Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Lu Yunqi raised an eyebrow and whistled at Yuan Pingya, saying, "With a face like that, you could debut in showbiz. Come on, come on, come sit down and eat with us."

He then turned to Murong Jie inside the room: "Let me introduce a new friend, Yuan Pingya. He's a really solid, honest guy."

The reason he thought highly of Yuan Pingya was because his loyalty was the highest among these people, a solid ninety-five percent.

And it's gone up two points since then, now at ninety-seven percent. Someone like this would absolutely never betray him.

Murong Jie had just finished his meditation and breathing exercises. When he looked up and saw Yuan Pingya, his brow furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly. Though he hid the frown quickly, his heart still gave a jolt, and a cold aura radiated off him.

He couldn't help but snort inwardly. As expected, a man who loves beauty can never be satisfied with just one type.

He turned away and said, "No need to introduce your people to me."

Lu Yunqi could tell he was upset and asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Unhappy again?"

Murong Jie denied it: "You're imagining things. I'm not unhappy."

Lu Yunqi chuckled and pulled Yuan Pingya by the arm to sit at the dining table. Servants began bringing dishes one by one. He said, "Glad to hear you're not unhappy. I really like Mr. Yuan, and I'm planning to make him my advisor. What do you think?"

Murong Jie said, "He's your advisor. Why are you asking me?"

Lu Yunqi said, "Nonsense. You're my consort. If I don't ask you, who else am I supposed to ask?"

Yuan Pingya was shocked, thinking to himself, the young lord is introducing me to his consort on my very first day at the estate?

So... embarrassing.

He quickly stepped forward, poured a cup of tea, and knelt before Murong Jie, saying, "Consort, please drink some tea. I'll follow your teachings and never use any shady tricks, and I won't cause you any trouble."

Lu Yunqi: ????

Wait, dude, what are you saying?

Doesn't this sound like a concubine offering tea to the head wife?

Then he saw Murong Jie's murderous glare and rushed over in a panic: "Hey hey hey, Mr. Yuan, what the hell are you talking about? Your... your script is wrong!"

Yuan Pingya gave a shy smile and said, "Young lord, consort, Steward Liu just told me everything. I... I'm willing to be your concubine. I'll serve you and the consort well."

Murong Jie finally couldn't stand it anymore. He snatched the teacup, smashed it on the ground with a crack, and stormed off into the next room.

Lu Yunqi was speechless. He pointed at Yuan Pingya and said, "You, you... you've caused a huge mess, ahhh!"

How long am I gonna have to coax him to fix this? This is gonna kill me.

He immediately turned and chased after Murong Jie, shouting as he ran, "Hey, Murong Jie, it's really not what you think! I seriously just invited him to be my advisor, ahhh!"

Yuan Pingya, still kneeling there, was stunned. He thought to himself, could it be that the consort is petty and won't let the young lord take concubines?

That makes sense, actually. Not many people marry male wives or take male concubines these days, and the young lord would be taking two at once.

Yuan Pingya started worrying again—if he'd angered the consort, would he get kicked out?

He didn't know much about the inner quarters of noble households, but he knew concubines in wealthy merchant families had miserable lives, often getting beaten and scolded, and sold off if they displeased their masters.

Yuan Pingya wasn't afraid of being beaten or scolded. What he feared was getting kicked out, because then he really couldn't support his little brother.

Meanwhile, Lu Yunqi had already caught up to Murong Jie's room. Seeing his cold, distant expression, he sidled up with a smile and asked, "Why are you so pissed?"

Murong Jie said in a low voice, "Lu Yunqi, why do you have to humiliate me like this?"

"Humiliate you? How did I humiliate you? I told you, it's a misunderstanding! I really did invite him to be my advisor. I don't know how Liu Bao got the message wrong. He's just down on his luck and thought being my concubine would let him support his brother. But I swear, I never planned to make him my concubine. Besides, look at him—all delicate and girly. He's obviously the bottom. Do you think I could even get it up for him?"

Murong Jie said, "What's that got to do with me?"

Lu Yunqi chuckled twice: "If it's got nothing to do with you, then why are you angry? Oh... could it be that you're jealous?"

At that thought, Lu Yunqi grew excited: "No way, no way? You've actually learned to get jealous now? Aww, my little Jiejie, are you falling for me?"

Murong Jie grew even angrier and said, "Lu Yunqi, cut the crap!"

Lu Yunqi wrapped his arms around him, grabbing his waist, and said, "I'm not talking nonsense. If you weren't jealous, why would you get so angry over Yuan Pingya?"

Murong Jie said, "I'm angry because you used a concubine to insult me. Even if I'm not favored, I'm still a prince, the Cang Wang personally appointed by the emperor. Even if I'm betrothed to you, that doesn't give you the right to insult me with some random scholar!"

"Alright, alright, fine—if you say you're not jealous, then fine. But... Yuan Pingya really isn't someone I plan to take as a concubine. Though I can't say I never will in the future! Look at you—you won't even let me touch you. You're the husband I married, and fulfilling your marital duties is your obligation. Otherwise, don't blame me if I really do take a concubine!"

With that, his hands started wandering again. He wrapped his arms around Murong Jie's neck and peppered his face with kisses.

Murong Jie's body stiffened for a moment, then he said hoarsely, "Lu Yunqi, there's no need for this."

Lu Yunqi directly deepened the embrace and kiss, whispering with a smile, "My heart yearns for you. Try harder, so I won't actually want to take a concubine someday."

Murong Jie snorted coldly and said, "Don't think you can use such tricks to insult me! I... won't fall for it."

Lu Yunqi said, "Then stop avoiding me every day. What bottom can stand being left alone in an empty room?"

Murong Jie closed his eyes, thinking to himself, you brought this on yourself. Don't blame me...

With that thought, Murong Jie pushed Lu Yunqi down onto the bed. He didn't kiss him but instead leaned over and embraced him directly.

Lu Yunqi let out a muffled grunt and said hoarsely, "Hey, can you... uh..."

Perhaps because this body was in the special state of an omega, Lu Yunqi didn't feel particularly uncomfortable. After only a brief moment of adjustment, he was completely immersed in the embrace.

Murong Jie looked down at him from above like a king, his eyes dark and restrained, but buried deep within that gaze burned an inextinguishable fire.

Lu Yunqi squeezed his eyes shut, wanting to say something more, but in the end, nothing came out. He only wanted to continue this embrace.

He didn't understand why he felt this way. Perhaps it was the omega body's doing—Lu Yunqi could no longer control himself.

Murong Jie frowned at his condition and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Lu Yunqi reached down and touched, his face immediately flushing red. He said, "None of your business! ...Just keep holding me, that's all you need to do!"

Murong Jie had never been with anyone before and didn't know whether men reacted this way at such a time.

In theory, when a prince came of age, an old eunuch would teach him about such matters. But in the palace, no one paid any attention to this insignificant prince, so naturally no one taught him.

And Murong Jie himself lived every day consumed by hatred—how could he possibly have learned about such things?

So at this moment, he was merely curious and didn't think much of it. Besides, this wasn't exactly the time for deep contemplation.

Lu Yunqi instinctively rose up and wrapped his arms around Murong Jie's neck, whispering softly in his ear, "Honey..."

That word was drawn out long and low, and it struck Murong Jie's heart like a heavy blow.

He knew he shouldn't keep going. Last time, to carve that maddening feeling out of the depths of his soul, he'd cut three gashes into his own arm, and the blood didn't stop until midnight.

Now, just one breathy sound from Lu Yunqi, and all his efforts were wasted.

Lust breeds demons inside you—Murong Jie had finally learned that lesson. He was pissed: how the hell can you kill me three times, humiliate me countless times, and I still wipe it all away over one breathy sound?

Murong Jie took a deep breath, grabbed Lu Yunqi around the waist, and pulled him back into the hug.

Lu Yunqi didn't know when he'd passed out; he only knew that when he woke up, the sky had gone completely dark.

He squirmed a little, wanting to take a bath, but was too wiped out to move at all. That hug just now had completely drained him.

For the first time in his life, he realized a guy like him could lose control so completely during an embrace.

Murong Jie's big, solid frame was just as hard to deal with. He could swear that if he didn't die at his hands in this lifetime, he'd die under that ridiculous weight of his.

His calf felt a little swollen. As he moved slightly, he let out an instinctive hiss—it stung.

A voice came out of the dark: "You're awake?"

Lu Yunqi hummed in response: "Mm..."

But the moment he spoke, he startled himself with his own voice—hoarse beyond belief, a clear sign of how wild he'd been last night.

Murong Jie opened the door and said to Liu Bao outside: "Go get your master's bath ready."

Liu Bao said "Yes, sir," but the moment he stepped inside, he was shocked. He gasped: "Young Master, you... you-you-you-you..."

Lu Yunqi snapped: "You-you-you-you, are you stuttering? You never used to stutter!"

Liu Bao heard his master's voice again and dropped to his knees with a thud, crying: "Young Master, you never told me you were... you know... that kind!"

Lu Yunqi: ...

Lu Yunqi cursed: "Damn, so that's why you prepared a concubine for me—you thought I was the one on top, huh?"

Liu Bao stepped forward with a pained look: "Master, are you out of your mind?"

Lu Yunqi waved a hand: "Enough, stop with the mournful face. Hurry up and get my bathwater ready—my skin feels sticky and gross."

Liu Bao nodded: "Yes, I'll go right away."

After Liu Bao left, Lu Yunqi turned over and lay face down on the bed. In the moonlight, he looked at Murong Jie and whistled at him: "See now? I really didn't intend to take Yuan Pingya as a concubine—Liu Bao got it wrong."

Murong Jie only replied with an "Oh" and turned to leave for the study next door.

From his sleeve, he flung out a handkerchief, covered in grime and a few bloodstains. He didn't understand why he'd done it—let it dirty him, let it hurt him; what was this minor wound compared to his own?