Chapter 33 - Zhong Yansheng: I'm sorry, Your Highness Prince Ding
Chapter 33 - Zhong Yansheng: I'm sorry, Your Highness Prince Ding
Zhong Yansheng thought he was dreaming.
How could Xiao Nong possibly appear at the private banquet of His Royal Highness Prince Jing... He didn't have an invitation, right?
No, the point is, shouldn't he still be facing the wall and reflecting on his mistakes?
After looking into the pair of cool dark blue eyes for a few moments, Zhong Yansheng couldn't help but rub his eyes, then secretly raised his head to look in that direction.
...Still here.
And his eyes became colder and colder.
Not an illusion.
The noise from a few minutes ago had disappeared, and the surroundings were eerily dead silent.
Being stared at by Xiao Nong in such an atmosphere, even though Zhong Yansheng's mind was not very clear, his keen intuition for danger like a small animal emerged. He straightened his back involuntarily and dared not lean on Zhong Sidu anymore.
But he didn't dare look over there again. He lowered his head and looked carefully at his sleeves.
What is that almanac calculating every day?
He would go back and burn the old almanac.
Not only Zhong Yansheng, but also some people at the banquet also felt suffocated.
Including the flower-fighting banquet in Jinghua Garden, the time when Xiao Wenlan took them to Changliu Villa, and the hunting trip on Yannan Mountain a few days ago.
This is the fourth time they've run into His Royal Highness Prince Ding!
His Royal Highness Prince Ding is so tall and powerful that even their fathers have a hard time meeting this gentleman. Before this, he only lived in rumors. How come he is so easy to bump into recently?!
He appeared at the private banquet of His Royal Highness Prince Jing today... Could it be because of Zhong Yansheng?
Everyone's eyes quietly fell on Zhong Yansheng, who was bowing his head and pretending to be dead. They all swallowed their saliva and felt a little secret sympathy.
He is so handsome, but so unlucky. Not only will he no longer be the young master of Huai'an Marquis' Mansion, but he has also offended His Royal Highness Prince Ding.
But even if Zhong Yansheng was still the eldest son of the Huai'an Marquisate, Prince Ding would not think much before touching him. After all, couldn't the young master of the Pei Mansion have his fingers chopped off at will?
Xiao Nong's eyes were still fixed on Zhong Yansheng. He saw him lowering his head guiltily, his watery eyes and brows were hidden by his falling hair, his thin earlobes were turning red, he was playing and fighting with others just now, but now he was as quiet and well-behaved as a little bird with its wings folded.
When his headache recurred, Xiao Nong's five senses became extremely sharp.
He just heard his little bird calling others brothers.
Elder brother.
It wasn't him that was called.
As those two words pounded into my ears, the pain in my brain immediately became more intense, and every nerve was twitching and clamoring.
There was a red, cold, bloody look in Xiao Nong's dark blue eyes. His gaze slid to Zhong Sidu, and then slowly slid to the other people sitting down.
The others below were secretly exchanging glances and talking in low voices, making a lot of noise, like a group of rats in the dark.
Very noisy.
Just kill them all.
The capital city is like a strange place full of ghosts. It has been lifeless under the old emperor's rule for more than fifty years. The old man has lived too long and thinks he can control everything. How about causing chaos in the capital city and giving him a big surprise?
Zhan Rong followed beside Xiao Nong, and when he saw his expression, he suddenly felt a chill and shuddered silently.
The prince was clearly unable to stand up due to the pain of a headache this morning, but when he heard that Young Master Zhong had come to Prince Jing's mansion, he managed to take a simple bath, wash himself, and change his clothes to come over.
He thought his headache had eased a little.
But based on his familiarity with Xiao Nong...the prince seemed to be on the verge of losing his mind.
At the critical moment, Pei Hong suddenly spoke up, with a faint smile on his face, and bowed to Xiao Nong: "I heard that His Royal Highness Prince Ding was punished by His Majesty to reflect on his mistakes under house arrest, so I did not send an invitation to Prince Ding's mansion. It turns out that Prince Ding has also been released from the ban. It was my negligence. Uncle Xiao, please take a seat?"
Xiao Nong pretended not to hear anything. After staring at him for a long time, he walked towards Zhong Yansheng.
Pei Hong and Zhong Sidu's expressions suddenly changed, and the group of young masters behind them who were speculating also sighed.
As expected, he came here because of Zhong Yansheng. It seems that as the rumors said, Zhong Yansheng really has a relationship with that "Yuan Yuan" and has offended Prince Ding!
Is he going to be bloodied on the spot?
In the eyes that gathered around them, there was fear, sympathy, regret, and a hint of excitement from watching the fun.
Zhong Yansheng sat in his seat and noticed those complicated gazes, but he didn't feel much.
Because Xiao Nong's presence is too strong.
The light in front of him dimmed, and a familiar royal blue piece of clothing appeared in his sight. The dark patterns on it flowed like water in the sunlight, and the brilliance was looming, low-key yet ostentatious.
Zhong Yansheng had drunk several cups of King Jing's private brew, and now the aftereffects were taking effect. His eyelashes trembled, and he raised his eyes hazily. He first saw the Tian Huang stone seal hanging on the forehead band around Xiao Nong's waist, then he paused for a moment, then raised his head and looked at the familiar handsome face in amazement.
There was no expression on Xiao Nong's face, and the look in his eyes when he looked at him was icy, sharp and cruel, with a heavy aura. The pressure from being in a superior position almost made it difficult for him to breathe.
He is completely exposed.
Zhong Yansheng's black eyelashes fluttered a few times, and he thought anxiously, Xiao Nong... recognized him.
The drunkenness washed away a lot of the fear of the unknown. These days, he had been worried about whether Xiao Nong recognized him, which made his heart restless.
He pursed his lips, and his mind, paralyzed by alcohol, turned with difficulty. He wanted to say something like "Everyone is responsible for their own actions" and "Don't bother the Marquis' Mansion, just look for me." But in the end, his voice was like the hum of a mosquito, hoarse and soft: "Your Highness Prince Ding..."
"Your Highness Prince Ding!"
Zhong Sidu stood aside to block the confused Zhong Yansheng, his face slightly gloomy, and he spoke quickly: "His Majesty ordered you to be confined to your home for a month, and now it has not even been half a month, and you left the house without permission, disobeying His Majesty. Even if you are a meritorious official guarding the border, it is not good to be so proud of your achievements."
Pei Hong also walked over quickly, the smile on his face rarely disappeared: "Besides, even if I am not as good as His Royal Highness Prince Ding, I am also a legitimate prince of the royal family. This is my Prince Jing's Mansion, not a place where you can stay as you please. Uncle Xiao barged into the banquet without an invitation, which is too presumptuous!"
Yun Cheng, who went to find the hangover soup, was holding the bowl. He never expected to see such a big drama when he came back. The eldest young master and His Royal Highness Prince Jing, who had been quite at odds with each other before, now worked together. He couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
The two princes and the real heir of a marquis' mansion were all in front of the square table, as well as the guard who had a very sharp knife and could chop off someone's fingers in the blink of an eye.
Yun Cheng didn't dare to go over and looked anxiously at the back of his young master's hairy head.
The young master is not very courageous, he must be very scared now, right?
Xiao Nong seemed to find it very interesting. He listened to what the two of them said and said "oh" softly, with a rising tone: "How outrageous?"
This was the first sentence he said after he suddenly broke into Prince Jing's Mansion and appeared at the banquet. His voice was neither high nor low, and his low voice was slightly hoarse and could not be heard clearly.
"Even if I am presumptuous, so what?"
Pei Hong and Zhong Sidu's faces suddenly became hideous.
The entire northwest faction's garrison commanders are all related to the Xiao family and can be considered members of the same lineage. Xiao Nong led troops into battle at the age of sixteen, and has never given back the military power since then. He is indeed capable and confident enough to say such things.
As long as he wants to do it, no one here can stop him.
Xiao Nong bent down, passed Zhong Sidu who was blocking the way, and happened to meet Zhong Yansheng's sight.
He sneaked over from behind Zhong Sidu's shoulder, his soft hair hanging down in front of his forehead, his hair was black and his skin was white, his clear and bright eyes were covered with a layer of drunken mist, he looked at him timidly, with uncontrollable curiosity and confusion, like a timid and beautiful baby bird.
Their eyes met, Xiao Nong narrowed his eyes and stretched out his hand towards him.
Zhong Sidu's shoulders tensed, and he was just about to hide Zhong Yansheng again when the person behind him suddenly stood up shakily.
Not only Zhong Sidu, but also Pei Hong and Yun Chengdu, who were holding the hangover soup not far away, were stunned. Zhong Sidu even subconsciously wanted to grab Zhong Yansheng's hand.
Everyone else present thought that Xiao Nong had a grudge against Zhong Yansheng. Even Pei Hong might have just thought that Xiao Nong was attracted to Zhong Yansheng. Only he knew that his brother had been abducted to the bed by this man and forced!
But when he stretched out his hand halfway, he heard a clang sound. Zhan Rong, who was following Xiao Nong, drew his sword silently, and the sharp and cold blade blocked between his fingers and Zhong Yansheng.
If it went in one more inch, Zhong Sidu's finger would be gone.
Zhong Yansheng seemed to be completely unaware of what was happening. He shook his head and spoke in a vague voice. It was unclear whether he was comforting himself or others: "It's okay..."
Pei Hong stared at Zhong Yansheng as he walked towards Xiao Nong. Finally, he couldn't help but take a few steps forward. When he raised his hand halfway, he suddenly thought of the day on Yannan Mountain.
Heavy rain was pouring down and Zhong Yansheng was developing a high fever beside him. When he was at a loss as to what to do, Xiao Nong, who appeared in front of him through the rain, looked at him with his eyes.
His fingers stiffened, curled up, and slowly lowered.
Zhong Yansheng walked unsteadily, his body floating as if he could fly. He swayed and walked in front of Xiao Nong, trying to reason with him seriously.
They are both victims. The one who drugged them was Meng Qiping. Let's beat Meng Qiping up again.
But it was difficult for a drunken tongue to utter even a simple sentence. Zhong Yansheng tried hard to organize his thoughts, and before he could utter the first sentence, a slender, strong, white hand that looked as if it had been pampered was extended in front of him.
Xiao Nong called him: "Yuan Yuan."
The voice was low and magnetic, and it made his ears feel tingling, from his ears to his heart. Zhong Yansheng's eyelashes trembled even more violently.
Xiao Nong called him Yuan Yuan...
Xiao Nong indeed discovered it.
But he called him Yuan Yuan.
The logic in Zhong Yansheng's mind was mixed up. He only remembered that those who called him "Yuan Yuan" were all his closest people. He felt relieved when he saw that Xiao Nong was just bending slightly and stretching his hand towards him, and didn't do anything terrible.
The person who called him Yuan Yuan couldn't be a bad person, right?
The slender white hand hesitated for a moment, then placed itself into the pair of large palms.
Xiao Nong curled the corner of his mouth and held his hand.
The next moment, Zhong Yansheng cried out "Ah!" and a huge force came from his hand, pulling him lightly. His feet were already unstable, and he was pulled into Xiao Nong's arms without any resistance.
Then a hand came up from under his knees, and his whole body became lighter and floated in the air, as if he was really flying.
Zhong Yansheng felt dizzy, and after a long while, he slowly realized that Xiao Nong had picked him up.
There was a sound of people gasping for air all around. Xiao Nong didn't even look at Zhong Sidu and Pei Hong's expressions. He just strode away with the person in his arms.
Zhan Rong quickly put away his sword and followed.
The hands pinching his waist and clasping his knees were too strong. Zhong Yansheng felt a little pain and could not help struggling.
Xiao Nong smelled the faint smell of alcohol on him, and the string in his mind that was stretched to the limit and about to break, relaxed slightly. He paused, slightly reduced the strength, and shook the thin body in his arms lightly: "What are you moving around for."
Zhong Yansheng regained consciousness, covered his mouth with his hands, feeling a little uncomfortable, and said with a weak breath: "Stop, stop shaking, I want to vomit..."
Xiao Nong: "…"
The two figures disappeared behind the moon-shaped gate of the Lotus Garden, and the dead silence in the courtyard was gradually broken.
"……Oh my God."
Many people looked at the direction where Xiao Nong left, muttering to themselves: "Can this little beauty still keep his body intact?"
No one was paying attention to the party anymore.
Everyone's mind was filled with a piece of news that would shock the capital:
Prince Ding ignored the house arrest order, broke into the private banquet of Prince Jing's Mansion, and kidnapped the fake young master of Huai'an Marquis Mansion in public!
Xiao Nong's carriage was parked outside Prince Jing's mansion.
In the eyes of others, Xiao Nong was arrogant and presumptuous, but Zhan Rong could see that the prince was almost at the limit of his physical strength, so he hurried forward and lifted the curtain of the carriage.
Xiao Nong said nothing, hugged Zhong Yansheng and lowered his head to get into the carriage.
The curtain fell, and there were only two people left in the carriage, no longer the noisy mob.
Zhong Yansheng was placed on the small couch in the carriage.
He retracted his hands and feet. His mind became clearer, but still very dull. He looked up at the man in front of him with an unclear expression and nervously called out, "Your Highness..."
His eyes went dark, and he watched Xiao Nong half-kneel down and hug him tightly.
He was slender and fit perfectly in that broad embrace.
The embrace was not warm, but was filled with a cold and bitter breath. Xiao Nong buried his head deep in the crook of his neck, and the breath he exhaled was cold. It was more like he was squeezing into Zhong Yansheng's arms than hugging Zhong Yansheng.
Zhong Yansheng stood stiffly, pitifully, not daring to move. He felt as if Xiao Nong was the big cat that pounced on him as soon as they met, intending to shove its big furry head into his arms. After his alcohol-induced brain was dazed for a while, he did something he didn't expect.
He touched Prince Ding's head.
After touching him, Zhong Yansheng was stunned, and was frightened to sober up a little.
This is the head of His Royal Highness Prince Ding!
Xiao Nong felt very comfortable being touched. When he noticed that he had stopped moving, he urged him in a low and unhappy voice: "Touch me again."
Zhong Yansheng hesitated for a moment, then touched it again tentatively.
His Royal Highness Prince Ding, who is said to be like a demon god, also has soft hair.
Touching it in the palm of your hand, it feels somewhat similar to Taxue.
After touching for a while, Zhong Yansheng's hands gradually became sore and dropped, muttering softly: "...I have no strength left."
Xiao Nong felt a little sorry, so he closed his eyes and held him tighter in his arms.
Hugging this thin body, he finally got what he wanted and smelled again the fragrant scent that had been covered by Zhong Yansheng's thick perfume powder and blocked by the smell of alcohol. The hazy and moist orchid fragrance slowly seeped into his tense nerves.
The pain that almost drove him crazy slowly dissipated like ice and snow meeting in the scorching sun. He took a deep breath of Zhong Yansheng's scent, and his tall nose rubbed against his thin neck uncontrollably. When it rubbed against Adam's apple, he clearly noticed that the person in his arms swallowed nervously several times.
Xiao Nong laughed softly in pleasure.
When he smiled, Zhong Yansheng became even more nervous, and his Adam's apple rolled slightly again. His thin skin was as smooth and delicate as mutton-fat jade, warm and fragrant, which made Xiao Nong's teeth itch.
Just smelling Zhong Yansheng's scent was not enough, and another kind of thirsty desire arose in his throat.
It smells so good, does it taste good too?
One bite would not scare him.
Xiao Nong thought absentmindedly, suppressing the sudden desire. He rubbed his head against his neck from time to time, sniffing his scent greedily, his narrow eyes half-closed, with a hint of blood color still in them.
If I had known earlier, I would have carried the person home.
Just lock him up.
Anyway, this kid is stupid and slow-tempered. He might not be able to react even if he is caught and eaten.
The servants sent a pair of golden shackles, which were beautifully crafted and inlaid with gems. They were perfect for locking up the little bird to prevent it from flying away again.
Even if he was locked up, Yuan'er would probably just look at him with red eyes and wouldn't dare to shed tears.
Dark thoughts flashed through his mind, and the person who was holding him obediently in his arms suddenly moved twice.
Xiao Nong held his waist unhappily: "Don't move."
His Royal Highness Prince Ding rubbed against his neck, making him look more like a big cat.
[A big cat = Like Taxue]
The fear in Zhong Yansheng's heart strangely dissipated a lot. Seeing that Xiao Nong was still buried in his arms and refused to let go, he blushed and struggled again. He mustered up the courage to whisper his opinion: "I'm not comfortable sitting like this..."
Although he was sitting, Xiao Nong acted as if he wanted to hang on to him and hugged him for a long time.
Zhong Yansheng was drunk and had no strength to begin with, yet he was forced to sit upright.
So tired.
Xiao Nong understood what he meant, and finally raised his head, coldly rebuking: "Squeamish."
I carried him all the way here and didn't let him stand, but he still complained of being tired after holding him for a while.
The same thing happened that day on the pleasure boat.
It was obvious that the little bird was drugged, and it rubbed itself pitifully into his arms, begging him to help with the antidote. However, halfway through the antidote, it wanted to crawl under the bed, saying with tears in its eyes that it was very tired.
It's ridiculous that I feel tired even when lying down.
Xiao Nong let him sit down.
Zhong Yansheng lost his temper after being talked about. He was indeed very delicate and would get sick easily. He could only wear soft silk socks that stuck to his feet, otherwise he would get a rash.
But after scolding him for being spoiled, His Royal Highness Prince Ding paused and finally let him go.
Then Zhong Yansheng was pushed down on the couch. His eyes widened slightly, and he looked blankly at Xiao Nong who was standing beside the couch and looking down at him.
He didn't know what he looked like.
A handsome and noble young man, his clothes were disheveled, his eyelids were stained with a layer of peach red, his cheeks were flushed, his lips were also red, and his neck was also rubbed red by the tip of Xiao Nong's nose. He was like a ripe peach, stained with fragrance, his eyes were watery, and he seemed to be seducing, but he was unaware and lying in front of others without any defense.
Xiao Nong's Adam's apple rolled, and there was a sense of separation in his dark blue eyes. He leaned over to get close to him, pinched his jaw, and rolled his thumb on his soft and rosy lips: "This king knows what you think and mean."
Zhong Yansheng became even more confused.
Thoughts? What thoughts?
"This king agrees."
Ah?
Even though Zhong Yansheng was drunk, he felt that there was something wrong with what he said, but his brain really couldn't think of too many things at the moment, so he hesitated and said "... Then, thank you, Your Highness?"
Xiao Nong didn't say anything. He stared at Zhong Yansheng for a while, then lay down together. He pulled the small quilt next to him, rolled up Zhong Yansheng, hugged him in his arms again, closed his eyes and smelled his scent.
That time, Zhong Yansheng was drugged, and he had to save him. Now Zhong Yansheng is just drunk... A gentleman should not take advantage of someone in distress.
Zhan Rong drove the carriage carefully, preferring to go slower rather than letting the carriage shake too much. A single shake could be fatal when he had a headache, not to mention that there was another person who looked like Liuli inside.
[Liuli = Crystal like body, like would break if forced]
The carriage was too quiet, with only the slightest shaking and the rumbling of the carriage wheels. Zhong Yansheng had a nightmare last night and drank a few glasses of wine. He lay down for a while, feeling drunk and sleepy at the same time. He forgot who was holding him. He rubbed his little head against Xiao Nong's arms, his eyelids felt sore and heavy, and he slowly closed his eyes.
Sensing his movements, Xiao Nong stiffened slightly. He felt that the wrapped Zhong Yansheng looked more like a chubby silver-throated titmouse. Relying on his cute appearance, he moved closer to him without knowing the consequences.
That's all.
Xiao Nong felt a little better and thought to himself that he had just allowed him to like himself.
Because the kid likes him so much.
Xiao Nong confidently hugged him tighter in his arms and then closed his eyes.
Not long after the carriage returned to Prince Ding's Mansion, what happened in Prince Jing's Mansion spread throughout the capital.
Rumors spread quickly from one person to another, and when they were exaggerated, they spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred. By the time they reached the ears of the Marquis of Huai'an and his wife, it had become:
"My Lord! Madam! It's bad. Prince Ding broke into Prince Jing's private banquet, knocked the young master unconscious and carried him away. It is said that he has been brought back to Prince Ding's mansion and tortured!"
Marquis Huai'an and his wife: "..."
Zhong Yansheng, who was rumored to have had both ears cut off, and one hand chopped off, slept soundly in the cold and bitter air around him. When he woke up in a daze, it was already dark outside.
After a night of deep sleep, Zhong Yansheng felt his bones were numb. He unconsciously rubbed his head against the things in front of him twice, and then his body paused.
He doesn't like sleeping on a porcelain pillow, and always uses his own soft little pillow.
The object in front of him was hard, not his little pillow.
The things in front of him became clearer and clearer, and Zhong Yansheng could see clearly that in front of him was someone's chest. The collar had been rubbed open by him, revealing a body with smoothly muscular lines underneath. He was like a cheetah, full of dormant power, but not too strong. Other traces could be vaguely seen under the clothes.
Zhong Yansheng's mind was not fully clear yet. When he saw what seemed to be scars, he couldn't help but lift the already loose clothes and saw the crisscrossing scars on this strong and beautiful body.
Some are new and some are old, the new ones look very recent.
From an artist's perspective, this is indeed a perfect body.
Zhong Yansheng sighed regretfully.
Then he nodded with satisfaction.
Although it has many scars, it is still very beautiful.
After working for a long time, a voice suddenly sounded above my head: "Have you seen enough?"
Zhong Yansheng subconsciously said: "Not yet."
Zhong Yansheng realized whose voice it was later. He froze in his tracks, his ears instantly turned red, he breathed lightly, shrank his head, and carefully covered the clothes that he had lifted, intending to pretend that nothing had happened.
Before he could cover it, his hand was grabbed by a big hand.
The hand held his hand and lifted his underwear again, opening it wider than before.
"Looks good?"
Zhong Yansheng swallowed his saliva. Even though he knew he shouldn't look at it, he couldn't help but glance up again.
"Um?"
The furtive gaze was noticed.
Zhong Yansheng gritted his teeth and whispered: "It looks good."
A lazy laugh came from above his head.
Then his lower jaw was hooked up by another hand, and Zhong Yansheng was forced to see the handsome face with a hint of evil.
"One more look?"
Zhong Yansheng hurriedly said: "I dare not..."
You don't dare yet. Who was it just now who lifted the clothes and almost put his head in to look?
Little naughty bird.
Xiao Nong rubbed his jaw and smiled a little more: "Seeing that the young master's facial disease has recovered, I am happy for you."
Sure enough, without any surprise, he was discovered.
Zhong Yansheng closed his eyes in despair and spoke in a quieter voice: "I'm sorry, Your Highness Prince Ding."