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[Chapter 32 - Intentions of the heart] It"s not only you who has deep affections
After getting Jin Tai to leave with much difficulty, Chu Yuan felt that even his brain was hurting.
Duan Bai Yue said: "Other people are simply coveting; they won"t be able to s.n.a.t.c.h me away anyhow.”
"Who would s.n.a.t.c.h you." Chu Yuan poured himself a cup of tea, thought for a while, and asked, "During your duel today, where did the moves that you used come from? We haven’t seemed to have seen it before."
"A pugilistic teacher in Xi Nan manor." Duan Bai Yue said, "I learned from him for a few days when I was little."
"Only for a few days?" Chu Yuan asked.
"It really was only for a few days. That teacher married a woman from the manor, and went to Nanyang." Duan Bai Yue said, "Before he left, he gave me a book on boxing, and after polishing it for so many years, some things can still be learned."
"No wonder it didn"t seem like your previous moves." Chu Yuan placed down the empty cup. "It"s almost night---"
"I will stay behind tonight." Duan Bai Yue interrupted him.
"Give an inch, and take a foot." Chu Yuan turned and walked towards the inner chambers, but his eyes belied a little smile. "We don’t allow this."
If he doesn"t allow it then he doesn"t allow, but no matter what, he must stay behind anyway.
Xi Nan King was very insistent.
After carrying the reputation of scheming to seize the throne for so many years, he should at least go against the intentions of the emperor sometimes.
Seeing the two of them return together, eunuch Si Xi smiled, hands in his sleeves. He even brought two sets of salts for rinsing the mouth.
Hearing him bathe behind the screen, Duan Bai Yue cupped his face in his palms, waiting by the table.
Initially, Chu Yuan was still thinking if this person would come in suddenly; but after seeing his look when he had finished bathing, he felt that playing this game was quite fun, and didn"t hold in his laughter.
Duan Bai Yue was confused: "Huh?"
Chu Yuan went around him without a glance, getting into bed himself.
A moment later, Duan Bai Yue also laid by his side, bringing along with him the damp air of just having bathed.
There was only one lamp left alight in the room. It was very dark, with just enough light to see the face of the person beside them clearly.
Duan Bai Yue said: "If you don"t want to sleep, let me do a magic trick for you?"
"I’m not watching." Chu Yuan rejected without even considering.
Duan Bai Yue let the bed curtain down.
"Hey!" Chu Yuan frowned, and turned and looked at him.
"What are you afraid of." Duan Bai Yue laughed, "Even if it"s a puppet show, it also needs a curtain to cover it."
Chu Yuan sat up, distanced himself from him, and warned: "If you dare to mess around, then we will send you to the castration room!"
Duan Bai Yue: "......."
"What trick is it?" Chu Yuan asked.
Duan Bai Yue placed his hand in front of his face: "En."
Chu Yuan hugged his knees: "En."
"See for yourself." Duan Bai Yue laughed softly.
"No." Chu Yuan tightened his arms even further.
Duan Bai Yue opened his palm. In it lay a small wood carving.
Chu Yuan curled his lips: "With all that suspense just now, I thought a real person would appear."
"I"m not foolish, what’s the point of making a real person appear now." Duan Bai Yue placed the wood carving in his palm. "Try smelling it."
"Medicinal smell?" Chu Yuan said.
"I took away Fen Xing last time, so here"s your compensation." Duan Bai Yue said.
"Then it"s my loss." Chu Yuan said, "Fen Xing is obviously more expensive."
"This is Xiang Tuo wood, it"s only found in the south. It can calm one"s mind when placed by the pillow." Duan Bai Yue said, "Master Ye is certainly a expert physician, but no matter what, it"s not good to eat too much medicine. No harm in trying this."
"You carved it yourself?" Chu Yuan asked.
Duan Bai Yue laughed: "You can tell?"
"When it"s this ugly, it"s hard not to." Chu Yuan smirked, holding the wood carving in his palm. "Many thanks."
"Just a "thanks"?" Duan Bai Yue asked.
"If you think one word isn"t enough, then we will get the theatrical troupe to come into the palace to perform a show for you." Chu Yuan laid back again on the bed, his entire person shrinking into the blanket. "Alright, no more talking."
Duan Bai Yue raised an eyebrow, but obediently didn"t say anything more. After a long while, he hugged him through the blanket.
The colours of the night were like still waters, a surface of tenderness.
On the morning of the second day, Chu Yuan went to morning court, while Duan Bai Yue returned to the inn.
Nan Mo Ye and Duan Yao were eating breakfast, and upon seeing him enter the room, the two people stuffed the buns into their mouths, forcing it down in two mouthfuls. Their manner was quite like teacher and disciple.
Duan Bai Yue felt like laughing: "Afraid that someone will s.n.a.t.c.h your food?"
Nan Mo Ye asked: "How was it?"
Duan Bai Yue was very composed: "Very good."
Duan Yao, teary eyed: "When is the wedding?"
Duan Bai Yue said: "Don"t know."
Duan Yao instantly deflated.
Nan Mo Ye reprimanded: "Then how is it even good."
Duan Bai Yue sat by the table: "As long as I think it"s good, then it"s good."
He had stayed in the palace for two nights, so he thought that there must be some progress, and yet he didn"t expect that it was still status quo. Nan Mo Ye waved his hand, getting Duan Yao to go out and tell the waiter not to prepare red eggs anymore, since there wasn"t any happy occasion.
Duan Bai Yue: "........."
"That Gao Li princess has even arrived, and yet you didn"t take the opportunity?" Nan Mo Ye felt resentful that he fell short of his expectations.
Duan Bai Yue was puzzled: "What does this have to do with Gao Li princess?"
"Of course it has to do with Gao Li princess." Nan Mo Ye argued with conviction, "Since he"s biological brothers with Ye Jin, this teacher also knows a semblance of how Emperor Chu"s temperament and disposition is like; usually it"s nothing much, but once he becomes jealous, maybe he would send Xi Nan manor betrothal gifts on his own accord." And you were clearly in the palace, yet there"s no progress whatsoever; you have truly disappointed your ancestors.
Duan Bai Yue said calmly: "Teacher"s bedroom is over in the next room." If there"s nothing, then quickly leave.
"Come, come come." Nan Mo Ye took out a stack of books(1) from the cabinet. "It’s not a big deal if you don’t know, just learn about it more, and you will be familiar by the second time. Just keep it properly hidden and don"t let Yao-er see them, he is still too young."
The veins on Duan Bai Yue"s forehead twitched, and he directly kicked him out.
Nan Mo Ye crouched by the door, sighing and sighing again. He was totally disgracing, disgracing, disgracing his teacher.
Duan Bai Yue rested in his room for a while before going to Tai Ci Street. He saw that the stage was once again set up, and that Sai Pan An was sitting there as usual, eyes closed, dozing. Seems like those gu chong that had gotten a fright had already recovered.
Commotion came from up front. It was Gao Li Princess, Jin Shu, bringing people around the capital to shop. Duan Bai Yue disguised himself every time he went out, so he wasn"t worried that he would be recognised. It was just that he got a headache upon seeing her, so he naturally wanted to turn around and walk back the way he came.
"Stop there!" Jin Shu was behind him.
Duan Bai Yue flinched inwardly, thinking that he really met with a ghost. Why was it that no matter what face he had, he would still be stopped by her?
A group of troops came forward and blocked the path of Duan Bai Yue. The one in front was an insignificant chief within the imperial army named Gao Yang. He cupped his fists and said remorsefully: "This young master, please stay. The princess has something to say."
Duan Bai Yue was left with no choice.
Jin Shu quickly walked a few steps over, but was disappointed after seeing him clearly. The back view that she saw was familiar, and she had thought he was Xi Nan King.
"Princess?" Seeing that she didn"t speak for a long time, Gao Yang spoke up and reminded her.
Duan Bai Yue"s eyes also showed suspicion.
"What is your name?" Jin Shu returned to her senses.
Duan Bai Yue gestured, indicating that he is a mute.
Jin Shu suddenly reached out towards his face.
Duan Bai Yue stood still and didn"t move at all, but a small stone flew in front of him and hit away the other party"s hand.
Jin Shu cried out in pain, raising her head and angrily looked towards the roadside tea shop, but of course there was no one there.
Duan Bai Yue sharply turned and left.
"You, stop right there!" Jin Shu still wanted to chase after him, but was stopped by Gao Yang. The capital had always been peaceful, harmonious, traditional and tidy. Even if it was a princess from a neighboring country, if she wanted to hara.s.s the citizens for no reason, she wouldn’t be allowed to do so.
Duan Bai Yue quickly walked into an alley, saying: "Thanks, teacher."
Nan Mo Ye, straddling the wall and eating broad beans, reminded him: "Seems like that little girl still hasn"t given up on you. If you don"t like her, then quickly get her to leave."
"How can I get her to leave?" Duan Bai Yue asked.
Nan Mo Ye jumped onto the ground: "Can"t you get the person you fancy to bestow a marriage upon her?"
Duan Bai Yue shook his head: "It"s difficult to excessively force someone."
"How many couples are there in this world that are mutually willing and have the best of both worlds?" Nan Mo Ye said, "It"s not worth it to spend the majority of one"s years in vain on someone undeserving."
Duan Bai Yue lost his patience: "What does teacher want to say?"
Nan Mo Ye said: "Never mind young age, but in the future when you are old, I fear you won"t even be able to climb over the palace walls. What will you do then?"
Duan Bai Yue said: "When that day comes, there will be other people in charge of this country by then. I will simply leave and bring him away."
"So you have also thought about the future." Nan Mo Ye sighed. "With such an outcome, might as well not think about it at all."
Duan Bai Yue smiled and said: "How else can I live up to the name of "G.o.dly lover" that teacher gave me?"
"Whatever. This teacher will help you once again." Nan Mo Ye said.
Duan Bai Yue asked: "With what?"
Nan Mo Ye aid: "Do you know why, not too long ago, the court sent someone to Fei Mian?"
Duan Bai Yue leaned against a tree absent-mindedly: "Because the ruler of Fei Mian is tall and handsome." He had already said this once before; he didn"t think that he would be able to repeat this again.
Instead, Nan Mo Ye replied: "Because, reportedly in Fei Mian, there"s Heavenly Cinnabar."
Duan Bai Yue"s looked up quickly.
Nan Mo Ye said: "Do you also know why Emperor Chu wants to find Mu Chi Lao Ren to look into the Ba Huang Spell?"
Duan Bai Yue frowned.
Nan Mo Ye continued: "Expose the truth of the universe, and enter faraway desolate lands; the creator of this spell is the ancestor of the ruler of Fei Mian."
Duan Bai Yue could only feel like he was listening to a story.
"Emperor Chu also appears to have deep affection towards you. Seems like he has already decided that if Fei Mian doesn"t agree, he will lead the troops down south." Nan Mo Ye patted his shoulder. "This certainly doesn"t seem like his style. If there really comes such a day where he won"t spare a thought for his soldiers and invades a country just for you, I"m afraid it"ll be hard not to live in infamy, even if you don"t want to."
Duan Bai Yue shook his head, turning around, wanting to go to the palace immediately.
"What use is there if you go?" Nan Mo Ye said behind him. "If you don"t want him to do foolish things, why not make a clean break now, and let him forget about you completely. It"s tidy that way too."
Duan Bai Yue abruptly halted.
"Afraid that he, a ruler of a country, won"t be able to live without you?" Nan Mo Ye shook his head, turning around and left the alley, not saying anything else.
That day, with the sky already dark, only then did Duan Bai Yue enter the palace.
Eunuch Si Xi saw him and said in a low voice: "Why did Xi Nan King only arrive just now? The emperor hasn"t even had his dinner, and has been waiting all along."
Duan Bai Yue smiled, then entered the room.
Chu Yuan was reading a book by the table, with two cups in front of him. One of the cups had already thoroughly cooled. After hearing someone enter, he didn"t raise his head, and only asked: "Where did you go again?"
Duan Bai Yue looked at him, not knowing whether in his heart was pain or bittersweetness.
"Yes?" Seeing that he didn"t speak, Chu Yuan raised his head. Under the candlelight, his eyes were extremely beautiful, like the stars above had fallen and were held in his eyes.
Duan Bai Yue still stood there, unmoving.
"Hey, have you been possessed?" Chu Yuan went forward, waving his hand in front of his face.
Duan Bai Yue wound his arms around his waist instead, trapping him firmly in his embrace.
With arms that wrapped around tightly, it was as if he wouldn’t ever let go in this lifetime.
(1) A stack of books: 一摞话本 - lit. a stack of picture books. The picture books are p.o.r.n books, basically...