In full view of everyone, the young Emperor began to chaotically mix up drinks.
He started first with throwing in a few grains of rice and then he poured in some of the orange-red soup. Once done, he picked up a plate of colourful dumplings. After picking up a dumpling bigger than this fist with a chopstick, he frowned and stared at it for a long time before deciding to mash it up with his spoon.
He planned to throw that tragic pulp into the cup, but the cup was too small and could no longer withstand his continued torment. The eunuch called out to him many times, but Chi Zhao ignored him. Some sharp-eyed officials below naturally saw this scene. They fell silent for a moment and then turned to happily toast their colleagues.
Although they didn't understand that the Emperor was doing, they could see that their Emperor was drunk. If an official was to behave out of line, the prince regent in the past who always tyrannically oppressed them would most definitely choose to cut them down. On the contrary, if an official was to see the Emperor behave out of line, it was estimated that in order to protect the young Emperor's reputation, the prince regent would still choose to cut them down.
In any case, they couldn't escape from such a tragic fate, so it was better to act like they are blind.
...…
No one has ever seen what the young Emperor was like when he was drunk so they were all very worried, fearing that the young Emperor would suddenly jump up and go crazy. Unfortunately, they were let down. Even if Chi Zhao was drunk, he was a good baby who wouldn't cause trouble. All his attention was on the cup of alcohol he was tinkering with and he had no intentions to do anything else.
After noticing that Chi Zhao's condition didn't seem quite right, Shen Wumian approached the throne without any hesitation. He leaned down slightly in a both respectful and intimate manner and asked the young man reflected in his eyes in a small voice, "Your Majesty, are you okay?"
Once again, Chi Zhao ignored him. The neglected prince regent fell silent for a few seconds before straightening back up and beckoning the eunuch nearby to come. He gave the eunuch an order and then stretched out to support Chi Zhao up, "Your Majesty, it's time to go back. This one here will take you back to the palace, okay?"
Chi Zhao seemed to have heard his voice. He raised his head and looked at Shen Wumian calmly, looking like he wasn't drunk at all. Shen Wumian however felt very nervous when being looked at like that.
After travelling around from one place to another for so many years, he had encountered all kinds of people and he also knew that there was a type of person who would appear the same as usual when drunk but if that kind of person was to start making a fuss, no one could withstand it.
For a moment, multiple ways of dealing with the aftermath if like that happened flashed through Shen Wumian's mind. Some were gentle, some bloody and ruthless. In short, he didn't want His Majesty to feel embarrassed. But before he could use any of these methods, Chi Zhao tilted his head and said obediently, "Okay."
He placed down the things in his hands, the wide sleeves sweeping across the table. Chi Zhao grabbed Shen Wumian's cold hands to stand up. Because his legs were soft, he staggered a little but with Shen Wumian's support, he was able to quickly straighten back up. Shen Wumian was worried that he would fall so his eyes followed his every move. Apart from the unsteadiness at the beginning, he didn't have much trouble later one. Those who weren't familiar with the situation would have a hard time telling that Chi Zhao was drunk.
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After taking less than two steps, Chi Zhao suddenly stopped and turned back. Shen Wumian looked at him with confusion. Chi Zhao's eyes swept across his table before finally locking onto the cup of alcohol he had just been messing with.
He told the eunuch nearby, "That's my Pink Lady. I still want it. Send it over to me later, you hear me?"
Pink Lady...….?
The young Emperor didn't have a chance to come into contact with women the whole time apart from the few dances just now. Could it be that while he wasn't paying attention, Chen Yi fell in love with one of the dancers?!
The hand holding the young Emperor's hand tightened. Chi Zhao was in pain and instinctively wanted to withdraw his hand, but Shen Wumian held him tightly with no intentions to let him go.
They were still in the hall. The people below were still watching. No matter how presumptuous he was, Shen Wumian shouldn't expose his true nature here. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself down before opening his eyes back up and looking at the young man next to him with a smile, "Let's go, Your Majesty."
Once the young Emperor and the prince regent left, the remaining people in the hall, whether they were eunuchs, palace maids, civil servants, generals or the guards, they all slowly straightened the backs they had unconsciously bent out of fear and wiped away the sweat that had formed on their foreheads.
It was too scary. Really.
...…
Once he sent the young Emperor back to his sleeping quarter, Shen Wumian waved his hand to order the others out. Hong Lei was the last to leave. She stood at the door and hesitated for a moment.
The young Emperor had already taken off his cumbersome and heavy coat and was half lying on the bed nodding off while her master was sitting beside the young Emperor, his shadow enveloping him and blocking the faint light coming in.
Hong Lei was a little worried,
Sensing that someone was looking this way, Shen Wumian raised his eyes and looked towards the door. Being met with such a cold gaze, Hong Lei's body stiffened, and she immediately tossed those worries aside.
.....
She hurried out and closed the door for them along the way.
With no outsiders bothering them, Shen Wumian slowly retracted his gaze and directed it over to Chi Zhao who was lying there with his eyes closed. The young man appeared extremely docile and peaceful with his eyes closed. Compared to how he was usually, the obedient part of him was gone but he now seemed calmer and more relaxed.
When he had his eyes open, the young Emperor would always have calculating thoughts and schemes in his mind. Shen Wumian liked the present him more.
As he thought this, Shen Wuman reached out and pinched Chi Zhao's chin. The original owner's body was very thin and after drinking Chinese medicine for a while year and eating countless unpalatable medicinal foods, he managed to fatten Chi Zhao up. Shen Wumian didn't use much strength, but Chi Zhao woke up immediately. That feeling of having his chin pinched by someone was uncomfortable. Chi Zhao frowned and raised his hand to push Shen Wumian's hand away.
Chi Zhao's strength seemed to only feel like a light tickle to Shen Wumian. He didn't mind it at all and his mind at this moment was filled with Chi Zhao.
After all this time, there was still no progress. The old imperial doctor had said that it would take five years to thoroughly restore the young Emperor's body. That seemed to be true.
Although Shen Wumian was anxious, he also knew that sickness can come like a tide only to trickle away slowly. Worrying and feeling anxious was pointless but every time he saw the young man's overly thin face, he would always hope that he could fatten up a little more, a little faster.
That way it would be more comfortable to touch.
Perhaps the drunk young Emperor was particularly nice to bully, Shen Wumian even abandoned his half-hearted principles and, like a lecher, he slowly and erotically rubbed the young Emperor's chin before stretching out his finger to gently slide it across the soft flesh on his chin a few times.
When he did this, he didn't think much about the meaning behind it. He only did it because he wanted to do it. In any case, the young Emperor had already accepted his jade pendant. From now on, he was his person and it was too late for him to regret it.
Chi Zhao's act of pushing his hand way suddenly stopped and his hands slowly moved away. When Shen Wumian finally raised his eyes to look at Chi Zhao's face, he was met with a pair of clear and pure eyes looking back at him. Shen Wumian was taken aback.
He was looking at himself intently. Whether it was in his previous life or this life, Shen Wumian had never been looked at so seriously and curiously by the young Emperor.
Suddenly, the young Emperor sat up. He softly asked him, "What's your name?"
A flash of surprise appeared in Shen Wumian's eyes. He then remembered that the young Emperor was drunk, and that drunk people have no logic and usually would speak nonsense. Thinking this, Shen Wumian lowly chuckled and patiently answered, "Your Majesty, this official's name is Shen Wumian."
He heard this answer, but it didn't seem to the be answer he was looking for. The young Emperor frowned and asked again, "What is your name?"
Shen Wumian was startled. After a short pause, he replied again, "My name is Shen Wumian."
The young Emperor's brows wrinkled even further. He lowered his eyes and softly muttered, "No, I'm not asking that."
Before Shen Wumian could ask him what he wanted to ask, the young man suddenly became angry. He leaned forward a little and stretched out his slender arm to grab Shen Wumian's collar, "What on earth is your name?!"
A hint of astonishment appeared in Shen Wumian's eyes. Soon, that astonishment turned into shock and confusion.
He.....knows?
For him to ask him so persistently what his name was, was it because he already knew that he wasn't the one who had saved him back then?
After realising this, Shen Wumian lost all his strength and the blood in his body once again started to boil. That boiling sensation inside him almost scorched through his inner organs. After the blood reached boiling point, it immediately froze. He seemed to be able to hear each blood vessel inside him freeze solid and then slowly shattering.
After going around and around, in the end he returned to the same point he was at in his last life. Again, he knew. And it was probably around the same time as when he found out in his last life. But why didn't he make any attempts to find Shen Sixteen this time?
Was it because he had already acted first and bound him down and he no longer dared to act rashly?
He had been so well-behaved and obedient the past few days, was it because he wanted to lower the enemy's guard?
Shen Wumian's thoughts continued to spiral down towards despair but Chi Zhao's thoughts and his thoughts were on completely different spectrums. The more Shen Wumian didn't answer him, the angrier Chi Zhao became. He tightened his grip around Shen Wumian's collar even further and even pulled Shen Wumian two inches closer to him.
Chi Zhao still wanted to the know answer to his question, "What is your name?"
Shen Wumian's lips were a little pale. His lips moved but no sound was made. Finally, he heard himself answer in a strangely hoarse voice, "What my name is, is it important?"
Chi Zhao was surprised for a moment by this question thrown back at him.
It's very important.
People all have names. Even his stupid system has a name and would proudly show it off. If it was really was how he thought it was, if his guess wasn't a just sad and unfortunate theory of his...then this person here should have his own name.
Chi Zhao was indeed drunk, but he still retained some sanity and sobriety. Those words circled round and round in his mouth but in the end, he couldn't say it. Looking at those eyes that clearly didn't know anything, Chi Zhao suddenly felt helpless.
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He sullenly let go and replied in a low voice, "It's not important....but I just want to know."
His chin was suddenly pinched roughly. Chi Zhao was forced to raise his head. The person opposite him was no longer calm or gentle. At this very moment, he looked ruthless and scary. He stared at Chi Zhao's eyes and the words he said next carried no temperature at all. Each and every word uttered was spoken like a warning.
"My name is Shen Wumian. No matter how many times you ask me, my name is Shen Wumian."
The person the young Emperor loved in his last life was Shen Sixteen. This was something that had always been a thorn in Shen Wumian's heart that couldn't be taken out no matter what he did. Once a wound was left there for a long time without being treated, it would eventually become infected and start decaying and would progress onto the other healthy organs. Shen Wumian never revealed anything because he had always been waiting, waiting for the day the young Emperor could throw away his feelings towards the person who saved his life and truly fall in love with him.
But now, it seems that such a day would not come.
Shen Wumian's words knocked on Chi Zhao's heart, like a dull but merciless blow. His eyes started to turn misty and even the rings around his eyes were red. Seeing that he was about to cry, Shen Wumian's heart felt like it was pierced by several poisoned needles at the same time. It hurt terribly, but it didn't bleed.
The toxin slowly spread through the blood and atrium. Shen Wumian raised the corners of his lips, revealing an ugly and crazed smile. He wanted to tell the young Emperor, so what if you know, so what if you want to escape? As long as there is a day where he, Shen Wumian, is still around, don't even think about trying to leave!
He can only remain by his side forever. If he cannot get his heart, he will keep his body. If he cannot even keep his body, then even if he must turn Chen Yi into a lifeless puppet, he would never let him go!
Shen Wumian knew very well that as long as he said those words, the relationship between him and the young Emperor would be completely over. The young Emperor may seem very obedient but in fact, he also had his dignity and bottom line. He could accept Shen Wumian not liking him, he could also accept Shen Wumian torturing him and he could accept Shen Wumian killing him but he couldn't accept Shen Wumian playing with him and imprisoning him.
In fact, this was a personality trait of Chi Zhao's. Chi Zhao however is now playing the role of the young Emperor, so he wasn't wrong when he said that
Shen Wumian opened his mouth and got ready to say some other hurtful words when he saw Chi Zhao lower his head and raise his arms to use his sleeve to wipe his eyes. He quietly asked, "Do you like me?"
That question asked with a nasal voice interrupted Shen Wumian's thoughts. The latter looked at the young man with a complicated expression and was silent for a while before responding solemnly, "Yes."
He was defeated by that one word. If he could freely follow his mind instead of his heart, he wouldn't have let himself reach such a state.
"Then why do you like me?"
Chi Zhao's voice was still small, but Shen Wumian heard it clearly. This time, Shen Wumian was silent for a long time. Not receiving an answer, Chi Zhao raised his head. Shen Wumian flatted his lips into a straight line at stared at him for a few long seconds before giving him his answer.
"...I don't know."
He really didn't know. He had also asked himself this question but no matter how long he thought about it, he couldn't find the answer. In the end, he could only accept it. Perhaps this was some form of terrible witchcraft, perhaps this was karma or perhaps it was his predestined fate.
In short, he couldn't think of a reason why he likes the young Emperor but despite that, he was hopelessly in love with him.
Hopelessly and crazily in love.