“Father, Luo Tingshi has proposed to me again.”
Yu Zhi leaned over the cradle, gently tapping the kitten’s forehead with his finger. The alert little creature lifted its head, stretching two tiny paws toward the finger in midair.
Ye Jiang watched Yu Zhi playing with the two babies and asked, “What do you think?”
“I…” Yu Zhi froze, his fingertip captured by his sister. He sighed in frustration. “I don’t know.”
Ye Jiang cut straight to the heart of the matter. “You do know. The answer is already in your heart.”
The answer in his heart…
Yu Zhi lowered his head in silence.
A wave of dampness washed over his finger as the kitten excitedly licked his index finger. Licking and licking, it opened its tiny mouth and swallowed his fingertip whole, its two newly sprouted little fangs nibbling at his finger.
After Luo Tingshi left, the longing growing within him made it crystal clear—
He liked Luo Tingshi. He wanted Luo Tingshi to stay by his side forever.
Both in reason and in heart, he should marry Luo Tingshi.
Luo Tingshi’s reply suggested that after their marriage was announced to the world, they could then propose unification to the ministers of both kingdoms. It would be much easier then.
He agreed.
Yet for some reason, upon reading the final sentence of the letter, a sudden fear gripped his heart.
“Xiao Yu, would you be willing to marry this Emperor?”
Should he truly marry him?
Yu Zhi wavered, lifting his head to seek advice from Ye Jiang: “I want to marry him, but I’m afraid…”
Ye Jiang smiled. “It’s normal. Many people experience pre-wedding jitters. No rush. Respond to him once you’ve made up your mind.”
“I understand.”
Yu Zhi lifted his fingertip, hooking a small cat onto it.
The kitten was happily gnawing on the finger in its mouth when its body suddenly found itself suspended in midair. Startled, it flapped its paws twice in the air before scrambling to wrap all four legs around Yu Zhi’s palm, curling into a tight ball.
“Meow~”
The kitten didn’t understand, blinking its round eyes and meowing softly.
Yu Zhi: “You want to see him. Fine, I’ll write him back.”
The kitten tilted its head: “Meow~”
-
A month and a half later, Yu Zhi and his party set off for the capital.
After a long stay in Gu Yue, Yu Zhi had fully recovered. It was time to return to the capital.
It was late winter, and the wind and snow were gradually subsiding.
They hadn’t encountered any heavy snow blocking the roads along the way, though some paths were still icy and difficult to traverse.
As they journeyed on, the ice melted and rivers thawed. The gray-white sky gained patches of clear blue, and new green adorned the bare branches. By the time they reached the capital, willows were veiled in mist, and a riot of colors vied for splendor.
Court officials gathered at the city gates to greet the imperial carriage. Stepping down, Yu Zhi swept his gaze over the kneeling ministers and said with a smile, “Rise, my lords.”
He helped the foremost minister, Li Yupeng, to his feet. The chancellor sighed with relief. “Your Majesty, you have returned at last. There is a matter I must report.”
Yu Zhi’s smile faded. “What is it?”
Li Yupeng lowered his voice. “Two days ago, an envoy from the Kingdom of Sheng arrived unexpectedly. They failed to present credentials as protocol dictates and visited without our kingdom’s consent. This violates diplomatic etiquette. I ordered them detained at the Sifang Guesthouse.”
Yu Zhi’s interest piqued: “Who led the delegation?”
Li Yupeng leaned closer, speaking in a voice only they could hear: “The Emperor of Sheng.”
Yu Zhi suppressed a smile: “I shall go to the Sifang Pavilion at once.”
He spurred his horse into a gallop. A quarter of an hour later, Yu Zhi arrived at the gates of the Sifang Pavilion.
“Who goes there! Minister Li has ordered that no one may enter without permission.” The gate guard’s expression was stern.
Yu Zhi hastily searched his robes for his credentials, but his hands came up empty.
It must have fallen off the carriage. Truly, the more anxious one becomes, the more prone to error.
The two guards exchanged glances. The shorter one on the left scrutinized Yu Zhi from head to toe. Though young, the youth possessed an extraordinary bearing—graceful as spring willows, his spirit radiant and distinguished.
The capital teemed with nobility; this youth was likely someone important too. The guard promptly bowed and said, “I’ll fetch him at once.”
Thud—
Upon hearing the description of the visitor, the innkeeper sprang to his feet. His armchair scraped across the stone floor and slammed against the wall behind him with a jarring clang.
He hastily adjusted his attire and strode toward the entrance, repeatedly asking along the way, “Have you treated him with any disrespect?”
The guards, startled by the manager’s stern demeanor, hastily replied, “Not at all.”
The two hurried to the entrance. The sight of the youth emperor, standing tall and straight, met the manager’s eyes. The manager jogged forward a few steps and urgently said, “Your servant did not know…”
The emperor’s gentle voice carried a barely perceptible edge of impatience: “Enough talk. Take me to him.”
The steward promptly bowed and led the way: “This way, Your Majesty.”
Yu Zhi had thought waiting a moment would calm his heart, lessen his desperate longing to see him.
Instead, within mere breaths, he was overwhelmed by longing, wishing he could sprout wings to reach Luo Tingshi at once.
It was strange. The last time he’d seen Luo Tingshi, he’d clearly still harbored some dislike for the man, wanting him far from his presence.
Yet after four months apart, all that remained for him was yearning.
Miss him.
Miss him terribly.
Yu Zhi followed the innkeeper to the back courtyard, where they stopped before a door. The innkeeper knocked.
Familiar footsteps drew near. Yu Zhi suddenly felt a pang of nervousness, as if returning to his hometown. He scanned himself from head to toe, satisfied that nothing was amiss, before lifting his gaze.
Just then, the occupant opened the wooden door.
Separated by the half-open door, their gazes collided in midair.
In that instant, the world fell silent, as if only the two of them existed.
A fiery passion surged upward, searing through Yu Zhi’s reason. He couldn’t help but rush into the room, throwing himself into the other’s arms.
The innkeeper stared speechless, his eyes fixed in disbelief on the tightly clasped pair, frozen in place.
The Emperor of Sheng suddenly lifted his head, his cold gaze flicking toward the innkeeper.
Startled, the innkeeper hurriedly closed the door behind them.
Buried against the man’s chest, Yu Zhi murmured hoarsely, “Luo Tingshi, why did you suddenly come to Yu Kingdom without informing the Emperor beforehand?”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
The man replied with a smile. The vibrations from his voice traveled through his chest and into Yu Zhi’s ear, sending a tingling sensation through his left ear and making his heart beat even faster.
Yu Zhi patted his chest and glared up at the man. “As the ruler of a nation, you trespass into another country. Do you realize this could be seen as a provocative threat? Aren’t you afraid they’ll kill you?”
Luo Tingshi chuckled. “I timed it perfectly. I knew you’d be returning to the capital in the next few days. With Your Majesty protecting me, who dares touch me?”
Yu Zhi snorted softly, tapping the man’s chest. “No more acting on your own.”
“I missed you.”
The man’s blunt words pierced Yu Zhi’s ears. The narrowed eyes before him brimmed with affection, causing Yu Zhi’s dark lashes to flutter.
“These past four months felt like an eternity. Every day I thought of you. And you? Did you miss me?”
Yuzhi lowered his gaze. “Didn’t I write in my letters?”
Luo Tingshi brushed his fingers across Yu Zhi’s cheek, the calloused pads tracing down the side of his ear before gently lifting his chin. “I want to hear it from your own lips.”
Yu Zhi remained silent for a long moment, so long that the gaze upon him grew increasingly hot and sticky. Closing his eyes, he steeled himself and spoke aloud.
“I think of you day and night, you fill my dreams. Are you satisfied now?”
He leapt onto the man’s body, wrapping his limbs tightly around him. “To the bed,” he murmured.
Luo Ting’s eyes darkened as he obeyed, moving toward the bed.
As they walked, he weighed the person in his arms and remarked regretfully, “You’re lighter. You’ve lost flesh.”
Yu Zhi rested his head on Luo Ting’s shoulder. “After having a child, it’s only natural to lose weight.”
Luo Ting’s voice was deep and heavy. “It’s a pity I wasn’t by your side these past months to care for you personally.”
Yu Zhi tilted his head and kissed Luo Ting’s cheek. “It’s fine. We still have the future.”
The words barely left his lips when darkness engulfed his vision. He was roughly pushed onto the bed, the man’s strong body immediately pinning him down.
Lips and teeth intertwined, long-suppressed passion surged back in an instant.
Yu Zhi’s long-empty heart was finally filled. He hooked his arm around Luo Ting’s neck and leaned in, actively entwining his tongue with the other’s.
The man paused for a moment, then kissed him even more fiercely.
The heat within the canopy gradually intensified.
After a long, tangled kiss, Yu Zhi felt slightly breathless, yet he couldn’t bear to pull away. Suddenly, a breath entered his mouth, easing the tightness in his chest.
It was Luo Tingshi transferring his breath to Yu Zhi.
Yu Zhi’s eyes crinkled with a smile as he held the man tighter.
After another long, dazed kiss, they reluctantly parted.
Luo Tingshi traced Yu Zhi’s brow and eyes with a finger, asking softly, “Where are the children?”
Yu Zhi leaned against his chest, replying lazily, “With Father Emperor and Father Lord.”
Luo Tingshi: “May I see them?”
Yu Zhi hesitated.
Their kind could only take human form six months after birth. The two babies were only four months old, still in their kitten forms.
Could he trust Luo Tingshi?
“You’re worried I’ll see their true forms, aren’t you?” The man’s slightly hoarse voice reached Yu Zhi’s ears.
Yu Zhi’s eyes widened in shock. “When did you find out?”
Luo Tingshi smiled. “Before, I only suspected. Now I’ve confirmed it.”
Yu Zhi shot him a furious glance. “You were fishing for information, you bastard!”
Luo Tingshi wrapped his arms around the slender waist in his embrace. His thin lips trailed from the delicate neck to Yu Zhi’s ear, his voice soft and coaxing.
“My little kitten, would you show me your true form?”