Chapter 48

After the grand wedding, Yu Zhi formally registered the two children in the imperial registry, announcing it to the realm.

The children were over seven months old and could now transform smoothly. Each day while Yu Zhi handled court affairs, Luo Tingshi would bring the two children to play alongside them.

Yu Zhi set down his imperial brush and turned his gaze to Luo Tingshi.

Luo Tingshi had been in Sheng Kingdom for several months. Though Sheng Kingdom’s spies relayed court matters for his review and decisions, it remained inconvenient. Moreover, he had ascended the throne only recently, his foundation still fragile. Prolonged absence from Yu Kingdom seemed unwise.

With this in mind, Yu Zhi rose and walked slowly to Luo Tingshi’s side.

Luo Tingshi immediately looked up. “Has the Xiao Yu grown weary from reviewing memorials? Then you should rest. Come, let me massage your shoulders.”

Yu Zhi leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Luo Tingshi’s neck from behind. Half-reclining against his back, he whispered softly into Luo Tingshi’s ear, “When will you return to Sheng Kingdom?”

Warm breath seeped through the thin layer of clothing against Luo Tingshi’s back. The emperor’s robes, scented with incense, had infused his skin with a subtle fragrance. The arms wrapped around his neck exuded a faint sweetness that burrowed deep into Luo Tingshi’s heart.

Luo Tingshi’s dark eyes narrowed. He pressed down on the arm resting on his shoulder and reached behind him.

“Ah!” Yu Zhi gasped.

His vision blurred. Before he could react, his entire body landed in Luo Tingshi’s embrace. The handsome face before him was mere inches away. Yu Zhi opened his lips: “You…”

The rest of his words were drowned out by the meeting of their lips.

Yu Zhi pushed weakly against him, his words muffled as he murmured, “The child…”

Luo Tingshi seized Yu Zhi’s fingertips, pressing them firmly against his own chest. He murmured, “Don’t worry… We’re facing away from them. They can’t see us.”

The resistance in his embrace weakened slightly.

Waves of warmth washed over him. Luo Tingshi’s hand slowly slid down Yu Zhi’s slender waist, his rough fingertips pressing firmly against his lower back. A soft moan escaped Yu Zhi’s lips as he clutched Luo Tingshi’s shirt and arched his back.

Luo Tingshi curved his lips.

His little kitten was far too sensitive.

Merely a light touch on his waist had been enough to overwhelm her.

Luo Tingshi released her, slowly lifting his head. An angry face came into view as the beauty in his arms scolded him indignantly, “You bastard! Who told you to grope me like that!”

Luo Tingshi’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Your Majesty, I had no idea your waist was so sensitive.”

“You didn’t know?” Yu Zhi fumed at his evasion. “You’ve explored every inch of my body. How could you not know where I’m sensitive?”

Luo Tingshi’s smile widened, his voice brimming with suppressed amusement. “Not entirely, Your Majesty. That deepest pass… I have yet to explore it.”

Yu Zhi shot him a furious glare. “I was willing to accompany you to Sheng Kingdom. But after such insolence, how could I possibly set foot on your territory?”

Luo Ting’s expression shifted slightly. “Come with me to Sheng Kingdom?”

Yu Zhi seized Luo Ting’s arm, using it to pull himself up. He snorted coldly. “As the ruler of a nation, how can you remain in another country indefinitely? Your actions will inevitably stir discontent among the court officials. Instability in Sheng Kingdom’s government benefits neither you nor me. You should return.”

Yu Zhi turned his head. The two children were sprawled on the ground, engrossed in playing with their little toys, utterly preoccupied. His eyes softened slightly, the anger on his face easing.

“The children are still young and cannot be separated from you. Naturally, they must accompany you to Shengguo.”

Luo Tingshi’s dark gaze locked onto Yu Zhi, his voice slightly deepening. “Your Majesty, did you forget to say something?”

Yu Zhi ignored him.

Luo Tingshi: “You cannot be separated from me either.”

Yu Zhi glanced sideways at Luo Tingshi, curling his lips. “You know the answer.”

“Xiao Yu…” Luo Tingshi leaned in, wrapping his arms around Yu Zhi’s waist. Yu Zhi shot him a glance but offered no resistance, allowing the man to pull him into his embrace.

Luo Tingshi sighed, “With a husband like you, what more could I possibly ask for?”

Luo Tingshi immediately replied, “Your love is enough. You needn’t do anything else for me.”

“What kind of love is it that relies only on words?” Yu Zhi straightened up, turning to meet Luo Tingshi’s gaze with earnestness.

“Doesn’t loving someone mean being willing to give everything for them? Luo Tingshi, precisely because I love you, I also want to cherish you, care for you, and fulfill you.”

Yu Zhi raised his hand, gently tracing Luo Tingshi’s brow and eyes. Beneath his fingers, the brow ridge was steep and sharp, yet as it reached the outer corners of the eyes, it softened abruptly.

The man before him was stunned by his words, staring at him blankly.

Yu Zhi spoke softly, “With Father Emperor in Yu Kingdom, these next few days we’ll pack our things and take Tuantuan and Yuanyuan to Sheng Kingdom.”

As he finished speaking, a powerful force suddenly seized Yu Zhi’s waist.

Luo Tingshi pulled him into a tight embrace, his arms slowly closing around him. His throat felt stuffed with cotton, and it took him a long moment to squeeze out a single word: “Alright.”

“Go to Sheng Kingdom? I was hoping to play with the two kittens a bit longer,” Ye Jiang sighed.

Yu Zhi: “It’s unavoidable. He is the emperor, after all. Shengguo cannot function without him.”

Ye Jiang: “When will you return?”

Yu Zhi: “After the union of Yu and Sheng.”

Ye Jiang: “That means you won’t be back for at least a year or two?”

He groaned in despair, sighing heavily.

Yu Zhi couldn’t help but smile, wrapping his arm around Ye Jiang’s waist. “I promise to resolve this within a year, if possible.”

Early summer brought a hint of heat. At dawn, the imperial carriage departed the city, escorted by officials paying their respects.

This journey aimed to announce to all under heaven that the emperors of Yu and Sheng had wed. Thus, they traveled with extraordinary pomp. The emperor’s carriage was tightly surrounded, the procession stretching for miles before disappearing into dense green foliage.

As they journeyed on, the wheat turned golden, the apricots swelled, and the sun grew ever more scorching.

“Don’t hug me—it’s hot.” Yu Zhi pushed away Luo Ting, who had pressed close, and tugged at his collar, revealing a slender stretch of pale neck.

Luo Ting’s eyes lingered on that porcelain-white expanse, his gaze deepening as his voice grew husky. “There are no outsiders in the carriage. Your Majesty may shed your outer robe and remain in your undergarments.”

Yu Zhi shot him a glare. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. Once the outer robe comes off, do you really think the inner one will stay on? I warn you—this is out in the open. If you make me lose face in front of everyone, I won’t let you off the hook.”

Luo Tingshi protested vehemently, “Your Majesty, I only feel for Xiao Yu, unwilling to let you suffer in this sweltering heat. Rest assured, Xiao Yu, your voice between the sheets is so enchantingly alluring—how could I ever let others hear it?”

“Luo Tingshi!” Yu Zhi’s face flushed instantly. He sprang up and kicked Luo Tingshi’s calf, snarling fiercely, “If you say that again… if you say that again, I’ll be a little mute in bed from now on.”

Luo Tingshi chuckled softly, pulling Yu Zhi’s arm to draw him into his embrace. He leisurely undid the sash at his waist, a smile playing on his lips. ” A little mute has its own charm. Unable to speak, you can only glare at me with red eyes. When I get rough, you just bury yourself in my embrace, crying and biting me a few times.”

Yu Zhi: “…”

Whenever matters of the bedchamber were mentioned, he always lost.

He was far too proud.

And this man possessed no such thing as shame.

Having suffered this silent defeat, Yu Zhi turned and bit into Luo Tingshi’s neck.

Luo Tingshi narrowed his eyes, his hands never stopping as he stripped Yu Zhi’s clothes off, looking utterly delighted. “Little cat, bite harder. What’s the difference between that and a lick or a kiss?”

At those words, Yu Zhi clenched his teeth to bite down harder. Yet the moment his sharp teeth pierced the skin, he couldn’t bring himself to go through with it.

Yu Zhi paused for a moment, slowly releasing his grip. He buried his face into Luo Tingshi’s neck, his voice muffled against the skin: “You’re bullying me.”

He sounded utterly aggrieved.

Luo Tingshi quickly retrieved a folding fan from the carriage, fanning Yu Zhi while stroking his back soothingly. “Xiao Yu, don’t be upset. I won’t say it anymore.”

A gentle breeze accompanied the man’s tender voice. Yu Zhi lifted his gaze to meet Luo Tingshi’s eyes and spoke slowly, “It’s not that I can’t say it… But since I’m embarrassed, you mustn’t say it either.”

The blush hadn’t faded from his cheeks yet, a rosy glow radiating from his skin, making him exceptionally captivating.

His voice was soft too, like a kitten purring and meowing in affection.

Luo Tingshi wanted nothing more than to kiss him senseless. Suppressing his emotions, he lowered his head and pressed a light kiss to Yu Zhi’s cheek. “Very well. When Xiao Yu feels shy, I shall keep my mouth shut.”

Yu Zhi nestled into Luo Tingshi’s embrace. It was the height of summer, and clinging together like this was unbearably hot, yet neither wanted to part.

Yu Zhi caught a glimpse of glistening moisture out of the corner of his eye. He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from Luo Tingshi’s forehead, then snatched the folding fan from Luo Tingshi’s grasp and waved it gently at him.

Luo Tingshi watched his movements with a smile.

The two children were in the carriage behind, tended to by Lin Shan and the maidservant.

It was too hot; they were listless too, sleeping most of the day. When they woke, they were brought to the imperial carriage to be looked after by their father himself.

By now, Yu Zhi had grown quite adept at holding the baby. The little one in his arms puckered his lips and blew a string of bubbles at Yu Zhi.

Yu Zhi handed the baby over to Luo Tingshi with a look of disdain: “Let’s switch. I’ll take care of the little sister.”

The baby girl arrived in Yu Zhi’s arms and flashed a wide grin, revealing two tiny pearly teeth. Yu Zhi couldn’t help but curve his lips in response.

Luo Tingshi’s gaze lingered on the father and daughter, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

The child in his arms blinked up at Luo Tingshi with wide, dark eyes, then turned to look at Yu Zhi and his little sister. Unable to make sense of it, she giggled foolishly and gurgled out another string of bubbles.

Yu Zhi heard the sound and looked up. “You’re not a fish, why are you always blowing bubbles?”

Luo Tingshi chimed in: “Exactly! Your father is the Xiao Yu.”

Yu Zhi: “…”

“Luo Tingshi, you really are…”