Chapter 31

In the dimly lit room, Xie Fuyi felt someone approaching the bed. His initial reaction was a trembling fear, his shoulders shaking as he frantically struggled to shrink toward the foot of the bed.

Qinghe’s heart suddenly ached as he saw this. His eyes reddened. How could his once spirited and fearless Majesty become so timid in just half a month? 

He quickly reached out to steady the struggling Xie Fuyi, his voice trembling as he reassured, “Your Majesty, don’t be afraid! It’s me, I’ve returned. You’ve suffered…”

The familiar voice made Xie Fuyi’s body stiffen. He paused, then, unbelievingly, raised his gaze to the person in front of him. Seeing Qinghe, the young emperor’s dark eyes flickered, and with excitement, he lunged forward, making unintelligible sounds, trembling as he hugged him tightly.

Initially, at a loss, Qinghe held Xie Fuyi close, his body fragrant with dragon’s blood incense, and his heart pounded like a drum. Then he quickly realized something was wrong—since entering the room, he hadn’t heard a word from the young emperor.

“Your Majesty, you…” 

Qinghe trembled as he gripped Xie Fuyi’s shoulder, his black eyes searching as he made a faint sound with his slightly parted lips.

There, the tongue was mangled, covered in blood…

“Your tongue!” Qinghe’s eyes welled up with tears, his voice hoarse and dry with trembling.

A eunuch who had never known grief or strong emotions, Qinghe was on the verge of tears. How desperate must His Majesty be to resort to such self-harm?

He was clearly afraid of pain…

[Xie Fuyi looked at the new message on the task panel, momentarily stunned. Only 50? This guy’s villain value is too easy to earn, he hasn’t even done anything yet!]

Qinghe, looking at Xie Fuyi now, his eyes filled with anguish, said, “It’s Ye Bai Xiao, isn’t it? Your Majesty, I’ll go kill him right now!”

His suppressed anger made the veins in his arms bulge as he prepared to rush out.

Xie Fuyi quickly grabbed him, his hands weak, almost being pulled off the bed by the sudden force.

Qinghe reflexively caught him, embracing him tightly. The Emperor’s weak and warm body carried a fragrance, leaving Qinghe at a loss.

Xie Fuyi tugged at his clothes, shaking his head. He couldn’t speak, just pointed to the window.

Qinghe regained his composure slightly.

With Ye Baixiao’s men all around, he would be fearless alone. But now, the most important thing was to get Xie Fuyi to safety.

“Okay, I’ll take you away first,” Qinghe said softly, stepping forward to lift Xie Fuyi. But Xie Fuyi was only wearing a thin inner garment, and Qinghe could almost feel his warm and soft skin.

Stiffening, Qinghe carefully wrapped Xie Fuyi in the blanket, whispering, “Your Majesty, forgive me for this offense.”

With that, he bent down to lift him.

Xie Fuyi remained still, lacking strength. His hands could only loosely grasp Qinghe’s neck as he let himself be held in the bundled-up blanket.

Looking at the compliant figure in his arms, Qinghe felt a mixture of sweetness and pain in his heart.

His Majesty had never been so obedient, allowing himself to be held like this. The arrogant and domineering young emperor from before would probably have lifted his chin and kicked him away the moment he reached out, rather than being as he was now—covered in bruises, weak all over, unable to even speak.

Qinghe’s hatred deepened. If time wasn’t of the essence, he would’ve gone to kill Ye Baixiao right then and there!

“Your Majesty, let’s go.” Qinghe held Xie Fuyi and silently climbed out through the window, stepping onto the roof.

Under the night sky, everything was quiet. Their swift movements were like fluttering butterflies.

The several scouts waiting outside quickly followed, flying towards the palace gates along the rooftops.

Even with an extra person to carry, Qinghe’s figure remained light and steady.

Wrapped in his embrace, Xie Fuyi hardly felt the bumps.

The night was incredibly silent. In such tranquility, the chirping of insects and birds masked any small movements.

But Qinghe’s sharp ears detected a gust of wind approaching.

The sharp weapon that came through the air was almost behind him. Its speed was too fast, carrying a strong force.

His expression changed. Concerned for the person in his arms, Qinghe’s calm heart tightened, and he could only twist his body in mid-air to try to avoid it.

In doing so, the tiles under his feet suddenly shattered, forcing him to land in the courtyard.

Swiftly adjusting his footing, Qinghe managed to land steadily on the ground while still holding Xie Fuyi.

A cold figure was already close by in an instant.

Then, on the rooftop where Qinghe had just stood, a large piece of rubble flew up.

It turned out that the attack that just struck him was merely a tile kicked out by the opponent. Countless tiles shattered on the ground, with some embedding deep into the pillars.

In the darkness, the man standing on the eaves had a cold and unpleasant expression. The swirling black robe fluttered in the wind, his long brows as sharp as swords, and his thin lips as sharp as knives. His gaze was fixed on Qinghe and the person he held, the deep darkness of his eyes seeming to brew a suppressed storm. “You think you can take him somewhere?”

Ye Baixiao had felt something was wrong shortly after leaving. He had never seen this person besides Zhao Shiyi. And the person who had been guiding him immediately drew a silver flash from his hand and stabbed him.

“Presumptuous!” With a single move, he easily sent the person flying. Worried about Xie Fuyi in the bedroom, he hurried back.

The dormitory was empty, with only lingering warmth in the sheets, indicating that someone had just left.

At this moment, who else could have taken away the young emperor?

It must be that vicious dog whom the young emperor constantly longed for and trusted.

Ye Baixiao’s eyes were bloodshot. His usually proud rationality seemed to go mad as he swept the floor full of porcelain.

With his lightness skill pushed to the extreme, he swiftly chased along the eaves outside the window.

Finally catching up not far away, he breathed a sigh of relief and threw a stone to intercept Qinghe.

But when he saw the obedient Emperor buried in someone else’s arms, he felt an unbearable irritation.

A surge of anger rose in his chest. “Hand him over, and I might leave you with a whole corpse!”

Ignoring the opponent, Qinghe’s first priority upon landing was to check if Xie Fuyi had been injured by the flying rubble. But seeing Ye Baixiao, Xie Fuyi almost unconsciously clutched Qinghe’s clothes, trembling.

His tongue was injured, making his speech unclear. He could only manage a few words, his face paled with pain.

Sensing his tremble, though his expression remained impassive, Qinghe’s heart tightened with pain, tightening his throat.

Only then did he look up at the man who had chased after them alone, and spoke his name one word at a time, “Ye… Bai… xiao.”

His voice was cold and filled with endless killing intent.

Since he had come, there was no need for him to come back later.

“Your Majesty, there’s an ignorant dog blocking the way. Please wait a moment, I’ll go kill him and then take you away.” Qinghe lowered his eyes to Xie Fuyi, speaking softly, then handed him over to the two men behind him. “Protect the Emperor.”

He said he would finish this before facing Ye Baixiao, preparing to step forward.

But Xie Fuyi anxiously grabbed Qinghe’s sleeve.

He was afraid Qinghe might fail, after all, Ye Baixiao’s martial arts were unfathomable.

Qinghe looked at the worry in Xie Fuyi’s eyes and felt a warmth in his heart. Even if it meant risking his life, he would ensure his safe departure.

He reassured softly, “Your Majesty, don’t worry. Everything will be fine soon. I will definitely take you away.”

Xie Fuyi gazed at him blankly, then nodded gently, slowly letting go of Qinghe’s hand without saying another word.

The conversation between them was naturally heard by Ye Baixiao.

Seeing Xie Fuyi’s every move, he couldn’t believe the level of trust he had in Qinghe.

Ye Baixiao’s lips moved slightly, flames of jealousy burning fiercely in his heart, almost consuming him entirely.

Maintaining a calm facade, his gaze fell on Xie Fuyi, his voice cold but trying to sound gentle, “Your Majesty, you haven’t taken your medicine tonight. Come here, be obedient, and take it.”

Xie Fuyi’s body stiffened at the words, instinctively moving back behind Qinghe. He remained silent, his gaze icy.

This action was like a thorn piercing deep into Ye Baixiao’s heart, cutting through him like a sharp blade. The sharp pain made it almost impossible for him to breathe, and he felt a bitter taste in his throat.

[Ye Baixiao’s villain value: 10/100.]