Huang Yiming’s brow furrowed, a clear manifestation of his perplexity. “That doesn’t make sense,” he said, expressing his bewilderment, prompting both him and Li Jie to cease their steps. “I mean, I am happy for you! But… how can the emperor be so accepting of it?”
Li Jie regarded his friend with a discerning look. “I see your point,” he carefully assembled each word, cautious not to shatter the cocoon of their joy. “I guess he just loved me enough, you know?” He smiled brightly.
Huang Yiming sighed, his hand affectionately patting Li Jie’s head. “Li Jie, sometimes your naivety astonishes me. It makes me want to bang my head against the wall.”
“But I’ve excelled in all matters of state affairs and competitions,” Li Jie stated with a stoic expression.
That’s right, keep thinking that…
“Different, entirely different,” Huang Yiming shook his head in response. “When it comes to matters of the heart and a person’s truth, you are as oblivious as one can be.”
Good.
Li Jie remained silent. Frankly speaking, he had no other words to offer nor did he have any willpower left. He was tired of acting, but this was his haven, and he couldn’t ruin that.
Throughout his life, Li Jie had only interacted with a handful of people. The emperor and empress had mostly sheltered him from the world, safeguarding his innocence.
Of course, that didn’t mean their plan worked, but Li Jie had never been in a hurry to prove them wrong.
Huang Yiming, too, recognized the manner in which Li Jie had been brought up. Or, at least, he believed he did.
“You see,” Huang Yiming resumed walking, and Li Jie followed closely. “You were shielded excessively. Someone can be kind and genuine to you all the time, but that doesn’t mean a small detail like this won’t alter their perception,” Huang Yiming explained, his tone laced with concern.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Ol Alf ifjcfv bc tlr oglfcv, rlutlcu rboais, jcv atfc rwlifv eq ja tlw. “P ecvfgrajcv, Tlwlcu. P’w cba fcalgfis byilnlber.”
“Ccv sfa, sbe ralii gfnfjifv la ab atf fwqfgbg?” Lejcu Tlwlcu mbeivc’a mbwqgftfcv tlr jmalbcr. “Tbe mbeiv tjnf tjv j tjgfw oliifv klat kbwfc, klatbea jcs fzqfmajalbcr bo qtsrlmji lcnbinfwfca erlcu fzmerfr. Dea ys mbcofrrlcu atf ageat… sbe xcbk atfs’ii tjnf mfgajlc fzqfmajalbcr ogbw sbe, jcv sbe mjc’a wjxf jcs fzmerf.”
“Yes, but I didn’t want that,” Li Jie admitted, averting his gaze.
“Really?” Huang Yiming raised an eyebrow, skepticism in his voice. “Truly, Your Highness?”
But both Li Jie and Huang Yiming knew it was a lie.
“Okay, I confess,” Li Jie relented, looking away. “I didn’t have to rush and reveal it, and I knew I shouldn’t have, but…”
But he already knew. Not that you have to know.
Huang Yiming understood Li Jie better than anyone else. They had grown up together, and he was perhaps Li Jie’s only true friend besides Huang Baozhai.
Unable to bear seeing Li Jie in distress, Huang Yiming grasped his shoulders and made him face him directly. “Li Jie!” Huang Yiming’s unease grew with every passing moment since he had heard about the harem. “Please, tell me you didn’t blurt out this fact in front of the entire court!”
Li Jie’s smile turned sheepish and guilty as he slowly shrugged his shoulders, confessing, “Well… maybe I did?” It’s not like he had a choice, but that would just fuel Huang Yiming’s rage toward the emperor, and Li Jie knew he couldn’t risk his safety now.
Huang Yiming fell silent, trying to process the crown prince’s admission. He had suspected that something like this had transpired, but he had refused to believe it until Li Jie himself confessed.
“Li Jie!”
Before Huang Yiming could utter another word, Huang Baozhai emerged like a benevolent force, her smile radiating as brilliantly as ever.
“What’s my favored prince doing with my brother, but not me?” she playfully questioned, casually draping her arm over Li Jie’s shoulder, mimicking her brother’s playful gesture.
“But I don’t think that counts,” she teased the boy, who reciprocated with a grin. “You may be the only prince, but whatever! I still prefer you over this bitch beside you.”
“Go away,” Huang Yiming retorted, swatting his sister’s hand aside.
Li Jie was familiar with the banter exchanged between the siblings. He understood their candid language, yet he also recognized that, in Huang Yiming’s eyes, anyone approaching his sister with ill intentions would face swift retribution.
As for Huang Baozhai, she held a repertoire of mischievous tricks for anyone annoying her little brother. Reminiscent of the time when roaches she had personally caught found their way into a girl’s bed.
“Aww!” Baozhai feigned bewilderment. “Do you want to keep my best friend all to yourself? Well, tough luck, you little shit! This man is mine!”
Li Jie was about to interject, but Huang Yiming beat him to it. “Well, he won’t be for long,” the boy remarked with a bitter tone. “Li Jie is assembling a harem.”
“WHAT!?” Baozhai’s glare intensified as she directed it towards Li Jie. “Tell me this isn’t true! Are you cheating on me? Have you forgotten about pure love? My Highness! My sweet, innocent Highness! What has happened to you!”
Li Jie chuckled. “Don’t be so dramatic,” he replied, avoiding eye contact with Huang Yiming, who was visibly upset. “And I specifically asked you not to voice such things aloud. People might hear and misconstrue.”
“Sorry, sorry,” Baozhai conceded, adopting a more serious expression befitting her armored attire. “But seriously, are you truly assembling a harem, or is this bitch just harboring bitterness toward me?”
Li Jie sensed Huang Yiming’s impending comment, so he hastened to disclose everything to Huang Baozhai before her brother could utter a word.
“That’s rather foolhardy indeed,” Huang Baozhai nodded, her demeanor lacked the anger present in Huang Yiming. “You shouldn’t have acted so recklessly, but at least now you’re unburdened.”
“You’re not upset?”
One falsehood invariably begets countless more, and now that Li Jie had embarked on this new charade, he found himself unable to halt.
“Honestly…” The trio continued their stroll toward the crown prince’s palace. “I’m somewhat taken aback by your openness, given your standing. The emperor could have stripped everything away, but fortunately, he was supportive. Moreover, the court hasn’t uttered a word, and if they dare speak ill of you to the emperor behind closed doors… Well… Our emperor is astute; he’ll surely discern their hidden motives.
“But there’s another facet to this. Your being homosexual might push some to pressure their sons into the harem for a future empress consort position, so caution is advised. Nevertheless, I believe you’d make a superior emperor compared to any prospective men in your harem.
“Anyway, discussing such matters without seeking counsel was quite imprudent but it’s liberating to have it out in the open. Now we just need to find a way for you to exercise discretion in the future, so you won’t divulge crucial information where it’s unwise. But for now, things seem to have turned out favorably!
“And who knows, perhaps your true love is concealed within your harem?” Huang Baozhai teasingly nudged Li Jie, her infectious smile brightening the moment.
“Maybe,” Li Jie replied, lowering his gaze, concealing the emotions swirling in his eyes.
“I still can’t comprehend why Li Jie shouldn’t have the chance to experience love as in other ‘meet and fall in love’ stories,” Huang Yiming muttered, his eyes fixed on the ground, sensing a sudden heaviness in his heart. “In the palace alone, there are countless people who could, perhaps… one day, capture your heart…”
Li Jie smiled gently.
He had to repeatedly remind himself not to be disheartened by the roles he himself had assigned others to play.
Just a little more…
it’s getting more and more interesting!
Thank u!