Chapter 64 - 1#

Jingzhe pressed Rong Jiu to the side. Since he was already here, even if he tried to chase him away, he wouldn’t listen. But the work still had to be done; he couldn’t just drag it out until someone came looking.

Rong Jiu suggested that he could have someone else do it.

Jingzhe suggested he shouldn’t make suggestions.

Jingzhe: “I’m being paid for this job, so I should do what I’m supposed to do. If I push it onto others, then others will have an extra task for no reason.”

Rong Jiu: “The money received in the palace is the same for the same rank. Some are easy, some are heavy. according to you, aren’t those with easy jobs taking advantage?”

Jingzhe: “That’s also because they have good luck and were assigned easy jobs.”

Rong Jiu: “You can also be like that.”

At this time, Jingzhe had just wrung out the towel and was lying on the ground, picking out the last bit of stain.

Hearing this, he told him all his previous theories.

Finally, he made a summary.

“It’s not that I’m unwilling to climb up, but I want to move up, and others also want to move up. But there are only a few positions, so it won’t be that easy.”

Rong Jiu said coldly: “You can go to Qianming Palace.”

It fits Jingzhe’s requirements very well.

In that place, there is often a shortage of people.

If one wants to move up, there is absolutely no lack of vacant positions.

Although it is also serving people, serving the Emperor is not like serving palace concubines, with an uncertain future.

Jingzhe straightened up and looked at Rong Jiu with an indescribable expression: “…Isn’t it easier to lose your head by the Emperor’s side?”

One can’t only see the benefits and not the drawbacks.

Serving in other places might just be difficult, but serving in Qianming Palace, one’s head might have to move house.

Rong Jiu: “It won’t.”

Many times when a man says it won’t, it gives Jingzhe a sense of security. But today when he said it won’t, Jingzhe wanted to plug his mouth with the rag in his hand.

“You’ve been dangling in front of the Emperor for a long time, so naturally you’re not afraid of him.” Jingzhe muttered, simply turning his back, “But how could we not be afraid?”

“Are you afraid of him, or more afraid of me?”

Jingzhe said without thinking: “These are two different things.”

He didn’t turn back.

“Sometimes I’m a little afraid of you, naturally because of your temper, but my fear is more because of our relationship, unwilling to make each other angry.” Jingzhe pursed his lips, “But can this compare with the Emperor? Your question is like asking a rabbit if it would be afraid of a tiger. Isn’t this obvious?”

Rong Jiu wouldn’t chop off his head, but Emperor Jingyuan would.

By the time Jingzhe finished dealing with this area, it was already near dusk. Outside, it gradually quieted down, presumably everyone was rushing to clean up to avoid not finishing before the sun went down.

Jingzhe scooped clean water to rinse, washed his face, and squatted under the corridor shaking his head, sending water droplets splashing everywhere.

As soon as Rong Jiu approached him, Jingzhe said: “Don’t come over, I’m covered in dirty sweat.”

The man seemed not to hear, dragging Jingzhe up.

Jingzhe looked at Rong Jiu with a wet face and heard him say indifferently: “I waited for you so quietly, I should get some reward.”

…Shameless.

Clearly when the man spoke, there was no warmth at all, and his voice was very cold, but Jingzhe inexplicably had the illusion of being teased.

He grabbed his ears and rubbed them vigorously, saying stiffly: “You broke the agreement yourself…”

“Is it wrong for me to want to see you?”

Ah ah damn it!

Jingzhe took a step back, rubbing his ears even harder.

Almost ravaging those poor round ears until they were red as blood.

“Then in the future, if you always come when I’m working, wouldn’t that be very troublesome?”

Just like today, Jingzhe couldn’t drop his things to accompany him.

“Besides, don’t you have your own things to do?”

Rong Jiu: “Finished.”

Jingzhe glared at him.

So many questions, yet he only answered the easiest one.

“No reward.” Jingzhe said puffing his cheeks, “Hurry back.”

He didn’t even know how Rong Jiu got in.

No matter what, this Xiefang Hall is a group of palace buildings. Rong Jiu came in so unimpeded, heaven knows what shortcut he took. If he is seen by others later, he won’t know how to explain.

After all, this is the West Office.

It was the former residence of the Emperor.

The managing eunuch couldn’t possibly let someone in for no reason.

Rong Jiu said coolly: “Several days ago, you suddenly threw a huge secret at me, causing me to toss and turn upon returning, missing you endlessly. Now that I finally finished my official duties to find you, I received such a cold reception.”

Jingzhe shivered at Rong Jiu’s words, feeling as if his whole body had been electrocuted, almost burnt on the outside and tender on the inside, stunned into silence.

It should be said that Rong Jiu’s tone was just right, but because of this, it made Jingzhe uncomfortable all over, wishing he could rub his arms a few more times to rub off the goosebumps.

“…I, you… I, I didn’t… You don’t even have dark circles under your eyes, how could you not sleep!”

Jingzhe held it in for a while before finally squeezing out the words.

This skin is very smooth, not even a trace of dark circles on the pale skin. With such a good complexion, how does he look like he was tossing and turning!

Rong Jiu didn’t change his expression: “I applied powder.”

Jingzhe frowned suspiciously and tentatively reached out to wipe it. Who would have thought, he really wiped off a faint trace.

He looked down at the trace on his finger, and was suddenly pulled over by Rong Jiu. Before he could speak, a strange sensation came from an indescribable place.

The speed was fast and unexpected. Compared to caressing, it was more like probing and confirming, incidentally squeezing twice.

After this touch-and-go combo, Jingzhe reacted after a while, looking sharply at the indifferent Rong Jiu.

!! Utmost shamelessness!

He couldn’t imagine that this expressionless, noble-looking person would do such an obscene and shameless thing!

Jingzhe blushed so much that even his fingers were trembling, pushing Rong Jiu away, “You, what are you doing!”

Rong Jiu: “Revenge. Or, reward.”

In that calm voice, there seemed to be an imperceptible smile.

That beautiful face, thin cool lips, as if unaware of how boundary-breaking his words were.

“If Jingzhe is unhappy, you can take revenge.”

…Ah ah ah are you sick!

Jingzhe’s voice trembled with shame: “You, you are sick, who would use this kind of thing for revenge?”

He didn’t want to touch that place!

“So you won’t?” Rong Jiu raised his eyebrows in feigned surprise, “I thought I had few friends and didn’t know the conventions.”

His black eyes swept gloomily towards Jingzhe’s lower body, speaking the unfinished words.

“I actually thought that ‘friends’ outside, when confiding secrets, had to use such a simple and crude method.

“Truly, shocking.”

That cool voice carried a bit of mean sarcasm. The gentler it was, the more it made one feel ashamed.

Jingzhe lowered his head, desperately looking at the floor, trying to find a crack to crawl into. This rising shame embarrassed him so much he didn’t know where to put his hands and feet, wishing he could die right now.

If time could turn back, the first thing Jingzhe would do upon returning to that day would be to chop off that hand of his.

This is really crazy!

Rong Jiu took a step forward, Jingzhe took a big step back. In the end, Jingzhe was forced against the rough tree trunk, with no escape, only then did he have to speak.

“Then, do you, have anything else, to say?”

Jingzhe wanted to say this sentence in one breath, but the heavy embarrassment and shame pressed him so hard he dared not look up.

The sticky weight pressed on the tip of his tongue, making his words vague, like stringy thick honey, dense and continuous.

“Say what? Say, so Jingzhe is a man?” Rong Jiu’s voice fell heavily, “Or ask, how did you hide this secret in the palace, or investigate which daring palace servant did such a fatal thing for you?”

The chilly tone carried an inexplicable coldness.

Jingzhe subconsciously looked at Rong Jiu and mumbled: “Then you probably have to go to the underworld to find him. Maybe this person has already reincarnated and can never be found again.”

Chen An is gone; this is the prerequisite for Jingzhe to possibly tell this secret.

Jingzhe was young when he entered the palace. He had no ability and no idea how to accomplish this deceptive act.

If this matter was exposed, Chen An would face a certain death penalty.

Jingzhe kept silent not only for himself but also for Chen An.

Now that Chen An had passed away, he wouldn’t be implicated anymore.

“It is hard to find, but we can dig up his bones.”

Rong Jiu agreed.

Jingzhe looked at him in annoyance. Although he could feel there was no murderous intent in Rong Jiu’s words, they were disrespectful enough to the dead.

Casually digging up someone’s corpse, be careful of being struck by lightning.

“Jingzhe, I am very happy.”

Rong Jiu said calmly.

Jingzhe raised an eyebrow: “Are you happy that I didn’t get cut, or happy that I’m not a eunuch?”

Jingzhe is naturally a eunuch, but this eunuch is not that eunuch. While these two sentences seem to have the same meaning, they have different implications.

Rong Jiu: “What stupid things are you saying.”

He pressed one hand on Jingzhe’s puppy head.

Naturally, it was because Jingzhe could tell him about this.

Jingzhe slapped the man’s hand down: “Just talk, why casually rub my head.”

He muttered, always feeling like the man was petting some pet.

After calming down, he felt it was nothing.

Although it was indeed a very shameful thing, everything was laid out in the open after all.

From now on, Jingzhe had no more secrets from Rong Jiu.

Judging from Rong Jiu’s attitude, he didn’t seem to hold a grudge about this.

Jingzhe felt somewhat relieved.

Rong Jiu: “Or, you can also take revenge on me with something else.” Cold white fingers inadvertently landed on Jingzhe’s wrist, rubbing the inner skin with ambiguous and weird gentleness.

Rong Jiu is good-looking.

Even if this beast is incredibly ferocious, people are still easily attracted by that beautiful appearance and powerful strength.

Moreover, when he bows his head for you, that indifferent face flowing with strange fanaticism, even the coldest person would be moved.

Jingzhe should have been too.

If not for the fact that a moment before being moved, he clearly understood what Rong Jiu meant, and vividly recalled the touch of that mushroom.

…Jingzhe, relaxed too early.

Jingzhe swished his hand back, smiling falsely: “Official Zong said you have to abstain from desires, and pay more attention to your diet.”

He wished he could write the word “Honest” all over Rong Jiu’s body.

Rong Jiu raised his eyebrows and said lightly: “Should cut off his tongue.”

Jingzhe chuckled: “We have to thank Official Zong, otherwise who would treat your illness?”

“He has to thank me.” Rong Jiu’s voice was indifferent, “Otherwise, where would he find such a good test subject.”

Jingzhe was suspicious: “Test subject?”

Rong Jiu said unhurriedly: “Why do you think he kept staring at me? Is he so kind that he would be willing to spend ten years staying by my side just to treat my poison?”

Jingzhe: “…You mean, because this poison is too rare?”

“Rarity is one reason, but if he really wanted to, he could concoct a similar poison. It’s just that creation is easy, repair is hard. Without me, he can’t find another poisoned person who can persist until now.” Rong Jiu said ruthlessly, “He has no choice.”

There is one and only one choice.

To some extent, it is just a naked exchange of interests.

Jingzhe was silent for a moment, then said faintly: “Really dirty.”

It wasn’t clear if he was talking about Rong Jiu or Zong Yuanxin.

Human hearts are strange; it’s really hard to judge from the appearance alone.

“Dirty?”

Rong Jiu clasped Jingzhe’s wrist, dragged him over, and bit the tip of his nose.

“Forcibly suppressing you, disregarding your will, stripping your clothes, pressing your limbs under chains, letting you cry all you want but refusing to let go, wringing you dry until the last tear, until there is not a drop of juice…”

Rong Jiu’s voice was icy, like threatening words, but easily aroused burning heat. Jingzhe’s skin was covered in a flush, as if following those words, that beautiful and weird scene was really being enacted.

Jingzhe’s back was pressed tight against Rong Jiu’s chest, so that the inexplicable hot heartbeat seemed to tempt him too.

“You are crying, you always cry, all wet, like falling into water, very pitiful. But you aren’t strong enough to break free from those restraints, so you can only stay there, waiting for me to come back.” That icy voice, sentence after sentence, rushed into Jingzhe’s ears without obstruction, stirring up surging heat waves, “…Cry a bit more, that really makes one like it…”

Like those suppressed twisted desires, accompanying the icy words, piercing into the bottom of Jingzhe’s heart.

Doing that would be truly dirty.

…

Jingzhe turned over, then turned over again.