Chapter 36

Xie Fuyi was awakened by the fragrance. He groggily opened his eyes and saw a table full of delicious dishes beside him. The aroma wafted over, prompting him to unconsciously touch his empty stomach.

He swallowed and sat up with excitement in his eyes when he saw Ye Baixiao sitting beside him. His dark eyes showed a hint of fear, and he stared at Ye Baixiao, not daring to move.

Ye Baixiao sighed inwardly as he sat by the table, pointing to the delicious spread with his gentlest voice, coaxing him, “Are you hungry? Come and eat something.”

Xie Fuyi stared at him for a while, confirming his words, before carefully getting up and approaching step by step.

His clear black and white eyes looked at the table and then at Ye Baixiao. He seemed to be confirming something, hesitating to take anything.

Ye Baixiao felt a surge of pity in his heart. He whispered, “It’s okay, go ahead and eat. These are all for you.”

“All for me?” Xie Fuyi repeated hesitantly, looking at Ye Baixiao who was sitting at the table without moving.

He seemed to understand something finally, biting his lip in determination. The next moment, he suddenly approached and sat on Ye Baixiao’s thigh, his tender wrists holding onto the other’s neck.

Feeling the warmth in his embrace, Ye Baixiao was momentarily stunned. The person in his arms was the one he had been caring about.

Ye Baixiao finally regained his senses, holding onto the other’s waist to prevent Xie Fuyi from falling. He was about to ask “What are you doing?” when he saw Xie Fuyi closing his eyes and leaning in, his rosy lips brushing against Ye Baixiao’s.

It was more like a light touch rather than a kiss.

Seeing Ye Baixiao’s lack of reaction, Xie Fuyi’s clear black eyes grew anxious. He hesitantly extended his tongue to tentatively lick Ye Baixiao’s lips, clumsy and innocent, like a docile little animal seeking approval.

But the more inexperienced and uncertain the action, the easier it was to arouse the deepest desires and affection in a man’s heart.

The rational string in Ye Baixiao’s mind snapped, and he took control, holding Xie Fuyi’s waist firmly with one hand and the back of his head with the other, forcefully exploring Xie Fuyi’s mouth, dominating the territory like a fierce beast.

Since the last time the Little Emperor was injured, Ye Baixiao had never dared to force him. He had been patient all this time, and now to receive such initiative from the Little Emperor filled him with joy.

After what seemed like an eternity, the person in his arms struggled to breathe, so Ye Baixiao released him, holding onto Xie Fuyi as they both breathed heavily.

A smile tugged at the corners of Ye Baixiao’s lips, his body burning with heat, but he remained gentle, softly stroking the person in his arms.

Xie Fuyi melted into Ye Baixiao’s embrace, his face flushed, his black eyes misty, but there was no trace of desire in them.

Though he was still catching his breath, Xie Fuyi’s gaze had been fixed on the table from the beginning. He gently tugged at Ye Baixiao’s sleeve and asked in an uneven voice, “Are you done kissing? Can I eat now?”

“What?” Ye Baixiao froze, the smile fading from his lips.

The Little Emperor’s gentle words struck Ye Baixiao like thunder, suddenly waking him up.

Seeing the Little Emperor’s innocent black eyes, Ye Baixiao realized that he was only ten years old. How could he initiate such an act?

Unless someone had been teaching him this as a form of transaction.

He dared not easily eat the food because he would be beaten and scolded. But in order to eat, he could only exchange it in this way.

Ye Baixiao’s smile completely disappeared, his face stiff and pale.

No wonder the way he sat on his lap and held onto his neck was so skillful just now; he must have done it many times before…

So, does it mean he’s only allowed to eat after satisfying the other person’s desire to kiss?

Ye Baixiao clenched his fists, feeling his chest burning with anger until it became suffocatingly painful. Right now, all he wanted to do was to kill! To kill all those who had bullied him!

But he wasn’t needed anymore.

On the first day of his reign, the Little Emperor had already killed everyone who had bullied him.

He didn’t offer any explanation, even if it meant carrying the cruel and absurd reputation.

But what could he explain?

Was he supposed to say that now, as the supreme emperor with absolute power, he had once been held and humiliated by these filthy people just for a mouthful of food?

Ye Baixiao’s eyes reddened as he looked at the person in his arms, still eagerly waiting to eat. His heart ached so much he couldn’t speak.

Why didn’t he meet him earlier to protect him?

[Heart-wrenching value for Ye Baixiao: 70/100.]

Ye Baixiao’s anger, with nowhere to vent, could only be directed at the nearby furniture. With a forceful blow, the veins on his hand burst, scattering porcelain shards all over the floor.

Xie Fuyi thought Ye Baixiao was angry with him. His face turned pale with fear, and he hurriedly tried to get out of Ye Baixiao’s embrace, “I-I’m sorry… I-I won’t eat…”

Ye Baixiao quickly hugged him, preventing him from stepping on the broken pieces, and carefully carried him to the bed. He knelt in front of him, his hoarse voice repeatedly soothing him, “I should be the one to apologize. Your Majesty, don’t be afraid. You’re the emperor now, and everything is over. You don’t have to do these things to get food anymore. Everyone here will listen to you, and you can order whatever you want to eat.”

“I-I’m the emperor?” Xie Fuyi blinked in disbelief, as Ye Baixiao had emphasized it many times. “But why don’t I remember…”

Ye Baixiao tucked him in, “You forgot some things because of your injury, but you’ll…”

He paused. Maybe it wasn’t necessary to remember those things. They weren’t pleasant memories…

He pursed his lips and said softly, “But those things don’t matter. You just need to know that no one dares to hurt you anymore. You can eat whatever you want, as much as you want.”

Ye Baixiao picked up a stack of sweet potato cakes and handed it to him.

Xie Fuyi didn’t move for a while. He seemed to be confirming the truth of Ye Baixiao’s words.

It wasn’t until Ye Baixiao’s hand grew sore from holding it up that Xie Fuyi slowly reached out, tentatively picked up a piece, hesitated, and seeing no reaction from Ye Baixiao, he quickly withdrew his hand, holding the soft cake and devouring it hungrily.

The sweet potato cake was smooth and soft, with a delicate sweetness.

Ye Baixiao kept his hand in front of him, offering another piece after Xie Fuyi finished the first.

Piece after piece, Xie Fuyi ate quickly, occasionally choking.

Ye Baixiao quickly poured him a cup of warm water, feeding him while comforting him softly, “Eat slowly, there’s plenty.”

He pointed to the side, where a variety of pastries were laid out.

Xie Fuyi’s mouth was full, and he looked at the abundance of pastries with a mix of joy and worry. “I’m afraid… I can’t finish them… I can’t eat anymore…” His expression was almost tearful as he whispered, “Can I save them for tomorrow?”

He thought there might be no tomorrow.

Ye Baixiao felt a surge of bitterness in his throat, his voice hoarse and solemn as he spoke, “Don’t worry, there will be tomorrow and every day after that. You can have as much as you want to eat.”

[Heart-wrenching value for Ye Baixiao: 75/100.]

Xie Fuyi felt slightly reassured at this, looking at Ye Baixiao with a bit more trust and gratitude in his eyes.

Until night fell, Xie Fuyi was assisted to lie down and rest, but he kept tossing and turning, looking somewhat uneasy.

Ye Baixiao knelt by the bedside, leaning forward slightly to look at him. Under the candlelight, his stern face appeared extraordinarily gentle. “What are you thinking about, why aren’t you resting?”

Xie Fuyi tugged at his smooth inner garment and touched the soft quilt, speaking cautiously, “Can I really sleep here? I’m afraid that in the middle of the night, someone will come and take me away… Will you also play tricks on me like the princes did?… Can I go back to sleep on the wooden bed? Don’t deceive me…”

He spoke softly, his hesitant voice choking towards the end.

So there were still things like being played tricks on?

Ye Baixiao’s heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, the pain making his face pale, unable to speak.

After a while, he finally spoke hoarsely, “I’m not deceiving you. This is your bed; you don’t have to sleep on wooden boards anymore.”

With each word Ye Baixiao spoke, he wanted to tear apart those who had bullied and humiliated him!

Unfortunately, those princes had already perished in the power struggles long before. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have fallen to Xie Fuyi, who was banished to the cold palace, to ascend the throne.

If Xie Fuyi knew what Ye Baixiao was thinking, he would only sigh with relief that those people were dead; otherwise, his lies would have been exposed long ago.

Seeing Ye Baixiao so assured, Xie Fuyi felt a little relieved.

He looked at Ye Baixiao and tugged at his sleeve. “Then you can sleep with me.”

Ye Baixiao was taken aback. Did the other person just invite him to sleep together?

He whispered, “Your Majesty, aren’t you afraid of me anymore?”

Xie Fuyi pursed his lips, showing a small smile. He whispered, “No, I’m not. You’re always gentle with me as soon as I open my eyes. You don’t hit me or scold me, and you give me delicious pastries… You’re a good person. I don’t even know your name?”

Ye Baixiao couldn’t help but feel bitter. He had caused the other person to become like this, and now, he was seen as a good person by the other.

“I’m Ye Baixiao, Your Majesty. You don’t have to be afraid of me or anyone else.” Ye Baixiao promised solemnly, “From now on, I will protect you.”

“Okay, thank you, Brother Ye.” Xie Fuyi’s brows softened, revealing a sweet smile.

A wave of sweetness surged through Ye Baixiao’s heart, as if it were filled with honey. His mind was muddled, feeling that even if it meant sacrificing himself for the other, he wouldn’t hesitate for a moment.

…

For several days in a row, under Ye Baixiao’s meticulous care, Xie Fuyi gradually gained more confidence and became more lively. He even developed a bit of the proud demeanor he had when he was the Little Emperor.

But it wasn’t annoying at all; it only made people find him cute and pitiful.

With Ye Baixiao’s heart-wrenching value stuck at 90, seemingly unable to increase further, he needed some stimulation to break through 100.

As he pondered this, his thoughts turned to another character who hadn’t yet triggered his heart-wrenching value—Teacher Jiang Yingyao.

After all, besides experiencing defeat as cannon fodder, he was the ace player who had successfully completed any task with a hundred percent success rate!