Be liked by him. (Part One)
Translation Checker: jellypeaches
Editor: jellypeaches, Miiya
Just now, he was in a hurry to come out and meet Lin Bozhou, so he did not wipe himself off and only wore a thin inner robe, which was now almost soaked through, making the thin silk cling to his shoulders.
Lin Bozhou felt the dampness under his fingertips and frowned. “Are you done washing? You need to dry yourself fully or you will catch a cold.”
He placed his hands on Meng Huan’s waist and gently embraced the youth. Meng Huan, who had been working his brain into overtime, was suddenly dazed by being caught in the man’s arms.
Meng Huan leaned close into Lin Bozhou’s arms, who reached out and grabbed a clean hand towel. He untied Meng Huan’s clothes and methodically wiped off the droplets for the youth.
Meng Huan clenched his fingers on the man’s shoulders and said, “Husband, I have something very important to tell you.”
“Yes?” The tail of the word raised slightly as Lin Bozhou dried his waist.
…Although Meng Huan could tell that Lin Bozhou was taking him seriously, he felt like it was not enough and had to mutter, “You need to listen to me.”
Lin Bozhou’s hand rested on his waist as he hugged the youth back into his arms, saying, “I’m listening.”
Meng Huan licked his lips and with a solemn tone, he tried to make himself look less like a quack, “Are you aware that many people want to kill you?”
“…”
After a moment of silence, Lin Bozhou replied with a hint of amusement, “Yes.”
Meng Huan felt a bit gloomy, after all, he had no idea how to get Lin Bozhou to avoid disaster. All he had were some recollections of the original book that he wasn’t sure would be of any use.
“Then you need to be careful, really careful.” He decided to sidestep the subject and get straight to the point, “There is a hostage prince in Elder Cui’s compound, named Echul, who may escape back to his tribe and lead troops to invade in the future. What I mean is, why don’t we put him in prison right now?”
When Meng Huan finished, he looked at Lin Bozhou with a sincere face.
A face that screamed ‘I’m not lying to you!’
But Lin Bozhou’s hands stopped slightly as his voice dropped an octave, asking, “Hostage prince?”
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.
Zfcu Lejc cbvvfv jcv gfqfjafv, “Lbrajuf qglcmf!”
Ktja rwlif atja tjv yffc bc atf mbgcfgr bo Olc Dbhtbe ogbhf.
After the Zong Dynasty bureaucratized the authority of local chieftains, changing from loosely controlled administrative units to prefectures and counties in ethnic territories, and appointed non-hereditary chief officials in those areas, there was no longer a need for each region to send a hostage prince to ensure their loyalty and the hostage prince system had long since come to an end.
—Ktfgfobgf, atfgf kjr cb tbrajuf qglcmf lc atf Ibcu Gscjras.
Olc Dbhtbe ibkfgfv tlr tfjv jcv ulcufgis ragbxfv Zfcu Lejc’r ojmf klat tlr olcufgalqr. Pcrafjv bo gfoealcu, tf rjlv, “Fcvfgrabbv, atlr teryjcv klii ibbx lcab la. Zjcs atjcxr ab Lejc Lejc obg afiilcu wf.”
Meng Huan breathed a sigh of relief and said with a joyful expression, “Good! Then I managed to help you!”
Lin Bozhou smiled and answered affirmatively, before wiping Meng Huan’s hair with the handkerchief. “Huan Huan was shocked today. Be good and go to bed after you’re clean.”
Meng Huan was over the moon at being able to play a part.
—What he did not consider was, for someone like himself, who never participated in political matters, to suddenly give groundless statements, coupled with the shock of witnessing a murder scene that afternoon, he was in this delicate situation, where people could suspect that some evil was at work.
Lin Bozhou gently buttoned the buttons at Meng Huan’s chest and asked, “Huan Huan, done?”
“Yes, let’s go to bed.” Meng Huan led him back to the sleeping chamber, where the lights were dim, which brought an uncanny feeling of coldness in the shadow.
Usually at this time, Meng Huan would head to bed first and turn in for the night, while Lin Bozhou would still listen to books and letters. Before, Meng Huan would go to sleep on his own, but in this rare moment, he grasped Lin Bozhou’s wrist. Because of the small size of his hand and Lin Bozhou’s bone structure being wider and firmer, he could only brush his fingers against it. “Can you sleep with me tonight? I’m scared.”
This was a rare occasion when Lin Bozhou adjusted his routine and answered, “Alright, this husband will stay with Huan Huan even without you asking.”
Meng Huan nodded, feeling relieved at last.
He closed his eyes, and the gaping hole of the corpse’s neck in the heavy rain appeared again.
A feeling of unspeakable fear stuck Meng Huan, who felt a chill run through his body. He turned his hand and gently cuddled into Lin Bozhou’s arms.
Lin Bozhou’s embrace was already very tight, but now the youth curled his entire body into his arms with his legs folded against his. It seemed today’s events really frightened him. Creeping out of the youth’s loose sleeve, a pale wrist grabbed tightly onto Lin Bozhou’s lapel.
But Meng Huan’s mind felt very awake, and after rubbing into Lin Bozhou’s arms for a while, he murmured, “Husband…”
Lin Bozhou replied, “Yes?”
“I can’t sleep.”
Lin Bozhou gently pinched his jaw and said, “In the past, when this husband returned from court, there were times when this husband itched to sleep at once after a day’s hard work. It seems that Huan Huan is not tired enough.”
When hearing this, Meng Huan realized something and looked up.
Then shadow covered him as his lips were covered.
Lin Bozhou said, “Then sleep once you are tired.”
The meaning of the words was clear to all who understood. Meng Huan blushed and felt a hand approach him.
…
Being kissed breathless, the tip of his tongue went senseless and numb. Meng Huan lay in the quilt with a flushed face, sweating a little, feeling sleepy and saying, “I think I can sleep now…”
“Yes, sleep.” Lin Bozhou said with amusement in his voice.
Meng Huan patted the quilt and fell into dreamland.
Inside the curtain around the bed, the trapped heat from the earlier activity hovered in the air. Lin Bozhou’s damp hair was pressed to his face. He brushed it away with his slender fingers, and there was a hint of gloominess in his calm expression.
At this moment, a gentle movement sounded outside the door. “Your Royal Highness.”
Lin Bozhou allowed You Jin to help him up and sat down outside the door.
You Jin asked in a very low voice, “Your Royal Highness, this servant sent someone to invite Taoist Master Li from the Temple Hall of High Heaven. When does Your Royal Highness want to drive the evil spirits from the master?”
Lin Bozhou lowered his eyelashes and felt a slight headache.
The phrase ‘hostage prince’ mentioned by Meng Huan came to mind.
The Zong Dynasty was founded over two hundred years ago, and the residences used to house hostage princes had been abandoned for decades, filled with unmanaged wild weed. They had long been sold to officials to use as offices. Even storybooks ceased to write about hostage princes, so how could Meng Huan suddenly speak of a hostage prince?
With a worried expression, You Jin said, “Master is kind-hearted, unable to bear seeing people being harmed or killed. At the time, he looked truly frightened with how pale he was. Even this old servant’s legs lost strength from fear, but I really don’t know what came over the master for him to suddenly rush into the alley.”
Lin Bozhou motioned for him to continue.
You Jin sighed, “Who could have known that the master would find a head! He shouted about seeing the face of the murderer, and will go testify at the government office tomorrow!”
He looked at Lin Bozhou with caution, “Your Royal Highness, this servant heard a story before.”
Lin Bozhou said, “Go on.”
“There are some people who, after dying in tragic circumstances, will attach themselves to a living person from their undying grievance, as a means to find justice for their death.” You Jin showed a distressed look. “This servant feels that the deceased ghost has probably attached himself to our master!”
“…”
Although Lin Bozhou could not see, he could still move his line of sight onto You Jin.
Fate and supernatural beings were two unavoidable topics.
After a moment of pause, Lin Bozhou suddenly remembered, “Who is Echul?”
You Jin hurriedly answered, “This afternoon, we went to Lu compound to find someone. On our way there, because of the hot weather, we went to the temple for a sip of tea. Unexpectedly, we meet the young grandson of the Cui Family, and a playmate of his.”
“Cui Han?”
You Jin shook his head and said, “No, it’s the elder grandson, Cui Lang. He also said he wanted a rematch with Your Royal Highness and asked the master to introduce him.”
A moment of silence.
Lin Bozhou whispered, “Oh, so it was him.”
The Xuanhe Emperor summoned a Weiqi genius into the palace, who was the second person to win against the Kongjie Master in decades. That day Lin Bozhou had not caught wind of the gossip, and only thought this young master played very well. Never did he think that person would be the elder grandson of the Cui Family.
You Jin continued, “Echul is the name of that playmate. He has very wild nature and had very little regard for our master. He almost started a fight then and there. This old servant wondered if the master was scared by him at that time. Afterward, he saw the corpse and was frightened again, which allowed the unjustly killed to haunt him.”
Lin Bozhou turned his head sideways, fixing his attention on You Jin’s direction.
He closed the lid of the teacup and said, “Go find out who this Echul is.”
You Jin let out a sigh and said, “Then, about the Taoist Master Li at the Temple Hall of High Heaven—”
Lin Bozhou raised his hand and instructed, “No need.”
“…Understood.”
After the sound beside him subsided, Lin Bozhou walked back to the bed in the dark. Using his senses, he sat down on the bed, lifted the quilt and lay down.
Meng Huan shifted in his sleep for a moment. as if subconsciously searching for him in his sleep. Once Lin Bozhou held Meng huan’s hand, the youth calmed down and meekly leaned his head against Lin Bozhou’s chest.
If they were really going to get that taoist, then I think Meng Huan would think that they figured out he’s not the original Meng Huan!
Wouldn’t that be a big pot of drama? 😭Poor HuanHuan is already frightened, I think that if that really happened, he would lose his soul
Hubby believes in his Huan Huan 😭💕💕💕
Thank You for the new chapter ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)
Thanks for the chapters
Thank you!
thank you!
Oh my gosh, they’re wrong but still uncomfortably suspicious, and all because either Meng Huan got his history mixed up, or because an enemy faction has secretly brought back hostage princes!
Thank you! Kinnda worried for Meng Huan now 🥹🥹
Poor HuanHuan
Thank you for your translation 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜