Lu Jingcheng lingered in the washroom for a while before slowly heading back to the dorm. By the time he returned, Ye Qingyang was already lying down. For some reason, Lu Jingcheng felt a little relieved—yet also a little disappointed.
He put his basin away, walked to the bed, and climbed up.
Ye Qingyang shifted inward to make more room for him.
Bai Le sat on the neighboring bed, resting his chin on his hand as he watched them.
“What are you looking at? Lie down already,” Lu Jingcheng said.
“I won’t,” Bai Le refused. “My eyes are on my face. I’ll look wherever I want.”
Lu Jingcheng sighed helplessly. “You’re even watching while I change clothes?”
Bai Le replied openly, “Come on, who are we to each other? When we were kids, we even bathed together. Don’t tell me you forgot.”
Lu Jingcheng: …
Why bring that up right now?!
Didn’t he see the little jealous guy lying next to him?!
Lu Jingcheng glared at him angrily.
Bai Le glared right back.
Seeing this, Ye Qingyang sat up and asked, “Brother Lu, you don’t want Brother Bai to watch, right?”
“Yeah,” Lu Jingcheng replied. “He’s too dramatic.”
Hearing that, Bai Le instantly launched into another act. “If this old minister were not thinking of Your Majesty’s well-being, how would things have come to this?”
“Didn’t you already lie down and accept your fate earlier?” Lu Jingcheng complained. “Why are you doing sit-ups again?”
Bai Le sighed deeply. “All for the sake of the empire.”
“It’s useless,” the tyrant emperor Lu Jingcheng declared mercilessly. “An emperor like me will lose the country sooner or later. You’d better reincarnate early and find a wiser ruler.”
While they were talking, Ye Qingyang climbed over Lu Jingcheng as if preparing to get off the bed.
Lu Jingcheng looked confused. “Where are you going?”
Bai Le was overjoyed. “Your Majesty, do you see? He doesn’t want to share your bed! Just let him go!”
From the top bunk across the room, Li Lan watched the drama unfold and fanned the flames. “That will not do, Consort! You finally made it onto the dragon bed—you can’t leave now!”
“Shut up!” Bai Le snapped at him. “You little eunuch—don’t you value your life?”
Li Lan showed no fear. “Heads may roll, blood may flow, but the Consort must not lose the dragon bed!”
Ye Qingyang: …
Calmly, Ye Qingyang climbed down from the bed.
“Consort, why did you really come down?” Liu Ning chimed in from the lower bunk. “Isn’t that just giving Lord Bai what he wants?”
Exactly, Lu Jingcheng thought. Why did he actually get down?!
Could he really bear to leave?
Lu Jingcheng didn’t believe for a second that Ye Qingyang could.
He must be using some kind of diversion tactic—creating a distraction to handle something else.
Ye Qingyang looked up and smiled at Liu Ning. “Relax. I’m just grabbing something. I’ll be right back.”
“What are you getting?” Liu Ning asked curiously.
Ye Qingyang didn’t answer. He walked to his own bed and pulled a ball of yarn out of his suitcase.
Everyone looked confused.
Without explanation, he climbed back onto Lu Jingcheng’s bed.
“Lord Bai,” Ye Qingyang said with a smile, “His Majesty and I are going to rest now. Some things are better left unseen—for the sake of your heart.”
As he spoke, he pulled out the yarn and tied it to the railing of the bed.
Bai Le instantly realized what he was doing. “You really are scheming, you treacherous consort!”
“Of course,” Ye Qingyang replied with a grin. “A treacherous consort suits a foolish emperor best.”
Bai Le nearly coughed up blood.
After tying the yarn, Ye Qingyang hung Lu Jingcheng’s military training uniform over it, successfully blocking Bai Le’s view.
“Go to sleep, Lord Bai. Once you’re asleep, you can have anything in your dreams.”
Bai Le: …
He lay down again, silently hoping that in his dreams Ye Qingyang wouldn’t exist and his best friend would still be straight.
Lu Jingcheng looked at the improvised curtain and couldn’t help laughing. “Why did you even bring that?”
“Just in case,” Ye Qingyang said. “And look—it came in handy.”
He glanced at Lu Jingcheng. “Brother Lu, should I tie one on this side too?”
Lu Jingcheng: !!!
Lu Jingcheng felt that Ye Qingyang’s thoughts were way too complicated.
His bunk had walls on two sides. Ye Qingyang had already blocked Bai Le’s side with the curtain, and now he wanted to block the other side too.
Wasn’t that—
Wasn’t that basically creating a private little space inside an eight-person dorm?!
Sleeping together on the same bed wasn’t enough for him?
He wanted to isolate the two of them from everyone else?!
What exactly was he planning to do?
Something shameful?
Or was he trying to declare his territory?
Alright, that’s enough!
Isn’t this a bit too obvious?!
Do you really think you’re my consort?!
Lu Jingcheng stared at Ye Qingyang, his eyes filled with disbelief, warning, dissatisfaction, helplessness, and a strange hint of indulgence.
Ye Qingyang had absolutely no idea what that look meant.
He had only asked casually—after all, he’d brought the whole ball of yarn up. Might as well use it.
“So… not tying it?”
What kind of tone is that?!
You really want to tie it that badly?!
Do you really want a private two-person world with me?!
Lu Jingcheng asked himself—and immediately answered.
Of course he did!
That lovestruck idiot Ye Qingyang had even turned the wrong direction during drills just to sneak a few extra glances at him. Now he must be eager to close off all sides and create a little world for just the two of them.
He really wanted it!
Lu Jingcheng felt he understood Ye Qingyang perfectly.
Fine then.
He wanted to see exactly what Ye Qingyang planned to do with this private little space.
So Lu Jingcheng lifted his chin proudly. “Tie it.”
Let’s see what you’re planning.
Ye Qingyang pulled the yarn tight, tied it to the railing, and hung both of their clothes over it.
“All done,” he said.
Lu Jingcheng looked at the newly enclosed space and thought, Of course it’s done. This was basically a makeshift little cell trapping the two of them inside.
“Mm,” he murmured.
Ye Qingyang lay back down. “Now you can change your clothes.”
Lu Jingcheng: …
Lu Jingcheng felt like he understood everything now.
After all that fuss, the real reason was that Ye Qingyang’s possessiveness was too strong. He didn’t want anyone else seeing Lu Jingcheng change clothes, so he went through all this trouble.
Lu Jingcheng sighed inwardly.
Why care about something like that? He and Bai Le had known each other for years—they’d already seen everything.
But then he thought again and felt a little sorry for Ye Qingyang.
Being this bothered probably meant he liked him too much.
In Ye Qingyang’s heart, he must always have been jealous that Bai Le and the others had known him since childhood.
But there was nothing to be done about that.
They had met too late.
And before this, Ye Qingyang had always been the type who kept his feelings buried inside without telling him anything.
Turning his head, Lu Jingcheng looked at him and said regretfully, “Even though Bai Le and I met earlier, I’m very fair when it comes to friendships.”
Ye Qingyang: ???
“Even though we met later, I treat everyone equally. You can count as my friend now. There’s no need to worry about what happened before.”
Ye Qingyang: …
He had no idea why Lu Jingcheng suddenly said that.
But for someone like Lu Jingcheng—a proud little peacock—to admit they were friends first was pretty rare.
So Ye Qingyang smiled politely. “Thanks, Brother Lu. I understand.”
Seeing his bright smile, Lu Jingcheng asked, “Feeling better?”
Ye Qingyang nodded.
Was there ever a time he wasn’t happy?
Absolutely not.
Seeing him nod, Lu Jingcheng felt he was pretty easy to comfort.
That must be the power of love, Lu Jingcheng thought.
With that thought, he slowly changed into his pajamas.
As soon as he lay down, before he even had time to turn over, the lights went out.
The dorm was instantly plunged into darkness.
In the dark, Ye Qingyang turned onto his side facing him.
“Brother Lu, does it feel crowded?”
“It’s okay,” Lu Jingcheng replied.
The beds during military training weren’t very big. Two seventeen-year-old boys sleeping on one naturally felt tight, but it was manageable.
Since Lu Jingcheng didn’t mind, Ye Qingyang relaxed.
“Then good night, Brother.”
Good night?
That was it?
Lu Jingcheng couldn’t believe it, but he still answered, “Good night.”
He glanced sideways. In the darkness he could vaguely see Ye Qingyang lying on his side facing him.
Without realizing it, Lu Jingcheng turned to face him too, watching quietly.
After a moment, Ye Qingyang opened his eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Lu Jingcheng said softly.
“But why are you so good at all this military training stuff?” he finally asked the question that had been bothering him all day.
“My dad taught me,” Ye Qingyang said. “He trained me before.”
Since it involved Ye Qingyang’s father, Lu Jingcheng felt awkward asking more. After all, his father was no longer alive, and bringing it up would only reopen old wounds.
So he just said “Oh” and closed his eyes.
They both slept well that night.
When Ye Qingyang’s phone alarm woke him the next morning, he discovered that he and Lu Jingcheng were hugging each other tightly.
He froze for a moment.
Once fully awake, he gently loosened his arms and checked the time.
Six o’clock.
They had to assemble at six-thirty.
Ye Qingyang sat up and started trying to wake Lu Jingcheng.
But Lu Jingcheng was clearly the type who struggled to get up. He waved his hand, rolled over, and continued sleeping.
Seeing this, Ye Qingyang stopped trying and got dressed himself before climbing down.
He brushed his teeth and washed his face in the washroom. Seeing more people arriving, he filled a basin with water and a cup for brushing, then carried them back.
The other roommates were gradually waking up.
Lu Jingcheng was still asleep.
Chen Wei tried waking him once but failed.
Ye Qingyang poured water into Lu Jingcheng’s basin and cup, then climbed back up onto the bed and shook him.
“Wake up, big brother. If you don’t get up now, you’ll be late.”
“Let him be late,” Bai Le said coldly through the hanging uniform. “If he won’t wake up after being called so many times, let him be punished once. Maybe then he’ll learn.”
Ye Qingyang clicked his tongue.
No wonder people called him a loyal minister—his honest advice was really harsh.
Didn’t Lu Jingcheng care about face?!
Looking at Lu Jingcheng sleeping peacefully under the blanket like an innocent little angel, Ye Qingyang simply grabbed him and hauled him upright.
Lu Jingcheng, half-asleep, opened his eyes unhappily and muttered, “What are you doing?”
“Time for morning court, Your Majesty.”
“Not going.” The tyrant emperor clearly had no concept of morning court.
As he spoke, he tried to lie back down.
Ye Qingyang held him firmly and started unbuttoning his pajama top.
Lu Jingcheng: ???
Lu Jingcheng: !!!
That finally woke him up.
He grabbed Ye Qingyang’s hand and asked in disbelief, “What are you doing?!”
“Helping Your Majesty get dressed.”
Lu Jingcheng: !!!
They had only shared a bed for one night and now he was already trying to strip his clothes off?!
Wasn’t this way too bold?!
Utterly outrageous!
Brazen beyond measure!
Full of wolfish ambition!
Eyeing him like prey!
Still refusing to give up!
Lu Jingcheng felt this was way too obvious.
Who gave him the courage?
This makeshift little “private room”?!
Did he set up this tiny enclosed space just so he could take off his clothes where nobody could see?!
What a scheming mind!