward and pierced a little. Qi Xutian closed his eyes that were overflowing with colour as crimson as blood.
Yan Qing let out a muffled groan but didn’t dare to resist. He knew that no matter what he did at this time, it would be futile.
Qi Mingyue sighed and embraced the furious man in front of him, “Don't kill him, I have nothing to do with him.” He was afraid that the more he interceded, the angrier his father would become. He naturally knew where his father’s anger came from. Even if he came to know that the relationship between him and Yan Qing was not what he saw, he’s afraid that the scene he (QX) had just seen was enough to make Father's heart burn with the intention to kill. But Yan Qing knew Father Emperor in such a guise, he must have some unusual identity. Perhaps he was Father's outside hand[2]. If he was killed in anger, it might not be easy to find another one like this in the future.
[2] Subordinate under some other identity.
As his voice fell, the sword in Qi Xutian's hand switched from stabbing to scraping. The sharp blade slashed across and left behind a crimson foot-long[3] inch-deep laceration. Blood gushed out, dyeing the turquoise robe an obscure shade of ochre dark red. Yan Qing knelt on the ground and there was no more energy left to say a word. He’d lost his seductive charm and only a ghastly bitter smile remained on his pale face.
[3] 30.48 cm.
Qi Mingyue glanced lightly and did not show the slightest sympathy. Yan Qing could only be considered extremely unlucky. For some reason, he attacked him because of Tianyin, but it was not a good time to interrogate him about it. Appeasing Father's anger as soon as possible took priority.
Qi Xutian put away the sword in his hand and only Qi Mingyue’s figure was engraved in his burning eyes. He suddenly stepped forward, held him in his arms and without waiting for Qi Mingyue to speak, he pushed the window open, turned him over and leapt out of the window. After several leaps, his figure disappeared into the vast night.
Indus: Been a while. I was busy with college and didn’t get the time to update. Sorry about that.
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