(TL: In Chinese, “NTR” (short for “Netorare”) refers to a genre in Japanese anime, manga, and doujinshi (self-published works) where a character’s romantic partner is taken away by another person, often resulting in feelings of betrayal and jealousy. The term “NTR” is derived from the Japanese word “寝取られ” (netorare), which means “to have one’s lover stolen.”)
The snow in Great Xin Dynasty came late this winter, but it fell continuously for several days.
When Qi Zhuoyu finished speaking, a gust of bitter cold wind suddenly blew open the window, letting in quite a bit of snow.
There were plenty of silver charcoals placed in the room.
It had been as warm as spring all along, but when the wind blew in, Feng Xuan shivered from the cold.
Qi Zhuoyu had already gotten out of bed as if it was the most natural thing to do.
Seeing Feng Xuan still wrapped in the brocade quilt, sitting on the bed with a bewildered look, he suddenly felt in a good mood and became very interested. He knelt down on one knee and grabbed one of Feng Xuan’s feet.
As a member of the ancient Phoenix clan, Feng Xuan had spent most of his time flying over the past thousand years, rarely walking on the ground.
After transforming into human form, this pair of feet was even less exposed to daylight, hidden in fine white silk socks. Their color was cultivated to be more delicate and eye-catching than white silk, like a splash of sheep’s milk.
The moment Qi Zhuoyu grabbed his ankle, Feng Xuan felt goosebumps rise on the back of his foot.
Before he could understand what Qi Zhuoyu was about to do, the other party calmly said. “This prince will help the Consort change clothes.”
He acted it out convincingly.
Feng Xuan almost believed his performance.
But the big devil had always been good at acting.
He still remembered when he first descended to the mortal realm to undergo calamity, this person had a persona of a righteous senior brother at the Misty Immortal Mansion, fooling almost everyone there. Even his good master Su Qingyan didn’t believe that Qi Zhuoyu was such a born bad guy until his death.
Suddenly coming out with such a line.
It made Feng Xuan truly believe it for a moment in his heart.
As if he had really just crawled out of his stepson’s bed.
Feng Xuan was truly speechless about his sudden urge to act.
Qi Zhuoyu’s acting was particularly natural, with his own unique style, giving the feeling that if Feng Xuan didn’t call for a stop, he wouldn’t stop.
Feng Xuan indeed had no intention of calling for a stop.
After all, he was just a pampered salted fish, the kind of little bird that would rather sit than stand, rather lie down than sit. Since the big devil volunteered to help him change clothes, he naturally wanted to enjoy the luxury of having clothes brought to him.
But he didn’t get to enjoy it for even a second.
When he saw Qi Zhuoyu open the wardrobe, pick out a red and green floral padded jacket, look at it with a very satisfied expression, and was about to put it on Feng Xuan.
Feng Xuan suddenly jumped up from the bed and stopped him. “Wait. Your Highness, I think Your Highness is too precious, I’d better not trouble you to help me change clothes.”
Help!
For a moment, he couldn’t tell.
Which was more terrifying, wearing the floral padded jacket or going to serve an old man in bed.
“Why?” Qi Zhuoyu seemed a bit disappointed that he couldn’t continue to serve Feng Xuan, even savoring the feel of those tender feet in his palm just now, very much with a domineering ‘what am I going to do with you, you little goblin’ kind of statement. “This prince doesn’t find it troublesome.”
He hinted at Feng Xuan.
To be honest, Feng Xuan had felt before.
Qi Zhuoyu might have a bit of a housework slave fetish, like loving to eat his leftovers and being very fond of grabbing this and that for him, and now it had upgraded to being keen on dressing him.
He didn’t know if he had found a partner or a father.
But he still gratefully declined.
Letting him wear this kind of floral padded jacket was worse than asking him to commit suicide on the spot.
“I just feel that I’m not that delicate,” Feng Xuan said, quickly putting on his clothes. He glanced at Qi Zhuoyu and continued, “Besides, you acting like this makes it seem as if there’s really something between Your Highness and me.”
Although he seemed to have taken on the script of a stepmom romance, so far, he and Qi Zhuoyu were indeed innocent.
Feng Xuan said, “I’m afraid people might misunderstand and ruin Your Highness’s innocence.”
Qi Zhuoyu seemed to find this amusing, “This prince’s innocence?”
He looked at Feng Xuan with deep eyes and said in a low voice, “If you could really ruin this prince’s innocence, Consort, do you think you’d still have the strength to climb into another man’s bed now?”
Feng Xuan: “.” His ears turned a bit red.
What was wrong with this person?
How could he be so good at flirting at such a young age.
****
The wind and snow outside the palace were extreme. Feng Xuan remembered that he had a mortal persona.
So he pretended to take an umbrella, which of course he didn’t hold himself. Due to the height difference, Qi Zhuoyu held the handle. Feng Xuan skillfully snuggled into his arms, even eagerly wanting to sit on his arm.
But then he thought.
Ah.
The big devil was only this old now.
Although he looked almost as tall as before, his shoulders were still thin like a young man’s, not as broad as a grown man’s.
He kind of missed his senior brother’s chest.
After all, it was a bird’s exclusive seat.jpg
Walking out of the courtyard, the carriage coming to pick him up was quietly parked at the palace gate.
The young eunuch driving the carriage had blank, soulless eyes. If Qi Zhuoyu still had his memories, he would recognize this as the demon clan’s soul-capturing technique. He had used it once in front of Feng Xuan when they were in the mortal realm before, and Feng Xuan remembered it vividly, replicating it.
Qi Zhuoyu glanced at him indifferently, and Feng Xuan immediately felt a bit bald.
The carriage that should have appeared at the gate of the concubines’ palace.
Now appeared at the gate of the prince’s palace, and was naturally here to pick up the concubine who was going to serve in bed.
Encountering such a fantastical and absurd situation.
It was really hard for a bird to explain how the carriage got here.jpg
Fortunately, Qi Zhuoyu didn’t ask much. He held Feng Xuan’s waist and helped him into the carriage.
Feng Xuan barely stood steady when Qi Zhuoyu stepped up and squeezed in with him.
This carriage was originally designed for concubines specifically serving in bed.
It wasn’t designed with too much space, after all, although the emperor was muddle-headed, he only received one person per night.
Now with Qi Zhuoyu coming in, Feng Xuan felt the space inside the carriage shrink considerably.
He felt uncomfortable sitting on the hard bench, and stole a glance at Qi Zhuoyu, finding him looking out the window as soon as he got in the carriage, with a thoughtful expression. Feng Xuan had seen this expression of his too many times. Whenever the big devil spaced out, he was mostly thinking about doing something big in his mind.
Feng Xuan didn’t ask.
After all, he was just a love-brained god who came down to earth to rekindle romance with his ex-husband.
What did big schemes have to do with him, a salted fish?!
Soon, the carriage arrived at Chengming Palace.
Feng Xuan got out of the carriage and shivered from the wind and snow outside.
Chengming Palace was even bigger than he had imagined.
Because it was for serving in bed, two young eunuchs came forward to serve as soon as they got off the carriage.
According to the bedchamber rules of the Great Xin Dynasty, it seemed that concubines were supposed to undress in advance, then wear only a gauze robe and be carried to the dragon bed in Chengming Palace.
Feng Xuan looked at the ghostly weather with snow falling everywhere, hmm… time to use his demon soul-capturing technique!
The two young eunuchs immediately collapsed on the ground.
Feng Xuan glanced at Qi Zhuoyu, feeling he could try to salvage his mortal persona, and said nonchalantly. “What cold weather. The eunuchs have frozen to death.”
Qi Zhuoyu responded with a ‘do you think I’m an idiot’ look: “…”
Feng Xuan dragged him quickly towards Chengming Palace. Along the way, the guards seemed to ignore their presence.
“Haha. Such heavy snow,” Feng Xuan laughed dryly. “It feels like no one can see us.”
Qi Zhuoyu looked at him. “…”
Chengming Palace was brightly lit inside.
Feng Xuan didn’t know how he navigated, but somehow ended up in the main hall.
To be fair, Chengming Palace was indeed worthy of being the emperor’s bedchamber built with the wealth of the entire Great Xin Dynasty.
Sixteen dragon-entwined stone pillars, each requiring two grown men to encircle, supported the entire hall. Over fifty eternal lamps flickered at the front of the hall, while in the center stood an extremely luxurious, enormous dragon bed, with yellow gauze curtains floating, exuding grandeur.
When Feng Xuan arrived, Emperor Zheng hadn’t come yet.
He had never seen such a dog emperor who was late for his own bedchamber appointment.
Of course, looking at Qi Zhuoyu who was sitting brazenly on the dragon bed.
Feng Xuan had also never seen a prince who would casually sit on his father’s bed where his father’s lover was supposed to be.
There was also a nanmu table inlaid with mother-of-pearl in the hall, laden with fruits, pastries, and even wine for mood enhancement.
Feng Xuan hadn’t felt hungry after dinner, but seeing these pastries made him feel he could eat a bit more.
Seeing that Qi Zhuoyu didn’t seem interested in eating, he sat down to eat by himself.
Halfway through, Qi Zhuoyu suddenly came over, sat down unhappily, and stared at him.
Feng Xuan thought he wanted to eat too, so he shared some of his pastries with him.
But Qi Zhuoyu didn’t appreciate it and said coldly. “Are you really planning to serve in bed?” He also disdainfully commented on the pastries. “Tastes bad.”
Feng Xuan was stunned by his sudden question.
Looking at the pastry in his hand, surely the big devil didn’t think he was replenishing his energy now to serve the old emperor later?
Qi Zhuoyu said sarcastically. “Isn’t that so.”
Huh?
Could he read minds again?!
“You accidentally said it out loud,” Qi Zhuoyu said.
Oh.
He really needed to fix this habit of easily blurting out his inner thoughts.
Also, Qi Zhuoyu, you’re really difficult to deal with.
First, you were the one who told me to come serve in bed, and now you’re inexplicably jealous again.
It’s really annoying.
But there’s nothing he could do about it.
Who told him to be such an unlucky bird, falling in love with a big jealous pot.
Feng Xuan swallowed the pastry and said seriously, “Who said I’m replenishing energy to serve in bed.”
He thought for a moment and continued. “I’m preparing to resist to the death and struggle hard later.”
Qi Zhuoyu narrowed his eyes at him. “Resist to the death and struggle hard?”
Feng Xuan nodded, comforting him. “Moreover, I’ve already eaten the heart-devouring gu, I’m Your Highness’s person now.”
Qi Zhuoyu made an ambiguous grunt.
Feng Xuan didn’t know if he had successfully appeased him. He suddenly remembered Qi Zhuoyu’s earlier words about wanting to seek excitement.
Somehow, his mind suddenly filled with content from those risqué novels he had read before from street stalls.
Feng Xuan blurted out unconsciously. “Besides, didn’t you say you wanted to find excitement? How about after we knock out the old emperor, I’ll serve Your Highness instead, okay?”
After saying that.
The hall suddenly fell silent.
Feng Xuan only then realized what he had said.
Instantly, his face felt a bit hot, probably the first time he had said something so explicit.
Feng Xuan stole a glance at Qi Zhuoyu, a bit worried that the big devil was young now.
Would he think that what he just said was a bit too frivolous?
Just as he was about to find a way to smooth things over.
He suddenly saw Qi Zhuoyu casually put a pastry into his mouth.
Feng Xuan: ?
Didn’t he just complain that the pastries on the table tasted bad?
Qi Zhuoyu looked at him and said slowly. “This prince is replenishing energy.”
After a pause, he continued, very calmly but with a hint of killing intent in his eyes. “Trying to knock out the emperor with one punch later.”
Feng Xuan: “.”
He suspected it might not be just knocking out, but possibly killing.
****
“trying to knock him out with one punch” Lmao