After I Faked My Death, the Dog Emperor Completely Lost His Mind - Chapter 2

Xiao Jin’s hands were covered in bright red chilblains and broken skin. At this stage, applying ointments directly would be too painful. The only way was to soak them in warm water to soften the skin before applying lubricant and restorative salves.

By the time Shen Yuheng finished forcing him through the hand-soak, the sky had already darkened. Shen Yuheng was drenched and breathless, splayed out on a nearby chaise lounge.

…No way, is this original body really this weak?! Back in his original world, he was capable of managing forty children from dawn till dusk!

As Shen Yuheng was contemplating a future exercise routine for his life in the palace, a flurry of hurried footsteps echoed outside.

“Master! Terrible news!” It was that same standard eunuch warble.

“What is it?”

Through the closed doors, the little eunuch reported breathlessly, “Master. His Majesty. He said if the Ninth Prince is there, he won’t be coming over today.”

In an instant, the corners of Shen Yuheng’s mouth became harder to suppress than a recoil on an AK-47.

“He’s not coming? Great—”

Mid-sentence, Shen Yuheng caught Xiao Jin’s presence out of the corner of his eye. Remembering he had to maintain his “wicked stepmother” persona, he quickly corrected himself: ” Greatly infuriating! I’m so angry I need someone to vent on.”

The little eunuch immediately replied, “Then this servant shall not disturb Master.”

Shen Yuheng could hear a hint of schadenfreude in the eunuch’s tone alongside the sigh. He realized that everyone in his palace, from top to bottom, was itching to see Xiao Jin get beaten. After all, compared to the other princes with their “golden bodies,” seeing a prince reduced to a mangled mess provided them with a sense of pleasure far greater than any sympathy.

After resting on the chaise lounge for a while, Shen Yuheng’s frail body finally recovered some strength. He cast an exhausted glare at Xiao Jin. “I really want to give you a thrashing, but I’m too tired.”

Shen Yuheng patted the spot beside him. “You stay. I’ll deal with you when I have the energy.”

Xiao Jin’s dark, heavy eyes flickered toward Shen Yuheng. He followed the order, walked over, and dropped to his knees. His knees, already festering from constant kneeling, slammed into the floor with a dull, wet thud of bruised flesh.

Shen Yuheng’s brow, which had just relaxed, knit together again.

“You. Do you have any idea how precious the floors in this palace are? Is this a place where you can just kneel whenever you want?”

Xiao Jin remained motionless, as if he hadn’t heard a word. He knelt there like a long-dead corpse.

Shen Yuheng sighed inwardly. He grabbed Xiao Jin, hauled him up, and shoved him onto the bed. Xiao Jin’s robes were damp, and as he tumbled into the quilts, he instinctively tried to scramble back up.

“Sit down,” Shen Yuheng hissed, forcing a cruel and mean-spirited look into his eyes. “I’m too lazy to waste my breath on you. Don’t provoke me further.”

Xiao Jin looked at him. A faint scent of cosmetics drifted from the soft bed, slowly mingling with the metallic scent of blood clinging to the youth. Together with the soft bedding, the scents enveloped his body.

A moment later, maids arrived with dinner. When they entered to set the table and saw Xiao Jin sitting on Shen Yuheng’s bed, they nearly dropped their bowls.

Although Consort Shen came from a military family, he was obsessed with perfumes and creams. Ordinarily, he had his quilts infused with the scents of various fruits and flowers; he never permitted anyone to touch them. How did Xiao Jin, covered in filthy bloodstains, dare to sit there?

While the maids trembled in fear, Shen Yuheng remained calm, already seated at the table ready to eat. And most unusually today, he didn’t smash a single plate.

Ordinarily, Consort Shen would complain about the food being too simple, throwing a tantrum and shattering dishes across the floor. Before entering the palace, he was the most pampered youngest son of the wealthy Shen family; now, as an unfavored consort, the food was naturally not the best.

The original Shen Yuheng would be dissatisfied. But the current Shen Yuheng was thrilled.

—He was a corporate slave who used to eat cheap takeout with tiny plastic spoons every day! To him, this was nothing short of a state banquet!

After a few bites, Shen Yuheng suddenly called out without looking back, “Come here.”

The maids serving him froze. No one knew who he was calling. Shen Yuheng looked at the room full of confused faces, sighed helplessly, and tapped the table. He mimicked the original owner’s tone: “What kind of delicacies are you expecting? You’re only fit to eat my scraps. Get over here, now!”

Now everyone knew who he was calling. Xiao Jin approached silently.

Shen Yuheng pretended not to look at him, but used his peripheral vision to observe the boy’s reaction. Xiao Jin was naturally suspicious; if the food wasn’t something Shen Yuheng had already touched, he might suspect it was poisoned.

Sure enough, after seeing that Shen Yuheng had sampled the dishes, the wariness in Xiao Jin’s brow lessened slightly. However, he still didn’t pick up his chopsticks.

No matter how Shen Yuheng threatened or enticed him to eat, the boy wouldn’t budge, making Shen Yuheng so angry he nearly flipped the table.

The System, sensing trouble, quickly advised: 【Host, stay calm! Repeat after me… torn by one horse, torn by two horses, torn by three horses】

Shen Yuheng: “…” The tears were real.

Suffocating from frustration, Shen Yuheng didn’t eat much either. He put down his chopsticks and called the little eunuch in. “Who usually keeps watch for me at night?”

Unsure why the Consort was asking, the eunuch stammered, “Usually it is I, along with the maids Jiaobai and Yundou.”

“You don’t need to do it anymore. From now on, he will.” Shen Yuheng gestured toward Xiao Jin with his chin.

Normally, the servants on night watch slept by the door, separated from Shen Yuheng’s bed by only a curtain. While not a luxurious spot, it was a warm bed far better than the freezing, leaky storehouse where Xiao Jin usually slept.

Xiao Jin merely flicked his eyelids with no reaction, but the little eunuch was terrified. “Master! You mustn’t! You mustn’t!”

Shen Yuheng had been so brutal to Xiao Jin; putting the boy right by his bedside. what if Xiao Jin sought revenge in the middle of the night?

But Shen Yuheng’s mind was made up. He snapped coldly, “What? If he won’t do it, should I keep watch myself?”

“This servant didn’t mean that I just fear ” The eunuch kept glancing at Xiao Jin, trying to hint at the danger.

Shen Yuheng had been waiting for this reaction. He followed up smoothly, “Since you’re so worried, hurry up and tie him up so he doesn’t hurt me.”

Shen Yuheng caught a glimpse of Xiao Jin’s eyes; they were cold and murderous, like a stalking beast. He feigned indifference and looked away.

The eunuch breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, yes! This servant will do it right away!”

He grabbed some hemp rope to bind Xiao Jin’s wrists. His movements were clumsy and rough, making Shen Yuheng shake his head.

“Looser. Are you trying to have him die in my room?” “Looser still! If he’s left with marks, I’ll be the one blamed for it!”  “Forget it, I’ll do it myself.”

Shen Yuheng dismissed the eunuch and took the rope. Xiao Jin had chilblains on his hands; how could he withstand such rough handling? Shen Yuheng carefully avoided the most severe wounds and lightly bound the youth’s forearms together.

The rough hemp didn’t touch Xiao Jin’s sores, but it left red friction marks on Shen Yuheng’s porcelain-white palms looking much like a peach orchard in spring.

Xiao Jin’s gaze fell on Shen Yuheng’s reddened hands.

To be selected as a male consort, Shen Yuheng’s appearance was naturally top-tier; he was the type both women and men would find captivating. But the more beautiful the person, the more dangerous they were.

Once the rope was tied, Shen Yuheng coldly slapped the boy’s hands away as if Xiao Jin had overstepped. That flash of “peach blossom” red was instantly withdrawn, leaving only an indifferent back.

Shen Yuheng pulled back the heavy layers of gauze curtains and hurried to his bed. Once he was sure they could only see each other’s silhouettes, he finally dared to breathe properly.

The System praised him: 【Host, that performance was incredible! So realistic! It was like the Wicked Stepmother from Snow White stepped right off the screen! 】

Shen Yuheng: “…” Does that even sound like a compliment?!

After extinguishing the candles, Shen Yuheng collapsed into the soft bedding, and sleepiness soon overtook him. According to the original plot, Xiao Jin could have killed the original owner before ascending the throne but chose not to he must have had his own calculations.

As Shen Yuheng drifted into a deep sleep, his brow suddenly twitched as if pricked by something. He let out a mumble in his daze, turned over, and curled into the corner against the wall, pretending to still be asleep.

In reality, he was breaking out in a cold sweat.

Wait, why is Xiao Jin standing at the head of my bed?!! What kind of male ghost is this?!!

Shen Yuheng frantically woke the System. The System was also terrified, its voice trembling with electronic static: 【Host, don’t, don’t move, maybe he’s just up for some fresh air 】

Then, Shen Yuheng heard the faint sound of a knife being sharpened. The sharp blade scraped rhythmically against the edge of the bedframe, the sound of it slicing through the air becoming increasingly bone-chilling.

When he felt the tip of the knife actually clip a few strands of his hair, Shen Yuheng finally spoke.

“Ninth Prince.”

The sharpening stopped abruptly. Shen Yuheng’s skin broke out in goosebumps. He swallowed hard. “If you really can’t sleep, I can sing to coax you.”

He was quite good at nursery rhymes for putting “cubs” to sleep. But as for a child who stands over your bed in the middle of the night sharpening a knife. Shen Yuheng had never coaxed one of those before. He wasn’t sure if it would work.

He didn’t dare turn around to look. Eventually, the oppressive sensation behind him faded.

After a night of tossing and turning, morning arrived. When he woke, Xiao Jin was nowhere to be seen.

This body was far from healthy; after a poor night’s rest, he felt utterly sluggish. He dragged himself out of bed, but before he could look for Xiao Jin, the little eunuch came scurrying in.

“Master, Master!” The eunuch was excited but kept his voice low. “Lord Meng asked me to bring you a letter.”

Lord Meng? Who?

Shen Yuheng searched the original book in his mind and found the role of this “Lord Meng” Meng Qian. No wonder he didn’t remember him; the name was barely mentioned. He was a powerful court official and the original owner’s secret lover before he entered the palace.

The original owner loved Meng Qian, but the man was only using him. After Xiao Jin ascended the throne, Meng Qian to save himself collected all the “evidence” of Shen Yuheng’s crimes. Shen Yuheng’s “buy-one-get-five” tragic ending was largely thanks to this man.

The eunuch rubbed his hands together expectantly, but he didn’t receive the tip he was waiting for. He looked up in confusion to see Shen Yuheng frowning in thought.

In the past, whenever Lord Meng sent a letter, Consort Shen would show undisguised joy, completely unafraid of their affair being discovered. The servants were the ones who feared being implicated. Why was he so troubled now?

Soon, something even more shocking happened.

Shen Yuheng gripped the letter, thought for a moment, and threw it back to the eunuch. “Find someone tight-lipped and return this unopened. Tell him I am not familiar with Lord Meng, and it’s best we stop communicating from now on.”

While curious about the contents, he knew he couldn’t continue this association. Otherwise, in a year’s time, every one of these secret letters would become a death warrant.

At the thought, Shen Yuheng wailed internally. He asked the System, “If I finish the redemption mission, can I resign from being a male consort?”

This job was terrible. He had to babysit the boss’s son, watch out for the Emperor’s backstabbing, and dodge the schemes of his colleagues… who could stand it? Plus, he couldn’t even have a love life.

The System chuckled: 【Host, you could consider Xiao Jin? 】

Shen Yuheng: [Sends a question mark] “You mean that ‘male ghost’ who was sharpening a knife by my bed last night?”

System: 【Once the redemption is successful, he’ll surely get better! Statistics show that in 90% of the worlds handled by our Bureau, the ‘Gloomy Top’ becomes a gentle, devoted man】

“Him?” Shen Yuheng’s mouth twitched. The original protagonist Su Cheng tried so hard and still failed, ending up dead or crippled. Shen Yuheng would be lucky just to stay alive.

“Forget it. With his personality, I bet every bedroom affair would involve being tossed and turned until death. I couldn’t handle it.”

System: 【…】 The words were blunt, but the truth was even blunter.