Chapter 27: Can a Mad Tyrant Be Forced? [27]

Chapter 27: Can a Mad Tyrant Be Forced Too? "27"

Ying Huaifeng didn't hesitate at all: "Even if I want revenge, I can't risk Your Majesty's safety!"

He did want revenge—he had once imagined the best outcome would be to drag Yun Fuyue down with him in mutual ruin. As for everyone else, he didn't care about anyone else.

But then he happened to meet Mu Jin.

His hatred-filled heart was swept clean, leaving an empty space, and he carefully placed this person inside it.

From that day on, what Ying Huaifeng wanted was no longer just revenge, and not just Yun Fuyue's life either.

He wanted more—he wanted to stand by his Majesty's side, to have his Majesty completely, to make this person his alone!

Ying Huaifeng often felt he was too greedy.

But his Majesty—such a good person—even if he was a little greedy, so what?

Even if he stopped at nothing to achieve his goals, even if he had all kinds of schemes, Mu Jin was never caught up in any of it.

Mu Jin was always the foundation of all his plans.

It was to keep Mu Jin by his side that he'd come up with the plan to use the news of Mu Jin's disappearance to provoke those two.

Even though Ying Huaifeng knew very well that Mu Jin staying here would be best for his next moves.

Even though he knew that the entire courtyard, inside and out, had been filled with puppets controlled by his gu worms, ensuring Mu Jin's safety.

He still had to take Mu Jin with him.

Having already "lost" him once, Ying Huaifeng couldn't risk even the slightest accident. Only by keeping Mu Jin right by his side, watching him at all times, could he feel at ease.

Ying Huaifeng turned around and looked at Mu Jin, looking down to hide the madness in his eyes.

No, he couldn't scare his Majesty.

"Your Majesty, I won't let either of them off," he said. "But I have my own arrangements for this matter. Will Your Majesty come with me now, obediently?"

As he spoke, Ying Huaifeng leaned down, reaching out to pick Mu Jin up.

But Mu Jin didn't know just how crazy and how deep Ying Huaifeng's love for him truly was.

He just couldn't understand why Ying Huaifeng would give up such a good opportunity.

Mu Jin sighed in exasperation: "Ying Huaifeng, why don't you get it..."

He picked up the snake lying beside him and held it up in front of Ying Huaifeng, speaking patiently:

"Didn't you leave this snake with me?"

"If I'm not wrong, there should be quite a few of your people in the Regent's Mansion right now."

"I know you can easily get me out of here, but I don't want to leave."

Ying Huaifeng looked at the snake that Mu Jin was holding, which had coiled around his wrist, and frowned.

Without changing his expression, he took the snake back and flung it away without hesitation!

The dizzy little snake, before it could even react, shrank back at the sight of those cold eyes and scrambled away in panic.

Mu Jin didn't stop Ying Huaifeng, but stared at him and spoke seriously, word by word:

"Ying Huaifeng, I'm not going with you."

"This is a good opportunity. If you really want to get me out of here, then you should know what to do."

"Whether it's Mu Siyang or Yun Fuyue, once one of them goes down, the other will be easy to handle."

"Ying Huaifeng, I trusted you back then and put all the few people I could use in your hands. Are you going to disappoint me now?"

Every word Mu Jin spoke hit Ying Huaifeng's heart like a boulder, making it tremble.

His Majesty was so smart.

Maybe he'd already figured out Ying Huaifeng's identity long ago, but just hadn't exposed him—instead, he'd pretended to have amnesia to play along and stay by his side.

Wasn't that a kind of favoritism toward him?

Even now that the truth was out in the open, Mu Jin no longer called himself "Wei" in front of Ying Huaifeng.

No one else had such a privilege—it was his alone.

This should have made Ying Huaifeng happy, but at this very moment, he was met with Mu Jin's disappointed eyes.

Ying Huaifeng's heart ached, and all his calm was replaced by panic.

He boldly raised a hand to cover Mu Jin's eyes, then leaned down and whispered in a trembling voice by his ear:

"Your Majesty... don't look at me like that..."

Mu Jin said nothing more. The two were silent for a long while before Ying Huaifeng slowly broke the silence:

"If that's what Your Majesty wants."

"I'll do as Your Majesty wishes and take care of everything as quickly as possible."

Mu Jin didn't know what to say for a moment. He could feel Ying Huaifeng, leaning against him, trembling slightly.

"Your Majesty, don't push me away. Let me hold you for a bit, okay?"

Ying Huaifeng's voice was very soft: "Just let me hold you for a bit..."

Mu Jin sighed inwardly, but still reached out and hugged Ying Huaifeng on his own.

Thinking about how Ying Huaifeng had held him every night lately, Mu Jin hesitated before speaking:

"Is Mu Siyang coming back tonight?"

"If he's not, then why not stay and keep me company."

Mu Jin would never admit that he'd actually gotten used to sleeping in Ying Huaifeng's arms.

Although he'd have those strange dreams, sleeping in Ying Huaifeng's arms was really comfortable.

And even if the dreams kept repeating, it was always just that one kind of thing.

At first, Mu Jin would get annoyed, but now he didn't take it to heart anymore.

Ying Huaifeng pulled his hand away from Mu Jin's eyes, looking at him in disbelief. He opened his mouth, but for a moment, he didn't know what to say.

His Adam's apple rolled, his gaze shifting subtly, and his voice dropped, low and slightly hoarse:

"Does Your Majesty know what you're saying?"

"At this hour, you want me to stay and share your bed..."

Even after he'd spelled it all out, Mu Jin still asked him to stay and sleep together.

The realization made Ying Huaifeng's breath hitch, a flash of red crossing his eyes.

Mu Jin blinked at him, confused: "Isn't this the time to sleep?"

Mu Jin paused, then it hit him: "But if you've got other stuff to do, I won't keep you."

Ying Huaifeng let out a low chuckle, reaching up to take off his mask.

"Of course not. Since Your Majesty asked, I'll stay here tonight and sleep with you."

Once the mask came off, Mu Jin finally got to see the face from his dreams.

Even though he'd braced himself, seeing that face still made him flash back to those wild dream scenes.

But he always figured dreams were just dreams—those dreams came from the gu worm and hadn't hurt his body, so he just let them slide.

Ying Huaifeng cleaned up quickly and lay down beside Mu Jin, wrapping his arms around him.

Mu Jin leaned against his chest, shifting to get comfortable, figuring he'd finally get a good night's sleep.

But then, listening to the heartbeat right by his ear, Mu Jin got a little annoyed.

Ying Huaifeng's heart was pounding so loud it was hurting his ears.

It wasn't like they hadn't shared a bed before—why was he reacting like this?

Mu Jin didn't get it, so he just quietly shifted positions, resting his head on Ying Huaifeng's arm, turning his back to him.

That night, he slept like a log, no weird dreams.

When Mu Jin woke up the next morning, Ying Huaifeng was already gone.

And the little snake Ying Huaifeng had thrown out had somehow crawled back, curled up next to the pillow.

Seeing he was awake, it pressed up against him and nuzzled.

Mu Jin: "..."

Mu Jin rubbed the snake's head, a thought popping into his mind.

So, did that make him and Ying Huaifeng friends?

Ying Huaifeng hadn't just used him—whether he meant it or not, he'd been good to him.

Nobody said a cannon fodder and the male lead couldn't be friends; friendship and using each other didn't have to clash.

So they were friends, right...

Mu Jin felt a little better.

For three days straight, Mu Siyang never came to see him.

But Ying Huaifeng came every night, sneaking in through the window and into bed, filling him in on what was going on outside.

Mu Siyang had completely blamed Yun Fuyue for the assassination at Jiu Yun Temple, and was getting ready to go after Yun Fuyue in Mu Jin's name.

Yun Fuyue naturally didn't buy it and insisted Mu Jin show up in person.

But how would Mu Siyang ever let him get to Mu Jin?

"Mu Siyang is threatening Yun Fuyue with his Lifebound Gu, forcing him to hand over power willingly, and he's stacked a whole list of charges against him."

Ying Huaifeng held Mu Jin in his arms, shoving a piece of sugar cake into his mouth, then continued:

"But Yun Fuyue's people aren't gonna give up that easily. There've been too many assassination attempts on Mu Siyang these past few days, and to keep Yun Fuyue from finding you, he doesn't dare show his face."

"It's fine for Your Majesty to stay here—these past few days, the streets outside the Regent's Mansion have stunk of blood. It's nasty."

Mu Jin savored the soft, sweet sugar cake melting on his tongue and yawned.

"With things already at this point, they could just make their move, but they insist on using me as a front. How boring."

Ying Huaifeng nodded in agreement: "Yeah, how boring."

"It's just wanting to have it both ways—each one trying to pin the murder and usurpation on the other, so they can sit on that throne looking all clean and righteous."

Mu Jin suddenly asked, "Who do you think's gonna win?"

Ying Huaifeng thought for a moment: "That old fox Yun Fuyue's got a better shot."

Mu Jin asked curiously: "Didn't you say Mu Siyang already had the Lifebound Gu?"

Ying Huaifeng said flatly: "It's fake."

Just as he expected. Mu Jin clicked his tongue: "You've really planted a lot of people around them."

Ying Huaifeng just smiled and said nothing.

Where did he plant people? He'd just used gu to control those people, turning them into his puppets.

But that was something he'd never tell His Majesty—lest His Majesty think he was some ruthless guy.

That's what Ying Huaifeng thought to himself, clearly having zero self-awareness.

But Mu Jin didn't push it. Instead, he reached out to him, blinking with hopeful eyes.

"The sugar cakes are gone."

Ying Huaifeng dropped the chestnut he'd just peeled into Mu Jin's palm, sounding resigned.

"Don't eat too much."

Mu Jin gave a soft huff, chewing the chestnut and muttering, "You never used to nag me about eating too much."

Ying Huaifeng said seriously: "Your Majesty's already eaten seven packs of sugar cakes today. Too much sugar'll give you a toothache, and then you won't be able to eat anything else."

Mu Jin, mouth stuffed with two chestnuts, chewed and looked up at Ying Huaifeng, a little hesitant:

"Really?"

Ying Huaifeng: "For real!"

Mu Jin still hesitated: "Oh... so can I have three packs tomorrow?"

Ying Huaifeng's eyes were soft with tenderness as he held back a smile, reached out to wipe the pastry crumbs from the corner of Mu Jin's lips, and coaxed:

"Half a pack at most."

Mu Jin blinked: "One pack, then! I want the three-plum pastry from Wanfu Zhai bakery!"