After Losing My Memory, I Became My Rival's Palm-Sized Chirper - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Practicing Abs

In Qi Jia’s memory, he had never experienced such a lighthearted and unrestrained time.

But in Qi Jia’s dreams, he felt that meeting this person here was fun, interesting, and something that could make him genuinely laugh.

Thus, Qi Jia didn’t even bother to distinguish whether he was currently in a dream or not. His tongue felt thick from the alcohol, and speaking alone wasn’t enough; he raised his arm and draped it casually over the other’s shoulder, looking exactly like a “good brother.”

The eyes of Yu Baixi, which had turned black since arriving in the mortal world, were now narrowed as he scrutinized the swaying person before him. No one could read his thoughts.

After a moment, he asked, “Did you remember something?”

Qi Jia: “…Remember what? I remember you.”

He laughed again, wobbling, and simply leaned forward, half-collapsing against the other to stabilize himself. With a slurred voice, he continued, “I remember you. You are…”

Yu Baixi: “.”

Knowing this was merely the drunken babble of someone who had had too much to drink, the Heavenly Emperor fell back into silence.

Standing tall and prominent like a crane among a flock of colorful commoners, the handsome man in white simply raised his hand to clasp the other’s waist, helping to steady his frame.

Qi Jia was still stubbornly trying to express his recognition: “That’s right, you are Yu…”

“Master!”

Before Qi Jia could utter the name, he was interrupted by Shuo Ling.

Naturally, the Heavenly Emperor’s name was not fit to be spoken here. Shuo Ling had to take the liberty of cutting off the Empress’s words, urgently reminding him: “This is our young master.”

Qi Jia, however, still felt as if he were in a dream and didn’t quite catch Shuo Ling’s hint.

But he knew the young girl was one of his own and could sense she was intentionally preventing him from mentioning the name. Furthermore, he remembered in a flash that this youth surnamed Yu did indeed have a special status, and it was inappropriate to call him out in public.

Combining these factors, Qi Jia tacitly agreed not to mention his name.

Yet, he still kept his arm over the other’s shoulder, saying teasingly, “I didn’t expect that even… even a kid like you would come here to seek pleasure…”

As the “wife’s” voice fell, the surroundings went silent once more.

The onlookers knew he was drunk, so they didn’t find it too strange that he addressed his “husband” as a brother.

However, everyone felt something was a bit off.

Until the tall gentleman, who seemed to radiate a freezing chill, spoke in an icy voice: “You said ‘even.’ Does that mean you actually enjoy seeking pleasure very much?”

Yu Baixi narrowed his eyes slightly again, his usually indifferent gaze suddenly filled with sharpness.

He raised his hand, his palm firmly grasping the arm Qi Jia had draped over his shoulder. Before Qi Jia could speak, he said slowly, “That is something I did not know before.”

As he finished speaking, the onlookers finally realized what was wrong: Right! They were clearly a married couple!

It would have been one thing if they shared the same hobby.

But they had actually run into each other here.

And one of them was heavily intoxicated, starting to speak without restraint.

Tsk…

Now this was awkward, truly awkward!

However, some had a different view: Clearly, the situation was that the “wife” had come for some fun, and the “husband” had specifically come to catch him in the act!

“Look at that gentleman in white; he doesn’t look like someone who comes to visit brothels…”

Before the crowd’s discussion could fully unfold, Yu Baixi grabbed Qi Jia’s wrist, and both vanished from the Yuxian Building at once.

The speed was so fast that it startled everyone around them once again.

This kind of cultivation level—appearing and disappearing so suddenly—was rare in the world.

Those who witnessed the incident began to scramble for information: Which sect did this powerful master belong to? This was too incredible; he was likely close to transcending and ascending!

Some people who lacked spiritual roots and were unable to practice cultivation didn’t care about power at all. They remained curious about the identity of the two, but their focus shifted directly to romance—

“So what’s the situation?”

“What else could it be? That ‘male wife’ just now wanted to ‘compare abs’ with the men in that room and was caught on the spot by his own husband.”

“To think such a thing happened! It’s truly rare to hear of a ‘wife’ visiting a brothel to play with other guests, only for the husband to come and catch them.”

“They aren’t human, are they? They should be from the Demon (Yao) race. That ‘wife’ is simply too handsome! In the Demon race, the wives often run the household; it’s nothing unusual.”

“I don’t think so. That husband in white is clearly a powerful master. That kind of strength would make him at least an Elder in any clan; how could he not have the final say in his own home? Moreover, hearing the tone of the maid beside the wife, it should be their young master who’s in charge.”

“Hiss, that’s true…”

While the commoners could discuss it so easily, the burly men and the young escorts in the warm pavilion were so terrified they couldn’t speak.

Because just before taking the “wife” away, the elegant man in white had glanced back at them.

The look was not friendly at all.

And it was sufficiently meaningful.

“…We’re doomed. If we’d known the ‘bad-tempered husband’ was that strong, we shouldn’t have provoked them!”

“Who knows which race or sect he’s from? Let’s stay far away in the future!”

“Who provoked whom? I said we shouldn’t come to the Yuxian Building. Now look, we’ve run into someone we can’t afford to offend. Those big sects don’t listen to reason!”

A drunken burly man also knew things were bad and specifically ran out, shouting toward the empty air: “Young master, please calm your anger! Don’t listen to what others say; we didn’t compare abs with your wife! It was the wife who proactively wanted to compare abs with us, mmm-mmm!…”

Before he could finish, he was pressed down by several companions, not allowed to say another word.

Stop mentioning the abs!

“You really want to compare abs with them?”

Above the Yuxian Building, within a barrier, robes fluttered without wind.

Yu Baixi, who indeed had not left yet, stared coldly at the drunken person beside him.

Qi Jia, however, was completely oblivious. He beamed and laughed: “That’s right. How about you join in? Let’s compare ours.”

As he spoke, he suddenly regained his interest. He excitedly crouched and lunged forward, throwing himself directly onto the person opposite him.

Yu Baixi thought he was going to fall and subconsciously caught him.

But in an instant, he realized something was wrong—the person who had lunged forward to hug his waist had actually started to untie his belt…

“Get a hold of yourself.”

Simultaneously grabbing both arms of the drunken man to hold him away from his body, the Heavenly Emperor’s eyes were cold, and his brow was slightly furrowed.

He scrutinized the youth’s features. A freezing chill radiated outward, making the Emperor’s voice even deeper: “I didn’t know you were like this when drunk. Have you… remembered anything?”

“Remembered what?” Qi Jia blinked, not understanding his words.

Seeing that the other didn’t move and wouldn’t compare abs with him, he frowned in displeasure and said, “If you won’t, then I’ll go first. I have abs…”

He said this while bowing his head to untie his own robes.

Yu Baixi took a deep breath.

Then he directly hoisted the person onto his shoulder.

Qi Jia: “??? Hey!”

Suddenly being carried upside down on a shoulder, Qi Jia felt a bit of discomfort in his stomach and immediately began to pound on the Emperor: “Be careful not to hurt the child!”

At this moment, his mind seemed to clear up all at once.

Yu Baixi: “…”

In the end, Qi Jia was carried back to the Jade Capital nestled in the Emperor’s arms.

Because Yu Baixi’s arms were very steady throughout the journey, and the alcohol was hitting him hard, Qi Jia even fell asleep.

By the time he opened his eyes again, he found himself back in the Weiyang Palace.

The soft bedding of Weiyang Palace made him feel as if he had sunk into the clouds, and for a moment, the world spun.

Once the dizziness subsided, he noticed the person standing by the bed with his hands behind his back.

“You…”

Qi Jia’s voice made the person turn around.

It was Yu Baixi.

“You’re awake,” the Heavenly Emperor’s emotionless voice came. “Do you still remember what happened just now?”

“Hmm?”

Qi Jia pressed his temples with half-closed eyes. “Just now…”

He had gone to the Yuxian Building to drink.

Then he seemed to have gotten drunk.

The slender beauty lying on the bed opened his eyes: “And then you brought me back.”

In Qi Jia’s impression, nothing major seemed to have happened.

So he was very confused as to why the Emperor would ask that.

Before Qi Jia could inquire, Yu Baixi nodded and said, “It seems you are indeed awake.”

“Since you’re awake, let’s practice some abs.”

Before Qi Jia could react, a sudden invisible force pushed his back upward. Once he sat up, the force changed direction and began pressing him back down.

Qi Jia: “?”

After completing one sit-up, Qi Jia’s face—hazy from the alcohol—was filled with confusion.

After being forced to complete three sit-ups, Qi Jia, finally understanding the other’s intention, had a change in expression!

He clutched his stomach, but was still forced to rise.

In a flash of inspiration, he transformed back into his “chirpy” (bird) form, which was smaller than a palm, only to find he was still forced to rise!

Qi Jia: ???

Doing sit-ups in his bird form, he even saw his own little fuzzy, protruding belly!!

No matter how he transformed, he was always controlled by an invisible force. In the end, Qi Jia could only clutch his stomach with one hand during the rises and falls, while pointing a trembling hand at Yu Baixi with the other: “Let go of me! I can’t take it anymore!”

The round bird roared.

However, because his voice was laced with breathlessness, the roar came out sounding off-key.

Outside the door, Shuo Ling—whose strength was inferior and who had returned a bit later than the Emperor and Empress—froze on the spot.

She grabbed General Han, who was worried about the Empress’s condition and was about to rush in.

Han Mo, who had been pulled back, turned around abruptly and looked at Shuo Ling in confusion.

Shuo Ling: “Oh, it’s fine. His Majesty is just ‘punishing’ his Lordship. This is the standard procedure in storybooks.”

Over the past two days, Shuo Ling had read many storybooks with the Empress. Having just returned from accompanying the Empress to chat with the boys at the Yuxian Building, she could be considered someone who had seen the world.

She simply leaned against the door, looking as though she intended to stand guard and let no one in: “Besides, didn’t you hear? His Lordship just ‘can’t take it anymore.’ I’m sure His Majesty knows when to stop. After all, they haven’t seen each other for four days… What would it look like if we went in now? Do you want to die?”

Finally released, Qi Jia lay on the bed panting heavily, yet he didn’t forget to point a shaking finger at Yu Baixi: “You… you have such a cruel heart!”

“Since the Empress loves to show off his abs so much, I am simply practicing with you. How is that cruel?”

Yu Baixi spoke leisurely from the side.

He had even sat down long ago and poured himself a cup of tea.

Qi Jia: “…”

Qi Jia was the type whose drunkenness came and went quickly. Plus, he hadn’t drunk very much, so by the time they returned to the Jade Capital, he was already about seventy to eighty percent sober.

He had been enjoying the slightly buzzed state and the luxury of being carried without needing to walk or fly himself, so he simply didn’t want to wake up.

Now fully clear-headed, he pointed at Yu Baixi: “You… you’re trying to make me have a miscarriage!”

The Emperor’s hand holding the cup paused. “…It was only a few movements. It wouldn’t come to that.”

“How wouldn’t it!” Qi Jia, in his human form, remembered the rounded little belly he saw when he was forced to sit up as a bird, and said angrily, “Even if it didn’t happen, it’s because my body is strong. You scumbag dragon!”

Yu Baixi remained noncommittal, calmly blowing on the steam rising from his teacup. “Since you firmly believe you are pregnant, yet you still went to a brothel for a banquet.”

“Why shouldn’t I…” Qi Jia stopped and his eyes darted around. “No, what I mean is, I simply went there to gain some experience.”

“Mhm.”

The Emperor calmly took a sip of tea. “Not to learn mating positions?”

Qi Jia: “Aya.”

He had indeed gone to the Yuxian Building with the intention of learning and exchanging ideas.

However, after three rounds of drinks, he got excited chatting with those escorts and completely forgot his main purpose!

“I have to go again tomorrow.”

The Emperor’s movements froze, and his voice became even deeper: “Go again?”

“Uh.” Qi Jia’s eyes flickered slightly. “The main thing is I haven’t paid yet. Who visits a brothel without paying…”

“Han Mo and the others will pay.”

Lowering his eyelashes, the Emperor’s voice had returned to a flat tone when he opened his eyes again: “From now on, you are not allowed to leave the Jade Capital privately without my permission.”

Qi Jia: ?!!

Qi Jia let out a pitiful voice: “Is the Heavenly Emperor going to put me under house arrest? Has this day finally come!”

“What?” Yu Baixi didn’t understand.

Qi Jia continued to act miserably: “The Emperor says it so lightly, but to me, it’s a bolt from the blue!”

He wanted to sit up, but finally found he had no strength in his waist and abdomen, so he simply lay on the bed and denounced the man: “You gave me the Empress Token, but won’t let me leave the Jade Capital. If word gets out, everyone will know I’m out of favor! The Empress is just an empty title! You might as well… might as well…”

Might as well what? Qi Jia thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with a harsh sentence.

Mainly, he felt that a bird as cute as him really shouldn’t have to endure too much. For example, whether it was “might as well demote me,” “might as well kill me,” or “might as well not give me good food,” they all felt too miserable.

He really couldn’t bring himself to say such punishments!

Especially since he didn’t even know what the reason for this punishment was.

Of course, having his “bird freedom” restricted was also very miserable and intolerable. The “chirpy” one would resolutely resist to the end!

While Qi Jia was still thinking about what wouldn’t be so miserable, Yu Baixi spoke seriously: “It’s not that I’m forbidding you from leaving the Jade Capital; I just want you to tell me in advance when you leave.”

“How is that any different from others?!” Qi Jia grumbled. “No, I’m even worse off than others. Shuo Ling has four days off every month, and she doesn’t have to report to the Emperor when she leaves the Jade Capital!”

Yu Baixi: “…”

“Alright.” The Heavenly Emperor stood up from his chair and came to the bedside.

The bed in Weiyang Palace was a new one selected after the Empress moved in. It wasn’t the simple, ancient carved bed where the previous Empress—his mother—had lived in his memory. Instead, it was the Cloud-Woven Water Bed that Qi Jia had personally chosen.

The entire bed was made of layers of cloud nets woven by the Cloud Shell Tribe. The bed was soft and delicate, shaped like a cloud. It not only looked soft and white but could also change shape according to the owner’s wishes.

Now, Qi Jia was sunken into that bed. The bed supported his head, neck, and shoulders. He was leaning back on it with his long hair scattered, his jade-like neck slender, and his appearance beautiful.

He looked exactly like a rogue.

Yu Baixi looked down at him. “You understand what I mean.”

“Oh.” Qi Jia wasn’t at all intimidated by the Emperor’s expressionless face.

“You’re still being mean to me.”

Yu Baixi: “…”

After a moment of silence, the Heavenly Emperor began to explain seriously. It was because Qi Jia was currently in a period of memory recovery and could remember something at any time, which could easily lead to chaos. It was safer for him to stay in the Heaven Realm for the time being.

To this, Qi Jia raised a question: “Then shouldn’t I go out more often to find more memories?”

Yu Baixi shook his head faintly but firmly. “Not everyone wants you to be safe.”

Qi Jia: “…”

In a flash of memory, he recalled that back in the Yuxian Building, he seemed to have had a very intimate and familiar feeling.

But just as dreams fade quickly after waking up and related memories vanish from the mind, Qi Jia only remembered the feeling at that time.

And although he remembered nothing else, he knew clearly that the intimate and warm feeling came from Yu Baixi.

He thought that at least he must have trusted the person before him in the past.

“It’s not impossible for me to report to you.” After a moment of stalemate, Qi Jia suddenly relented.

The youth leaning on the bed blinked and looked up at Yu Baixi. His bright eyes were clear as water: “But you must also promise me that you will see me every day from now on. A situation like this, where you left me hanging for several days in a row, must never happen again!”

“…When did I ever leave you hanging?” At this, the Emperor’s gaze flickered, and his expression actually became unnatural. “It was you who didn’t come to find me.”

“Ha?”

The person who had been prepared to negotiate terms quickly caught the hidden meaning. Qi Jia immediately grew displeased: “If I don’t go to you, you won’t come to me, and then you’ll blame me for not finding you! You, you, you—is that what you mean?”

The Heavenly Emperor shook his head, still expressionless. “What I mean is, if you come to find me, I will never turn you away.”

“…Since that’s the case, then let’s do this…” Qi Jia said in a tone that seemed like a step back. “Even if I don’t go to you, you must come to me.”

Without waiting for a response, he began to plan passionately: “Anyway, we have to see each other once a day… and we have to sleep together at night!”

Yu Baixi: ?

Qi Jia: “Mhm, that should be about right.”

“…About right for what?” Upon hearing “sleeping together,” the Emperor began to worry that he had learned some other strange things at the Yuxian Building.

Unexpectedly, Qi Jia said, “To consolidate the position of Empress!”

Yu Baixi: ?

Qi Jia: “If the Emperor and Empress are not on good terms, even the future Prince’s struggle for the throne will be affected. What if my child doesn’t become the Crown Prince in the future? This is a major issue!”

“…” The Emperor paused again. “Where did you hear all this?”

“From storybooks.” Qi Jia smiled and raised his hand. A small book appeared in his palm with the title Daily Life of the Empress’s Palace Struggles.

He introduced it: “This is the most popular storybook in the mortal world right now. It’s not finished yet, but I’ve already learned many things.”

Yu Baixi: “.”

Qi Jia: “Although the Emperor and Empress in the mortal world are a bit different from ours in the Heaven Realm, they share common points. There are some things I, as the Empress, should consider in advance.”

Yu Baixi: “Then your considerations are… quite ahead of their time.”

“Of course. If a bird has no long-term concerns, he will surely have near-term worries.”

Seeing that the “negotiation” was going smoothly, Qi Jia was happy. He wanted to sit up and reached out to Yu Baixi. “Come, come, give me a hand.”

Although the Cloud Mother Water Bed could support his head, the angle was limited. Plus, the bed was too soft and Qi Jia was lazy; he felt he couldn’t find any leverage when he wanted to get up.

But Qi Jia quickly reacted: “If you dare to use magic to play with me, trick me, or mistreat me again, I’ll… I’ll bite you!”

Yu Baixi: “…”

The Heavenly Emperor slowly reached out and grasped the wrist of the hand he had extended.

Perhaps because that hand, though cold, felt as smooth as jade and strong, Qi Jia suddenly began to whimper: “How could you do this to me? My waist still hurts!”

His tone was very much like acting like a spoiled child.

He remembered the feeling in his slightly surfaced memory—the one where Yu Baixi felt very intimate to him—and couldn’t help but want to act this way.

Intimacy was inevitable. Otherwise, how could he be carrying his child? He didn’t believe he used to be a masochist.

But Qi Jia also wondered if he might have been a “lovestruck fool” back then… because this Heavenly Emperor looked like an inconsiderate straight man no matter how you looked at him!

A straight man, but not like a scumbag with a violent temper who didn’t understand consideration…

Qi Jia suddenly found the courage to indulge his temper: “It’s lucky I’m not showing yet and my body is strong; otherwise, how could I endure your mistreatment…”

As he spoke, he quite flexibly used the other’s strength to sit up.

Then he continued to whimper: “Stop looking. Fetch me a cup of water. My mouth is dry after talking so much!”

Yu Baixi withdrew his hand and couldn’t help but comment: “So fussy.”

“? What did you say? You’re calling me fussy?!” Just as he had found a comfortable sitting position with his legs crossed, Qi Jia was about to lose his temper again.

“It’s not a complaint.”

The Heavenly Emperor had already brought a cup of tea to him and said, “I actually think you are fine as you are now.”

“As I am now?”

After drinking the tea, Qi Jia keenly caught onto something and tilted his head. “Do you mean I wasn’t like this before?”

He remembered Yu Baixi saying that he used to be a man of few words.

Yu Baixi slowly shook his head and said, “No, you were fussy before, too.”

Qi Jia: “…”

Yu Baixi: “It’s just that you wouldn’t show it in front of others before.”

Qi Jia: …

How did that sound like he used to be quite hypocritical?!

“It wasn’t hypocrisy… Sometimes, there were many things you had to do that way.” Yu Baixi didn’t want Qi Jia to misunderstand the person he was before he lost his memories, yet he found that if he were to explain, he would only have more and more to say.

Unable to describe it, the Heavenly Emperor paused again and again while speaking, his speech uncharacteristically hesitant.

In contrast, Qi Jia finally caught an opportunity where His Majesty was willing to mention the past. His beautiful eyebrows arched, and he beamed at Yu Baixi, not even minding the man’s slowness. He coaxed him gently, “Then what was I really like before?”

Visiting the Yuxian Building hadn’t been for nothing. A scene he had seen there flashed in his mind. Qi Jia raised his hand, grabbed the other’s sleeve, and gave it a soft, gentle shake. “Good brother, just tell me, okay?”

Yu Baixi: …

When the youth smiled, his lips were red and his teeth white. His eyes and brows were filled with a carefree and romantic air, more brilliant and dazzling than the lantern flowers.

No.

The lantern flowers in the Yuxian Building were not as eye-catching as him.

The Heavenly Emperor blinked and abruptly pulled back his sleeve, his voice cold: “You probably used to frequent brothels and pleasure houses.”

Qi Jia: …?

…Wait, hadn’t their conversation just reached the point of “I used to have to hide my true nature because of certain things”? So what on earth happened to him, and what kind of person was he before?

And what does all that have to do with going to a brothel?

Qi Jia blinked in confusion. Because he was bewildered, he asked honestly, “What did I go to brothels for before?”

“I’m not sure.”

A chill seeped into the depths of his gray-blue pupils. The Evil Heavenly Emperor’s face was covered in frost, and his breath was sharp: “Calling friends, seeking pleasure—perhaps even comparing abs.”

Qi Jia: ???

What on earth was all this!