TPATTHU Chapter 79

Chapter 79: Zhejiang, or, Consort Shen?

Chapter 79: Zhejiang, or, Consort Shen?

“Don’t call me ‘Teacher’.”

Shen Zhejiang was mentally and physically exhausted, coldly turning his gaze away.

Xiao Zhinian responded with an “Oh,” deliberately moving close to Shen Zhejiang’s ear, blowing damp, hot air: “If I don’t call you ‘Teacher,’ what should I call you? Zhejiang, or, Consort Shen?”

“…Enough,” Shen Zhejiang’s eyes were filled with a hazy mist, everything in his sight seemed veiled in a layer of indistinct gauze, “Xiao Zhinian, this is really enough…”

Let their ill-fated relationship end here.

“Enough of what? It’s not enough!” Xiao Zhinian said sarcastically to himself, “I am who I am because you taught me, don’t you understand my nature? What I want, I always get. I want to be entangled with you until death.”

Shen Zhejiang pursed his lips, staring fixedly at a bronze lamp on the windowsill that emitted a faint light, ignoring Xiao Zhinian’s words.

His short life could be divided into two distinct parts, his coming-of-age ceremony being the watershed. Before, there was a bright future with unlimited possibilities, but after, there was a dead end full of sins.

He knew the condition of his body; it couldn’t be healed, and he probably wasn’t far from death.

Seeing that he didn’t speak, but tears were unconsciously streaming down his face, Xiao Zhinian felt an inexplicable surge of frustration, not knowing whether he was angry with Shen Zhejiang or with himself.

But he patiently softened his tone.

“I only tore open your collar in front of Han Zitang to show him the marks of our love, to make him understand to get out of the way, I didn’t really do anything to you, did I?”

Xiao Zhinian used one hand to turn Shen Zhejiang’s chin, and the other to gently wipe away his tears with his sleeve. Soon his sleeve was wet, but Shen Zhejiang still couldn’t stop crying.

“Don’t cry, I’ll take you back to the palace.”

…Back to the palace?

No, Shen Zhejiang couldn’t go back.

He shook his head. If he returned to Yanqing Palace, he would be indirectly admitting to the unbearable intimacies he once shared with Xiao Zhinian; he couldn’t do it.

“I can’t…”

“Why not?” Xiao Zhinian easily guessed the reason, and said in a deep voice, “Are you still thinking about him? What he can satisfy you with, I can too. As long as you’re willing, I can give up my empire. Don’t you want to discuss matters of state in court? I’ll have a phoenix seat added next to the dragon throne, you can sit if you want, or not, it’s up to you.”

“…”

“Say something.”

Shen Zhejiang remained silent.

In that silence, Xiao Zhinian’s face grew increasingly gloomy.

He didn’t want this emotionless, living-dead Shen Zhejiang. He wanted the Shen Zhejiang from before, who would frown when angry, smile faintly when happy, use a ruler to hit his palm when he made mistakes, and wipe his face with a handkerchief when he was covered in mud.

Why couldn’t they go back to the past?

Xiao Zhinian forcefully kneaded Shen Zhejiang’s gaunt cheeks, using his thumbs to pull up the corners of his mouth, but the smile he forced was extremely ugly, even more unsightly than crying.

“It’s not like this…” He tried to recreate the smile from his memory, forcefully pulling Shen Zhejiang, desperately trying to squeeze out various smiles, but nothing felt right, and his brows furrowed even tighter, “Shen Zhejiang doesn’t smile like this, no, no, not like this either…”

But Shen Zhejiang was like a puppet without a soul, devoid of any energy, not knowing pain, allowing him to manipulate him.

Before long, red marks covered his face.

But even so, Xiao Zhinian refused to let him go: “Shen Zhejiang, smile for me.”

Shen Zhejiang: “…”

Xiao Zhinian leaned in fiercely: “Smile! I’m telling you to smile!!”

But as if he had thought of something, he suddenly pulled away.

As he flung his sleeves, Shen Zhejiang’s tired and limp body slowly slid down the corner of the table and sat on the ground.

He stared blankly at Xiao Zhinian pacing back and forth in front of him with extreme agitation, muttering some words to himself, but he didn’t bother to listen.

Let it be like this, he thought.

It would be good if Xiao Zhinian grew tired of him, at least he wouldn’t make a big fuss when he died in the future, or even give up the throne.

“Cough cough…”

Shen Zhejiang’s coughs affected his lungs. He thought of the scar on his chest and even questioned why he hadn’t died sooner in Luo City, instead of dragging it out until now.

At the very least, Xiao Zhinian could have been a wise ruler who could comfort his spirit in heaven.

Hearing Shen Zhejiang’s weak cough, Xiao Zhinian suddenly stopped, turned back, took off his outer coat, and wrapped it around Shen Zhejiang.

Then he scooped him up and carried him in his arms.

Shen Zhejiang realized that Xiao Zhinian wanted to take him back to the palace and resisted him intensely. Xiao Zhinian’s slightest affectionate touch made him feel disgusted and nauseous, let alone being held like this.

“Don’t touch me… Cough cough!! Put me down…”

“You think I’m dirty?” Xiao Zhinian suppressed his anger, “My first night was with you, and I’ve only touched you, what right do you have to Dislike me?!”

With that, he strode out of the private room.

Qingfeng Pavilion had already been cleared, the customers had all run away, leaving only the trembling but bewildered shopkeeper behind the counter. Outside, there was a circle of solemn-faced guards.

The shopkeeper didn’t know what was happening, nor could he understand what officials he had offended. He timidly watched a fierce-looking, handsome young man carrying a struggling person out the door.

Xiao Zhinian stood in front of the door, the cold, sharp wind and snow blowing against his heroic figure, and coldly glanced back at the empty Qingfeng Pavilion.

“Tear it down.”

What?!

He was going to tear down Qingfeng Pavilion?!

Shen Zhejiang poked half of his face out from his arms, but he could only see Xiao Zhinian’s hard jawline.

Xiao Zhinian looked at him, his eyes dark and cold: “I said, if Teacher dared to come to Qingfeng Pavilion, I would tear it down. You didn’t remember my words.”

“You’re not Xiao Zhinian.”

Shen Zhejiang was equally cold as ice.

The two stood face to face in the snow, the swirling snowflakes caught in their gazes.

“Your Majesty.”

A guard led a horse to the front of the door.

It was obvious that Xiao Zhinian was restraining himself, not wanting to argue with Shen Zhejiang in the street. He snatched the reins from the guard and leaped onto the horse.

Xiao Zhinian was extremely skilled, even having to free his hands to hold Shen Zhejiang, his movements were still fluid.

In the blink of an eye, both of them were sitting on the horse.

Shen Zhejiang was forced to sit in front of Xiao Zhinian, and Xiao Zhinian tied the straps of his outer coat around the back of Shen Zhejiang’s neck.

His hand paused. He saw Shen Zhejiang’s loose strands of hair, and another surge of restlessness rolled in his chest. He simply took off Shen Zhejiang’s green jade crown and threw it to the guard.

Shen Zhejiang loved dignity; he wouldn’t like it if his hair was messed up, so it was better not to tie it up.

“…”

Shen Zhejiang didn’t know what he was going to do, nor did he want to waste energy asking.

Xiao Zhinian smoothed his hair and adjusted the circle of black fox fur around Shen Zhejiang’s neck, making sure it was tight and didn’t let in any wind.

Only then did he wrap his arms around Shen Zhejiang and whip the horse forward.