Qin Yuanxi was sleeping soundly when suddenly someone grabbed his neck. It was a terrifying experience. Qin Yuanxi felt like he was about to die right there. After struggling for a while, he saw the icy and ruthless eyes of Lu Bohuan. Qin Yuanxi immediately felt everything turning dark before him. This wasn’t just life-threatening; it was like facing death itself!
“You, let go of me! Quickly!”
Qin Yuanxi gripped Lu Bohuan’s wrist, trying to break free, but it was futile. His strength couldn’t match Lu Bohuan’s; Lu Bohuan could crush him with one hand, as if squashing an ant.
Qin Yuanxi didn’t even want to resist anymore. What kind of mess was this? Yesterday, he was soothing and sweet-talking, putting him to sleep, and now, before dawn, he was acting as if he didn’t know each other. This was pushing someone to their limits. How did he end up with such a lunatic? He must have been cursed in his previous life!
“How did you end up in my bed?”
Lu Bohuan’s face darkened, looking like someone you didn’t want to provoke. When Qin Yuanxi heard this, he became even more furious. What do you mean, ‘his bed’? Please, take a good look. This is the Emperor’s sleeping chamber, and this is the Emperor’s dragon bed. Lu Bohuan, are you trying to rebel openly?
Perhaps Qin Yuanxi’s anger and dissatisfaction were too evident, or perhaps Lu Bohuan finally woke up and realized where he was. He let go of Qin Yuanxi, his expression turning puzzled. “How did I end up here?”
Being in the Emperor’s sleeping chamber didn’t count, and especially on the dragon bed, Lu Bohuan was truly baffled.
He rubbed his slightly sore head, feeling dizzy and unable to form a logical thought. What had Zhao Tuo done? Why had things turned out like this? What had happened while he was in the dark?
“Get off!”
Whether Lu Bohuan had figured things out or not didn’t matter. What mattered was that Qin Yuanxi had. Lu Bohuan was still Lu Bohuan, trying to kill him as soon as he woke up. This man was impossible to deal with. Now that Lu Bohuan had finally woken up, they would handle things professionally. The enemy was like the autumn wind; you had to be even colder and ruthless to defeat them.
So, Qin Yuanxi immediately turned cold and heartless, not only that, but he also kicked Lu Bohuan off the bed without a second thought, displaying his ruthlessness.
When Lu Bohuan was kicked, he was still disoriented. But as he stood on the ground and saw his disheveled clothes and noticed some dark marks on his neck through the full-length bronze mirror in the Emperor’s chamber, his headache intensified.
The development of this situation had completely exceeded Lu Bohuan’s expectations, and it was beyond his capacity to accept. When did they end up in the same bed? And with such ambiguous marks. Those were not the main concerns; the most important thing was the child. What was going on with that child?
Lu Bohuan wanted to ask, but when he turned his head, he saw that Qin Yuanxi had already turned over and covered himself with the blanket, showing no intention of communicating. Even if they did communicate, what could they say to each other? Could he tell the truth? Definitely not.
With these thoughts, Lu Bohuan’s expression grew worse. He straightened his clothes and coldly said, “Your Majesty, please rest well. I will take my leave.”
“Are you leaving just like that?” Qin Yuanxi didn’t react much at first.
But perhaps due to heightened emotions during pregnancy or because Lu Bohuan had irritated him earlier, seeing Lu Bohuan return to his usual indifferent self, Qin Yuanxi couldn’t contain his anger. Especially when he saw Lu Bohuan act as if nothing had happened, he couldn’t help but feel provoked. Qin Yuanxi’s mind heated up, and he grabbed a pillow and threw it at Lu Bohuan. It was satisfying to throw it, but afterward, he felt guilty.
Lu Bohuan wasn’t Zhao Tuo; he wasn’t someone you could easily vent your anger on. Prince Lu wouldn’t tolerate such behavior.
Seeing Lu Bohuan’s expression change, Qin Yuanxi quickly took the initiative.
With a stern tone but a hint of vulnerability, he shouted, “What’s the matter? Do you have an explanation for this? What does it mean to act like a different person as soon as you get out of bed? I’m telling you, Lu Bohuan, I’ve had enough of you. If you don’t give me an explanation today, you can just kill me. One corpse, two deaths, who’s afraid of whom? You’ll regret it!”
As he shouted, he carefully watched Lu Bohuan’s expression.
Qin Yuanxi was taking a gamble here.
In fact, he didn’t know much about Lu Bohuan. During their time together, they had always been at odds, and there had even been moments when Lu Bohuan had wanted to harm him. But there was one thing Qin Yuanxi was certain of—Lu Bohuan still had Zhao Tuo in his heart, and as far as Qin Yuanxi was concerned, Zhao Tuo was a good person. Qin Yuanxi could reason with Zhao Tuo, but he couldn’t with Lu Bohuan, so he wanted to try reasoning with Lu Bohuan now.
“Regret what?” Lu Bohuan finally stopped walking and didn’t leave. He fixed his icy gaze on Qin Yuanxi. After a long silence, he asked, “What do you want to say to me?”
“Me, don’t you know what I want to say?”
Prince Lu turned and took a seat, pouring himself a cup of tea. The earlier embarrassment was nowhere to be seen on him now. It was as if the person who had been pushed off the bed in confusion a moment ago wasn’t him at all. With just a turn, he transformed back into the lofty Prince Lu.
It was truly impressive, amazing, and such acting skills. Qin Yuanxi couldn’t help but feel inferior.
Prince Lu didn’t even respond to Qin Yuanxi’s attempt to break the ice. He sipped his tea leisurely, as if he was at his own home, quite composed. Instead, it was Qin Yuanxi who was left bewildered. Prince Lu was weird, and now he couldn’t keep up with the erratic thoughts of this man. He had no idea what this guy was thinking now. As Qin Yuanxi was trying to figure out how to start a conversation, Prince Lu finally spoke.
“What’s your name?”
“What?”
This sudden question left Qin Yuanxi confused. Before he could even process it, Prince Lu threw another bomb at him, “Since you’re following me, you should have a proper status. Being a queen is impossible, but in the future, when the child is born, there will always be a place for you in the prince’s mansion. As for your family, they will be taken care of by the mansion. You won’t have any worries.”
Qin Yuanxi wore a puzzled expression all over his face, unable to figure out the intricate workings of Lu Bohuan’s mind. But that wasn’t the most important thing. What truly mattered was whether Prince Lu had acknowledged the child growing inside Qin Yuanxi’s belly.
Although Qin Yuanxi was a bit slow to react, he could discern the meaning behind Lu Bohuan’s words. This guy obviously knew that the child in his belly was the result of his intimate encounter with Zhao Tuo. According to this guy’s twisted logic, Zhao Tuo and he were essentially the same person, so Zhao Tuo’s child was also his child. Hence the talk of providing him with a place in the prince’s mansion.
Leaving aside everything else, Prince Lu’s line of thinking was undeniably bizarre.
He truly was a lunatic. Ordinary people couldn’t keep up with his thoughts.
“Heh, Lu Bohuan, do you have a problem? Does His Majesty need your hospitality?” Qin Yuanxi couldn’t help but feel a bit proud.
In the modern times, he wouldn’t dare utter such grand words. But now, he not only could say it but also say it with confidence!
“Under the sky, there is no land that does not belong to the king. Why would His Majesty need your hospitality?”
As Qin Yuanxi spoke, there was a hint of mockery in his tone. His gaze at Lu Bohuan was provoking. In his eyes, this was a display of confidence, while to Prince Lu, it seemed like an unyielding attitude, a stubborn refusal to back down.
Lu Bohuan set down his teacup, looked at Qin Yuanxi, and sighed, “Why must you be so stubborn? If things go south, do you know what your fate will be? I’m willing to give you a chance. Don’t be so ignorant; your life is at stake!”
As he said this, he glanced at Qin Yuanxi’s belly as if lamenting for the unborn child, a child who had no idea of the circumstances. Qin Yuanxi’s gaze at him seemed more like he was looking at someone with a mental disability.
“Lu Bohuan, what do you mean? Speak plainly, don’t beat around the bush.” Qin Yuanxi had originally been lying on the bed but felt that speaking to Prince Lu in such a manner lacked the proper presence. He got up, donned a piece of clothing, and sat across from Lu Bohuan.
Surprisingly, as he moved closer, Prince Lu even took the initiative to pour him a cup of tea. It seemed quite polite, entirely different from when he had tried to strangle him earlier. It was odd, really. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was off, but something was definitely amiss.
Well, he couldn’t engage in a contest of wits with a lunatic. Otherwise, what would be the difference between him and the lunatic?
“Who sent you? Was it Emperor Qin Yuanxi, or was it Zhao Tuo?” Lu Bohuan no longer circled around the issue and placed the crucial question on the table.
This question confused Lu Bohuan. Initially, he thought this was Emperor Qin Yuanxi’s plot, intended to use this impostor to shake up the court, seize Lu Bohuan’s weakness, and ultimately eliminate the Lu faction to strengthen the imperial power.
However, with Zhao Tuo’s involvement, things became increasingly complicated. Coupled with the events of today, Lu Bohuan was thoroughly perplexed. Based on the current situation, it was highly likely that everything was orchestrated by Zhao Tuo. But unfortunately, Lu Bohuan couldn’t converse with Zhao Tuo, even though they were the same person. He had no idea of Zhao Tuo’s intentions.
In the midst of all this, Lu Bohuan may have appeared calm, but his mind was in complete disarray. Regardless of the chaos, he knew that the situation had to be dealt with. At least, he believed that his proposed course of action was reasonable.
However, he didn’t expect Qin Yuanxi to be even more stubborn than he had anticipated. Even in these circumstances, Qin Yuanxi refused to backtrack. This level of determination was indeed admirable.
“Who sent me?” Qin Yuanxi raised his hand and slapped the table with his cup. He chuckled and said, “I am the Emperor’s direct heir, inheriting the throne from the position of the Crown Prince. If the Regent needs to know who sent me, it’s probably a decree from the heavens, right? Does the Regent have any objections?”
“Unyielding till the end,” Lu Bohuan muttered under his breath. Then, he threw out a fatal question, “Since you consider yourself a ruler, why would you place yourself below me, serving me? Your Majesty, perhaps you could explain the reason.”
Lu Bohuan is indeed Lu Bohuan – one sentence had left Qin Yuanxi speechless.
After all, in the grand scheme of things, who would be willing to take the subordinate role? This wasn’t just about positions during intimate moments; it represented imperial authority. In the end, when it comes to making decisions, it had to be the Emperor who held the highest authority. Moreover, he was pregnant.
Being pregnant was one thing, but he had no intention of terminating the pregnancy. In this day and age, a regular man might have difficulty accepting this situation, let alone an Emperor.
Well, that’s quite a situation, isn’t it?
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
