“Hubby, touch me.” (Part Four)
Translation Checker: jellypeaches
Editor: jellypeaches, Dobhsh
A torrential rain fell on the capital, sweeping away the summer heat and transforming it into the cold chill of rain, enveloping the whole Imperial City in a haze.
Lin Bozhou stepped out of the Meridian Gate. Shan Xing immediately held out an umbrella over his head to prevent the rain from wetting his crimson official robe.
“Your Royal Highness sure is going back to the compound early today.” Shan Xing commented. “Lift your feet and be careful of your shoes; don’t let them get wet.”
Lin Bozhou stepped on the marble pathway, creating a small splash of water.
“This downpour was so sudden. It wasn’t raining when we left this morning. Chen An sent over someone to bring the umbrella just now.” Shan Xing chatted away, “After this rain, the weather will probably get hotter.”
When he finished speaking, he turned his head and realized that His Royal Highness wasn’t listening to him wholeheartedly.
Lin Bozhou stood quietly in the downpour, with the high eaves and terraces of the Forbidden City behind him. The silhouette of his body was as tall and powerful as jade. He hummed in response, looked at the dripping rain, and asked, “Is Huan Huan awake?”
“…Tsk.” Sure enough, the only thing that interested the man was the Royal Consort, so Shan Xing informed him, “The Royal Consort woke up and stayed in the bedchamber for a while before returning to his courtyard.”
“How did he look?”
Shan Xing said, “Not in a very happy mood, it seemed. Chen An wanted to report the bestowed title from Your Royal Highness, but the Royal Consort refused an audience and went straight back to the courtyard. According to the serving maid, the Royal Consort cried in secret for a long time.”
Lin Bozhou looked calm on the outside, but a painful sensation tugged at his heart. He reached out and caught a raindrop falling from the umbrella.
It was cold as it slid down his fingers, joining the ripples on the marble floor.
Shan Xing, busy calling for the carriage, turned to the attendant and shouted, “Over here, His Royal Highness is waiting.”
By his ear, Lin Bozhou suddenly called out, “Pingzhi.”
“Yes?” Shan Xing was shivering from the wind and didn’t understand where Lin Bozhou’s sudden calm tone came from. He turned his head and looked at the other man as if he had been possessed.
The corners of Lin Bozhou’s lips formed a small arc of a smile.
He spoke slowly, seemingly pondering something.
However, there was an obvious joy on his face.
“I seem to understand what liking a person means.”
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.
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He propped himself up and got out of bed, noticing how dry and hot his throat was as the feeling of extreme thirst sank in. He looked around and found there was no water in the room.
Walking was much easier now, but his mind was still extremely foggy. With drooping eyes, he unlocked the door, went outside, picked up a teapot from the table, and poured a cup of water, gulping it down.
Then he closed his eyes, feeling the water moisten his throat.
Thump. A knocking sound sounded in his ears, as if something had been placed on the table.
Turning his head sideways, he saw a jade-white figure. Lin Bozhou sat in a chair, a little out of the way. Meng Huan hadn’t noticed earlier, but the man had obviously been sitting there for a long time.
The atmosphere was quiet.
He didn’t say anything and just looked at Meng Huan.
Meng Huan opened his mouth, but an indescribable emotion surged up. Originally, he wanted to call the other man ‘His Royal Highness,’ like usual.
But he closed his mouth back up. For some reason, he didn’t want to call out to Lin Bozhou anymore, so he chose to stay silently in place.
Lin Bozhou got up and asked, “Did you get enough sleep?”
Meng Huan gave an affirmative response but didn’t make any more sounds.
He didn’t look at Lin Bozhou, fixing his gaze on the spot beside the man and staying unmoving like a statue. He didn’t show a hint of anger, only looking somewhat stupefied.
The youth’s lips were a little pale. So what happened? He looked haggard, like he had trouble sleeping. There was also no lingering, loving, and inseparable feeling toward Lin Bozhou. Only pursed lips and a distant hostile look, like a wary cat.
Lin Bozhou looked at his face and asked, “Is your body feeling better?”
Meng Huan nodded slowly.
“Do you remember what happened last night?” Lin Bozhou asked.
In the dark, Meng Huan’s crystal-clear eyes turned to him.
“I do.”
Although he couldn’t remember the overall matter, he understood the gist of it.
Lin Bozhou.
Had done.
An unforgivable thing to him!
“Well, that’s good. Huan Huan and this husband have been intimate, which completes our marriage as husband and wife. From today on, you’ll be this compound’s Royal Consort, and you will move into the main compound tomorrow.” Lin Bozhou spoke in a businesslike tone. He and Meng Huan were married in name but lacked marital affection, yet he spoke calmly. “Huan Huan can use the people and things in this compound as you wish. If you are interested, you can discuss it with Chen An and start taking charge of the compound’s affairs.”
Meng Huan squeezed his fingers. His stubbornness was visible in his almond-shaped eyes as well as in his pale, gorgeous face as he shook his head. “No.”
“That’s fine as well. For a more relaxed life, you can stay in your yard to draw, play Cuju, throw arrows into a pot, or even play Polo. You can do whatever you want. In this compound, you’re half the master.”
Meng Huan lowered his head and continued to stay silent, finding this conversation dull and meaningless.
He slept through the day, but his body was still hurting…
The courtyard was filled with raindrops, and the atmosphere was particularly spacious and tranquil.
Lin Bozhou suddenly reached out and held Meng Huan’s hand. His palm was cold. “Huan Huan.”
When Meng Huan noticed this, he jerked his hand out and stepped back.
The desk and chair were moved back with a loud crash, emphasizing this movement to increase the distance between them.
“…”
Lin Bozhou seemed stunned for a moment, looking down at his empty hand. He curled his fingers and met Meng Huan’s eyes.
In the dark, Meng Huan’s eyes were not even as submissive as before; they were only filled with uncomfortable annoyance.
Lin Bozhou frowned and showed a thoughtful look. “Does Huan Huan remember last night?”
Did the youth remember how he clung to his arms last night and called him hubby nonstop, acting incessantly sweet? Or how, as long as Lin Bozhou stopped being affectionate, even for a moment, the youth would immediately start to fuss. It was the same in the bedchamber.
Meng Huan hesitated for a moment and said stubbornly, “I do.”
Lin Bozhou didn’t understand. “Then why is Huan Huan angry?” He searched for the answer. “Are you blaming this husband for causing you pain?”
Meng Huan looked up and glared at him. This was the first time he showed such fierceness towards Lin Bozhou, like a kitten flashing its claws, warning the person who wanted to rub its fur to take back his hand, otherwise it would scratch.
Lin Bozhou raised his eyebrows and retracted his immodest remark.
He left work early today, returning to the compound and coming to Meng Huan’s yard. Once he heard the youth was sleeping, he waited several hours for Meng Huan to wake up. He wanted to see Huan Huan act sweet and pull on him while calling him husband again. It appeared that he was overthinking it.
“Regarding the events of last night, this husband admits to having forced Huan Huan.” Lin Bozhou started with a gentle voice. “Huan Huan got drunk and looked very uncomfortable. This husband wanted to relieve your suffering, so action was taken based on this husband’s own decision. This husband should have asked Huan Huan if he was willing before being intimate, but this husband was inconsiderate.”
Meng Huan didn’t want to listen to the man’s excuses and felt that it was all meaningless because it had already happened.
In the shadow, Lin Bozhou bent forward slightly. He was half a head taller than Meng Huan, so he gazed down with his dark eyes. “Huan Huan, be good; please don’t be angry?”
Unknowingly, he used the same tone of voice he had used to coax the youth inside the carriage last night.
Meng Huan clenched his fingers hidden in his sleeves and lowered his head to reveal his thin white jaw and his eyelashes that were as long and dark as crow feathers. His whole figure looked fragile and clean as his lips moved slightly.
He dug into his palm with his nails until several red marks appeared on his skin. The sweat stained the back of his hand, and his bones ached from the pinching.
The youth seemed aggrieved and maintained his silent posture.
All of this was captured by Lin Bozhou’s sight.
“Huan Huan, this is…” He reached out and tried to take the small hand into his palms.
In the next second, Meng Huan pulled his hand out with such force that his nails brushed against the man’s skin. With a slight sound, several marks of various lengths appeared on the back of Lin Bozhou’s hand.
It was white at first, before it gradually expanded and turned blood red, which was very hard to ignore.
“…”
Meng Huan froze in place and breathed deeply, then he gazed up to meet Lin Bozhou’s downcast eyes. A moment of fear flashed through his eyes as his whole body trembled.
But the next second, he bit his lower lip as his eyes reddened once more. He held a stubborn expression and a fierce yet frightened attitude of ‘Even if you beat me to death today, I am still going to express my anger’.
The author has something to say:
Huan-bao is angry.
Do it, do it, do it until their feelings heat up!
The translator has something to add:
Teo: So the author made many major changes to this chapter. This translator grabbed the ones that are the steamy parts that don’t change the story if readers don’t see them. There are parts that I have excluded because it appeared that the author wanted to make this chapter flow better with future chapters, like instead of Lin Bozhou assuming Meng Huan have been drugged by his friends, he thought Meng Huan took the drug knowingly. so, I’ll just give the short version:
In the carriage, Lin Bozhou thought of the possibility of Meng Huan being drugged by his ‘friends’. The use of ‘don’t run away’ instead of ‘don’t regret’ in part 2. Description of Lin Bozhou putting Meng Huan on the bed and going at it, the eunuch talked about Meng Huan crying out in pleasure and Lin Bozhou’s inward comment about Meng Huan passing out rather than falling asleep. Meng Huan got up and cried out in pain. Meng Huan also showed his anger rather than thinking about it at the end.
I just feel bad that their first time being intimate is due to Huanhuan being drugged and all foggy-minded and cannot even remember being clingy af to bozhou.. 😩 So in the end bozhou is the only one who enjoyed their first night and that’s just sad to me 😔
And Lin Bozhou thinks that Meng Huan actually acted that way towards him and was all happy afterwards 😞
Right! 😭 Honestly thought this would turn out different from the original novel but in the end, isn’t it the same as the original shou where huanhuan too truly believes bozhou to be a forceful black-bellied gong who took his virginity without his consent 💔
It started off great for me but now I just don’t know what to feel about where this is going.
Ikr.
The main problem is that Meng Huan has labeled Lib Bozhou as a super bad guy since beginning. He doesn’t want, at least trying, to know Lin Bozhou and he’s so stubborn about it.
This turn of event, how Meng Huan put the black pot to Lin Bozhou, somehow irk me.
Same, same. I understand Meng Huan, I truly do. But the fact that he didn’t suspect nor even for a second about those two “friends” of the actual Meng Huan bothers me quite a lot. I know he is supposed to be “dumb” but if he is going to obliviously dumb all throughout the novel it’s going to be really hard to keep reading
At least, that’s what I think
And the misunderstandings of this chapter is a reason why nowadays a drunk/ drugged person cannot express informed consent… because drunk people don’t want tea, and can’t make the decision to have tea (sex ed reference for those who don’t know)
And poor Lin Bozhou probably felt he had consent because Meng Huan was all “yay!” but afterwards feels like his wishes were disrespected (this would count as r* in some modern countries)
Unfortunately, Lin Bozhou lives in an ancient society where forcing yourself on your newly wed partner is normal… He’s already quite good
Someone take care of Meng Huan! 😭
Thanks for the update ❤️
Come, bubu, aunt will hug you! TT^TT
Thank You for the new chapter (⋈◍＞◡＜◍)。✧♡
Sigh, I feel for both of them. Lin Bozhou honestly felt that Meng Huan was being sincere, while Meng Huan had no say in the matter. Augh, this is making me feel so sad T^T
Thanks for the chapter!
What a good summary. In a way it’s better we don’t have to read the details of what Huan considers an assault.
True, true
So many comments
Thank you for your translation 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛
Thank you for the update ❤️💯
… I was really hoping he would remember at least some of the stickyness, but no this just made more distance. Hopefully now that one of them actually has and knows their feelings things can be explained tho. Our MC really aint bright.
+1 And stubborn on top of it 😆. He’s insisting he remembers, and not questioning Lin Bozhou’s new found affection for him… and yes he was calling out “hubby I need you”, not “you there, come fix this”. Very sticky.
Oh no, he knows what liking someone means, and he even came home early 😕. Meng Huan meanwhile is the living embodiment of the (American) expression “butthurt” which is usually just an emotional state lol. I’m sure he’ll get the best medicine for the other part that’s suffering. Ok, so there won’t be an alarming recording reaching social media from someone’s phone, but it would be funny if he heard servants describing his behavior in the carriage at least 😏.
Lin Bozhou your kitty scratched you..
❤️❤️❤️