The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

From the side of Shen Yu's neck came the sensation of being nibbled. After the last experience, Shang JunLin didn't dare to use too much force. With the tip of his teeth he nipped a small piece of skin, grinding it lightly.contemporary romance

The feeling, without a doubt, was more unbearable than actual pain.

The man had tightened his arms around Shen Yu in advance. Unable to move, he could only let the man do what he wanted.

"Didn't Your Majesty agree to it?" Shen Yu asked in an unsteady voice.

Before Shen Yu met Gu Huai alone, he mentioned to Shang JunLin that it might happen. However, he thought it was more likely that Gu Huai would talk to Shang JunLin directly. After all, the Gu Huai he remembered had always been a ruthless and decisive person. To achieve his goals, he put everything else aside.

It was also possible that, because Imperial Physician Gu was still in his life, the crazy wolf had willingly chained himself.

"What's the noble monarch thinking about?" Aware of Shen Yu's distraction, Shang JunLin increased his force as if to punish him.

In an instant, Shen Yu had no time for anyone else.

"I think Your Majesty just finds random reasons to bite me," Shen Yu grumbled.

"How can the noble monarch think like that? If the noble monarch was willing to take the initiative, this emperor wouldn't have to come to you myself."

The moist feeling wandered along the side of Shen Yu's neck, roaming all the way up, past the exquisite jawline and delicate chin, finally falling on the corner of his lips.

Shang JunLin stared at the soft lips that were so close, and his eyes were as dark as an abyss. He'd kissed those lips when the young man was unconscious. Despite the bitterness of the medicine, he couldn't forget how it felt the moment he touched them.

So soft.

With the warmth of the young man's body, just touching him could arouse an indescribable trembling feeling.

At the time, he was in a hurry to feed medicine to the young man, and he forced himself to ignore everything else. It was only when he recalled it later that the feelings he'd pushed aside emerged from the depths of his memory.

Deeply rooted in his mind.

Sensing the man's breath getting closer and closer to his lips, Shen Yu tilted his head, and the kiss that would have fallen on his lips landed on the corner of his mouth.

The strength of the man's movements decreased a little after this withdrawal. Shen Yu stubbornly looked away and refused to let Shang JunLin's lips meet his.

"Why doesn't Ah Yu want to?" Shang JunLin didn't force it. He continued to nibble and peck at Shen Yu's face, leaving a tingling sensation.

Shen Yu himself couldn't have said the reason. At the same time, he couldn't help feeling a surge of grievance. "You let go of me."

Shang JunLin compromised.

He kissed Shen Yu on the forehead soothingly and let him go.

Shen Yu slipped down from Shang JunLin's lap and sat to the side with a somewhat dazed expression.

"Why do you feel so wronged?" Shang JunLin got up and squatted in front of Shen Yu. "Ah Yu, you and I are husbands. It's normal for us to do intimate things like this. I know you may not be used to it for the time being. I'll wait for you to adapt."

Giving him leeway, but firm enough not to be refused.

Shen Yu touched his own face in confusion. "Am I that obvious?"

"Ah Yu looked unhappy enough to slap this emperor's face." Shang JunLin held Shen Yu's hand and gently squeezed it. "You and I are husbands, and it's OK for us to do all kinds of intimate things."

Shen Yu didn't understand what he felt. He didn't resist being intimate with Shang JunLin. He even liked it somewhat. But he didn't want to break through the last line. It was like something in the darkness was there, warning him—once you break past this point, something will happen that you don't want to see.

"I know," Shen Yu whispered after a moment of silence. "I will…"

Shang JunLin covered Shen Yu's mouth with his hand, interrupting him before he could speak further. "It's this emperor's fault for making Ah Yu feel uneasy. Ah Yu doesn't have to force yourself to cater to me."

What Shang JunLin wanted was a willing Shen Yu. He could sense that Shen Yu had a knot in his heart. Although he didn't know what the knot was from, he'd find a way to untie it.

"Your Majesty, hold me." It wasn't in Shen Yu's nature to be sad, and he pushed away those confusing thoughts, telling himself: Just let nature take its course. Whatever happened, he had faith in his ability to deal with it.

Shang JunLin got up, leaned over and took Shen Yu firmly into his arms.

The man's cold fragrance gradually filled the space around him. Surrounded by that familiar scent, Shen Yu's heart calmed down little by little.

Shen Yu wrapped his arms around the man's waist and buried his face in the man's shoulder, rubbing against him. "When we return to the palace, I'll make tea for Your Majesty. What does Your Majesty like to drink?"

"This emperor will like anything made by Ah Yu."

The events on Cangqi Mountain caused a lot of commotion. Despite the secrecy that was enforced, some of the ministers heard about the assassination attempt on His Majesty and the noble monarch. At the same time, they learned that Shang JunLin had taken Shen Yu out of the palace.

Admonitions flew in like snowflakes. Explicitly or implicitly, they all told Shang JunLin that he should stay in the imperial palace and not fool around.

It was lucky that nothing happened this time, but who could guarantee nothing would happen next time, or the next? What if?

Shen Yu randomly turned over several memorials that were piled on the low table. Every one of them said the same thing, persuading Shang JunLin to return to the palace.

Shen Yu felt a little speechless. "That's all they're writing about?"

"There are also some serious ones." Shang JunLin pointed to a small pile of memorials in front of him.

Shen Yu put down the memorials in his hand and sat down next to Shang JunLin. "Your Majesty should leave the unimportant ones to your ministers. It's a waste of time for Your Majesty to look at them personally."

"What the noble monarch said is reasonable. Why don't you help this emperor sort through them?"

"And by the way, give the unimportant ones to Your Majesty to dispose of?" Shen Yu nudged Shang JunLin.

"The noble monarch truly shares this emperor's mind." After saying this, Shang JunLin pushed some of the memorials over to Shen Yu.

Shen Yu saw Minister Fang's name on one, took it out of its envelope and set it in front of Shang JunLin. "Has the King of Yue's case been resolved?"

Shang JunLin opened the memorial and saw that it contained some of the information found by Minister Fang. The details would be presented in the form of a case file after everything was reviewed.

"We'll have to wait a little longer." Shang JunLin wanted to use this opportunity to test what forces the previous emperor had left the King of Yue.

In the dark prison:

The King of Yue thought he'd be released quickly, but after a few days went by, he couldn't help but start to panic.

No one came to interrogate him. Aside from the prison guards who delivered meals twice a day, he hardly saw anyone else. It was like Shang JunLin had forgotten him.

Waiting is always torturous, and there was no one else to talk to. The King of Yue found it harder and harder to endure.

He couldn't help thinking: Why didn't Shang JunLin interrogate him? Where were his people? Why was there no movement at all? What was going on outside right now? Shang JunLin had actually dared to move against him. Was he really going to ignore the late emperor? …

The King of Yue's strongest assets were the things the previous emperor left him. It was also because of these things that he had so much determination. Clearly, he was the emperor's favorite prince. If not, why would the emperor give him all those things?

Human ambition is easily fostered, not to mention the ambition of a prince who was indoctrinated from birth to compete for power.

As each day passed, the King of Yue became more and more anxious. Finally, when a jailer came to deliver food, he couldn't help calling out, "I want to see His Majesty!"

The jailer knew this man's identity, but he'd also been told to keep the man locked up and do nothing else. He didn't know what his superiors had in mind. The jailer didn't dare to hide anything, so he reported what happened to his boss.

In the twinkling of an eye, Shang JunLin received the news from the dark prison.

"Is Your Majesty going to see him?" Shen Yu sat by the window. He held his sleeve in one hand and a teapot in the other and slowly poured out the steaming tea.

A beauty sat before a window, preparing tea with freely flowing movements. No matter how you looked at it, it was a feast for the eyes.

By this time they'd already returned to the palace. With so many ministers insisting that His Majesty come back, and the improvement in Shen Yu's health, it was more convenient to return than stay outside. After discussing it, the two decided to end their outing ahead of schedule.

After they returned to the palace, the ministers calmed down. Finally, Shen Yu didn't have to sort through a pile of memorials to find all the ones advising the emperor to go back. He felt relieved.

Shang JunLin walked over to Shen Yu and sat down opposite, admiring the young man's movements. "There's no need to see him."

He'd rather stay in Yuzhang Palace with Shen Yu than meet the King of Yue. It felt good to be here even if he was doing nothing.

Shen Yu soon finished and placed the brewed tea in front of Shang JunLin. "Will Your Majesty have a taste?"

Shang JunLin took a small sip. The delicate aroma lingered in his mouth for a long time. "Ah Yu is a good craftsman," he praised.

"I happened to learn in my spare time. As long as Your Majesty likes it." Shen Yu also poured himself a cup. He learned how to make tea in his previous life when he went to the King of Yue's fiefdom. It was part of a plan to help the King of Yue win over a learned but reclusive scholar. Later, it became a hobby.

Because of his health, there were many things Shen Yu couldn't do. When he made tea, his mind calmed down and he stopped thinking about all those schemes and conflicts. Over time, it became a habit.

"I wonder if Young Master Jiang and Young Master Hè guessed our identity," Shen Yu said over his teacup. "I hope they both succeed in the exam."

Shen Yu wasn't sure about Hè ChengYu because he never encountered him in his previous life, but he knew that as long as Jiang HuaiQing wasn't implicated in anything, he'd rise up quickly.

"Is Ah Yu optimistic about those two?" Shang JunLin rubbed the cup in his hand. "Ah Yu really has good eyes. Hè ChengYu is the most outstanding person in the younger generation of the Hè family of Jiangnan. His family hasn't served since the reign of the previous emperor. This emperor doesn't know why they're willing to allow their best junior to become an official."

"Maybe they think Your Majesty is someone they can be loyal to. Why should Your Majesty wonder about it? If Hè ChengYu is as good as the rumors say, isn't serving his country the best way for him to display his strength?"

Otherwise why would there be the saying, "Learn civil and military arts, and contribute to the imperial family".

"Ah Yu is really…" Shang JunLin shook his head. "This emperor sees that Ah Yu has been paying close attention to Jiang HuaiQing. Is he really that outstanding?"

"How should I put it? Why don't I make a bet with Your Majesty? If the top scorer is Jiang HuaiQing, will Your Majesty grant me a request?"

"If Ah Yu loses, will you take the initiative to give this emperor a kiss?" Shang JunLin pointed to his lips. "A kiss here."

Shen Yu thought about it and agreed.

Meng Gonggong walked in with his head bowed. "What Your Majesty ordered has been done."

Shang JunLin put down the tea cup and got up. "Ah Yu, come with this emperor. I'll show you something."

"Show me what?"

Shang JunLin walked over to Shen Yu and helped him up. They went out side by side.

Meng Gonggong followed behind them, eyes on his nose, nose on his chest, and thought to himself: His Majesty was truly paying more and more attention to the noble monarch. When they were together now, they didn't even observe much imperial etiquette.

As they passed through the walkway, they could see a century-old tree with strong branches. Beneath it was a quietly hanging swing.

"This emperor can't restore your original swing to you, so I asked them to make a new one according to your preferences. Do you like it?" Shang JunLin looked at the young man's profile, and his eyes were filled with tenderness.

TL Notes:

(It was never in Shen Yu's) nature to be sad – from 悲春伤秋 – sad spring sad autumn – Sadness caused by the changes of season and scenery, sentimental (Baidu)

freely flowing (movements) – 行云流水 – floating clouds and flowing water — freely flowing style of writing; like floating clouds and flowing water — natural and smooth

Learn civil and military arts, contribute to the imperial family – 学成文武艺，货与帝王家 – A saying that it's worthwhile to learn literary or martial arts, but the ultimate goal is to contribute (or "offer goods" 货与) to the emperor or the court (Baidu)

Transliterated names, places, and titles—new in this chapter:

Jiangnan – 江南 – south of Changjiang River or Yangtze River / south of the lower reaches of Changjiang / often refers to south Jiangsu, south Anhui and north Zhejiang provinces / a province during Qing times / in literature, refers to the sunny south

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