Chapter 12

Late summer lingered, the heat lingering faintly in the courtyard as cicada songs grew faint. Yet beneath the canopy in the chamber, the atmosphere was scorching.

Yu Zhi whimpered as he burrowed into Luo Tingshi’s embrace, scrambling to entwine himself around him. Startled, Luo Tingshi quickly pressed against Yu Zhi, pushing him back slightly.

Yu Zhi’s blood boiled, his entire body feeling as if tossed into a cauldron of oil, or swarmed by countless insects crawling over him—the agony unbearable. Only when pressed close to this man did the searing, tingling itch that crawled from his very bones ease momentarily.

But the man pushed him away.

Yu Zhi grew frantic, barking out a command: “Let me hold you, or else… or else I’ll have you thrown in prison.”

Luo Tingshi chuckled softly: “Still the same as when you were a child.”

His gaze shifted to the glistening, watery eyes before him. The man glared at him, yet his gaze was unfocused and scattered, misty eyes holding no trace of menace.

His entire face was flushed a vivid crimson, making Luo Tingshi’s heart tingle. He drew closer, cupping Yu Zhi’s burning cheek with his large hand.

Yu Zhi stopped fidgeting, tilting his head to gently rub against his palm before closing his eyes in contentment.

Luo Tingshi’s gaze darkened as he lowered his head to bite his lips. His moist, crimson lips were drawn into his mouth, sucked on lightly.

“Mmm…”

Yu Zhi’s voice was soft and velvety, as if soaked in spring water, his throat emitting indistinct, ambiguous syllables.

Luo Tingshi’s gaze grew even darker. His large hand suddenly clamped down on the back of Yu Zhi’s head, pulling him closer. He ground against him, sucking deeply. His other hand cupped the crook of Yu Zhi’s knee, effortlessly lifting him to sit sideways across his lap as he kissed him fiercely.

The person in his arms was utterly docile, offering no resistance to his kisses, even meeting them eagerly.

A stark contrast to the icy emperor of moments before.

Yet identical to the beauty from his dream.

The beauty in heat had lost all reason, craving only someone to satisfy him. A sudden wave of displeasure washed over Luo Tingshi.

Before meeting him, how had Yu Zhi endured his heat?

The thought that such an obedient beauty might have been touched by others filled Luo Tingshi with jealousy so intense it made him want to kill.

Luo Tingshi released Yu Zhi’s lips, gripped the back of his neck, and demanded, “Has anyone else touched you?”

Yu Zhi couldn’t hear Luo Tingshi’s question. The lips that had kissed him so pleasantly had abruptly pulled away, and his entire being began to ache again. He rushed forward, desperate to kiss those parting lips again, only to be halted midway by a finger.

The knuckle pressed into the soft flesh of his lips, and Luo Tingshi couldn’t resist pressing down.

Yu Zhi suddenly opened his mouth, biting down on Luo Tingshi’s finger and licking it absentmindedly.

Desire surged like wild grass after rain, consuming Luo Tingshi’s entire being. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he undid Yu Zhi’s clothes and slipped inside….

Midway through, Luo Tingshi pressed again, “Have other men touched you?”

“Mmm…”

“Yes or no?”

Yu Zhi hadn’t heard a word he said, nodding blankly in a daze.

Luo Tingshi’s face turned ashen. His palm covered the exquisite face before him, his calloused fingertips pressing against his delicate eyelids. The figure in his arms let out a muffled whimper, opening watery, round eyes to gaze up at Luo Tingshi.

It was those eyes—

The eyes he had yearned for over a decade, finally falling back into his embrace once more.

Luo Ting narrowed his eyes slightly. His cold, fierce gaze slid down the slender neck before him, past the faintly pulsing carotid artery. Suddenly, he leaned in, his wolf-like teeth grazing Yu Zhi’s neck as a chilling voice seeped into the room.

“The past shall not be pursued. Yu Zhi, from now on, you belong only to me.”

–

Yu Zhi awoke to find himself cradled in a man’s arms.

This eerily familiar scene. Yu Zhi closed his eyes briefly, only to open them again moments later to the same sight.

This wasn’t a dream. He had once again ended up in bed with Luo Tingshi.

Yu Zhi felt his heart die.

What was even more terrifying was that unlike the first time, today’s memories remained vividly intact in his mind. He recalled every detail with crystal clarity, seeing himself clearly as he embraced the man and begged him for… intimacy.

Damn it!

He had summoned Luo Tingshi to discuss military matters, yet now it seemed he’d called him merely to satisfy his own hunger and lust.

Yu Zhi glared furiously at the man behind him. “Release me.”

Luo Tingshi only tightened his embrace, his lips teasingly grazing Yu Zhi’s earlobe. His deliberately hushed voice, mingled with warm breath, whispered into Yu Zhi’s ear: “If I let go, what if you run away again?”

The strange sensation on his ear sent a chill down Yu Zhi’s spine. In a daze, he felt as if he’d fallen back into the earlier predicament. Terrified, he frantically bent his elbow and struck backward.

“Ugh…” Luo Tingshi grunted, releasing Yu Zhi. He rubbed his chest and complained, “You hit really hard.”

Yu Zhi’s eyes flashed with fear as he stammered weakly, “You… get off my bed…”

Luo Tingshi shook his head. “How heartless. Just moments ago, you were the one asking me to hold you.”

Yu Zhi’s ears flushed crimson as he buried his face in the quilt, falling silent.

Luo Tingshi wasn’t wrong. Moments ago, it had been him who’d actively sought him out…

Yu Zhi seethed with both anger and frustration—angry at his own body for betraying him, furious at Luo Tingshi for laying bare his shame. He’d never faced such an awkward predicament and didn’t know how to react, his fingers nervously twisting the quilt.

“Don’t keep yourself cooped up. I’ll just go downstairs.” Luo Tingshi ruffled Yu Zhi’s hair and swiftly rolled off the bed.

Yu Zhi still carried the child within him. He certainly didn’t want to provoke the father of his child. If he angered him to the point of harm, he would regret it for the rest of his life. Luo Tingshi knelt halfway before the bed, seeking Yu Zhi’s consent: “May I see our child?”

“No…” The refusal formed on Yu Zhi’s lips before he abruptly stopped himself.

He still needed to negotiate peace with Luo Tingshi—he had to offer some concessions. Besides, the child needed comfort from its other father. He couldn’t be so selfish as to make both children endure the same suffering he’d endured as a child just to prove a point.

Realizing this, Yu Zhi pressed his lips together and nodded softly.

Luo Tingshi paused in surprise, not expecting Yu Zhi to agree.

A flicker of joy lit his eyes as he lifted the thin quilt. The gently rounded belly came into view, and Luo Tingshi instinctively held his breath.

During their earlier intimacy, he’d been too preoccupied with comforting Yu Zhi to properly notice the protrusion, catching only fleeting glimpses.

The once-slim, taut abdomen now curved softly, the delicate waist slightly distorted as if stretched by the weight beneath, resembling an inverted Yuezhou white porcelain bowl.

Luo Tingshi couldn’t resist reaching out to touch Yu Zhi’s belly.

This time, there was no slap. His palm smoothly covered Yu Zhi’s belly, his large hand sliding from the peak to the bottom, circling along the rounded belly.

Here, their child was growing. Luo Tingshi stroked it reverently.

Yu Zhi’s fingers curled slightly, his ears flushing as he averted his gaze.

As his palm traced the faint blue veins winding beneath the pearly-white skin, Luo Tingshi asked softly, “Is the baby restless?”

“Of course!” Yu Zhi shot Luo Tingshi a glare and vented his grievances. “For the past two months, I’ve vomited everything I ate. Only the medicinal dishes prescribed by Physician Zhang were barely tolerable.”

Luo Tingshi looked up. “You’ve suffered.”

“Hmph! And you still dared to attack Yu! When I heard that news, my anger nearly killed me—I almost lost the baby.”

Yu Zhi deliberately exaggerated the situation. True to form, the man before him furrowed his brow, his face clouding with guilt and self-reproach. “It was my fault. I’ve wronged you and the child.”

Yu Zhi lifted his chin. “Since you know you’re wrong, why haven’t you ordered the troops to withdraw?”

Luo Tingshi stared intently at Yu Zhi, his dark eyes deepening. “Of course we must withdraw. But Xiao Yu must agree to two conditions of mine.”

Yu Zhi’s face turned cold. “You dare to make demands of me?”

Luo Tingshi smiled faintly. “The choice is yours.”

Yu Zhi gritted his teeth in fury, his tone no longer as gentle as before. “Speak. What are your conditions?”

“First, send those men away.” Luo Tingshi spoke slowly and deliberately.

Yu Zhi: “???”

What men? Could he be referring to Lu Jing and the others?

Yu Zhi flatly refused: “They are my loyal pillars of the state. Who will bear the burdens and resolve the difficulties for me if they are dismissed? Change your condition.”

Loyal pillars of the state? He actually had relations with court officials…

Luo Tingshi’s eyes darkened with an indistinct emotion. He was furious at the image his imagination had conjured. His expression twisted for a moment before he took a deep breath: “They need not be sent away, but you must sever ties with them.”

Yu Zhi: “Huh?” Only now did he grasp what Luo Tingshi was saying.

Luo Tingshi actually thought he had been intimate with those men!

Yu Zhi was furious. His father had always instructed him to wait until adulthood to pursue romance. For years, he had never touched anyone. How could Luo Tingshi possibly think…

Disgusting! Filthy!

Yu Zhi was seething with rage, about to retort, when his words suddenly caught in his throat.

If he denied it, wouldn’t Luo Tingshi then realize he was his first man…?

He refused to see that despicable man gloating over his mistake.

Let him keep his delusions. Hmph.

“Why are you silent, Your Majesty?” Luo Tingshi watched Yu Zhi’s expression shift between frowns and smiles as he pondered something, his own face darkening.

Was he that reluctant to part with those men?

Yu Zhi snapped back to reality and immediately replied, “I agree!”

Luo Tingshi’s expression softened slightly before he continued, “Second, allow me to remain by your side to care for you.”

Yu Zhi froze.

He had expected Luo Tingshi’s second condition to be taking the child to Sheng Kingdom. He’d prepared his rebuttal, but the words stuck in his throat, unable to form.

Yu Zhi swallowed his words and said, “I agree to the second condition as well. You may withdraw your troops.”

Yu Zhi: “…”

After speaking, Luo Tingshi eyed Yu Zhi’s lower abdomen suspiciously, narrowing his eyes. “Is this child truly mine?”

“Luo Tingshi, you bastard!”

Yu Zhi kicked out at Luo Tingshi, trembling with rage.

The kick landed squarely on Luo Tingshi’s shoulder, yet he didn’t even stagger. Seeing Yu Zhi’s furious outburst, he immediately realized his mistake. Yu Zhi was pure-hearted, not the type to hide his feelings.

Luo Tingshi hastily apologized: “Xiao Yu, I was overly suspicious. Please don’t be angry—it could harm the baby.”

These words reached Yu Zhi’s ears, and he belatedly realized Luo Tingshi had been using his childhood nickname. His eyes widened in displeasure. “Don’t call me Xiao Yu.”

Luo Tingshi hastily replied, “Understood, Your Majesty. I’ll write the letter to withdraw the troops immediately.”

Withdrawing the troops was the only way to ease Yu Zhi’s mood now. Luo Tingshi hurriedly rose, quickly drafted a letter at his desk, and presented it for Yu Zhi’s review.

After glancing over it and giving his approval, Yu Zhi’s expression softened slightly. Luo Tingshi bent down to tuck the quilt around him and said, “Rest here for now. I’ll send someone to deliver the letter.”

Yu Zhi watched Luo Tingshi leave, a heavy weight finally lifting from his heart.

He had prevented the conflict before it began.

Not a single casualty—how fortunate.

Wind swept through the courtyard into the room, its cool touch brushing Yu Zhi’s fingertips hanging over the bedside, washing away the lingering heat.

Having just finished making love, Yu Zhi felt utterly limp and unwilling to move. He lazily rolled over, clutching his stomach. Luo Tingshi hadn’t taken advantage of the moment to do anything to him earlier; he’d only used his hands and mouth to help Yu Zhi release the burning desire within him.

It seemed Luo Tingshi truly cared about his child.

Yu Zhi couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

If Luo Tingshi truly intended to withdraw his troops for the child’s sake—he hadn’t mentioned it earlier—what if, after the child was born, he tried to take them away?

No, he had to find a way.