Becoming Puppet Emperor of a Paranoid Eunuch - Chapter 64

Cutting out the tongue, silencing someone.

 

When Ning Qinghong said these things, it left no room for doubt.

 

Wu Jing couldn’t even focus on why Ning Qinghong would have it, why it was so hot right now, or whether the other party would do something else to him. His entire mind was fixated on that one sentence from Ning Qinghong.

 

He felt that having discovered such a huge secret would surely not bode well for him. He was truly terrified. Memories of the first time he had stumbled upon the corpse of a guard in the Imperial Garden, the little eunuch who kowtowed so desperately that his face was covered in blood, the Left Minister who had been forced to bash his head against a pillar, the string of Buddhist prayer beads made from human skulls, and the Cabinet Minister whose head had been cut off just two days ago in the Yueji Hall—all these scenes came rushing back to him.

 

One after another,

 

they all crowded into his mind.

 

The images solidified in Wu Jing’s brain, and he nearly believed he was going to be next.

 

Why did he have to find out?

 

He had been so obedient, had done everything they wanted. Even though he was treated so badly, he only dared to cry to himself, never cursing anyone. This was the first time in his life that he had such a…memory.

 

He had already been bullied like this—

 

The boy started crying again.

 

Ning Qinghong reached out to him, but Wu Jing desperately shrank back, wishing he could bury himself in the water. Trembling, he cried with quivering eyelids, “I didn’t see anything, I didn’t see anything—”

 

He completely forgot that they were still in the bath. Mid-sentence, he changed his words, speaking incoherently, “I-I didn’t touch anything either, I don’t know anything.”

 

“And I won’t tell anyone.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Ning Qinghong sighed softly and held him firmly, “Don’t move around too much, shallow water can drown people.” But no matter what he said, Wu Jing couldn’t hear him anymore. The faint mention of drowning made him collapse further.

 

His black hair was fully wet, dripping as he was held in the water. Unable to escape, he frantically wiped away the tears and water from his face, apologizing over and over, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean to lie to you.”

 

The boy spoke in a tearful, incoherent manner, “No, no, I did mean to, but, but I didn’t mean any harm.”

 

“I was too hungry, I wanted to eat my fill, to eat something tasty, but, but only you gave me good food.”

 

“I didn’t want to lie, but, but I had no other choice.”

 

Wu Jing, fearing that Ning Qinghong might hold him accountable for everything later, confessed tearfully, revealing all the wrongs he had done.

 

“I didn’t pretend to be a fool on purpose.”

 

“The nine-ring puzzle was solved by me. I was too tired and wanted to sleep before putting them back together. But when I woke up, I couldn’t find them. I thought they were lost, and I hid them because I couldn’t put them back.”

 

“I also took the token. It was me who wanted to take it. It wasn’t because you told Sister Yanhe to talk to you, I didn’t blame you.”

 

“I’m sorry for stealing your things.”

 

As he cried, Wu Jing admitted all the bad things he’d done, afraid Ning Qinghong would remember every one of them.

 

“But after I took them, I regretted it. I wanted to secretly put them back, but, but you found out, so I hid in the wardrobe out of fear.” Wu Jing sniffled and explained in a broken voice, “I didn’t mean to hide from you, but, but I didn’t know where else to hide, I had nowhere to go, I was scared…”

 

The boy choked on his sobs, “And those things under the bed, I didn’t know where to put them, so I hid them there, afraid someone would find them. That plate was a gift from you, that wooden box contained ointment.” He recalled things haphazardly, without any order. “The little stones were things I worked hard to collect, they can’t do any harm.”

 

“I-I lied.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“I really won’t tell anyone, I won’t, so please don’t cut my tongue, don’t silence me.” Wu Jing sniffled, “I even secretly cursed you in my heart before.”

 

“Because you filled in my pond and kept scaring me.”

 

“But I didn’t curse you much, and I won’t do it anymore.”

 

He cried so hard he nearly passed out, every word coming out between gasping breaths, “I really hope your illness gets better soon, even though I don’t know what your illness is.”

 

“But the lanterns were released for you.”

 

“I’m not lying.”

 

Ning Qinghong raised his hand to hold him, gently soothing the boy’s back through the wet hair, slowly and steadily patting him. His own clothes were mostly soaked as he sat in the pool, his black hair spreading in the water. With his head lowered, he quietly listened.

 

Seeing that Wu Jing had finally finished crying and was wiping his tears with short, gasping breaths, Ning Qinghong sighed softly and asked, “Anything else?”

 

He already knew all of this, but seeing the boy confess in front of him was just too pitiful and endearing.

 

“I-I didn’t blame you, Brother.” Wu Jing struggled to breathe, speaking with difficulty, “When you kissed me, it felt good, that’s why I reacted that way.”

 

“I don’t blame you.”

 

“I was talking nonsense, I’m sorry.”

 

Wu Jing shook his head, “N-no more, I’ve said everything.” His tear-filled eyes gazed earnestly at Ning Qinghong, “I’ve apologized to you.”

 

“Can you please not bully me anymore?”

 

Ning Qinghong gently wiped the tears from Wu Jing’s eyes, but his own fingers were wet too. After wiping, he only made the boy’s face wetter, and he softly coaxed, “Don’t cry anymore, alright?”

 

Wu Jing shook his head, “Y-you have to say it too.”

 

Ning Qinghong spoke softly, “Brother was trying to scare you, and I apologize to you too.” Mimicking Wu Jing’s way, he said, “I’m sorry, okay?”

 

Wu Jing looked up at him, sniffling, somewhat dazed and disbelieving. He hadn’t expected Ning Qinghong to apologize. He only needed the other to promise not to bully him, and he hadn’t anticipated hearing an apology at all.

 

Hearing Ning Qinghong’s apology, which seemed like just a single sentence, was more valuable to Wu Jing than anything else Ning Qinghong could give him. This was the way he could accept.

 

Wu Jing blinked in confusion, even forgetting to cry.

 

Ning Qinghong paused for a moment, then asked, “How does Wu Wu think of being bullied?”

 

Wu Jing instinctively replied, “Don’t cut my tongue, don’t drown me.”

 

Ning Qinghong seemed amused and asked gently, “Does that count as bullying?”

 

Wu Jing nodded immediately, whispering, “Yes, yes.”

 

“Is that so?” Ning Qinghong asked, looking troubled. He leisurely inquired, “Does Wu Wu feel uncomfortable on Brother’s face… on Brother’s body?”

 

Wu Jing’s face flushed bright red, and he instinctively shook his head. But then he heard Ning Qinghong’s half-smiling voice, “You just said you wouldn’t lie to Brother.”

 

“How many more apologies does Wu Wu want to make?”

 

“How many times does Wu Wu want to say sorry?”

 

Wu Jing blushed all over, clearly visible in the water. He completely forgot that he was still in the bath with Ning Qinghong. He could only endure his embarrassment, nodding stiffly.

 

Ning Qinghong asked, “Where is uncomfortable?”

 

Wu Jing stood in front of him, almost crying from the questioning, shaking his head, “I-I don’t know.”

 

Ning Qinghong said softly, “You can’t say you don’t know.” He asked, “If Wu Wu can’t speak, he can show Brother.”

 

Wu Jing, feeling dizzy and flushed, asked, “How should I show?”

 

Ning Qinghong spread his fingers on the water’s surface, “Brother needs to know so he can avoid the places that make Wu Wu uncomfortable, so Wu Wu won’t say Brother is bullying him.”

 

Wu Jing stared blankly at Ning Qinghong’s hand for a moment before realizing what he was being asked to do.

 

*How… how could it be like this?*

 

Wu Jing trembled, guiding Ning Qinghong’s hand to his neck, stammering, “Here, here is uncomfortable.”

 

Ning Qinghong smiled lightly, “Alright, Brother will remember that. Is there more?”

 

Wu Jing, trembling, closed his eyes and guided Ning Qinghong’s hand into the water, from the back of his neck downward, “Here, here, and here are all uncomfortable.”

 

Once he got started, the process was much quicker. Wu Jing nearly guided Ning Qinghong’s long fingers through the water, moving from the back to the front.

 

The first place was his lips.

 

As Ning Qinghong touched him, he asked, “Is Wu Wu’s mouth comfortable?”

 

Wu Jing was momentarily stunned, almost full of accusation, but still, with tear-filled eyes, opened his lips to take Ning Qinghong’s finger.

 

Ning Qinghong explored inch by inch, asking out of consideration since Wu Jing couldn’t speak, “Is Wu Wu uncomfortable here?”

 

“And here?”

 

Wu Jing’s lips and tongue were being played with carelessly. He could only slightly shake his head, his tears mixing with the saliva at the corners of his mouth, unable to swallow.

 

Seeing Ning Qinghong withdrawing his moist fingers, he continued.

 

Wu Jing, acting quickly and perfunctorily, was continuously asked about other places. He could only forcefully hold back tears, guiding Ning Qinghong’s hand, inch by inch, meticulously touching every part.

 

Every part of his body was touched with Ning Qinghong’s hand.

 

**Author’s Note:**

 

Wuwu: Bringing Qinghong to actively take advantage of himself.