The White Moonlight Turns Out to Be a Black-Hearted Lotus - Chapter 31

Pei Xu clung to his neck, his blinking eyelashes brushing against his skin: “I don’t remember… I don’t remember why.”

“If you don’t remember, then let it be.” Ji Yuanhui squeezed the back of his neck and rubbed it, his tone casual. “I had a new mirror set into the wall of the bathroom; did you notice?”

Pei Xu nodded and looked up at him: “Why set it into the wall?”

“Because… it’s more convenient that way. It won’t be knocked over.” Ji Yuanhui seemed to mention it offhandedly, his expression composed. “It has other uses as well. Come with me after dinner, and I’ll show you.”

When his cheek was pressed against the ice-cold surface of the mirror, Pei Xu finally understood what the mirror was actually for.

The bathroom was filled with swirling mist. When warm skin touched the freezing glass, the fog on the mirror dissolved, turning into water droplets that slid down his cheek, falling heavily to the floor along with his tears.

Even his eyelashes were dampened by the humidity in the room, blurring his vision. Pei Xu panted rapidly, his hot breath blooming a fresh patch of mist onto the mirror’s surface.

“Isn’t this mirror very sturdy?” Ji Yuanhui held him by the waist, his thumb pressing into the small of his back. “It won’t be knocked over.”

Pei Xu reached out, trying to find some support, but the mist on the mirror was too slippery to grip.

He raised a hand to cover his eyes, but Ji Yuanhui grabbed his wrist and pulled it away, pinching his chin to turn him toward the mirror: “It’s so beautiful, why won’t you look?”

“Why did you suddenly bite me…” Ji Yuanhui pinched his chin and kissed him. “Biting so hard—do you like it that much?”

Pei Xu’s fingertips curled tight, his knuckles flushed pink.

“Too embarrassed to speak? There is nothing that cannot be said; we are to spend our lives together…” Ji Yuanhui kissed his bare back stroke by stroke, making him tremble slightly. “I will learn your preferences sooner or later; I cannot be the only one taking pleasure.”

As the room temperature rose, the mist on the mirror mostly vanished, turning into water droplets that flowed to the ground.

Ji Yuanhui lifted him up, tilting his head to kiss his earlobe. “Can you see clearly now? You must eat well usually… how is it that even a tiny bulge in your stomach is so obvious?”

“I love you…” Ji Yuanhui said while kissing him. “Do you feel the same? If so, give me a kiss too…”

Pei Xu listened blankly, his eyes misty. Using his hands to brace against the mirror—which was finally less slippery—he kissed the reflection of Ji Yuanhui with an expression bordering on piteous devotion.

Then, he took several heavy hits, losing all his strength. His cheeks were flushed red from the steam as he leaned against the mirror, gasping for air.

Ji Yuanhui grew jealous, pinching his face to turn him around and kissing him fiercely.

Pei Xu was flipped over, and Ji Yuanhui finally stopped making him face the mirror: “You kiss the mirror, but not me?”

Pei Xu covered his face, his body shaking slightly. Ji Yuanhui’s heart skipped a beat, thinking he had made the boy cry. Before he could even worry, he pulled the hands away only to find that Pei Xu was laughing.

Ji Yuanhui ground his teeth: “Did you do that on purpose?”

Pei Xu did not answer. With his back against the mirror, he rubbed his cheek against Ji Yuanhui’s neck: “It’s so cold…”

Ji Yuanhui carried him back toward the bath. Pei Xu clung tightly to his neck, kissing his chin: “I love you…”

Then he kissed his lips again: “I love you, too.”

Ji Yuanhui said nothing, feeling light-headed with bliss.

He was happy again.

When he woke the next day, Ji Yuanhui saw Pei Xu pressing his palm against his lower abdomen, rubbing it gently.

He pulled the younger man into his arms without opening his eyes: “What’s wrong?”

Pei Xu huddled into his chest and let out a soft hum: “It feels a bit… swollen.”

Ji Yuanhui snapped his eyes open instantly, all sleepiness vanishing. His expression became tense as he pressed his forehead against Pei Xu’s: “Let me feel.”

Pei Xu took his hand and placed it there. The sensation under his palm was soft and flat. Ji Yuanhui didn’t dare use force, becoming so cautious that he broke into a cold sweat.

“What is it, Your Highness…” Pei Xu didn’t think much of it himself. “It’s just a bit of pressure.”

Ji Yuanhui didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary, but his expression remained grave. His mind raced through many things: how Pei Xu had been sleeping very deeply lately, only waking after Ji Yuanhui had already entered the room… how his appetite was much better than when he first arrived at the manor…

Once a suspicion takes root in the mind, everything one sees becomes suspicious.

It couldn’t be… that he’s pregnant?

The moment this thought appeared, Ji Yuanhui’s heart leaped into his throat. This simply wouldn’t do. How could someone of Pei Xu’s age handle a child? He would be terrified just watching his stomach grow.

Although Pei Xu had said he wanted children, that was clearly because he was too lonely and lacked a sense of security.

No, no, absolutely not.

Ji Yuanhui suddenly bolted upright from the bed, frantically putting on his clothes.

“Today is a day off…” Pei Xu looked at him, confused. “Where is Your Highness going?”

“It’s nothing. I’m going to find a doctor.” Ji Yuanhui turned back to kiss his forehead, then quickly finished dressing and headed out. “I’ll be right back.”

When he said right back, he meant it. In less than half an hour, Ji Yuanhui had returned—having kidnapped the Daoist priest.

“My medicine is absolutely fine! I said it could prevent pregnancy, so it can! Don’t you take it every day? What do you mean? You don’t trust me? You had to tie me up and drag me here…”

The Daoist complained the whole way.

Ji Yuanhui took a deep breath and forced a smile: “I cannot trust anyone else. I must trouble you, Daoist.”

Since he was already there, checking Pei Xu’s pulse was a simple matter. The Daoist sighed in resignation and followed Ji Yuanhui inside.

Seeing that Ji Yuanhui had brought a doctor, Pei Xu was confused as to why they weren’t using the estate’s own physician, but he still cooperatively extended his wrist.

The Daoist rolled his eyes countless times while checking the pulse.

He was fairly polite to Pei Xu, not taking his anger out on him: “That prescription can be stopped after another ten days. Your body has no other issues; do not worry.”

However, he had no kind words for Ji Yuanhui, who had forcibly abducted him early in the morning. As the Daoist walked out, he cursed with a sour face: “Can you stop being so neurotic and coming to me for every little thing? He isn’t pregnant. Put your heart back in your chest.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Yuanhui felt a great weight lift from his heart. He followed behind the man, continuing to ask: “Then why was he uncomfortable…”

“Why? Why else? Because you two are doing it too much!” The Daoist gritted his teeth. “Just practice some moderation in the future and everything will be fine. If you bother me again for something like this, I’ll just poison you and castrate you myself—solve the problem once and for all.”

Ji Yuanhui’s ears automatically filtered out the useless parts. He sighed in relief: “As long as he’s fine.”

The Daoist started to curse again but stopped when Ji Yuanhui pulled out a handful of silver for wine money. Only then did he leave satisfied.

Thankfully, it was just a small misunderstanding.

Pei Xu had only just entered officialdom; he was at a stage where he was overwhelmed with work. No matter what, now was not the right time.

Ji Yuanhui took out a pill and swallowed another one.

Two more years… wait another two years.

After a massive purge, the imperial court returned to its normal operations.

The Emperor still barely attended court three times a month, and the Censorate still threatened to smash their heads against pillars to advise the throne at every turn.

Though the Prime Minister had not yet fallen, the situation was clearly not optimistic. Feng Wangong, the current Minister of the Court of Judicial Review who had been mobbed in court that day, was precisely his protege.

Pei Xu contacted several victims who had similarly suffered under Wang Yin’s faction and jointly submitted a petition requesting a re-investigation of old cases.

The Emperor agreed.

Those scrolls of old cases, pulled out and dusted off, became a new death warrant hanging over the heads of Wang Yin’s clique.

Long-standing injustices were cleared. A group of disgraced officials in the Ministry of Justice prison who shared similar fates were proven innocent, and the Emperor ordered them to be restored to their original posts.

On the day the Minister of Justice went to announce the decree and release the prisoners, the Prime Minister’s request to retire was granted, and he resigned his post to return to his hometown.

Pei Xu put the matter of the Prime Minister out of his mind for the moment. He cared more about how his teacher was doing. After so many years of never seeing the light of day, the ordeal was finally over. Would he be willing to return to the official world? Or would he prefer to return to his old home in Dongling?

His teacher was elderly now. He actually hoped his teacher would go home. Several years of imprisonment had likely drained his life force; he should be allowed to rest.

None of his teacher’s relatives were currently in the capital, and Pei Xu could not leave his post at the Ministry of Justice during the day, so he asked Ji Yuanhui to send people to collect him. Once his teacher was settled, he had to tell his Senior Brother… they had been so close to being a family. To his Senior Brother, his teacher was likely no different from a father.

Pei Xu’s thoughts wandered. He finally managed to endure until the end of the workday. After walking a few steps, he ran into the Minister of Justice, who was rushing back for some reason.

As he was his superior, Pei Xu could not ignore him. He bowed: “Lord Liu.”

“Yes, yes.” For some reason, the man’s eyes were evasive, and his gaze toward Pei Xu carried a hint of pity. “It’s Courier Pei. Since work is over, hurry home.”

Pei Xu had always been sensitive to such things. He had an ill premonition and urged the carriage driver to speed up the journey back to the manor.

Before he could even step off the carriage, Pei Xu saw Ji Yuanhui standing at the gate, frowning with a heavy expression, lost in thought.

The unease in Pei Xu’s heart intensified. He didn’t wait for the driver to set the step stool and jumped straight off the carriage, rushing forward to ask Ji Yuanhui: “Your Highness, what happened?”

Ji Yuanhui opened his mouth, but his brow remained knitted. He took Pei Xu’s hand as if he didn’t know what to say for a moment. He led him into the manor while trying to organize his words, but in the end, he only managed one sentence: “I’m sorry…”

Pei Xu guessed something. He broke away from Ji Yuanhui’s hand and ran inside, where he saw a coffin temporarily placed in the courtyard.

“The mourning hall is still being prepared… let Lord Lu stay at the manor for a few days. An urgent letter has already been sent to Dongling; Lady Lu should arrive in the capital soon to escort the coffin home.”

Pei Xu listened quietly, yet it was as if he understood nothing. He paused for a moment, walked forward to look at his teacher’s remains, then turned to ask Ji Yuanhui: “How did my teacher pass away?”

“It was poison…” Ji Yuanhui said. “When the people from the Ministry of Justice went to announce the decree, Lord Lu had already passed. A jailer did it; he committed suicide by poison after being discovered.”

Pei Xu nodded. His hand reached for the waist of Ji Yuanhui, and with a shing, he pulled out the Prince’s sword and strode toward the back courtyard.

Ji Yuanhui was startled and chased after him: “What are you doing!”

Pei Xu did not stop: “Going to the stable to get a horse.”

“Why a horse?”

“Wang Yin was granted permission to retire this morning. He shouldn’t have left the capital yet.” Pei Xu’s voice was hoarse. “I am going to kill him!”

“Come back! Never mind going like this with just a sword—even if you were fully prepared to have him assassinated, you cannot let him die in the capital!”

Ji Yuanhui grabbed him around the waist, snatching the sword away: “You were the one who submitted the petition to reopen the cases. Everyone knows you and Lord Lu are master and disciple. If Wang Yin dies suddenly, you will be the prime suspect! Even if Wang Yin is dead, his remnants haven’t been wiped out. What if they trace it back to you? Will you go to prison as well?”

“Then what about my teacher?” Tears finally fell uncontrollably from Pei Xu’s eyes. “Was he just meant to die?”