Saving My Life By Simping For My Empress - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: He Likes His Wife the Most, Most, Most.

Qin Ji split the bamboo strips according to Old Man Sun’s instructions, and the old man then taught them how to bend the strips into the desired shapes.

Bamboo has excellent flexibility. No matter how Qin Ji bent or twisted it, it didn’t break easily. Consequently, he began to “neglect his proper duties,” playing with the bamboo strips and bending them into all sorts of strange shapes.

Wei Yu: “…” And he has the nerve to say he’s twenty; two years old is more like it.

“Are you planning to foster a deep emotional connection with that bamboo strip?” Wei Yu finally couldn’t watch any longer. If he kept playing, it would be dark soon. Were they really going to wait for an old man to invite several of them to dinner?

“No.” Through his fiddling, Qin Ji had become very familiar with the bamboo’s tension. He quickly bent the strips into the frame they needed.

Wei Yu took the fine thread, tied the joints where the bamboo strips met, and secured them.

Chen Xuanwen and Bai Lu were hidden guards; their skills were so exceptional that they extended even to kite-making. They didn’t need any help at all, tying their own kites with ease. Gao De felt that, at his age, there was no point in making a kite, so he settled for being a spectator.

Only Qin Ji and Wei Yu were making a kite together.

While making the kite, the two sat extremely close—close enough to smell the scent of each other’s incense used to fumigate their clothes.

Qin Ji loved being like this with Wei Yu.

Others laugh at my poor skills; I laugh at others for being single.

“This part needs to be secured again.” Wei Yu cut a section of thread, looped it around two bamboo strips, and tied them together.

“Alright, we can paste the paper on now.” Qin Ji held the completed frame and spun it around his finger.

“There is paper, ink, and brushes over here. You can add whatever you like,” Old Man Sun said cheerfully, pointing to an old wooden table.

Qin Ji was very self-aware regarding his mediocre drawing skills, so the task of drawing the wild goose naturally fell to Wei Yu.

Wei Yu had been raised as a standard Imperial Prince; he was proficient in the four arts—zither, go, calligraphy, and painting—not to mention governing a country.

Sitting at the table, he dipped his brush in ink and then lightly touched it to water to soften the shade. Wei Yu began to paint a wild goose.

He started with the body, using black ink to outline the oval belly, extending upward to draw the long neck and head, and downward for the tail, sketching a row of tail feathers.

For the wings, Wei Yu used a lighter shade of ink, leaning toward a pale charcoal grey. With a steady hand, he quickly finished one wing and then the second.

“Young Master, using such painting skills for a kite is truly a waste,” Old Man Sun sighed as he watched the goose take shape. “You must be a very famous young man in your hometown, aren’t you?”

Wei Yu smiled. “I suppose I could be considered famous.”

Qin Ji never hesitated to praise Wei Yu. Hearing this, he perked up and began listing Wei Yu’s virtues to the old man one by one.

“He is the most outstanding person in his hometown. In every aspect, no one of his age can compare to him. You’ve only seen his painting; he is also a master at Go—few can beat him. And…”

Qin Ji chattered on, and Old Man Sun listened without the slightest bit of impatience. Wei Yu shook his head at the sight.

Surprisingly, Old Man Sun didn’t find Qin Ji annoying at all.

As Qin Ji rambled, the wild goose under Wei Yu’s hand was finished. He used red pigment for the beak and feet, completing the image.

“It looks beautiful.” Qin Ji admired the goose. “The one you drew is definitely the best.”

Wei Yu was speechless. Qin Ji praised him every chance he got; how did he develop this habit?

Old Man Sun also commented, “Once this goose takes to the sky, it will surely be the most eye-catching.”

Wei Yu felt a chill from their excessive flattery, his goosebumps practically rising. “Alright, let’s wait for the ink to dry. Let’s see how the others are doing.”

Qin Ji excitedly went to check on Chen Xuanwen and Bai Lu’s progress.

Their kite frames weren’t finished yet; they had used quite a lot of bamboo strips.

“What kind of kite are you two making?” Qin Ji watched for a long while but couldn’t tell what the frames were supposed to be.

Chen Xuanwen: “I’m trying to copy that phoenix kite Old Man Sun has hanging up! The frame will be done soon.”

Qin Ji looked at the phoenix kite in the yard and was momentarily silenced.

The kite was massive—taller than Chen Xuanwen. That was certainly ambitious.

Bai Lu: “You should stop messing with a phoenix. Do you even have the artistic skill to paint one?”

Chen Xuanwen: “…Is that how you talk to your superior?” So annoying!

Bai Lu said indifferently: “I am currently serving the Young Master.”

Chen Xuanwen: …You have a point.

“I insist on making this kite to show you all what I’m capable of!” Chen Xuanwen was defiant.

Bai Lu didn’t believe he could do it and continued her own work, introducing it to Qin Ji and Wei Yu.

“I am making a carp kite. Carps bring good luck,” Bai Lu said.

Wei Yu couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, ‘May there be surpluses every year’ (a pun on ‘fish’ and ‘surplus’).”

Qin Ji: “Then we shall eat fish tonight.”

A carp was much simpler than a phoenix. By the time Chen Xuanwen was still struggling with his frame, Bai Lu was already painting her carp. For her missions, she had learned skills to blend into entertainment districts, so her painting was decent.

Since the ink on the wild goose was dry, Qin Ji and Wei Yu got back to their own project.

“Slowly cut along the edges, then paste it to the frame, and our kite will be done.” Qin Ji gave the scissors to Wei Yu. He was afraid he would be too clumsy and ruin the goose Wei Yu had personally painted.

Wei Yu’s touch was light and precise. Holding the scissors, he trimmed along the edges bit by bit, perfectly cutting out the wild goose without a single mistake.

“Is your frame finished?” Qin Ji glanced at Chen Xuanwen. That kite was so big it looked like a blanket.

He suspected Chen Xuanwen would suffer greatly when it came to painting the phoenix.

“Master, just you wait for my phoenix kite!” Chen Xuanwen went to paint with full confidence. Since the paper wasn’t big enough, he had to overlap the sheets.

Qin Ji shook his head. His and Wei Yu’s goose kite was much more reliable.

They applied paste to the bamboo strips, carefully placed the goose on top, and pressed it down firmly.

“Let it dry for a bit. You can take it out to fly tomorrow.” Old Man Sun inspected it for them; the kite was perfect.

Qin Ji and Wei Yu looked at each other and smiled.

Since they were finished, they sat down to watch Chen Xuanwen and Bai Lu continue.

Chen Xuanwen had indeed overestimated himself. Insisting on an oversized version, he was now stuck at the drawing stage.

Bai Lu chose this moment to wave her dry carp in front of him, taunting him before picking up her scissors to trim slowly.

“Look at him, he’s just greedy,” Qin Ji pointed out. “Does he not know that ‘a man’s heart is never satisfied, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant’?”

Chen Xuanwen pouted: “Master, can you please stop making sarcastic comments?”

Bai Lu added a final blow: “He’s clearly just stating the truth.”

Chen Xuanwen was so angry he wanted to give Bai Lu a thrashing.

In the end, Wei Yu couldn’t bear to see Chen Xuanwen wasting ink and stepped in to help him paint the phoenix.

“Young Master is truly kind-hearted,” Chen Xuanwen said.

Wei Yu denied it: “Not entirely. You are delaying everyone’s dinner.”

Everyone burst out laughing.

Chen Xuanwen: Am I the only one suffering here?

“How about you leave the unfinished kite with me?” Old Man Sun saw that it was getting dark. “I’ll touch it up for you, and you can come pick it up tomorrow?”

Chen Xuanwen: “Then I thank you, Old Man.”

He immediately abandoned his undried phoenix.

How could a kite be more important than dinner? Dinner first.

“Master, what are we eating tonight?” Chen Xuanwen rubbed his hands.

Qin Ji smiled: “Eat whatever you want.”

However, a dish of braised fish had to be arranged.

The large ship was docked at the pier. If they went back and came down again tomorrow, it would easily attract attention. Thus, Qin Ji had Gao De find an inn in Wang County and booked three premium rooms.

They went to the best restaurant in town for dinner before heading back to the inn to rest.

The inn was far inferior to the palace. For bathing, the waiter had to boil water and carry it bucket by bucket to the room to fill a tub.

Qin Ji worried the inn’s tub might not be clean, so he specially gave some silver to the owner to buy a brand-new tub, which he scrubbed repeatedly before letting Wei Yu use it.

“The temperature should be fine.” Once the tub was filled with hot water, Qin Ji tested it with his hand. “Come bathe quickly before it gets cold.”

Wei Yu: “What about you?”

Qin Ji said: “You go first. I’ll wash after you’re done.”

Wei Yu disagreed: “The water will be cold by then. That won’t do.”

Qin Ji patted his chest: “I’m in great health; I won’t catch a cold.”

“Why don’t we bathe together? The tub looks quite large,” Wei Yu suggested.

Although he and Qin Ji shared the same feelings, they were both men. Compared to a man and a woman, there was less perceived distance between them. Thus, Wei Yu didn’t think there was anything wrong with his suggestion.

As for Qin Ji, his brain usually went offline whenever he faced Wei Yu, so he didn’t realize either and felt Wei Yu’s suggestion made perfect sense.

It was only when they had stripped and were sitting together in the tub, surrounded by rising steam, that they realized they had crossed a boundary.

Qin Ji pinched his nose to prevent himself from having another unseemly nosebleed.

He couldn’t be blamed; with such a vivid, sensual scene, who wouldn’t feel their blood racing?

Wei Yu had been pampered since childhood; every part of him was delicate and noble. His skin was like mutton-fat jade. Even parts that were usually considered “ugly” on men looked beautiful on him.

Qin Ji took deep breaths, suppressing his impulses.

“Maybe I should wait until you’re done after all.” Qin Ji made a move to get out of the tub. If he looked any longer, he really would have a nosebleed!

Wei Yu pursed his lips and pulled Qin Ji back. “You’re already in; don’t mess around, or you really will catch a cold.”

Qin Ji had no choice but to sit back down.

It wasn’t just Qin Ji who was embarrassed—his eyes were darting around so much they were practically cramping—Wei Yu was also extremely shy.

Looking up, he could see Qin Ji’s Adam’s apple bobbing and his chest muscles. Looking down, he saw Qin Ji’s six-pack abs, which were taking shape after tireless effort. Further down…

Wei Yu closed his eyes, feeling scorched.

“A-Yu… I think I really can’t hold out much longer.” Qin Ji clenched his fists, wanting to slap himself.

You useless thing!

Wei Yu opened his eyes a crack: “Then… do you want to resolve it?”

Qin Ji was terrified: “Facing you…?”

His panic caused his language center to short-circuit.

To do that facing Wei Yu—what a defilement!

Wei Yu: “Then… shall I help you?”

Qin Ji’s body shuddered; he felt as if he’d been injected with adrenaline, incredibly excited.

If they lingered any longer, the water would get cold. Qin Ji steeled himself, quickly washed himself and Wei Yu, wrapped Wei Yu in his outer robe, and carried him to the bed.

Inside the tub wouldn’t work—what if the waiter saw them?

He had to find a way that wouldn’t be seen by others.

Wei Yu curled into Qin Ji’s arms, and Qin Ji quickly helped him into his sleeping clothes.

Then, he was successfully “rubbed” into a state of heat by Qin Ji.

The two young men of the same age finally realized that they were different from other men; they were the closest of companions.

In the end, Wei Yu went limp against Qin Ji and was coaxed to sleep.

Across two lifetimes, he had never had such an experience. Wei Yu was nearly “cooked” into a ripe shrimp.

Qin Ji wasn’t much better. Wei Yu’s voice was so soft it made his bones melt.

Such a soft person was his wife.

Qin Ji stared at Wei Yu’s sleeping face and grinned like an idiot.

Wife, hehehe.

He liked his wife the most, most, most.

…

The next morning when Wei Yu woke up, the spot beside him was empty; even the residual warmth was gone.

How long had he slept?

Wei Yu got up slowly. Just as he finished changing, he heard a knock on the door.

“Young Master, are you awake?” It was Bai Lu.

“Mm, come in.” Wei Yu was using a hair ribbon to tie back his hair.

Bai Lu brought in a basin of hot water for him to wash up.

“Where is he? I didn’t see him when I woke up,” Wei Yu asked.

Bai Lu reported truthfully: “His Majesty left with Commander Chen and Manager Gao at the crack of dawn. He only instructed me to take good care of you.”

Wei Yu knew in his heart that Qin Ji hadn’t abandoned him. He was likely off planning some surprise.

Whatever; he would know when Qin Ji returned. No rush.

After washing up, Wei Yu decided to go downstairs for breakfast.

Mainly, he wanted to wait for Qin Ji.

The inn’s breakfast was nowhere near as exquisite as the palace’s. There weren’t many varieties—just the usual steamed buns, white porridge, or a bowl of noodles.

Wei Yu never liked heavy food in the morning as it made him thirsty, so he just ordered porridge and buns. Bai Lu sat at the same table to eat with him.

Qin Ji returned to the inn after Wei Yu had finished. He was carrying a three-tiered food box.

Wei Yu: Surely he didn’t go out just to buy me breakfast?

Before Qin Ji could even enter the door, Wei Yu met him: “Why aren’t you sleeping? Where did you go? What are you up to now?”

“Something good.” Qin Ji grabbed Wei Yu’s wrist and led him back to sit in the lobby.

“The pastries of Wang County are very famous, especially the ‘Sanchun Pastries.’ It consists of three cakes made with three types of spring flowers. I went out early this morning to learn the craft.” Qin Ji opened the box and took out the layers. There were white, pink, and red ones—very bright and attractive.

Looking at the pastries—only four of each kind—Wei Yu briefly couldn’t find the words to describe his feelings.

Qin Ji always managed to give him the best surprises.

“The white one has a pear blossom filling. The crust was baked with goat’s milk; it has both the sweetness of pear blossoms and the aroma of milk.”

“The pink one has a peach blossom and ham filling. The dough was kneaded with peach blossom juice, hence the pink color.”

“The red one gets its color from camellia flowers, with Biluochun tea added, so the tea aroma is very strong.”

Qin Ji finished introducing the three types he had learned to make that morning. “They were all made for you.”

Light overflowed from Wei Yu’s eyes.

“If I had known you were making pastries, I wouldn’t have eaten breakfast. Now my stomach is full; I can’t eat a single piece,” Wei Yu said regretfully.

“They’re snacks for you. Who told you to eat them for breakfast?” Qin Ji chuckled.

He packed the box up tightly and handed it to Bai Lu. “Bai Lu, keep this safe. Take them out whenever the Young Master wants to eat.”

Bai Lu: “I have noted it.”

Wei Yu: “What are we doing today?”

Qin Ji smiled mysteriously: “I’m not telling. Just follow me.”

Wei Yu blinked: “Another surprise?”

Qin Ji: “I can’t say, I really can’t say.”

Wei Yu had no choice but to let it go and allow Qin Ji to lead him out.

“Stop for a moment.” When Wei Yu lifted the curtain to look out, he happened to see a bookstore.

The carriage stopped. Chen Xuanwen’s voice came from outside: “Young Master, do you wish to buy something? Tell me, and I’ll buy it for you.”

Wei Yu pressed Qin Ji back into the carriage. “Don’t follow me. I’ll be right back.”

Qin Ji: “?”

Although he was curious, as a qualified lover, he certainly chose to listen to Wei Yu.

“Alright, I’ll wait for you,” Qin Ji promised obediently.

Wei Yu wouldn’t let Chen Xuanwen help either. He didn’t even take Bai Lu, entering the bookstore alone.

“What books is the guest looking for? My shop is quite large; I’m sure to have what you want!” The shopkeeper, seeing Wei Yu’s noble attire, immediately hurried over.

Wei Yu clenched his fists hidden in his sleeves, his expression somewhat unnatural. “Ahem… Shopkeeper, in your shop… do you have any… ‘indecent’ books?”

Shopkeeper: “Huh?”

“Oh, oh, oh! I understand, I understand.” The shopkeeper had a teasing look. He went behind the counter and pulled out several picture books with titles that sounded quite literary.

“Guest, is this what you’re looking for?” the shopkeeper asked.

Wei Yu’s gaze drifted. “Shopkeeper, does your shop have… ones between a man and a man?”

Back in Wei, he had heard that private bookstores sold erotic art (Spring Palace pictures). Although these were officially banned, they were in high demand and couldn’t be fully suppressed. After all, where else would the pictures tucked at the bottom of a bride’s dowry chest come from?

Wei Yu knew of pictures between men and women, but he wasn’t sure if there were books for men and men as a reference.

If a man and a man become a couple, how should they… behave?

“Ah! Yes, yes!” The shopkeeper clearly wasn’t a very “proper” person. With a deep grin, he put back the previous ones and found a few more volumes.

“Guest, care to have a look?” The shopkeeper offered the books.

L-look?

How could he do that in public?

Wei Yu said hurriedly: “No need to look. Shopkeeper, just wrap them up for me.”

The shopkeeper felt it was a pity; he had wanted to give this customer a proper recommendation.

The books were wrapped in a cloth bag and handed to Wei Yu. He paid and rushed back to the carriage.

“Why did you go buy books?” Qin Ji hadn’t followed him, but he had been resting his chin on the window sill, watching the shop door.

Wei Yu lied with a straight face: “Just some books to pass the time.”

Qin Ji: “Then why don’t you take them out to read?”

Wei Yu: “…” I really want to cover his mouth.

“The carriage is too bumpy; it’s uncomfortable to read,” Wei Yu continued to talk nonsense.

Qin Ji believed him: “True, this carriage isn’t good enough.”

He pulled Wei Yu closer, letting him lean against him. “This should be more comfortable.”

Wei Yu refused to say another word. He didn’t want to keep lying; he would get caught eventually.

If Qin Ji found out he went to buy that kind of thing, who knows how his image would be overturned?

Qin Ji was a big-hearted person, and besides, his mind was full of the surprise he was about to show Wei Yu. He had no room to think about anything else.

The carriage moved slowly, eventually leaving the town and reaching a lush green meadow.

Some people had already set things up on the grass—all people Qin Ji had brought from the capital.

“Let’s get off.” Qin Ji softly called to Wei Yu, who was still pretending to be an ostrich.

Wei Yu feigned calmness. He let Qin Ji straighten his messy hair, and the two stepped down together.

After getting off, he saw a row of kites taking flight. They were all wild geese, but one goose kite was larger than the others and looked very familiar.

“Those Imperial Guards holding the kites are all married. I had Chen Xuanwu investigate; they have excellent relationships with their wives and are loving couples. So, I invited them to fly these kites together,” Qin Ji explained.

Wei Yu was stunned. Even when Gao Huan pulled the string of their specific goose kite and brought it to him, he didn’t take it.

Qin Ji was using his own way to make a promise to him.

No amount of sweet talk or vows could compare to such practical action.

Qin Ji couldn’t present every day of the rest of their lives at this moment, so he had this kite banquet as a form of blessing.

“A-Yu, the string will always be in your hand.” Qin Ji took the kite and waved Gao Huan away.

“Back at the hunting grounds, it was just the two of us. Today there are many people. Let’s fly the kite together and see if we can beat them, shall we?” Qin Ji asked with a smile.

Wei Yu grabbed the kite string. “Alright.”

He just didn’t know if the two of them could beat these Imperial Guards whose physical strength far exceeded theirs.

But winning or losing didn’t matter.

Because they had long since lost themselves to each other, in a way that exchanged heart for heart.

Wang County was indeed a good place for kites. With a gust of wind, the kite easily soared into the sky, sharing the light with the white clouds.

Gao De leaned against the carriage, looking gratified.

If the late Emperor could see this scene, he would rest in peace.

They had finally waited for the return of the true Emperor.

“Looking at His Majesty, it feels really good,” Chen Xuanwen said, picking a blade of grass to chew on.

Chen Xuanwu glanced at him: “If Big Brother feels good, then go get married. That would be good for Father and Mother too.”

Chen Xuanwen: “…You really are my brother, always bringing up the one thing I don’t want to hear.”

Chen Xuanwu: “You’re welcome.”

Qin Ji protected Wei Yu as they ran across the meadow. Eventually, Wei Yu couldn’t run anymore. He surrendered and told Qin Ji to pay the losing bet. Qin Ji rewarded everyone with silver so they could take it home.

“Wei Yu, are you hungry from running?” Bai Lu timely presented the Sanchun Pastries. Qin Ji took them. “Want to try my handiwork?”

Wei Yu looked at Qin Ji, turned his head away from the pastry, and kissed Qin Ji on the cheek.

“No need. This is enough.”

The long willows swayed in the wind; a beautiful dream born in the spring.