Guo Zimu was drunk, but not acting crazy. King Rong managed to take him back to the room, which happened to be King Rong’s own room, not Guo Zimu’s. Guo Zimu’s room had no hot water, so King Rong took off his shoes and had him lie down before rushing to get water.

 

“Lord Murong…” Guo Zimu spoke with half-open eyes. King Rong poured water, reassuring, “I’ll be right there. Hold on.” Carrying the hot water, King Rong came to the bedside. With one hand, he supported Guo Zimu to lean against him; with the other, he fed him water, saying, “Here, drink.”

 

After Guo Zimu drank the water, King Rong struggled to extend his arm and placed the porcelain cup on the table. Then, he froze. Guo Zimu turned around in his arms and hugged his waist with both hands. “Lord Murong…” King Rong cleared his throat, gently embracing him, “What’s wrong? Drank too much? Feeling uncomfortable?”

 

“Uncomfortable…”

 

“Don’t drink this much next time.” King Rong gently rubbed Guo Zimu’s forehead. Suddenly, his movements stopped and tension set in. After Guo Zimu’s restrained sobbing turned into sobbing, King Rong could only pat and console him, but it seemed ineffective. Guo Zimu cried, blaming himself for his mother’s death, for his eldest brother losing his future, for his eldest brother’s leg being crippled, for the seven years of hardships with his eldest brother and for his eldest brother ending up as a beggar because of him. He hated himself for having such a face and for being cowardly. Although this face had brought immense suffering to their family, he couldn’t bear to destroy it.

 

Guo Zimu’s crying could be described as heartbreaking and King Rong could only let him cry to his heart’s content. Guo Zimu cried and King Rong felt his heart being cut like a knife. “Lord Murong promises you that he will find that rogue and give him a good beating to vent your anger.”

 

“Lord Murong… Lord Murong… I harmed my eldest brother. It’s me who harmed my eldest brother…” King Rong regretted not encouraging Guo Ziyu to continue the imperial examination. With him around, what did that slave status matter? Personally intervening would have been a simple matter for him. He didn’t have great power, but he had some ability.

 

King Rong hugged Guo Zimu, letting him cry freely, releasing years of pent-up pain. As Guo Zimu’s crying turned into sobbing, King Rong let him go to wring a wet cloth to wipe his face. Unexpectedly, the moment he released his hand, Guo Zimu hugged him tightly. “Lord Murong, don’t leave.” King Rong smiled, affectionately saying, “I won’t leave. I’ll get a cloth for you to wipe your face.”

 

Guo Zimu let go at this point. King Rong stood up, ignoring the numbness in his legs, wringing a wet cloth and returning to wipe Guo Zimu’s face. Guo Zimu lay with his face up, not moving his hands. King Rong smiled as he wiped his face and hands. After cleaning him, he went to wet the cloth again. Hearing footsteps behind him, King Rong didn’t look back and said, “Lie down on the bed and be careful not to feel dizzy. How’s your head?”

 

“Dizzy.”

 

“Then go back quickly.”

 

“I won’t.”

 

“Alright, don’t go back.” Lowering his head, King Rong noticed that Guo Zimu wasn’t wearing shoes. Without any concerns, he quickly turned around and supported Guo Zimu. “Why did you come down without shoes? Hurry back to bed.”

 

The next moment, King Rong stopped again. He couldn’t react to anything. A softness with a hint of alcohol pressed against his lips. Guo Zimu closed his eyes, offering himself, like a sacrifice. His closed eyes trembled and his breath carried a nervous quiver. Perhaps he was drunk, giving him the courage. Perhaps he was sober, otherwise why would he be afraid? King Rong closed his eyes deeply and when he opened them again, the depth in his eyes was unfathomable. He hugged Guo Zimu’s slender waist, lightly patting him. At the same time, taking advantage of this slight movement, he slightly backed away, separating their lips.

 

“Little Zimu, be good, go to bed, don’t let your feet get cold.” Guo Zimu lowered his head, as if all his courage had disappeared in that one kiss. King Rong hugged him, carried him to the bed, helped him up, took off his dirty socks and then pulled the blanket over Guo Zimu. Guo Zimu covered himself with the blanket, but his body trembled even more. King Rong continued to hold him with the blanket, dropping an extremely light kiss on top of his head. Guo Zimu stayed still.

 

“Little Zimu, Lord Murong also likes you.” Guo Zimu’s body trembled and he was about to lift the blanket. King Rong pressed him down. “Listen to Lord Murong.” Guo Zimu remained still.

King Rong lifted a corner of the blanket to allow Guo Zimu to breathe, but still kept him from seeing him, saying, “If Lord Murong were twenty years younger, he would definitely marry you as his main consort. But Lord Murong is old now. Old, with only a few good years left. What will happen if you get together with me? Little Zimu, just consider… consider that I am your, your dear uncle. Or perhaps, consider me your father. When we go to the capital, I’ll find you a good family, a good man who will cherish and love you for a lifetime. You’re still young and you shouldn’t delay yourself.”

 

Guo Zimu lifted the blanket and what he saw was King Rong’s gaze full of affection. King Rong wiped away his tears. “In the capital, there are many talented young men. When we get there, you will surely find someone suitable, someone you will like even more.”

 

Tears welled up in Guo Zimu’s eyes and King Rong continued to wipe them away. “Don’t cry, stop crying. Too much crying is bad for your health. Little Mu, you’re so beautiful, you should smile more.”

 

Guo Zimu wanted to sit up and King Rong let him go. Guo Zimu sat up, but hugged King Rong again. “I don’t want anyone else, I just want you. Lord Murong, I like you.” In the part that Guo Zimu couldn’t see, King Rong forced a bitter smile. “Little Zimu, be good.”

 

“I like you, I like you…”

 

“Be good…” Guo Zimu cried and King Rong felt sorry for him, but no matter what, he couldn’t promise or respond to him. Guo Zimu cried until he was exhausted and because of the alcohol. He couldn’t hold on any longer and fell asleep. King Rong just held him like that, without making any response.

 

After putting the exhausted person back on the bed and making him lie down, King Rong sighed deeply. Taking off Guo Zimu’s outer clothes and wiping his face, King Rong sat by the bed, looking at Guo Zimu’s stunning beautiful face even while asleep, his eyes full of bitterness and helplessness. He was at an age where he should know his destiny as he didn’t have many good years left. Even if he were the same age as Guo Zimu, he couldn’t marry him.

 

Outside the door, Jiang Kangning once again pulled Shao Yunan and listened at the door. When he heard no movement inside, he straightened up cautiously and left like a thief. Wang Shijing and Jiang Kangning, his accomplices, quickly followed suit.

 

The food had long gone cold and the three children had eaten their fill and didn’t know where to play. The table was full of cold leftovers. Shao Yunan asked Qin Niang to take the remaining dishes to the kitchen to heat them up again. He personally went to cook a bowl of noodles for King Rong, who hadn’t eaten much. After having the cooked noodles sent to King Rong, Shao Yunan came back to continue eating. At the table, only Wang Shijing and Jiang Kangning were left and the atmosphere was a bit heavy.

 

“Did the noodles get delivered?” When Shao Yunan appeared, Jiang Kangning asked.

Shao Yunan nodded. “I found someone to deliver them. At times like this, it’s better for us not to show up.”

 

Jiang Kangning picked up his chopsticks, not saying anything. Wang Shijing and Shao Yunan also took their chopsticks to eat. The three of them filled their stomachs quietly and quickly, and then Jiang Kangning asked the other two to come with him.

 

Inside the room, once the door was closed, Jiang Kangning said, “Speak.” Shao Yunan was very honest. “I found that Lord Murong and Little Brother Zimu seem to like each other, so I wanted to test it using the method of ‘speaking the truth after drinking.’ The results proved that I wasn’t wrong, just like that.”

 

Jiang Kangning said, “King Rong is much older than Zimu, you’re just fooling around.” Shao Yunan said, “I’m not fooling around, just verifying. I didn’t set up Lord Murong and Little Brother Zimu, they are attracted to each other. Big Brother, you just heard it yourself a moment ago.”

 

This matter was probably the most absurd thing Jiang Kangning has ever done in his life. He rubbed his forehead. “You heard it too; the prince won’t respond. Given the King’s character, even if he likes Zimu, he won’t respond. If he agreed, then he wouldn’t be the King anymore. The prince is not like those powerful and luxurious people in the capital who indulge in beauty; he won’t hold Zimu back.”

 

Shao Yunan sat down beside Jiang Kangning and asked, “Big brother, setting aside the age issue, would Lord Murong accept Little Brother Zimu?” Jiang Kangning answered seriously. “If there weren’t the age difference, I think the prince would be willing to marry Zimu.”

 

“Big brother also knows that Lord Murong and the princess have a bad relationship?” Jiang Kangning said, “This matter is known to everyone in the entire capital.” Shao Yunan immediately asked, “Then why doesn’t Lord Murong marry someone he likes? Hasn’t he found anyone or does he actually like the princess, but she doesn’t like him, so Lord Murong doesn’t insist?”

 

Jiang Kangning was bewildered by the questions and said, “I don’t know what you’re asking. The princess is an amiable woman, perhaps not refined enough, but she can be considered gentle. My mother saw her a few times when she was alive and mentioned her at home. She is very devout, liking to meditate in the temple even before marriage. The prince probably understands this, so he doesn’t force her to be a suitable mistress for the mansion. But regardless of the relationship between the prince and the princess, the prince is significantly older than Zimu. So, they are not suitable and what you need to do is advise Zimu to withdraw early and not let emotions go unattended, as it will be difficult to handle later.”

 

“Understood.” Shao Yunan answered casually. Jiang Kangning had to look at Wang Shijing, who could only say, “We will advise him.”

 

In the middle of the night, Guo Zimu woke up thirsty. The oil lamp in the room was still burning and when he woke up, he saw King Rong sitting by the bed, having fallen asleep leaning against the bedpost, obviously guarding him. Guo Zimu’s eyes reddened and he reached out.

 

“Eh!” King Rong woke up in surprise. Seeing that Guo Zimu was awake, he hurriedly asked, “Little Zimu, are you thirsty?” Guo Zimu nodded. King Rong rubbed his face, then stood up to get water for him. The water had cooled, so King Rong fetched a jug and took quite a while to come back. When he returned, he said, “It took a while. There’s no hot water in the kitchen now, so I heated some.”

 

Pouring a cup of warm water, King Rong handed it to Guo Zimu. Guo Zimu drank it in a few gulps and King Rong smiled and poured him another cup. Not thirsty anymore, Guo Zimu moved in the bed, indicating that King Rong should get on the bed. King Rong immediately hesitated, saying, “You sleep. I just slept for a while and now I can’t sleep. As one gets older, sleep becomes scarce.”

 

Guo Zimu turned his face away, whispering, “Just for tonight.” He looked so pitiful. Watching him, King Rong surrendered, walked over, took off his shoes and socks, removed his outer garment, lifted the blanket, and hesitated for a moment before blowing out the oil lamp and getting into bed. Before he could lie down properly, Guo Zimu hugged him, burying his face in his arms. King Rong sighed in his heart, letting him rest on his arm and hugging him tightly.

 

“Sleep.” Guo Zimu didn’t make a sound and King Rong closed his eyes, telling himself to sleep. At such an age, what need was there for romantic feelings? Perhaps tired, King Rong, who thought he wouldn’t be able to sleep, gradually became blurry in consciousness. In a daze, there were murmurs of “um, um.” King Rong suddenly woke up, listened carefully and it turned out to be Guo Zimu.

 

He hurriedly exclaimed, “Little Zimu, what’s wrong? Where does it hurt? If you’re in pain, I’ll go find Yunan to see if he has any medicine.” But the Guo Zimu in his arms didn’t respond, just turned over, facing away from him. King Rong became anxious. Leaning over, he said, “Tell Lord Murong what’s wrong? Is it a headache? Or is your stomach uncomfortable? It must be because you drank too much.”

 

Guo Zimu still didn’t respond, just turned over and King Rong lifted the blanket, ready to get out of bed, but was grabbed by someone. “It’s not…” Guo Zimu’s voice was weak. King Rong touched Guo Zimu’s face, covered in sweat. He became even more anxious. “I’ll go find Yunan. Stay here.”

 

“Don’t go.” Guo Zimu, however, held onto King Rong more tightly. “Don’t be stubborn.” King Rong withdrew his hand, but Guo Zimu held on even tighter. “It hurts, it’s uncomfortable.”

 

“You’re sweating even if it’s not comfortable?” In the dim light, King Rong touched Guo Zimu’s neck, also covered in sweat. Guo Zimu held onto his waist, burying himself in his arms. King Rong’s heart was about to melt. He casually grabbed someone’s clothes, wiped Guo Zimu’s sweat and said, “With all this sweat, Lord Murong will get some water for you to wipe yourself.”

 

“Lord Murong…”

 

“Yeah.” In the darkness, Guo Zimu gained courage, perhaps also influenced by alcohol. He murmured again, saying, “I dreamed… I dreamed that Lord Murong kissed me.” King Rong’s body stiffened instantly. Guo Zimu murmured again, but this time he said, “I like you, Lord Murong,” and then began to cry softly.

 

King Rong closed his eyes. After a few breaths, he lowered his head and whispered in Guo Zimu’s ear, “Little Zimu, turn around, facing away from me.” Guo Zimu obediently turned around. King Rong embraced him and with one hand, he entered the blanket. “Um…”

 

“Let me teach you how to do it. If you’re uncomfortable in the future, just touch yourself like this. But you can’t do it too much; it’s harmful to your body.”

 

“Um…” In King Rong’s mind, he recited Buddhist scriptures and with his right hand, he gently stroked that already raised part through the pants. Guo Zimu was extremely uncomfortable and King Rong breathed deeply, trying to shake off the image of the object in his head. It must be very beautiful and delicate, unlike his, which was crude and indecent.

 

“Ah… Mm…” Guo Zimu’s clothes were somehow open and the darkness couldn’t hide the fairness of his body. King Rong closed his eyes, afraid to look. A pair of arms wrapped around his neck and the person with their back turned to him, turned over. Softness pressed against his lips again, but this time, King Rong had no strength to push away.

 

“Mm!” A sizzling sound, whether from below or above, was unclear. Faced with Guo Zimu’s temptation and initiative, King Rong, who had been a widower for almost thirty years, completely let go of his defenses.

 

Edited by: Jaisland

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