[BL] Eternal Spring

第三十七章

"That Gongzhuan diplomat right?"

"...en. How did you know?" Jiang Zhilan didn't reply, only looking down at his hands. "You knew?"

"I..started suspecting after...after our first kiss..." Jiang Zhilan smiled a little teasingly. "Actually, ba. You're not very versed in emotional matters, right? Say, did I steal your heart from that first day?" Liu Qingyuan turned his head embarrassed, the tips of his ears flushing red. Jiang Zhilan leaned forward, kissing his chin softly. The light in his eyes hardened, becoming a little more serious. "I knew that...you were here to kill me."

"En. It was master's orders. He...," Liu Qingyuan reached over, stroking a finger across the back of Jiang Zhilan's hand, as if he just wanted to feel the bones beneath his skin and make sure he was there. "I owe my life to him. Without him, we probably would have never gotten the chance to meet." Liu Qingyuan recalled the bone-chilling coldness of that winter, accompanied only by the cruel vice of loneliness. Now, it was also cold, but the hand beneath his own seemed steady with warmth; a balm to his fragile heart. "It's only that...my master has a past grudge that he can't seem to let go. I'm still not sure what his goal is but it seems to be related to...your royal family. That's why I got sent here. Second consort Yan, she...she is my shimei." Liu Qingyuan hesitated, but in the end, he didn't ask the question he wanted to ask. After all, how many people, after finding out the person they liked wanted to kill them, would remain calm? Jiang Zhilan didn't speak, only lightly scratching Liu Qingyuan's hand. He frowned. It was true second consort Yan was a vassal from a small state and the things that happened on the road would, perhaps, never be discovered. But, if so, just how far did this plot go? That man, that Gongzhuan diplomat; he'd never seen him before. Just who was he? He released his grip suddenly.

"Would you go back? Gongzhuan is your home. These two kingdoms...I'm afraid they'll never find peace in our lifetimes." Liu Qingyuan grabbed his hand again as if he were afraid Jiang Zhilan would pull away from him.

"I don't know who my parents are, I have no emotional attachments." Liu Qingyuan thought for a moment, lowering his eyes. "My master and I...it's unsure how our futures will align. Perhaps in the netherworld I'll carry this karma to my next life. But in this one...," In this life, he wanted to be selfish. Jiang Zhilan's cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment, hearing the implication behind his words.

"Why did you give it all up for me? I don't entirely understand..."

Liu Qingyuan huffed a laugh, a rare touch of sparkling happiness adorning his usually silent face. He reached over, rubbing a thumb on his cheek. "You're already very good. The world is vast, it can never be entirely understood, but I just understand that I...like...being with you." Liu Qingyuan was a little embarrassed. The words pouring from his mouth felt foreign but he also felt like he needed to make the king understand. Understand this strange feeling in his chest. Though he came to later understand that human words could only reproduce such feelings. Unless you had lived in another's body, perhaps there was no true way to feel what another felt.

Jiang Zhilan smiled, "This can be counted as a confession, ba?" Liu Qingyuan watched him, his ears burning red. Slowly he nodded. The slope of his nose, the pout of his lips, the ways the corner of his eyes wrinkled when he smiled. When his face became stern during morning court, the love he had for his people, and the rejection and hostility at the appearance of his elder brother. All these little things he'd somehow noticed and filed away into his memory seemed to rush up, telling him, clambering, that the man in front of him was incomparably precious to him. A lifetime on this Earth was one filled with hardships. It was only those who didn't give up that would be exceptionally blessed; a companion to share all sorrows and joys and watch as the world grew, broke and changed.

Liu Qingyuan reached out, pinching his chin and turning his head towards him.

"Jiang Zhilan," For the second time, he broke palace rules and called the king directly by his name.

"Huh-mph.." He kissed him softly, rubbing those lips he had traced in his dreams so many times.

"I like you."

Jiang Zhilan clenched the fabric of Liu Qingyuan's collar in his hands, eyes dazed. "Your majesty," Liu Qingyuan leaned closer, their noses brushing slightly. "Let me be your most devoted servant." Without waiting for a reply, Liu Qingyuan kissed him again, as if he were afraid he'd reject him. Moist breath mixed in the small space, creating an ambiguous warmth in the hearts of both people. Jiang Zhilan fell back against the pillows, reaching up to pull Liu Qingyuan close. The soft strands of his hair tangled in pale fingers as it fell from its bindings.

"I like you too." The bead curtains swayed, their sonorous chimes accompanying the moon's silent vigil.

◆◇◆◇◆

Liu Qingyuan reached over, brushing a strand of hair out of the king's face. Jiang Zhilan's chest rose and fell slowly, his cheeks rosy in sleep. Liu Qingyuan sat on the edge of the bed, his feet bare and hair loose, draping over his shoulders in inky lines. His white inner robes fell open slightly to reveal the solid planes of his chest. He reached up, lightly touching the left side as if in pain, but his expression was still calm. If the lighting in the room was any better, one would see that Liu Qingyuan's face was rather pale. And if you touched his skin, you would find that it was rather hot. He closed his eyes in discomfort, feeling as if a creature was slithering through his veins. It was acting up again. Hidden under his robes, the faint outline of a phoenix feather flickered weakly, trying to battle the rampaging poison.

Liu Qingyuan lightly rubbed his lips, turning his gaze back on Jiang Zhilan's sleeping figure. In the dark, his gaze turned soft and the pain seemed to fade away. It was fine. Anything was fine, as long as the king could live.