SEHE Chapter 26

Playing Games

Pei Yanci somehow felt like he had the wrong impression of being caught in adultery.

“I get stomach aches because I see you.” He pulled his hand free from the other’s restraint irritably and walked into the room.

Tang Xizhui followed him into the room and turned around, his fingers unconsciously twisting at the air.

Tonight he wore a dark green wide-sleeved robe with black trim. A weathered bronze snarling lion mask covered the right half of his face, ancient and menacing, forming a stark contrast with the pale delicacy of his left cheek and red lips, yet creating a strange, absurd harmony.

His left ear bore a golden filigree earring inlaid with green jade in the shape of fruit and leaves, swaying gently as he approached.

“Haven’t seen you for a few days, and your temper has grown quite a bit,” Tang Xizhui’s long, narrow eyes narrowed slightly.

“Who could tolerate being constantly watched?” Pei Yanci lit two oil lamps. The dim light still couldn’t penetrate most of the shadows in the room. “Wuli will be back soon. You should leave quickly. If someone sees you breaking into the Crown Prince’s mansion at night, His Majesty won’t need to be wary of the Crown Prince, but of you instead.”

“Are you worried about this lord, or worried about the Crown Prince’s life?”

What kind of talk was this? Of course he was worried about himself—who cared about them?

Pei Yanci blew out the fire stick and turned to speak, but a black shadow stepped across, a pale hand pressed against his side, trapping him between the tall figure and the square table.

A strong fragrance flooded his nostrils, forcefully occupying his throat and lungs. The sweet and spicy scent ignited the secret, unspeakable restlessness deep within his body.

It was getting a bit hot.

Pei Yanci couldn’t help but slow his breathing, leaning back slightly, looking up at the person.

Tang Xizhui’s eyes were dark and gloomy, sinister like moss-covered tombstones standing before a mass grave under moonlight.

“When you learned that Gu Jiuqing had left the palace, you immediately moved back to the Crown Prince’s mansion without a second thought, serving him like an ox or horse. How come I’ve never seen you so docile and obedient toward this lord?”

“Didn’t Nine-Thousand-Years refuse to let me stay temporarily at your mansion?” Pei Yanci smiled slightly at the corner of his mouth, his eyes cold and sharp.

He remembered clearly that when he first sought refuge with this person, the man’s attitude was ambiguous, and he directly sent him and Wuli back to the Crown Prince’s mansion.

He placed one hand on Tang Xizhui’s shoulder, his index finger leisurely drawing circles. “Nine-Thousand-Years, tell me, the Crown Prince’s mansion was finally unsealed—if I didn’t hurry to move in, where else could I go?”

“Then this lord can’t be blamed for having you followed.”

“We each get what we need. Beyond that, it’s best if we mind our own business.” Pei Yanci pressed his eyebrows down, his presence formidable and inviolable. His fingertip caressed the other’s neck, and beneath the pale, lustrous skin, he could easily catch the rapid pulsing of rushing blood.

That was his lifeline.

“I hope this is the last time you have me followed,” he said with a veiled warning.

“Or else?”

“What ‘or else’? What ability do I have to make Nine-Thousand-Years yield?” Pei Yanci joked carelessly, but his fingers didn’t leave the other’s skin and pulse.

The scene from the inn last time gradually overlapped with the person before him.

Tang Xizhui couldn’t help but raise his hand to brush the stray hair from Pei Yanci’s forehead behind his ear.

Pei Yanci turned his face away expressionlessly, avoiding his hand.

He disliked his touch?

Tang Xizhui’s lips curved into a cruel, cold smile.

“You won’t try—how do you know this lord isn’t willing to yield?”

Pei Yanci looked up in astonishment, not knowing if it was because he suddenly saw the menacing, fierce half-face mask so close to his nose, or because he caught sight of the deep, mysterious black pupils both inside and outside the mask. His heart suddenly skipped a beat.

“Nine-Thousand-Years jests. Who would dare make you yield and humble yourself?”

Soft laughter came from above, the exhaled breath all falling on Pei Yanci’s collar. The fragrant breeze slipped into the gaps of his clothing, making him feel hot and itchy.

Pei Yanci increasingly felt his legs growing weak.

He pushed toward Tang Xizhui in front of him. “I’m just a lowly servant—getting too close might contaminate Nine-Thousand-Years.”

As soon as he touched the chest, his wrist was grabbed.

“Now you know to call yourself ‘lowly servant’?” Tang Xizhui laughed.

Pei Yanci tried hard to pull away, but that hand didn’t move an inch.

Both being men, he once again felt the disparity in strength between them.

“Let go!” His voice carried low dragon authority.

In his previous life, who would have dared show him such disrespect!

Pei Yanci placed his other hand on the arm hanging down, wanting to push him away again, but all his strength slowly crumbled under Tang Xizhui’s gaze, instead appearing to resist yet welcome.

That was a look of determination to possess.

Tang Xizhui wanted him.

Not to become his subordinate, but to be intimate with him.

Clear and unmistakable, passionate enough to almost ignite his entire being.

When Pei Yanci realized this, his heart first startled, then he couldn’t help but laugh.

Tang Xizhui was lost in thought for a moment and asked, “What are you laughing at?”

When Pei Yanci was truly pleased, that smile was very bright and clean. His crescent-moon eyes danced with fine, gentle light, and even his exhaled breath seemed like ethereal song.

It made one want to embrace him, rub him into one’s bones, and keep him privately forever.

Unfortunately, this smile was too brief, and the handsome face soon put on perfect pretense again.

“Nine-Thousand-Years wants me to share meals with you?” Pei Yanci’s face showed some surprise and embarrassment, like a youth just awakening to love.

All his emotions, expressions, even seemingly insignificant small movements, were carefully designed.

Tang Xizhui hadn’t expected him to speak so directly and frankly.

He couldn’t help but frown. “Don’t you have any sense of shame?”

This reaction wasn’t what he had expected.

“To be favored by Nine-Thousand-Years and serve Nine-Thousand-Years is a blessing I’ve cultivated over several lifetimes.” Pei Yanci said, his unrestrained hand once again climbing up the other’s arm, teasingly pinching it.

This pinch didn’t matter much, but the usually slender-looking body had arm muscles so firm he couldn’t even squeeze them.

His eyes brightened, and he couldn’t resist pinching a few more times.

Tang Xizhui released his hand and stepped back a step in disgust.

Despite his lowly birth and incomplete body, he most despised those filthy people who willingly debased themselves.

“You at least understand your position clearly,” he sneered. “If you’re willing to share meals with this lord, this lord will certainly not shortchange you.”

Human nature couldn’t withstand temptation.

He had understood this truth since entering the palace.

With just a slight hint of his intentions, this person had eagerly thrown himself forward.

Ordinary people were like this, and those who wanted to gain power were even more so.

Everyone in the imperial palace, everyone in the court—Pei Yanci was the same as those people. As long as there was profit to be gained, they didn’t mind sacrificing their bodies, even enduring the disgust to serve someone like him with his incomplete form.

Tang Xizhui’s interest in him immediately diminished considerably.

“Is Nine-Thousand-Years speaking the truth?” Pei Yanci’s eyes rolled, his index finger hooking the other’s waist sash. The corners of his eyes were tinged with rouge red from his earlier excitement, and his glances were charming, making him even more captivating.

“If I accompany you for one night, what benefits can I get?”

He most detested this kind of calculating gaze—dirty and vulgar.

He had clearly seen from the beginning that this person’s eyes held only ambition and lust for power. How could there be anything like self-respect and self-love?

“What do you want?” Tang Xizhui sneered. “After tonight, this lord will withdraw the surveillance on you.”

It won’t be needed anymore.

“Just that?”

“What else do you want?”

“Since I’m following Nine-Thousand-Years, if I’m still just a lowly servant, wouldn’t that be slapping Nine-Thousand-Years in the face?”

“Your appetite is quite large,” Tang Xizhui scoffed.

“It depends on how long Nine-Thousand-Years wants me to serve at your side,” Pei Yanci said. “However, removing the status of official slave can probably only be done by His Majesty’s decree. Even though Nine-Thousand-Years is above ten thousand people, you don’t have this authority. Thinking about it, forget it—I won’t trouble Nine-Thousand-Years.”

Tang Xizhui was noncommittal about his provocation and said, “This lord will send two more people to the Crown Prince’s mansion to personally protect you. If you need to find this lord in the future, tell them.”

This was his real purpose for coming tonight.

Of course, having others convey this message would have worked too.

“Thank you, Nine-Thousand-Years.” In name it was protection, but who didn’t know it was still disguised surveillance?

Wait, “You’re not expecting me to arrange for these people to be placed in the mansion, are you?”

“What do you think?”

“……”

“The Crown Prince is planning to sell most of the servants in the mansion.” Servants were also the master’s property and could be sold and disposed of at will. “At least ninety percent must go. The Crown Prince couldn’t possibly buy two new people.”

“That depends on your ability,” Tang Xizhui didn’t care about these details. “This lord doesn’t keep idle people.”

“I forgot to ask—who among the people in the Crown Prince’s mansion are yours? I’ll find a way to keep them.”

“You don’t need to worry about this. You just need to place the people.”

So none of the current people were his.

In a Crown Prince’s mansion with hundreds of servants, even the skilled undercover agents of the Elu Bureau couldn’t infiltrate—one really couldn’t underestimate Gu Jiuqing.

Wuli’s voice sounded outside the door, approaching from far to near.

“Looks like I can’t continue accompanying Dugong Daren,” Pei Yanci’s hand released his belt, signaling him to leave. “Dugong, take your time leaving.”

Tang Xizhui was stunned. “Didn’t you say you would accompany this lord tonight?”

Even if it was vulgar, he had reluctantly been thinking about it for after tonight.

“Someone’s coming.” Pei Yanci perfunctorily helped Tang Xizhui straighten the clothing he had messed up. “Even if I wanted to accompany Nine-Thousand-Years, there’s no way now. I’ll help Nine-Thousand-Years place two spies in the mansion later, and Nine-Thousand-Years shouldn’t have me surveilled anymore.”

“Fine, let it be so for today,” Tang Xizhui looked at his deliberately pleasing appearance with little interest. “If you have matters to find this lord in the future, have the people placed in the mansion convey the message.”

His interest in Pei Yanci had greatly decreased, and he didn’t want to actively seek him out anymore.

“Can’t we talk when we’re together?” Pei Yanci said. “Are you saying I won’t be able to see Nine-Thousand-Years anymore?”

Tang Xizhui’s expression paused, his eyes looking at him suspiciously.

Pei Yanci looked like a resentful woman, full of grievance. As he continued grieving, under the other’s gaze, he suddenly laughed out loud with a “pfft” sound.

His smile was fragrant and charming.

“What’s wrong? You’re making me quite embarrassed,” he said, unable to continue the act.

“You’re playing with this lord!” Tang Xizhui ground his teeth. “And you feel embarrassed?”

“Didn’t you want me to be as docile and obedient to you as I am to the Crown Prince?”

“Are you like this with Gu Jiuqing too?” Tang Xizhui’s gaze turned cold and fierce.

“What do you think?” Pei Yanci said.

With a pull of his hand, he grabbed the other’s wide sleeve, stood on his tiptoes, his breath brushing past the other’s lips, and planted a kiss on the cold bronze mask at the corner of his mouth.

Tang Xizhui’s breathing slightly condensed as he looked down at him.

A heart that had just cooled was pulled up again, his gaze unconsciously following the other’s face.

“What you most detest, others might very likely use to escape from you,” Pei Yanci smiled cunningly.

So, don’t easily expose weaknesses.

And always be wary of a restless heart.