HXC Chapter39

With the start of the new year, good news from the border came one after another. The Xiongnu were routed and surrendered within a few days.

 

When the news reached the capital, the emperor was overjoyed. The emperor promoted Jiang Yunyu to a third-rank military official, granting him the title of General Huaiyuan and a permanent post in the northern desert.

 

Everyone in the capital was saying that the emperor’s move was a clever way to not only appoint Jiang Yunyu and pacify the people at the border but also to keep the Jiang family in check. With Jiang Yunyu fighting bravely in the desert, his family, who lived in the capital, would be his weakness. For the sake of his family’s safety, Jiang Yunyu would surely never harbor any rebellious thoughts. This will also clear the way for the future crown prince’s succession.

 

After going through so many life changes, Ji Zhen was no longer as shocked by the news as he once was, but he still couldn’t shake the indignation in his heart.

 

“It’s probably for the best that he stays in the northern desert,” Ji Zhen said, placing a book of drawings on the table. “There’s nothing in this capital worth being nostalgic for. At least there, he’ll be a respected General Huaiyuan…”

 

Shen Yanqing stood at the door, but before he could enter, he heard Ji Zhen continue.

 

Jiang Yunyu told me that the northern desert stretches endlessly, with vast sands and a blazing red sun like fire. It’s a completely different scene from the capital.” His tone held a hint of longing. “I wonder if the people in the northern desert are also more enthusiastic and lively?”

 

Ji An replied, “I’ve heard that in the northern desert there are many people with blue eyes and red beards. If I ever meet the Young General again, I’ll be sure to ask him whether that’s true.”

 

“The storybooks say it’s not all like that, but they must look different from the people in the capital…”

 

The two, master and servant, were discussing the local customs and scenery of the northern desert with great excitement when Shen Yanqing suddenly appeared at the door, startling them into immediate silence.

 

Ji Zhen timidly looked at Shen Yanqing’s unreadable expression. After a while, he slowly sat up straight, not knowing what to say. He simply remained quiet.

 

Shen Yanqing was deeply bothered to hear the name Jiang Yunyu from Ji Zhen’s lips. It was a thorn embedded in his heart, and every time he heard it, it hurt. Now, hearing Ji Zhen’s longing for the scenery of the northern desert, the thorn dug even deeper into his flesh, causing his fingertips to tremble slightly from the pain.

 

It was time for lunch. Shen Yanqing forced himself to suppress his emotions and quietly gave the order to serve the meal.

 

Today was Shen Yanqing’s day off, and he had come to have lunch with Ji Zhen after handling some matters in his study. Since he had just heard things he didn’t like, his face was naturally sullen.

 

Facing a face as cold as a mountain stream, Ji Zhen found it hard to swallow. He kept looking at the drawing book on the table.

 

Shen Yanqing put down his chopsticks and suddenly asked, “The capital is the place where you were born and raised. Do you really think it’s so bad?”

 

Besides asking about his elder brother’s situation, Ji Zhen rarely spoke to Shen Yanqing on his own initiative anymore. He was slightly stunned by the question and muttered, “I was just talking to Ji An.”

 

If he had known Shen Yanqing was outside listening, he definitely wouldn’t have said so much.

 

Shen Yanqing knew he shouldn’t continue this topic and add to the unpleasantness between them, but he couldn’t control himself. He continued, “Then what about the northern desert? You’re still thinking of going to the northern desert?” After a short pause, he asked in a tone like an accuser, “Is it the northern desert you yearn for, or the person who resides there?”

 

Ji Zhen found it hard to answer. It was as if no matter what he said, it wouldn’t satisfy Shen Yanqing. He simply replied truthfully, “But I’m still in the capital right now…”

 

After he had left the banquet without permission, Shen Yanqing’s control over him had tightened. He sent people to follow him everywhere. Forget about the northern desert, he could barely even leave the gates of the Shen Mansion.

 

Shen Yanqing stared intently, restraining the urge to press for more answers. He said, “My scout reported that your elder brother should arrive in Ningzhou in about a month and a half.”

 

It was only then that Ji Zhen truly looked at Shen Yanqing, his eyes suddenly brightening as his words tumbled out in a rush. “How is my elder brother’s health? Is he doing alright? Did the jailers who escorted him give him any trouble?”

 

Only when talking about Ji Jue did Ji Zhen show some of his old vitality.

 

Shen Yanqing watched his change with his own eyes. He pushed a round shrimp ball closer to him. “I’ll tell you after you’ve eaten.”

 

Ji Zhen’s complexion had improved a little lately, but he still hadn’t gained any weight. Since it concerned his elder brother’s safety, Ji Zhen didn’t refuse. He picked up the shrimp ball and put it in his mouth, eating while glancing at Shen Yanqing out of the corner of his eye, as if to show him how obedient he was.

 

After they had finished lunch, they had the servants bring things for them to wash their hands and mouths. A quarter of an hour later, they both lay down on the soft bed.

 

Ji Zhen’s hair spilled loosely over his shoulders as he lay there obediently, allowing Shen Yanqing to kiss him, his arms hanging limb and motionless at his sides. His eyelashes trembled, and his fingers were clenched tightly.

 

Lately, his intimate moments with Shen Yanqing had become extremely frequent, but because of their three-day agreement from last time, Ji Zhen was often a little resistant. He would only allow himself to give in when he could get news of his elder brother.

 

He mimicked Shen Yanqing, sucking on the tip of his tongue like he was eating candy by holding it in his mouth and swallowing it.

 

Half his cheek was wet.

 

Ji Zhen couldn’t breathe. He took small breaths. “Can you tell…”

 

His voice was lost in a new round of kisses.

 

He had no idea how long the kiss lasted. Ji Zhen’s face was completely flushed by the time Shen Yanqing finally released him. Shen Yanqing spoke in a low, husky voice, “Your elder brother is doing well.”

 

Half an hour of obedience was exchanged for a single ambiguous sentence. Ji Zhen was very dissatisfied. He asked in a hoarse voice, “How is he doing well?”

 

Shen Yanqing wiped the moisture off his cheek. “He has enough to eat and warm clothes to wear, with a roof over his head.”

 

Ji Zhen smiled with delight. “Then that’s good, then that’s good…”

 

With that, he was about to get up, as if his intimacy with Shen Yanqing wasn’t out of affection but driven by a goal.

 

Shen Yanqing frowned and pressed him down firmly, his expression hard to read.

 

Ji Zhen pressed his moist, flushed lips together, his eyes shifting with nervous unease. Clutching at the fabric around Shen Yanqing’s waist, he leaned forward and brushed a kiss against the corner of his lips. Then he carefully asked, “Is that enough?”

 

Shen Yanqing was silent for a long time. He flipped Ji Zhen over, his voice edged with both anger and discontent. “No.”

 

Ji Zhen wavered but still managed to steady himself into a sitting position, his thick black hair cascading forward. Lowering his gaze to Shen Yanqing, the fingers of the hand braced against his chest gradually curled, his knuckles tightening.

 

Although Shen Yanqing was in a lower position, he seemed to be looking down at Ji Zhen. His gaze traveled upward, finally resting on Ji Zhen’s flushed cheeks. He lifted a hand to sweep the hair from Ji Zhen’s shoulder, his palm sliding down to rest on his waist, holding it with a firm yet gentle pressure.

 

Ji Zhen’s legs felt soft.

 

He knew what that look meant, not to mention the ambiguous position they were in.

 

“Ji Zhen,” Shen Yanqing called him, his tone was very calm yet very certain. “The capital is your root.”

 

Ji Zhen was born and raised here, so he was destined to be rooted here.

 

Shen Yanqing pressed his hand on the back of his neck, applying pressure to pull him closer. In those peach blossom eyes, Ji Zhen saw his own features, taut with tension.

 

“I don’t care if you understand or not, but give up the idea of going to the northern desert.”

 

This was the first time Shen Yanqing had expressed his intentions to Ji Zhen so clearly.

 

Ji Zhen’s heart skipped a beat. From the messy tangle of ropes, he tugged on a loose thread. He knew he shouldn’t say more, but he couldn’t help but guess. “Does Jiang Yunyu’s permanent posting to the border have anything to do with you?”

 

Shen Yanqing’s expression remained calm. “What if it does, and what if it doesn’t?”

 

Ji Zhen knew the truth was already out. He shook his head in disappointment. “It doesn’t matter.”

 

He couldn’t even protect himself. Even if it was related to Shen Yanqing, what could he do?

 

Ji Zhen’s dejected expression was like a needle pricking Shen Yanqing’s eyes. He endured the pain and said in a low voice, “I didn’t try to kill him, which is already…”

 

“You were merciful?” Ji Zhen cut him off, his voice full of confusion and heartbreak. “The Crown Prince is imprisoned for life in Chengqian Palace, and my elder brother has been exiled to Ningzhou. Only Jiang Yunyu is left… What did he ever do to you? Why do you have to be so intent on destroying him?”

 

Hearing Ji Zhen say this, Shen Yanqing’s heart ached intensely. He gnashed his teeth and said, “You dare to ask me what I did? You and he…”

 

He found it hard to say the words. His grips on Ji Zhen’s waist tightened and his gaze turned cold and icy.

 

Ji Zhen sniffled, hating that he had unintentionally brought trouble upon Jiang Yunyu. He murmured, “He only kissed me, but you’ve already gotten your revenge for it. Those three days… why do you have to make things difficult for him again?”

 

Only kiss? Shen Yanqing was about to scold Ji Zhen for his flippant tone when his expression suddenly froze. His expression tensed, and his voice dropped to a low, soft murmur—slightly uncertain, yet tinged with a quiet hope. “He only kissed you? Nothing else?”

 

Ji Zhen blinked his moist eyes and asked blankly, “Nothing else what?”

 

It felt like a gentle spring breeze brushing against his face, like delicate snowflakes settling softly on his shoulder.

 

The moment Ji Zhen spoke, Shen Yanqing’s tightly knit brows slowly relaxed. A gentle light bloomed in his eyes, bit by bit. He was like a terminally ill patient who was told by a divine physician that he didn’t have much time left, only to find out it was all a false alarm.

 

Ji Zhen clearly saw the change in Shen Yanqing. The storm that had just been raging suddenly became a gentle breeze and fine rain. He has no idea why, but he only felt uneasy.

 

Shen Yanqing let out a very soft laugh, then suddenly pressed his back and hugged him, their chests fitting together perfectly. Ji Zhen didn’t dare to move. He heard Shen Yanqing call his name, “Ji Zhen…”

 

It sounded like both joy and guilt. But what was he guilty of? It must have been his imagination.

 

Ji Zhen was completely unaware of the complex emotions in Shen Yanqing’s heart. He only felt guilty for Jiang Yunyu’s undeserved troubles. At the same time, he was even more terrified of Shen Yanqing’s methods and grew to fear the man he was entwined with day and night.

 

But he couldn’t even escape the Shen Mansion, let alone the capital.

 

Ji Zhen was filled with frustration. When Shen Yanqing helped him sit up again, he just kept his eyes lowered and remained silent.

 

When Shen Yanqing made a move, he would quietly bite the soft flesh on the inside of his lip, using the slight pain to remind himself of his predicament.

 

Even doing this in broad daylight seemed to have become ordinary.

 

Shen Yanqing said in a low voice, “This is a true skin-to-skin intimacy…”

 

In a daze, Ji Zhen, who was covered in sweat, suddenly thought of his favorite rocking horse toy from his childhood.

 

As a child, he rode the rocking horse just for fun, but as an adult, it took on another meaning. Nothing shatters innocence more than giving something beautiful a new, ugly connotation.

 

Ji Zhen’s eyes welled up with tears of grievance. He didn’t like this.

 

But the people who cared about his feelings were no longer by his side, so he had no say in whether he liked it or not.

 

—

 

A thin layer of snow had accumulated outside the courtyard. Servants were diligently sweeping away the white frost.

 

A faint sound of conversation came from the main room. Ji An was adding things to a box and, with a decorative object in hand, turned to ask, “Young Master, should we take this?”

 

Ji Zhen was tidying up the bookshelf. He glanced over. “No, don’t.”

 

The erotic prints in the cabinet had long been completely burned by Ji Zhen. Now, only some interesting storybooks and drawing albums were left. He stacked his favorite books and called for a maid. “Move these to the west wing.”

 

Ji Zhen had ordered the servants to clean out the west wing, which no one had used for a long time, after he got up in the morning.

 

The maid reminded him, “Young Madam, if you don’t want these, we can put them in the storeroom.”

 

“I do want them,” Ji Zhen waved his hand. “Just move them for me.”

 

After the maid left, Ji An scratched his head and said, “Young Master, are you sure Lord Shen agrees to you moving to the west wing to sleep?”

 

Ji Zhen paused in his action of flipping a book and muttered, “He can go to the east wing whenever he wants, but I can’t go to the west wing?”

 

He had been thinking about this for a long time already. Yesterday, when Shen Yanqing didn’t deny that Jiang Yunyu’s permanent posting to the northern desert had something to do with him, he finally put this idea into action.

 

The closer Ji Zhen got to Shen Yanqing now, the more he felt uneasy and scared. He didn’t have a sharp mind and wasn’t good at reading people. He didn’t know which words would displease Shen Yanqing or if he would accidentally cause trouble for his elder brother and Jiang Yunyu again. But a foolish person has a foolish way. He thought that if he and Shen Yanqing slept in separate rooms and saw each other less, he would have a lot fewer troubles.

 

Ji An closed the lid of the box. Seeing a wooden box on the dressing table, he asked, “Young Master, should we take this one with us?”

 

The wooden box contained Ji Zhen’s collection, including the pink jade and the colorful bracelet. He froze, then continued to tie up the books while shaking his head. “That’s not mine.”

 

“Everything is packed.” Ji An clapped his hands. “I’ll go move it now.”

 

Ji Zhen called two servants to help. In just a few trips, all the necessary items were moved to the west wing.

 

The west wing was in the innermost part of the main courtyard, a bit far from the main room. Besides the servants who cleaned it, no one ever came here and Ji Zhen had almost never been here himself.

 

He shivered the moment he stepped inside. Ji An quickly lit the silver charcoal. “Young Master, there’s no underfloor heating here. It might be cold at night…”

 

Ji Zhen walked to the charcoal to warm his hands. He said indifferently, “I lived well for the first three years without underfloor heating.” He laughed while teasing, “Ji An, when did you get so delicate?”

 

Ji An was supposed to laugh along, but he couldn’t. He scratched his forehead and said, “If Young Master isn’t cold, then I’m not cold either!”

 

Ji Zhen looked at the red charcoal fire with a worry in his heart. He knew he was foolish. His elder brother told him to wait for good news, so he obediently stayed in the capital and didn’t think about anything else so that he wouldn’t accidentally mess things up or be used by others to cause more trouble for his elder brother. Gege, you don’t have to worry about me so far away. I’ve grown up, and I’m not as willful as I used to be.

 

He only hoped they would be reunited soon.

 

The author has something to say:

Lord Shen (gritting his teeth) be like: My not killing Jiang Yunyu is already…

In reality (crawling in the dark): Haha, it’s best if that kid stays in the northern desert forever and is buried there. Don’t you dare come back.

P.S.: The description says Zhen Zhen is a foolish pretty face, so with his IQ, if he tries to get revenge, he’ll definitely cause more harm than good. So, for him to just stay put and do nothing is the biggest help he can give his elder brother (no).