Chapter 71: Visions of the Past in Dreams

Chapter 71: Dreams of the Past

Seeing Zhu Yunxuan gradually calm down, Liang Zhen quietly got up, planning to get off the bed to fetch a glass of water. However, as he moved, Zhu Yunxuan's hand clung onto him again, and his lips brushed randomly against Liang Zhen's face.

Liang Zhen had no choice but to lie back down, letting out a soft laugh. He embraced Zhu Yunxuan tightly and whispered in his ear, "A Xuan, are you really asleep? Do you know what you're doing?"

After a long while, Zhu Yunxuan mumbled with his eyes closed, "Didn't you say you were a monk for four years? So was I..."

Liang Zhen abruptly flipped them over, pinning Zhu Yunxuan down, and held his wrists firmly. His gaze burned into Zhu Yunxuan's eyes, and even his voice turned hoarse, "Are you sure?"

The corners of Zhu Yunxuan's eyes still flushed red, yet his eyes held a smile. He stared unblinkingly at Liang Zhen and chuckled softly, "Liang Zhen, when did you become so fussy?"

In the next instant, Liang Zhen's passionate lips pressed down. Zhu Yunxuan closed his eyes with a smile, tilting his head upward.

From their affectionate lip-lock to an intense battle of teeth and tongue, Liang Zhen's actions grew more urgent. His tongue forcefully explored Zhu Yunxuan's mouth, which was met with an eager response. Their intertwined breaths turned hot, and their kisses evolved into a biting release. Amidst the push and pull of their tongues, both tasted the tang of blood, yet they remained inseparable.

With their clothing discarded, their heated bodies entwined, Liang Zhen paused, lifting a hand to brush away Zhu Yunxuan's sweat-soaked hair. Gazing deeply into his lover's flushed, desire-filled eyes, he murmured softly, "A Xuan..."

Unconsciously, Zhu Yunxuan sought his lips for another kiss, pecking lightly at Liang Zhen's lips, "Mm."

Liang Zhen chuckled softly. "Is it pleasurable?"

Zhu Yunxuan moaned gently, his breaths already out of rhythm. Liang Zhen's hands ignited flames across his body – an intoxicating and teasing sensation he had endured countless times beneath this man, but never before with such complete immersion, both body and soul lost in the depths of desire, floating on water, rising and falling without direction.

"Be gentle, Rong'er..."

Zhu Yunxuan tried to turn his head to look at his son, only for Liang Zhen to grasp his chin and redirect his gaze, capturing his lips once more. "Focus."

The intricately carved redwood bed creaked with suggestive whispers as Liang Zhen leaned down, his face pressed against Zhu Yunxuan's, their intimacy heightened by the brush of their cheeks. Just as their passion reached its peak, a tiny sob echoed nearby. "Papa, don't bully Daddy... Wuh..."

Liang Zhen abruptly halted his actions. Zhu Yunxuan blushed so fiercely that it seemed blood might drip from his cheeks, burying his face in Liang Zhen's shoulder, wishing he could simply vanish. Liang Zhen laughed softly, turning his head to find their child, likely awakened by their vigorous movements, wiping away tears as he struggled to crawl over to "save" his Daddy.

Liang Zhen chuckled, a mix of helplessness and amusement, soothing the child. "Be good, Papa isn't bullying Daddy. Go back to sleep."

"Papa is lying! Rong'er saw it! Daddy was crying because Papa bullied him!"

The child persisted, refusing to be placated. Zhu Yunxuan nudged Liang Zhen's shoulder softly, his voice strained as he reminded him, "Get down, quickly."

Liang Zhen gritted his teeth, stepping away and lying back down. Zhu Yunxuan scooped up the child, gently comforting him. "Rong'er, be good. Daddy didn't cry, and Papa didn't bully him. Go to sleep now."

"Really?"

"Indeed, my dear child. Now sleep."

The child, still drowsy, was coaxed back to sleep. As Zhu Yunxuan placed him gently, Liang Zhen promptly flipped over and pressed against him, his expression fierce. Before Zhu Yunxuan could react, he forcefully entered, gritting his teeth and whispering into Zhu Yunxuan's ear, "I'll sooner or later lose my ability because of this little brat."

The person beneath him wrapped his arms around Liang Zhen's shoulders, moaning softly, "...Vile creature."

Zhu Yunxuan couldn't recall when he drifted off to sleep. For the first time in a long while, he found solace in Liang Zhen's embrace. He dreamt – the scenes shifting continuously, yet they were all deeply etched memories in his heart.

He saw his brother's fake corpse in the cold palace, as if the sky had collapsed. On the way back to his chambers, Liang Zhen appeared before him, offering a handkerchief to staunch the blood flowing from his forehead. It was their first encounter, and in his confusion, he didn't even get a clear glimpse of Liang Zhen's face.

He knelt in the noisy assembly hall, surrounded by clamoring officials. His father, the emperor, sat high on his throne, his cold gaze assessing him. Having fallen into a trap and failed in his mission, he faced countless onlookers eager for his disgrace. Frustrated and helpless, unable to defend himself, Liang Zhen stepped forward with a few words, absolving him of blame.

He stormed into the emperor's quarters in the Ganlin Palace, pleading for his mother's memorial tablet not to be removed. His father scolded him mercilessly, leaving him kneeling in the snow outside the chamber until dawn, hoping to revoke the order. Unconscious, Liang Zhen carried him back, personally administering medicine.

At only fifteen, with an unloving father, a deceased mother, and a fallen brother, he was forced to mature overnight, engaging in the cutthroat world of politics. Liang Zhen, both friend and foe, was his only companion. He liked him, admired him, knowing it was wrong but unable to quell the renewed passion in his heart stirred by Liang Zhen.

The subsequent pain and humiliation were too painful to revisit, even in his dreams. Yet, he never forgot the initial warmth Liang Zhen had shown him a decade ago, nor the initial spark of affection.

Liang Zhen had not slept either, holding Zhu Yunxuan in his arms and gazing intently at his sleeping face, unwilling to look away. Amidst the joy that remained after the passions had subsided, there was an inexplicable emptiness and wistfulness.

He had never been an overly sentimental person, but at this moment, he genuinely experienced the inexplicable anxiety and fear of losing one's beloved.

Tears welled up in Zhu Yunxuan's eyes as he slept, and Liang Zhen sighed softly, gently licking them away with a tender kiss.

He never considered himself a good man. Growing up abused in the Liang family, his heart was filled with nothing but hatred. His purpose in life after discovering his true identity was solely to seek revenge, which he accomplished. The only unexpected turn was Zhu Yunxuan, the son of his enemy, who became an obsession he could not let go of, even driving him to obsession.

After years of entanglement with Zhu Yunxuan, the torment he endured was no less than that of Zhu Yunxuan. No one had ever taught him how to cherish the one he loved before he met his biological father. His misguided attempts to possess and pressure Zhu Yunxuan only pushed him further away. It was through years of solitude and suffering that he finally comprehended this truth.

Zhu Yunxuan admitted that he thought about him every day for the past three years, feeling miserable whether he did or didn't. Liang Zhen shared the same pain, at times even contemplating returning to Great Yan, abducting Zhu Yunxuan, and chaining him by his side for the rest of their lives. But he knew that if he truly acted on such impulses, either he or Zhu Yunxuan would meet a tragic end.

He never mentioned to Zhu Yunxuan that three years ago, when he first reunited with his father, his father had advised him to marry soon to divert his thoughts. Not to sire children and continue their lineage, but simply to prevent him from living a lonely life, as his father had. He refused, competing with both Zhu Yunxuan and himself. In the end, neither of them lost; they compromised for each other, triumphing over their past selves.

Upon learning about Rong'er's existence, he drowned his sorrows in alcohol, enjoying the first good night's sleep in three years, even smiling in his dreams.

Just like Zhu Yunxuan lying in his arms now, after his tears, a small smile graced his lips, as if he were having a pleasant dream. Unlike before, his brows were no longer knitted in sleep, allowing him a moment of respite.

Liang Zhen watched him silently for a long while, a soft smile playing on his lips. Then, he placed a gentle kiss upon Zhu Yunxuan's lips.

At the fourth hour of the morning, Rong'er was the first to awaken. Before he could make a fuss, Liang Zhen promptly got up, wrapped him in an outer robe, and carried him to another room for grooming and dressing.

Rong'er still remembered how his father, Liang Zhen, had taken advantage of his daddy the previous night. He whined, "Why isn't Daddy awake?"

Liang Zhen smiled, reminding his son gently, "Be good. Your daddy is just tired. Let him sleep a little more."

The child clung to his father's arm and pleaded, "Then Father, please don't bully Daddy anymore."

Liang Zhen chuckled. "Naughty kid, always on your daddy's side. You won't believe me even when I say I didn't bully him."

Rong'er tilted his head, clearly unconvinced. "I saw it, Daddy cried, and Father was on top of Daddy. That means Father was bullying Daddy."

Liang Zhen playfully pinched his nose with a smile. "That's because Father was consummating the marriage with your daddy. My little darling will understand when you grow up."

Rong'er's eyes widened. "So does that mean Father and Daddy will have a new baby?"

Liang Zhen teased him casually, "Yes, isn't it good to have a baby? With a baby, someone can play with Rong'er."

The child fell silent, staring at him with a daze, tears welling up in his big eyes. Instantly, his face was tear-streaked. Liang Zhen hurried to wipe away his tears. "Why are you crying again, my little treasure? Be good, don't cry. If your daddy sees, he'll be upset."

Rong'er lifted his hands, his eyes brimming with tears as he tried to hold back his sobs. "You have a new baby now, and you don't want Rong'er anymore, huh... sob..."

Liang Zhen hurriedly comforted the child, feeling both amused and heartbroken. He had only made the remark in jest to amuse the child, but he hadn't expected Rong'er to be so sensitive, actually shedding tears over it.

Holding the child close, Liang Zhen gently patted his back, soothing him softly. "Good boy, don't cry. Father promises you, there will only be Rong'er, no other babies. My little treasure, be good. From now on, Father and Rong'er's little darling will never be separated again."