Chapter 93

Chapter 93

"093"

The hospital room fell silent.

Xiao Lancui was momentarily stunned, almost thinking he had misheard.

Lu Ao moved closer again, his scorching breath gently brushing against the tip of Xiao Lancui's nose. "A Lan, I love you so much."

A bone-deep shiver shot up Xiao Lancui's spine and hit his brain. For a moment, he couldn't tell if this was just another one of Lu Ao's schemes.

Lu Ao was always scheming, and he knew exactly how to torment his opponents.

Xiao Lancui pressed his lips together slightly and said nothing. Lu Ao let out a soft laugh—after those few words from Xiao Lancui, he knew for sure Xiao Lancui still didn't trust him.

In Xiao Lancui's eyes, he was cold-blooded and ruthless, always playing people.

Xiao Lancui hadn't misjudged him—except on one point. He was that kind of man, sure, but when it came to Xiao Lancui, his blood never stopped boiling.

Lu Ao let go, picked up the iron sword with one hand, and grabbed Xiao Lancui's hand with the other. He pressed the hilt into Xiao Lancui's palm again, then guided the blade to his own heart. He smiled and said, "If you don't believe me, cut my heart open and see for yourself—red or black."

Xiao Lancui stayed quiet. A second later, he threw the sword aside.

The sword clanged against the floor. He looked at Lu Ao and asked a single question: "Who killed me?"

Lu Ao sat down on the edge of the bed like it was nothing and gave Xiao Lancui a name.

That day, traveling by night, he'd come across a branch of sweet, plump wild berries—crisp and fragrant even in deep winter. He'd picked a basket and had it rushed back to the capital, never expecting it to be swapped out.

The culprit was an old minister from a rival court faction, who'd openly and secretly teamed up with other old officials to impeach Xiao Lancui more than once. Lu Ao had shot down every motion, and the guy had gone quiet for a long stretch.

Xiao Lancui didn't react, then asked: "Did you wipe out his nine clans?"

"Ten." Lu Ao's hatred still burned when he said it.

Xiao Lancui went quiet.

When Xiao Lancui didn't speak, Lu Ao stayed quiet too, watching every flicker of his expression. His hands, meanwhile, stayed busy—carefully, meticulously tucking the blanket around Xiao Lancui.

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Lancui finally spoke again: "My body—did you bury it in the imperial tomb?"

So it was true, like Lu Ao said—his corpse hadn't been burned to ashes.

"Want to see it?" Lu Ao said. "Last time I went, it was still in good shape."

Xiao Lancui finally looked a little surprised. "The current imperial tomb is a decoy?"

"No, it's real," Lu Ao said. "The real entrance is somewhere else."

Xiao Lancui said, "Let's go now."

By now, he was ninety percent sure. If Lu Ao really wanted him dead, he'd have done it like the first time in the hospital—strangling him in public.

The last ten percent was his caution. Until he saw his own corpse with his own eyes, he couldn't take Lu Ao's word for it.

After all, Lu Ao had played the innocent boy for over half a year—his acting was way better than the actor who played him.

But Lu Ao said, "Not now." Xiao Lancui's brow twitched, and Lu Ao quickly explained, "The doctor said you're too weak. You need a few more days of observation before you can leave."

Xiao Lancui said nothing.

Lu Ao looked at his wrist, nearly wasted to nothing, and tentatively took it. Xiao Lancui didn't pull away. Lu Ao lifted it and kissed the back of Xiao Lancui's hand. "Eat something. If you don't get your strength back, forget about leaving the hospital."

Now that his identity was out in the open, being kissed by Lu Ao still made Xiao Lancui want to look away. He pulled his hand back and said flatly, "Sweet porridge."

Lu Ao didn't leave the room. He called someone to bring a bowl of light, sweet porridge. He stirred the porridge and blew on it in little puffs to cool it—clearly getting ready to feed him.

"I've got my own hands."

Xiao Lancui reached for the porridge, but a perfectly cooled spoonful was already at his lips. Lu Ao started acting cute again. "Brother, let me take care of you."

Xiao Lancui got goosebumps all over his neck.

Getting off on the act, are we?

He thought about saying something, but since Lu Ao had zero shame and might blurt out something crazy, he weighed his options for two seconds and opened his mouth to eat.

One spoon in, one spoon out. When half the bowl was gone, Lu Ao put the spoon down. "Eat small, eat often. In three hours, you can eat again—fish and yam porridge, nut milk paste, or chicken and pumpkin soup. Pick one, and I'll have them start cooking it."

Xiao Lancui didn't respond, just stared at Lu Ao's face. Lu Ao wiped a hand over his face. "Did I get something on me?"

Xiao Lancui looked away without answering, picked fish and yam at random, then lay back under the blanket and closed his eyes.

Lu Ao knew Xiao Lancui wouldn't trust him until he saw the corpse.

He leaned down to tuck Xiao Lancui in. "Sleep. I'll wake you when it's time."

Xiao Lancui didn't answer. With his eyes closed, he went over his memories with Lu Ao again and again.

The fresh lotus flowers delivered daily, the body that shielded him, the devout back kneeling before the Three Pure Ones...

Xiao Lancui drifted in and out of these thoughts, slowly falling asleep.

Over the next few days, Xiao Lancui didn't say a word to Lu Ao. It wasn't until the day he was discharged that the car drove all the way to the imperial tomb, stopping at that pitch-black entrance.

Xiao Lancui was about to step in when Lu Ao pulled him behind him. "Let me go first. The tomb passage is full of traps."

Xiao Lancui finally spoke up. "You remember every single mechanism?"

The flashlight beam cut through the dark tomb passage, carving a bright path forward. Lu Ao turned back and smiled at Xiao Lancui. "I walked this passage for a year. I know it like the back of my hand."

Xiao Lancui's long lashes fluttered slightly, but he said nothing, silently following Lu Ao through the long corridor. He kept track of the time—nearly an hour passed before they finally reached the tomb door.

Broken arrows still littered the ground. Xiao Lancui watched Lu Ao work the mechanism, then his gaze dropped to his left collarbone.

Hidden under his collar, that scar was faintly visible.

That confirmed it—the scar was from an arrow wound. Judging by how it had healed, it must have been from the time Lu Ao was locked up in the psych ward.

So the first thing Lu Ao did after getting his freedom back was come to the imperial tomb.

Xiao Lancui was still thinking when the tomb door swung open. The fish-oil lamps inside burned brighter than the ones outside. Even before stepping in, Xiao Lancui could see the layout clearly.

It was all too familiar. His bedroom.

Xiao Lancui turned to look at Lu Ao. Lu Ao was looking back at him, dark eyes full of laughter. "Believe me now?"

Xiao Lancui said nothing, stepped into the tomb chamber. A few steps in, his gaze flickered, and he quickly rounded the screen, and was the first to see what lay on the ground—

Lu Ao.

"..."

Lu Ao followed him in. He noticed Xiao Lancui's gaze, thought about it, then walked past Xiao Lancui to retrieve his own corpse and put it back in its original spot.

Xiao Lancui came over too, his gaze skipping past Lu Ao to land on the corpse on the bed.

It was his own body.

Well-preserved, with a faint rosy tint to his face, looking healthier than his current self, as if he were merely asleep.

Xiao Lancui stared quietly at that face.

The last shred of doubt dissolved completely.

Lu Ao hadn't lied to him. Lu Ao really loved him.

Still, seeing his own corpse while in another body was hard to accept. Xiao Lancui turned and quickly walked out.

He made his way to the desk, steadying himself with his right hand on the surface, his chest heaving slightly.

He heard Lu Ao's footsteps approaching, and as he looked up, his gaze was drawn to the painting hanging on the left.

A woman in blue smiled as she sat among flowers, holding a small calico cat.

It was his mother.

But no matter how well preserved, centuries had passed. The woman's features had faded and blurred slightly.

Xiao Lancui was staring blankly when arms wrapped around him from behind. Lu Ao's breath was warm against his ear, his voice low and deep: "I'm sorry I couldn't preserve your mother—the most important person to you—better."

Xiao Lancui snapped back to the present. He lowered his gaze to the arms around his waist—strong and warm. After a long moment, he asked, "You like me..."

Lu Ao corrected him: "I love you."

Xiao Lancui pressed his lips together and rephrased: "You've loved me since..."

"I was 16—"

Xiao Lancui spun around in shock, his forehead slamming hard into Lu Ao's nose. Lu Ao let out a hiss, and Xiao Lancui asked, surprised: "That early?"

His back was now against the desk edge, trapped on both sides by Lu Ao's arms. Lu Ao grew bolder, sliding his left leg between Xiao Lancui's, lowering his head, his breath heavy against Xiao Lancui's lips, smiling as he said, "I'd say it was too late. If I'd known I'd love you this much, I would've loved you at first sight—that's two more years of loving you."

Xiao Lancui was completely stunned.

His mind was a mess, and it took him a moment to find his voice. "You... why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Lu Ao smiled helplessly. "Don't I tell you every day that I like you?"

"..."

Xiao Lancui was speechless.

He was silent for a moment, then seemed to explain: "I didn't know you meant that kind of like..."

"Would you have accepted it if you had known?" Lu Ao lowered his head, rubbing his nose against Xiao Lancui's with a hint of grievance. "In your eyes, I was a student, an emperor, family—never someone who could be your lover, right?"

Xiao Lancui silently conceded, and Lu Ao grew restless, pulling his arms tighter to trap the man completely against him. "A Lan..."

The next moment, Lu Ao felt arms wrap around his back.

Lu Ao went quiet.

Xiao Lancui looked straight at him and said: "But it's different now."

Lu Ao swallowed hard. "Why?"

Xiao Lancui rose on his toes and pressed a kiss to Lu Ao's lips. "Because I've realized that I love you."

Neither of them could tell who deepened the kiss. By the time Xiao Lancui came to, he was pressed onto the soft couch. His bedroom had always had a soft couch by the window, overlooking a bamboo grove. In his spare time, he would lean against it and listen to the wind rustling through the bamboo.

Lu Ao had also restored the window and the bamboo grove.

The fish-oil lamps lit the bamboo grove like daylight, but there was no wind—a detail that gave it away.

Xiao Lancui's vision blurred with a layer of mist, and even the fake bamboo grove seemed to rain.

A faint, wispy scent of medicinal herbs drifted toward him.

Lu Ao's voice was low and hoarse by his ear. "This special ointment is a bit cold. Bear with it—once it's applied, it won't hurt as much, and it won't harm your body."

Xiao Lancui had no strength left to respond. His overly long lashes were soaked, making it hard to keep his eyes open, and he quickly closed them.

In a daze, it was much as Lu Ao had said—uncomfortable at first, then gradually, it truly became less so.

A long time passed. When Xiao Lancui woke again, his body was clean, and there was an unfamiliar ache in a private place, though it was still bearable.

He slowly rose from the couch. He hadn't changed clothes—he hadn't brought any in.

He looked around but didn't see Lu Ao. Xiao Lancui almost thought he'd dreamed it all, until his fingers brushed against something cool.

He glanced down.

The familiar string of jade beads was back on his left wrist, where it belonged. A single bead of pure gold was mixed in, gleaming brightly in the light.