Chapter 53

Unable to discern from which direction the voice was coming, the echoing reverberated in the valley, as if several thunderbolts had descended from the sky.

Startled, everything came to life. Spring water flowed, and icy cliffs staggered and collapsed across miles.

It was only after Qian Shicheng shouted for the second time that the Regent was barely able to regain his composure from the stiffness. His lips trembled, attempting to speak, but the overwhelming excitement rendered him speechless.

Lu Huai had originally intended to subtly hint at the Regent’s attitude, urging him to refrain from making threatening remarks to His Majesty. Now, he found himself directly confronted by the Regent’s subordinates.

As the message began to be repeated for the third time, he felt somewhat speechless. Understanding the Regent’s intentions, he promptly said, “I’ll go get them.”

Xiao Heng nodded and turned back towards Chu Zhaoyou’s residence.

In his entire life, he had never run like this—exerting all his strength, forgetting to breathe, appearing disheveled.

He even forgot about his exceptional lightness skill, resorting only to his most primal instincts.

In just a short distance, he was able to retrace their five months of interaction in detail. The first memory that surfaced in Xiao Heng’s mind was the night they returned from the hunting ground. Chu Zhaoyou and his aunt were discussing the succession. He angrily pushed open the doors of the Funing Hall and saw Chu Zhaoyou’s bright, then dimming eyes.

At that time, Chu Zhaoyou had just learned about the pregnancy, shocked and helpless. When he saw Xiao Heng entering, was he inwardly hoping for him to shoulder this responsibility?

Yet, disregarding all rationale, Xiao Heng threatened Chu Zhaoyou not to have a child without permission.

The look in Chu Zhaoyou’s eyes at that moment kept flashing in Xiao Heng’s mind, like a blazing red blade, piercing his eyes and constricting his heart.

What sets him apart from a beast?

The Imperial Tomb, Longwei Mountain… Chu Zhaoyou, in an effort to conceal the pregnancy, had been running around, constantly pushing him to such harsh places without even realizing it.

Pressing his forehead, Xiao Heng increasingly felt as if he had lost his way in the past few months.

The events of the past five months flashed by rapidly. Starting from Chu Zhaoyou’s disappearance and return, standing alone and vulnerable in the Xuanzheng Hall, facing the Empress Dowager and the ministers, loudly proclaiming, “I don’t need it.” He didn’t need to take back the Seal of Authority. Chu Zhaoyou was defying the Empress Dowager, wanting to leave the tiger token for him. Such a clear signal, and yet he had ignored it.

He had searched for him, not realizing that the one in front of him was the one he held dear. He had become so used to being overbearing, never willing to stop and consider why he uncontrollably gravitated towards Chu Zhaoyou.

Was it because of the He Xin gu? Could he really not distinguish it? With so many clues, why did he always tend to think in the wrong direction?

Despite considering himself astute, a master strategist, he had managed to make the gravest misjudgment of his life in relation to Chu Zhaoyou!

As Xiao Heng stood in front of Chu Zhaoyou’s current room, the image in his mind froze at the moment he had shattered the crown. He finally understood the meaning behind Chu Zhaoyou’s words.

He hoped they weren’t just ruler and subject, that they could set aside power and prejudice and talk about what lay between them—the unforgivably forgotten matters.

Xiao Heng suddenly felt a pang of homesickness. Stepping on the scattered gemstones felt like a thunderclap in his mind.

He had dropped the crown that Chu Zhaoyou had used to express goodwill, and the gemstones embedded in it were now strewn everywhere.

A sense of irretrievable panic surged through Xiao Heng as the once dominant and overbearing Regent, for the first time, felt a fear akin to “provoking the king.”

As Lu Bo stood guard in front of Chu Zhaoyou’s residence, he watched the Regent, perched high and wild, searching everywhere for the shattered pieces, as if he intended to restore them to their original state before entering.

Xiao Heng had exceptional eyesight. As his large hand swept across the ground, sharp jade shards embedded into his fingertips, yet he felt no pain as he carefully picked them out and cradled them in his palm.

One by one… Originally thirty-six gemstones, only seventeen were recovered, and they were in fragments.

Clutching his hand, Xiao Heng closed his eyes. Objects were lifeless, but people were not. As long as he was alive, there was still a chance with Chu Zhaoyou.

Seeing Lu Bo’s bewildered expression, Xiao Heng called him over and said in a solemn tone, “Go fetch a set of clothes for me, the most ordinary you can find.”

A moment later, Xiao Heng was dressed in simple black attire, the entire ensemble not worth more than a couple of silver coins. He gingerly picked up the dragon robe from the ground. Before knocking, he suddenly noticed a turquoise stone embedded in the door panel.

It was from the shattered crown.

Then what? Is Xiao Heng going to demand explanations again and again?

Every time he engaged in a tense exchange with Xiao Heng, he felt a bit afraid. Xiao Heng was too perceptive. If he were to question him about the child, Chu Zhaoyou hadn’t prepared any suitable explanations.

For the first time, Chu Zhaoyou, normally articulate, found himself at a loss. His mind was in turmoil, and he felt desperate enough to cry because he couldn’t explain properly.

What should he do?

Could Xiao Heng refrain from asking, from probing… he wasn’t ready to speak, nor was he ready to listen.

Suddenly, Xiao Heng felt the body in his arms tremble. He quickly realized what was happening, his heart aching, and he held Chu Zhaoyou even tighter. “You don’t need to say anything. I have something to tell you.”

“I like you.”

“A long time ago.”

Chu Zhaoyou suspected he was hearing things.

“I am both foolishly possessive and domineering. Xie Chaoyun said I should keep my mouth shut.” Xiao Heng’s voice caught in his throat. He steadied himself and continued, “He’s right. I’ve always angered you, and I didn’t express my affection for you properly. I only threatened you not to start a family. When Qin Feichen said he wasn’t the child’s father, I was actually relieved. I’ve never wished for someone not to exist so desperately. That way, I could take his place…”

“I’ve dreamt of why the child’s father couldn’t be me. Since the late emperor intended to manipulate me, why couldn’t he have been more ruthless, binding us together for eternity.” Xiao Heng closed his eyes and expressed his innermost thoughts in one breath. “But when my wish was granted, I regretted it. I’d rather not rule, I’d rather become a madman, than see you suffer.”

Chu Zhaoyou’s breath lightened, and he blinked slowly. What did Xiao Heng mean? Was he no longer concerned about the late emperor’s affairs?

Not only unconcerned, but even if the child wasn’t his, did he want to be a father?

The matters that had tormented him day and night didn’t seem to cause the slightest ripple in the Regent’s heart? Chu Zhaoyou was momentarily at a loss for how to react. It was as if… he couldn’t muster anger. He had just made up his mind not to see the Regent for the rest of his life.

This conversation didn’t sound like something the Regent would say. He wondered if he was dreaming and discreetly pinched his abdomen under the covers.

Tell your dad if you’re dreaming or not.

Feeling movement, the little one, expressing dissatisfaction with Chu Zhaoyou’s teasing every day, stirred in his belly.

Chu Zhaoyou withdrew his hand in a daze, burying his head in the covers, unable to look at the Regent.

His political adversary suddenly confessing his feelings took Chu Zhaoyou by surprise. It was beyond his expectations. The Regent, with a lifetime of ups and downs in the political arena, exuding formidable authority, did he truly understand what it meant to like someone? Chu Zhaoyou had always thought the Regent wanted to control him, to determine if he should be emperor, whether he should eat loquats, or if he could bear children…

However, another voice told him that everyone had the right to love, and biases should not be brought into play just because the other person was the Regent.

Could the person the Regent liked be… a little different from others?

After saying a lot, Xiao Heng noticed Chu Zhaoyou had fallen silent. He cautiously pulled Chu Zhaoyou out from under the covers and stared into his eyes. “Can you forgive me? I’ll give you whatever you want.”

Releasing Chu Zhaoyou with one hand, Xiao Heng urgently searched his own body. He remembered having several Seal of Authority and secret orders in his pocket, all for Chu Zhaoyou.

As he reached into his sleeve, he realized his clothes had been changed and he no longer had them on him.

Chu Zhaoyou watched him curiously as he searched, his clear black and white eyes shifting, noticing that Xiao Heng was dressed in the simplest coarse linen clothing, and he himself was not wearing the dragon robe. It was as if they were truly just ordinary people.

Unable to produce anything, Xiao Heng’s cheeks reddened.

Deliberately, Chu Zhaoyou asked, “What is it?”

Finding the other too pitiable, Xiao Heng couldn’t help but press him against his chest, vigorously rubbing his head. “This life, it’s yours.”

“Why do I need that?”

Xiao Heng insisted, “You sacrificed yourself to save me, so this life belongs to you! You can’t refuse it.”

Sacrifice? What sacrifice? He was just doing a good deed!

For the first time discussing this topic, Chu Zhaoyou uncomfortably shifted under the covers. It seemed to be getting hot under the covers, and he was sweating. Oh no, his face was turning red.

Staring at Chu Zhaoyou’s blushing cheeks, Xiao Heng slowly realized that their healing process was unlike any other.

However, he couldn’t remember anything, and watching Chu Zhaoyou’s shy demeanor, he had no idea what was going through the other’s mind at that moment.

Suddenly, he felt an intense jealousy, unable to control it, even if that person was him. He wished he could dig deep into Chu Zhaoyou’s mind to uncover the memories that were eluding him!

Gritting his teeth fiercely, he felt both jealous and unable to act, incredibly frustrated.

Restless, like an agitated large dog, he wagged his tail several times, but it didn’t catch Chu Zhaoyou’s attention. Feeling sour, he suddenly found an excuse, “I didn’t mean to bite you today.”

Fiddling with Chu Zhaoyou’s collar, he muttered to himself, “I’m sure I didn’t bite too hard. Let me check.”

Chu Zhaoyou: “…”

Before he could say anything, the Regent succeeded on prying his collar open.

Xiao Heng’s eyes darkened, burning into the two nearly overlapping bite marks.

The new bite mark was faint, almost disappeared, while the old one left a slight scar, indicating that there had been some bleeding at the time.

Even in his right mind, he wouldn’t have bitten so hard. He must have been foolish to dare to do so.

Chu Zhaoyou was momentarily startled, swiftly reclaiming his clothes, then remembered to ask a question, “Have you… remembered?”

Xiao Heng strained to recall, but the memories of those three days remained a blank. He could only admit his guilt and remorsefully confess, “I’m sorry, I…”

Seeing Xiao Heng’s troubled expression, Chu Zhaoyou’s held breath eased. It was hard to say whether he felt disappointed or relieved, but at least he didn’t have to explain the soul-switching incident. He said, “I see. Who told you?”

It probably wasn’t Lu Huai. He was tight-lipped; even if he couldn’t bear it, he wouldn’t have said so much.

“Many people told me.”

Chu Zhaoyou was taken aback by the phrase “many people” and suddenly didn’t want to continue asking who those people were.

“It’s late. Regent, you should go back and rest.” It had been a day of ups and downs, and Chu Zhaoyou felt he needed a calm night.

Xiao Heng stared straight at Chu Zhaoyou. “I said I like you.”

“Oh,” Chu Zhaoyou responded calmly. “What’s the matter?”

Xiao Heng’s momentum waned. “Nothing, really.”

If he had said it a few days earlier, no, even five months earlier, it would have been better.

Regret was useless. At most, he would give himself a few slaps.

Xiao Heng lingered and refused to leave. He remembered the roasted chicken on the table. “You must be hungry. I see you didn’t have much to eat tonight.”

Seeing the familiar roasted chicken again, knowing that it always accompanied significant events, was almost creating a psychological shadow.

Chu Zhaoyou suddenly had some faith in the fortune-telling of the woman who conned the chicken.

After all, it was with these three chickens that the Regent would have a chubby little boy this year.

He seemed to recall swearing not to take a bite of Xiao Heng’s chicken last time.

Chu Zhaoyou watched as the Regent washed his hands, picked up the roasted chicken, tore off a piece of the fragrant meat, and respectfully offered it to him.

It was a different time now, and he could eat.

Satisfied, Chu Zhaoyou refrained from eating more. “You can have the rest.”

Xiao Heng insisted after careful consideration and diligently picked the chicken bones. “I’m not hungry, you’ve only eaten a little.”

Chu Zhaoyou suddenly noticed a small dark shadow. No matter when, there was someone who always cared about whether he was hungry.

It turned out that when Uncle Lu said Xiao Heng was absent, he had gone to find food for him.

Feeling a bit envious but wanting to save face, he crawled into the covers.

It seemed… he wasn’t alone anymore.

Chu Zhaoyou remained hidden, looking like he was rushing somewhere. Despite Xiao Heng’s failed negotiations, he reached through the covers and lifted Chu Zhaoyou. “You just ate, you can sleep a bit later.”

With purpose, his hand rested on Chu Zhaoyou’s stomach. He maintained a serious tone, “I’ll give you a belly rub.”

Chu Zhaoyou squinted. I bet you want to feel your child. The sensation was strange, slightly itchy. Feeling lazy after eating, he reluctantly allowed Xiao Heng to touch him. “You’ll have to pay for more touches.”

Xiao Heng: “…”

He had never encountered a situation where someone wanted payment for touching their own child.

Feeling at a loss, he could only say, “I have money.”

Chu Zhaoyou asked, “Why do you want to touch?”

Xiao Heng responded, “I… just greeting the prince.”

Chu Zhaoyou smiled, “No, I’m just fat.”

He had been called fat repeatedly in the past few days, which had annoyed him to no end.

Xiao Heng regretted his actions.

Xiao Heng spent the whole night without getting into Chu Zhaoyou’s bed, opting to take a blanket and sleep on the floor.

“We’ll return to the palace tomorrow, okay?” Xiao Heng whispered.

After a moment, Chu Zhaoyou groggily responded, leaving Xiao Heng so thrilled that he didn’t sleep for half the night. Afraid of disturbing Chu Zhaoyou, he lifted the blanket and went outside to practice martial arts.

Xie Chaoyun, Qian Shicheng, and Xiao Qi were brought in by Lu Huai and collectively shouted as they drank a bucket of tea. Soon after, they were dragged out by Xiao Heng to engage in a scuffle.

Xiao Heng faced off against the three of them.

Xie Chaoyun deeply regretted it; the Regent was truly deadly.

Early the next day, the Regent, showing no signs of having spent two nights awake, stood guard until Chu Zhaoyou woke up.

Chu Zhaoyou kept dreaming that someone was touching his stomach in the middle of the night, and when he woke up, there really were sneaky hands.

Xiao Heng withdrew his hand and calmly stated, “It’s too cold in the mountains, I used my inner energy to warm you up.”

Chu Zhaoyou glanced at him. “Bring me my dragon robe and coronet.”

Settling scores later.

Xiao Heng silently processed the situation. It seemed that among all his misjudgments of Chu Zhaoyou, one was correct— the young emperor was rather pliant at night.

“Since there’s no court session, the dragon robe will suffice,” Xiao Heng attempted to steer the conversation away.

Chu Zhaoyou raised an eyebrow, feeling quite pleased watching Xiao Heng’s regretful and indecisive demeanor.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Xiao Heng breathed a sigh of relief. Upon opening the door, Xie Chaoyun appeared with a basket of peanuts, sporting a broad smile. “You’re going to be a father. This place doesn’t have much to offer, so make do with this.”

Xiao Heng, maintaining his composure, still exuded the regal air. He nodded slightly, “Hmm.”

Xie Chaoyun’s arrival seemed to trigger something, and people started to arrive one after another.

That morning, dozens of carts arrived from outside the mountains, supposedly sent by the Regent to reward the Dragon Army. Each soldier received a considerable amount of supplies.

In truth, Xiao Heng, fearing that Chu Zhaoyou wouldn’t return, had given orders beforehand. Simply increasing Chu Zhaoyou’s provisions wasn’t enough; the entire army had to benefit to avoid making the emperor appear extravagant.

When it came to Chu Zhaoyou, Xiao Heng had to ensure that everything was meticulously arranged, despite his sense of urgency.

Throughout the night, the sentries near the mountain gates overheard Qian Shicheng’s exclamation. By morning, everyone knew that the Regent was going to be a father, although they didn’t know who the queen was.

Perhaps due to the fine weather, an air of joy filled the surroundings. The soldiers received plenty of food and were eager to express their gratitude and congratulations to the Regent.

The first daring young officer who went returned with a beaming smile.

The Regent was quite approachable, not exactly warm and friendly, but at least he wasn’t intimidating.

As a result, many people went to offer their congratulations, bringing gifts collected from the group. Soldiers have always been eager to make their mark in the world, and the Regent, as the foremost figure in Great Chu, was someone they could boast about for years to come.

Chu Zhaoyou sat sullenly on the bed. “Regent, I warn you, no more accepting gifts.”

Why are you accepting their peanuts, eggs, longans, and red dates… Your accepting bribes!

These people are really strange.

Xiao Heng looked innocent. “Would Your Majesty have me coldly turn away the soldiers?”

Chu Zhaoyou was left speechless, but he was clearly very upset.

Xiao Heng ran his hand through Chu Zhaoyou’s fur. “We’ll start our journey back to the palace soon. These soldiers just want an excuse to catch a glimpse of Your Majesty.”

Receiving praise, Chu Zhaoyou’s lips twitched, but he responded, “Regent, refrain from being too hands-on. History won’t look kindly on that.”

Xiao Heng asked, “Can’t we make some allowances?”

“Right now, I don’t believe a word you say. I’m still waiting for an explanation.”

“What?” Xiao Heng was startled. Had he missed something for which he needed to apologize? After thinking it over, he came up empty.

Chu Zhaoyou looked deeply into his eyes. “You’ll know the explanation when you remember it.”

Why choose not to remember him?

Only after resolving this issue could he consider Xiao Heng’s feelings. Who knew if he might forget again in the future, or if remembering past events might change his feelings.

Xiao Heng was impatient, eager to know: what was it?