MLIAM Chapter 105

Chapter 105: You’re Biased

Inside the Chonghua Palace, the candlelight flickered. With a “crackle,” a spark flew, and the person on the bed suddenly opened their eyes.

Frowning at the unfamiliar bed curtains, they turned their head and saw the flickering candlelight dancing among the carved beams and painted rafters.

Two figures whispered in a corner.

Suddenly, one of them raised a hand, and the other lowered their eyes, gave a bow, and pushed the door open to leave.

After the official in charge of the palace banquet hurriedly left with the Imperial Decree, the person sitting at the desk reviewing memorials finally looked up slightly, “Finally stopped pretending to be asleep?”

“Even if I pretend to be asleep, I can’t stop you from forcing me into marriage, can I?” Yu Shuli sneered, sitting up, “You’re a dignified Emperor of Xizhao, do you have any self-respect? I’ve already been married once! And I don’t love you at all!”

“You don’t need to tell me that, I know it very well.” Wan Yan Jun put down the memorial, stood up, and walked over step by step. “But… I’ve thought it through now. Seizing what belongs to others, it really holds great appeal for me… After all… wasn’t that how he stole you away back then? Now I want him to taste the bitterness.”

“Sick.” Yu Shuli stood up, avoiding his gaze, “I’ve said it many times, I didn’t like you back then. Even if you confessed your feelings to me, I wouldn’t have agreed. So he didn’t steal anything from you at all. You’re just resentful of him because I married him and I love him, you’re so petty!”

“I’m petty… hahaha…” Wan Yan Jun grabbed Yu Shuli’s arm. “Just take it that I’m petty. Now you’re in my Imperial Palace, you can’t escape! If you want to live and see him again, then obediently cooperate with me.”

Yu Shuli’s eyes were filled with anger, surprise, and annoyance: “Cooperate with you? How else do you want me to cooperate? You can skip the betrothal, name asking, good omen confirmation, gift presentation, and wedding date setting steps, and directly have the official prepare for the wedding. How else do you want me to cooperate?! If you’re so obsessed with marrying me, then find a dummy to take my place, give it my name, and it’ll be the same.”

“A dummy? That’s just a last resort. Naturally, I hope you yourself will marry me.”

“You actually thought of that?” Yu Shuli felt it was utterly ridiculous. He smiled contemptuously, “You! Are! Dreaming! If you have the ability, then kill me.”

“Don’t worry… you’ll agree. You can’t bear to die, I know. You’re eager to know Wei Yan’s news, how could you seek death? So no matter what, you’ll make sure you stay alive, right? Even if it means being superficially agreeable with me… you’d be willing, wouldn’t you?” Wan Yan Jun met Yu Shuli’s hateful gaze and slowly reached out to take his hand.

Yu Shuli forcefully slapped his hand away, coldly looking at the man with a flattering expression, “Wan Yan Jun, if you want to offer yourself, I don’t have time to play with you.”

Wan Yan Jun wasn’t annoyed after being rejected by Yu Shuli. Instead, he smiled, smugly saying, “I have some news about Wei Yan here, don’t you want to hear it?”

“What?!” Yu Shuli suddenly turned his head, his eyes filled with shock. The worry that naturally leaked out didn’t escape Wan Yan Jun’s eyes.

“You’re worried about him, right? You desperately want to know if he’s dead or alive…” Wan Yan Jun reached out to take Yu Shuli’s hand again. This time, Yu Shuli didn’t avoid it.

Seeing that the person was repulsed but didn’t shake him off, Wan Yan Jun revealed a brilliant smile and pulled him to the bedside, sitting down beside him. “See, it’s been many years since I’ve had such a calm and reasonable conversation with you. I never knew that a small wish would require so much effort to achieve.” He rubbed his head against Yu Shuli’s shoulder, his lips close to his neck, his voice gentle, “Fortunately… it’s not too late.”

Yu Shuli forcibly suppressed his disgust, moved his head away, and kept his distance from him, “Why bother being so secretive? If he were dead, you naturally wouldn’t be negotiating with me.”

“That’s true.”

Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly smelled a strange aftertaste. Wan Yan Jun’s original smile froze, and he frowned, “Why do you have the scent of herbs on you?”

Yu Shuli sniffed himself, smelling nothing, but seemed to deliberately provoke him, “Being with Wei Yan day and night, I’ve probably been pickled in his scent.”

“Is that so? So… frequent contact can absorb the other person’s scent?” Wan Yan Jun didn’t get angry but laughed, edging closer, “Then… I’m really looking forward to the future, when you’ll be covered in my scent…”

Yu Shuli looked at him, a trace of mockery flashing in his eyes, “Your scent? I don’t want to be tainted by your sour jealousy. Besides…”

Yu Shuli coldly glanced at him, “Don’t you know, it’s not easy for one of the men to do that sort of thing? I’ve done it with Wei Yan, but he’s always been accommodating me. So I’m asking you, Wan Yan Jun, are you willing to be on the bottom, for me to fuck?”

Wan Yan Jun’s answer wasn’t hesitant, his voice ringing with certainty: “Why not?”

Yu Shuli was stunned.

Wan Yan Jun continued, “So that’s what you’re concerned about.” He smiled. “Of course, it’s possible. On the surface, you are the empress, but in bed I’ll be your wife. How about that?”

Yu Shuli’s heart trembled. He hadn’t expected Wan Yan Jun to lower himself and say such words. He gritted his teeth. “Just how… how obsessed are you with me?! I really don’t know what’s so good about me!”

“You don’t seem happy after hearing my answer.” The smile in Wan Yan Jun’s eyes faded. “So what you said wasn’t serious, you were just bluffing me, right?”

He stared at Yu Shuli and slowly said, “The first day you arrived in the Capital City, I noticed you. The Crown Prince brought people out of the city to welcome your father into the city. I followed behind the Crown Prince and the others, while you rode a horse behind your father, resplendent and spirited. You were so handsome, I asked people about you then. I think maybe that one glance was for a lifetime. In the days that followed, I was always looking for opportunities to meet you and get close to you. But after all, I was just a hostage. If His Majesty hadn’t let you enter the Imperial Study to study, relying on myself to create opportunities, I don’t know how long it would have taken… But you seem to treat everyone warmly, but your heart is like a piece of hard ice that no one can warm. But you also don’t seem to see through people’s hearts, living a muddled and unrestrained life, and you also treat my long-planned approach kindly. I envied your carefree appearance, and I was also grateful that you led me step by step out of that cold Imperial City, allowing me to have a moment of freedom and happiness… It was also at that time that I suddenly wanted to always stand by your side, to be the person who could help you support your future… But unfortunately, I couldn’t even protect myself at the time. After being proactive a few times, I flinched a few more times, and then when I finally decided to tell you something… I didn’t expect to miss the opportunity due to a twist of fate.”

Wan Yan Jun sighed, looking directly into Yu Shuli’s eyes. “Yu Shuli, have you ever loved me? Even if it was just a little bit?”

Yu Shuli shook his head, answering without hesitation, “No. At the beginning of our acquaintance, I felt that you and I were in the same boat, unable to return home, so I sympathized with you. Later, we became like-minded friends. In the Imperial Study, you helped me practice calligraphy, read books, and accompanied me through those boring examination days. I was very grateful to you. As a reward, I took you out to play, took you to enjoy the Capital City’s delicacies. This was just a matter of reciprocity, and it had nothing to do with whether I wanted to save you. But Wan Yan Jun, we were both still innocent at that time. Since I didn’t fall in love with you then, now that you and I have different positions, you for Xizhao and I for Da Liang, we are destined to be at odds, so how can there be love again.”

“So, no matter how you ask, no matter how many times you ask, my answer will be no.”

Wan Yan Jun listened to the answer and remained silent for a long time, then suddenly smiled. “I should have known.”

“I should have known that I’m actually just not reconciled.” He glared at Yu Shuli, speaking to him with such ferocity for the first time, his voice hoarse. “So, what’s so good about Wei Yan that makes you so unforgettable?! Unforgettable even after losing your memory?! When you mistakenly thought he was the criminal who violated your second sister, you still chose to believe him, but back then when you caught me and a palace maid he was pretending to be together, you weren’t willing to listen to a word of explanation from me.”

The corners of his eyes were red. “Yu Shuli, you’re biased!”

Yu Shuli pursed his lips. “I said long ago, you shouldn’t compare yourself to him.”

Wan Yan Jun “scoffed,” lowered his eyes, and smiled more sadly than crying. “But back then… I also wanted to say, I didn’t. But he didn’t even need to explain… you believed him.” He took a step towards Yu Shuli, “Is it… is it that as long as I sleep with you too, sleep with you a few more times, you and I will have feelings too?”

“You’re really, utterly absurd!” Yu Shuli took a step back, his expression changing, as he watched him approach with malicious intentions. “What do you want?”

“We’ll have to consummate the marriage sooner or later. You and I are both men, we don’t care about this bit of chastity. Anyway, you’ve already done it with Wei Yan, why not try it with me too? Maybe I’m even better than him.”

Yu Shuli sneered, “You profess to love me, but you only do things that hurt me. Wan Yan Jun, don’t use your love to sugarcoat your selfishness.”

He looked around. “I really don’t know how many Imperial Guards and ambushes are hidden in your Xizhao Imperial Palace, but if it’s just a matter of fighting you to the death, I have more than enough skill. If you want to touch me, be prepared for mutual destruction. I’ve never been easy to deal with.”

“Mutual destruction?” Wan Yan Jun sneered. “The palace guards aren’t just for show. If you try to touch me, you’ll undoubtedly be seeking your own death…”

“It doesn’t matter… I can support even a disabled Empress for the rest of my life.” Wan Yan Jun locked his eyes on him. “Now, I no longer dream of obtaining your love. It doesn’t matter, obtaining your body is the same. Over time, your body will get used to me, and loving me will be no different.”

He leaned closer, his voice suggestive. “What tricks can a sick man like Wei Yan have in bed? You must not be satisfied. If you do it with me, I naturally have many unexpected pleasures for you. Five Stone Powder doesn’t just have an addictive effect, it can also enhance the pleasure of intercourse… You’ll know…”

“Pah! Who wants to do it with you!” Yu Shuli glared at him with disgust. “Wan Yan Jun, you’ve committed too many evils, you’ll suffer the consequences sooner or later.”

“I accept the consequences, I’m willing to enter the eighteen levels of hell after I die. But before I die, I must be persistent for my foolish delusions…” He forced Yu Shuli into a corner. “The Five Stone Powder in your body hasn’t been detoxified yet. Five Stone Powder has a sedative effect. No matter how great your skills are, when the addiction strikes, you’ll definitely lose all your inner strength.”

His eyes swept over Yu Shuli, and he sneered. “Looking at you now, I guess you and Wei Yan were shameless enough to do it on the mountain? Calculating the time, you’ve endured this second relapse for quite a while. I’m kind enough to help you relieve it, you should thank me. Otherwise, who else can you find in this Imperial Palace?”

“So what if I did it with him? Are you jealous? But I just won’t agree to you! I’ll just endure it myself. It’s just Five Stone Powder, I’m not one of those scumbags, why can’t I endure it?” Yu Shuli smiled mockingly. “As for inner strength… you don’t think that I can’t beat you without inner strength, do you?”

“Of course I know you’re capable.”

The corner of Wan Yan Jun’s mouth curled into a wicked smile, and he suddenly took out a small porcelain bottle from his waist and began toying with it. “The good news I wanted to tell you earlier is that Wei Yan is not dead. Of course, I know you’ve never believed the news of his death, so you certainly won’t be surprised by this result. But… you don’t know, do you? He was hit by my sleeve arrow, and my arrow was coated with my poison doctor’s unique secret poison. Now that the poison doctor is dead, there is no antidote to this poison except for me. If you and I continue to be deadlocked, and it exceeds seven days, you can detoxify the addiction, but your beloved Wei Yan… will turn into pus…”