What Are You Doing, What Are You Doing, Trying to Abort It?!
Su Jingyang didn’t get any chance to call for help nor did he have time to let Ling Li know, before being abducted by Rong Ci and taken away from Liyang.
Rong Ci was clearly in a foul mood. He sat in the carriage with a cold, dark expression, eyes downcast and barely speaking. Although Su Jingyang was immobilized by sealed acupoints, he had a perfectly functional mouth. He glared furiously at Rong Ci and cursed him the entire way, angrily condemning his vile deeds.
Whenever Su Jingyang cursed for a while, Rong Ci would feed him some water so he wouldn’t get thirsty.
By the time Su Jingyang had cursed himself into a headache, Rong Ci remained unmoved. Su Jingyang felt like all his effort had been wasted, so angry his nose practically went crooked.
He even asked the carriage driver for help right in front of Rong Ci. The driver, tempted by Rong Ci’s money, stood firm and didn’t budge at all.
Su Jingyang felt both furious and dejected. Once they reached places with people around, Rong Ci simply sealed his mute acupoint as well.
Su Jingyang wanted to curse but couldn’t anymore. He was so stifled smoke felt like it was coming out of his head. Rong Ci pulled him into his arms, kissed his cheek, and said, “I’ll undo it in a bit and let you curse to your heart’s content.”
Su Jingyang simply closed his eyes.
On the first night of their return journey, they stayed at an inn. When eating dinner in their room, Rong Ci finally unsealed Su Jingyang’s acupoints.
Su Jingyang picked up his bowl and began sneaking glances at Rong Ci, eyes darting around. His mind churned with schemes, and his bottom couldn’t quite sit still on the stool.
Rong Ci picked food into his bowl. He didn’t even need to look to know what Su Jingyang was thinking. A cold smile leaked from his lips, his tone slow and unhurried. “Thinking of running away? Lower your head and see whether your legs are sturdy enough first.”
“Are you threatening me?!” Su Jingyang slammed his bowl and chopsticks down heavily. He glared at him and said, “I’m telling you, Rong Ci, this is illegal detention! I’m going to report you to the authorities!”
“Then you’d better hurry,” Rong Ci lifted his eyes and gave him a calm glance, “because once we reach Rongcheng, I am the law.”
“You despicable, shameless, hateful, bastard!” Su Jingyang was filled with endless grief and indignation. Ancient hierarchies really ruined people.
Rong Ci had listened to him curse all day and found nothing novel about it anymore. He stuffed the chopsticks back into Su Jingyang’s hand and looked at him. His tone sounded ordinary, yet faintly forceful. “Eat. Finish eating and rest early.”
Su Jingyang really wanted to fling the chopsticks straight at his face and very heroically shout, “I won’t eat!” and then go on a hunger strike in protest. Then he thought, f*ck that, why should I wrong myself? Anyone who refuses food is an idiot.
Su Jingyang promptly picked up the bowl and started shoveling rice into his mouth. Not only would he eat, he’d eat more. Only after eating his fill would he have the energy to continue cursing!
As a result, he ate a little too much. Even before sleeping, his stomach still felt bloated and uncomfortable. Su Jingyang couldn’t fall asleep and wanted to sit up for a bit. The moment he tried to move, the person beside him pressed him back down.
“What are you trying to do?” Rong Ci’s breath suddenly closed in. He stared at Su Jingyang’s face with a slightly raised voice.
“I…” Su Jingyang let out a very appropriate belch. “Uh, I ate too much. I’m stuffed. My stomach hurts.”
Rong Ci recalled how Su Jingyang had eaten earlier, full and ready for a fight. He seemed momentarily speechless. “I’ll massage it for you.”
“No, no, I don’t want you massaging me! Get your claws off!” Su Jingyang widened his round eyes and refused without thinking, extremely guarded, afraid that a massage would turn into something else.
Rong Ci didn’t force him, but he did pull him into his arms. Su Jingyang was forced to rest against Rong Ci’s arm and immediately refused to behave. He flailed with both hands and feet, kicking and pushing with all his strength to escape to the side. He kicked while cursing, “Let go of me, you bastard!”
Rong Ci caught the hand that was flailing wildly and almost slapped him. “You really did eat too much tonight. You’ve got too much energy. Keep moving and be careful or I’ll…”
“Or what?! If you dare touch me, I’ll fight you to the death!” Su Jingyang bared his teeth and claws, eyes red, like an angered cat. “You used to say I had ulterior motives toward you. I think you’re the one with ulterior motives toward me!! You’re a big bad wolf!”
Rong Ci said grimly, “It’s good that you know. If you don’t want to be swallowed whole right now, sleep properly!”
Su Jingyang refused to behave. He continued angrily condemning Rong Ci. “We’re not even married. Why are you sleeping in the same bed as me? Don’t you know about proper relations between men? Hurry up and get off my bed!”
Rong Ci held him tightly so he couldn’t move. He leaned close to Su Jingyang’s ear and said, “We’ll be married soon. Once we’re back, we’ll set a date.”
A thunderbolt exploded in Su Jingyang’s mind. He froze for a moment, then couldn’t help but curse, “Are you sick?! I’m carrying another man’s child and you still want to marry me?! You’re really happy wearing a green hat, huh?!”
When Rong Ci heard him bring this up again, the violent hostility he’d barely suppressed surged up once more. A ruthless look shadowed his brows and eyes. He loosened his hold slightly and stared at Su Jingyang. “Don’t mention this again! I shouldn’t have indulged you in the first place. If I’d brought you back to Rongcheng earlier…”
Su Jingyang snorted heavily. “I’ll tell you this too. Early or late, I still won’t marry you. It wouldn’t be any different.”
That night, Su Jingyang cursed nonstop until past midnight and still didn’t manage to chase Rong Ci away. It ended with Rong Ci forcefully kissing him once, and Su Jingyang raking his face hard with his nails.
The strength he stored from all that food was finally used up. Combined with the fact that he hadn’t slept the previous night, his body was truly exhausted. In the end, he still didn’t escape and fell asleep like that in Rong Ci’s arms.
On the road afterward, Rong Ci, mindful of Su Jingyang’s condition, no longer sealed his acupoints for long periods. Su Jingyang could move more often. Still, Rong Ci’s gaze practically never left him. Even when Su Jingyang went to the latrine, Rong Ci waited outside. Su Jingyang tried several times to run, but each time he was caught and hauled back within twenty steps. After about half a month, Su Jingyang finally calmed down a bit.
It wasn’t that he accepted reality and compromised. Rather, he probably jumped around and struggled too fiercely during that time, and his stomach actually started to feel uncomfortable.
He didn’t know whether this discomfort was because of that thing inside him, but he couldn’t afford to be careless.
He truly didn’t want to give birth. Still, he hadn’t even seen a shadow of the protagonist yet and had no idea when he’d be able to go home. If he got rid of the one he was carrying now, the damned dog system would definitely force him to go back into dreams and conceive again. He didn’t want to enter those dreams anymore. They made him feel oppressed.
It would be better to grit his teeth and get it over with. Carry this one to term and give birth. At least that would buy him nearly ten months of peace. During those ten months, he could continue collecting energy.
Su Jingyang became quiet and Rong Ci also let out a sigh of relief. The following days were relatively peaceful. Only after Rong Ci couldn’t help kissing him would Su Jingyang jump out and scold him coldly, “What a pretentious, hypocritical Rongcheng Lord! You scolded me until I was worthless before, and now you want to kiss and hug me, your head full of impure thoughts. Your true face is finally showing. I’ve really seen through you now!”
Fortunately, aside from occasionally demanding a kiss, Rong Ci was fairly restrained and didn’t cross the line.
Because Su Jingyang was pregnant, the journey wasn’t fast. Thus, it took nearly twenty days before they returned to the town.
Su Jingyang grew anxious. Reaching the town meant Rongcheng wasn’t far. That was Rong Ci’s territory. Once he got there, he truly wouldn’t be able to cry to heaven or earth for help.
He also kept worrying about Ling Li. Ling Li couldn’t get away from Ah Xuan’s father. Now Su Jingyang was gone too. Ling Li would definitely be frantic.
Su Jingyang changed tactics and tried to negotiate with Rong Ci to delay things. “Rong Ci, let’s go back home first and wait for Ah Li to return before going to Rongcheng, okay?”
“Ah Li?” Rong Ci shook his head. He looked at Su Jingyang, cupped his face with both hands, and asked seriously, “Su Jingyang, do you think there’s anyone in this world who could make me feel this level of concern?”
Su Jingyang patted his chest. “Me. If you make me unhappy, I’ll bite you to death.”
Rong Ci’s fingers brushed over his face. “I like how you talk big without blushing or running out of breath.”
Su Jingyang grabbed his hand and stuffed it into his mouth, biting down hard. His big eyes didn’t blink as he stared at the changes in Rong Ci’s expression. After a moment, he let go. Rong Ci looked at the bleeding bite mark and hissed. Su Jingyang didn’t get to be smug for long before Rong Ci pounced and bit his lips hard.
When Su Jingyang finally learned Ming Zhan’s true identity from Rong Ci, his whole person went blank. He froze there, shocked beyond words.
Ming Zhan was actually the current Crown Prince, the master of the Eastern Palace, the future Son of Heaven!!!
Su Jingyang had felt from the first meeting that Ming Zhan’s bearing was extraordinary, that imperial nobility aura impossible to hide. He’d never imagined the status would be this high.
Combining what Rong Ci said with Ling Li’s account, Su Jingyang understood the rough picture. Back then, Ming Zhan had been poisoned by a gu and his face had rotted. He went to Rongcheng seeking a solution.
Afterward, he recuperated in the town, during which time he and Ling Li had a relationship. Because of some misunderstanding, Ming Zhan left in anger, leaving Ling Li pregnant with Ah Xuan, who was then born and raised alone.
This was bad. It wasn’t just anyone. It was the current Crown Prince. Even if Ling Li didn’t want to go with him, it would be hard to defy an imperial command, especially with a child involved. If Ming Zhan used the child as leverage, the outcome was obvious. What was Ling Li supposed to do?!
Yet Su Jingyang himself was barely managing to survive. He couldn’t see Ling Li or reach him. He was powerless.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. “They’re both bandits who seize people by force!”
He looked up and saw one of those bandits staring darkly at his stomach. Su Jingyang’s scalp instantly tightened. He shrank back, glaring at him in alarm. “What are you doing, what are you doing, trying to abort it?!”
Su Jingyang’s defensive posture made the heat choking Rong Ci’s throat flare painfully. His throat burned with each breath.
Rong Ci didn’t say anything. He silently shifted his gaze away and stopped looking at him.
When the carriage entered Rongcheng, Su Jingyang was asleep inside. He didn’t see how this place differed from the outside world at all. When he woke up, he was lying on a large bed, wrapped in brocade quilts, warm and comfortable. A faint, cool, elegant fragrance lingered around his nose.
Su Jingyang yawned and was about to sit up when Rong Ci pushed the door open and came in carrying a steaming bowl, his expression blank.
When Su Jingyang saw he was holding only a small bowl, steam rising from it, he suddenly thought of something. He was so startled his spine went cold. He immediately jumped up and retreated to the corner of the bed. This guy wasn’t really going to…
Seeing Su Jingyang acting like he was facing a great enemy, Rong Ci paused, his expression unreadable. He then continued forward and sat at the bedside, speaking calmly. “Rong Hua knows you’ve arrived. She’ll come over later to have dinner together. Eat something first to tide your stomach over.”
Su Jingyang had already seen that Rong Ci was holding a bowl of sesame porridge he used to eat often. He hesitated before moving closer, took the bowl from his hand, and stirred it with the spoon without eating. He watched Rong Ci’s expression.
Rong Ci looked back at him calmly. After a moment, his long lashes trembled as he closed his eyes briefly and said in a low voice, “There’s nothing else in it. Eat with peace of mind.”
Only then did Su Jingyang slowly start eating. After a couple of bites, he said without lifting his head, “Rong Ci, the way you treat me, you should accept my suspicion. Even if I misunderstood you, I won’t apologize.”
After a long while, Rong Ci patted his head, looked at him, and softly hummed in acknowledgment.
At dinner, Rong Hua came running in with a beaming smile. Before she even stepped inside, she raised her voice. “Oh ho, our Lord City Master has finally brought you back as his bride. How truly wonderful and congratulatory!”
Su Jingyang sat at the table, watched her approach, and slapped his thigh indignantly. “It was kidnapping, kidnapping!”
However, Rong Hua looked at Rong Ci with full approval. “Exactly! Someone you cherish so much should be kidnapped back. That’s far better than letting them fall into someone else’s hands. Rong Ci, you should’ve done this earlier!”
“…” Su Jingyang couldn’t help feeling deeply melancholic. Ancient hierarchies really ruined people.
Rong Hua was the same as ever, dressed in dazzling red, beautiful and imposing. She chatted with Su Jingyang throughout dinner, easing some of his initial unfamiliar discomfort. She seemed to have other matters, though. Not long after finishing the meal, she exchanged a look with Rong Ci and quietly left.
Not long after eating, Su Jingyang began rubbing his eyes, feeling sleepy. He was curious. He’d just woken up earlier, so why was he tired again? Could it be that pregnancy made him easily fatigued? Su Jingyang went to the bed and flopped onto it. His eyelids stuck together immediately. In his hazy state, he felt Rong Ci remove his shoes, adjust his position, and cover him with the blanket.
Su Jingyang was far too sleepy. He only managed to mutter indistinctly, “Don’t, don’t sneak kisses while I’m asleep…” before falling completely into darkness.
Rong Ci sat down by the bed. His fingers gently brushed aside a few messy strands of hair at Su Jingyang’s cheek. He lowered his head and kissed Su Jingyang’s lips without hesitation. A real stolen kiss would never let you know about it.
Not long after, a series of crisp bell chimes suddenly rang out beyond the door, tinkling clearly through the quiet night.
“Rong Ci,” Rong Hua said outside. “The Grand Shaman has arrived.”
Rong Ci clasped Su Jingyang’s warm hand and stared at his defenseless sleeping face. His throat moved as he turned his face slightly and said in a deep voice, “Let him in.”
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