Chapter 54: The Regent King Coaxes Xiao Wan
He didn’t know how to respond to Wei Wanlan’s words.
Su Jingzhi froze.
An Ruyi quickly brought over the Go board, but Wei Wanlan listlessly waved his hand: “This Go game is too easy for me; the Regent King wouldn’t like it.”
The big bad guy could even comment on state affairs.
Playing Go for him would be like taking candy from a baby. He was already under his control, so why humiliate himself further?
So Wei Wanlan wanted to use washing up as an excuse to leave.
As he turned around, his wrist was grabbed by the Regent King and pulled back. He felt a rough touch on his wrist bones. Wei Wanlan looked back, his pupils reflecting the Regent King’s figure:
“How would Your Majesty know unless you try? This King has never played Go before.”
“Okay. Let’s play then. I won’t wash up yet.” Wei Wanlan obediently returned to the dragon bed.
An Ruyi set up a low table by the bed curtains. The game was ready.
Su Jingzhi felt even more depressed, almost suffocated by his own emotions: “How can you not wash up? The game is supposed to be played relaxedly.”
Wei Wanlan: “…Then I’ll go wash up and then play with the Regent King.”
The little puppet naturally had to obey everything the Regent King said, whether he should wash up or not. He had to listen.
So the little emperor went to the bathroom even more dejectedly. His thin figure was obedient, almost helpless.
Su Jingzhi’s heart ached!
What to do? He couldn’t coax him well; he didn’t know how to coax him…
The Regent King was completely dumbfounded for a brief moment:
—How do you coax someone?
For twenty-seven years, no, twenty-eight years, he had been aloof and arrogant, not knowing how to coax people. He had once been unable to comprehend his own father’s incurable, lovesick behavior.
Now it was his turn to have someone he liked.
It was truly karmic retribution, because he was completely helpless against Wei Wanlan.
Even if Wei Wanlan asked for the stars and the moon, he would give them.
Letting Xiao Ji come to Zichen Palace, This King truly couldn’t refuse; there was nothing I could do but accept it!
—But don’t…
Don’t ignore me.
Don’t brush me off.
Su Jingzhi gasped in secret. His hanging heart was struck by a little whip, held in Wei Wanlan’s hand, whipping, whipping, whipping.
Su Jingzhi’s heart trembled.
He had never imagined that Wei Wanlan could have such a great impact on him.
If his thoughts could materialize, the entire palace would be filled with the Regent King’s repeated thoughts:
Pay attention to me?
Be capricious with me?
Be a little more enthusiastic?
Make a request of me, it doesn’t matter if it’s excessive, anything you want!
“Your Highness,” An Ruyi couldn’t bear to watch anymore. He bowed and whispered, “What’s going on between you and His Majesty? Tell me, I can give you some advice?”
He didn’t dare to say more, but regarding human relationships, one should listen to eunuchs. They have experienced a lot, seen a lot, and are detached from worldly matters.
Especially for an older bachelor like the Regent King who lacked dating experience, An Ruyi could tell at a glance. Don’t treat him as a person in power; treat him as a young man who has just found his love.
The Regent King coldly snorted, showing his disdain, “What good advice can you have?”
He briefly mentioned the conflict over Xiao Ji.
An Ruyi lowered his head, his eyes moving, seeming to be choosing his words carefully. His tone suddenly softened:
“Your Highness cares deeply for His Majesty, which is a good thing. Not wanting others to covet His Majesty is also human nature. But Your Highness is wrong in promising His Majesty and in giving Xiao Shere so much importance. I dare to say, Your Highness is wrong.”
“…”
Speak plainly.
Su Jingzhi felt agitated in his heart.
Neither his reaction ability nor his analytical ability could support Su Jingzhi in carefully pondering the words of the head eunuch now.
He just wanted a solution.
“What should This King do?”
The Regent King actually sought his advice.
Although An Ruyi absolutely dared not show it, he felt that his ancestors’ tombs were emitting auspicious smoke. The head eunuch offered his suggestion:
“Apologize when you’re wrong. His Majesty isn’t someone who holds grudges. Besides, Your Highness harbors so much hostility towards Xiao Shere, but have you asked why His Majesty insists on having him?”
“Besides, even if Xiao Shere enters Zichen Palace, he has always been at odds with you since childhood. His ancestors were wise ministers, but he’s just a scholar. You are the pillar of Great Wei. Will you lose to him?”
These two sentences really stumped the Regent King.
The third sentence was even more heart-wrenching.
It made the Regent King suddenly realize:
He had never considered Xiao Ji a threat. Now, because of Wei Wanlan, he was on high alert at every rustle.
Su Jingzhi’s cold eyebrows gradually warmed. —Truly, talents are born for a purpose. An Ruyi was truly capable.
Su Jingzhi waved his hand, “Put away the Go board. I see he doesn’t want to play. Also, prepare a spare guest room.”
This will be a tough battle.
I must go all out, but if the timing isn’t right, This King must avoid the sharp edge, retreat first, and then negotiate.
“Wuu.”
Outside the Zichen Palace bedroom.
The cold wind howled.
Wei Wanlan’s hair was half-wet, and he was wrapped only in a bright yellow sheet, walking out of the bathroom in slippers. He walked to the bedroom door and realized he had miscalculated.
Before, the Regent King didn’t sleep in Zichen Palace.
After taking a bath, Wei Wanlan would simply wrap himself in a sheet and go to bed. Then he would lower the bed curtains and put on his undergarments inside.
But today, Wei Wanlan had things on his mind.
The little eunuch in charge of serving in the bathroom didn’t know that the Regent King was still in Zichen Palace, so he only provided Wei Wanlan with a sheet according to the emperor’s previous habits. He didn’t remind him to change his clothes, and Wei Wanlan didn’t think about it either.
Now, it was perfect.
Wei Wanlan was only wrapped in a thin sheet, unable to advance or retreat.
Go in? The Regent King was inside, and he would be seen in his underwear, what a sight!
Go back? It was too cold, even though the bedroom was warm with silver silk charcoal, the corridor in Zichen Palace was freezing cold.
Wei Wanlan stood outside the carved door, shivering.
His teeth chattered for a long time; his hair was about to freeze. He sneezed, “Achoo—” Then, sensitive to the cold air, he sneezed repeatedly.
The carved door suddenly opened.
It seemed as if someone had heard his sneezes and came to check.
Wei Wanlan suppressed this feeling of being cared for and saw the Regent King with a serious face.
Su Jingzhi examined him from head to toe, finally stopping at his wet feet. His pupils gleamed slightly.
Wei Wanlan suddenly lowered his head; he saw a red spot in his line of sight, a small petal from the bath that stubbornly clung to his toes.
His pink toes involuntarily curled up.
Because Wei Wanlan’s feet were so white, the red petal was even more vivid, making his feet exceptionally eye-catching.
Wei Wanlan quickly hid his wet toes, curling his arches even tighter.
He was so embarrassed, so cold, hiding his feet, not daring to let the big bad guy see.
But then his body felt light, and he was lifted into the air.
Wei Wanlan suddenly felt weightless, frightened, and instinctively shrank his body, discovering that he was being scooped up by the big bad guy and carried into the room.
He had been trying hard to avoid the big bad guy, avoiding his gaze on his toes, but now, his feet were uncontrollably lifted high because he was being carried—
Wei Wanlan shivered.
The fallen petal on his toes was like nail polish, so dazzling that it not only attracted the Regent King but also made him want to look there, but he vaguely felt that it wasn’t appropriate, so like a little ostrich, he wanted to find a place to hide.
But there was nowhere to hide.
The scent of wood unique to the Regent King filled his nostrils, and Wei Wanlan blushed scarlet. He wanted to jump down.
But he was too cowardly.
He was only lifted a meter or so high by the Regent King, and he dared not jump. Afraid of spraining his ankle.
Wei Wanlan could only obediently avoid danger and continue to act as a puppet:
“Wuu, don’t drop me…”
Su Jingzhi was furious. Actually, the Regent King really wanted to apologize directly. But he found that Wei Wanlan had been wandering outside in the cold to avoid seeing him.
He didn’t want Wei Wanlan to neglect his own health.
He pretended to be stern and said to Wei Wanlan:
“Next time you sulk and deliberately freeze yourself outside, This King will throw you out of Zhuque Gate, into the snow.”
“Wuwuwu!”
He even cared about him sulking now.
Wei Wanlan wanted to cry; the bitterness of being a little puppet was even more intense, almost driving him to seclusion.
He also felt that the Regent King was deliberately tossing him.
The feeling was like a rollercoaster, causing Wei Wanlan to shiver violently several times. His body trembled. He clutched a piece of the Regent King’s robe, his eyes filled with tears, his eyes red.
“I’m not angry, I’m not sulking, I’m good, I’m obedient, I’m very good…”
The little puppet, Wei Wanlan, cried uncontrollably.
He thought the Regent King was angry that he had made unreasonable demands, overstepping his bounds.
So even after being gently placed on the dragon bed by the big bad guy, Wei Wanlan didn’t dare to lie down. Wrapped in the sheet, he sat hugging his knees, curling himself into a ball.
Then he repeated many times, his eyes watery:
“Don’t be angry with me, I’ll be better behaved in the future, QAQ…”
At this point.
The Regent King was stung again. Only then did he realize:
Wei Wanlan might not have been sulking at him but rather worried about making him angry, trying his best to take care of his feelings clumsily.
Did I think too much again?
Su Jingzhi didn’t understand.
But his feeling of guilt was even stronger.
Su Jingzhi was very pleased; Wei Wanlan was so cute when he was obedient, but he also hoped that Wei Wanlan would truly trust him completely.
So this state wasn’t right either.
The Great Wei Regent King desperately wanted to get closer to his lover.
What to do?
So the Regent King sat beside Wei Wanlan.
He carefully tugged at the sheet from behind Wei Wanlan’s neck, gently lifting it upwards.
“No, QAQ…” But Wei Wanlan, frightened that the Regent King would lift the sheet and expose him, quickly curled into a tighter ball, hugging his knees tightly.
Wait for the right moment, muddy the waters. If he doesn’t move, I won’t move. Don’t panic, don’t rush. The Regent King silently recited the Thirty-Six Stratagems in his mind.
Sure enough, after a while.
Wei Wanlan’s resistance lessened as he realized there were no serious consequences.
The Regent King seized the opportunity to lift the sheet further, pulling it over his head to cover Wei Wanlan’s hair, speaking softly, his tone so friendly that even the Regent King himself didn’t expect it:
“Xiao Wan.”
“…”
A little stunned. His vision darkened slightly. Wei Wanlan slightly raised his head. He felt a pair of large, strong hands gently rubbing his scalp through the sheet.
“Let’s dry your hair, otherwise you might catch a cold if you fall asleep,” Su Jingzhi said.
Hmm… He called me “Xiao Wan”.
Why did he suddenly call me so intimately?
Wei Wanlan had always been a very friendly dove.
Even if someone was overbearing towards him just now, as long as they showed him kindness first, he could easily calm down; he wasn’t someone who held grudges easily.
So the single “Xiao Wan” suddenly increased his favorability.
Wei Wanlan’s stiff body slowly relaxed in the blanket. His arms, which had been hugging his knees, were no longer so tightly closed.
He gave a response; Wei Wanlan nodded through the sheet.
Silently having his hair rubbed, the moisture was absorbed by the fabric. The Regent King’s fingers were still pressing on his scalp, the feeling itchy and warm, quite comfortable.
And… it was getting hotter and hotter.
He vaguely felt that the Regent King had pressed some acupoint on his scalp; it was numb and itchy, like a tiny current running through his body, making Wei Wanlan squint his eyes and blush slightly, carefully exhaling warm breath.
His eyes swelled, his heart fuzzy:
“I’m here.”
—He finally spoke properly.
The Regent King celebrated his first victory in his heart and decided to press on: “I was too rash in agreeing to you. It’s because I didn’t know that the reward you wanted was related to the Zhongshu Province. It was my fault for rejecting you. I’m sorry.”
What’s the big bad guy doing?
Is he apologizing to me?
Did he say sorry?
Wei Wanlan poked his little head out from under the sheet, doubting his own ears.
The hair-drying stopped. He tilted his head and looked at the Regent King, probing, “?”
“There are more than just Xiao Shere in the Zhongshu Province. I have my reasons and cannot let just anyone get close to you. But if you can convince me, give me a good reason why it must be him, well, I can consider it.”
Although he could hear the Regent King’s concession, he was very reluctant.
—But is he really discussing with me now? Is he resolving their conflict?
Wei Wanlan pondered.
Because the Regent King’s communication method this time was more inclined to treat him as an equal.
The little puppet’s sense of frustration greatly diminished. Wei Wanlan listened, somewhat moved:
Actually, he just wanted to find a partner for his task, a friend to confide in after 404.
Whether it was the Brave One or someone else… he didn’t want to be alone.
But the Shere in the Zhongshu Province also have their work. Xiao Shere certainly did, and perhaps he was also rash in making such a request.
Wei Wanlan muffled his head.
He began to emerge from the little puppet’s depression and considered whether this would cause trouble for the Great Wei court.
A pair of doe-like eyes gazed at the Regent King:
“Let’s make up, pinky swear?”
Although I know you’re bad, I’m not angry with you tonight.
The fragrant scent of bath petals wafted from Wei Wanlan as he leaned closer. It made the Regent King dizzy, his heart pounding in his chest. The little one was really too sweet; he wanted to take a bite.
What to do?
In a daze.
His hand, originally intending to hook Wei Wanlan’s pinky finger, ended up brushing against Wei Wanlan’s cheek. Trying to conceal it, he pressed Wei Wanlan’s soft bangs behind his ear. He was completely lost in thought.
He’s so good…
At this moment, Su Jingzhi suddenly felt a darkness before his eyes.
Blindness accompanied by severe dizziness prevented him from touching Wei Wanlan’s finger. Instead, he fell from the dragon bed, knocking over the Go box and scattering the black and white pieces all over the floor.
！！！
“Pinky swear, good friends—Regent King, Regent King, what’s wrong with you? Regent King!”