The White Moonlight Turns Out to Be a Black-Hearted Lotus - Chapter 23.1

He was being held so tightly… it felt almost suffocating.

Ji Yuanhui woke up in a state of breathlessness. Opening his eyes, he looked down at his chest, where Pei Xu was curled up. Even in sleep, Pei Xu’s brow was furrowed with unease, his slumber far from peaceful.

Shifting his gaze upward, he saw Pei Xu’s arms wrapped deathly tight around his neck, as if terrified that he might leave.

This was the source of the suffocation.

Ji Yuanhui didn’t want to wake him, so he tried to move his arms as gently as possible. However, Pei Xu’s eyes fluttered open, meeting his gaze.

Pei Xu seemed not quite awake yet; his eyes were hazy as he watched the movement. Suddenly, his inner thoughts spilled out without any filter: “Does Your Highness not want me to be close?”

The words were far too blunt. Ordinarily, Pei Xu would never speak like this.

“You’re turning the tables on me,” Ji Yuanhui said, finally prying the arms away and taking a deep breath. “This is murder of one’s own husband… You were going to strangle him to death.”

Pei Xu slowly returned from his daze, his expression shifting back into its usual gentle and refined mask. He leaned in softly, nestling back into Ji Yuanhui’s embrace. His lips lightly brushed Ji Yuanhui’s jaw, and his nose nudged against his neck—an unnoticeable act of acting spoiled to curry favor. “I was muddled from sleep just now and wasn’t clear on what I was saying. It wasn’t intentional. Please don’t be angry with me, Your Highness.”

Ji Yuanhui felt that Pei Xu was like a little fox spirit, wrapping him up in a big, fluffy tail. Waking up early in the morning to find a fragrant, beautiful wife throwing himself into his arms—Ji Yuanhui was so charmed by the scent that any lingering irritation vanished.

He sat up, feeling refreshed as he accepted the beauty’s closeness. Ji Yuanhui reached out and cupped the back of Pei Xu’s neck, pulling him closer in a posture full of dominance. “Kiss me twice more. Kiss me twice more, and I’ll forget what just happened.”

Pei Xu sat kneeling on Ji Yuanhui’s lap, his neck held in the other’s hand, his eyes downcast in a submissive expression. He tilted his head slightly, as if observing where would be best to kiss.

Rarely so obedient.

On the surface, it looked like Pei Xu was being held by the neck, completely under his control, appearing as though he would obey whatever was said. In reality, the premise of this situation was that Pei Xu himself was willing. Pei Xu enjoyed being held in this semi-forced manner; in fact, he delighted in it immensely.

Ji Yuanhui knew Pei Xu’s temperament well. He looked submissive but was actually prone to stubbornness—a bullheaded streak that ran deep. If forced to do something he didn’t want to do, he’d sooner find a rope to hang himself than comply.

Ji Yuanhui’s voice carried a hint of a smile: “Have you decided where to kiss yet?”

Pei Xu blinked softly, leaned in, and lightly touched his lips against Ji Yuanhui’s. Just when Ji Yuanhui thought that was it, he felt a moist sensation on his lips.

He was stunned for a moment, then instinctively sought out the other’s tongue, but Pei Xu suddenly pulled back.

Ji Yuanhui’s throat tightened. He reached behind Pei Xu’s head, pressing him back down for a kiss. “You little fox spirit…”

“Ah…” Being called a fox spirit made Pei Xu put on a saddened, innocent face. “When Your Highness speaks like that, this servant truly doesn’t understand.”

Ji Yuanhui bit him on the side of the neck as a punishment. Pei Xu tilted his neck back with a muffled groan. In a casual tone, he asked softly, “After returning yesterday, Your Highness had a high fever. I told Your Highness a few things—do you still remember them?”

No wonder he’s so proactive this morning, Ji Yuanhui thought. All this buildup was just waiting for this question.

Ji Yuanhui took Pei Xu’s hand and kissed it, then straightened his body as if in deep thought.

He saw the tension beneath Pei Xu’s seemingly calm face, so he shook his head, feigning ignorance: “I was muddled by the fever yesterday and truly can’t remember. Why don’t you say it again?”

Pei Xu inconspicuously breathed a sigh of relief. He raised his arms to encircle Ji Yuanhui, leaning in affectionately. “It was nothing important. We can talk about it another day.”

Pei Xu’s slender, white fingers moved through his hair in a slow, rhythmic motion, gently smoothing it. This soothing sensation allowed Ji Yuanhui to relax. He buried his face in Pei Xu’s chest, letting himself find peace and temporarily forgetting the world outside this small space.

People are always lonely, uncontrollably craving the sliver of warmth drawn from another when leaning on them. Warmth often gives the illusion of happiness.

Pei Xu rested his forehead against him, quietly enjoying this fleeting moment of tenderness.

Pei Xu didn’t like the pain Ji Yuanhui felt when he was sick, but he loved the vulnerability that surfaced when Ji Yuanhui’s brows furrowed in his illness.

Ji Yuanhui didn’t remember how he looked while ill. He didn’t remember his flushed cheeks and eyelids, nor how he had clung to Pei Xu’s waist like someone seeking help, brow pinched in discomfort, calling out “Rongrong” over and over in a piteous, aggrieved tone.

But Pei Xu remembered it all.

He felt a bit of regret, a bit of loneliness.

A conscious Ji Yuanhui would never speak in such a tone.

He was strong, indestructible, and disliked showing any weakness before others. He was used to spreading his wings to protect many, but never felt that he himself might occasionally need rest.

Pei Xu was immersed in these emotions, genuinely feeling that Ji Yuanhui was adorable when calling his name with that aggrieved voice. He felt a deep sense of loss knowing he might never see Ji Yuanhui in that state again, and thus didn’t notice that Ji Yuanhui had currently turned stiff as a board.

At that moment, a knock suddenly sounded at the door. Steward Zhang’s voice came through:

“Master, are you awake? Guests have arrived.”

Ji Yuanhui scrambled up instantly, throwing on his clothes with lightning speed. His movements were as smooth as flowing water, giving Pei Xu no room to react.

Ji Yuanhui strode to the door in a few steps. “Who is it?”

Startled by how quickly the door was opened, Steward Zhang paused before reporting dutifully: “The eldest and second Young Masters of the Zhou family. They have brought gifts to celebrate Young Master Pei’s birthday…”

Ji Yuanhui replied with a complete non-sequitur: “Rare guests indeed. I’ll be right there.”

He turned back, grabbed the jade belt hook from the side table, and fastened it while saying to Pei Xu, “You’re the birthday star today, no need to rush. Take your time getting ready. I’ll go to the front and see.”

“Ah…” Pei Xu didn’t know why Ji Yuanhui had suddenly become so brisk. He was slightly stunned. “Alright.”

Ji Yuanhui walked out without another word. Steward Zhang, observing his expression, asked with concern: “Master, has your cold not yet healed?”

Ji Yuanhui didn’t speak. After walking several paces, he suddenly leaned against a corridor pillar and stopped. His face was burning redder than when he had the fever. He buried his face in his palms and let out a long breath. “I’m fine…”

For the first time, he truly hated that he could hear what Pei Xu was thinking. Knowing something so embarrassing that it made him want to ram his head into a pillar was worse than not knowing at all.

He had fainted from fever, clung to Pei Xu’s waist, and kept muttering in a strange voice. Pei Xu said he was… adorable?

How was that different from acting like a spoiled child?

Him? Acting spoiled? He couldn’t even fathom it!!!

The image he had painstakingly maintained for years had been destroyed in a single morning. His lifelong reputation was ruined, gone in an instant.

Ji Yuanhui stared blankly at the pillar, but logic told him it was too late to bash his head against it. His image had already collapsed in front of Pei Xu, shattered into dust.

“I’m fine…” Ji Yuanhui took a deep breath. The echo of something shattering still rang in his ears. He gave a bitter smile. “Really, I’m fine.”

Steward Zhang nodded dubiously. Ji Yuanhui’s face didn’t look “fine,” so he offered a kind reminder: “If Master still feels unwell, this old servant can call the manor physician at any time.”

“No need,” Ji Yuanhui rejected him curtly.

In the front courtyard, everything was prepared. Ji Yuanhui picked up the guest list with little interest, waiting for the servants to lead the Zhou brothers in.

At such banquets, more people were looking to network and climb social ladders than those coming out of genuine sincerity.

And Ji Yuanhui had recently been stripped of his post, offending both the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince at the same time. Coming here at this juncture offered nothing but trouble.

Ji Yuanhui set the guest list down, estimating that most people on it would find excuses not to show.

After a while, servants led a guest in, but it wasn’t the Zhou brothers. Ji Yuanhui squinted for a moment; the person wore a veiled hat (muli), hiding their face completely. He couldn’t identify them.

“This commoner greets the Third Prince.” The person did not remove the hat, bowing to Ji Yuanhui. “The Eldest Prince is currently ill, and it is inconvenient for him to travel. I have been entrusted to celebrate Young Master Pei’s birthday. May Young Master Pei have every year as he wishes, and may all things be favorable.”

Saying this, he offered a brocade box. “This is the gift prepared by the Eldest Prince. He insisted I hand it personally to the Third Prince.”

“Much obliged.” Ji Yuanhui smiled, taking it. “Thank my eldest brother for me.”

Seeing Ji Yuanhui accept it, the person then handed over a long box they had been holding.

Ji Yuanhui took it. “Did Big Brother prepare two gifts?”

“This item was not the Eldest Prince’s idea; it is my own sentiment.” The person’s voice was level. “I ask the Third Prince to pass it on for me.”

Pass it on? Since today was Pei Xu’s birthday, it could only be for Pei Xu.

Ji Yuanhui’s brow twitched. The smile on his face faded, then he forced it back up into a hospitable look. He looked at the person again, his gaze full of cold scrutiny, yet his tone remained welcoming: “Does the Young Master have a past connection with my wife? Since you are an old acquaintance, why hide your face? May I ask your name and identity?”

“This commoner is unsightly and not fit to be seen.” The person avoided mentioning whether they knew Pei Xu, only saying: “I am merely an aide in the Eldest Prince’s manor, a lowly person with no name.”

Ji Yuanhui narrowed his eyes. He stopped smiling, replacing it with a direct stare full of pressure. He wanted to ask more, but a loud shout suddenly came from nearby.

“Ji Yuan—er, Third Prince!” With an outsider present, Zhou Shuning hurriedly corrected himself, though his tone was still disgruntled as he frowned. “Why are you standing so close to someone else? Your eyes are practically glued to him!”

How unfortunate… the company had arrived.

Ji Yuanhui abandoned the idea of forcing an answer. He gave a lazy smile. “Zhou the Second, where’s your brother?”

Zhou Shuning rushed across a short section of the corridor bridge, standing panting between the two of them to separate them. He gave Ji Yuanhui a look of disdain before turning to glare at the stranger. “Who are you?”

The person didn’t defend themselves, simply bowing to Ji Yuanhui. “It seems Your Highness has other guests. This commoner will take his leave.”

Watching the person walk away, Zhou Shuning was fuming. “He actually dared to ignore me!”

Zhou Shiming walked over slowly. He stopped and looked back for a moment, appearing pensive.

Ji Yuanhui noticed Zhou Shiming’s movement and asked, “You recognize him?”

Zhou Shiming looked back at him, his expression neutral. “He bears a resemblance to an old acquaintance.”

Before Ji Yuanhui could ask, he added of his own accord: “But that person was frail and died young. It must just be an illusion.”

Zhou Shuning cut in indignantly from the side: “Brother! Why aren’t you scolding him! His hand was practically on that person just now, and they don’t even know each other. Where is the propriety?”

Zhou Shiming glanced at him, seemingly too tired to bother: “I didn’t know you cared so much about propriety.”

“How can you be like this? Today is that person whose name I won’t say’s birthday, yet you’re out here early in the morning with someone else…” Zhou Shuning turned back to Ji Yuanhui, unable to continue. He said fiercely, “Simply improper!”

Zhou Shuning was completely out of the loop. Not only did he not understand what Ji Yuanhui and Zhou Shiming were discussing, but he even thought Ji Yuanhui was being swayed by beauty.

“How am I being?” Ji Yuanhui resisted the urge to open the box and see what was inside, replying casually. “I thought you didn’t like Rongrong. Why are you suddenly so concerned for him?”

“This has nothing to do with whether I hate him or not!” Zhou Shuning clenched his fist in anger. “This is a problem with you. You are the one doing something wrong!”

The Zhou family rules were strict: men did not take concubines, and women were not allowed to be concubines. If one reached the age of fifty without an heir, they could ask the clan elders to oversee an adoption.

In short, one could not mess around outside. Anyone who brought shame to the family style would be subjected to the rod and expelled.

Ji Yuanhui couldn’t take being stared at by that accusatory gaze. He put the box down and raised his hands in a promise: “I really didn’t do anything bad. I was just asking some questions. Truly.”

Zhou Shuning didn’t seem convinced. “You’d better be.”

“By the way, where is he?” Zhou Shuning looked around, dissatisfied. “Today is his birthday. Everyone coming here is for him, yet he doesn’t even know how to host the guests. Truly rude—as arrogant as he was as a child.”

Ji Yuanhui immediately looked up. “Don’t blame him. I caught a cold yesterday, and he took care of me all night…”

“Alright, alright, I get it. You two have a great relationship. Can you stop talking?” Zhou Shuning looked disgusted. “It’s sickeningly mushy.”

“But…” Ji Yuanhui was more interested in something else. “Speaking of when he was little, what was he like?”

“What else could he be? The same as now—a very rude child,” Zhou Shuning said. “When his aunt was still around, he was favored by his parents, spoiled beyond measure. I think I first saw him when he was about six or seven? I can’t remember clearly, but he was so young and yet so arrogant. Dressed in gold and silk, covered in jewels—he was made up like a little peacock.”

“He had such a haughty look. Despite being the younger generation, he refused to greet people first. When I called him, he’d just give a very condescending nod as a response. He’d only respond once before getting impatient. If you called him again, he’d ignore you.” Zhou Shuning recalled, fuming. “He’d keep his head high and ignore everyone. You have no idea how annoying he was.”

Just hearing the description made Ji Yuanhui think he sounded incredibly cute. The corners of his mouth turned up uncontrollably. He pressed further: “Like a little peacock? Did he like emerald-colored jade?”

“It was so many years ago, I hardly remember.” Zhou Shuning wasn’t sure. “Probably. I vaguely remember that the ornaments on his belt were mostly emerald. The color was like peacock feathers.”

So he prefers emerald…

Ji Yuanhui muttered to himself: “Good thing I prepared two pairs.”

Zhou Shuning was bewildered. “Two pairs of what?”

Ji Yuanhui smiled. “Nothing.”

It was a shame Pei Xu didn’t tell him these things himself. The current Pei Xu found it very difficult to reveal things like his likes and preferences.

That damned Pei Ji. Killing him a thousand times wouldn’t be enough.

While Ji Yuanhui was sinisterly imagining how to hack Pei Ji into pieces, Pei Xu arrived.

“Your Highness.” Pei Xu walked to his side, then looked at the Zhou brothers.

He had rarely met Zhou Shiming, but with the brothers’ similar looks right there, he bowed: “Good morning to my two cousins.”

Zhou Shuning grumbled dissatisfiedly: “What time do you think it is? Still ‘morning’… oof…”

Zhou Shiming reached out expressionlessly and pinched Zhou Shuning’s mouth into a duck shape, pushing him behind his back. His tone was level: “We are all one family. There is no need for such formality.”

Zhou Shuning had no idea how he had offended his brother again. He sucked in air while rubbing his mouth, not daring to speak further.

“A birthday gift.” Zhou Shiming’s speech was brief as he handed over a red wooden box. “Peace and joy.”

Pei Xu took it. “Thank you, cousin.”

Ji Yuanhui leaned in, wrapping an arm around his waist and resting his chin on Pei Xu’s shoulder to look at the box. “What did cousin give? Let me see too.”

“Some farmland and shops. Manage them well.” Zhou Shiming spoke of treasonous resources with total calm. “There will be no lack of need for money in the future for any uprising.”