Chapter 28

Though Xie Fuyi didn’t feel particularly coerced by the other party, in fact, he found it rather exhilarating, but according to his role, this was the court, the hall of the dragon throne! Hence, the young emperor’s eyes turned red with anger as he glared at the person before him.

“What do you intend to do? Ye Baixiao, restrain yourself!” Xie Fuyi’s expression turned panicked as he reached out to strike Ye Baixiao, but his hands were grabbed by the other and pressed onto the dragon throne, while the other hand went to undo his dragon robe’s belt.

“His Majesty needs a little reminder to behave today.” Ye Baixiao said coldly.

“N-No…” Struggling to no avail, Xie Fuyi’s panicked expression showed he was at a loss, only able to try to compromise, “Not here…”

The young emperor’s beautiful features looked flustered and tense, causing others’ hearts to tighten.

Ye Baixiao forced himself not to relent, averting his gaze—this time, if he didn’t give the other a profound lesson, he’d have less control in the future.

…

As everything ended, Xie Fuyi still couldn’t collect himself.

He stared blankly at the ceiling, his dark lashes trembling, whether from sweat or tears, he couldn’t tell.

The protagonist’s skills at taking the initiative were improving, just his hands alone made it impossible for him to defend himself.

Perhaps the thrill of the environment also added to it!

After all, just moments ago, there were court officials present, the hall doors wide open. As soon as someone entered, they would immediately see the enticing sight of the impulsive and unpredictable young emperor on the platform, upon the dragon throne…

However, Ye Baixiao had made sure from the beginning that everyone was guarding the surroundings, so there wouldn’t be anyone barging in.

Ye Baixiao brushed aside Xie Fuyi’s damp black hair with his fingers, looking at the young emperor’s lifeless black eyes, he felt a bit soft, reaching out as if to pull him back.

“Get lost!” Xie Fuyi’s hoarse voice lowly scolded, accompanied by a “smack,” directly slapping Ye Baixiao’s face.

Ye Baixiao paused, his tongue touching his cheek. It was somewhat unbelievable that he was being slapped in the face for the second time by the other, yet he seemed to have grown accustomed to it, feeling not much anger in his heart, instead, a desire to tease the other—truly, like a little leopard baring its teeth and claws.

However, some intimidation was still necessary.

Ye Baixiao’s expression darkened, coldly saying, “It seems His Majesty hasn’t learned his lesson, still want to try again?”

Xie Fuyi’s body stiffened, and the threat was still having some effect. The young emperor didn’t speak anymore, only pursing his lips tightly, allowing the others to tidy up briefly before being carried back to the sleeping chambers.

…

In the blink of an eye, several days passed, and Ye Baixiao was busy dealing with the backlog of political affairs, reshuffling personnel within the palace, leaving him with little time to bother Xie Fuyi.

Xie Fuyi enjoyed a rare few days of leisure, perhaps his compliance had earned him a slightly larger space for activity—aside from the sleeping chambers, he could also walk in the imperial gardens. However, he had Ye Baixiao’s personal guards accompanying him every step of the way.

Xie Fuyi felt somewhat distressed; his cannon fodder mission had reached a bottleneck.

He realized that all the insults and slaps he received from Ye Baixiao were just trivial amusements for the latter, failing to spark any murderous intent. Moreover, in recent days, Ye Baixiao’s tolerance towards him had reached a new level!

As the regent, he didn’t get angry even when kicked off the dragon bed every night, and he even wanted to have sex with him!

Xie Fuyi simply couldn’t stand it anymore; it seemed he had to find a way to make a big move.

…

This day, Xie Fuyi timed his visit to the imperial gardens and indeed spotted a figure in light green approaching from afar.

It was Zhang Xinyue!

When she saw Xie Fuyi, her expression brightened, and she hastened her steps.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.” She cautiously sized up Xie Fuyi, noticing the green tint in his eyes, and couldn’t help but feel sorry for him, “Is Your Majesty feeling any better?”

Xie Fuyi reached out to help her up. “Thank you for your concern, beloved consort. I’m perfectly fine.”

He had Ye Baixiao to thank for that, doing all the work for him. Every day, he enjoyed good food and drink in the palace, without the need to attend the early morning court sessions, although the nights were a bit exhausting. He wondered where Ye Baixiao got all that energy from, especially since he had to handle political affairs before dawn.

But this arrangement suited him well. With Ye Baixiao taking over the government affairs and holding all the power, it would be easier for him to find a way to make himself the emperor in the future.

Zhang Xinyue noticed the note slipped into her hand and her heart raced. She hugged Xie Fuyi’s arm, using the clothes to cover her attempt to hide the note in her sleeve, smiling sweetly. “As long as Your Majesty is well, then this concubine will accompany you to admire the flowers.”

“Mm.” Xie Fuyi gave a faint smile and nodded.

The young emperor’s delicate features usually wore a mocking and sarcastic expression, but his faint smile now almost enchanted everyone.

Zhang Xinyue was momentarily stunned, until a cold, icy voice sounded—

“What are you chatting about, Your Majesty? You seem so happy.”

A sharp curve was drawn in the air as Ye Baixiao’s dark robes fluttered, his tall figure approaching slowly.

Although he was smiling, there was an uncontrollable coldness in his eyes, exerting a palpable pressure that made it hard to breathe.

Ye Baixiao had been somewhat distracted earlier. Zhao Shiyi had awakened today, and he had just visited him.

Zhao Shiyi was overjoyed when he learned that Ye Baixiao was now in control of the court, but when he heard that the young emperor was still alive, he became somewhat puzzled and angry.

“Big brother, that dog emperor is tyrannical and constantly seeks your demise. Why don’t you just kill him? Especially now that everything is ready for you. Once the dog emperor is dead, you can smoothly ascend the throne!”

Of course, Ye Baixiao knew. Originally, he had spared Xie Fuyi’s life to let him ascend as the regent with legitimacy. But now, with no loopholes left, keeping him around would only be a liability. But…

Ye Baixiao’s gaze shifted, and he finally said in a deep voice, “Just wait.”

“What are you waiting for!” Zhao Shiyi looked anxious. Suddenly, the image of the young emperor stepping on his face flashed in his mind, that enticing face and figure…

His face turned ugly instantly as he looked at Ye Baixiao, gritting his teeth. “Big brother, are you bewitched by the emperor’s beauty? Have you forgotten that he tried to poison you, scheming to kill you? Keeping him alive will only bring endless trouble…”

“That’s enough.” Seeing Zhao Shiyi about to speak again, Ye Baixiao’s gaze darkened, interrupting him. “I have my own arrangements for this matter. Focus on your recovery.”

Ignoring Zhao Shiyi’s incredulous and urgent expression behind him, Ye Baixiao hurried to Xie Fuyi’s sleeping chambers, feeling frustrated.

His mind was in chaos, unable to understand why just the thought of killing Xie Fuyi filled him with piercing pain, entwining around his heart like sharp threads, tightening until he could hardly breathe?

Just as he was feeling restless and unable to sort out his thoughts, he happened to encounter Xie Fuyi in the imperial gardens, smiling and holding hands with Zhang Xinyue.

He had never seen Xie Fuyi smile so relaxedly before, with a hint of gentleness in his eyes. In his presence, it was either mockery or anger, never a smile like this…

Yes, he was the emperor, with three thousand concubines…

A sudden, sharp pain pierced Ye Baixiao’s heart, followed by a rush of frustration that almost clouded his mind.

He barely suppressed his anger, the smile not reaching his eyes, as he approached and interrupted the two—

“What are you so happy about, Your Majesty?”

Ye Baixiao’s imposing presence was too strong. Zhang Xinyue’s heart skipped a beat, her face turning paler. The note was still in her hand, and she could only tightly grasp it.

The young emperor, upon seeing Ye Baixiao, felt a bit nervous, but he didn’t want to show weakness in front of his consort. He pursed his lips and replied coldly, “Do I need to report to you what I’m talking about with my beloved consort? Who do you think you are?”

Ye Baixiao’s already icy demeanor seemed to freeze even more, almost dripping with water. The faint smile at the corner of his lips, the only semblance of warmth, disappeared, leaving him as sharp and cold as the sharpest sword, piercing through to the bone.

“What am I? Your Majesty will find out soon enough.” Ye Baixiao suppressed the boiling anger inside him, his lips quirking slightly, as he reached forward to grab Xie Fuyi’s wrist, intending to pull him away from Zhang Xinyue.

“Your Majesty!” Zhang Xinyue, nervous, reached out to grab Xie Fuyi, forgetting the object in her hand, causing a crumpled piece of paper to fall to the ground.

Instantly, silence fell, eerie and suffocating.

Ye Baixiao’s black eyes darkened slightly. “What is this?”

Zhang Xinyue’s breath caught in her throat, her pupils shrinking, as she hurried to pick it up, only to be stopped.

Ye Baixiao stared at the crumpled paper handed to him, his expression unreadable. “It seems Your Majesty is not admiring the flowers.”

Xie Fuyi’s face changed slightly as he reached out to snatch it back, but Ye Baixiao held him firmly in his arms.

“What’s the rush, Your Majesty? Let’s read it together.” He smirked, slowly unfolding the paper—

“Blue Crane…”

Ye Baixiao murmured the title, and the person in his arms stiffened. The author of this note was evident, and below it was a diagram of the palace’s personnel deployment.

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze, a calm before the storm.

Ye Baixiao’s smile grew colder, and the edges of his lips sharpened almost as if they could cut. “Your Majesty, it seems… you really trust this ‘loyal dog’?”

Though he spoke lightly, in the next moment, he forcefully grabbed Xie Fuyi’s wrist and dragged him towards the sleeping chambers.

Xie Fuyi watched as Ye Baixiao’s forehead veins bulged, his eyes burning with red-hot anger, clearly having lost his rationality to fury.

Xie Fuyi: … Whoops, maybe I went a little too far with that one?