Ch 9 The little Highness was so brazen, he was willing to bow down.

The bed curtains fell, and there was only one glazed palace lantern left in the room. The figures entangled behind the curtains were half-bright and half-hiden.

Xie Chaoyuan lifted Xie Chaoling’s long hair covering half of his face, kissed him, and called out to him, “Linlang, Linlang…”

Xie Chaoling closed his eyes.

Xie Chaoling closed his eyes, collapsed and choked up.

The palace lanterns had been extinguished at some point, and there was only the sound of two overlapping breaths in the darkness.

After a long time, Xie Chaoyuan was close to Xie Chaoling’s ear and whispered, “Older brother.”

Xie Chaoling’s eyelashes trembled.

There were tears in the corners of his eyes, and he couldn’t say a word.

Later, Xie Chaoling was tossed into a state of confusion, and seemed to be taken to the bathroom by Xie Chaoyuan for a while in a daze, and then fell into a coma.

Xie Chaoyuan didn’t ask anyone to light the lamp. He stared at Xie Chaoling’s face that was still red after falling asleep in the dark, and hugged him tightly into his arms. 

Silence all night.

The sky was bright the next morning, and the sunlight that penetrated into the bed brushed across his cheeks. Xie Chaoling noticed a slight itch and gradually woke up.

There was no stickiness on his body, but when he moved a little, he felt unbearable pain in his waist. He took a deep breath and was completely awake.

The events of last night were vivid in his mind, and all the details were clearly imprinted. Xie Chaoling raised his hand and covered his eyes.

Soon someone found that he was awake. Wang Jin called someone to get the hot water ready to wash him and change his clothes.

Xie Chaoling was absent-minded, but his spirit was not bad. The corners of his eyes and brows were full of the lazy romance of a phoenix queen, but he himself did not notice it.

Wang Jin lowered his eyes and whispered to him: “His Royal Highness went ahead, and he should be back soon to accompany you to have breakfast.”

Xie Chaoling said “En” indifferently, he didn’t want to see that little b*stard at all right now.

When Xie Chaoyuan came back, Xie Chaoling was already sitting at the dining table. Xie Chaoyuan glanced at him, frowned and ordered, “Bring a cushion.”

Sitting on the cushion, Xie Chaoling felt a lot better, and continued to eat in silence.

Xie Chaoyuan sat down, took a bowl, and served him the soup himself.

The soup bowl was handed to Xie Chaoling, but Xie Chaoling didn’t receive it. His tone was a little cold: “Your Royal Highness does not need to serve me.”

Xie Chaoyuan insisted: “This soup warms the body. It’s cold nowadays and your hands and feet are too cold.”

Being stared at by Xie Chaoyuan, after a brief stalemate, Xie Chaoling took the bowl. He didn’t plan to make trouble with himself, but he was slightly displeased with Xie Chaoyuan’s domineering attitude.

Staring at Xie Chaoling drinking the soup, Xie Chaoyuan picked up his chopsticks.

After a peaceful breakfast, Xie Chaoyuan didn’t leave. Xie Chaoling read a book, while he sat on the side and studied chess.

Xie Chaoling looked at him: “Is Your Highness this idle?”

Xie Chaoyuan was really idle. In the past, he had to go to the Emperor and Empress Dowager in the morning and evening to visit, but now he has spared even this.

Xie Chaoyuan said calmly, “Linlang thinks me sitting here is making you uncomfortable? Last night…”

“Don’t talk about what happened last night.” Xie Chaoling interrupted him, his voice vague, he really didn’t want to mention this.

Xie Chaoyuan asked, “It’s a fait accompli, why can’t it be said?”

Xie Chaoling didn’t want to acknowledge him.

Xie Chaoyuan changed the topic: “I can only have a few days of leisure. After that, His Majesty will have us all enter the court.”

Xie Chaoling raised an eyebrow.

Xie Chaoyuan smiled and said: “In the past, there were only the crown prince and Old Second in the court, and even Old Third had only been back for half a year to recover from his injuries. Now that the balance of the court has been broken, how could His Majesty sit back and watch Old Second and the Zhao clan get too far ahead? If the crown prince really can’t come back, he will have to choose another prince sooner or later.”

“…Your Royal Highness is so well aware of His Majesty’s thoughts that you have long calculated that the crown Prince will be gone, and His Majesty will give others a chance in order to check and balance King Xun and the Zhao family behind him,” Xie Chaoling looked at him and suddenly asked, “The matter of the Prince’s disappearance has nothing to do with Your Highness?”

Xie Chaoyuan was still smiling: “Why does Linlang ask like that?”

“Strange.”

Xie Chaoyuan came close to Xie Chaoling, the smile faded from the corner of his mouth, and he lowered his voice: “What if I say I do have something to do about it?”

Xie Chaoling frowned: “Your Highness is too bold.”

“This king has said before that he will not do anything he is unsure of.” Xie Chaoyuan stared into his eyes and said.

Xie Chaoling stopped talking. It was only today that he really realized that the ambition and courage of this little Highness was far greater than he thought.

He shouldn’t provoke this man.

Xie Chaoyuan raised his hand and gently rubbed the back of his hand against his face: “Linlang, don’t worry, this king will not harm you.”

Xie Chaoling felt that his words were a little weird, but he didn’t think much about it.

Xie Chaoyuan noticed his eyes and said indifferently, “I woke up early and found that there was a lot of blood.”

Xie Chaoling’s eyes flickered: “If Your Highness was not hard-pressed and forced someone to do something, it wouldn’t be like this.”

Speaking like this, there was not much confidence in his tone. If Xie Chaoyuan really wanted to pursue it, with him daring to assassinate a prince, he would just be a corpse.

And His Royal Highness King Ke was obviously not a good-natured person. He still had a deep memory to this day of the person who was covered with a white cloth and carried out on the first day.

Xie Chaoyuan didn’t seem to notice his discomfort, so he signaled to someone, and someone brought his short knife forward.

“Does Linlang like this? I’ll give it to you.”

The knife was drawn out of its sheath, and the blood on it last night was wiped clean.

The knife was a good knife. The blade was sharp and thin as a cicada’s wing. Xie Chaoyuan personally handed the knife to Xie Chaoling: “This is a tribute from the Bailing Kingdom.”

Xie Chaoling remembered that this person had said that his biological mother was from the country of Bailing, and said embarrassingly, “How can I seize a cherished item of Your Highness’s?”

Xie Chaoyuan didn’t take it seriously: “It’s just a knife. Linlang is my beloved. You can take whatever you want from me.”

He said it as if it should be taken for granted, and shoved the knife into Xie Chaoling’s hand.

Xie Chaoling was moved and asked him, “Aren’t Your Highness worried that I will use this knife to stab you again?”

“Will you?”

Xie Chaoling was stopped by his question.

He wouldn’t. If he hadn’t lost his head last night, he wouldn’t have done that. Although he was not greedy for life and did not fear death, he didn’t want to lose his life easily.

There was a fleeting smile in Xie Chaoyuan’s eyes: “That’s it, you wouldn’t dare.”

Xie Chaoling said unwillingly: “Your Royal Highness is just bullying others.”

“Don’t compare all this. It wasn’t as if Linlang didn’t enjoy it last night, why do you need to criticize?” Xie Chaoyuan helped him hang the short knife around his waist. It was unclear what material it was made out of because it was very light.

Xie Chaoling looked down for a moment, speechless.

The little Highness was so brazen, he was willing to bow down.

Xie Chaoyuan stood up and stretched out his hand towards Xie Chaoling: “Let’s go, this king will show you around the palace.”

Xie Chaoling didn’t want to move. Xie Chaoyuan hooked his lips: “Isn’t Linlang feeling bored? If you have a sore back, you have to walk a bit to help it activate.”

Xie Chaoling glared at him and stood up.

Before going out, Xie Chaoyuan asked a person to bring Xie Chaoling a windproof cloak, put it on for him, and then carefully tied the silk rope.

Xie Chaoling stared at his movements, his mind turned, and suddenly he said, “Why did Your Highness call me older brother?”

Xie Chaoyuan paused for a moment with his slender fingers and said lightly, “You said it yourself, you should be older than me, an older brother, just a title. Within the bed, is Linlang such a person who doesn’t understand these kinds of taste?”

Xie Chaoling was completely convinced. How could he say such shameful words with no expression on his face, he was really not ashamed.

Xie Chaoyuan held his hand: “Let’s go.”

Being led out by Xie Chaoyuan, Xie Chaoling didn’t struggle anymore.

Xie Chaoyuan’s palm was warm and broad, not like a sixteen-year-old boy. Just like his tall, broad shoulders, and strong arms, he was without the frailty of a young man.

Being held in his arms by this man last night, Xie Chaoling truly felt his arrogance and toughness, and he no longer dared to underestimate him.

So…that’s it.