Ji Yue wouldn’t stay good.

I only like you.

The well-behaved young man lay on Ji Yue’s back, softly and longingly pouring out these gentle words in his ear, with a faint childish innocence. 

Dissolving even the most intense rage. 

Ji Yue walked very slowly with Wei Lian on his back as the younger man soon fell asleep peacefully. Their shadows were drawn long by the moonlight and spread to the silent distance. 

Until they reached Tangquan Pavilion, Ji Yue eased the man down. “Wei Lian, wake up.”

Wei Lian opened his eyes in a daze. “What?”

Finding this funny, Ji Yue replied, “Bath.”

Wei Lian nodded sluggishly. Then, his eyes closed and his whole body fell to the side, seconds away from knocking his head on the hard floor tiles. 

The very startled Ji Yue quickly helped the younger man. Wei Lian’s head fell into the older man’s arm, he unconsciously seized this opportunity and slept more soundly. 

Ji Yue: “...” If he was to toss the man into the water, he feared Wei Lian would drown in the waist deep pool. 

They always bathe separately and never with servants. Ji Yue also did not want others to see Wei Lian’s body. 

Not to mention the marks he left on Wei Lian’s body. 

What could he do then? He stared at the unsciouse youth who caused him this internal struggle. 

After a long time, he sighed helplessly, “You…We will condescend and serve you just this once.”

He removed their clothes, carried Wei Lian into the pool and allowed the sleeping man to lean against his chest. 

Scooping up the warm water, he poured it over scoop by scoop and washed their bodies. 

Wei Lian’s skin was as pale as snow, and there were mottled traces like red plum winding down from the clavicle. Ji Yue glanced at them briefly before looking away, trying to restrain himself from thinking more. 

Friction was inevitable below the water. In a flash, Ji Yue had a reaction. 

He breathed slowly to keep control, and sped up his movements, wiped Wei Lian’s body more carelessly and avoided all the sensitive places. 

We must be a good man. Wei Xiao Lian has not recuperated yet. Now being drunk on top of that. We cannot take him in this pool. 

Oh right…the younger man’s injury…

Ji Yue’s face was flushed by the heat of the warm spring. He hesitated for a moment before carefully checking that place.

Good, it appeared there was no tear. 

It was just a bit red and—Cough! Ji Yue got his mind out of the gutter and even mouthed a heart clearing mantra. 

Wei Lian frowned and murmured, “Don’t touch…”

Ji Yue was struck dumb. 

Fine, yes. We won’t touch. 

He did not dare to touch it as well. 

Any more and he could not maintain his good man self. 

Ji Yue quickly cleaned himself, wrapped the sleeping man in a towel and brought him back to Yangxin Palace Hall. 

Ji Yue studied the beautiful young man curled up in the towel, exposing only the top of his head. 

Wei Lian was sleeping soundly. 

But Ji Yue had not solved his own problem yet. 

Should he recite the heart clearing mantra or go take a cold bath?

Or else he would not be able to sleep tonight. 

After contemplating for a long time, he finally decided to get some fresh air and go through a set of sword techniques to calm down. 

Just as he got up, Wei Lian unexpectedly grabbed him by the hand. 

Ji Yue: “...”

Why did drunk Wei Lian always react like this? 

Last time, the young man grabbed him tightly. 

Ji Yue did not have the heart to shake the other’s hand off, like last time, even before he realised his true feelings. Now this time, it was even more impossible for him to bring himself to free himself from Wei Lian’s hand. 

“Ji Yue.” Wei Lian opened his eyes halfway, looking very lazy and tired. “Where are you going?”

Ji Yue uttered, “...We-we are going to handle official documents.”

What he did not expect was for Wei Lian to go off the moment he heard ‘handle official documents’. 

“Handle, handle what? You are not allowed to go!” Wei Lian sat up angrily. “Instead of handling me, you went to handle some official documents! Is it because Wei Xiao Lian is not good-looking enough or Zhi Zhi is not fun enough?”

Ji Yue was shocked. 

Feeling slightly dumbfounded from his shock. 

Wh-what kind of dirty words was Wei Lian saying? 

He did not expect those words to come out of Wei Lian’s mouth. 

Ji Yue was beyond shock. 

“Listen to us, close your eyes, and go to sleep.” Ji Yue sat at the bedside, coaxing and trying to make Wei Lian let go. 

“I won’t.” Wei Lian was relentless on his pester. “You come up here.”

Ji Yue had no choice but to go back to bed. He thought there was no harm sleeping with his problem, at worst he would not get a well-rested sleep. 

Then out of the blue, as soon as he got on the bed, a body straddled his. It was so fast that Ji Yue was caught off guard. 

The young man’s face turned pale because of the sudden pain, but he still bore it and whispered, “You slow-witted block of wood, you’re always so slow on getting to the point. I will just have to take it myself.”

Ji Yue: “...”

Only one single thought came to his mind. 

He must never let Wei Lian touch alcohol in the future. 

At noon the next day. 

Ji Yue, who returned from his morning court, was faced with Wei Lian’s clear eyes. 

The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward. 

Ji Yue was the first to ask, “You sobered up?”

Wei Lian uttered, “...Yes.”

He asked suspiciously, “Last night…”

He endured it since he woke up, endured more, but he could not endure any longer. He threw a pillow at the older man. “You went too far!”

He did not remember anything for the second time. 

But the state of his body did not lie. He was certain that he and Ji Yue went to Mount Wu again, several times in fact. 

Do not ask him how he knew.

After Wei Lian woke up, and as if struck by thunder, felt himself stuffed with that.

How was…there were so much…?

Could Ji Yue even be considered as a good person???

He would actually commit such immoral things to a drunken and lovely Wei Xiao Lian.

To confront the surprised and accusing eyes, Ji Yue felt that he was the one who was wronged. 

Wei Lian was not the nice one here, all right?

It was fine if he was forced to be ridden on, but the young man just fell asleep on him halfway through the process!

Ji Yue almost died on the spot. 

If a person was provoked into this heat by the person who just fell asleep soundly, how was this any good?

He could not be blamed for not letting Wei Lian get away with this. 

Ji Yue could not remember the details of last night, but he knew that in the end, the young man lost nearly all of his voice and could only quietly sob. 

He did go too far a bit…but didn’t Wei Lian bring this upon himself?

Ji Yue repeated expressionlessly, “Instead of handling me, you went to handle some official documents! Is it because Wei Xiao Lian is not good-looking enough or Zhi Zhi is not fun enough?”

Wei Lian’s expression instantly turned strange. 

Ji Yue added, “You slow-witted block of wood, you’re always so slow on getting to the point. I will just have to take it myself.”

Wei Lian: “...”

The young man’s ears promptly turned red. 

In this moment of silence, he lay down soundlessly, quietly pulled the quilt over his head and covered himself tightly. 

Ji Yue could not resist his tease, “Now you know the feeling of not having any face?”

The young man’s muffled voice came from under the quilt, “It wasn’t me last night.”

Ji Yue asked with a smile, “No? Then who was the one from last night?”

“...Is Wei Yuzhi.”

“Isn’t Wei Yuzhi you?”

“No, Wei Yuzhi is Wei Yuzhi. I am Wei Lian. What he did has nothing to do with me.” Wei Lian refused to admit that he was the one who made a fool of himself last night. There was no way he could say these things. 

He was that reserved. 

That composed. 

There was no way he would take the initiative.

Impossible. Don’t even think about deceiving him. 

Ji Yue could hardly hide the amusement in his eyes. “Since it wasn’t you last night, then why are you being so bashful?”

Wei Lian pondered over it and the older man was right. 

Why would he not have the face to meet the other for something stupid that Wei Yuzhi had done?

Wei Lian immediately freed himself from the quilt and sat up. A few strands of messy dark hair famed his face. 

Ji Yue sat near the headboard, his face soft and gentle. 

The two pairs of eyes’ met for a moment. 

An unspeakable lingering love. 

Maybe even the sweetest dessert could not twist the stomach as much as this exchange of glances, similar to refreshing sweetness from morning dew mixed with honey. 

“How long have I slept?” Wei Lian asked. 

Seeing Ji Yue coming back from morning court, he knew he got up late again. 

…And the man in front of him was to blame. 

“You can sleep as late as you want, no one will bother you.” Ji Yue said. 

“I have business to attend to.” Wei Lian said, “I have a three-day deadline and slept through half a day of that. I only have two and a half days left.”

Of course, he still had time. 

Wei Lian was confident of his expert horsemanship. If he really wanted to tame a fierce horse, just give him a half day. 

But he did not intend to reveal it. 

In the past, not all of those animal tamers have high martial arts and superb skills, but they could still subdue those lions and tigers. 

They only used violence to curb violence. 

There are two ways to force submission on a fierce horse. One is to make it recognise one’s strength, and the other is to give rise to fear through violence. 

Who said that he could only use the first one?

“What business?” Ji Yue felt it must be unreliable just by the sound of it. “Don’t tell us that you want to drag your current state to ride a horse?”

He would be the first one to stop it. 

Wei Lian’s delicate skin and flesh would be cut by the rough horse. 

“Who said I am going to ride a horse?” Wei Lian smiled lazily. “I just want to ask your permission to borrow A’Meng.”

* * *

Yangshou House…

A’Meng, who had not seen its owner for many days, saw the duo coming. It immediately jumped up excitedly and went to lick Ji Yue’s face. 

A’Meng barked, “Woof, woof, woof!”

Master, I miss you so much. Why haven’t you been coming to visit me!

Was it this human that stopped you!?

Ji Yue stepped back and avoided getting covered in A’Meng’s saliva in time. “Sit.”

“...Woof!” A’Meng whimpered before sitting down in grievance. 

All you think about is this human. You don’t love me anymore. 

A’Meng turned its head and rushed to Wei Lian, wanting to bare its fangs. But it immediately put away its fierce appearance with great doubt in its eyes. 

Huh? This human…has Master’s scent. 

Very strong scent. 

A’Meng leaned its head closer and sniffed Wei Lian. 

Wei Lian did not dodge this time. He even gently patted A’Meng’s head, which scared A’Meng back. 

Ji Yue was surprised. “You are not afraid of him this time?”

He still remembered the last time Wei Lian met A’Meng. The younger man was so scared that he hid in his arms. 

“Didn’t you want me to cultivate feelings with him? I came here often these days to play with it, and now it doesn’t see me as a total stranger.” Wei Lian answered. 

A’Meng whined, “Arf, arf!”

You shameless person, you make me sick! Who wants to be familiar with you! Every time you come, I would be laying on the ground the whole time, not moving in the fear of you taking my dog life, all right!

Wei Lian glanced over with a smile, Don’t be so heartless. At least I fed you some meat, didn’t I?

He neither liked nor disliked this mastiff dog at first. Now he likes Ji Yue, and after learning that A’Meng had saved Ji Yue several times, he reluctantly loves the owner as well as his dog. 

However, perhaps due to A’Meng seeing through Wei Lian’s dangerous nature, it had always been vigilant against him. 

What does it matter? Not at all. 

“A’Meng, do me a favour.” Wei Lian said with no trace of politeness. 

A’Meng barked, “Woof!” 

Who do you think you are? Why should I listen to you?

Wei Lian said, “You are also doing your Master the favour.” It was about the Qin Empire’s reputation after all. Huyan Kemu did target him mainly to revolt against the Qin Emperor. 

A’Meng, “Ruff?”

Tell me more.

“I will get a horse later.” Wei Lian said leisurely, “It is apparently the fiercest horse on the grassland. Do you think you can beat it?”

A’Meng, “Woof, woof, woof!”

I am the most ferocious dog in the world! I am super threatening, how can I lose to a horse? I can even eat it!

“You are not allowed to eat it.” Wei Lian grinned. “Scaring it will be enough, just make it obedient.”

What a simple thing. 

He made A’Meng do as he was told, and A’Meng will make the chestnut horse do the same. 

What a perfect food chain.