Would Luo Tingshi abandon power for romantic entanglements?
Yu Zhi refused to believe it.
Yu Zhi was not a suspicious man by nature, yet when it came to Luo Tingshi, he found himself forced to consider the worst possible motives.
He conceded that Luo Tingshi might genuinely harbor affection for him. Yet that affection alone could never persuade Luo Tingshi to surrender his empire.
It wasn’t that Yu Zhi lacked confidence.
He believed that if he desired it, men would pluck stars and moons from the heavens for him.
But that man should not be Luo Ting.
This throne was hard-won through Luo Ting’s relentless toil and cunning schemes. To relinquish it so easily would leave even Yu Zhi sighing in regret, let alone others.
As his father would say, this was utterly love-struck.
Luo Tingshi should not be such a love-struck man.
“Yu Zhi, what are you doubting? Do you still refuse to trust me?” Luo Tingshi lowered his head, gently lifting Yu Zhi’s chin. “Look into my eyes and answer me.”
“I…” Yu Zhi hesitated, unsure how to respond. After a moment, he snapped, his brows furrowing angrily. “Who gave you the audacity to interrogate me?”
Luo Tingshi’s dark eyes deepened. “Very well. I won’t force you. Take your time to think.”
He slowly lowered his head, pressing a light kiss to Yu Zhi’s brow.
The kiss on his brow was light and tender, a pure kiss devoid of the usual surging passion. It held only boundless cherishing.
Yu Zhi’s heart fluttered, as if caressed by a gentle spring breeze. A tingling sensation burrowed from his heart, spreading through his veins.
He turned his head, pressing a hand over his chest through his robes, feeling the unfamiliar emotion surge within.
Luo Tingshi drew Yu Zhi’s slender back into his embrace, resting his chin on Yu Zhi’s shoulder as he murmured, “Xiao Yu, shall we rest a while? We’ve been at it for quite some time. You must be tired.”
Yu Zhi nodded.
They lay down fully clothed. With Yu Zhi carrying a child, Luo Tingshi could only embrace him from behind.
Luo Tingshi gently kissed the strands of hair in his arms.
“You’re stealing kisses from me again,” the person in his arms murmured, his voice tinged with displeasure.
“Fine, I won’t steal kisses anymore.” Luo Tingshi asked with a smile, “Your Majesty, I want to kiss you. Is that alright?”
“No.” Yu Zhi replied immediately.
Luo Tingshi’s eyes softened. His large hand gently caressed Yu Zhi’s belly as he murmured, “I won’t tease Your Majesty anymore. Let’s sleep.”
He couldn’t rush things. He had to take it step by step, slowly, first dissolving Yu Zhi’s hatred towards him.
–
Yu Zhi felt a hint of weariness, yet sleep eluded him.
Luo Tingshi’s words had struck him too deeply; he still found them hard to believe.
Closing his eyes, his mind was filled with the look on that man’s face as he spoke—Luo Tingshi gazing at him with such intense, profound focus, as if Yu Zhi were his entire world.
Damn it!
Get out of my head.
Yu Zhi clutched his temples, desperate to banish this man.
Yet the more he tried to block Luo Tingshi from his mind, the clearer the image became. It seemed to have taken root there, replaying itself over and over before his eyes.
“Your Majesty, will you marry me?”
Luo Tingshi proposed to him again and again, stirring Yu Zhi into a state of turmoil.
He bit his lip, pressing against Luo Tingshi’s arm wrapped around his own, slowly turning to face the man.
Luo Tingshi seemed to have fallen asleep, his eyes tightly closed, his breath steady and calm.
For the first time, Yu Zhi studied him intently.
There was no doubt about it—Luo Tingshi was a handsome man. Tall and imposing, with an extraordinary bearing, he was the sort who would turn heads wherever he went, drawing admiration from countless men and women alike.
Yu Zhi couldn’t deny that this face appealed to him.
His gaze slid down from the man’s sharply arched brow, settling upon the closed eyelids. In his memory, those eyes had been beautiful—narrow and elongated, with cleanly flared outer corners and pupils as black as two pieces of ink jade. They usually carried a ruthless glint, adding a touch of ferocity to his appearance.
Only when looking at him…
the wolf-like glare would quietly shed all its killing intent, transforming into two tranquil pools, brimming with a lake of affection.
Occasionally, when he glanced back without thinking, he would meet those eyes fixed on him, their depths rippling with gentle waves, holding undisguised admiration and cherishing.
Yu Zhi felt a complex mix of emotions.
He lowered his gaze to those thin lips, their edges sharply defined.
…Kissing him felt so good.
Yu Zhi’s eyes instinctively drifted to the corner of his mouth. Months had passed, and new flesh had long since grown there, though the color remained slightly paler—barely noticeable unless one looked closely.
Unconsciously, he raised his hand to gently trace the healed wound.
These past months, Luo Tingshi had actually treated him exceptionally well.
In the bedroom, Luo Tingshi never indulged in animalistic desires. Though his words were often raunchy, promising to wear him out in bed,
his actions were always exceptionally gentle.
Everything revolved around him. The slightest sign of discomfort from him, and Luo Tingshi would immediately stop all movement, holding him close and soothing him. His earlier suggestion had undoubtedly been a tremendous test for Luo Tingshi. At the peak of Luo Tingshi’s excitement, asking him to…
The slightest lapse in self-control would turn him into a beast.
A man in the prime of his youth, Luo Tingshi’s desires were stronger than most. These past months had been an agonizing struggle for him.
Yu Zhi saw it all and understood how difficult it was for him.
Yet he didn’t love Luo Tingshi. The occasional flutter in his heart was merely a side effect of the pregnancy.
…
Annoying.
No more thinking about it.
Yu Zhi pushed those messy thoughts aside, leaning in to bury his face in Luo Tingshi’s neck. He rubbed his cheek against him and closed his eyes.
A quarter of an hour later, his breathing grew steady and deep.
Yet Luo Ting, seemingly “asleep,” quietly opened his eyes.
His dark pupils fixed on the face of the youth nestled in his embrace. The boy slept soundly, most of his face pressed against Luo Ting’s neck, revealing only a small patch of luminous white skin. The hands clasping him tightly held his left hand beside his cheek. The skin beneath the back of the hand was incredibly soft. Luo Tingshi’s fingers moved slightly, his knuckles brushing against that luminous whiteness.
Warm and soft, smooth and silky.
Like a piece of the finest Kunshan white jade.
Luo Tingshi’s lips curved upward slowly, his dark eyes tinged with a gentle smile.
Yu Zhi, you’ve developed feelings for me too, haven’t you?
He was “asleep,” yet he hadn’t missed the complex emotions dancing across his face.
There was hatred, resentment, struggle, pity, and… an almost imperceptible flutter.
Luo Tingshi lowered his gaze to Yu Zhi’s rounded belly, his smile deepening.
“I shall soon be your legitimate father.”
–
Half an hour later, both awoke. Yu Zhi lay sprawled across Luo Tingshi’s chest, unwilling to move.
He murmured to himself, “Having neglected court affairs for months, my body grows ever more sluggish. If I remain this way after bearing the imperial heir, what shall I do?”
Luo Tingshi’s fingertips traced the smooth, jet-black hair of the person in his arms. He smiled, “Then I shall handle it for you.”
“Oh, Luo Tingshi, now you speak your true thoughts!” Yu Zhi suddenly lifted his head, his gaze sharp. “What about offering the empire as a betrothal gift? It’s just a ploy to swallow my Great Yu whole without lifting a finger, isn’t it?”
Luo Tingshi answered honestly, “I have considered it.”
Before Yu Zhi could erupt in anger, he quickly added, “But I will not do so. Xiao Yu was born to sit upon that throne, to have all under heaven bow their heads and pledge allegiance to you.”
Yu Zhi stared at him coldly.
Luo Tingshi suddenly smiled, his hand suggestively caressing Yu Zhi’s waist, slowly sliding downward.
Yu Zhi instantly bristled, slapping his hand away. “Don’t touch my ass.”
Luo Tingshi roared with laughter, his voice resonant like metal striking stone. ” You are the ruler of all under heaven, above all men. When the Son of Heaven grows angry, a million corpses lie fallen, blood flows for a thousand miles. Yet…”
His voice lowered, the trailing syllable deliberately rising as he brushed against Yu Zhi’s earlobe. “Yet beneath me alone, only I shall witness you weeping and begging for mercy. Your Majesty, would that not be far more satisfying?”
“You…” Yu Zhi was both shocked and furious, staring at Luo Ting for half a moment before snapping, “Shameless!”
Luo Ting seized Yu Zhi’s clenched fists, patiently prying them open one by one before forcing his fingers between them, interlocking their hands. ” When we marry, Yu and Sheng become one. From then on, Great Yu will also be my home and my nation. What is wrong with a husband handling state affairs for his wife?”
“Who is your wife? Luo Tingshi, have you no shame!”
Yu Zhi glared at Luo Tingshi, fuming, and reached to pry apart their clasped hands. He struggled for a long while but couldn’t break free.
He truly resembled a fierce little kitten stubbornly challenging him.
Luo Tingshi found it amusing and couldn’t resist tightening his grip a little more.
Yu Zhi noticed and looked up accusingly. “Luo Tingshi, you bastard!”
The man before him pouted, looking utterly aggrieved. Luo Tingshi’s heart softened instantly. He released his grip, embraced Yu Zhi, and apologized. “Don’t be angry, Your Majesty. It was my fault.”
“This time, I won’t forgive you!”
Luo Tingshi beat him to it, swiftly dressing Yu Zhi in his shoes, socks, and robes. He asked with a smile, “Where are you going, Your Majesty?”
Yu Zhi rose, his cheeks flushed with anger. “Don’t follow me. I don’t want to see you.”
I hate Luo Tingshi!
–
Yu Zhi left the bedroom and made his way to the west courtyard.
Upon reaching Physician Zhang’s quarters, Yu Zhi plopped down and gulped a mouthful of the cool tea on the table.
Physician Zhang understood immediately: “Did he anger Your Majesty again?”
Yu Zhi gritted his teeth: “He’s a bastard.”
Dr. Zhang set down the herbs from his basket, smiling warmly at the furious young emperor. “Your Majesty, do not trouble yourself with him.”
Yu Zhi sat on the stool, brooding in silence for a long while.
After a moment, he lifted his head hesitantly. “Doctor Zhang, there is something I wish to consult you about.”
“Your Majesty, please speak.”
Yu Zhi pressed his lips together and spoke softly, “Luo Ting has offered the kingdom of Sheng as a dowry to marry me. What do you advise? Should I marry him?”
Dr. Zhang’s expression changed. “Did he truly say that?”
Yu Zhi nodded.
“This… Your Majesty puts this old servant in a difficult position. As the saying goes, ‘Parents’ will and matchmakers’ words.’ Perhaps Your Majesty should write to the Emperor and Lord Ye for their counsel.”
Yu Zhi frowned. “I dare not tell them. If they found out, they would surely punish me severely.”
Ah, the hearts of parents everywhere are truly pitiful.
Doctor Zhang sighed inwardly. He had children of his own. If his daughter were to become pregnant by another man without his knowledge, he would surely kill that man.
But Doctor Zhang dared not provoke the young emperor. He only said, “They have always cherished Your Majesty. They would never harm you. Please put your mind at ease.” “
“Really?” Yu Zhi stared at Physician Zhang with pleading eyes.
Physician Zhang nodded solemnly.
Just then, a young servant knocked on the door and respectfully announced, “Your Majesty, two people are seeking you outside.”
Yu Zhi rose and walked through the corridor, puzzled, heading toward the front hall.
Who could be seeking him out?
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