Chapter 4: Teasing

Chapter 4: Teasing

Lu Changping, seeing "Xie Yan" transformed by a change of clothes, nearly blacked out and collapsed on the spot.

So, what exactly had he been up to before?

Not only did he casually save the enemy tyrant, but he also told the tyrant himself that he actually despised him?

Lu Changping had heard that since the tyrant ascended to the throne, those who opposed him either died or fled. For many years, no one dared to be so presumptuous in front of the tyrant.

No wonder the attitude of "Xie Yan" suddenly became so strange last night...

Due to his shock, Lu Changping didn't even notice the fleeting admiration in the tyrant's eyes when he first saw him without his veil.

By the time he finally recovered, Xie Yan... no, Xie Xuan Yuan, had already shifted his gaze away from his face, adopting a noble and cold expression, speaking in his usual infuriating tone.

"What? Now that you know who I am, you start to regret it?"

Unfortunately, Lu Changping's mood was exactly as he had described.

Regret, he truly regretted it to death. Why did he soften his heart and feed that tyrant chicken legs? Why did he even bother to bandage his wounds?

If he had been more ruthless, leaving the man in that dilapidated temple without care, perhaps the tyrant would have already bled out completely by now.

Xie Xuan Yuan waited for a while, watching the expressions change on Lu Changping's face with interest, and somehow, a smile appeared on his face from his own thoughts.

In terms of looks alone, even Lu Changping had to admit that the tyrant was stunningly handsome, with bright eyes and white teeth, and when he genuinely smiled, he radiated a pure and harmless youthful charm, highly deceptive.

After staring at Lu Changping's face long enough, the tyrant unceremoniously entered the house.

He walked from outside to inside with slow and steady steps, not needing anyone's support.

Had Lu Changping not witnessed the tyrant's bleeding wound on his leg the night before, he might never believe that the person before him had nearly been crippled.

As he passed by Lu Changping, the tyrant's hand was not idle, slightly hooking his chin, lowering his voice slightly to say in his ear:

"Considering you willingly sacrificed your reputation for me last night, I shall spare your life for now and not dwell on other matters.

However, you promised to help me with a task, and that is something you cannot go back on or deny."

For a moment, as warm breath brushed past his ear, Lu Changping's mind went utterly blank.

By the time he realized what had happened, the tyrant was sitting by the window on a Huali wood Luohan bed, looking at him with a smirk as if nothing unusual had occurred.

Lu Changping... had just been flirted with by the enemy tyrant!?

It was obvious, given the tyrant's boldness in public, he must be accustomed to debauchery. Mistaking him for Zhao Yun because of his disguise, the tyrant must have been driven by lust to take advantage.

Lu Changping mentally lashed out at the tyrant, comforting himself with the thought that revenge is a dish best served cold, and he would eventually have his vengeance on this vile tyrant.

Let the tyrant touch his face all he wants; it's not like it costs him a piece of flesh. Once the opportunity arises, he'll make the tyrant pay a hundredfold.

After calming down, Lu Changping felt somewhat relieved, thankful that Zhao Yun wasn't married off to this lecher.

Xie Xuan Yuan was still sitting by the window, clearly growing impatient, and couldn't help urging, "How can you be so clueless? Come sit here, I have something to ask you."

The tyrant accused him of being clueless?

All his life, it was others who had to be mindful of Lu Changping's mood.

Clenching and then relaxing his fist, Lu Changping took a deep breath, restraining the urge to beat Xie Xuan Yuan right there and then.

He sat opposite the tyrant, following Xie Xuan Yuan's direction.

Reluctantly sitting down, he noticed something odd about the atmosphere in the room. It seemed all the eunuchs and maids had stealthily glanced his way.

Lu Changping wondered, was being offered a seat such a big deal?

In Southern Chu, he disliked seeing elderly ministers stand tremblingly before him during discussions, often instructing for chairs to be brought for them.

As for his sister Zhao Yun, if he could sit, he would never let her stand before him.

Xie Xuan Yuan, noticing his distraction, frowned disapprovingly and threatened, "Who gave you the audacity to think of others in my presence?"

Seeing the tyrant about to act up as he had the night before, fearing another drugging, Lu Changping momentarily shelved his thoughts, picking up paper and pen to write flatteringly:

"I wasn't thinking of others, only of Your Majesty."

Xie Xuan Yuan's unique brown-grey eyes paused slightly on the word "I," as he was about to rebuke the other person for daring not to use a humble self-reference in his presence.

But he was ultimately pleased by the statement and decided to turn a blind eye to Lu Changping's indiscretion.

He snorted coldly, "I was merely reminding you earlier. I trust you wouldn't dare think of others."

Hearing this, Lu Changping's hand, which was holding the pen, twitched, and he cursed inwardly: The tyrant's skin is indeed as thick as city walls.

Yet, this subtle movement did not escape Xie Xuan Yuan's notice.

The tyrant frowned slightly, "Is your hand cramping? Do you want me to summon a royal physician to check on you?"

At this moment, Lu Changping was too overwhelmed to even be upset, feeling a profound sense of powerlessness. It seemed he and the tyrant could never communicate normally on the same wavelength.

Not wanting to actually summon the royal physician and make a fuss, he changed the subject, "My hand is not cramping. I was just contemplating the task you want me to undertake and accidentally almost spilled the ink on the desk."

Xie Xuan Yuan was pleased with this response.

"It's commendable how seriously you take your tasks for me." He said with a smile, then suddenly stopped, asking somewhat awkwardly, "By the way, what is your name?"

The inevitable had arrived!

Originally, Lu Changping had arrived in Beiwei using his sister Zhao Ping's identity. However, the assassination attempt on Zhao Ping during her marriage envoy had yet to be resolved, making it difficult to distinguish friends from foes in the moment.

If he rashly admitted to being "Princess Zhao Yun," the tyrant would certainly not continue to speak with him in such a friendly manner, let alone consider making a deal with him...

To be honest, Lu Changping was genuinely curious about what exactly Xie Xuan Yuan kept insisting he needed help with.

"What's the matter? You can't say?"

Seeing Lu Changping not immediately writing on the paper, the tyrant appeared even more curious.

"Even if you don't say it, I have ways to find out everything about you. But then, you'll be charged with the crime of deceiving the emperor and dragged to be executed by dismemberment."

True to form, an abuser of punishment – a real tyrant!

Lu Changping gave him a resentful look. Faced with the crime of deceiving the emperor either way, he was not intimidated. He boldly wrote the character "Ping" on the paper.

Xie Xuan Yuan, caught by the angry yet coquettish glance from the beauty with jade-like features and rosy lips, felt his heartbeat suddenly accelerate, his blood rushing, and even his pale neck blushing slightly.

If not for his self-proclaimed exceptional self-control, he might have forgotten what he came for.

After the moment of infatuation, he looked down to see what the beauty sitting opposite him had written.

Seeing only the character "Ping" without a surname did not strike him as odd.

Currently, the status of women in both Southern Chu and North Guard was still much lower than that of men, with only noblewomen from prominent families having surnames before marriage.

Countless commoner women, some without even a formal name, were hastily married off. Even in death, their tombstones would bear only the surnames of their husbands and fathers.

Xie Xuan Yuan stared at the solitary "Ping"... He seemed to understand why she was initially reluctant to tell him.

This beauty must feel her humble origins unworthy of his imperial majesty, hence the evasiveness and reluctance to disclose the truth.

And her future in-laws must have been captivated by her beauty to agree to this marriage.

Having pieced together the backstory, Xie Xuan Yuan gave Lu Changping a sympathetic look, reassuring him again:

"You needn't belittle yourself. As I've said, as long as you accomplish what I've asked of you, I will ensure you live a life of luxury and opulence."

Lu Changping was initially worried that the temporary name he had concocted was too ordinary, lacking even a surname, and might arouse the tyrant's suspicion.

Hearing the tyrant's words, he looked up in confusion.

Belittle himself? Where had he done that? After all, he was the sovereign of Southern Chu. Without that basic level of confidence, how could he command his officials and govern the people?

But before he could understand what was happening, the tyrant took the hand with which he was writing into his own, speaking earnestly:

"What I'm asking you to do is not particularly difficult.

The day after tomorrow, Princess Zhao Yun of Southern Chu will arrive in the capital to marry me, but I have no intention of marrying her."

At this point, Xie Xuan Yuan looked at the shocked face of Lu Changping, revealing a cold and gloomy smile: "On that day, I will marry you first, then publicly annul the marriage agreement, and detain Princess Zhao Yun in North Guard."

"I've heard that her brother, the Lord of Southern Chu, dotes on her immensely.

Guess, if he learns that not only have I publicly broken off the marriage, shaming his sister but also confined her in the cold palace, would he go mad and declare war on me?"

Author's note:

Lu Changping: Let me tell you a joke. The tyrant thinks he has the willpower to resist beauty's temptation.

Chapters later, Xie Xuan Yuan: Irresistible...