CH 3.1

His jaw was pinched and played with for a bit too long.

The water vapor that evaporated from Meng Huan’s shoulders brought coolness, and the atmosphere was enchanting. The scene was like the erotic scene of a tyrant and a favored concubine bathing together in a drama… with flower petals and a rose bath, two naked people facing each other, rinsing each other with water. Next, it was time to be lovey-dovey in the water.

Lin Bozhou stared at him through the water mist, his gaze mixed with ambiguity, making Meng Huan’s brain dizzy…

According to the routine, were they going to have sex next?

Would he kiss him?

Meng Huan resignedly closed his eyes.

Snort.

However, there was a low laugh in his ear.

Lin Bozhou stroked his jaw. His fingers were clean, and his hands were big, so he easily squeezed his pointed jaw and asked with a smile, “What are you thinking about?”

The young master had obediently closed his eyes halfway before him, with wet eyelashes, almost as if he was waiting to be taken advantage of.

…… So innocent. Lin Bozhou narrowed his eyes and remembered what had happened a few days ago. The young gentleman who scolded him in the courtyard for several days and nights and wrote furiously, the son raised by the court’s honest and upright Meng Xueming, a child prodigy at a young age, very knowledgeable, with elegant conduct and an outstanding reputation in the capital. However, now…

Lin Bozhou dropped his eyes.

Meng Huan was slightly tickled by his scratching and blinked his eyes.

How could he be so simple?

Lin Pozhou’s fingers tightened, and a low voice sounded outside the door. “Your Highness. A message has come from the palace.”

“Well, good timing.” Lin Bozhou let go of his hand and glanced at Meng Huan, waiting for this moment. “Come in.”

Meng Huan and Lin Bozhou were behind the screen, and they could vaguely make out the silhouette of the person walking behind the silk veil, who stopped behind the screen and said politely, “Your Highness, passing on His Majesty’s instructions.”

With an outsider coming to discuss important matters, Meng Huan lowered his head and stirred the water, pretending to be absent-minded and manually hiding.

Lin Bozhou raised his eyes and said, “Huanhuan, you listen too.”

Meng Huan looked up and said blankly, “Ah?”

“In a moment, this prince still has something to ask you.”

Lin Bozhou’s slightly raised lips contained some pleasant malice. His hand rested on the pool’s bank as he lazily closed his eyes.

Meng Huan pursed his lips, and his eyes turned to the screen outside.

The person who delivered the decree recited. “Imperial Brother receive the decree: five days ago, Jishizong* of the Ministry of Rites, a subordinate official of the Ministry of Public Works, and others jointly impeached Imperial Brother for unauthorized embezzlement and misappropriation of tax money. They framed and overstepped their authority to provoke the brotherly love between us. We have ordered the East Bureau* to exile these traitors to the army. We request Imperial Brother not feign illness and not to stay in your residence. You should take care of the nation’s well-being and take up the post immediately. Work with the cabinet ministers to protect the court to comfort Our hearts. By the Emperor himself.”

*Jishizong: an official position in ancient China. It was an additional title to any official position, and those who got it could enter and leave the palace to serve the emperor.

*East Bureau: a privileged monitoring and intelligence agency headed by eunuchs, investigating dissidents and suppressing opposition forces.

At the end of the decree, the man stopped talking.

The atmosphere in the room was silent.

Lin Bozhou glanced at Meng Huan as he raised his eyebrows. “What did you catch?”

The young gentleman before him, Meng Huan, was sitting in the water, expressionless.

Perhaps the water temperature had become colder and the wind blew over, but Meng Huan’s originally water-soaked face cooled down and became white. Now it was even paler, so white that blood was almost invisible.

He was nervous.

Very well.

Lin Bozhou almost saw what he wanted to see and was interested. “What?”

Meng Huan was the Jishizong of the Ministry of Rites’ son. Even if he could pretend, he would not be able to remain emotionless upon hearing the news of his father being banished…

Lin Bozhou dropped his eyes, his fingers tapping the pool’s bank.

Meng Huan’s eyes finally turned to him.

If Lin Bozhou had been born a few hundred years later, he would have recognized the terrified and feigned calmness of a study slag who didn’t understand anything in the class but was pointed by the teacher to answer a question on Meng Huan’s face.

The young man’s voice was a little shaky and broken. “Ah… ah?”

Lin Bozhou: “?”

Then, he saw Meng Huan grab his hair, his dark, moist eyes turning pitifully, his voice almost crying: “Sorry, I didn’t hear you. Can you read it again?”

Lin Bozhou: “…………”

The minister who announced the decree: “…………”

The imperial edict, was this something that can be read again?

There was a dead silence.

Lin Bozhou’s original loose tapping fingers completely stopped. His eyes were downcast, looking at him soberly.

The young man was obviously nervous to the point of grasping his scalp, afraid of not answering and being scolded by him. His eyes looked up, looking pitiful, and it made people feel especially distressed.

Lin Bozhou closed his eyes, feeling quite dumb.

…… Forget it.

Perhaps his initial guess was wrong.

Lin Bozhou stood up from the water, took the dry clothes hanging on the screen, put them on his shoulders without saying anything, and left the pool with great strides.

—His jaw was pinched and played with for a bit too long.

The water vapor that evaporated from Meng Huan’s shoulders brought coolness, and the atmosphere was enchanting. The scene was like the erotic scene of a tyrant and a favored concubine bathing together in a drama… with flower petals and a rose bath, two naked people facing each other, rinsing each other with water. Next, it was time to be lovey-dovey in the water.

Lin Bozhou stared at him through the water mist, his gaze mixed with ambiguity, making Meng Huan’s brain dizzy…

According to the routine, were they going to have sex next?

Would he kiss him?

Meng Huan resignedly closed his eyes.

“Snort.”

However, there was a low laugh in his ear.

Lin Bozhou stroked his jaw. His fingers were clean, and his hands were big, so he easily squeezed his pointed jaw and asked with a smile, “What are you thinking about?”

The young master had obediently closed his eyes halfway before him, with wet eyelashes, almost as if he was waiting to be taken advantage of.

…… So innocent. Lin Bozhou narrowed his eyes and remembered what had happened a few days ago. The young gentleman who scolded him in the courtyard for several days and nights and wrote furiously, the son raised by the court’s honest and upright Meng Xueming, a child prodigy at a young age, very knowledgeable, with elegant conduct and an outstanding reputation in the capital. However, now…

Lin Bozhou dropped his eyes.

Meng Huan was slightly tickled by his scratching and blinked his eyes.

How could he be so simple?

Lin Pozhou’s fingers tightened, and a low voice sounded outside the door. “Your Highness. A message has come from the palace.”

“Well, good timing.” Lin Bozhou let go of his hand and glanced at Meng Huan, waiting for this moment. “Come in.”

Meng Huan and Lin Bozhou were behind the screen, and they could vaguely make out the silhouette of the person walking behind the silk veil, who stopped behind the screen and said politely, “Your Highness, passing on His Majesty’s instructions.”

With an outsider coming to discuss important matters, Meng Huan lowered his head and stirred the water, pretending to be absent-minded and manually hiding.

Lin Bozhou raised his eyes and said, “Huanhuan, you listen too.”

Meng Huan looked up and said blankly, “Ah?”

“In a moment, this prince still has something to ask you.”

Lin Bozhou’s slightly raised lips contained some pleasant malice, his hand resting on the pool’s bank, lazily closing his eyes.

Meng Huan pursed his lips, and his eyes turned to the screen outside.

The person who delivered the decree recited. “Imperial Brother received the decree: five days ago, Jishizong* of the Ministry of Rites, a subordinate official of the Ministry of Public Works, and others jointly impeached Imperial Brother for unauthorized embezzlement and misappropriation of tax money. They framed and overstepped their authority to provoke the brotherly love between us. We have ordered the East Bureau* to exile these traitors to the army. We request Imperial Brother not feign illness and not to stay in your residence. You should take care of the nation’s well-being and take up the post immediately. Work with the cabinet ministers to protect the court to comfort Our hearts. By the Emperor himself.”

*Jishizong: an official position in ancient China. It was an additional title to any official position, and those who got it could enter and leave the palace to serve the emperor.

*East Bureau: a privileged monitoring and intelligence agency headed by eunuchs, investigating dissidents and suppressing opposition forces.

At the end of the decree, the man stopped talking.

The atmosphere in the room was silent.

Lin Bozhou glanced at Meng Huan as he raised his eyebrows. “What did you catch?”

The young gentleman before him, Meng Huan, was sitting in the water, expressionless.

Perhaps the water temperature had become colder, and the wind blew over, but Meng Huan’s originally water-soaked face cooled down and became white. Now it was even paler, so white that blood was almost invisible.

He was nervous.

Very well.

Lin Bozhou almost saw what he wanted to see and was interested. “What?”

Meng Huan was this Jishizong of the Ministry of Rites’ son. Even if he could pretend, he would not be able to remain emotionless upon hearing the news of his father being banished…

Lin Bozhou drooped his eyes, his fingers tapping the pool’s bank.

Meng Huan’s eyes finally turned to him.

If Lin Bozhou had been born a few hundred years later, he would have recognized the terrified and feigned calmness of a poor-grade student who didn’t understand anything in the class but was pointed by the teacher to answer a question on Meng Huan’s face.

The young man’s voice was a little shaky and broken. “Ah, ah?”

Lin Bozhou: “?”

Then, he saw Meng Huan grab his hair, his dark, moist eyes turning pitifully, his voice almost crying: “Sorry, I didn’t hear you. Can you read it again?”

Lin Bozhou: “…………”

The minister who announced the decree: “…………”

The imperial edict, was this something that can be read again?

There was a dead silence.

Lin Bozhou’s original loose tapping fingers completely stopped, eyes downcast, looking at him soberly.

The young man was obviously nervous to the point of grasping his scalp, afraid of not answering and being scolded by him. His eyes looked up, looking pitiful, especially making people feel distressed.

Lin Bozhou closed his eyes, feeling quite dumb.

…… Forget it.

Perhaps his initial guess was wrong.

Lin Bozhou stood up from the water, took the dry clothes hanging on the screen, put them on his shoulders without saying anything, and left the pool with great strides.