HHYL fanfic - Phoenix rising from the ashes

Chapter 2.1

Still shaken by the somewhat disturbing encounter with that strange ambassador, Lu Cang headed straight towards Jing's quarters. Usually he'd make detours and take ridiculous measures just to make sure no one saw him enter, but tonight he didn't care for gossiping maids or eunuchs. All he wanted right now was hide somewhere, and although he felt embarrassed even admitting it to himself, he longed for being embraced by Jing. At this very moment, he needed Jing's warmth and the unique, soothing scent his lover emitted to calm his turbulent mind.

Sighing, Lu Cang finally arrived in the comfortably furnished royal bedchamber. Half hoping, half fearing Jing could have arrived before him, his already bad mood worsened when he found the chamber empty. No Jing to tease him, no one to agitate him and thereby distract his thoughts from the strange feelings tearing at his heart strings.

Deep down, Lu Cang was well aware he by far wasn't as strong and fierce as he wanted to appear from the outside. But he'd never been one to be controlled by his feelings either. Hell, even after all these years with Jing, he had never openly confessed his true feelings to his lover. It had been so hard for Lu Cang to admit that he felt jealous whenever Jing visited his concubines, because he was no woman, even if he allowed another male to top him. He hadn't cried and hadn't felt genuin fear in many years, since he had never been afraid of dying. But right now, he so desperately wanted to cry. He couldn't really say why, he only knew that he had never before felt as miserable as he felt at this very moment.

Wine. He definitely needed more wine! Sticking his head out of the door to the royal quarters, Lu Cang almost gave Xiao Gui Zi a heart attack when he called out to him. Lu Cang had never done such a thing, and Xiao Gui Zi struggled to keep the confused look from his face when he delivered the ordered wine into the royal quarters. Jing's trustful chamberlain secretly glanzed at Lu Cang, for a moment fearing an imposter could have taken the place of the marquis. But it was the same extraordinarily handsome face he was used to seeing, maybe with a hint of worry clouding the usually emotionless features, adding to Xiao Gui Zi's bewilderment. Maybe he should hint at Lord Lu's unusual behaviour when helping the emperor undress later, he thought.

Inside Jing's bedchamber, Lu Cang downed two big cups of the sweet, strong licquor Xiao Gui Zi had handed over to him as if it was water, feeling more than just a bit light-headed afterwards. It was likely that he would regret drinking this much in the morning, but right now the warm feeling created by the wine and emitting from his stomach, rising up to his head and making him dizzy, was more than welcome. Lu Cang desperately wanted to forget, without knowing what exactly he wanted to forget.

After downing a third cup in one gulp, he barely managed to take off his shoes and fell backwards onto the comfortable bed. Deeply inhaling the residue of Jing's soothing scent on the sheets that had witnessed their intense love making just a few hours prior, he slowly drifted into the land of dreams.

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„Stupid Xiao Cang! To fall asleep instead of obediently wait for me!" With one swift move, Jing rid himself of his outer garments, meanwhile staring intently at the sleeping figure laying on his lavishly embroidered bed. A cunning smile appeared on the emperor's face and he almost started to giggle. „Ah, my dear Xiao Cang, how kind of you to give me another reason to punish you thoroughly!" First, his lover had allowed himself to be touched by another man, that troublesome Zhang Zi Dong, - Jing didn't care to take into account the reason for that „touch", and that Lu Cang definitely hadn't enjoyed said incidence -, and now this feisty, yet adorable ex-bandit king dared to fall asleep, knowing very well what Jing had in mind by ordering him into his quarters.