This Man Is Shameless Beyond All Measure.
Chu Yuan’s question left Lu Ronghuai at a loss for words.
Lu Rongshen stared at the two of them with bright, intent eyes, his face full of eagerness to watch the show.
After a long moment, Lu Ronghuai calmly held his chopsticks and replied, “Last time I bought sugar cakes and brought them back. I saw you eat them, so I guessed you liked them.”
Chu Yuan did not believe him. “This subject only tasted one bite.”
He truly did love sweets, but that day his body was unwell and his appetite was poor, so he only took a small, shallow bite.
Lu Ronghuai said, “Ah-Yuan is so sweet. Naturally Ah-Yuan loves sweet things.”
Chu Yuan: “...”
Lu Rongshen could not endure it. He stood up at once, nearly gagging, bracing one hand on the table as he denounced him fiercely. “My brother, I beg you, stop speaking. I have not even eaten my fill, and I am about to vomit.”
Chu Yuan did not dare speak too directly. He could only express it with restraint. “Your Highness, please eat.”
“Mm. This jade-dew dumpling is indeed good, sweet on the tongue, with honey filling. Ah-Yuan, taste it.” Lu Ronghuai took a bite, then held the remaining half to Chu Yuan’s lips.
Chu Yuan could not see. He did not know of Lu Ronghuai’s small malicious intent. The fragrance reached his nose, and he gently parted his lips to bite.
Lu Ronghuai’s lips curved upward. He turned the place he had bitten to Chu Yuan’s mouth.
Lu Rongshen hurriedly called out, “Third Sister-in-law, do not...”
Chu Yuan had already bitten into it. He paused, then turned his face toward Lu Rongshen. Once he swallowed, he asked, “What is it?”
Lu Rongshen glanced at Lu Ronghuai’s face, full of triumphant satisfaction, and forced out a difficult smile. “Nothing. This Prince only wished to remind Third Sister-in-law to eat slowly, so you do not choke.”
“Alright. I will be careful. Many thanks, Eighth Brother.”
“How does it taste?” Lu Ronghuai stared at his rosy lips and asked in a low voice.
Chu Yuan nodded. He licked the corner of his lips, revealing a vivid red tip of tongue. “It is very delicious.”
Lu Ronghuai’s throat immediately itched. His Adam’s apple rolled once. “Is it sweet?”
“Sweet.”
The sweetness entered his mouth without cloying. It was lightly sweet, and he liked it very much.
Lu Rongshen stared at Lu Ronghuai and opened his mouth, silently shouting word by word.
You. Are. Shameless.
Lu Ronghuai met Lu Rongshen’s silent condemnation without shame. He took pride in it instead, and even found enjoyment in it.
He held Chu Yuan’s hand where it rested on his knee and gazed at him with deliberate tenderness. “So long as Ah-Yuan likes it, that is enough. I like it as well.”
Lu Rongshen had not expected his skin to be so thick. He nearly collapsed. “Third Sister-in-law, hurry and rein him in.”
This man was shameless beyond all measure.
Chu Yuan fell silent.
Lu Ronghuai acted as he pleased. What he wished to do, what right did Chu Yuan have to stop him?
His hand was pinched twice. Lu Ronghuai’s deep laughter sounded by his ear. “That is right. Ah-Yuan, rein me in.”
Chu Yuan asked evenly, “If this subject speaks, will Your Highness listen?”
Lu Ronghuai replied, “Of course. I will listen to everything Ah-Yuan says.”
Chu Yuan did not believe him at all. He spoke casually. “This subject wishes to eat by myself. This subject does not wish to be fed.”
Being fed every day like a small child was beginning to wear on him.
“Very well.” Lu Ronghuai agreed at once.
Chu Yuan’s eyes would recover tomorrow night. Even if he lost the pleasure of feeding him by hand, he wanted Chu Yuan healthy and safe even more.
“This subject wishes to dress by myself.”
“Very well.”
“This subject wishes to walk by myself. This subject does not wish to be carried.”
“...Very well.”
“This subject wishes to sleep alone.”
“Not permitted.”
Lu Rongshen felt his mind go blank. He covered his ears on instinct and muttered, “Is this something I can hear?”
Chu Yuan pressed his lips together. “Did Your Highness not say you would listen to everything this subject says?”
Lu Ronghuai said, “Only this, not permitted.” His tone was unhurried, yet it did not allow refusal.
Sharing a bed was how one cultivated feelings. He would not let go of such a good opportunity, Lu Ronghuai thought.
“We have already...” Lu Ronghuai began, then abruptly remembered that on the wedding day, they had not actually performed the formal bows. He immediately changed his words. “We are a proper married couple. What husband and wife do not share the same bed? Is that not so?”
Chu Yuan emphasized again, “Your Highness need not wrong yourself so.”
He would cooperate with Lu Ronghuai in acting out an affectionate couple before outsiders, but in private, he did not wish for too much contact. Returning to how it once was would be best.
Lu Rongshen suspected his Third Sister-in-law had a mistaken understanding of the situation. “No matter how it is said, the one being wronged would not be my Third Brother, would it?”
To marry such a beautiful, gentle great beauty, his Third Brother must have had incense smoke rising from his ancestors’ graves..
His Third Brother was wronged?
The one being wronged was clearly the great beauty.
Lu Ronghuai shot him a glare. “The meal is eaten. Hurry back to the palace. A man without a wife, what face do you have, meddling here?”
Lu Rongshen left, cursing as he went.
After returning to the palace, he reported Lu Ronghuai’s attitude to Father Emperor. Emperor Hongjia was greatly pleased. The next morning, the decree was delivered to Prince Li’s residence.
First, commending Lu Ronghuai for uncovering the true circumstances of Wang Wu’s death and allowing the culprit to be brought to justice.
After that, it put on a show of criticizing him, saying that his conduct had nonetheless caused a disturbance among the people. His confinement was lifted, and he was ordered to build the Zhengqing Daoist Temple, to do more good deeds and reform himself.
That afternoon, another invitation arrived at the residence.
Lu Ronghuai toyed with the invitation in his hand and gave a small laugh, finding it amusing. “Grand Tutor Xu’s sixtieth birthday, and he invites this Prince?”
Xian Feng said, “Your Highness has forgotten?”
“Forgotten what?”
“Xu Zhizhi.”
“Who?” Lu Ronghuai frowned. He truly had not the slightest impression.
Xian Feng sighed. “Grand Tutor Xu’s youngest granddaughter. Ever since she saw you on the street at sixteen, she declared she would marry no one but you.”
Seeing that Lu Ronghuai still showed no sign of recognition, he added, “The one who said that if you dared not marry her, she would curse you every day... to turn into a tortoise.”
Lu Ronghuai: “...”
With that reminder, he finally recalled this old mess.
Xu Zhizhi was the only girl in the Xu family, spoiled beyond all reason from infancy. The first time she saw Lu Ronghuai, she was captivated by his face. After returning home, she made a great fuss about marrying him. She even ran to Lu Ronghuai and told him to hurry and go to her house to propose.
At that time, Lu Ronghuai was busy preparing military affairs. He had no time for a half-grown girl. He ignored her outright, and she cursed him for several days in anger.
Not long before, Lu Ronghuai’s first betrothed had passed away. Idle talk was already plenty. Xu Zhizhi’s behavior became the common people’s after-meal laughter.
After Grand Tutor Xu learned of it, he took his pampered youngest granddaughter back to their old home in Ping Cheng and kept her there for two years. Only when the matter gradually faded from memory did he bring her back before the year’s end.
Grand Tutor Xu likely felt that Lu Ronghuai had already taken a wife and no longer posed any threat. Only then did he send an invitation to Prince Li’s residence.
Lu Ronghuai looked at the invitation card. A calculating smile spread slowly across his face. “Very good. This birthday banquet, this Prince will most certainly attend.”
That night, Lu Ronghuai returned to Fuju Courtyard. Chu Yuan had just washed his hands. Le Shu carried the basin out to pour away the water.
Lu Ronghuai saw Chu Yuan reach up to remove the white silk and hurried over to press his hand down. “Ah-Yuan, let me.”
Lu Ronghuai called Le Shu back. Using the water Chu Yuan had used, he carefully washed his own hands, then dried them with a cloth before sitting beside Chu Yuan.
He removed the white silk that covered Chu Yuan’s eyes and said softly, “Alright. Ah-Yuan, slowly open your eyes.”
Chu Yuan’s eyelids trembled. His long lashes fluttered like a fan several times, then, little by little, rose, revealing clear, chill eyes beneath, like amber lit from within.
The night-luminous pearls in the room gave off a gentle glow, not harsh to the eye. Chu Yuan blinked and quickly adjusted.
Lu Ronghuai stared at him, tense. “Can you see clearly? Do your eyes feel uncomfortable?”
When he had first opened them, his vision was hazy and blurred. After a moment, it gradually cleared.
Chu Yuan turned his head and met Lu Ronghuai’s gaze.
Within those dark eyes, the former coldness and indifference were gone. In their place lay a concern that Chu Yuan could not understand.
Chu Yuan replied softly, “I can see clearly. This subject does not feel uncomfortable.”
“That is good.” Lu Ronghuai quietly let out a breath. The stone that had weighed in his heart for many days finally dropped away.
Lu Ronghuai’s tone was too natural, as though he truly cared about Chu Yuan’s safety. Chu Yuan thought of the expression he had just seen and could not help looking again.
He wanted to study it and to understand how this person maintained such a face. How he could perform so many expressions, each one so convincing.
He was staring too directly. Someone interpreted it as something else entirely.
Lu Ronghuai smiled and leaned closer, holding Chu Yuan’s hand. His tone was lazy, with a hint of self-satisfaction. “Ah-Yuan keeps staring at me. Could it be that after not seeing me for many days, you find this husband’s face has grown even more handsome?”
Chu Yuan immediately looked away, speechless. “Your Highness speaks in jest.”
As his gaze shifted, he noticed the room was set with night-luminous pearls. Not a single candle could be found.
Night-luminous pearls were precious and rare. One was worth ten thousand gold, yet this man had placed more than ten within the room, lighting it bright as day, so bright that even the embroidery upon the gauze curtains could be seen clearly.
Lu Ronghuai watched him closely. Seeing Chu Yuan’s eyes move with curiosity, lingering especially upon the night-luminous pearls, Lu Ronghuai explained of his own accord. “Ah-Yuan fears candles. From now on, the residence will not light candles again. At night, the room will be lit with night-luminous pearls.”
Chu Yuan said, “Your Highness need not be so lavish. If the Censorate learns of it, they will surely impeach Your Highness again. This subject can return to Baochun Courtyard to sleep.”
Lu Ronghuai replied, “Wherever Ah-Yuan goes, I will bring night-luminous pearls wherever I go as well. They may impeach or not as they please. Let them treat it as pastime.”
He spoke with open composure, without the slightest shame.
Night-luminous pearls left untouched would only gather dust. What of being impeached? He had been impeached often enough in these years.
Chu Yuan, however, felt something move through him at those words.
When he was Crown Prince, he followed rules and kept himself strict. Food, clothing, and all use were frugal without exception. Even while still young, he already understood what it meant to serve as an example.
Looking at Lu Ronghuai now, he found himself suddenly thinking that all those years of strict self-discipline might have been, in some light, a little absurd.
Lu Ronghuai said, “In a few days I will attend Grand Tutor Xu’s birthday banquet. Ah-Yuan’s leg has not healed, so I will not take you. Xian Yu and Xian Shuang will remain to keep you company. If you need anything, tell them.”
Chu Yuan answered, “Mm.”
Lu Ronghuai added, “Father Emperor has lifted my confinement. Tomorrow I will begin attending court. Those wretched scriptures are not yet finished. Ah-Yuan, sleep early tonight. Tonight I will sleep in the study.”
When he spoke of it, Lu Ronghuai felt deeply that the stinking Daoist priest was truly not a thing, forcing him to spend the night without holding a beauty in his arms.
Chu Yuan quietly let out a breath of relief.
Earlier, when he could not see, Lu Ronghuai insisted on sharing the bed. Chu Yuan could pretend he did not exist.
Now that his sight was restored, even pretending would be impossible.
It was fortunate that Lu Ronghuai would not sleep here tonight.
Joy rose within Chu Yuan’s heart. Even the smile on his face became more genuine. He held his excitement down and said, “Your Highness should go. Once you finish copying, rest early.”
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
Lu Gou: Cannot hold wife, sobbing.
Yuan Yuan: The dog-skin plaster has left, rejoicing.
0 Comments