Chapter 54: The Fake Princess and His God of War Prince (Part 11)
This action stunned everyone present.
The soldier glanced at the bottom of the bowl, then at Xiao Ji, and gave a thumbs-up. “The Wangfei is bold and unconstrained! What a capacity for liquor!”
After a moment of glancing at one another, the line of burly men behind him began scrambling over themselves to offer toasts and congratulations to Xiao Ji.
Watching Xiao Ji stand up and down bowl after bowl, Xiang Yinnian was startled. He hurriedly rose to grab the bowl from his hand and raised a leg to kick the backside of the soldier cheering the loudest.
“That’s enough! If the Wangfei gets drunk and starts thrashing about tonight, tormenting Ben Wang, I’ll hold every last one of you rascals accountable. None of you will get off easy!”
The soldier who got kicked laughed heartily. “Wangye, aren’t we just looking out for you? You’re getting a bargain and still acting innocent.”
Hearing this, Xiang Yinnian delivered another kick.
“You bastard, since when did Ben Wang need you to worry about that?”
Amidst the laughter and banter, the head table quickly became a lively scene. Xiao Ji could tell that Xiang Yinnian’s authority among these soldiers wasn’t maintained by putting on airs or relying on status, but through the camaraderie of life-and-death brothers.
After observing this, he mimicked their manner and spoke up, “Don’t pay attention to the Wangye. Today is a joyous occasion, and what I say goes. Drink!”
Although Xiang Yinnian was almost exasperated enough to laugh, this side of Xiao Ji was something he had never seen along the way. Xiao Ji was trying to fit in, and he could see that.
The group looked at Xiang Yinnian with beaming smiles, waiting for his word.
Xiang Yinnian glanced at Xiao Ji, suddenly smiled, and raised his wine bowl. “The Wangfei has spoken. Drink!”
The strong liquor flowed down his throat, spreading through his limbs and bones. Heavy snow was falling outside the flower hall, but at this moment, Xiang Yinnian suddenly felt that the winter in the Northern Border did not seem as cold as in previous years.
The banquet ended at the Hour of Xu. No one expected that the seemingly delicate and fragile Xiao Ji would end up drinking a group of burly men under the table.
Xiang Yinnian, having gone through a bout of drunkenness, sobered up considerably. He ordered the servants to set up a running banquet outside the manor for three days and three nights to treat the commoners of the city.
The clamor faded. After the guests departed one by one, the Beichen Manor finally quieted down.
Xiao Ji supported Xiang Yinnian back to their room.
As soon as they entered the bedchamber, Xiang Yinnian dismissed the waiting servants and maids.
Xiao Ji sat on the edge of the bed, locking eyes with Xiang Yinnian. Xiang Yinnian stood before him, grinning foolishly.
Xiao Ji didn’t wait for Xiang Yinnian to make a move. He took the initiative to remove the heavy ceremonial headdress and robes, leaving only his inner garments. He said to Xiang Yinnian, “Wangye, rest for a moment. Chenqie is going to bathe.”
Xiang Yinnian refused. He pulled Xiao Ji down onto the couch and was about to kiss him when Xiao Ji extended an index finger and pressed it against his forehead. “Although we are now married, this is still our first meeting. Is the Wangye this unreserved no matter whom he marries?”
Xiang Yinnian paused, dazed. “Didn’t we agree that we’d let this matter go?”
Xiao Ji spoke indifferently, “Who agreed with you?”
Xiang Yinnian was rendered speechless, then explained, “Did I not have my own difficulties? I wasn’t familiar with you back then; how could I dare reveal my identity to you so easily?”
Xiao Ji looked at him. “You just didn’t trust me.”
Xiang Yinnian had a headache. “It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you; I didn’t dare to trust.”
Xiao Ji spoke again, “Then why did you use the identity of Xiang Siyou to kiss me and then run away?”
Xiang Yinnian pursed his lips. “I couldn’t help myself.”
Xiao Ji was relentless. “In the end, you deceived me.”
Xiang Yinnian could sense that Xiao Ji wasn’t truly angry about this, but his refusal to let it go wasn’t merely to tease him either.
So he thought for a moment and asked Xiao Ji, “Then what do you want?”
Xiao Ji said, “You had your difficulties, and I have mine. But I did not intentionally deceive you; it was you who insisted on delivering yourself to my door.”
Xiang Yinnian was confused. “What do you mean by that? What difficulties do you have?”
Xiao Ji pushed Xiang Yinnian away, lowered the red bed curtains, and with a reverse motion, pressed Xiang Yinnian back onto the bed.
When the kiss landed, Xiang Yinnian was still floating in bliss.
But as the clothes were stripped away one by one, and the flickering candlelight shone through the red gauze curtains onto Xiao Ji’s muscular chest, Xiang Yinnian’s mind instantly buzzed and went blank.
He bolted upright in bed, staring at Xiao Ji in disbelief. “You… you… you!!!”
Xiao Ji’s robes were wide open, his ink-black hair scattered over his shoulders. The makeup was still on his face, yet it didn’t look strange or incongruous; instead, it held an indescribable allure, as if this was how he was meant to look.
“Do you want to run?” he asked Xiang Yinnian.
Xiang Yinnian felt a lump in his throat. Looking at Xiao Ji’s face, for a moment, he honestly couldn’t tell if he wanted to run or stay.
Seeing him speechless, Xiao Ji made the decision for him.
“Then don’t run. Didn’t you say you would linger in my room every night? And if not, you’d knock yourself out and have yourself delivered to my bed?”
Those were indeed the words he had spoken, but Xiang Yinnian felt that the situation wasn’t quite playing out as intended.
He wanted Xiao Ji to stop.
But Xiao Ji had already made his move.
Cool palms touched burning skin, and the fire already rising from Xiang Yinnian’s lower belly rushed straight to his head, becoming impossible to suppress. The alcohol had gone to his head, leaving his legs soft and weak.
And as it turned out, Xiao Ji was very skilled.
Before Xiang Yinnian could speak, Xiao Ji kissed him again.
Lips met, and the faint scent of wine spread across the tip of his tongue. Xiao Ji churned Xiang Yinnian’s mind into a paste, then found a moment to ask against his lips:
“Does it feel good?”
Xiang Yinnian felt he was about to make a fool of himself and grabbed Xiao Ji’s wrist. “Xiao Ji, this isn’t right.”
Xiao Ji didn’t care if it was right or not. He shushed him. “Shut up. You’ll like it.”
The situation gradually deviated from the track.
Xiang Yinnian had never in his life imagined he would see such a day. Moreover, he discovered he was dreadfully mistaken; Xiao Ji looked as delicate as a willow in the wind, but in reality, his strength was terrifying.
When touched, Xiang Yinnian shuddered and tried to flip over to escape, but was pressed right back down by Xiao Ji.
What made him feel even more shameful was that as things progressed, they spiraled completely out of control.
By the latter half of the night, Xiang Yinnian had completely capitulated, lying prone on the couch, motionless.
Xiao Ji, on the other hand, calmly called for servants to bring hot water and carried Xiang Yinnian horizontally to soak in the wooden tub.
Xiang Yinnian, utterly resigned to his fate, let Xiao Ji handle him. Afterward, he was carried back to bed, where Xiao Ji patted his backside and told him to sleep obediently.
The day after the wedding night, no one was blind enough to disturb Xiang Yinnian and Xiao Ji’s rest.
When the sun was high in the sky, Xiao Ji, who had long since woken up and was facing away from Xiang Yinnian, sensed movement. Xiang Yinnian rolled over, sneakily got up from the couch, and tiptoed around the room to change his clothes. He then cut off a piece of the bedsheet, pricked his fingertip with a dagger, casually smeared some blood on it, and slipped out the door.
For the entire day, Xiao Ji did not see Xiang Yinnian again.
Obviously, Xiang Yinnian had begun to deliberately avoid him.
Translator’s note: Enjoy!
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