Half-eaten pastries were scattered casually on the plate, and the clear tea next to it was steaming.
Wang Dian grabbed a handful of white pieces, letting the excess chess pieces slip through his fingers. The person sitting across from him, Liang Ye, had almost the same action of grabbing the chess pieces. They looked at each other and were both stunned.
They had long known that some of their habits were the same, but they were still taken aback when they inadvertently synchronized.
“I didn’t like playing Go when I was a kid,” Wang Dian made the first move and said after placing his piece, “My father insisted on forcing me to learn and sent me to Go class. I quietly climbed into the trunk of his car and followed him home, but I accidentally fell asleep, and everyone at home was frantic.”
“And then?” Liang Ye asked.
“I woke up by myself, was afraid of the dark, and then cried out of fear,” Wang Dian said with a straight face, “My mother pulled me out and picked up a stick to hit me.”
Liang Ye took pleasure in his misfortune, “Did she hit you?”
“Not really,” Wang Dian laughed, “I hugged her leg and knelt on the ground, crying and wailing, saying that I was her own son and if she beat me to death, she wouldn’t have one. She was so angry that she laughed, my father clapped for me on the side, and was hit on the back by my mother with a stick, hurting for several days.”
Liang Ye laughed along with him, placing his black piece on the chessboard, “Your parents must be very good people.”
“They’re okay, just ordinary parents,” Wang Dian picked up another piece, and said casually, “How did you learn to play chess?”
Liang Ye’s eyebrows twitched slightly, staring at the chessboard, “Don’t remember.”
Wang Dian looked up at him, and Liang Ye tugged at the corner of his mouth, “Zhen doesn’t remember much about the past, Zhen just vaguely remembers being hit on the palm many times.”
“Cui Yuxian sent white jade soup again these two days?” Wang Dian pinched the chess piece in his hand.
“Zhen let Chong Heng take it to water the flowers,” Liang Ye pondered for a long time before placing the chess piece in his hand, suddenly saying, “Zhen wants to eat a pastry.”
Wang Dian picked up the remaining half of the pastry from the plate and shoved it into his mouth. Liang Ye gently bit down on his finger, then released it, licking the crumbs from the pastry.
The pastry was neither sweet nor greasy, and both of them surprisingly had the same taste. They had already divided it almost equally. Liang Ye picked up the cup and took a sip of tea. The rain outside was getting heavier. The two of them played chess for half an hour, and in the end, it was just a draw. Liang Ye, without any psychological burden, cheated and barely won half a piece from Wang Dian.
Wang Dian was reviewing the chess game, while Liang Ye was slouching on the couch with his legs crossed, his hand reaching under the small case to pluck the tassel of his jade pendant.
“All these tassels have been plucked clean by you,” Wang Dian pondered over the chess game. He was good at defense, cautious and careful step by step, but Liang Ye was aggressive and defensive, with a posture of fighting to the death with you, which was quite like his madness. However, it could be seen that this guy did not use all his strength. He started to learn his chess path halfway through, and deliberately drew the game like coaxing people to play, and even shamelessly cheated to win.
“Zhen will give you a new one.” Liang Ye fiddled with Wang Dian’s jade pendant, then slid his hand down his leg, rumpling Wang Dian’s already disheveled outer robe.
Wang Dian didn’t like wearing socks, and his slender ankles were exposed to the air. The two red ropes on the edges were marked with purple tooth marks, and the delicate golden leaves were pressed against the inner side of his ankles, covering a small, ambiguous, and erotic kiss mark.
Liang Ye was very satisfied with his masterpiece, gently rubbing the trace with his fingertips, and muttered, “Frivolous.”
Wang Dian lifted his foot to step on his teasing paw, took the chess piece and continued to follow Liang Ye’s original chess path. He found that he might not be able to hold on for long under his offensive, but he also found obvious flaws in Liang Ye’s path, “Why didn’t you return to the palace today?”
“The rain is heavy and the road is slippery, Zhen can’t move,” Liang Ye, with his hand stepped on, lay on his back on the couch, “Have to read the memorials when Zhen goes back.”
Wang Dian laughed lightly with schadenfreude, and Liang Ye said angrily, “When you can attend the court, Zhen will keep you in the palace every night.”
“Okay, as long as His Majesty can block the world’s gossip.” Wang Dian didn’t care, “I will hang out with you every day, and from then on, the monarch will not attend the morning court.”
Liang Ye seemed to be quite expectant, grabbed his ankle and wanted to pull him over, Wang Dian pressed the small desk and said, “I don’t know how to shrink bones, you can’t pull it over with such a small space.”
“What’s the point of looking at the chess game, look at me.” Liang Ye said bluntly.
Wang Dian sighed, put down the chess piece in his hand, “I think you might as well look in the mirror.”
Liang Ye, it was unknown what yellow waste he thought of in his mind, and his gaze gradually became a little wrong. Wang Dian cleared his throat, “It’s better to have nothing to do today, let’s go see Cui Qi.”
The smile on Liang Ye’s face collapsed instantly.
Wang Dian kicked his wrist with his foot, “Your Majesty, time is money.”
“Zhen is taking a day off today.” Liang Ye closed his eyes and pretended to be dead, “Even if the sky falls, don’t expect Zhen to leave here.”
“It’s not a day off today, you are absent from work without reason.” Wang Dian got up and put on his clogs, bypassed the small desk and leaned over to kiss his eye corner, and said softly, “Ziyu.”
Liang Ye suddenly opened his eyes, and his gaze at him was like a hungry wolf biting the throat of its prey, full of aggression and blood. He licked his canine teeth hard, and his eyebrows were slightly pressed, “You…”
Wang Dian stood up straight and laughed, turned around and walked forward, “Are you going or not?”
Liang Ye got up from the bed, one arm passing through Wang Dian’s back and pulling him into a tight embrace. He lowered his head and bit down on his neck with a fierce intensity, his voice low and menacing, “Go.”
****
In the dark and damp prison, Cui Qi sat in a wheelchair, his face pale as if he was about to cough out his heart and lungs. Seeing Liang Ye coming, he wanted to salute, but Liang Ye didn’t move. Instead, it was Wang Dian next to him who reached out to support him, “Young Master Cui, no need for formalities.”
Cui Qi glanced at him with some confusion, after all, this man had been full of hostility towards him last time, not polite at all.
Wang Dian gave him a gentle smile, “I was rude to Young Master Cui when we met last time, I hope you can forgive me.”
His voice was a bit hoarse at this moment, similar to Liang Ye’s after his voice changed, so there was no mistake. Cui Qi nodded lightly, “Wang Daren is too polite.”
Wang Dian said, “The conditions here are harsh, His Majesty does not intend to make things difficult for Young Master Cui, but the matter is of great importance, His Majesty has to be cautious.”
Cui Qi nodded, “Jin Yu will never do anything against his conscience, please discern, Your Majesty.”
Liang Ye glanced at the hand Wang Dian was using to support his arm, only coldly grunted, and only when Wang Dian gave him a look did he sit down gracefully, “Zhen came here, there is something Zhen wants to say to the second young master Cui.”
The smell in the prison was really unpleasant, the damp and rotten smell lingered after the rain, the candlelight occasionally crackled, startling the insects and rats, countless teardrops fell, the faint conversation finally stopped.
“…Your Majesty’s words, I will consider carefully.” Cui Qi finally looked at Liang Ye with some scrutiny.
“The prison is cold, the Grand Empress Dowager has come to inquire several times, Zhen always feels a bit guilty.” Liang Ye stood up, “Wang Dian has pleaded many times, Zhen allows you to stay in the other courtyard for the time being, confined to your home, until the matter is clear, then make a decision.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
When they came out of the prison, it was already dark outside, the rain was not small, Wang Dian held an umbrella, stepped on the clogs and waded into the carriage, turned his head and saw Liang Ye still holding an umbrella in a daze, so he shouted at him, “Let’s go.”
Liang Ye came over, lifted the curtain and got on the carriage, the sound of rain was isolated outside the carriage, he dusted off the rainwater on his sleeve, then sat down next to Wang Dian.
“Headache again?” Wang Dian frowned at him, reaching out to touch his forehead.
Liang Ye didn’t dodge, just a bit dazed, “Zhen just now looking at your back, always feel…”
“Feel what?” Wang Dian looked at him nervously.
Liang Ye gestured, seriously said, “Your waist should be thinner than Zhen’s.”
Wang Dian worried for nothing, stiffly said, “You only look like a person when you’re doing business.”
“Zhen learned from you.” Liang Ye grinned at him, “Like that?”
Wang Dian covered his face with his hand, “I don’t laugh that pervertedly.”
Liang Ye leaned on his thigh, his own two long legs lifted up and rested on the carriage, the good carriage wall was stepped on two wet footprints, he looked up at Wang Dian, reached out and scratched his chin, “Zhen will return to the palace in a while.”
Wang Dian looked down at him, “Didn’t you say you’re not going back today?”
“There’s something.” Liang Ye’s fingers traced his collarbone without going into his collar, his eyelids drooping, murmured, “Zhen wants to keep you with Zhen every day.”
Wang Dian pulled out his wandering hand, cleared his throat, and said nothing.
“But if you ask Zhen to stay, Zhen will consider it.” Liang Ye hooked his collar, forcing him to bend down and look at himself.
Wang Dian looked at the person close at hand and smiled, “Go back.”
Liang Ye glanced at him, didn’t say anything more, got off the carriage halfway, and disappeared into the rain with his umbrella.
The carriage seemed to still retain Liang Ye’s breath, dangerous and ambiguous. Wang Dian inadvertently glanced at his waist. Liang Ye had changed his jade pendant to a new one at some point. The warm and transparent white color was matched with a fiery red tassel.
When not working, he was always lazy. Wang Dian returned to his mansion, hastily had dinner, and then continued to study the chess game they had played during the day. Occasionally, he could hear some small noises on the roof–Liang Ye had left him quite a few people.
To say that he didn’t appreciate it was false, but to say that he was moved was also not true. The more Liang Ye cared for him, the more he felt a vague unease.
He never naively thought that Liang Ye would give up using him because he liked him. On the contrary, perhaps because his value was there, Liang Ye would have the so-called “like”.
He had long suffered from trying to figure out Liang Ye with normal human thinking. Like or not, there was no need to be unconscious.
“Are you looking for me?” A man with half a golden mask came out from some corner, frivolously and casually strolled around the room, the bell on his waist sounded crisp and pleasant. “The mark you left was too hidden, my men almost didn’t see it, otherwise I would have come two days earlier.”
“If people find out this time, it will really be embarrassing.” Wang Dian laughed, “After all, it’s the top of the killer list.”
Quan Ning chuckled, turning a small bamboo tube in his palm, “Don’t worry, this smoke will make them forget, and won’t give them a chance to complain to your emperor brother.”
The dark guards and attendants outside the house fell quietly as if they were dead.
Wang Dian was too lazy to correct his stubborn cognition, put the small box next to him on the table, Quan Ning opened it, saw the thing inside, was stunned, and then laughed, “Last time I just casually mentioned it with you, you actually got it from Cui Yuxian, you have some ability.”
Wang Dian gathered his sleeves, “Is this sincerity enough?”
“Of course it’s enough.” Quan Ning closed the box, “How did you get this thing?”
“There are ways in the palace.” Wang Dian said, “You can’t just mix in there for so long for nothing.”
Quan Ning looked at him with an unclear meaning, put the box away, “Tell me, what do you need me to do?”
“I do business, always believe in honesty as the foundation, courtesy first.” Wang Dian gathered his sleeves and smiled, “You help me find a child.”
Quan Ning was surprised, “You and your brother even have a child?”
“..…” Wang Dian looked at him expressionlessly.
“Cough, just a joke.” Quan Ning smiled, “What child?”
“A four or five-year-old boy, born clean, wearing a longevity lock.” Wang Dian briefly described, “This child has royal blood, now in Liang Ye’s hands, you go and take the child away, absolutely can’t let Liang Ye find.”
Quan Ning marveled, “The royal family is really indifferent, are you planning to compete with your brother for the throne?”
“What’s the point of being an emperor.” Wang Dian smiled slightly, “Like me, an innocent and weak elder brother, just to leave a life-saving card for myself.”
