"My Prince, what's wrong with you?"
Xiao Jin Yu slowly opened his eyes, resting his throbbing head against Chu Chu's chest. "It's nothing, probably just a misunderstanding..."
"Who misunderstood you?"
"A bunch of little ghosts..."
Chu Chu giggled while cupping his face. "But you're the Jade-Faced Judge! Why would you fear mere ghosts?"
Xiao Jin Yu felt both annoyed and amused. Not only had this girl remembered everything about the Six Doors, she'd even matched the titles of the Nine Great Arresters with people from Prince An Manor. Now she spoke as if even they believed it themselves. "What Jade-Faced Judge... I'm covered in stubble now..."
"After a bath and a shave, you'll be fine!"
"Bathe with me..."
"Alright!"
Chu Chu first helped Xiao Jin Yu undress, supporting him into the large cedarwood bathtub and settling him securely against the rim. Only then did she stand by the tub and remove her own garments, piece by piece.
His exhausted body enveloped in the warm water, Xiao Jin Yu watched through the thin steam as that lovely form gradually revealed itself before him. Slowly, he began to feel his own body growing hotter than the bathwater.
Chu Chu stepped into the tub and pressed against Xiao Jin Yu's feverish body. Noticing his flushed skin from forehead to chest, she couldn't help asking, "My Prince, is the water too hot?"
Xiao Jin Yu shook his head, using all his strength to pull Chu Chu's waist closer, locking her firmly in his embrace as he greedily kissed her delicate neck.
He admitted his selfish motives in asking her to bathe with him. These days of severe illness had made him miss her desperately, yet he lacked the strength to remove her clothing himself, and felt too embarrassed to ask her to undress...
"My Prince, I've missed you..."
If Xiao Jin Yu missed her, she missed him even more. But seeing him too ill to rise yet still laboring over official documents daily, watching how even eating and taking medicine became torment due to the carriage jostling - she couldn't bear to add to his burdens. Heaven knew how difficult it was to restrain herself while massaging him with medicated wine daily, touching his jade-smooth body...
"My Prince..."
Xiao Jin Yu clearly had no intention of wasting his limited energy on words. He captured Chu Chu's moist lips, devoting himself entirely to enjoying this long-missed body.
Chu Chu's delicate murmurs mingled with the lewd sounds from where their bodies joined. Surrounded by warm water and veiled in misty steam, Xiao Jin Yu experienced unprecedented delirium, indulging himself to the utmost...
This was their home. She was his, and he was hers...
When finally devoid of strength, Xiao Jin Yu contentedly lowered his thick lashes, allowing Chu Chu to embrace his limp form while she cleaned him, selectively kissing the most tempting spots here and there.
If someone had told him this time last year that he would be sitting naked in a bathtub, being randomly kissed all over his weakened body by a girl he'd known for less than two months after passionate cloud and rain, and that he'd find it so comfortable he nearly fell asleep... that person must have grown tired of living.
Yet now this unbelievable thing had happened... Unreal, but only because the happiness was unreal.
Just as Xiao Jin Yu was drifting into sleep amid this unreal happiness, he suddenly heard Wu Jiang's hesitant voice outside the bathroom door."Wang Ye... Have you, have you finished?"
Xiao Jin Yu furrowed his brows and opened his eyes. This question... didn't sound like Wu Jiang's usual steady tone. "What is it?"
"Th-the Emperor has arrived."
Xiao Jin Yu felt a headache coming on. At a time like this... Before he could speak, Chu Chu perked up immediately upon hearing "Emperor." "Wang Ye, the Emperor! The Emperor is here!"
"I heard..."
Just as Xiao Jin Yu was about to suggest inviting the Emperor to the side hall for tea, another voice full of laughter chimed in.
"Seventh Imperial Uncle, Seventh Imperial Aunt, I've waited this long already—what's a little more waiting? No rush, take your time, take your time..."
Xiao Jin Yu's face instantly darkened.
Waited this long...
Then the earlier commotion...
"Seventh Imperial Uncle, I heard from Wu Jiang that you were quite ill, so I rushed over to see you... But from what I just heard with my own ears, Seventh Imperial Uncle seems to be full of energy!"
Xiao Jin Yu's face darkened another shade.
Then came Wu Jiang's stammering voice again, "Th-this humble officer is incompetent and poorly spoken... I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness..."
If he let these two outside continue talking, who knew what else they might say? This was Prince An Manor, after all, with sharp-eared people everywhere...
Just as Xiao Jin Yu parted his lips to speak, Chu Chu had already called out clearly, "Your Majesty, don't worry, Wang Ye's health is quite alright!"
From outside the door came the Emperor's meaningful laughter, "Alright is good, alright is good..."
"..."
By the time Xiao Jin Yu finished dressing and was pushed out of the bath by Chu Chu, his face was a kaleidoscope of shifting colors. The Emperor, wearing the same harmless smile as Jing Yi, beamed as he looked the two over.
Wu Jiang stood beside the Emperor, head bowed and staring at the ground, his handsome face flushed deep red.
He never would have imagined that Wang Ye, who always seemed so frail, could be so... capable when it came to serious matters.
The Emperor had indeed rushed from the palace as soon as he heard Xiao Jin Yu was seriously ill, not even taking time to change out of his dragon robes. Though he still wore the expression of a good-natured nobleman, Chu Chu was so startled by the golden coiled dragon embroidered on his chest that she immediately dropped to her knees. "Long live Your Majesty!"
"No, no, no..." The Emperor quickly supported Chu Chu, his eyes crinkling with laughter. "Since the late emperor's time, Seventh Imperial Uncle has been exempt from kneeling ceremonies. Today, I grant Seventh Imperial Aunt the same exemption."
Chu Chu looked toward Xiao Jin Yu, who nodded weakly.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Seventh Imperial Aunt deserves it. Though Seventh Imperial Uncle has lost some weight... his complexion is clearly much better. Seventh Imperial Aunt's contribution is truly remarkable!"
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