When Liang Ye truly smiled, he looked very handsome, like the last snowflake falling in winter, making one feel quiet yet crisp.
Wang Dian lowered his eyes, his gaze drifting aimlessly for two seconds, but ultimately landing back on Liang Ye’s face. Though that smile was fleeting, he felt a tinge of regret.
Liang Ye stared at him inscrutably for a long while, “It’s getting late.”
Wang Dian smiled, unsurprised. He straightened up and sighed, “Let’s go back, we haven’t had dinner yet.”
As he started to leave without hesitation, but when he passed by Liang Ye, he was pulled by the waist and was pinned against a pillar. But this time, Liang Ye’s arm cushioned his back, and his palm covered the back of Wang Dian’s head, clearly being careful not to hurt him and get scolded again.
This brusque manner tinged with caution made Wang Dian both amused and pleased. He relaxed against Liang Ye’s arm, gazing at him with delight.
Liang Ye carefully traced Wang Dian’s face with his eyes. Seeing no sign of rejection, he slowly leaned in and gently touched Wang Dian’s lip with the tip of his nose.
The nose tip was a bit cool.
Wang Dian locked his arms around Liang Ye’s neck, leisurely kissing his brows and eyes. Their breaths intertwined, their shadows intimate yet distant in the moonlight, their long sleeves indistinguishable. Liang Ye always seemed able to mimic him in strange ways, cupping his chin to back him into a corner before tenderly kissing him.
Wang Dian had always enjoyed these mischievous yet gentle little games, but having them turned back on himself felt strangely irresistible.
Liang Ye kissed very seriously, seriously imitating him. Wang Dian couldn’t help but tease, provoking Liang Ye to get annoyed and bare his claws, before placating him again with an unhurried manner, even shamelessly panting with laughter, “How petty of Your Majesty…”
Liang Ye bit his lip in dissatisfaction and lightly pressed a knee against him. Wang Dian took the hint but still exclaimed dramatically, “Not allowed.”
They couldn’t behave so improperly in such an open place.
“Zhen wants to,” Liang Ye murmured against his neck, pulling his hand into the night shadows.
Wang Dian swallowed, feeling that this was getting too outrageous. They had come to the Suixue Garden to discuss important matters, how could they behave this way? Liang Ye called his name in a low voice, “Wang Dian, Wang Dian.”
Wang Dian’s mind went blank.
He finally truly experienced what it meant to be intellectually befogged by desire, deeply understanding why so many infatuated rulers throughout history neglected state affairs to dally in the palace harem.
Who could resist this?
The wide sleeves were crumpled into countless folds, and scattered crushed flower petals covered the robe. Liang Ye lazily wiped his fingers with Wang Dian’s handkerchief, then suddenly wrinkled his nose as if to lick it clean. Wang Dian’s hair stood on end as he slapped Liang Ye’s forehead.
Liang Ye covered his reddening brow and glared at him darkly. Wang Dian complained, “Clean or not, go bathe when we return.”
“Zhen doesn’t mind,” Liang Ye reluctantly put down the overly dexterous hand from before, looking regretfully at the fallen flowers, “The blooms fell too early, Zhen still thinks the flowers—”
“You don’t want to,” Wang Dian moved to wipe his face but remembered where his hand had been, and awkwardly tucked it into his sleeve instead. “Let’s go back.”
Liang Ye walked beside him with his hands down, happily saying, “This place is nice. From now on, it belongs to just you and Zhen. No one else may set foot here.”
Wang Dian twitched his lips wryly, “Are you a dog, marking your territory everywhere?”
Liang Ye tutted and chided him stickily, “Insolent.”
That profound yet fiery gaze seemed to want to devour Wang Dian whole. He averted his eyes and said indifferently, “So happy?”
Liang Ye licked the small wound on his lip from where Wang Dian had bitten him, chuckling menacingly, “Don’t presume to guess Zhen’s thoughts.”
Wang Dian’s eyebrows twitched slightly and he reached out to touch his heart. Liang Ye instinctively withdrew his body, but was hooked back by Wang Dian’s other arm around his waist.
“What are you doing?” Liang Ye eyed him warily.
“Presuming Your Majesty’s thoughts,” Wang Dian furrowed his brow seriously, felt Liang Ye’s chest before raising his gaze solemnly, “A bit hard.”
Liang Ye looked down at the hand resting on his chest, and heard Wang Dian say slowly, “Inferior to some, superior to others.” (TL: or “Not as good as the best, but better than the worst “=you are low compared to the one above you, and higher compared to the one below)
After saying that, he mimicked Liang Ye’s posture, hands behind his back, and walked away with a casual and neat stride.
Liang Ye stood in place, stunned for a while, before realizing what Wang Dian’s phrase “Inferior to some, superior to others” was referring to. He looked at Wang Dian’s upright figure, which was as refreshing as a breeze under the moonlight, and became angry out of embarrassment, “Frivolous! Libertine!”
Wang Dian laughed loudly with his hands behind his back.
Liang Ye quickly followed, casually flipping his robe, ready to brazenly misbehave, “Come on, let’s see if you really are ‘superior to others.’”
Wang Dian laughed so hard his hand shook, “Not only are you slow to react, but you also can’t take a joke, I was just kidding haha.”
“Zhen was also joking, come to Zhen!” Liang Ye gritted his teeth and went to catch him.
Wang Dian laughed while dodging to the side, Liang Ye, acting like a sore loser, didn’t use any lightness skill, determined to catch him himself. The two of them caused a ruckus in the garden.
Wang Dian sat on the ground, holding a flower branch, teasingly poking at his neck, laughing, “How is it, can’t catch up without using lightness skill, right?”
Liang Ye’s neck felt slightly itchy from being scratched by the flower branch. He sat cross-legged, turned his head slightly to the side, and stared intently at Wang Dian’s smiling lips, saying meaningfully, “Inferior to some, why don’t Zhen try your…”
It took Wang Dian two seconds to understand his meaning, he threw the flower branch, got up and ran.
Liang Ye was hit in the corner of his eye by the flower branch, he hissed in pain. When he opened his eyes again, Wang Dian had already run to the end of the garden. He squinted his eyes, stood up, lightly tapped his foot, and his whole body floated over half of the garden’s flower branches, blocking Wang Dian’s path.
“…..” Wang Dian leaned on his knee and gasped, “It’s not fun if you cheat, right?”
Liang Ye shamelessly said, “Zhen enjoys it.”
Wang Dian stood up straight and patted his shoulder, “Bend over.”
Liang Ye looked at him inexplicably, but still slightly bent over. Wang Dian hooked his neck with one hand and jumped up. Liang Ye was caught off guard and staggered a bit, instinctively reaching out to hold him.
“I’m out of energy, my legs are weak.” Wang Dian hadn’t run for several months, and just now in the garden, he had been running around with Liang Ye for a while. He was quite tired at this moment, he yawned, “Let’s go.”
Liang Ye was dissatisfied, “Zhen is the emperor.”
“Then I would like to trouble Your Majesty to carry me back.” Wang Dian said politely, then pinched his chin and kissed him hard on the face, his head drooped onto his shoulder and he didn’t move.
“This is simply outrageous.” Liang Ye carried the man and walked forward, muttering, “Zhen has spoiled you so much that you don’t know the height of the sky and the depth of the earth.”
Wang Dian lay on his back and laughed, and when he was tired, he closed his eyes and fell asleep peacefully, smelling the scent of Liang Ye.
Liang Ye listened to the gradually even breathing of the person on his back, and didn’t bother him anymore.
“Liang Ye.” Wang Dian called him in a half-asleep state.
“Hmm.” Liang Ye lowered his eyes to look at his shadow.
“You will definitely be a good emperor in the future.” Wang Dian said in a drowsy voice.
Liang Ye tugged at the corner of his mouth, “Are you so sure?”
“Hmm.” Wang Dian’s voice gradually lowered, and after a while, he spoke again, “You are me, you will.”
“Really confident.” Liang Ye chuckled lightly.
Wang Dian was quiet again, his warm cheek pressed against his cold neck, as if the blood flowing into his heart was warmed.
The surrounding flowers were lush and the night was deep, the shadows of the two were cast on the rugged path by the moonlight. He carried Wang Dian and walked forward unhurriedly, the shadow-like headache and irritability seemed not so unbearable.
Behind the distant bushes, a dark shadow suppressed the shock and surprise in his eyes. Only when Liang Ye disappeared at the end of the path with the man on his back, did he silently climb over the wall and fly towards Xingqing Palace.
