The Sickly Seedling Dresses Up As An Unfortunate And Muddled Monarch - Chapter 53

With the arrival of Qiu Jingyue, the meal was finished in a chaotic flurry of activity.

 

However, it wasn’t that Qiu Jingyue wanted to cause a scene; it was because Qiu Junyao was present at the dining table, and no matter how much he wanted to stir trouble, he had to watch his father’s expression.

 

Still, Qiu Jingyue couldn’t help but take jabs at Chu Yu throughout the meal. Although Chu Yu was a few years older and didn’t take Qiu Jingyue seriously, the meal was quite uncomfortable for him.

 

Especially as Qiu Jingyue deliberately got close to Qiu Jinghe, insisting that Qiu Jinghe serve him food and feed him. Those subtle gestures were particularly irritating to Chu Yu.

 

Even Qiu Junyao sensed the strange atmosphere among the three. Considering the marriage between Qiu Jinghe and Chu Yu, he had to warn Qiu Jingyue. Although Qiu Jingyue appeared to calm down, Qiu Junyao could see that he was definitely plotting something behind the scenes.

 

Sure enough, when Chu Yu mentioned wanting to return to the Guoshi Hall after the meal, Qiu Jinghe, the prospective fiancé, offered to escort Chu Yu back.

 

This was originally a great opportunity for the young couple to bond, but unexpectedly, Qiu Jingyue, whether genuinely or feigning ignorance, insisted on following along, claiming he had something to discuss with his second brother after Qiu Jinghe dropped off Chu Yu. However, Qiu Junyao could see that he clearly wanted to disrupt the time alone between Qiu Jinghe and Chu Yu.

 

After pondering for a moment, Qiu Junyao had an idea and signaled Qiu Jingxiu with his eyes.

 

Just as Qiu Jingxiu was focused on eating, he raised his eyes and immediately understood. He pretended to be naive and raised his hand, saying he wanted to go too.

 

Once Qiu Jingxiu expressed his intention to join, seeing his brothers getting ready to leave, Qiu Jingming, already a bit intimidated by Qiu Junyao, also suggested accompanying Chu Yu as a post-meal stroll.

 

Thus, the originally intended private moment for Chu Yu and Qiu Jinghe turned into a team-building outing for the Qiu family brothers. Although Qiu Jingyue felt somewhat unhappy about it, he ultimately reasoned that it was better than letting Qiu Jinghe and Chu Yu be alone together, so he kept silent and tacitly agreed to Qiu Junyao’s arrangement.

 

After sending off his four sons, Qiu Junyao returned to sit in front of the bronze mirror, gazing at his own reflection, and for some reason, he suddenly sighed.

 

At that moment, Ying Yuan was combing Qiu Junyao’s hair. Hearing the sigh, he instinctively asked, “What’s wrong, Your Majesty?”

 

“Ah Yuan, has it been more than half a year since you married me?” Qiu Junyao asked.

 

“Almost a year,” Ying Yuan replied, fastening a golden crown on Qiu Junyao’s head and inserting a white jade mushroom hairpin into it. “I married you last November, and now it’s already June of the following year.”

 

“June?!” Qiu Junyao exclaimed in surprise. “Has it passed so quickly?”

 

“Yes,” Ying Yuan replied. “It has already been three to four months since the spring hunt. Your Majesty, you have been busy with state affairs; perhaps you’ve even forgotten the seasons.”

 

“……..” Qiu Junyao wasn’t really forgetful; he simply didn’t want to acknowledge how much time had passed.

 

As time went by, he found himself spending less and less time with Ying Yuan. When the three-year term came to an end, he would die as described in the original text due to kidney deficiency.

 

“Ah Yuan…”

 

Qiu Junyao stood up and hugged the bewildered Ying Yuan, rubbing against his neck.

 

“I can’t bear to part with you.”

 

“………” Upon hearing this, Ying Yuan reached out to pat Qiu Junyao’s back, his voice low: “I can’t bear to part with you either, Your Majesty.”

 

“I’m not afraid of death, but there’s not much time left for me… These children still give me so much worry. If I’m gone and you’re bullied, who will support you in managing the situation?”

 

Qiu Junyao caressed Ying Yuan’s fair, soft cheek and rested his forehead against his: “If I were to know from the afterlife that you are suffering, it would pierce my heart with pain.”

 

“I won’t let you worry, Your Majesty.” Ying Yuan placed his hand over the back of Qiu Junyao’s hand that was caressing his cheek, looking up at him with a smile: “Wherever you go, I will follow.”

 

Qiu Junyao was taken aback: “What are you talking about?”

 

He said, “If I die, you must live well… At the very least, you should mourn for three years. During these three years, you must not seek death, understood?”

 

Three years is enough time for a person to forget another.

 

Ying Yuan’s smile slowly faded into sadness: “Is Your Majesty trying to hurt my heart?”

 

He said, “You clearly know I cannot live without you, yet you won’t allow me to follow you?”

 

“Ah Yuan, no one is irreplaceable. If I can live, I definitely want to grow old with you.”

 

Qiu Junyao said, “But you know my body… three years is the limit. After I leave, you must forget me, do not grieve, and do not offer sacrifices. According to our agreement, when the three years are up, you should leave the palace and live your own life, understood?”

 

Ying Yuan no longer wanted to listen.

 

He released his embrace of Qiu Junyao and turned to leave.

 

Qiu Junyao wanted to reach out to stop him, but after a moment, he thought better of it and withdrew his hand.

 

Three years—a time that is neither long nor short. Qiu Junyao suddenly felt that since he would inevitably face his end one day, why did he have to stir feelings with Ying Yuan in the first place?

 

He knew very well that Ying Yuan was stubborn and would never regret the person or things he chose. Yet now he was saying he hoped he would forget him after his death. Wasn’t that a clear sign of distrust in Ying Yuan?

 

How would Ying Yuan think of him? Would he really follow him as he claimed after he was gone?

 

He was still so young, so handsome, and so intelligent. If he were to die because of him, wouldn’t that be Qiu Junyao’s sin?

 

With these thoughts, Qiu Junyao felt increasingly unsettled.

 

He sat restlessly in the chair and, after a while, thought of something and called for Laifu.

 

“Laifu.”

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

Laifu had been waiting not far from Qiu Junyao. Upon hearing his call, he hurriedly approached and knelt down.

 

“What orders do you have?” Qiu Junyao asked.

 

“Accompany me to the study,” Qiu Junyao said. “I… I want to write a will.”

 

“A will?” Laifu was taken aback and quickly knelt down, saying, “Your Majesty is in the prime of life. It’s better to wait on the matter of a will…”

 

“I am well aware of my own body.”

 

Qiu Junyao instructed carefully, “The matter of the will is known only to you and me. After I pass, give it to… never mind, we will discuss it then.”

 

“……..”

 

Laifu was somewhat perplexed, but he still complied, saying, “Yes.”

 

Qiu Junyao decided to write his will and spent the entire afternoon busy in the study.

 

Because this matter involved his successor and other posthumous affairs, Qiu Junyao needed to think carefully and didn’t allow anyone to disturb him. The head maid beside Ying Yuan, Ning Bi, came several times to invite Qiu Junyao for lunch, but he ignored her, which frustrated Ying Yuan. He thought Qiu Junyao was deliberately trying to start a cold war, so he didn’t wait for him and simply had lunch before going to bed.

 

Without Qiu Junyao to hold him, Ying Yuan initially tossed and turned in bed and couldn’t sleep well. It wasn’t until about fifteen minutes later that he finally fell asleep.

 

In his dreams, he vaguely seemed to dream of a short-haired Qiu Junyao.

 

In the dream, Qiu Junyao looked even younger than now, dressed in a blue and white outer robe, exposing his strong, fair arms, looking rather unrestrained. He even had dyed yellow hair, cut short just to his ears, with a slight natural wave, though not too obvious.

 

From the voices around him, it seemed Ying Yuan heard someone call Qiu Junyao “class monitor” and saw them hook their arms around Qiu Junyao’s shoulder, asking him if he wanted to play basketball.

 

Seeing how close others were to Qiu Junyao made Ying Yuan somewhat unhappy.

 

He seemed to be under a spell as he walked over, standing in front of the high school student beside Qiu Junyao, puffing out his cheeks and looking very angry, saying, “Shameless.”

 

He continued, “You’re trying to seduce someone else’s husband; you’re so bad.”

 

However, it seemed the person beside Qiu Junyao couldn’t see Ying Yuan and didn’t hear his words, passing right through his body.

 

Ying Yuan froze for a moment, standing still and looking at his semi-transparent body, momentarily at a loss for words.

 

Lost in thought, he didn’t notice Qiu Junyao turning his head in shock, looking at Ying Yuan’s back, then glancing at his oblivious companion, narrowing his eyes in contemplation.

 

For the next few days, wherever Qiu Junyao went, Ying Yuan followed him. Even when Qiu Junyao was doing his homework, Ying Yuan would pull up a chair to sit beside him, watching him work, startling those around him—anyone would be frightened to see a floating chair appearing out of nowhere.

 

After following him for several days, Qiu Junyao could no longer tolerate it.

 

One day, when Ying Yuan floated into the bathroom again, wanting to sit on a nearby chair to watch Qiu Junyao bathe, Qiu Junyao finally lost his patience, turned off the shower, and looked at Ying Yuan:

 

“Who are you?”

 

He asked, “Why do you follow me around all day? If you have grievances, why not go to the police?”

 

“…….” Ying Yuan was taken aback upon hearing this: “You can see me?”

 

As he spoke, Qiu Junyao was also surprised: “You’re a guy?”

 

Qiu Junyao said, “Then why are you dressed as a woman? Are there cross-dressers in ancient times too?”

 

“I’m dressed as a woman because I married you in place of my sister,” Ying Yuan explained seriously. “Besides, didn’t you also like it when I dressed like this? Every time I wear women’s clothes, you get so excited, especially when…”

 

“Hey!” Qiu Junyao’s face turned red: “What are you talking about? I’m still a minor!”

 

“……..” Ying Yuan felt wronged: “But you and I are husband and wife; can’t we even talk about marital matters?”

 

“……Look at yourself.”

 

Qiu Junyao pointed at him, then pointed at himself: “What you’re wearing clearly looks like ancient clothing. The hair accessories and attire are all quite valuable… It shows you were either a favored concubine or queen hundreds or even thousands of years ago. I don’t have the power to go back in time and marry a concubine or a queen, right?”

 

“What modern, what ancient?” Ying Yuan didn’t understand, insisting: “You are my husband; that can’t change over the years.”

 

“…….I’m too lazy to argue with you,” Qiu Junyao said. “Move aside; I need to study.”

 

Feeling wronged, Ying Yuan stepped aside.

 

Qiu Junyao ignored him and sat down at the desk, picking up a pen to study.

 

Ying Yuan floated beside him, pulled up a stool, and leaned on the desk to watch Qiu Junyao study.

 

As he watched, he gradually dozed off on the table.

 

It wasn’t until Ying Yuan fell asleep that Qiu Junyao raised his eyes to look at this semi-transparent ghost.

 

Strangely, for some reason, no one could see Ying Yuan—only Qiu Junyao could see him—and he could even touch him.

 

After staring at Ying Yuan for a long time, Qiu Junyao, almost possessed, reached out to touch Ying Yuan’s face.

 

It was cold.

 

Very cool, devoid of any warmth.

 

Qiu Junyao continued to trail his hand down Ying Yuan’s cheek until he reached his neck, where he felt for a pulse and found a red mark on Ying Yuan’s neck.

 

Turning to look, he noticed the mark was quite wide, resembling a distinct ligature mark.

 

Could this beautiful male ghost have been strangled to death in his previous life? Qiu Junyao wondered.

 

He pondered for a while, and seeing that Ying Yuan was asleep, he decided to move closer and carry Ying Yuan horizontally, placing him on his own bed.

 

Ying Yuan was actually quite thin, but he felt somewhat heavy when lifted. He was wearing a lot, appearing as if he had deliberately dressed up; not only did he have a phoenix crown on his head, but his clothing was also adorned with intricate golden embroidery, with a nine-dragon pattern jade pendant hanging from his waist.

 

In ancient times, only emperors could wear jade pendants with nine dragons, so it wasn’t hard to imagine just how favored this male ghost, disguised as a woman, had been, to wear something belonging to the emperor and look so accustomed to it.

 

Almost unconsciously, Qiu Junyao took off the jade pendant, intending to study it closely.

 

He had always been somewhat interested in history and planned to apply to the history department at the capital’s university after the college entrance examination. Although seeing Ying Yuan was quite unbelievable, having a living, research-worthy ancient person in front of him meant he had to study him well.

 

However, he didn’t intend to steal Ying Yuan’s jade pendant; instead, he made an imprint of the pattern and appearance of the nine-dragon jade pendant, drawing it on the front page of the frequently browsed “Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government.”

 

After finishing this, Qiu Junyao hung the jade pendant back around Ying Yuan’s neck, but unexpectedly, just as he was about to complete this action, Ying Yuan’s body suddenly emitted a faint glow, making him appear almost transparent.

 

Qiu Junyao was startled, and the nine-dragon jade pendant fell to the ground. He intended to wake Ying Yuan, but saw Ying Yuan suddenly open his eyes, staring at Qiu Junyao for a moment before suddenly leaning in and kissing him.

 

In the instant their lips touched, Qiu Junyao’s mind went blank.

 

He had intended to push Ying Yuan away, but Ying Yuan held him tightly.

 

Everything around them quickly retreated, ultimately distorting into blurry shadows, and Qiu Junyao felt his body suddenly grow weak, unable to hold on any longer, and he fell back sharply.

 

Seeing Qiu Junyao fall, Ying Yuan instinctively wanted to support him, but unexpectedly, the moment he touched Qiu Junyao, his body seemed to shatter and suddenly disperse into countless small light spots.

 

He was taken aback, looking down at his gradually disappearing body. In the last moments of his fading consciousness, he suddenly heard Qiu Junyao calling him—

 

“Ah Yuan, Ah Yuan?”

 

When Qiu Junyao returned from the study, he saw Ying Yuan sleeping alone in bed, seemingly having had a nightmare, covered in sweat, and continually calling out his name in his dreams: “Your Majesty, Your Majesty…”

 

“Ah Yuan, what’s wrong?”

 

Qiu Junyao looked worried.

 

He wanted to reach out and wipe the sweat off Ying Yuan’s forehead, but unexpectedly, Ying Yuan opened his eyes at that moment.

 

He seemed extremely frightened. After waking up, his pupils were still slightly contracted, as if he had fallen into extreme terror. As soon as he saw Qiu Junyao in front of him, he sat up straight and hugged Qiu Junyao, crying, “Your Majesty…”

 

He repeated, “Your Majesty…”

 

“What’s wrong?” Qiu Junyao was momentarily confused and thought Ying Yuan was angry because of their earlier conversation. “Are you feeling unwell? Are you still mad at me?”

 

“…No, I’m not angry with Your Majesty.” Ying Yuan clung to Qiu Junyao’s neck, tears streaming down his cheeks, soaking Qiu Junyao’s collar as he choked out, “I just dreamed of Your Majesty… but it seemed like you didn’t recognize me or want me anymore.”

 

“How could that be?” Qiu Junyao laughed dismissively. “How could I ever bear to not have you?”

 

He stroked Ying Yuan’s hair and comforted him, “Dreams are all fake; you can’t believe them.”

 

“Really?” Ying Yuan’s nose was red from crying, his eyes brimming with tears. “Will Your Majesty always remember me?”

 

“Really.” Qiu Junyao lowered his head to wipe away Ying Yuan’s tears, kissing him tenderly. “You’re so beautiful that I’d remember you at first glance. By the second glance, I’d like you, and by the third, I’d be so enchanted that I wouldn’t forget you no matter where I went. If you left, I’d have to find you before I could be at ease.”

 

Qiu Junyao’s words made Ying Yuan smile through his tears.

 

He threw himself into Qiu Junyao’s arms, murmuring, “Me too.”

 

He firmly declared, “No matter where Your Majesty goes, I’ll follow.”

 

“Alright, alright, let’s not talk about this inauspicious matter.”

 

Qiu Junyao didn’t know about Ying Yuan’s dream and thought he was still concerned about the idea of being buried alive with him. He decided to change the subject: “Jing Xiu is back and is looking for you everywhere. Let’s go see him.”

 

“Okay.” Although Ying Yuan said this, he clung even tighter to Qiu Junyao than before, making Qiu Junyao both amused and exasperated. He could only help him get dressed and carry him from the bed to the couch.

 

Clearly, Xiao Jingxiu had just returned from some outdoor escapades. As soon as he arrived at the Fragrant Pavilion, he exclaimed excitedly, “Father!”

 

He said, “I have something important to report!”

 

“Go ahead.” Qiu Junyao was still comforting Ying Yuan, wrapping his right arm around Ying Yuan’s shoulders, gently patting him as he intermittently leaned down to observe Ying Yuan’s expression. “Xiu Xiu, what do you want to report?”

 

“I want to report that Jingyue gege seems to have gotten into a fight with Jinghe gege!”

 

Xiao Jingxiu said, “They fought really hard. Jinghe gege isn’t good at martial arts and almost got beaten to the point of vomiting blood!”

 

“Ah?!” Qiu Junyao was startled. “Is that true?!”

 

“Father, it’s true.” At that moment, Xiao Jingming also walked over from the side.

 

He had been with Xiao Jingxiu, so he naturally saw everything clearly: “But I was there at the time and quickly pulled them apart. Now, the second brother has left the palace, and Jingyue has returned to the Orchid Bamboo Pavilion. For now, everything is under control.”

 

“What on earth happened?!” Qiu Junyao frowned. “Aren’t Jinghe and Jingyue on good terms? Why did they suddenly fight?!”

 

“Um…” Xiao Jingming and Xiao Jingxiu exchanged glances and then hesitantly replied in unison, “It seems to be about… the second brother’s marriage?”