Chapter 36
Thank you GrotesqueWombat for the ko-fis!
Editor: SimoB
Yu Chennian finished removing the little master’s socks.
He also helped him to take off his red cloak without being prompted, exposing the slim figure within.
The spoiled little master dove into the bedding until only a small white face was peeking out. His long eyelashes curled slightly, but he refused to close his eyes.
He did not dismiss Yu Chennian, and Yu Chennian did not move either. He just sat by the bed with lowered eyes, like a piece of wood.
After staring at him for a few seconds with no response, Shi Qing was displeased. Two pale feet emerged from the bedding to kick at Yu Chennian.
When Yu Chennian looked up at him, the little master was finally satisfied. He withdrew his feet and raised his chin: “I’m going to sleep. Sing something for me. I want to listen to a song.”
Singing was something only a courtesan would do.
Shi Qing’s request was truly trampling on Yu Chennian’s pride as a prince.
Yu Chennian, who has obeyed his every order from before without complaint, could not do the same this time. He frowned slightly. A pair of dark eyes looked at Shi Qing emotionlessly.
He was born with good features, but his blank-faced stare still made others uncomfortable.
When a few servants in the palace, who deliberately messed with Yu Chennian, touched a nerve, his expression was enough to send them scurrying away.
No one had ever said harsh words or disciplined Shi Qing since he was young. This was the first time that someone had directed such a look to his face.
The little master’s white and tender face became a little timid. A pair of round eyes that refused to admit defeat widened to try and appear more intimidating. His delicate lips were tightly pressed together, and he hid behind a corner of the quilt.
“Wh-what are you staring at me for!”
He’s obviously terrified, but forcefully put on such a fierce appearance.
But Yu Chennian knew nothing good would come from him upsetting Shi Qing.
With that thought, Yu Chennian slowly lowered his head. His voice was quiet and deep: “I don’t know how to sing.”
“Why are you so useless?! You can’t even hold a tune.”
Seeing that his frightening look had disappeared, Shi Qing’s courage seemed to return. He hummed as he kicked Yu Chennian’s leg again with his foot.
He wasn’t very strong and his feet were soft and white. The tender meat was almost incapable of inflicting harm. Yu Chennian straight up pretended not to have noticed. He just sat there and let the little master express his anger.
Before even ten kicks, the little master had tired himself out.
The white face was flushed slightly due to his recent exertions. His breath was a little uneven as well. Yet he insisted on peering at Yu Chennian triumphantly. As a result, when he saw the indifferent look on the young man’s face, Shi Qing exploded in embarra.s.sment.
“What are you eating all day?! Your flesh is so hard I can’t even kick it!”
He was like a little kitten trying to scratch someone only to find out that his claws weren’t sharp enough. He meowed resentfully and threw a tantrum.
“You can’t even sing a ditty! Your meat is so hard too! Why are you so useless!”
His insults bounced right off Yu Chennian, who was used to much worse from an early age.
The young man was even idle enough to think that it wasn’t too bad listening to Shi Qing scold him here. At least he has a nice voice and his words were just petty. His kicks didn’t hurt either. It was better than being teased and belittled by his imperial brothers outside.
His imperial brothers all had a reading companion. Naturally, he had one as well. However, their tutors looked down on him and his imperial brothers often made things difficult for him. They would often deliberately ask him difficult questions in cla.s.s.
If he wasn’t able to answer, it was his reading companion who would be hit on his hands.
Although Yu Chennian was not a favored prince, the reading companion given to him was the son of a high ranking official. How could he accept this kind of punishment day in and day out? Gradually, he made excuses so that he wouldn’t have to attend cla.s.ses and take beatings for Yu Chennian.
Without his reading companion, Yu Chennian would be hit instead.
His tutors never show him any mercy. After all, most of them had some connections with the other princes. They certainly didn’t have a high opinion of Yu Chennian, the least favoured prince. If one of the other princes demanded it, they would even put all their strength behind their blows.
Therefore, while the Imperial Study was a place to learn for the other princes, it was h.e.l.l for Yu Chennian.
Regardless of the season, he took the brunt of the punishments. In the cold winter, he would still be beaten until his hands were red and swollen from frostbite. He was even made to copy books. Only he was forced to write and write until the break of dawn.
Compared with those experiences, Shi Qing’s words were nothing to him.
The eunuch serving outside heard the little master suddenly raise his voice. He was worried that something had happened in the room, so he hurried over to the door and bent over like a shrimp, “Little Master, did you call this one over?”
“Yes!”
The little master responded angrily. Shi Qing was verbally abusing Yu Chennian pa.s.sionately, but he didn’t get any response. He stared at Yu Chennian, whose face was completely calm. Shi Qing buried himself in the quilt unwillingly.
“Get in here.”
The eunuch immediately opened the door. He bowed his head and walked in respectfully.
Then he heard the little master’s lazy voice: “I’m going to sleep. Sing me a song.”
“Understood.”
The eunuch immediately opened his mouth and sang skillfully. This was obviously not the first time he had done this.
Yu Chennian just recalled a joke his imperial brothers made in the past about Shi Qing being a big baby because he needed someone to sing him to sleep.
Realising that Shi Qing wasn’t targeting him with this specifically, Yu Chennian became ambivalent about this in his heart. He just sat there in silence.
The eunuch sang for a while, but the little master who should have been drifting comfortably off to sleep, frowned and ducked under the quilt.
From his angle, Yu Chennian could see Shi Qing burying his entire face into the quilt.
A few minutes later, the restless young man in the quilt came out with a face full of unhappiness. He was not pleased.
“Did you not bring in a basin of charcoal?” He asked grumpily, “Why is it so cold?!”
The eunuch who served him quickly shut his mouth and replied carefully: “Little Master, the basin was always here. I had asked someone to bring in some high quality red silk charcoal earlier. It’s been burning for a while now.”
“But this room isn’t warm at all.”
Shi Qing drilled into the quilt again, displeased, “I’ve been lying here for a long time but my feet are still cold and uncomfortable.”
“Would you like me to bring you a hot water bottle?”
“I don’t like to use those. What if I get burned.”
This spoiled little master was quite high maintenance.
His round black eyes wandered around the room. They seemed to pause when they fell on Yu Chennian. His eyes lit up as he issued an order to Yu Chennian:
“You! Take a seat by my side.”
Yu Chennian went over in silence.
“Come over more! Am I going to eat you or something?!”
Shi Qing was not satisfied with how far away he was. He grumbled as he rolled with the blanket wrapped around him like a silkworm baby in Yu Chennian’s direction.
When he felt like he was close enough, Shi Qing raised his lips with satisfaction: “A big guy like you shouldn’t be afraid of the cold, right? Help me warm my feet.”
As he said this, the little master stretched out his white feet and plunged them beneath Yu Chennian’s shirt without waiting for an answer. His feet were now directly touching the young man’s waist.
With Yu Chennian’s body warming his cold feet, the discomfort and impatience on his face retreated slightly.
Yu Chennian still showed no signs of resistance. He turned slightly and looked at the youth. His little head was the only thing poking out of the quilt.
In actuality, this room was already very warm, at least when compared to the Imperial Study.
Because of his status, Yu Chennian had never been able to get his fair share of charcoal. He sent whatever he received to his bedridden foster mother.
Therefore, his house was almost always the same temperature as it was outside. In addition, the house was not often in the sun to begin with. Every night, his bed felt like it was made of ice.
But here Shi Qing was, complaining about it not being warm enough, in a cozy room like this with many warm blankets that had been preheated by the servants.
This spoiled little boy was never satisfied.
After his feet were no longer cold, thanks to Yu Chennian, he started complaining about how his ankles were too exposed in this position.
The eunuch carefully brought over a blanket made with rabbit fur to cover Shi Qing’s ankles, but he was scolded away.
If the little master was not happy, he was sure to lose his temper.
“Why is there only one basin of charcoal fire in this room? I have three basins at home.”
The eunuch hurried to offer an explanation: “Little Master, there was less red silk charcoal made this year, so the amount that can be used is regulated. Your room can only use one basin. Even His Highness’s room only has one.”
“Are you trying to make me die of hypothermia?! I’m never this cold at home!”
His father belonged to an aristocratic family going back hundreds of years. Shi Qing was his only son, so naturally he was given all the luxuries they had to offer.
The princes could only have a set amount of red silk charcoal, but Shi Qing could have as much as he wanted.
The eunuch quickly proposed: “How about this? This one will go ask if the princes could spare some of their charcoal so that the little master can sleep comfortably?”
“No way!”
Shi Qing interrupted him without even needing to think. His face was scrunched up in anger: “None of them came to help when that snake was on me. I’m going to ignore them too.”
The little boy huffed as he took back his feet. He looked at Yu Chennian: “You almost made me get bitten by a snake so you have to compensate me. Come over here and sleep with me.”
Yu Chennian was slightly shocked.
When he heard the order, he immediately considered if Shi Qing had come up with some new trick.
But was Shi Qing actually asking him to come over?
Maybe it was because the astonished eyes dissatisfied him, but the little master puffed his face up. He lunged up and grabbed Yu Chennian’s arm, intending to pull him onto the bed.
His target didn’t move an inch.
Shi Qing was stunned.
He stared at him with his round black eyes. He looked at his hands, and then at Yu Chennian, who was taken by surprise but remained stationary. His face grew furious.
The little master’s childish voice was full of anger, “I said come here!”
Yu Chennian: “The tutors will punish me if they don’t see me.”
“What does it matter if they see you or not? You’re just skipping a couple of cla.s.ses. You won’t learn anything from those rambly geezers anyways.”
Shi Qing snorted and spoke to the eunuch, who was still waiting: “Go tell the tutors that I’m not feeling well. The ninth prince is taking care of me. We’re asking to be excused for the day.”
The eunuch retired respectfully: “Understood.”
When he arrived outside, he told the tutor Shi Qing’s exact words.
The tutor nodded in acknowledgement. He didn’t ask why a reading companion like Shi Qing would need a prince to take care of him when he wasn’t feeling well.
It was no secret that Shi Qing occupied a position in the emperor’s heart that was higher than that of his own sons. The tutor would be insane to consider offending Shi Qing.
None of the other princes voiced any disagreement either.
Shi Qing liked to hold grudges. He was almost bitten by a poisonous snake just now, and so they a.s.sumed that he had single mindedly decided to take it out on Yu Chennian.
What ‘his body was unwell’? What ‘Yu Chennian was taking care of him’?
With Shi Qing’s short temper, he was probably brainstorming ways of getting back at Yu Chennian.
They all knew it in their hearts, but none of them sent anyone to investigate.
Meanwhile, Yu Chennian, who everyone thought was being tortured or bullied, was lying under a toasty quilt in a warm room.
The little boy who was originally in the quilt felt the warmth radiating from the other and finally grew silent.
He closed his eyes comfortably and squeezed himself into Yu Chennian’s arms like there was nothing wrong with him doing so.
This was the first time in Yu Chennian’s memories that he got to lie down in such a comfortable environment.
The air was warm, the room was clean and he could even smell the scent of milk.
The smell didn’t come from the bedding or the censer. It was the scent of the little boy resting comfortably in his arms.
He seemed to like drinking sheep’s milk a lot. Maybe it was due to his love of sheep’s milk that his skin was so white and tender and smelt of milk.
While the white and tender little master fell asleep, his feet were still restless. He closed his eyes and nuzzled towards the heat source and would not stop until he was touching Yu Chennian.
Yu Chennian seemed to be hugging him now.
The youth in his arms was soft and tender. He didn’t dare to move an inch. It was as though the smallest of movements would hurt the proud but fragile little thing in his arms.
There was a strange feeling at the bottom of his heart. He felt like a kitten was stretching out to claw at him but without using its claws.
It didn’t hurt. It just itched a bit. But he was already looking forward to it clawing at him again.
In such a comfortable atmosphere with so little expected of him, Yu Chennian slowly closed his eyes. For the first time since he could remember, he slept restfully.