*unedited*
It's been a week, and Du Qiang had been avoiding Sun Hui the whole time. All he did was write poems, and Chen Bao delivered them.
It was starting to get really irritating.
Sun Hui was pacing in his room, trying to figure out how to get the Emperor speaking to him again.
Whether it was because he was Wang Shuo, or this was a hindrance to his plans, Sun Hui needed this to end.
He clenched the golden ring in his palm, feeling nervous. He wished that his AI, more then ever, could track down people. That way, he could see what the Emperor was doing. Alas, in this world, his AI was only useful for digging out old archives.
I never realized how much I hated historical worlds until now, Sun Hui thought as he sat at the edge of his bed.
A knock came on the door, and Sun Hui immediately bolted up. What if it was the Emperor?
He hurriedly opened the door, but his excitement dwindled when he saw it was only Fan Jiahao.
"Am I really that depressing to see?" Fan Jiahao frowned. Ouch. So mean.
Sun Hui shook his head, "It's not you."
"Are you okay, though? Really? You've been depressed all week, cooped up in your room," Fan Jiahao pointed out.
Sun Hui looked away, gritting his teeth, "I'm fine."
"No, you're not," Fan Jiahao bluntly stated. "You need air. How about we spar, like how we used to? They have a field outside in the courtyard for when the soldiers get bored or want to duel."
Sun Hui did realize he spent too much time in his room and too much time worrying about the Emperor, an Emperor that might not be his Wang Shuo after all.
"Okay," Sun Hui breathed, walking out of the room.
As they walked into the courtyard, Sun Hui's mind once again wandered to the Emperor and Wang Shuo. Two different people, but very similar in personality.
"Jing'er, you're spacing out again," Fan Jiahao called.
Sun Hui jerked himself out of his thoughts and grabbed the training sword that Fan Jiahao was holding out to him.
"Just forget about that bastard, eh? Don't let him get into your head—that's what he wants," Fan Jiahao said, tossing his sword in the air with one hand and catching it with the other.
"I already told you, the Emperor and I don't have that relationship!" Sun Hui scolded him. "He's more of an...an asshole."
His voice faltered when he said the last word. He only ever called Wang Shuo that. But, for some reason, calling the Emperor that felt just as right. Sun Hui was confused for a moment. Why did it feel okay saying that? Why did it not feel so hard to say it? Was the Emperor really Wang Shuo, then? That was the only explanation he could think of.
"If you keep spacing out," Fan Jiahao said, pushing Sun Hui onto the ground and pointing the tip of his sword at him, "you're going to lose every time."
Sun Hui regained focus, and for about two hours the two friendly sparred. When they were done, they were both dripping in sweat and covered in dirt and mud.
"You should take a bath," Fan Jiahao said.
"Me? What about you?" Sun Hui narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"Don't look at me like that," he raised his hands in surrender. "Ever since we got here, the Emperor bastard is making me work my butt off in the field. It's like he has something against me."
You have no idea... Sun Hui thought, knowing that the Emperor strangely disapproved of his friend. Was he jealous? Fan Jiahao was just a friend!
Sun Hui nodded, walking to the hot springs that resided in a separate part of the courtyard. He was grateful that it was empty. He didn't want anybody seeing...his other parts.
He stripped down, climbing into the clear, hot water. This reminded him of an extravagant hot tub, with stone bricks lining the walls and nature surrounding him everywhere.
Almost everyone came here to take a bath or just cool off. For Sun Hui, it was both.
But when he heard a splash in the water, he began to panic.
The Emperor hated being away from Wen Jingyi, but he couldn't get that image out of his mind nor the guilt out of his heart. Looking at the boy was like looking at the judge of death, Death, himself.
"Your Imperial Majesty, you shouldn't dwell upon these things," Chen Bao said as the Emperor looked gloomy on his throne. "It's making you miserable. You should just tell him—"
"No," he interrupted. "I fear that I may scare the boy. This is for the best."
"Is it? Wen Jingyi hasn't once been out of his room this week, and you look like you're on Death's bed. I have every reason to believe that the boy is just as affected by this," Chen Bao noted.
The Emperor shifted his position in his throne, "He's so foolish. Why isn't he taking care of himself?"
"Your Imperial Majesty, please, speak to him at least once before you decide what's 'best,'" Chen Bao offered.
"I'll think about it as I bathe," the Emperor waved a dismissive hand, standing up. He then made his way to the hot springs.
He saw someone already bathing, but he didn't care like he usually did. His mind was too preoccupied to worry about privacy. He stripped his robes, revealing his extremely toned and broad muscles. There were a few scars from previous battles.
He climbed into the springs as gently as he could so he wouldn't disturb the other party, but the person obviously heard as the figure turned around in a panic. The Emperor's red eyes met with anxious black ones.
"Xiao...Jingyi?" he asked, uncertain. His gaze wandered to the boy's chest, seeing that the skin around the nipples was elevated into small mounds. "You're a girl?"
The Emperor wasn't angry, just beyond confused. He could've sworn that Wen Jingyi was a boy, but he did had to admit that the name could be used for a girl as well. Perhaps he just misunderstood.
Sun Hui was blushing a deep red. He couldn't believe the Emperor would see him like this. He immediately covered his chest once he saw that the Emperor was looking, If he was going to find out, I didn't want it to be like this! What if he rejects me? It would complicate everything.
Feeling his eyes moisten, he stuttered, "N-no..."
Du Qiang looked further down. Although the water was concealing the lower half, he could make out the shape of a penis.
The gears in his head turned, and he finally realized, "You're both?"
For some reason, Sun Hui felt like crying. Was it humiliation or the fear of rejection? He couldn't tell.
"I...I prefer to be male!" he blurted out. His eyes widened, and he looked away again. "Don't look at me."
Du Qiang frowned at his words. He sounded so insecure about himself.
"Xiao—"
"No!" Sun Hui shouted. "You avoided me for a week. Now you're going to throw me out, right? I don't need your pity or judgement!"
The Emperor appeared before him in a few quick strides. He gripped the boy's jaw, forcing him to look at him, "I'm not throwing you away. I'm not pitying or judging you. Remember, I'm the closest person to you. I'll accept you in anyway, whether you're into men or have both parts."
Sun Hui wasn't sure why he said "into men." Was it an unconscious reference to the last world?
Tears were running down his face now, "If you accept me, if you're close to me, then why are you avoiding me?"
Sun Hui was perfectly aware that their naked bodies were super close, but he strangely didn't mind or care this time. He just wanted answers.
The Emperor wiped away his tears, "I'm sorry. It's just that...I had a vision about something immoral. I was taking a boy against his will, and the boy just reminded me so remarkably of you. I couldn't look at you without feeling immense emotions."
Oh...he was feeling guilty. But he had a dream about me from the last world when Wang Shuo raped me. Does this mean...he really is Wang Shuo? Sun Hui pondered this theory once more.
"Don't...don't leave me alone. Not again. I don't want you avoiding me," Sun Hui whispered. He didn't realize that he said "not again."
"Wang Shuo, don't leave me! Please, I don't want you to stop bothering me..." a voice echoed in the Emperor's head. It was the boy, he noticed, from his other dream. Why did everything bring a sense of nostalgia and deja vu?
(Quick note: I don't think this is exactly want Sun Hui said last world but just go with it for now.)
Who is...Wang Shuo? the Emperor immediately thought of that silver haired boy from last time. He took a quick glance at his silver ring. If we're going by the dream...does this make me Wang Shuo? I don't understand.
The Emperor pulled Sun Hui close to him, both not caring that they were naked right now.
"I will never leave you alone, my Xiao Jingyi," the Emperor whispered in his ear.
And even though it was brief, Sun Hui thought he saw a glimpse of lust and a glimpse of silver in those red eyes. An ease of calm and happiness settled upon him.
I love you, Wang Shuo.
I'm planning on doing a smut scene in about two chapters? Anyways, I'll try to update again later today.
~Outcast