OL CH18

The next morning, Bai Su woke in Chen Tian’s arms.

Opening his eyes to see the man still holding him tightly with a smile playing at the corners of his lips, his expression became rather conflicted.

Although they had not gone all the way the previous night, they had fooled around well into the early morning hours. Judging by King Ning’s behavior, was he truly not fond of him?

Even if it was merely manipulation, King Ning seemed quite satisfied with his body.

Touching his swollen lips and recalling those embarrassing acts and intimate pet names from last night, Bai Su turned completely crimson like a boiled shrimp, wishing only to cover his face in shame.

Especially afterward: even when he was thoroughly exhausted, this man had kept hugging and kissing him, murmuring “darling” and “precious” without end.

Where was the graceful and dashing prince in this? He was nothing more than a male fox spirit draining his essence!

Yet as absurd as the whole encounter had been, it undeniably lifted Bai Su’s spirits considerably.

Daylight had already broken outside. Remembering he still had to attend duty at the Emperor’s side, Bai Su carefully slipped out of the man’s embrace. Pulling back the quilt, he discovered he was not wearing a single stitch of clothing, causing his face to burn once more.

Yet just as he sat up, the person behind him pulled him straight back. Firmly pinned by a solid arm, he turned his head to find the man who had supposedly been sound asleep wide awake.

“Morning, darling,” Chen Tian chuckled softly, leaning over to kiss Bai Su’s cheek.

The low, raspy voice brushed past Bai Su’s ear, sending a pleasant shiver through his heart. His eyelashes fluttered slightly, barely daring to look at the other man’s face as he whispered, “I have to report for duty.”

“Mm.” Chen Tian did not make things difficult for him. Obediently releasing his hold, he propped his cheek on one hand, watching with amusement as his sweetheart scrambled out of bed to fetch his clothes.

Gazing at the graceful lines of the young man’s body, patterned all over with marks he had left the night before, Chen Tian’s gaze deepened. It was a pity the man dressed so swiftly.

Still, it hardly mattered, for there would be plenty of chances to look in the future.

Under the burning stare from behind, Bai Su dared not turn around. Even after putting on his robes, his entire body remained terribly stiff.

Watching Bai Su’s flustered state, Chen Tian found it endearing. Once Bai Su called the servants to prepare water, Chen Tian casually threw on an outer robe, got out of bed, and washed up alongside his lover.

After Chen Tian’s relentless efforts throughout the night, Bai Su had grown somewhat wary of his antics. Seeing him remain quiet and well-behaved, Bai Su finally relaxed. Looking at the man washing up beside him in the morning light, he felt a faint, quiet warmth.

This was a scene of domestic comfort that had only ever existed in his fantasies, yet today it had somehow come to pass.

Sensing Bai Su soften, Chen Tian’s heart itched with affection. He was madly in love with Bai Su; otherwise, he would not have nearly lost all control the moment his partner indulged him last night.

So after Bai Su washed up and opened the door to order breakfast, the moment he turned around, Chen Tian pulled him into his arms again and showered his face with kisses. Only the knock of the servants delivering breakfast saved Bai Su from the onslaught.

Because they were at Huguo Temple, breakfast consisted entirely of vegetarian temple fare. Even so, the chef’s culinary skill was exceptional, and the meatless dishes possessed a refreshing, delicate flavor.

The servants left right after delivering the meal. Bai Su typically disliked having attendants hover around, and Chen Tian was naturally a staunch champion of private worlds for two.

Thus, the moment the doors closed and they had taken a few bites of pickled greens, a certain hungry wolf who had tasted a bit of sweetness began acting up again.

“Say ah!” Chen Tian smiled, lifting a spoonful of plain congee to Bai Su’s lips.

Bai Su had never been treated like this before, leaving him completely at a loss.

Unwilling to let go of such an opportunity, Chen Tian leaned closer and threatened playfully, “Baby, open up. If you don’t open your mouth, I’ll feed you with mine. Or you could feed me instead!”

Seeing King Ning’s eyes gleaming with eager anticipation, as if practically begging him to refuse, Bai Su hurriedly clamped down on the spoon and swallowed the porridge.

He barely registered the flavor before gulping it down whole. Blushing, he wondered how he had never noticed before that King Ning was such a shameless rogue.

Pleased with the result, Chen Tian kissed the corner of Bai Su’s mouth and enthusiastically resumed feeding his lover.

The result was that Bai Su ate one more bowl of congee and two more steamed buns than usual, ending up stuffed to the brim.

Discreetly patting his full stomach, Bai Su glanced at Chen Tian, thinking that male charms truly were bewitching. With just a few coaxing words from King Ning, he had obediently complied; he had never imagined a day when his self-control would be so poor.

So the saying that beauties bring downfall was not without merit. In his case, of course, it was a handsome man.

Always attentive to his lover, Chen Tian noticed the little gesture. Chuckling, he pulled the young man over and gently rubbed his stomach.

Unable to hold it back, Bai Su let out a tiny hiccup. His face instantly flushed beet red from sheer mortification.

He scrambled to stand and leave, but could not break free without resorting to brute force against the man who refused to let go. Afraid of accidentally hurting him, he was forced to remain trapped in the embrace.

Looking at Bai Su resigning himself to his fate while having his belly rubbed, Chen Tian’s eyes danced with laughter.

His Xiao Bai was truly too adorable!

The two lingered together in the room for a while longer. Fortunately, Chen Tian knew Bai Su had official duties to attend to. After shamelessly wheedling a few more kisses, he finally let him go.

Once Bai Su left, however, the smile faded from Chen Tian’s face, his brow furrowing with obvious concern.

He queried the system in his sea of consciousness, “009, did you detect anything unusual last night?”

“Yes, Boss. For a brief moment last night, the system detected an abnormal energy fluctuation, but it vanished immediately. Since you and the Heir were busy at the time, I didn’t interrupt,” 009 replied.

An anomaly indeed; his intuition had been spot on. Chen Tian did not ask further, because he knew perfectly well that the anomaly stemmed from Bai Su himself.

When Bai Su was struck by the foul corruption back then, they assumed his divine soul had merely been injured. Looking at it now, even though the core entity of the corruption had been wiped out, perhaps Bai Su’s soul had still been lightly tainted, triggering those abnormal fluctuations.

Chen Tian could not help worrying that this might inflict secondary damage upon Bai Su. However, while inside this minor world, his hands were tied, so he could only keep a vigilant eye on his lover.

Once they lived out this lifetime to completion and gathered the world’s karmic fortune, the precise moment of their departure would be the ideal time to cleanse the taint.

With this in mind, Chen Tian steeled his resolve, hoping Bai Su’s condition would remain stable and that the contamination was confined to the surface of the soul where it could be easily severed.

Meanwhile, Bai Su reported for duty at the Emperor’s courtyard, only to be informed that the guards had lost Bai Feizhang’s trail and failed to apprehend him.

Bai Su was unperturbed. Without the backing of Count Anhe or the Marquis of Zhongyong’s estate, Bai Feizhang was a trivial pawn who could hardly stir up much trouble.

Even so, he ordered them to maintain the pursuit and leave no clue unexamined, hoping his merit in protecting the sovereign would shield the Marquis’s estate from Bai Feizhang’s treason.

Thereafter, they spent a few tranquil days at Huguo Temple.

When the ministers awoke and learned of the assassination attempt, cold terror gripped their hearts. Still, being present at Huguo Temple, they followed protocol and concluded the prayer rites.

Upon returning to the capital, the Emperor led the court directly into the main imperial hall and penalized Prime Minister Yan on the spot. While he avoided excessive measures, he stripped away part of his authority and suppressed the Yan faction.

Bai Su and Chen Tian were rewarded for their valor in shielding the throne.

King Ning had always been deeply favored, so lavish rewards were a given. As for Bai Su, it was declared that his merits offset any guilt, earning him verbal commendations from the throne.

Thanks to Chen Tian putting in favorable words before the Emperor and pinning all blame solely onto Bai Feizhang, the Marquis’s estate was spared from retribution, allowing the long-stressed Bai Heguang to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Bai Heguang now realized that Bai Su was the truly capable son after all. With King Ning’s favor and his ability to walk without a limp restored, he was destined to accomplish great things sooner or later.

Selfish and cowardly by nature, Bai Heguang knelt before the court to plead guilty and save his own skin, publicly declaring that he was severing all paternal ties with Bai Feizhang.

Back at the manor, Madam Liu remained completely unaware of what had transpired. She only remembered Bai Feizhang’s parting words before leaving home, assuring her that upon his return, the title of Heir would be his, which had filled her with boundless joy.

She had expended enormous effort to gain entry into the Marquis’s household and finally managed to anger the first wife to death, only to encounter Bai Su as an unyielding stumbling block.

In past years, she had instructed servants to mistreat Bai Su, intending to quietly eliminate the child without raising suspicion. Yet unexpectedly, the Old Marquis returned from the battlefield and ruined her scheme, allowing that wretched boy to occupy the position of Heir for so long.

Now, it was finally time for her and her son to rise.

Over the past several days, Madam Liu had waited with eager anticipation. When Marquis Bai finally returned to the estate, she rushed forward to greet him with a beaming smile.

Yet the moment Bai Heguang laid eyes on her, his face contorted, and he struck her with a vicious slap that sent her sprawling onto the ground.

Bai Heguang had poured all his strength into that blow. Being merely an inner-courtyard woman, Madam Liu could not withstand it, her vision swimming with stars.

After quite a while, she clutched her swollen cheek and stammered through tears, “Marquis, why did you strike this servant?”

In the past, Bai Heguang favored her delicate, weeping willow demeanor. But now, the sight of Madam Liu only reminded him of Bai Feizhang, who had nearly dragged the entire Bai clan to execution.

Bai Heguang naturally never considered himself at fault; he blamed Madam Liu’s improper conduct for ruining Bai Feizhang, having lost any trace of tender affection.

He roared directly at the servants, “Men! Drag this wretched woman away, shave her head bald, and throw her into the family temple! From this day forth, she is forbidden from stepping a single foot outside!”

Hearing this, Madam Liu felt as though struck by lightning out of a clear sky. Dumbfounded, she was dragged away by the servants. No matter how she wailed and pleaded, she failed to soften Bai Heguang’s heart.