It was late at night, and Chu Xinian was still sharing the same bed with Xie Jingyuan.
The tree outside the courtyard had been completely chopped down, leaving nothing behind. In the moonlight, the diamond-shaped window was covered in a hazy white mist, and the figures of the guards swaying outside were no longer hidden by the dancing shadows of the trees. Their movements seemed magnified in the silence.
[The blackening level has dropped to 80%]
[The blackening level has dropped to 78%]
[The blackout level has dropped to 75%]
System’s warning echoed intermittently in Chu Xinian’s ears, sounding especially sharp in the dark night.
Xie Jingyuan had already fallen asleep. Somehow, ever since Chu Xinian had placed the jade pendant in front of him today, promising to care for and protect him, the blackening level had gradually decreased.
Chu Xinian felt as if he had picked up some kind of pattern, but at the same time, he felt uncertain. Unconsciously, he touched the jade pendant around his neck. For the first time in his life, he could not sleep and felt disturbed by an unknown emotion.
Without knowing it, Xie Jingyuan had completely let his guard down against Chu Xinian. He rolled over in the darkness, burying himself in the other’s embrace, and continued to sleep, becoming perfectly nestled.
At this moment, let alone stealing confidential documents, even if Chu Xinian emptied the entire mansion, Xie Jingyuan probably wouldn’t notice. Slowly, Chu Xinian reached out, pulled the sheet for Xie Jingyuan, and hugged him a little tighter. He continued pondering, feeling that his current position was perfectly fine.
Just to warm up.
This was how Chu Xinian currently saw him.
System, with his body shining like a diamond, approached him slowly, as if he was a human being watching something intently. Chu Xinian was a little dazzled by the brightness and finally looked at him, “What’s wrong?”
He thought System had some important business, and indeed, he did.
System’s tone turned serious, as if Chu Xinian was heartless: [Do you remember what you promised me?]
“…”
Chu Xinian couldn’t quite remember. After pondering for a moment, his mind went blank. The only thing he could be sure of was that he had done nothing morally wrong towards the System, “What did I promise?”
System felt extremely unfortunate. Why was it that every host developed an indescribable affection for the mission target? It seriously affected his performance.
Incoherently, he exclaimed: [You … you big liar! You promised… you promised that you wouldn’t develop feelings for the mission target, yet you ended up sleeping together!]
System thought Chu Xinian was more reliable than the previous host and took a lazy break for two days without keeping a close eye on the plot progression. But who would have thought that when he woke up, these two had already developed to this point?
#He has grown old, unable to keep up with the times#
Chu Xinian’s eyelashes quivered sharply at those words, and he experienced a subtle, uncomfortable sensation as if someone had touched his innermost concerns. System’s words were like a sharp needle, piercing a not-too-small hole in the paper window. No one knew if that hole would get bigger and bigger.
“…No.” Chu Xinian’s voice remained calm as he denied it.
System had no hands. If he had them, he would surely grab Chu Xinian’s shoulders and shake them wildly, asking through tears, “Host, can I trust you?”
Chu Xinian found the question too childish to answer. He refused to answer and politely pushed System’s shining figure away before dismissing himself, “It’s getting late, I should rest.”
Diamonds have always been a highly desirable object throughout history, but System was an exception. He was not liked wherever he went.
“You better not fool me, mmm~” System wiped away his nonexistent tears and disappeared into thin air.
As Chu Xinian saw System leave and was left thinking about his earlier words, he couldn’t help but fall into a reflective state. He lowered his head to look at Xie Jingyuan, who was already asleep, and belatedly realized that his current position was too intimate, far exceeding a certain safety limit.
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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Chu Xinian did not reply, not knowing what to say. He saw Xie Jingyuan staring at him, and after a few seconds, he could only slowly lean back and say, “It’s nothing…”
They were very close. As Chu Xinian uttered these words, Xie Jingyuan’s fair and handsome features were right in front of him, and his breath, carrying the chill of the night air, brushed his ears.
Although Xie Jingyuan had opened his eyes, his consciousness remained blurred. He only saw Chu Xinian’s lips moving silently, apparently saying something, but the words were unclear. The jade pendant around Chu Xinian’s neck was partially visible from the folds of his clothes, accentuating his slender, beautiful-looking neck.
Squinting, Xie Jingyuan thought he was dreaming. For some unknown reason, in his dazed state, he reached out and tightly grasped the jade pendant hanging from Chu Xinian’s neck. He then pulled it closer and, with tired eyes, stared at it for a long moment before suddenly kissing him without a warning.
“!!”
Chu Xinian was startled by the kiss. The warm, soft touch to his lips in the night was crisp and clear, leaving him no room to think it was just an illusion. Finally, cracks appeared in his usually calm demeanor.
Meanwhile, after completing all this, Xie Jingyuan simply returned to his sleeping position. Only his hand still tightly held the jade pendant around Chu Xinian’s neck, showing that he was reluctant to let go.
While Xie Jingyuan was dreaming, he was probably cursing Chu Xinian.
Damn it, not only did he dare to take someone else’s sachet, but he also dared to carry it close to his body, forcing him to use his family’s heirloom jade pendant to exchange it.
Damn it!
“…”
Chu Xinian slowly raised his hand and touched his lips. Even if it was slow, he knew that a kiss like that should be with someone he liked. Xie Jingyuan, being from ancient times, couldn’t possibly learn Western etiquette and use it to express friendship, could he?
Xie Jingyuan was fast asleep. His right cheek was buried in the pillow, hiding his scars. The left side of his face, smooth as jade, was exposed to the air. Covered by a layer of dark blue at night, as if it had been split into two halves, obscuring his past.
Chu Xinian lowered his gaze and watched him silently, sensing that Xie Jingyuan was probably sleeping. In the end, he decided to act as if nothing had happened. He slowly returned to his original position, pulled back the sheets, and closed his eyes.
Don’t panic, stay calm…
The more serious the situation, the more you have to stay calm….
Chu Xinian repeated these words countless times in his mind, and little by little his troubled thoughts calmed down, leading him to sleep.
Early the next morning, the courtyard was silent. Yun Que found this strange, because General Xie was not the type to sleep in, and neither was Chu Xinian. Normally, the two of them woke up before dawn, so why were they so late today?
Yun Que didn’t dare to knock on the door and disturb them, fearing that something had happened. She stood on her tiptoes and secretly looked out the window, only to see that Xie Jingyuan was already awake while Chu Xinian was still sleeping.
Just like a person, after getting drunk, intermittently remembering some things the next morning, after waking up early, Xie Jingyuan’s brain retained some fragments of memory. He felt as if possessed, seeing Chu Xinian’s face so close, and without thinking, he leaned over and kissed him.
Of course, that was not important. What was important was whether it was a dream or not.
If it was a dream, it would be fine, but if it wasn’t…
Leaning his head back, Xie Jingyuan’s thin eyebrows furrowed imperceptibly, and his fingertips tapped rhythmically, silently revealing a hint of inner conflict. He gazed at Chu Xinian’s sleeping face, his eyes resting on the beautiful shape of his lips, wondering whether or not he had kissed him yesterday.
Unfortunately, Chu Xinian was still asleep, and Xie Jingyuan couldn’t get any clues from him.
“Chu Xinian…”
Xie Jingyuan uttered the name silently and then gently traced the jade pendant around Chu Xinian’s neck with his fingertips. His lips curved slightly, feeling a little better.
Blocked by the bed curtain, Yun Que could not see clearly. She was extremely surprised to see Xie Jingyuan lower his head, almost kissing Chu Xinian. She stood on her tiptoes, wanting to take a closer look.
However, at that moment, her shoulder suddenly throbbed in pain, and a deep, cold voice rang in her ears, “What are you spying on?”
Yun Que was startled and instinctively turned around, only to see Jiu Yong’s cold face. She shrugged her shoulders, unconsciously avoiding his hand, feeling a little embarrassed after being caught, “Who said I was spying?”
Jiu Yong sneered, “Spy, I knew you had bad intentions. Now that I’ve caught you red-handed, you dare to deny it?”
Yun Que’s face turned red, but she did not dare to speak out loud. She stomped her foot unconsciously, gesturing him to lower her voice, “Shh, who said I’m a spy?”
Why was he speaking the truth out loud!
There was a piece of tree branch under his foot, and as he stepped on it, it made a cracking sound, louder than his conversation. Xie Jingyuan sensed something was wrong and finally snapped out of his daze, his gaze sharpened as he looked outside the window, “Who’s out there?!”
His voice was chilling, clearly showing his anger.
Jiu Yong and Yun Que were startled and didn’t know what to reply.
Xie Jingyuan directly grabbed his mask and put it on, putting on a cloak as he stood up from the bed. He pushed open the window to take a look and saw Jiu Yong. He frowned, “What’s wrong?
Jiu Yong hesitated for a moment and bowed with his sword for forgiveness, “Excuse me, General. A moment ago, I was patrolling the area and accidentally stepped on a dry branch. Please punish me, General”.
Xie Jingyuan’s tightly furrowed brows remained unperturbed, “Why didn’t you answer when I asked you earlier?”
Jiu Yong struggled to speak, “I… I…”
Xie Jingyuan’s sharp eyes caught a glimpse of a pink garment exposed on a corner of the wall. He looked at Jiu Yong and thought that even this loyal subordinate had learned to lie. His tone turned cold, “Go and accept your punishment.”
He was extremely strict in his military discipline, and the rules in his mansion were no different.
Jiu Yong had followed Xie Jingyuan for many years, so he knew very well what the consequences would be if he made a second mistake. Many people had already lost their lives because of his first mistake. This time, Jiu Yong was lucky enough to be saved.
The window closed with a faint sound. Yun Que heard the movement and finally stood up somewhat guiltily from the corner of the wall. She pursed her lips, preparing to thank Jiu Yong, but to her surprise, he didn’t even glance at her and walked straight out of the courtyard to accept his punishment.
“Ah…”
Yun Que hesitated behind, wanting to call out to him to come back, but it was a step too slow. Jiu Yong had already disappeared from her sight.
Chu Xinian was finally awakened by the commotion outside the window. He opened his eyes with difficulty and saw Xie Jingyuan sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing his undergarments with only a cloak over his shoulders. Chu Xinian suddenly remembered the events of the previous night and instantly became alert.
“General?”
Chu Xinian instinctively sat up from the bed, seeing Xie Jingyuan looking towards the window without any visible reaction.
“What happened?”
Yun Que was Chu Xinian’s servant, and if any punishment was to be meted out, it would be Chu Xinian who would administer it. Xie Jingyuan lifted the sheet and lazily stretched his leg inside, his lips curved as he asked, “Your servant eavesdropped on this General’s conversation. Chu Xinian, how should we settle accounts?”
There was intent to demand an explanation.
Chu Xinian raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, instantly realizing that Xie Jingyuan was trying to trick him. He reached out and grabbed Xie Jingyuan’s cold, restless leg, speaking with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, “May I ask who the General was talking to?”
Xie Jingyuan was wearing his underrobe, so he hadn’t left the room.
There were only the two of them here, and Chu Xinian had just woken up. Xie Jingyuan couldn’t be talking to himself.
Xie Jingyuan laughed lightly, thinking that Chu Xinian really couldn’t be easily convinced, “Your servant broke the rules of this General’s mansion, Chu Xinian. How should I punish her?”
Although Chu Xinian did not know what had happened, Xie Jingyuan would not mention this without reason. Yun Que must have given him some weakness, “In that case… let’s deduct three months from her monthly salary.”
Xie Jingyuan raised an eyebrow, “That’s all?”
No bloodshed, and he calls it punishment?
Chu Xinian pretended not to understand what he meant and smiled, “Then let’s also ban her from buying rouge and face powder for three months too.”
Xie Jingyuan glared at him, “You appreciate flowers.”
Chu Xinian had a hunch that if this topic went any further, it would inevitably come back to yesterday’s sachet incident. He lifted the sheets, “It’s getting late. General, come with me to check on the thief who stole the painting.”
“There is no hurry.”
However, Xie Jingyuan suddenly held him back, leaning closer to him until he almost fell into Chu Xinian’s embrace.
Fearing that he might fall, Chu Xinian instinctively leaned his shoulder, but Xie Jingyuan let himself be carried away by the force and ended up lying on top of him, “Chu Xinian…”
He was genuinely cold, to the point that every time Chu Xinian touched him, he couldn’t help but want to hug him. Chu Xinian pulled the sheet over him and his voice became lower, “Hmm?”
Xie Jingyuan stared into his eyes, unusually hesitant as he spoke, “Last night…”
Chu Xinian’s heart clenched, but he didn’t show it on his face, maintaining a calm tone, “What happened last night?”
“Last night…” Xie Jingyuan slowly approached him, and as he spoke, his slightly cold lips almost touched Chu Xinian’s warm earlobe, “Did I kiss you last night?”
He had a mischievous nature, asking such a direct question without any reservation.
Chu Xinian’s mind went blank at his words, a ringing in his ears, not even aware of what he had said. Instinctively he replied, “Of course not.”
Xie Jingyuan furrowed his thin eyebrows, looking somewhat skeptical, “Are you sure?”
Chu Xinian lowered his hand restlessly, trying to maintain an indifferent attitude as he smiled, just like before, “Of course, the General didn’t kiss me, why do you ask?”
He didn’t…?
Xie Jingyuan stared at Chu Xinian for a while, then slowly pulled away from his embrace, self-absorbed. He thought to himself that it must have been a dream after all.
Seeing that Xie Jingyuan was no longer questioning, Chu Xinian thought he had managed to shake him off and felt relief in his heart. He got out of bed, preparing to get dressed and go check on the thief. Suddenly, however, he felt a warm sensation on his cheeks, as if he had been kissed, causing him to freeze.
“Chu Xinian, from now on, not only must you not accept other people’s sachet, but you must also not let others kiss you, got it?”
Xie Jingyuan thought that it was indeed more reassuring to have the juicy meat in his mouth than dangling in front of his eyes like a temptation. Yesterday, when he threw the sachet away, that woman had taken hold of it. If he ever allowed others to try to snatch Chu Xinian away, he would have no face left.
When he finished speaking, he ignored Chu Xinian’s rigid state and simply put on his clothes before walking out.
Chu Xinian didn’t say a word, and the clothes in his hand fell to the ground, “…”
The author has something to say:
Chu Xinian: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
＃The General is bold!＃
Yun Que x Jiu Yong??? 👀👀
AHHHHH THRY KISSED THEY KISSRD THEY KISSED!! 🙈🙈
Kiss kiss fall in love~~