The Emperor Doesn't Despise Me? Why Is He Still Using Force! - Chapter 6

A jade pendant slid out from the pocket of the brocade robe Pei Yan was wearing.

Xiao Jing’an’s gaze was instantly drawn to it.

However, that jade pendant did not fall to the ground as a result.

Instead, the cord attached to the pendant had been deliberately tied to the corner of the pocket, preventing it from slipping out of the shallow pocket and getting lost.

Clearly, its owner attached great importance to this jade pendant.

At this moment, Pei Yan also realized something.

His gaze followed Xiao Jing’an’s line of sight down.

Simultaneously, Xiao Jing’an’s cool, detached voice rang in his ear: “Yan Qing’s jade pendant has dropped.”

With that, he had already withdrawn his gaze.

His demeanor was as though he remained completely indifferent to everything.

“Thank you for the reminder, Eighth Prince.”

Pei Yan quickly put the jade pendant away.

Xiao Jing’an wrapped an arm around his supple waist, evading the onslaught of the wolf pack.

As soon as they were safe, Xiao Jing’an asked flatly, as if casually inquiring, “Why is the jade pendant not worn on your person?”

Pei Yan thought of that lost imperial jade pendant.

Because he hadn’t been of royal blood in his past life, he could only carry that jade pendant close to his body, resulting in him never developing the habit of wearing a pendant at his waist.

“Because the jade pendant is very important; wearing it at the waist risks bumps and damage, which would break my heart.”

Xiao Jing’an’s gaze swept unostentatiously toward the waist of Pei Yanning, who was standing nearby.

There was nothing there; no jade pendant was worn.

Therefore…

Xiao Jing’an’s gaze flickered slightly, as if he had already determined which of the two had dropped that imperial jade pendant carved with a four-clawed python.

[My waist is so itchy.]

With Pei Yan currently under Xiao Jing’an’s protection, he couldn’t be ungrateful enough to push away the hand resting on his waist.

That hand seemed devoid of temperature; its cool, refreshing touch, tinged with a damp film of sweat, penetrated the thin fabric of his clothing. The wispy, tickling sensation felt like countless tiny bugs crawling and scratching at his heart, making the itch utterly unbearable.

Pei Yan subconsciously rubbed back and forth in Xiao Jing’an’s embrace.

His rather upturned, rounded buttocks inadvertently brushed against Xiao Jing’an’s body.

Xiao Jing’an snapped back to his senses, only then realizing that his hand had remained planted on Pei Yan’s waist the entire time.

With an almost instinctive reflex, he pushed away the person who had been nuzzling against his chest like a cat.

He raised a hand, intending to brush off the spot where he had touched him, but the moment Pei Yan looked over, he froze, changed direction, and instead smoothed down the loose strands of hair beside his temple.

[You can put on airs all you want, Tyrant, but I’m certain of it you just can’t stand me.]

From an angle where Xiao Jing’an’s peripheral vision couldn’t reach, Pei Yan’s bright water-apricot phoenix eyes shot him a thoroughly disgusted look.

[Disgusted with me now, huh? When you were acting like a tyrant back then, you weren’t like this at all you used to always have me…]

Pei Yan’s inner voice abruptly cut off.

Xiao Jing’an’s dark, heavy pupils slowly drifted downward, quietly looking over.

Just in time to meet those rippling eyes that looked as though they had been soaked in clear, sparkling spring water.

That pair of eyes was like a crystal-clear mirror capable of piercing straight through the human heart clear enough that one scarcely dared to meet them directly, yet possessing an irresistible, magnetic pull, as if they could suck a person’s soul right into their depths.

“Eighth Prince, is there something you need from this commoner?”

Xiao Jing’an stared at Pei Yan’s cold, fair, and handsome face.

“Suddenly, I feel as though you and I have met before.”

“Perhaps this commoner was born with a common face, which is why more than just the Eighth Prince has said such things.”

As soon as Pei Yan finished speaking, he began to inwardly mutter and deride him in his mind.

[Met before! Even if you were skinned alive, Tyrant, I’d still recognize you.]

A flash of anger tinged Xiao Jing’an’s features as he swung his sword to hack to death a ferocious wolf that was lunging at them.

“Eighth Prince, are you taking your anger out on that wolf?”

Pei Yan looked utterly bewildered by Xiao Jing’an’s dramatic, abrupt shift in mood.

Xiao Jing’an casually scraped together an excuse.

“A pack of wolves without a shred of sense; knowing they are no match for me yet still rushing up to throw away their lives.”

Pei Yan fluttered his long, crow-wing eyelashes.

[Why do I feel like the tyrant isn’t cursing the wolves at all, but rather cursing me!]

“A pack of wolves isn’t enough; even a treacherous white fox has shown up now.”

With an expressionless face, though his eyes carried traces of anger, Xiao Jing’an swept a glance toward a white fox lingering by the roadside.

Pei Yan suddenly caught on to something.

“Eighth Prince, why are you all alone in the North Mountain Hunting Grounds?”

[This makes no sense at all, and why didn’t the assassins sent by the Third Prince show up tonight either? The tyrant is completely uninjured right now.]

[Isn’t the dead of night the exact time for carrying out assassinations!]

After calming down, Pei Yan began to notice the multitude of anomalies tonight.

“Ah…”

Pei Yanning suddenly let out a startled cry.

Pei Yan hurriedly looked in the direction of the sound, and his pupils abruptly shrank.

A wolf had leaped into the air, baring its razor-sharp fangs as it lunged fiercely right toward Pei Yanning.

“Dad…”

Gathering every ounce of strength in his body, Pei Yan sprinted over.

Xiao Jing’an froze for a split second, an expression crossing his face as though he were doubting his own sense of hearing.

A moment later, he brandished his sword to shield Pei Yan’s flank, guarding against any sneak attacks from other vicious wolves.

The ferocious wolf was already bearing down to snap at Pei Yanning’s slender neck.

With a crisp “swish.”

In an instant, the wolf’s head was sent flying through the air.

Dark crimson blood splattered onto the ice-blue brocade robe Pei Yanning wore.

Terrified out of his wits, Pei Yanning’s vision instantly went black, and he fainted dead away, collapsing toward the ground.

He was caught just in time by Sheng Nan, who had rushed over after killing a ferocious wolf.

Sheng Dong led a dozen secret guards, holding gleaming, sharp longswords, and executed the remaining jackals with well-trained precision.

In no time at all, the entire pack of wolves was slaughtered down to the last one.

Pei Yan ran up to the unconscious Pei Yanning, looking down at him with tense worry, and said to Xiao Jing’an beside him, “Eighth Prince, please send him to seek medical attention as quickly as possible; I’m afraid his life is in danger.”

Without answering, Xiao Jing’an stepped forward, extended his hand, and began taking the pulse of the fainted Pei Yanning.

Pei Yan turned his gaze to Xiao Jing’an, who was concentrating fully on checking Pei Yanning’s pulse beside him.

[I completely forgot, he’s practically half a physician.]

Xiao Jing’an’s brow knitted slightly.

In their past life, when Pei Yan was on duty in the Imperial Study and felt a slight discomfort in his throat, he had coughed twice.

At that time, Xiao Jing’an, serving as emperor, had personally taken his pulse and diagnosed the root cause of his ailment.

He had even bestowed upon him numerous precious Chinese herbal medicines to cure his illness.

Pei Yan reminisced about the events of the past life.

[His birth mother belonged to the Southern Frontier shaman tribe; not only was she adept at raising all sorts of venomous insects, but she was also well-versed in medicine. He inherited his mother’s expertise and mastered a fair bit of medical skill as well.]

Xiao Jing’an veiled the complex emotions welling up in the depths of his eyes, though he ultimately failed to restrain himself from turning his head to look at Pei Yan.

“Eighth Prince, how is he?”

Seeing Xiao Jing’an look his way, Pei Yan hurriedly asked.

“His life is not in danger; he has simply suffered from extreme shock.”

Pei Yan let out a long, gentle breath.

The heavy stone pressing on his heart finally lifted somewhat.

Xiao Jing’an withdrew his hand and instructed Sheng Nan: “Take him away and send him to a medical clinic in the city.”

Although his life wasn’t in danger, his constitution was far too depleted; he needed to be prescribed some medicine to recover his health as soon as possible.

Receiving the order, Sheng Nan scooped up Pei Yanning and strode toward the gates of the hunting grounds.

“Thank you, Eighth Prince.”

After cupping his hands in a bow to express his gratitude to Xiao Jing’an, Pei Yan prepared to follow Sheng Nan, but at that moment, Xiao Jing’an spoke up.

“Yan Qing, stay behind.”

With a trace of unfathomable meaning in his serene, quiet eyes, he looked straight at Pei Yan.

“You and I need to clear up a few things.”