Before the third quarter of the hour of the Tiger, Shen Tanqi had just arrived in the city center with his men to hunt down and kill Chen Gui.
In the side wing of the Shen family’s residence, the dwelling of the Southern country’s miracle doctor.
A man stood by the window, holding a handkerchief to his nose, gently pinching some of the ointment-like incense with his fingertips. Shen Han furrowed his brow, his voice chilly.
“Is this the fertility incense you mentioned?”
Beside him, an old man with a cloth-wrapped hat smiled warmly, rubbing his hands together as he introduced it, “Yes, young master, you may not know this. This fertility incense is specifically used in the South to induce pregnancy. Anyone who smells it will itch all over and have an intense desire.”
Shen Han sneered and said, “And then?”
Such despicable methods were indeed what these lowly Southern folk would think of.
“You haven’t heard the news, young master? It’s said that the family head, out of consideration for Shen Tanqi’s sake, specially arranged for the daemon he brought to stay at the Shen family.” The miracle doctor smirked lewdly and continued, “You just need to use some means to have the servants take the daemon to Shen Tanqi’s residence. When Shen Tanqi smells the fertility incense, it will be when his desires are at their peak, and the daemon will be just in time to ignite the flames…”
Shen Han narrowed his eyes, applying the ointment from the burner to the old man’s clothes, a sinister smile tugging at his lips. “That’s quite a plan.”
The thought of Shen Tanqi being pinned down by that daemon amused him greatly. The proud and arrogant young master probably couldn’t bear such humiliation and might even shamefully take his own life on the spot, wouldn’t he?
That saves him the trouble of acting personally, but Shen Tanqi shouldn’t have the courage to commit suicide. He’s just a bully who dares to take advantage of others.
“When they succeed,” the miracle doctor couldn’t help adding a few more words, “the fertility incense will immediately take effect in the body. Plus, Shen Tanqi has a special physique, making it difficult not to conceive.”
At these words, Shen Han chuckled and repeated, “Special physique.”
Shen Tanqi’s unique constitution was, of course, thanks to the eldest lady who sought far and wide for a secret formula to conceive in her middle age. If it weren’t for the fact that she found the secret formula, the most respected person in the Shen family today would certainly be him, Shen Han!
Thanks to her finding the secret formula, Shen Han knew how much impact it had on Shen Tanqi, transforming him into a man capable of bearing children.
Ridiculous.
Once Shen Tanqi’s pregnancy was revealed, he would see if the family head still wanted to pass the position to a man who could bear children!
Shen Tanqi’s birth was a mistake, and it was up to Shen Han to correct that mistake.
The hour of the Tiger had passed, and the night grew deeper. The lights of countless families in Shuoxia City were extinguished, leaving only a few flickering candles.
Shen Tanqi’s residence.
It felt like something was triggering inside him, a blurry mist enveloping his vision, as if he was about to cry. Shen Tanqi’s eyes were reddened, his fair fingertips tightly gripping the layers of silk blankets beneath him. His whole body felt like a steamed shrimp. Unable to bear it any longer, he urgently stripped off his clothes, undoing his garments and letting his hair fall loose.
“It hurts.” Only a few hoarse sounds escaped from his throat, almost like sobbing, weakly repeating, “It hurts so much…”
It must be the onset of the dependency period, he thought somewhat miserably.
The crimson bed curtain had fallen in front of him, obscuring the face of the person outside, making it difficult for him to discern his expression.
The other person seemed to pause, his gaze drawn by the voice, and slowly placed his recently removed outer garment on the table before stepping uncertainly toward Shen Tanqi.
Upon reaching the curtain, Shen Tanqi raised his eyes, rubbed his hot and teary eyes, attempting to discern Yu Ce’s expression.
However, the other person merely cast a brief glance over him, although not clearly seeing, Shen Tanqi still sensed the somewhat scrutinizing look.
What was going on?
He had said it was a dependency episode, why hadn’t Yu Ce… why hadn’t he reacted yet?
After a moment, Shen Tanqi could no longer contain the frustration in his heart. He reached out through the curtain, grabbed the person’s inner garment by the waistband, and without a word, tried to pull him onto the bed.
But before he could succeed, a hand gently laid on his back to stop him, fingertips cool and slightly chilly.
He looked up in surprise as the other person lowered his eyes, wiping the sweat from his forehead and face. “It’s not the dependency period; it’s the medicine. Someone lit incense in the room, and when I arrived, I found it and threw it out.”
He had encountered this type of medicinal incense during his travels in the South, mostly used by locals to induce fertility. Rumor had it that after one such encounter, conception was extremely precise.
The medicine was potent and now banned, but Shen Tanqi had only sniffed a little before Yu Ce timely discovered and disposed of it, ensuring there was no serious harm to his body.
It’s just… his body would feel a bit hot.
Shen Tanqi’s mind was in turmoil, unable to analyze what was being said. He didn’t even know whether he should be relieved that he wasn’t pregnant or distressed that he had been drugged again.
All he felt was relief at the touch of the hand on his face, so he grabbed the person’s wrist tightly, disregarding everything else.
The person above him seemed to smile lightly.
That smile irritated Shen Tanqi, unsure if it was the surging desire within him that made him irritable and unable to contain himself. “Why are you smiling? Hurry up.”
“Between brothers, we shouldn’t do this.”
His voice was calm, as if contemplating something. “Senior Brother’s words, he always forgets them first.”
Every time, he would use it and then throw it away.
At this, Shen Tanqi was momentarily taken aback by his words, his throat tightening, feeling extremely parched, eager for the other to get on the bed immediately. He whispered, “I know, but this is a special situation…”
Even if it wasn’t the dependency period, he had been drugged, Yu Ce should…
As he thought of this, Shen Tanqi’s already confused thoughts suddenly stopped.
Should what?
What reason did he have to ask Yu Ce for relief? Once, twice, he had caused Yu Ce enough trouble.
In an instant, Shen Tanqi loosened his grip on Yu Ce’s hand slightly, sliding down slowly, trying to calm himself: “Hmm, you’re right.”
Then he would endure it.
What’s there to be afraid of? Not doing that kind of thing won’t kill anyone, even if it’s uncomfortable.
Shen Tanqi turned his head and nestled into the corner of the bed, biting his lip, tightly hugging himself in silence.
Outside the curtain, came a soft rustling sound, like clothes slipping off. Shen Tanqi’s mind was a mess, yet he could still clearly hear it. He instinctively stole a glance outside the curtain.
The crimson curtain added a touch of decadent and ambiguous atmosphere to the scene outside.
He watched helplessly as Yu Ce removed his clothes and put on a new set, layer by layer. Shen Tanqi felt increasingly annoyed.
“I’m changing clothes because I feel too stuffy.”
The voice came suddenly, and Shen Tanqi thought he had been caught peeking, quickly retracting his gaze and shrinking further into the corner, as if trying to meld into the wall.
“Senior Brother, you don’t mind, do you?”
Damn it, why ask him again, knowing how unbearable he was feeling right now? This bastard Yu Ce was doing it on purpose!
Intentionally undressing in front of him, deliberately asking if he minded, it infuriated him.
Damn it.
Shen Tanqi bit his lip, suppressing any embarrassing sounds, and replied as calmly as possible, “I mind. Please go out and change.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Ce’s voice sounded slightly aggrieved again, “It was your servant who brought me here. I’m not familiar with the way. Senior Brother, could you show me out?”
Shen Tanqi was on the verge of blurting out some curse words, trembling all over. He gritted his teeth and said, “Go ask someone yourself. Why do you need me to teach you everything?”
“Oh.” The other person replied indifferently with just that one word, giving no indication of whether he intended to leave or stay.
What did that mean? Was he planning to linger here indefinitely? How was Shen Tanqi supposed to relieve himself?
He wasn’t doing what he should.
He was doing what he shouldn’t!
No, he had to make him leave.
Shen Tanqi tried to get up to open the door and call a servant to take Yu Ce away, but as soon as he got off the bed, his legs turned into noodles, unable to support his body. He nearly stumbled and fell in front of Yu Ce.
That would be embarrassing. He might be mocked by Yu Ce for the rest of his life.
Shen Tanqi clenched his teeth, struggling to walk toward the door. After taking a few steps, he heard Yu Ce’s puzzled voice murmuring, “Where are you going?”
“Out, to find someone,” Shen Tanqi lowered his gaze, pretending to be nonchalant, took a deep breath, and said, “to take you away.”
The flickering candlelight illuminated Shen Tanqi’s face, a hint of moisture in his eyes, a slightly intoxicated blush like a tempting apple, adding a touch of desire to play with him.
With such a look, did he still want to go out?
Yu Ce’s eyes deepened slightly as he grasped Shen Tanqi’s wrist, keeping him rooted in place.
No one spoke, but sparks of tension crackled in the air.
Shen Tanqi narrowed his eyes and uttered two words, “Let go.”
Yu Ce quietly watched him, neither releasing him nor refusing, acting stubbornly, refusing to let him leave through the door.
“You’re almost—” Enough, really?
Before Shen Tanqi could finish the sentence, he was suddenly scooped up sideways. The world spun before his eyes, and he landed in a cool embrace, enveloped in a faint scent of rain, with a suppressed sigh in his ear.
“Shen Tanqi, are you going to give in, or do you want to die?”
Not hearing the familiar ‘Senior Brother,’ Shen Tanqi’s heart skipped a beat. He instinctively tried to grab the other’s clothes but was tossed onto soft bedding, then pinned down by an unyielding hand.
“Yu Ce…”
Shen Tanqi was about to say something when a large hand gently covered his cheek, silencing the words he was about to blurt out. The person in front of him showed a hint of obscure emotions in his eyes and spoke heavily, “Don’t speak, Senior Brother.”
“When asking for help, you should have the right attitude. Every time you speak, you ruin the mood.”
Telling him not to do this, not to do that—perhaps it was time to silence his Senior Brother’s mouth.
Shen Tanqi widened his eyes slightly, about to retort, but then saw Yue Ce pulling out a belt, one end covering his eyes, the other his mouth.
Suddenly, everything went dark. Shen Tanqi felt like a fish on a cutting board, a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. It felt unfamiliar, but the burning desire inside him made him unable to resist squirming slightly.
The crimson belt wrapped around his lips, stark against his fair, porcelain-like skin, like a vibrant plum blossom against snowy ground. Yu Ce’s gaze deepened as he slowly released Shen Tanqi’s face.
Good.
Now it’s better.
Now much more obedient.
Time passed unnoticed by Shen Tanqi. He couldn’t calculate the hour; all he knew was that he had no strength left, limp and powerless.
When Yu Ce finished and untied the belt from his eyes and lips, he found Shen Tanqi fast asleep. His cheeks were rosy, his eyes reddened, as if he had cried a few times, but Yu Ce was too caught up to notice.
Carefully, he moved Shen Tanqi into bed, covering him with a blanket. Gently, he brushed back the damp strands of hair from his forehead, chuckling softly.
Asleep, he looked just like a child.
So obedient, so cute, nothing like his usual stubborn Senior Brother.
Knowing Shen Tanqi would sleep like a log once exhausted, not even eight trumpets could wake him, Yu Ce playfully teased him in a whisper, “If only Senior Brother could always be this good.”
Pausing, he added, “But it’s okay not to be good. Senior Brother just needs to be kind to me.”
But perhaps that was even harder than getting Shen Tanqi to behave.
Yu Ce sighed lightly, tucked in Shen Tanqi’s blanket, then lay down beside him, drawing open the bed curtain.
Turning his head to look, Yu Ce noticed the candle was still burning. He casually extinguished it, but accidentally caused the candlestick to fall off the edge of the table with a loud clang.
Yu Ce turned back to look, finding Shen Tanqi still sound asleep, completely undisturbed.
He chuckled softly, then lay back down beside Shen Tanqi.
However, just as Yu Ce was about to drift off to sleep in the quiet night, a very faint and low voice suddenly broke the silence.
“So noisy.”
Moments later, Yu Ce sat up abruptly in bed, staring in shock at Shen Tanqi’s abdomen—where the voice seemed to originate.
The voice repeated itself,
“So noisy, I want to sleep.”
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)
