The Beautiful Top Being Pursued Relentlessly [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 42

By the time the sun was high in the sky, Jiang Yi finally made his appearance.

The moment Xie Cheng opened his door, he was blocked by a beaming Jiang Yi. The younger man had clearly slept well; there were no dark circles under his eyes, and they sparkled with an incredible intensity.

Xie Cheng gave him a flat look. “Move.”

Instead of moving, Jiang Yi spread his arms even wider, blocking the path more firmly. A fawning smile plastered on his face, he drew out his words in a long, melodic tone. “My Prince, please wait a moment.”

With that, he stepped aside to reveal a small copper brazier burning brightly right there on the veranda.

Beside the brazier sat a wooden bucket filled with steaming, pale-green water. A few fresh pomelo leaves floated on the surface, releasing a bitter, clean fragrance.

Jiang Yi took Xie Cheng’s hand and said with utter seriousness, “My Prince has just recovered from illness. We must quickly dispel the bad luck so that no more ‘perverse winds’ can disturb you.”

Boring.

Xie Cheng grumbled inwardly.

“Come, My Prince. Step over the brazier first, then use the pomelo leaf water to wash your hands. It’ll cleanse the sickly energy. From now on, everything will be safe, smooth, and prosperous,” Jiang Yi chirped.

Xie Cheng stared down at the hand holding his own, lost in thought for a beat. Then, he calmly offered his other hand as well. “You do it.”

Two hands, with distinct knuckles and skin as pale as white jade, were placed into his palms. Jiang Yi nodded repeatedly in agreement.

The pads of his fingers pressed gently against those slightly cool palms, moving downward to softly knead the slender, long fingers. From the joints to the tips, his touch was feather-light.

It was a subconscious action, but Jiang Yi quickly realized what he was doing. He squeezed the hands back firmly and said guiltily, “This… this is also a necessary part of the process.”

If the Prince knew he was touching his hands for no reason, he’d surely think he was a lecher.

Xie Cheng remained silent, allowing him to continue. He neither rushed him nor pulled away.

“My Prince, be careful when you step over the fire.”

Xie Cheng let Jiang Yi lead him over the brazier. The firelight flickered across his handsome, refined profile.

Inevitably, Xie Cheng thought of wedding ceremonies, where a bride was led by the groom just like this carefully stepping over a brazier and onto auspicious red cloth before bowing to Heaven and Earth together.

Xie Cheng knitted his brows. He found the thought abrupt and ridiculous, even eerie.

“My Prince, wash your hands here.”

Unaware of the Prince’s inner turmoil, Jiang Yi led him to squat by the wooden bucket. He cupped his palms to scoop up the pomelo water and carefully poured it over Xie Cheng’s hands.

The hot, greenish water slid through the gaps between their fingers, pitter-pattering back into the bucket.

“All done.” Jiang Yi pressed his palms together with a pious expression. “May the Prince be free from disaster and illness; may you have long peace and lasting joy.”

As Jiang Yi was still mulling over more auspicious words, a familiar scent suddenly drew close. A soft, cool sensation pressed against his lips, lingering there quietly.

It was like snow melting, or a dragonfly skimming the water’s surface.

Xie Cheng had leaned in and dropped a swift kiss. He was in no hurry to pull away, keeping his eyes open to watch the blush spread across Jiang Yi’s cheeks and ears.

The kiss was light, lacking any deep, lingering passion. It was a whim; he’d thought of it, so he did it.

A crisp medicinal fragrance quietly blended between them, dissolving between their lips. A dizzy Jiang Yi tasted the bitterness of the medicine from last night, yet it felt incredibly sweet.

The Prince  is very sweet.

Once he learned Xie Cheng was awake, Shui Shi quickly arrived at the study with a stack of secret letters.

At that time, since Xie Cheng hadn’t eaten dinner last night or breakfast this morning, Jiang Yi had gone to the kitchen to cook him something special. Xie Cheng took the rare moment of leisure to spread out a new pulp novel.

“It is said that the current Minister Ye has a young son, born with refined features and brimming with talent. Who in the Imperial City does not praise him?

Unexpectedly, one day, a youth suddenly appeared at the gates of the Minister’s estate. Though his clothes were tattered, his aura was extraordinary. He sought neither silver nor food, saying only that he wished to see the Minister to present a family heirloom.”

Just as the story reached a climax, the stack of letters Shui Shi brought was so high it toppled over right in front of Xie Cheng.

Xie Cheng frowned irritably and pushed the mess aside. “Send them to the Eastern Palace.”

“They were originally meant for the Eastern Palace, but the Crown Prince is far too busy, so they were sent back,” Shui Shi replied.

“What is he busy with?”

The Crown Prince was physically strong and in his prime; it was the perfect time to serve the country and share the Emperor’s burdens. It was normal to be busy. There were always this many affairs, and they were usually sent over without issue why was this time different?

Shui Shi lowered his head. “Busy coaxing someone.”

“What?” Xie Cheng was confused.

“The Crown Prince met a young master a few days ago. They say it was love at first sight. These past few days, he has been.”

Xie Cheng raised his hand, using the novel to cut him off. “Is it the protagonist of this story?”

Shui Shi’s answer was not surprising. “Yes.”

Xie Cheng leaned back into his chair.

Well then. Even though he hadn’t died, those two had ended up together just like in the original plot. That was fine; he didn’t need to worry about the romance plotline.

Only.

Forget it, he’s not my biological brother anyway.

“They say that young master’s life story is truly tragic. He suffered so much, and when he finally found his biological parents, he was met with cold shoulders and utter rejection,” Shui Shi added.

Xie Cheng: 

Wait, what?

“It’s not Ye Qing?”

Shui Shi was baffled. “Of course it isn’t Young Master Ye Qing. The Crown Prince has met him many times. If it were love at first sight, why wait until now?”

Xie Cheng went silent.

In one moment of inattention, the plot had completely derailed.

“The young master the Crown Prince likes is named Ye Shu,” Shui Shi added, seeing Xie Cheng was interested.

“Where is he now?” Xie Cheng asked.

Shui Shi sighed. “It’s absurd, really. There actually are parents who don’t want their own child. Ye Qing just had to cry a little in front of them, and the Minister kicked Young Master Ye Shu out. He’s currently staying at an inn.”

“An inn?”

“The Crown Prince wanted to bring him to the Eastern Palace, but Ye Shu refused. On second thought, since neither is married, it wouldn’t be proper for them to live together.”

Xie Cheng: 

Neither is married  yet he and Jiang Yi had shared a bed for many nights.

“And Ye Qing?” Xie Cheng asked again.

“Young Master Ye Qing is, of course, still at the Minister’s estate.”

Xie Cheng fell silent once more.

In his second life, wasn’t Ye Qing supposed to leave the estate and live his own life?

“My Prince, the letters from the Hidden Pavilion have more detailed records of this. You can take a look,” Shui Shi said.

Xie Cheng had no desire to follow their love-hate drama. He waved his hand. “Put them aside.”

“Also, there are clues regarding the Wushi Tribe. The letters with the red seal are the ones,” Shui Shi said.

“Understood. You may leave.”

“My Prince,” Shui Shi called out again.

Prince, Prince, Prince.

Aren’t these people annoying?

Shui Shi kept his head low. After hesitating, he gripped his sleeves and finally spoke. “An imperial decree has been issued regarding the selection for your consort. It is expected that Auntie Chunhua will leave the palace today to begin preparations on behalf of the Empress.”

Silence fell over the study.

Xie Cheng slowly raised his eyes. His gaze landed on Shui Shi, who looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole. He looked away quickly. “It’s a trivial matter. Let Butler Liu handle it. When Auntie Chunhua arrives, settle her in properly.”

“Yes,” Shui Shi complied and exited.

A trivial matter?

This concerns the future Princess Consort, yet the Prince truly doesn’t care.

By afternoon, Auntie Chunhua had entered the Zhao Prince Estate with a troop of palace servants. Dressed in pale palace robes, her steps were steady, and her expression was a mix of dignity and efficiency.

When Butler Liu came to greet her, she spoke immediately. “His Majesty has granted a special grace to hold the Prince’s selection ceremony here at the estate to honor his status. For such a grand event, every detail must be arranged perfectly.”

Butler Liu naturally agreed.

Auntie Chunhua lowered her voice. “Her Majesty knows the Prince’s temperament. Fearing he might refuse, she started the arrangements early. The Zhao Prince Estate is actually the last to know.”

“Her Majesty’s intentions are painstaking. Even if the Prince had known earlier, he would not have declined,” Butler Liu said.

“Of course, of course. The Prince is most filial.”

After walking a bit, Auntie Chunhua noticed servants moving back and forth and frowned. “Holding a selection ceremony in a Prince’s estate is a first in history. An estate is not like the palace; there are too many eyes. If the noble ladies visiting are offended or disturbed, neither of us can take the blame.”

She pondered for a moment, tapping her finger against a pillar. Her mind was made up. “Pass on my orders: seal off the West Wing entirely and open a side gate for entry and exit. No servants, internal or external, are allowed near without a summons. All food and supplies are to be delivered by designated personnel. Violators will be punished according to palace rules.”

“You have thought of everything,” Butler Liu praised.

As they spoke, Auntie Chunhua felt a burning gaze from behind. She turned to see an unfamiliar young master in fine clothes standing there, holding a small pot.

“Who is that?” she asked.

“The young master the Prince brought back.”

With that explanation, she understood. If nothing else, this young man was the Prince’s sweetheart.

Seeing that she had noticed him, Jiang Yi didn’t hide. Instead, he took small steps and approached with a grin. “Greetings, Auntie Chunhua. I hope you are well.”

Auntie Chunhua scrutinized him carefully.

The youth before her had clear features and a tall, straight posture. Though he was trying to act composed, the slight redness of his ears betrayed his nerves. He was like a fresh willow in the sunlight vivid and charming in his own way.

What a clean, handsome young man. So this is what the Prince likes. They make a good match.

Jiang Yi felt his whole body tensing under her gaze, yet he still tried to maintain his “dignified and generous” posture. “Auntie Chunhua, my name is Jiang Yi. You can just call me by my name.”

Auntie Chunhua burst into a laugh, her gaze softening. “What are you holding, Young Master Jiang?”

“The Prince has had a poor appetite lately. I made a pot of refreshing soup based on the flavors of my hometown.”

“It is rare for someone to be so thoughtful.”

To be this attentive and naturally likable as a companion for the Prince, he was certainly enough.

However, there had never been a precedent for this. She didn’t know what the Prince’s ultimate plan was.

Auntie Chunhua decided to offer a few words of advice. “Pure and innocent people are rare, especially in the depths of a Prince’s estate. You must know how to guard that nature of yours.”

The Prince was used to deep, scheming people; he would likely treasure this sincere heart.

Having said her piece, she smiled and patted his arm. “Go on, deliver it to the Prince. Don’t let the soup get cold.”

Support