WMSG Chapter 27

Chapter 27 You Come In

When Ye Yueshen made the decision to go to Qi Wang Manor, he no longer had any inner turmoil. His only regret from returning from Yousu Fang yesterday was not seeing the Fourth Prince.

In reality, it was mostly psychological. Passive defense was always agonizing. Actively approaching those who might be the culprit could at least rid him of some of the helplessness of waiting to die.

But when he stood outside Qi Wang Manor, he hesitated a little, repeatedly pondering how to speak when they met.

“Yesterday you threatened me, so I came today.”

“Last time you asked me to stay, I got a little cocky and left. Qi Wang is still a level above.”

“Old thing, I’m here, why didn’t you come out to greet me sooner?”

Just as he was thinking, the door suddenly opened. Gong Xunwu was wearing a dark blue robe, a color different from his usual dull ones. The fabric had a shimmering sheen in the sunlight.

Caught off guard by the eye contact, Gong Xunwu asked him, “What are you smirking at outside the manor?”

Was I smiling? Ye Yueshen blinked.

A carriage came out of the side door and stopped next to them. Gong Xunwu walked over and, as a matter of course, urged Ye Yueshen as he passed, “Get in.”

So none of Ye Yueshen’s prepared opening lines were used. He followed Gong Xunwu into the carriage, pondering what Gong Xunwu was doing dressed so dazzlingly. It looked like he was going on a blind date.

Thinking of this, Ye Yueshen glanced at Gong Xunwu, whose face was gloomy and showed no joy, not like someone going on a blind date.

But Gong Xunwu had been clinging to him, clearly not liking women. And the only ones who could get him to go on a blind date were the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, and it was unlikely they would make him go on a blind date with a man. So Gong Xunwu’s unwillingness made sense.

Ye Yueshen felt that his guess was pretty close to the truth and was already torn between exposing Gong Xunwu in front of the girl later or waiting until Gong Xunwu left and then secretly giving the girl’s family a tip.

Speaking face-to-face, Gong Xunwu might get angry and reveal his secrets too. Then he would have to obediently go to jail and be exiled, eating moldy cornbread and drinking swill-like sour soup.

But if he did something sneaky behind his back, it was hard to guarantee that Gong Xunwu wouldn’t find out.

The destination was a large manor, the buildings spacious, elegant, and stylish.

Greeting them was a middle-aged woman with a plump figure and bright, piercing eyes. She bowed and greeted “Your Highness,” then looked at Ye Yueshen, waiting for Gong Xunwu and Sha Ou to introduce him.

Her posture was neither humble nor arrogant, her demeanor elegant and poised, showing that she was cultured and knowledgeable. Her daughter must also be outstanding.

Ye Yueshen said faintly, “Qi Wang doesn’t like women, he sleeps with men behind the scenes.”

The scene was instantly silent. The woman gaped, looked at Ye Yueshen, then at Gong Xunwu, and lowered her head, pretending to be deaf.

Sha Ou stammered, “This… this…” racking his brains but unable to smooth things over. He looked at Ye Yueshen as if he were a monster.

The scene was deadlocked for a moment. Gong Xunwu frowned, looking at him with an expression of barely suppressed anger, but in the end, he just turned his face away and walked inside alone, ignoring him.

Ye Yueshen realized that he had misunderstood something, regretting that he had left his brain at home. But the words were already spoken, so there was nothing to regret.

They had come to a manor with hot springs. Before even reaching the hot spring, Ye Yueshen already felt like he was not adjusting to the environment. All the discomforts after transmigrating into the book flooded into his mind.

They went to an elegant and spacious house, decorated everywhere with gauze and silk, making the whole room feel soft and ambigu-ous. As soon as they entered, they were hit by a rush of steaming heat. Ye Yueshen felt a little difficulty breathing. He found a carved wooden chair and sat down, looking at Sha Ou: “Please pour me a glass of cold water.”

Sha Ou quickly poured him a glass, and he took a big gulp, finally feeling that he could breathe a little easier.

Near the inner wall were many narrow-mouthed, high-necked vases, filled with water to grow bamboo and snow willow, the upright and swaying contrasting, yet intertwined.

Gong Xunwu took off his outer robe, revealing a moon-white inner robe embroidered with silver thread water patterns. He was the only person moving in the room, and Ye Yueshen’s gaze unconsciously fell on him.

Gong Xunwu then took off his inner robe. His strong, broad shoulders and arm muscles highlighted his powerful, shapely beauty, and below his abdominal muscles was a narrow waist that emphasized his strength.

Ye Yueshen’s first thought was that if Gong Xunwu punched him, he would die in a few seconds. Then he felt a bit of critical appreciation. Gong Xunwu was in very good shape.

Before this, Ye Yueshen had not thought about whether he liked men or women. His life in his previous life had been consumed by making a living, and his current life was gripped by life and death. At this moment, it was as if the water vapor had blurred and slowed down his rhythm.

Ye Yueshen’s heart was beating a little fast, and he felt a numb, electric sensation on his chest. He turned his head away and did not look anymore.

Gong Xunwu entered the hot spring, his arm relaxing on the edge: “You come in.”

There was no need to be coy when it was offered to him. Ye Yueshen got up and walked over, kicked off his shoes, and went into the water fully clothed. The wet fabric immediately compressed his body, as if it made breathing even more difficult.

At least Gong Xunwu’s appearance could be considered outstanding, Ye Yueshen told himself, closing his eyes, closing all his senses, and just treating it as verifying whether he liked men or women.

Gong Xunwu’s finger flicked his collar, and he raised an eyebrow, asking him, “Isn’t it heavy?”

He was asking about the wet clothes. Ye Yueshen nodded. He thought he was talking about being mentally heavy.

Gong Xunwu placed his palm on Ye Yueshen’s back, skin against skin through a layer of wet fabric. No matter how much he tried to convince himself, Ye Yueshen still instinctively pushed his hand away.

A young man with painted red cheeks and a wisp of hair hanging in front of his forehead walked in slowly. Through the water vapor, one could see that the corners of the man’s eyes were slightly upturned.

While Ye Yueshen was still wondering, the man began to tell a story: “It is said that there is a temple in the deep mountains. The female scholars from the nearby mountains often linger in this temple. One day, a burly hunter encountered snow and was trapped in the mountains, so he came to this temple to make a fire and keep warm. The female scholar…”

Ye Yueshen felt novel. It was the first time he had heard someone telling him a story like this. The man’s voice seemed to contain honey, the words slurred together, barely audible.

Gong Xunwu had no intention of touching him either. He took a grape from a nearby table, peeled it, and held it between his fingertips, delivering it to Ye Yueshen’s lips.

Ye Yueshen lowered his eyes and saw his fingers stained with grape juice. His attention had been drawn away by the storyteller. Without being prepared, he slightly parted his lips and took the grape.

The grape was sweet and delicious, but Ye Yueshen froze after chewing it once. Only saliva was constantly being secreted. He felt his brain had gone stupid, actually eating something Gong Xunwu had fed him.

But Gong Xunwu seemed unaware, spreading his palm and reaching it under his chin, considerately asking him, “Is it very sour? Spit it out if it’s sour.”

Ye Yueshen choked and swallowed it whole. He covered his neck, as if he had lost the ability to react.

Gong Xunwu didn’t say anything. He used a silver pick to stab a piece of sliced peach and lowered it to Ye Yueshen’s lips. Ye Yueshen mumbled that he didn’t want to eat it, leaned forward a little, and rested on the edge of the pool, watching the storyteller.

The storyteller was watched by his clear pool-like eyes, shyly stuttered, adjusted the order of his words, and repeated what he had just said.

“Inside the temple, the firewood was burning fiercely. The hunter, exhaling, threw the female scholar’s underwear on the ground. Taking a closer look, between her crotch was a— Hunter was shocked: ‘You are a man?'”

Ye Yueshen froze, struck by lightning. So it was a story of romance. Ye Yueshen glared at Gong Xunwu.

Gong Xunwu ignored the meaning in his eyes, took a white jade cup, and handed it to Ye Yueshen’s lips: “Want to drink a little? It’s sweet.”

Ye Yueshen was a little thirsty. He took it and drank a sip. After the sweetness, there was a lingering spiciness in his throat. He frowned and asked, “Is it wine?”

“Can’t you drink?” Gong Xunwu asked him.

“It’s not that.” Ye Yueshen didn’t say anything more. Now, the only thing that could keep him from focusing on Gong Xunwu was the storyteller not far away.

Gong Xunwu cunningly put the wine cup in his hand. Ye Yueshen absentmindedly listened to those colorful romance stories, sipping a mouthful from time to time, and unknowingly drank it all.

The following memories were like floating in the fairy air of heaven. His sluggish awareness made him feel that what Gong Xunwu did to him was not a big deal.

He lay on the soft bedding, drowsily squinting, letting himself be tossed around, the storyteller having left at some point, but the obscene words he had spoken still lingered in his ears.

Ye Yueshen seemed to be in the story, a vague feeling that there was a hunter galloping.

When he woke up, it was already dusk. He just moved slightly, trying to turn over, and immediately gasped, afraid to move again. The memories before falling asleep almost burst his brain.

Ye Yueshen winced in pain, moving to turn over. Gong Xunwu had been hugging him from behind, now clearly face to face with him.

Whether it was because he was drunk, or Gong Xunwu was too energetic, he felt very tired after waking up. The sleep had not relieved much of his fatigue. The night had not fully arrived, and the candlelight on the bedside lamp had already connected in advance.

Ye Yueshen suspected that he was awakened by the light. He wanted to blow out the lamp, but as soon as he sat up, the pain almost made him cry out.

He sat on the bed for a while, hesitated, and covered his abdomen with his palm, tentatively rubbing it little by little, imagining that he was rubbing his messy internal organs back into place.

The person sleeping next to him opened his eyelids slightly, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, but he soon couldn’t smile.

Because Ye Yueshen raised his hand and wiped his eyes and chin, he didn’t need to see clearly to know that he was wiping away tears.

Gong Xunwu opened his eyes, staring blankly at the wronged-looking back.

In the silence of the night, there were occasional chirps of insects. After a moment of silence, Ye Yueshen climbed up, stepped over Gong Xunwu, reached out and lifted the glass lamp cover, blew it out, and put it back on.

The warm candlelight was gone, and Ye Yueshen couldn’t see clearly where exactly Gong Xunwu was on the bed, so he didn’t go back inside and lay down on the edge of the bed.

Gong Xunwu turned over and wanted to hug him. Ye Yueshen didn’t know he was awake and thought he was turning over in his sleep. Looking at his blurry facial contours through the moonlight, the more he looked, the more annoyed he became. He couldn’t help but slap Gong Xunwu, then closed his eyes contentedly and continued to sleep.

Gong Xunwu hadn’t even hugged him yet when he was stunned by the slap. In his twenty-seven years, he had never been slapped in the face by anyone. He was so shocked that he didn’t know how to react for a moment.

When he came back to his senses, he guessed that Ye Yueshen thought he was asleep and was taking advantage of him being asleep to slap him and vent his anger. Gong Xunwu wasn’t angry, but felt that an ordinary person should wake up when slapped, but he had already missed the best time to react.

Ye Yueshen was already asleep, breathing evenly. Gong Xunwu stared blankly in the dimness for a while, and finally laughed in anger. He stretched out his long arm and hugged him tightly, pulling him back into the quilt, and kissed him on his soft, tear-stained cheek.