Outside it was already dark. It was very quiet except for the alluring cry of a night hawk faraway.
Shen Nuo was thoughtful for a while. Then suddenly color drained off his face. That was Jinyu's warning whistle!
Damn it! He thought. He had been hearing that sound for quite a long while now! Who had barged inside???
He immediately turned around and pushed Zhanhua under the enormous bed. "Shhhhhhhhhhh!"
On the other hand, Zhanhua looked horror-stricken. He was confused and shocked. But no time passed when suddenly the door of the chamber slid opened.
Li Yan entered inside.
Shen Nuo couldn't help but blurt out in shock. "You! Why are you here!!?"
______________________________________________________________
Li Yan narrowed his eyes at him and didn't speak for a long time.
Shen Nuo was in a turmoil. Could it be Li Yan heard of what they spoke right now? When did he come? How long he had been waiting here? Shen Nuo couldn't help but curse inwardly for being too ignorant to the point of being deaf on Jinyu's warns.
It looked as though Li Yan was internally fighting a terrible fight but he finally chose to play dumb. "Zhen cannot come and visit his consort anytime?"
Shen Nuo: "..."
But you never visited here before! This is the first time you fucking dog! You fucking chose the right time to barge inside here!
And then suddenly Shen Nuo remembered that Li Yan could read minds. Shit!
Li Yan's face however was sour. It drew colder and colder. He took a step closer causing Shen Nuo to take several steps back in fear.
"You're getting worse and worse! Is Zhen someone whom you can offend like that, hmm?"
Shen Nuo's back was pressed against the bedpost and he couldn't back anymore. Hell! Zhanhua was hiding under the bed!!!
Shen Nuo thought he was going to have a heart attack. Why was Li Yan here? What is he doing here? He never visited Mingyue Palace in his last life. And now???
"You don't seem to be very happy of Zhen's arrival." He said darkly. "What were you doing?"
Shen Nuo was angry. Why does Li Yan always choose the exact timing for his visits? He looked at Li Yan with narrowed eyes. "Should I announce to you everything that I'm doing?"
Li Yan pursed his lips. "Don't cross the line!"
"I don't care about your @#$king line Yanlong!" Shen Nuo spat out through gritted teeth. "You shouldn't be here! I'm tired!"
Yanlong took another step closer and passed his slender fingers around his waist belt. "Is that so?"
Shen Nuo's eyes widened. "What are you doing!!?"
Yanlong gave a frightening smile. "Should I also announced to you everything that I'm doing? Hmm? That's very unreasonable."
"Go to hell you fucking dog!"
And Zhanhua who listened to this play from under the bed had nightmares. He was speechless.
Balls of steel...
However, Li Yanlong who heard what Shen Nuo said, had a strange look on his face. "What did you say? Zhen did not hear it properly."
And it was when suddenly Shen Nuo realized he had cracked his nut. A cold shudder ran down his back, chilling him to the marrow of his bones. He suddenly became so well mannered.
"Your Majesty, this consort was very hungry and uttered some irresponsible shit just now. Forgive him..."
Li Yan nodded, suppressing his heavy breath and darkening eyes. He sat down by the desk unceremoniously. "If my wife is hungry, then he must eat so that he won't want to utter such shit again.'
Shen Nuo bowed deeply. "Yes! Your Highness!"
Li Yan didn't look at him or loose his majestic posture. "Come here and sit down!"
Shen Nuo felt a chill. Li Yan's face might have looked indifferent. But that frightening voice was threatening...
Shen Nuo slowly sat down next to Li Yan. His heart was thundering. Zhanhua was under the bed. The view was exceptionally clear if Li Yan bent down slightly and have a glance towards the bed.
Shen Nuo gulped and looked at Li Yan. How to chase Li Yan away?
"What does my wife like to eat?" Li Yan asked calmly, pulling a dish of sweets towards him. "Zhen remembers you liked to eat lotus cakes." He picked up a beautiful light green cake from the dish and brought it towards Shen Nuo's lips.
Shen Nuo shuddered when he remembered the scene at the Study, that moment he refused to eat. Choosing between eating a lotus cake with a burning ass of getting caught at any moment, or getting his unlucky ear bitten by sharp teeth, both first and second were no less worse than the other. He aught to think carefully.
But he suddenly remembered that he was Shen Nuo. Of course he had a stomach full of dirty tricks to use if he gets pissed off by the dog. So he quickly switched back in an instant and decided to choose a third.
His lips stretched into a malicious smile. He blinked at Li Yan seductively and pouted his mouth sweetly. "Li Yan..."
The lotus cake nearly got crushed between the fingertips of Li Yan. His breath tightened. He pursed his thin lips and watched Shen Nuo pick up the lotus cake with slender fingertips.
Ok. He started eating it. And, he was eating like an... Animal...
It was as if this well fed and cared consort inside a palace who grew up amid loads of food and comforts had never seen a lotus cake in his life...
The clean and the beautiful face a moment ago was now plastered with lotus crumbs all over the face. He grinned at Li Yan foolishly. "Hubby, more please..."
And the Emperor who saw Shen Nuo's terrible table manners nearly had nightmares... He facepalmed, looking in disbelief.
"Shen Nuo!" He said in a hard voice. "Don't eat like that! Wipe your mouth!"
But Shen Nuo looked spirited. This was what he wanted. He knew Li Yan was a clean freak and was meticulous in every manner. Eating like an animal was definitely not in his dictionary. It would start to itch...
But what even if it's so? If Li Yan wants to be here, this is his place! Li Yan should be able to endure it! Shen Nuo is not going to yield!
Let's see how long you'll bear it with me!
"Shen Nuo. You're a consort of the Emperor..." Li Yan reminded gloomily. "This is not what you should be like. What will happen to me when others see you like this? Hmm? Should I hide under your desk?"
Shen Nuo unceremoniously pulled himself closer to Li Yan, causing Li Yan's breath to hitch.
"I never wanted to be a consort, anyway." He said, pouting his pale pink mouth pulling a childish look with big glossy eyes.
"Husband. Help me wipe the food on my lips, ok?"
He smacked his lips and counted in his heart for Li Yan to bark at him and angrily storm away. Or pull out his dog handkerchief to wipe his mouth meanwhile cursing his ancestors.
Li Yan's breath was now extremely heavy. His eyes darkened. He stared at the submissive face that was extremely close to him.
For a split second, Li Yan's eyes subconsciously lowered to look at the pale pink lips of Shen Nuo. Those slightly pouted pale pink lips were covered with light green crumbs...
Li Yan's adam's apple moved. He pursed his thin lips and raised his red eyes to look at Shen Nuo. "Are you sure?"
Shen Nuo felt suddenly uneasy. Why was Li Yan looking so frightening? He was not up to something, right? No! Shen Nuo needs to carefully think the matter over.
But startling him, Li Yan wrapped his strong palm around Shen Nuo's nape and pulled him closer. Before Shen Nuo could move away his face, Li Yan licked his lips clean.
Shen Nuo's eyes widened in horror. His entire soul nearly flew out of his body. In whole his life, this was the first time he got contact with mouth to mouth. Though it was not a kiss, he was stunned.
His heart felt as if jumping out of his throat and sinking down to his stomach. He shuddered madly in Li Yan's arms and couldn't move or speak. He was lame and suddenly weak. His limbs felt as if they were marshmallows...
Li Yan gently and carefully licked the crumbs off Shen Nuo's lips. Though his hands were grasping Shen Nuo firmly, restraining him, his tip of the tongue was gentle. It was also wet and warm as they gently swept across Shen Nuo's beautiful pale pink lips.
Shen Nuo gulped. His adam's apple slid down his pale and fair throat convulsively. What was Li Yan doing? How could he be this shameless?
Li Yan finished his work and calmly raised his slightly red phoenix eyes to look at Shen Nuo's moist eyes. "Does my wife need me to do anything more?"
Shen Nuo's mind was blank. His lips were already swollen and wet. They were red. He wanted to dig a grave and burry himself. A man and a man??? Shit! A man and a man!!! WTF please!!?
He immediately got up and pushed Li Yan away from him. He was in a turmoil. What was happening???
"You pervert!!!"
But Li Yan's next move startled him into horrifics. The moment he pushed Li Yan away, Li Yan's back hit the wall behind him and he gasped hissing in pain. His eyes tightened and teeth clenched. His hand convulsively raised to cover his left shoulder.
Shen Nuo was speechless. Wasn't Li Yan very strong? He didn't push Li Yan too hard. Even if he pushed him with all his strength, was Li Yan someone whom he could match up his strength to? But why was Li Yan...
Li was gritted his teeth. His face was suddenly deadly pale. Sweat drooped down his temples. He was breathing hard.
He kept sitting on the seat with his red eyes, unfocussed for a long time. It looked as if he was restraining himself hard and also calming himself down. He looked at Shen Nuo with moist eyes. "I'm your husband. We are legally married. What I did, was that something which can make you call me a pervert?"
Shen Nuo did not know what to say. He felt lame. He just dumbly stood by the side. "Li Yan... How did you become so weak?"
After a long time, Li Yan slowly stood from his seat. He slipped his slender hand into his chest lapels and brought out a little phial with pills. He silently placed it on the desk. If one looked closely at those hands, they would have found out that those pale fingertips were slightly shuddering...
"A painkiller for your chest pain and headache." He finally spoke in a horse voice.
Shen Nuo was flabbergasted. So actually Li Yan came here to give him medicines... "But how do you know?"
Li Yan looked at Shen Nuo's eyes. Didn't Shen Nuo know? Was he intentionally hurting him? Did he not know how the Blood Promise works? Li Yan felt hurt.
He knew since the moment he saved Zhanhua's core from shattering, his own powers were in chaos. His heart was aching. He often got a headache. He knew it was because his core nearly got drained off spiritual energy...
It was pain. But he did not take any painkillers. He knew his soul was linked with Shen Nuo and Shen Nuo would be feeling the same pain like him. He only wanted to come here to give the painkillers to Shen Nuo...
But...
It looked as though he wasn't needed here...
Li Yan swallowed back the blood that gushed into his mouth and wiped his lips with the back of his sleeve slowly. His eyes were down casted. Though his face was indifferent, those slightly lowered phoenix eyes were wrenched with sorrow. "Forget it!"
He turned to go.
Shen Nuo did not know whether he was imagining things or seeing things right. But he thought that he saw Li Yan's eyes turn slightly glassy. But suddenly when he saw Li Yan's back, he gasped, his eyes widening. "You- You're wounded!"
Li Yan's left shoulder was stained with blood. It wasn't there when he came here.
Li Yan passed his slender palm across the shoulder and looked the wet hand that got drenched with blood. It looked as though the stab wound got scratched when Shen Nuo had pushed him.
Li Yan silently pursed his thin lips, grinding his teeth. "Zhen is fine!" Then without even waiting for a second, he strode towards the sliding door.
But he paused again, looking as if being held back by something. He did not look back. Then almost in a whispery voice, he spoke hoarsely.
"If you think what I did as a husband is something a pervert would do, then I'm sorry."
Shen Nuo was stunned. Was he hearing things alright? What did Li Yan just say?
Li Yan gulped, shutting his eyes. "I don't really understand why things that I do to you would make you call me a pervert. But I'm sorry for everything I did if that's what you want to mean."
Shen Nuo felt as if stabbed. His eyes moistened at visible speed. "Li Yan!"
Li Yan smiled painfully, hiding his face against the darkness of the sliding door. A thin trail of blood felled down the side of his lips again.
"I'll try to make up for everything I did. Nuo Nuo... If I had hurt you in some way, forgive me... If my words had ever hurt you once, I'm sorry. If somethings that I had done made you feel hurt, forgive me. They won't happen again."
He didn't say anything further. He slid the door open and left, leaving Shen Nuo with a wildly beating heart.
In Li Yan's last life, he was too thick faced to see things clearly. So he lost many things in his life. In this life, he won't repeat the same mistakes again. No matter what, he would cherish their lives as his own...
That was the reason why in this life, he was willing to say sorry to Shen Nuo, he was willing to give a second chance to Consort Lian, he was willing to forgive old General Shen and he was willing to let go of Zhanhua...
Inside the room, Shen Nuo felt tormented. What was up with him??? And what did he mean? Why was his shoulder bleeding? Looking at the blood, it was obvious that the wound was deep and hadn't been treated. Shen Nuo's heart was in a mess.
Zhanhua slowly crawled out of the bed. His face was unusually pale and grave. His guilty eyes were downcasted and moist.
Shen Nuo who saw his face, felt his headache worsen. "Now what's up with you!!?"
But before he could speak anything else, Zhanhua felled onto his knees and lowered his head.
Shen Nuo was bewildered. He was stunned. Zhanhua was a minister! And he was just a consort!
"Why are you kneeling to me!!?"
"Forgive me! It was... It was me who stabbed His Majesty when I was out of my senses that day..."
Shen Nuo's heart skipped a beat. "He didn't kill you?"
Zhanhua shook his head miserably. "His Majesty not only helped me back to my senses, he also passed his energy to me and unsealed my dragon core. Right now he's weak than a mortal. I..."
Shen Nuo's heart sank. "Weak than a mortal? Isn't he the best cultivator at Li Yang?"
Zhanhua looked at Shen Nuo miserably. "He was. But he drained it all and passed them to me to prevent my core from shattering..."
Shen Nuo's heart was suddenly beating like thunder. He did not understand this feeling. It was painful. But somewhere in the depths of his heart, it was also numb and itchy...
He gulped and couldn't speak for a long time. Then he wiped his sweaty face with both his palms, feeling numb all over. "Zhanhua, you leave now. I... I need to be alone."
Zhanhua's eyes were fixed at Shen Nuo for a moment, without moving. He didn't say anything. Then by the next second, he swiftly disappeared out of the door.
Shen Nuo's heart was in a mess. Did Li Yan really drain all his powers to save Zhanhua? He didn't kill him. Ok. Alright. Can believe. But Shen Nuo never expected even in his dreams that Li Yan would loose his cultivation to save his supposed to be enemy.
What has happened to Li Yan? He was never like this in his last life. What has happened to him?
And he even... said sorry to him...
Li Yan never knew the word sorry in his last life...
Shen Nuo felt a headache. The night was calm and quiet. But sleep did not come to him. After tossing and turning around for hours, he couldn't take it anymore. He slowly got up from the bed, slipped his boots in and pulled a dress over.
Then he quietly picked up his medicine box and headed towards the Imperial Chamber.
@#$k U Li Yan! You even started to haunt my night sleep!
No matter what, he will first cure the dog. He did not like to fight sick dogs...
_________________________________________________________________
OMG I'm sleepy. I didn't recheck on what I typed so sorry if there are issues with grammar. I'll fix them later...💕