After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 122

“You…” It felt as if all the wind had stopped at that moment. “Are you serious?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Are you ready?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Will you regret it?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“…It might hurt, you know?”

 

Rong Haoyu, you talk too much. Shouldn’t the Emperor just agree right away at a time like this? Zhou Xun thought.

 

Do I still need to tell you repeatedly that I want you by my side?

 

I want to be close to you, to share secrets, to share an intimacy that I won’t have with anyone else in this world.

 

I want you to comfort me, kiss me, embrace me, to hold me through life-and-death moments. Let me know we are together.

 

I want to be held by you, to be closer to you than anyone else, to do the most unique things with you, to carve myself into your life, to smile at you, to make unbreakable vows so that in the years to come, you will still remember me. I want to be like milk and sugar cubes—initially two lonely individuals, then merging into each other’s lives, becoming each other’s very essence. Once together, there will be no more loneliness.

 

When one person loves another, that person wants to “embrace” the one they love. It’s as natural as a peach tree blooming in spring, as the willow fluff and fallen petals sharing the same spring, as the peach blossoms of autumn resulting from the spring. There’s nothing more natural than this.

 

Being with someone you love means you want to do everything and anything with them.

 

“So… should I come in?”

 

“…”

 

“Don’t be nervous.” The Emperor said, his own voice slightly stumbling. “I’ll count to three, and then we’ll start… Hey, why are you kicking me…”

 

Outside the window, rain gradually began to fall, from a light drizzle to a downpour, then to a steady rain in the morning. Swallows chirped on the peach trees. Though the sun did not rise in the morning, the peach blossoms were already forming buds. Spring will pollinate the flowers, and the misty, colorful sea will stretch across the capital.

 

Zhou Xun covered his face with his arm, quickly remembering the scar on his wrist that wasn’t fully healed. He anxiously tried to hide it behind his back, but then he had nothing to cover his face…

 

But his arm was lifted by someone. The person kissed the scar on his arm and then kissed his eyes, which he was trying to close. “Look at me, don’t be afraid. You’re… beautiful.”

 

“Mm… I’m holding you… don’t go… it doesn’t hurt…”

 

When the snow melts, it becomes like water—gentle and accepting, allowing itself to be cut. What a beautiful spring it is. The rain continues to fall, willows are budding, and the slate road reflects the dim morning light. Just as the coldest part of winter needs someone to snuggle with in a warm bed, this beautiful spring is perfect for two people to softly kiss each other’s lips.

 

As noon approached, the rain intensified again. Outside the window, the rain knocked the flowers off the tree branches. Zhou Xun’s eyelashes fluttered.

 

He didn’t want to get up, so he stayed nestled in the warm place, just like every cat finds its favorite hearth. Honestly, the current position was uncomfortable. He felt his inner clothes sticking to his body, and he was not too comfortable. The Emperor was holding him too tightly. His hair was also disheveled, scattered around him as someone had kissed it repeatedly last night. Usually, he would find a way to sort it out.

 

But despite all the discomfort, he didn’t want to move. He looked up and saw the person sleeping beside him, with their eyes closed in deep sleep.

 

That person had long eyelashes and thick brows, hard to count. Zhou Xun looked at him secretly for a while and carefully shifted his body.

 

He lifted his face and gently rubbed his nose against the other’s nose, like a kitten confirming its possession. After feeling the other’s touch, he pulled back quietly and closed his eyes.

 

He felt his cheeks burning and his heart racing—after all, hadn’t they done more intimate things last night? Hadn’t they done even more outrageous things?

 

But this small, even somewhat childish gesture made his heart race. It was as if he had planted a peach tree in his heart, which blossomed the moment he touched the other’s nose.

 

But Zhou Xun soon realized he wasn’t the only one who had woken up early—he also heard the faster-than-his heartbeat sound from the opposite side.

 

It turned out he wasn’t the only one pretending to be asleep; the other person was too.

 

The two looked at each other. Though it was something straightforward, their gazes carried a sense of secrecy. After a long while, Zhou Xun looked away first—he quickly sensed an odd source.

 

Uh…

 

The Emperor was even more stiff than him.

 

Zhou Xun hesitated to speak, then spoke hesitantly. After a while, he quietly said, “…You again.”

 

After saying this, he turned his eyes away. But his body remained still, as if giving tacit approval.

 

The Emperor: …

 

“…No, you’re too restless.” The Emperor said with a pained expression, “I’ll handle it myself!”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

Zhou Xun silently covered his head with the blanket—covering his entire head, then lightly and softly turned to the other side.

 

When he was pulled back by the Emperor, everything was over. The Emperor was beside him, with a dreamy expression. Zhou Xun asked softly, “What are you thinking about?”

 

“…Thinking about doing it again,” the Emperor said, sounding like he was talking in his sleep.

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

He blushed a bit, even his ears and collarbone turning pink. But he didn’t say anything, just tilted his head, leaned against the other person, and stared at the patterns on the quilt as if they were extremely worth studying.

 

After a while, Zhou Xun couldn’t help but shiver, his face turning pale as he gasped.

 

“Does it hurt??? ” The Emperor immediately became anxious, hurriedly asking.

 

“……”

 

It did hurt a bit, Zhou Xun nodded.

 

“Where does it hurt? Let me see…” The Emperor only stopped trying to turn Zhou Xun over when Zhou Xun’s face turned almost as red as it could and gave him a fierce glare. He awkwardly touched his nose and said, “Uh… It’s all my fault.”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

“…Does it need to be said?” He said softly, “Of course it’s all your fault.”

 

“Goose, goose, goose.”

 

At that moment, the Emperor’s face was almost exploding with redness. The two “fire clouds” stared at each other.

 

“But how could this happen? I was very careful, and I studied so many books and manuals, following the summarized guidelines strictly. They said you need to be fully relaxed and not nervous, and I followed that strictly. I kept asking if you were in pain… How could this happen? It shouldn’t be this way, according to the book, you should… Could it be…” The Emperor nervously touched his nose, “Is it because I’m too big?!”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

This statement was shocking and so shameless it was hard to believe. Zhou Xun’s face was no longer red; he gradually showed a smile, and his eyes darkened.

 

“Come a bit closer.” Zhou Xun said in a low voice.

 

The Emperor, hearing this, eagerly moved closer. If he had a tail, it would probably be wagging at that moment. Then…

 

Zhou Xun, despite the slight discomfort, kicked him.

 

Emperor: ?!?

 

He seemed to have said something wrong…

 

The Emperor thought to himself, obediently accepting the kick and considering whether to perform a “kicked and painfully howling” action. But before he could think further, Zhou Xun made another painful sound, his face turning ashen.

 

“…I told you not to be stubborn.” The Emperor hurriedly started to massage Zhou Xun and said, “I’ll find a doctor to check you out later…”

 

Zhou Xun covered his head with the quilt and shook his head.

 

“We need to see a doctor! I heard that if you’re not careful, you might develop a high fever! And you have the palace exam in a few days… Damn! I forgot about the palace exam!” The Emperor’s face also turned pale. “Damn, what kind of beast am I…”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

The Emperor jumped out of bed again, poured a glass of water, and said, “Here, drink some hot water first. I’ll have someone bring some more hot water in a while so you can soak and clean up. It’s okay, you don’t have to move, I’ll carry you…”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

Emperor: “Is that alright? Actually, it’s a bit… but I feel like if you go alone, you might not have the strength to clean yourself properly…”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

Emperor: “And from a rational perspective, I think it’s not good for your recovery if you do it yourself right now, and…”

 

“Just make the decision yourself.” Zhou Xun’s cheeks turned red again. He glared at the Emperor and lowered his gaze. “No need to discuss it with me. You’re the Emperor.”

 

Emperor: “?? Although I don’t know what’s going on, why do I feel like you’re angry again?”

 

Zhou Xun: “I’m not angry with the Emperor.”

 

Emperor: “The difference between not being angry with the Emperor and being angry with me is quite significant!”

 

The whole afternoon passed in chaos. By evening, after Zhou Xun had taken his medicine, the Emperor carefully sat beside him, looking eagerly and said, “By the way, I almost forgot…”

 

Zhou Xun put the bowl on the table and looked at him.

 

Zhou Xun seemed to be in a good mood, his face was pale, and his gaze had softened a lot. The Emperor then boldly said, “I almost forgot to congratulate you on passing the imperial examination, hehe… right? Also, I’ve made some arrangements at your residence. Would you like me to show you?”

 

Zhou Xun remembered he hadn’t seen anything due to returning hastily the day before and nodded, “Sure.”

 

But soon he realized the Emperor’s ulterior motives—now that he had difficulty walking, he ended up being carried by the Emperor to see around.

 

The residence was decorated with festive lights, red banners everywhere reading “Congratulations Zhou Xun on Your Success!” “Warm Congratulations to Zhou Xun on Joining Tsinghua and Peking University,” and even a few embroidered banners… Zhou Xun looked at them and then at the astonished Xiao Duo beside him, burying his entire head into the Emperor’s shoulder.

 

The Emperor carried him around without even tiring his arms. He happily said, “By the way, here’s a congratulatory gift! Pick anything you want from the national treasury!”

 

Zhou Xun thought for a moment and said, “Anything I want?”

 

The Emperor waved his hand grandly, “Yes.”

 

Zhou Xun thought for a moment, then wrapped his arms around the Emperor’s neck and said, “Then… could I have your books and albums too?”

 

“W-What books and albums…” The Emperor’s hand went limp.

 

He saw Zhou Xun looking at him with a strange and gentle smile.

 

Emperor: …

 

Damn. He thought sadly, almost forgetting.

 

His wife… is a scheming grudge-bearer.