Chapter 16 – I was bullied by Rong Tang again (Why did I say “again”?)
Rong Tang’s eyes opened slightly. Was this the kitten that had been meowing earlier?
Under the candlelight, Rong Tang’s face was enveloped in a soft, thin veil, and his usual cold demeanor had softened considerably. Zhao Qi stared in a daze. It was true that a beauty who could mesmerize even the Emperor of Dogs, who had seen countless beauties, was indeed captivating. There was probably no one in the world more suited to the term “white moonlight” than him.
Rong Tang was surprised for only a moment before quickly regaining his usual indifference. “Your Majesty?”
“Yes, it’s me, it’s me.” Zhao Qi glanced at the door, “Step aside, I’ll climb in first. There are too many eyes of officials in the palace… the officials’ spies. I don’t want to be discovered.” As he spoke, he made an effort to get one leg up onto the windowsill.
Rong Tang asked, “Why not use the door?”
Zhao Qi paused and asked, “Will you open the door for me?”
Rong Tang didn’t answer, instead turning and walking away. Zhao Qi, still with his leg raised, was unsure whether to lower it or continue climbing. At that moment, he heard a creak, and Rong Tang stood at the door, “Come in.”
Zhao Qi smiled at him, “Mm-hmm.”
Once inside, Rong Tang discreetly observed Zhao Qi. The dark blue eunuch’s robe Zhao Qi wore was a bit large, trailing on the floor and with the sleeves pulled down considerably. In the dim light, Zhao Qi’s bright eyes and charming gaze made him indeed look like a very delicate “little eunuch.”
The same face, which had once filled him with disgust a few months ago, now…
Rong Tang looked away and asked, “Your Majesty mentioned Minister Xiao earlier. Is it that Minister Xiao did not allow you to come here?”
“Yes,” Zhao Qi complained, “He even stationed people outside the Yonghua Palace to keep me from coming out. I had to borrow a eunuch’s outfit just to sneak out.”
Rong Tang was quiet for a moment, “You went through all this trouble just to see me?”
Not entirely, he had also enjoyed the thrill of subtly opposing Xiao Shiqing, but that didn’t need to be shared with Rong Tang. “Yes,” Zhao Qi said, “You rarely say you want to see me, so I had to come, even if I had to climb.”
“Aren’t you afraid the minister will find out and punish you?”
“He probably won’t find out,” Zhao Qi glanced around, worried that Xiao Shiqing might suddenly appear, “Unless you decide to report me—You wouldn’t do that, would you?”
Rong Tang poured him a cup of tea, “I won’t.”
Zhao Qi, who had been anxious throughout his journey, was indeed thirsty. He picked up the teacup and was about to bring it to his lips but then set it down again, “I’m not thirsty.”
Rong Tang said calmly, “You think I might have poisoned it?”
“Not really. You don’t have poison on you right now, so how could you poison me?” Zhao Qi said, “I’m just afraid of dirtying your cup.”
Rong Tang remained silent for a moment and then said, “I don’t mind. You can drink.”
Zhao Qi was a bit surprised but took the teacup again, sipping the tea while quietly observing Rong Tang. Could it be that Jiang Dehai was right? That after enduring hardships, Rong Tang was finally moved by him? No, while he did enjoy Rong Tang’s character in books, he preferred the delicate and charming young lady.
After finishing the tea, Zhao Qi cleared his throat and asked, “Do you have anything you want to say to me? You can say it now.”
Rong Tang simply said three words: “Miss Wang.”
Zhao Qi looked confused, “Who?”
Rong Tang briefly described what he had seen and heard in the Cold Palace that day. Before he could finish, Zhao Qi interrupted, “What? She’s still alive and well? It makes me so angry!” Zhao Qi paced back and forth in the room, “Tomorrow, I’ll use the most poisonous and potent medicine on her. If she can still come through unscathed…”
Rong Tang asked, “What do you intend to do?”
Zhao Qi looked up helplessly at the sky, “Then she must be one of those rare individuals who are immune to all poisons. She must be a reincarnated fairy. What can I do with her?”
Rong Tang sighed lightly, “Your Majesty, you don’t want her dead, nor do you wish to torture her. Why don’t you just admit it?”
Zhao Qi felt like he was having a really bad day. After going through so much to do a good deed and atone for the original owner’s sins, how did it end up being discovered by Rong Tang? If word got out, wouldn’t he look like a fool with a grassland on his head, still choosing to forgive? How could he face his future empress, and where would he find the face to be a man?
Feigning ignorance, Zhao Qi said, “I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Rong Tang looked at him, “Fine, I won’t ask anymore.”
Zhao Qi sighed with relief, “So you called me just for this matter? Is there anything else you want to say?”
“No.”
“Then, shall I leave?”
“Mm.”
Zhao Qi opened the door, and Rong Tang coughed behind him. He turned back and asked, “Are you alright?”
Rong Tang covered his mouth and nodded, “Cough, cough.”
Rong Tang continued to cough several times, his beautiful face flushed with redness. Zhao Qi’s sympathy for the weak was stirred. After hesitating for a moment, he closed the door and walked to Rong Tang’s side, helping him sit down and tentatively placing his hand on Rong Tang’s back. Seeing that Rong Tang did not reject him, he gently patted his back.
In just a short while, Rong Tang’s expression turned unfavorable. Zhao Qi, looking worried, asked, “Should we call the imperial doctor to have a look at you?”
“It’s nothing,” Rong Tang replied with his eyes closed, “Your Majesty, please leave. Cough, cough.”
At that moment, a female voice came from outside the door: “Young Master, why are you coughing again? Young Master, I’m coming in.”
Rong Tang and Zhao Qi exchanged glances. Before they could speak, Jin Ning pushed the door open. “Oh, Young Master, why did you open the window? The doctor said your illness shouldn’t be exposed to the night breeze. Did you forget?”
As Jin Ning moved to close the window and head into the inner room, Zhao Qi abruptly stood up. “Tell her not to come in!” He didn’t mind Rong Tang seeing him in eunuch attire, since Rong Tang had seen him in such a state before, but Jin Ning was different.
Rong Tang’s eyes flickered for a moment. “It’s too late.”
Zhao Qi quickly looked around and said, “You said you didn’t mind me.” With that, Zhao Qi pulled back Rong Tang’s blanket and crawled in, covering himself tightly. The faint medicinal fragrance that was often present around Rong Tang enveloped him from all sides.
Rong Tang: “…”
Although Rong Tang had a cold personality, he was never harsh with his servants. There were only a few people in the Drunken Book Studio, and the one he spoke to the most was Jin Ning. Thus, Jin Ning was quite casual around him. When Jin Ning entered the inner room and saw Rong Tang sitting at the table, she asked, “It’s already this late. Why haven’t you gone to sleep yet?”
Rong Tang coughed twice. “I’ll sleep soon.”
“Your complexion looks so bad. You must have caught another chill,” Jin Ning said, with a hint of reproach in her voice. “I clearly closed the doors and windows when I left. Why did you open them?”
“Little cat.”
“Little cat?” Jin Ning asked. “When did we have a cat in the Drunken Book Studio?”
“It came from elsewhere. It’ll leave soon,” Rong Tang said. “You should go to sleep. There’s no need to worry about me.”
Jin Ning wasn’t reassured. “Let me stay and attend to you until you fall asleep.”
Rong Tang glanced at the bed and said, “Leave.”
Jin Ning wanted to say something more, but seeing Rong Tang’s expression, she decided against it. After Jin Ning left, Zhao Qi immediately threw off the blanket to get some fresh air, his face red. “I’m suffocating!”
Rong Tang approached the bed and looked down at him. “It seems like Your Majesty really likes this bed.”
Zhao Qi didn’t understand Rong Tang’s meaning. “Your bed is quite soft and comfortable.”
“And others’ beds?”
“Huh?”
Rong Tang looked at his flushed face. “Have you ever been in someone else’s bed?”
“Why do you ask that?” Zhao Qi said, a bit evasively. “There are so many beautiful women in my harem…”
“Yet you haven’t touched a single one,” Rong Tang interrupted. “Why is that?”
Zhao Qi refused to answer. “I just asked if you had anything else to say, and you didn’t. Now that you’re asking me, I won’t tell you. Move aside; I’m going back to the palace.”
Rong Tang remained unmoved. He recalled the two times he had tangled with Zhao Qi in bed, and the other person didn’t seem to react much. “Could it be that you, like the Prince of Huai, are incapable of intimacy?”
The Prince of Huai was only pretending, but the dog emperor was truly incapable of intimacy. But that was in the past. Now, his dragon vein was in great shape. As Jiang Dehai put it, it was like a pillar propping up the sky, as solid as Mount Tai!
“Certainly not!” Zhao Qi became angry. “Don’t think that just because I like you, you can be so presumptuous! Is it acceptable to speak of the Son of Heaven’s incapability? That’s a warning to cut off your tongue.”
Rong Tang said calmly, “If that’s the case, we’ll find out by trying.”
Zhao Qi had a bad premonition. “Trying… How will you try?”
Rong Tang said nothing, only watching him. He then reached out, pinching Zhao Qi’s face and brushing his lips with his fingertips.
Rong Tang’s hand was cool, and Zhao Qi widened his eyes, watching as Rong Tang leaned closer.
T/N: There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!
If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’
How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection
What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
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