The Gift of Kings (HuaLian TGCF)

Chapter 8 The Plan

"...If you don't mine?" Xie Lian's voice squeaks as he adds the words, his blush staining his whole face a lovely pink.

"I don't mind." Hua Cheng's words come out hoarse, his throat suddenly too dry, his mind spinning. He licks his lips, trying to steady himself and notices the prince's eyes flick downward to the movement before quickly darting away again. Was their desire in that look? He isn't sure, in fact he isn't sure of many things right now, like how he could ever have possibly gotten this lucky or how he's going to tell the beautiful perfection of a man beside him the truth about what he's really doing there, but one thing he is sure of, any excuse that lets him touch Xie Lian is one he's going to take.

"I don't mind." He says that again more firmly this time, "after all Gege is very beautiful."

He is rewarded for his boldness when Xie Lian's eyes snapped to his, blush darkening, before he quickly looks away again.

"San Lang... You're teasing me!"

"I assure you, I am nothing but sincere."

Xie Lian shakes his head, amusement tempering his blush. "You're impossible."

Hua Cheng chuckles softly, still marveling at the easy banter between them, at the equality of it all. In Yong'an even servants looked down on him, laughed and mocked and made it clear that he was beneath them, yet here he sits beside a prince who will one day be a king, talking and teasing as though the two of them are standing on equal ground.

Xie Lian truly is a miracle.

"As fond as I am of Gege's idea I do still need to point out the flaw in this plan."

"What flaw?"

"How is the Chancellor going to know the marks are from me?"

"Everyone knows I don't visit the harem, so who else would they be from?" The blush has gone from Xie Lian's cheeks. Now the prince just looks confused.

Hua Cheng frowns slightly. Does Xie Lian think that he doesn't know? Does he really think that the whole court doesn't suspect?

"Feng Xin or Mu Qing."

Xie Lian blinks at him. "Feng Xin or Mu Qing what...?"

For a moment they just stare at each other and then Xie Lian's eyes widen and he claps his hands over his mouth as muffled laughter pours from between his lips.

"You thought... You think... That I'm... That we are..."

Now it's Hua Cheng's turn to blink in bafflement, and then, as his mind finally catches up with the situation he stares at the laughing prince in utter shock.

"... You're not sleeping with them?"

"No! Never!" Xie Lian collapses back onto his pillows, wiping his hand across his eyes as he attempts to get control of his laughter. "What made you think I was?"

"You're so informal with them ...And the Yong'an ambassador said you were." Hua Cheng's emotions are a mix of sheepish confusion and jubilant relief and sudden worry all hitting him at once.

Xie Lian isn't sleeping with Feng Xin and Mu Qing after all!

Hua Cheng was so sure and yet...

...But then who is he sleeping with? Is there some woman the spy master don't know about? Does Xie Lian even desire men?

"The Yong'an ambassador thinks I'm sleeping with Feng Xin and Mu Qing!?" Xie Lian stares at him and then bursts out laughing all over again.

"Your Highness..." Hua Cheng can't keep the slight color out of his cheeks or the pout from his lips.