Chapter 20

Chu Zhaoyou dreamt of a large warm stove, exuding a familiar and comforting warmth, and instinctively moved closer to it.

Some people sleep in a restrained manner when alone, but when two people are involved, they start to toss and turn.

Chu Zhaoyou was one of those people. He was half sprawled over Xiao Heng, occasionally shifting his position. If Xiao Heng hadn’t been so steady, he would have been pushed off the dragon bed long ago.

Xiao Heng’s initial instinct was to tear Chu Zhaoyou away, or even to use a palm strike to push him to the ground. However, when his hand was about to touch Chu Zhaoyou, his thoughts suddenly changed. He locked his hand around Chu Zhaoyou’s waist, as if waiting for a small bird to fall into his net, clumsily holding his breath. Finally, the person in his arms stopped moving.

Just a handful.

The Regent moved his fingers, and his breath hitched.

The puppet Emperor was in his hands, breathing lightly and feeling soft everywhere. Even when he was pressed against him, he didn’t feel heavy.

But the puppet Emperor could eat quite a lot.

Xiao Heng thought of Chu Zhaoyou’s two meals at noon and in the evening, which could be described as a feast fit for a king.

He was so thin. Hadn’t the Empress Dowager let him eat his fill before?

He absently twirled the tie of Chu Zhaoyou’s inner garment, which was made of thin fabric suitable for summer. Last time, when welcoming Xie Chaoyun back to the court, Chu Zhaoyou’s dragon robe didn’t provide much warmth either.

What was going on with the eunuch’s office this year? Were they withholding food from the Emperor?

In just a few thoughts, the Regent had already replaced several people in the eunuch’s office.

He lowered his gaze to look at Chu Zhaoyou. From this angle, he could only see his long and curly eyelashes, which naturally carried an air of deep affection. When he smiled, it was with a tender gaze for everyone. Even with his eyes closed, he seemed content, as if he were guarding a loved one.

No matter how you looked at it, Chu Zhaoyou was someone who inspired affection.

Unconsciously, Xiao Heng’s right arm wrapped around Chu Zhaoyou, startling him.

He had only intended to slow down the spread of the Gu poison by staying close to the puppet Emperor. What was he doing, holding him like this?

The Regent closed his eyes with determination, forgetting to move his left hand and forgetting to wake Chu Zhaoyou up to review the memorials in an hour.

Chu Zhaoyou groggily felt a round jade buckle poking him, and without hesitation, he reached over and undid it with a few movements.

Then, he contentedly rubbed his cheek against it.

Chu Zhaoyou was an early sleeper and an early riser. He felt as if there were an iron chain binding him at the waist. When he opened his eyes, he saw a piece of black fabric.

Feeling confused, Chu Zhaoyou momentarily thought he had returned to a certain day and went to remove the hand at his waist.

Xiao Heng, still not fully awake, reflexively grabbed Chu Zhaoyou’s hand, as if catching a thief.

Feeling a sudden pain in his wrist, Chu Zhaoyou suddenly woke up.

How did the Regent end up in his bed?

And what had he just undone?

Chu Zhaoyou felt like he was facing a formidable enemy. The Regent’s belt buckle was as complex as a labyrinth. How could he explain that he had managed to undo it with a single move?

He stared at Xiao Heng, who seemed to twitch, and in a panic, he wrapped himself in the blanket and fell off the edge of the bed, taking the Regent with him.

Xiao Heng held Chu Zhaoyou and flipped over in mid-air, with Chu Zhaoyou’s chin knocking against his chest, feeling as hard as hitting a wall.

The dragon bed was particularly spacious, and even the blanket covered everything, as if cotton were free. It was embroidered with various dragon patterns.

Chu Zhaoyou scrambled out of the blanket in a panic, accidentally stepping on a certain part of the Regent. His face turned red as he grabbed the tie of his own clothes preemptively. “Regent, what are you trying to do to me!”

Chu Zhaoyou wasn’t sure if his clothes coming undone was related to Xiao Heng, but it was true that Xiao Heng’s clothes had indeed been undone.

Could he admit it?

No!

Xiao Heng pushed the blanket away and stood up, his clothes disheveled. He stared at the small patch of skin revealed by Chu Zhaoyou with a deep, intense gaze. “I’ve been reviewing memorials all night. Can I not try the dragon bed?”

Of course he could.

Chu Zhaoyou thought, as long as you’re not trying to test the dragon’s body.

He didn’t care about such trivial matters as usurping the throne.

Chu Zhaoyou pointed at himself indignantly, then pointed at Xiao Heng. “And this, what about this?”

Xiao Heng glanced at Chu Zhaoyou again, and the sight of that milky white skin made his head spin. He turned away. “Your Majesty, you sleep so restlessly. If I hadn’t held onto you, you would have fallen to the ground.”

The dragon bed is so large, so who insisted on squeezing with me?

Chu Zhaoyou mentally applauded the Regent’s response and persisted, “My belt was loose. But what about you, Regent? What about your belt buckle!”

Please, next time, don’t share a bed with me without taking off your clothes! Chu Zhaoyou had been particularly resentful and felt a sense of accomplishment when he had managed to undo the Regent’s belt buckle with his exceptional intelligence. He had felt a strong urge to undo it every time he saw it!

Of course, undressing and sharing a bed was also not acceptable.

The Regent’s narrow phoenix eyes narrowed further, as if one more question from Chu Zhaoyou would provoke him to violence. “Your Majesty, do you sleep with your clothes on?”

He had only lain down with his clothes on, but who knew that the little puppet would suddenly approach and cling so tightly? He had unconsciously undone his belt in the middle of the night, and it was normal. Could he have been deliberately acting like a rogue?

Chu Zhaoyou’s three consecutive questions successfully put the Regent in a difficult position. He silently breathed a sigh of relief and adjusted his clothes.

The Regent was displeased. It was early in the morning, and no one had dressed properly. Why was he being questioned as if he were a lecherous thief? But Chu Zhaoyou had taken the initiative, and he couldn’t do the same. So, he imperiously commanded, “Come here and help me change.”