When the Puppet Emperor Becomes a Heartthrob - Chapter 7

Xi Huai suddenly felt goosebumps rise all over his body. He forgot to argue, and he forgot that the person in front of him was the villain.

His mind went blank until Xiao Yuan’s fingertips grazed his face, which finally brought him back to reality.

He lifted his gaze slightly and saw that Xiao Yuan had moved even closer, his dark shadow completely looming over him.

Xiao Yuan was very tall, about eight feet. While the young Emperor was not short, standing beside Xiao Yuan, he felt completely engulfed.

Xi Huai keenly sensed that the man before him was somewhat strange. His scalp tingled, and he instinctively realized something was wrong, unconsciously shifting his body away.

Little did he know, in Xiao Yuan’s eyes, this quail-like behavior was absolutely adorable.

His skin was naturally fair, and when his cheeks flushed red, he looked like a ripe peach, making one unable to resist the urge to lean down and take a gentle bite.

Xiao Yuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He suddenly thought of last night’s dream, where he stood before the boy just like this, letting him do whatever he pleased.

In the dream, the boy arched his feet, revealing full, rounded toes that pressed against the floor of the bathhouse, the tips turning pink from the pressure.

In that dream, he had bowed and knelt before the boy like a submissive little dog, licking his toes with obsessive infatuation.

Just thinking about it made his body heat up, his mind filling with lewd fantasies. Just as he was about to lean down and kiss that “peach,” a sharp pain struck his right cheek.

“How insolent!”

The young Emperor was filled with terror. His eyelashes trembled like wings, casting shadows beneath his eyes and concealing his wet, fearful gaze.

The way he pretended to be composed and calm was so beautiful, like a flower deity from above the clouds, attracting moths and butterflies. Xiao Yuan’s heart began to pound violently.

He covered his slapped cheek, looking at the young Emperor in a daze, even forgetting to use honorifics. “If you are angry, Ah-Huai, you can hit me a few more times.”

His words were crude and lewd. Xi Huai broke out in a cold sweat, half from anger and half from fear.

Family, I am scared! Why does he look like getting hit is a reward for him?

What is wrong with him?

He is a pervert! Save me! Someone, take this pervert away!

Xi Huai said with a trembling voice, “I, I know you are reckless, but I did not think you would forget the boundaries between monarch and subject! You may be the Prince Regent, but you are still just my subject. Kneel before me immediately!”

“As you wish, Ah-Huai.” Xiao Yuan not only refused to repent but showed obsession in his eyes, his breathing growing heavier. He knelt down without hesitation.

Xi Huai: “…”

Seeing Xiao Yuan’s expression so open and shameless, Xi Huai grew even more afraid.

However, to maintain his persona, he lifted his foot and stepped on Xiao Yuan’s head.

He kept an arrogant expression and spoke with a disdainful tone, “Who gave you permission to look up at me?”

As he spoke, he ground his foot against Xiao Yuan’s head, almost pushing him into the dust.

This was a humiliating trampling, accompanied by malicious words. Xiao Yuan’s head was knocked against the floor until it bled.

“Since you are a subject, you must act like one. You are nothing but a dog by my side. I want you to do as I say. Even if I want you dead, you must die.”

Xi Huai acted the part of the tyrant perfectly, completely letting go of his temper as he roared with genuine feeling, “Kneel here and reflect on your actions today! Without my permission, you are not allowed to get up!”

The atmosphere turned stagnant.

The young eunuchs nearby were too terrified to breathe, all lowering their heads, not daring to look at the furious Emperor.

Eunuch De was already accustomed to this, sighing inwardly that the Prince Regent’s temper had been much better lately.

In the past, the Prince Regent would have flown into a rage long ago, never enduring such humiliation.

Who would have thought that today, the Prince Regent was not angry but instead emitted excited gasps?

How strange. It must truly be because the Emperor is the ruler of Daqing, possessing an extraordinary aura.

As he thought about this, Eunuch De could not help but look at Xi Huai with newfound reverence.

In reality, Xi Huai’s foot was shaking. He knew that in the original novel, the young Emperor had been close to the Prince Regent in childhood, but grew jealous of his talent as he grew up, frequently insulting him. This was what made the Prince Regent hate the young Emperor and turn into a treacherous official.

Xi Huai had thought he would be angry, that he would feel some rage at the insults.

But he did not.

He merely felt a flush of blood rise to his face, and he lifted his head abruptly, ignoring the blood dripping down, and gave him a twisted, crooked smile. “It is my fault for overstepping, Your Majesty. You are right to teach me a lesson. Please, do not be angry, Your Majesty. I am willing to be stepped on until you are satisfied.”

Despite these words, Xiao Yuan had no intention of reflecting. Instead, he looked at him with a sick obsession, as if he had been rewarded. The madness revealing itself in his eyes almost scorched him.

Xi Huai: “…”

Are you sick?

You pervert!

You maniac!

He had never seen anyone this crazy. They were still inside the palace; how could he dare to be so audacious?

Xi Huai began to doubt reality. He did not want to argue, fearing that the young man would go even crazier.

So, he feigned rage, shouting curses and ordering the eunuchs to lift his palanquin as he fled.

He had no idea that the man behind him was looking at him like a wolf, filled with an abnormal possessiveness.

Xiao Yuan seemed to feel no pain, wiping the blood from his head and obsessively holding the blood on his lips, “It tastes like Ah-Huai.”

Xi Huai shuddered.

He was absent-minded the whole way, his entire being lightheaded. On the surface, he still had to keep up his tyrant persona, circling back to Eunuch De to perform, “The Prince Regent is becoming more and more lawless. In my opinion, I must deduct his salary to teach him a lesson.”

Perhaps the young Emperor had often spoken ill of the Prince Regent, so Eunuch De acted like a sympathetic friend, “Your Majesty is correct. I hear the Prince Regent loves to frequent brothels, spending thousands just to spend one night with a famous courtesan. Deducting his salary is appropriate.”

What?

Xi Huai was shocked. How can he do that?

Why does he get to frequent brothels only to have his salary deducted, while the young Emperor is considered an incompetent tyrant?

Jealousy made him grind his teeth. He blurted out, “Scoundrel! How can he have such good times without bringing me along!”

Eunuch De looked at Xi Huai hesitantly, “The courtesan the Prince Regent visits is different from the usual ones. It is a male concubine.”

Xi Huai: “…”

Is Xiao Yuan a closeted homosexual?

Regardless, Xi Huai was ill. His nose was running, he felt weak, and his head was spinning.

To make matters worse, he had a pile of memorials left to read. He was as wilted as a frosted eggplant.

It was not until he opened the chat group and saw everyone flooding the chat with red packets that his mood improved slightly.

Unfortunately, he was still muted; the male lead of the apocalypse novel had not released him yet, so he could not send any red packets.

However, he was quick-handed, using the speed of a peony to grab the “Hanging the Beam and Piercing the Thigh” skill from the male lead of the Imperial Examination novel, as well as the “Listen to Me” skill and a strange “Great Tonic Pill” from the apocalypse male lead.

He understood “Hanging the Beam and Piercing the Thigh” literally; it would allow him to work diligently at reading memorials. He was satisfied, but he could not understand “Listen to Me” or the “Great Tonic Pill.”

He clicked on the skills… hiss… they could only be used once.

The Great Tonic Pill was for strengthening the body, intended for those with weak constitutions to boost energy.

The text at the end was blurry, and he could not see it clearly. Since he was feeling very weak, he just ate it.

Xi Huai did not trust the people in the palace, and he trusted the imperial physicians even less; they had others backing them.

Compared to the people in the palace, he preferred the Great Tonic Pill from the chat group.

The physician said he had “cold energy” invading his body, but only he knew that he was mostly just terrified by the Prince Regent.

He was not just terrified by the Prince Regent; he was also terrified by the assassin earlier—his main theme today was being startled constantly.

This job was truly hard to do; no wonder few emperors in history lived past eighty-eight.

Since he was sick and still had to struggle through reading memorials, he was exhausted and had to use the “Hanging the Beam and Piercing the Thigh” skill.

To avoid wasting his own efforts, he sent someone to call for Sheng Mingyue. Sure enough, shortly after, he saw the look of shock on Sheng Mingyue’s face.

It was just “Hanging the Beam and Piercing the Thigh,” but the surprise was exactly what he wanted from Sheng Mingyue.

Wrapped in his quilt, he looked weakly at Sheng Mingyue, “Cough… You have arrived, Minister.”

The man stood tall and graceful at one end, his gaze dark and unreadable. Seeing him look over, a refined, elegant smile appeared on his gentle face.

Xi Huai was most afraid of seeing the male lead smile. The male lead was adept at disguising himself; not only did he fake illness, but he also liked to fake smiles. Xi Huai was so scared that he swallowed his phlegm back down.

He calmed his breathing and said with a pale face, “Do not mind me calling you here in the middle of the night.”

Xi Huai feigned weakness; he looked so soft and gentle, there was no trace of the tyrant from the daytime left.

But Sheng Mingyue did not buy it. He smiled indifferently, “Your Majesty is full of energy; calling for your subject in the middle of the night shows your great spirit.”

His smile did not reach his eyes, and his tone was gloomy, as if accusing him of disturbing his sleep.

Xi Huai: “…”

Xi Huai understood the sarcasm. Was this how he usually talked to the young Emperor?

The young Emperor must be a fool, taking it as a compliment instead of understanding the subtext.

For a long time, Sheng Mingyue seemed to suddenly “wake up.” His expression retracted, and he pretended to be a loyal and virtuous subject, bowing submissively, “My meaning is that being summoned by Your Majesty is my good fortune. I only wonder, what is the reason for calling me here so late at night?”

Xi Huai had to release his hair from the beam. He was about to play the victim to subvert his persona and survive a few more years, when he suddenly coughed up a pool of blood.

This time, Sheng Mingyue was truly shocked, “Your Majesty, quick, call the imperial physician…”

“I, I am fine.”

Xi Huai wiped the blood, putting on a look of extreme pain, “Do not call the physician. I only coughed blood because I took some medicine. I did not summon you for anything else; I only wanted to tell you that Empress Dowager Wen and the Prince Regent…”

They are the real culprits! I am just a puppet Emperor; I am not a true tyrant! Don’t misunderstand and actually kill me!

I am a good person! Look, I did not just arrange for you to provide disaster relief, I even sent Qin Mingjing to help you. Just let me go!

Before Xi Huai could finish, Sheng Mingyue’s gaze darkened. He pulled his hand away, seeming to understand, “It is Empress Dowager Wen and the Prince Regent.”

Xi Huai’s mind went blank, and he instinctively replied, “Yes.”

Sheng Mingyue understood, “They have been poisoning Your Majesty.”

Xi Huai: “???”

What the…

Support