Marked by the Tyrant After Transmigrating into a Book - Chapter 14

It wasn’t until dusk began to settle that Chang Yuan finally left the Imperial Study.

As the doors opened and closed, Gao Jin, the Head Internal Attendant, stepped into the hall. He found Jin Wang leaning against the dragon throne, wearily pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose.

Gao Jin approached cautiously. “Is Your Majesty fatigued? Shall I give you a massage?”

“Never mind.” Jin Wang dismissed him with a wave of his hand and asked, “What is Minister Ye doing right now?”

“Minister Ye is still asleep.”

The weariness on Jin Wang’s face dissipated slightly, replaced by a flicker of warmth in his eyes. “He’s slept the whole afternoon? This fellow…”

Gao Jin ventured tentatively, “I’ve noticed Minister Ye has been lacking energy these past few days. Perhaps… overexertion has taken a toll on his body.”

Jin Wang shot him a glance. “Are you implying that I have no self-control?”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

The Head Attendant stood with his head bowed and eyes lowered, yet his entire face seemed to scream, Do you really need to ask?

Jin Wang snapped back, annoyed, “I haven’t even—”

…I haven’t even touched him.

After that initial, inconclusive night of “service,” Jin Wang had discreetly consulted the Imperial Physician.

The physician had explained it this way: “The scent of a Qianjun (Alpha) is formless, yet it exerts a powerful influence over a Kunjun (Omega)—far more potent than ordinary wine. Furthermore, the Breath-Suppressing Pill Minister Ye takes inhibits his own scent, preventing it from resonating with Your Majesty’s.”

“He can smell it and react to it, but he cannot absorb it. That is why he falls into a ‘drunken’ stupor.”

In short, unless Ye Shu stopped taking the medicine, he would never be able to face Jin Wang’s scent while remaining conscious. Of course, another way would be for the Qianjun to deliberately suppress his scent during intimacy… but that was a feat more agonizing than total celibacy.

Jin Wang had no desire to mistreat himself, nor did he want to toy with someone who wasn’t fully lucid. Consequently, though he and Ye Shu had been intimate over the past few days, they had never truly crossed the final line.

Thinking of this made Jin Wang irritable, and naturally, someone had to walk right into the line of fire.

Having served Jin Wang for years, Gao Jin was an expert at reading the room. Seeing his Emperor’s growing irritation, he quickly pivoted. “I’ve just had the Imperial Kitchen prepare Minister Ye’s favorite pastries. It is time for the evening meal; shall I wake the Minister?”

As expected, mentions of Ye Shu softened Jin Wang’s expression considerably.

“I will wake him myself,” Jin Wang said. “Prepare the meal.”

Ye Shu was sensitive to light while sleeping, so only a dim glass lamp flickered in the outer chamber of the sleeping quarters. When Jin Wang entered alone, the young man was still buried deep in the soft bedding, fast asleep.

Today, Jin Wang had questioned Chang Yuan extensively—every anomaly, every strange occurrence, every detail of Ye Shu’s behavior over the past three years.

Jin Wang didn’t entirely trust the guard’s words. But one thing was clear: the past three years were not as simple as he had imagined. Was it a calculated deception, or was there some hidden truth? For now, Jin Wang couldn’t find the answer.

He sat by the bed, looking at the sleeping figure, and whispered with a sigh, “Just how many secrets are you keeping from me?”

The young man on the bed suddenly spoke with his eyes closed: “Not telling you.”

Jin Wang: “…”

For a split second, Jin Wang thought he was faking, but then Ye Shu mumbled again: “Why should I tell you… you dog-brained Jin Wang…”

Jin Wang: “………………”

Excellent. He’s still asleep.

Jin Wang let out a cold, sharp laugh. He leaned down, bringing his face inches from Ye Shu’s. “Care to repeat that?”

Even in his dreams, Ye Shu seemed to feel the oppressive presence. His brows knit slightly, and his lips moved: “Dog—”

Before the words could leave his mouth, he was ruthlessly silenced. Jin Wang pressed down with force, licking and biting at those soft lips, claiming them with a fierce intensity.

Ye Shu woke up gasping for air in the middle of that suffocating kiss. He opened his eyes, his blurred vision immediately meeting those handsome, piercing eyes.

The two stared at each other in silence for a moment.

Ye Shu blinked dazed, and Jin Wang released him nonchalantly. “Awake?”

“I…”

Still half-lost in the fog of sleep, Ye Shu tilted his head and belatedly touched his lips, which were numb from the kiss. Jin Wang adored this bewildered look; he couldn’t resist giving the young man’s cheek a pinch. It was warm, smooth, and felt wonderful to the touch.

As his consciousness fully returned, Ye Shu demanded, “Were you taking advantage of me in my sleep again?”

“No,” Jin Wang replied, pulling his hand back. Before Ye Shu could argue, he added, “I was doing it quite openly.”

Ye Shu: “…”

A knock came at the door—the attendants had arrived with dinner. Jin Wang straightened up. “Stop sleeping and get up to eat.”

Lately, Ye Shu had been sleeping a lot, eating a lot, and his palate had become incredibly finicky. He wouldn’t eat plain vegetables, he wouldn’t eat anything too greasy, he wouldn’t eat spicy food, and he wouldn’t touch anything with onions or ginger. He was harder to please than the Sovereign himself.

Yet, the Sovereign was more than happy to indulge him, ordering the Imperial Kitchen to find new ways to cater to his tastes every day.

As various delicacies were laid out across the table, Ye Shu’s eyes scanned the spread and settled on a delicate, petite pastry. Understanding the look, Jin Wang placed one on his plate. “Want this?”

“Mm.” Ye Shu nodded.

The pastry’s crust was perfectly balanced flaky but firm dusted with sesame seeds. The filling was a pale pink, sweet and tart, leaving a lingering fragrance with every bite. Ye Shu squinted his eyes in satisfaction.

Jin Wang didn’t pick up his chopsticks. He watched Ye Shu finish one, and just as Ye Shu reached for another, Jin Wang said casually, “I recall that my dear official didn’t used to like this kind of pastry.”

Ye Shu’s hand froze. The pastry fell onto the table.

“I remember during last year’s banquet for the officials, the palace hired a chef from Yangzhou who favored all sorts of sweet pastries and soups,” Jin Wang paused. “My dear official said he disliked sweets and didn’t touch a single bite that night.”

“There… there was such a thing?” Ye Shu thought for a moment, then gave a light laugh. “As Your Majesty said, that was in the past. I didn’t like sweet foods before, but people’s tastes change. Is that so strange?”

Jin Wang smiled. “Oh? So that’s how it is.”

The matter wasn’t mentioned again. Jin Wang placed another pastry on Ye Shu’s plate, and the meal proceeded harmoniously.

Only the Head Attendant, standing nearby, looked utterly bewildered.

When did His Majesty hold a banquet for officials last year? And where did a Yangzhou chef come from?

As for Minister Ye not eating sweets… if that were true, why did His Majesty spend the last few years constantly sending imperial pastries to the Ye estate?

Is my memory failing me??

Full and satisfied, Ye Shu leaned back on the soft couch like a sated cat, lazily rubbing his stomach.

Jin Wang looked up from his documents. “Feeling unwell?”

“No,” Ye Shu said. “Just a bit bloated…”

Jin Wang realized, “You overate again.”

“…” Ye Shu gave a low huff, too lazy to respond.

The hall fell silent, save for the sound of Jin Wang turning pages. Ye Shu soon grew drowsy. After some time, he felt himself being lifted. Recognizing the familiar scent, he didn’t open his eyes but naturally raised his arms to hook them around Jin Wang’s neck.

At any time, this posture of dependence was enough to please the other man.

Jin Wang’s footsteps lightened as he carefully tucked him into bed. As Ye Shu’s body hit the soft mattress, he stretched out comfortably, half-opening his eyes to rub them. “Are you finished with the reports?”

“No. You rest first.”

“That won’t do.” Ye Shu snapped awake, struggling to sit up. “Later you’ll just find some reason to torment me again…”

Jin Wang’s expression sharpened. “…Lie down.”

Ye Shu slumped back, cowed.

“Strip and go to sleep,” Jin Wang commanded.

Ye Shu obeyed. He removed his shoes, socks, and outer robes. Jin Wang leaned over and carefully removed the hair ornaments from the back of his head. A cascade of long hair instantly spilled across the bed.

Jin Wang gazed at him and said softly, “Tomorrow, we return to the palace.”

This was not unexpected. The Sovereign had stayed at the traveling palace for nearly half a month under the guise of “recovering from an injury.” During this time, he hadn’t held court or summoned anyone, handling only the most urgent government affairs. While he hadn’t abandoned the state, efficiency had certainly suffered.

Not to mention, the plot of the book—which hadn’t progressed an inch since Ye Shu arrived—needed to get moving.

It’s a relief the Sovereign finally remembered he has a country to run, Ye Shu thought blankly. Truly a cause for celebration.

However, in the next second, Jin Wang added, “The wedding preparations are imminent. I must oversee them personally.”

“…”

Jin Wang smiled. “Sleep. We have an early start tomorrow.”

This man really has no professional drive! Did I transmigrate into a bootleg version of this book??

The next morning, the Sovereign’s carriage departed the traveling palace for the Imperial City. The journey was low-key, with only a few armed guards accompanying the carriage while the rest remained hidden in the shadows.

At the front of the convoy, Chang Yuan rode on horseback, scanning the surroundings alertly. Ye Shu let down the carriage curtain and sighed softly. Jin Wang had kept his word; he hadn’t laid a finger on Chang Yuan.

“Well? I didn’t lie to you, did I?” Inside the carriage, Jin Wang sipped his tea leisurely.

Ye Shu nodded and said sincerely, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing his life.”

“Just a verbal ‘thank you’?”

Ye Shu suppressed his patience. “What does Your Majesty want?”

Jin Wang didn’t answer immediately. He scrutinized Ye Shu before tilting his head with a faint smile. “I want you to trade me a secret that absolutely no one else knows. And you are not allowed to lie.”

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