Wei Yun had been charging forward recklessly for quite some time. Although inexperienced and impetuous, he had stumbled upon a semblance of feeling. Chu Yu’s expression remained unchanged, while Wei Yun was thoroughly enjoying himself. After a while, Chu Yu felt her tongue becoming numb and finally pushed him away.
Wei Yun opened his hazy eyes and saw Chu Yu frowning. He became flustered, awkwardly retreating and adjusting his clothes. He cleared his throat lightly, and both remained silent for a moment. Finally, Wei Yun said, “I’ll take my leave then.”
Chu Yu feigned composure: “Go ahead.”
Wei Yun turned and walked out. Shortly after he left, his guard alerted him, “Master, someone is following us.”
Wei Yun’s expression remained unchanged as he turned into an alley. The person following him waited for a moment before entering. As soon as they reached a less crowded area, someone jumped down from the wall and swiftly slit their throat. Wei Yun emerged from around the corner and calmly said, “Search.”
The guard bent down and searched the clothes for a moment, producing a token. Wei Yun took it, examined it briefly, and said, “It’s Zhao Yue’s man.”
“My Lord, does His Majesty know you’ve entered the capital?”
Wei Yun smiled lightly: “Shouldn’t he have known since last night?”
“But His Majesty hasn’t made a move yet…”
“He’s still thinking.”
Wei Yun calmly said, “Whether to kill me or keep me alive, I’m afraid Zhao Yue is still pondering.”
“Does His Majesty truly have murderous intentions towards you, My Lord?”
The guard frowned, and Wei Yun replied calmly, “If he didn’t have such thoughts, why would he endure the pressure to arrange a marriage for Gu Chusheng? Isn’t it absurd to betroth the Lady of a Marquis’ household to a foreign Cabinet Scholar? The only benefit is that if I were to die, Gu Chusheng marrying the Lady would prevent any unrest in the Wei family army, given the Lady’s reputation among them.”
Wei Yun smiled, “He fears that if I don’t die and ally with Gu Chusheng, so he orchestrated this affair between Gu Chusheng and the Lady. Now that it hasn’t happened, he’s also offended Gu Chusheng, and I imagine he’s unsure of what to do. If Gu Chusheng is determined to join forces with me, killing me would be extremely risky for him. I think he’s now considering how to divide and alienate us.”
As he spoke, he looked up towards the Imperial Palace and said lightly, “What a pity.”
Inside the Imperial Palace, in the Imperial Study, Zhao Yue was indeed as Wei Yun had imagined. He fingered the imperial edict and asked again, “The guard who reported last night was intercepted by the Princess’s people outside?”
“Yes,” Zhang Hui replied, not elaborating further. On the topic of the Princess, Zhao Yue never tolerated others saying much.
Zhao Yue chuckled lightly, “I see.”
He lowered his gaze and calmly said, “Summon Grand Tutor Xie to the palace. Uncle Zhang, send people with my transfer order to urgently mobilize twenty thousand troops from Yan Prefecture. The first batch of five thousand elite troops should rush here as fast as possible, and the second batch of fifteen thousand should come as quickly as they can.”
Hearing this, Zhang Hui hesitated, “There are still three thousand troops in the capital. Does Your Majesty think…”
“These three thousand troops are a mixed bunch, and besides, do you think Wei Yun came alone?”
Zhao Yue looked up at Zhang Hui, “Calculate how many days it took him to get here. That’s enough time for him to bring a small force of elite cavalry. He once led five thousand elite troops to raid the Northern Di royal court, he’s skilled at using cavalry. If he truly came alone this time, that’s fine, but if not…”
Zhao Yue’s expression turned cold, “We must be prepared early.”
“Your Majesty, if he brought troops, what does he intend to do?” Zhang Hui was somewhat surprised, “Surely he doesn’t plan to rebel? Your Majesty’s prestige is at its peak now, if he acts like this, he won’t have the people’s support, will he?”
Hearing this, Zhao Yue’s expression remained calm, “Actually, I’ve always been puzzled why, after all these years, with Wei Yun’s temperament, he still can’t accept me as emperor. I am the legitimate heir to the imperial family, and I haven’t committed any major wrongs. He should know that he only wanted to avenge his father and brother against the Northern Di, and I’ve always supported him. But now I think I understand.”
A cold glint appeared in Zhao Yue’s eyes, “Su Cha’s people have been sending messages to me, and the Wei family has been pursuing them relentlessly. Why are they chasing? Do they know what’s in those messages? Tell me, back in Northern Di, did the Su brothers tell him something?”
Hearing this, Zhang Hui was stunned for a moment, and then his eyes suddenly filled with shock, “Your Majesty means that Wei Yun knows about what happened back then?!”
“It’s better to be safe than sorry. If he knows…” Zhao Yue sneered, “Then he’s been putting on quite an act. I should have killed him at all costs four years ago, but I didn’t think that with his temperament, he could endure until now.”
“What does Your Majesty plan to do now?” This time, Zhang Hui was truly anxious, “If Wei Yun knows, he won’t let it go. If he has indeed brought troops, I fear the capital might not be safe.”
“Don’t worry,” Zhao Yue’s voice was calm, “He wouldn’t dare to rebel outright. If he rebels without cause today, or tomorrow anyone in the world could denounce him as a traitor. He will force me to make a move, to persecute him, to make the world see me as a tyrant before he acts in the name of justice.”
“During this time, we just need to endure,” Zhao Yue raised his hand to support his chin, “I have committed no grave errors. I want to see if he’s willing to risk his entire Wei family being labeled as traitors in the future to exact this revenge.”
Listening to Zhao Yue’s words, Zhang Hui gradually calmed down. Zhao Yue looked outside and said, “Oh, and about the Princess.”
Zhang Hui looked up as Zhao Yue continued, “Since she won’t listen, lock her up. From now on, no one from her Qifeng Palace is allowed to see outsiders or leave the palace.”
Zhang Hui acknowledged and went out to carry out Zhao Yue’s orders.
After Zhang Hui left, Zhao Yue stood up and suddenly raised his sleeve, smashing the objects on the table to the ground.
Wei Yun arranged the subsequent matters and met with his contacts before returning home late at night. Upon his return, he first inquired about Chu Yu’s condition. Learning that Chu Yu had gone to bed, he hesitated for a moment but didn’t disturb her. He lay down on his bed, intending to sleep.
However, as soon as he closed his eyes, he couldn’t help but think of the morning’s events, remembering Chu Yu’s blushing nod. He lay on his side, unconsciously smiling.
Once the memories started, they couldn’t be stopped. He involuntarily recalled the morning’s kiss. At the time, he had been overwhelmed with emotion, but Chu Yu didn’t seem to have much of a reaction. Was Chu Yu too self-restrained, or was his… technique lacking?
The more he thought about these things, the deeper he delved, inexplicably returning to the intoxicating feeling of last night’s intimacy. Wei Yun felt a bit hot and tossed and turned in bed for a long time, unable to fall asleep. Finally, he got up and quietly snuck into Chu Yu’s room.
Chu Yu wasn’t asleep either. After such an eventful day, her mind was still unsettled, and she lay staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Soon, she heard the sound of the window being gently opened. She frowned, then saw Wei Yun jump in from outside the window and carefully close it.
Chu Yu didn’t know what to do for a moment, so she simply closed her eyes, pretending to be sound asleep, not saying anything.
With her eyes closed, she began to ponder: what was Wei Yun doing here?
However, as soon as this question arose, she probably understood. A young man who had just tasted the pleasures of love would naturally be thinking about it. Even someone as self-restrained as Gu Chusheng back then couldn’t avoid such things. Let alone Wei Yun, who didn’t seem… particularly self-restrained.
She felt a bit nervous, not knowing whether to refuse or not. Refusing seemed a bit prudish, but not refusing gave her the feeling of being forced, which was unpleasant.
The person walked to her window, lifted the curtain, and sat down quietly. Chu Yu adjusted her breathing, pretending to be in deep sleep, waiting for his next move.
However, Wei Yun just sat there silently, not moving. After a long while, Chu Yu hadn’t felt his next action and was starting to feel drowsy. It was then that Wei Yun finally moved. He didn’t touch her but lay down beside her and said softly, “A’Yu, can I sleep with you?”
Chu Yu slowly opened her eyes, realizing he had known she was awake all along.
She didn’t know how to answer, and then heard Wei Yun say, “I won’t touch you, I just want to lie beside you.”
Chu Yu hesitated for a moment, then finally turned over, moving to the side to make room for Wei Yun.
Wei Yun lay down beside her, feeling content. He looked at her and asked, “Can I hold you while we sleep?”
Chu Yu felt puzzled but nodded, turning her back to Wei Yun as she lay down. Wei Yun embraced her, holding her entire body in front of him as if she was nestled in his arms.
In the mild chill of autumn, Chu Yu lay with her eyes open, surrounded by warmth, feeling the steady, calm heartbeat of the person behind her. He was pressed against her but truly didn’t move at all. Chu Yu, with her eyes open, felt a bit awkward and asked, “Why… are you doing this?”
“Hmm?” Wei Yun made a nasal sound.
Chu Yu, somewhat confused, said, “We’ve already done what needed to be done… you don’t need to hold back.”
She always felt passive in these matters, thinking that since they had started, refusing now would be affected. However, Wei Yun held her and after a moment said, “A’Yu, I know last night wasn’t of your own will.”
“People progress step by step in relationships, it’s the same with feelings – going through stages of goodwill, being moved, ambiguity, liking, and deep love. Everything related to love is the same. When we reach that step, you’ll naturally be willing, and that’s the best. I can’t assume that step is a given just because we’ve been through it once.”
Wei Yun’s voice was calm, “You tense up when I hold you. I want to wait until you’re used to my embrace, and my kisses, before taking the next step. If your feelings for me haven’t reached that point, anything I do will feel forced on you. I like you, and I hope every step we take together is steady and sure, making you feel secure, at ease, and happy.”
Chu Yu didn’t speak. She didn’t know why, but she felt a lump in her throat.
Being held by this person, she suddenly felt this embrace was natural. Wei Yun chuckled softly behind her, “I started liking you before you did. The first time I kissed you, I was trembling with nervousness.”
“The first time you kissed me?”
“Yes,” Wei Yun’s voice was gentle, “I was fifteen then, in Sha City, on the night of the Sky Lantern Festival. You were drunk, and we were on the rooftop.”
Chu Yu remained silent. For the first time, she directly faced the fact that this affection had begun so long ago, so enduringly.
She listened to the calm words of the person behind her, her muscles relaxing inch by inch. She grew accustomed to his scent, his warmth, listening to him talk about how his feelings began, how they deepened, how they traversed through time to reach this day.
With her back to him, she listened as he finally whispered in her ear, “Tell me honestly, when I kissed you this morning, did you feel anything?”
Hearing this, Chu Yu burst into laughter.
Wei Yun understood the meaning and secretly pinched her waist, “Let’s try again, I’ll know better with more practice.”
Chu Yu resisted, but he turned her over, pressing her down. Wei Yun held her hands, frowning, “Shall we try again?”
Chu Yu looked at him with a smile in her eyes and finally said, “Then close your eyes.”
Wei Yun finally felt a bit embarrassed and closed his eyes, releasing her hands, “We both lack experience, it’s normal if it’s not perfect at first.”
As he said this, Wei Yun felt Chu Yu’s hands, soft as water weeds, wrapping around him, her legs entwining his waist. Wei Yun blushed, pretending to be calm as he said, “We should practice more…”
As he spoke, Wei Yun felt cool, soft lips pressed against his.
Unlike the numb acceptance of the morning, this tongue was soft and warm, entwining with his, teasing and caressing, curling and retreating.
Intense waves of pleasure surged through him repeatedly, making Wei Yun’s scalp tingle. He had never experienced such joy before. His heart raced, his breathing quickened, and for the first time, he realized that when it comes to love, mutual willingness is indeed the best.
He was led into her fragrant embrace, learning to intertwine as she did. He felt the person beneath him soften, and after a while, he heard a soft moan. Wei Yun’s mind went blank, and just as his hand was about to reach for Chu Yu’s clothes, he suddenly came to his senses. He quickly turned over, facing away from Chu Yu, curling up as he said, “No more kissing, let’s sleep.”
Chu Yu laughed, moving closer to him, “Don’t stop, didn’t you want to practice more?”
“No more,” Wei Yun said in a muffled voice, “Let’s sleep.”
Chu Yu hugged him from behind, “Really? You don’t want to anymore?”
“No, no more.” Wei Yun shook his head.
Chu Yu ran her hand along his back, “Won’t the Marquis try again? Is it that this servant didn’t please you well?”
Wei Yun fell silent. After a moment, he said in a muffled voice, “A’Yu, you’re bullying me.”
Chu Yu was taken aback, a warmth rising from the bottom of her heart.
She stopped teasing him and hugged this man from behind, pressing her face against his back, saying gently, “I’m not bullying you.”
Then, closing her eyes, she said, “I like you.”
Truly, I like you more and more.