Chapter 36
“It’s dawn, and it’s time for me to leave. I hope our cooperation goes smoothly. I’ll await good news in the Yu Kingdom. Farewell.” Yu Wenhui glanced at the emerging morning light outside, picked up the scroll on the table bearing the seal of Shangguan Ye, and smiled. Playing this role had earned him significant benefits and an additional prize—the first beauty of Yan Kingdom. This trip to Yan Kingdom had been worthwhile indeed, Yu Wenhui thought.
Shangguan Ye, sitting lazily with his hand supporting his chin, looked at Yu Wenhui with cold, indifferent eyes, showing no emotion, as if looking at a stranger. At most, there was a hint of impatience in his gaze, silently telling him to leave.
Yu Wenhui, accustomed to this, turned to leave but suddenly thought of something. He turned back, a playful smirk on his lips, and teased, “The wedding night is over. My lord, shouldn’t you return to see your beloved? Leaving her alone in the bridal chamber all night, you must be quite heartless.”
“There are some things you shouldn’t concern yourself with.” Shangguan Ye narrowed his eyes, a cold light emanating from his deep black eyes. “And don’t be too curious.”
Yu Wenhui’s lips twitched, a cold glint flashing in his eyes before he laughed more heartily. “Haha, poor little fellow, it’s truly unfortunate to be noticed by you.”
“If you don’t want to leave, just stay. The royal residence can afford to keep you.” Shangguan Ye closed his eyes, speaking faintly, as if the killing intent that had just appeared was an illusion.
Despite this, Yu Wenhui knew Shangguan Ye was starting to get angry. He thought to himself, what a petty man. Mentioning that little fellow turned him into a prickly hedgehog, as if everyone wanted to steal him away. But having a lover this jealous would surely bring the little guy endless trouble in the future.
Knowing when to stop, Yu Wenhui bowed and left quietly.
After Yu Wenhui departed, Shangguan Ye opened his eyes, glancing at the morning sky. How could he not want to return? He had been thinking about that little fellow all night. On the first day of their marriage, he had to wrong him so.
“It’s about time.” He murmured, standing up and walking towards the door. Turning his head slightly, he asked into the void, “How is he?”
“He has been sitting in the room all night, not sleeping, and he’s still the same now.” A faint voice sounded, just loud enough for Shangguan Ye to hear, though no one was visible.
Shangguan Ye nodded, recalling their interactions last night. He couldn’t help but smile. His lips still seemed to retain the faint fragrance and soft touch, making him long for more. It was time to check on him.
Staying awake all night wasn’t much for someone like Murong Qiufeng, who roamed the martial world, but the constant high tension had left him exhausted. The effect of the Quenching Bone Pill had long worn off, and with no change of clothes in the room—only Shangguan Ye’s attire—he dared not wear them. He stayed in his tight-fitting women’s clothing, awaiting Shangguan Ye’s judgment.
Unconsciously, dawn broke. With no news all night, he felt slightly relieved, thinking Qiuyun and the others must have escaped successfully.
“My lord.”
The voice outside the door made him tense up, his already strained nerves tightening further as he stared at the door.
The door opened, and Shangguan Ye entered, still in his unchanged red attire, his face icy, eyes weary, indicating he had been busy all night.
Seeing him like this, Murong Qiufeng’s mental defenses crumbled, unable to face him righteously. His guilt grew heavier, and he turned his head, avoiding Shangguan Ye’s gaze.
His makeup had been removed, revealing a sharply defined face that was slightly pale and tired. Shangguan Ye’s heart ached at the sight. Although Murong Qiufeng was pretending, the pain was real. This night had been enough to torment him. Shangguan Ye knew that with someone like Murong Qiufeng, force wouldn’t work; only a psychological approach would.
“I assume you’ve guessed the outcome.” Despite his heartache, Shangguan Ye had to continue the act, his voice cold and heavy, filled with a chilling menace. He walked to the table, sat down, and poured himself a drink, downing it in one gulp.
Murong Qiufeng felt a slight relief but showed no joy. He gritted his teeth, remaining silent, awaiting his fate.
Shangguan Ye continued, “You let my consort escape. What do you think I should do with you?”
“Do as you will, my lord.” Murong Qiufeng turned to look at him, his voice hoarse but firm, resolute.
Shangguan Ye narrowed his eyes slightly. “Do you think sacrificing yourself will resolve this? Do you think the consequences can be settled with one life? Yu Wenhui is smart but overestimates himself. He forgets this is Yan Kingdom, not Yu Kingdom. Does he think escaping is easy? What a joke.”
Murong Qiufeng’s heart sank, looking at Shangguan Ye in shock. He realized Shangguan Ye wasn’t bluffing but was completely confident. His heart grew heavy, his voice faint, “My lord…”
“Murong Qiufeng, I’m here to give you two choices. First, bring them back, by any means necessary. I don’t want anyone else to know about this. If Murong Qiuyun stays willingly as my consort, I won’t pursue this further. It will be treated as a farce.”
“My lord, my sister has someone she loves. A gentleman shouldn’t take what others love.” Murong Qiufeng stood up abruptly.
Shangguan Ye raised an eyebrow, his smile mocking. “A gentleman doesn’t take what others love? Who took from whom? Don’t forget, she is my consort by official marriage. You call yourselves gentlemen, yet you broke the agreement and deceived me. Is that gentlemanly? The marriage was agreed upon by both parties. Did anyone object? Now you cause this uproar. Am I the one forcing the marriage?”
Murong Qiufeng’s face turned pale as he sat down in despair, his lips tightly pressed together. Shangguan Ye’s words struck at his moral and ethical boundaries. Claiming to be a gentleman, yet acting in such a manner, left him…
Seeing Murong Qiufeng’s defeated expression, Shangguan Ye couldn’t help but feel pity. Although he had to continue, his tone softened somewhat.
“The second choice: I only ever wanted one consort, and I still need just one in the residence to deceive everyone. Whether or not it’s really Murong Qiuyun doesn’t matter. Since you’ve already impersonated her and fooled everyone, continue doing so. You will remain my consort. As for Murong Qiuyun, we can pretend this never happened. But from now on, you must fulfill the role of my consort properly.”
Murong Qiufeng’s eyes widened in disbelief. He stared at Shangguan Ye, and if not for the coldness in Shangguan Ye’s eyes, he would have thought he was being mocked. In a hoarse voice, he stammered, “My lord, I am a man.”
“As long as you appear as a woman in front of others, it’s fine. At other times, you can be yourself, but you will remain my retainer. Without my permission, you won’t enter the court or leave. You will act according to my orders. Choose between the two options.” Shangguan Ye spoke calmly.
Though it seemed like a choice, it was clearly coercion. Which option was more obvious? Having gone this far, Murong Qiufeng couldn’t opt for the first, which would be a total failure.
But choosing the second meant pretending to be the consort was barely acceptable, yet he would be under Shangguan Ye’s command, effectively selling himself to him. If ordered to do something heinous, what could he do?
He had already made mistakes, leading to this. There was no one else to blame.
“… Fine, I choose the second. But in return, my lord, please do not hold the Prime Minister’s residence or Qiuyun accountable. Let’s put this matter behind us. Also, find an excuse to keep it from my father. From now on, Murong Qiufeng is your man.”
Shangguan Ye raised an eyebrow, feeling a rush of excitement at the last sentence, even though he knew it wasn’t meant as he hoped. Nonetheless, he couldn’t suppress his joy.
“Of course.” Shangguan Ye stood up, walked to the wardrobe, took out a white silk robe, and handed it to Murong Qiufeng. “Put this on.”
The commanding tone made Murong Qiufeng feel a tinge of sadness, as the former warmth and care were severed by his actions.
With a sigh, Murong Qiufeng got up, removed the tight women’s clothing, and changed into the loose but comfortable robe, which eased his bad mood slightly.
“Come over when you’re done.” Shangguan Ye’s sudden voice startled Murong Qiufeng. In his daze, he forgot there was someone else in the room, making his undressing action awkward.
Looking towards the voice’s source, he felt very embarrassed.
“My lord?”
“If we’re acting, we must act convincingly. You haven’t slept all night; come rest.” Shangguan Ye had already removed his outerwear and lay on the bed, the red quilt covering him like a newlywed husband waiting for his wife.
Murong Qiufeng blushed, remembering their earlier interaction, and felt even more awkward. “My lord, please rest. I…”
“Hmm? Did you forget my orders? Disobeying on the first day?” Shangguan Ye opened his eyes, the deep gaze cold and sharp.
Murong Qiufeng felt a shiver, sighed in resignation, and walked over. After a moment’s hesitation, he carefully lifted a corner of the quilt and lay down, keeping a small distance from Shangguan Ye, his body stiff and breathing unsteady.
Shangguan Ye inwardly cursed the size of the bed but didn’t want to make things too obvious. He huffed in mild annoyance, then turned away and regulated his breathing.
After a long while, Murong Qiufeng listened to the steady breathing and confirmed Shangguan Ye was asleep. He finally relaxed but didn’t dare move. Exhausted, he soon fell into a deep sleep.
Hearing the steady breathing, Shangguan Ye, who was supposed to be asleep, opened his eyes, turned, and propped himself up, looking at the sleeping Murong Qiufeng.
Unable to resist, he gently touched the tired eyes, noticing a slight flutter as if Murong Qiufeng was waking. Hastily, he pressed a sleeping point, sighing in relief. When had he become so cautious? Since meeting Murong Qiufeng, he had changed in many ways.
But…
Seeing the defenseless sleeping face filled him with contented happiness. He leaned closer, carefully held him, kissed his lips, and smiled, feeling an unprecedented warmth and peace.
The previous night, Shangguan Ye’s courtyard remained quiet as ordered by the steward. Apart from the two guards outside, no one disturbed them. Murong Qiufeng was awakened in the afternoon, having slept soundly.
The person waking him was the old steward, one of the few aware of the situation. If not for the concern of hunger, Shangguan Ye would have let him sleep longer. When Murong Qiufeng awoke, Shangguan Ye was already gone, and the room was neatly arranged. Hot dishes and some grooming items were laid out on the table.
Murong Qiufeng smiled wryly, sighed at his situation, and accepted it.
He thought the steward would arrange another room, but Shangguan Ye had ordered him to stay there to avoid suspicion.
Indeed, what newlyweds would sleep apart the day after their wedding?
Though absurd, he had to face the consequences of his actions, leaving him with nothing but a wry smile.
