Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Thus, the cramped living room was forced to squeeze in three robust young men.

Kaiser and Bai Chuan sat across from each other at the dining table, while Yi Ye stood to the side, looking back and forth.

"Maybe... we should grab something outside?"

"No need." Kaiser still had his arms crossed, staring coldly at Bai Chuan, his words clearly directed at Yi Ye. "I’m not picky about your cooking."

Yi Ye: "..."

Where did you get the idea that I know how to cook?

The urge to kill was overwhelming at that moment, and Bai Chuan regretted not burning Kaiser along with the church the night before. He rubbed his temples, pushed himself up from the table, and stood. "I’ll handle the cooking. There are grapes in the fridge, already rinsed. Don’t forget to have some."

Yi Ye: "Got it."

"You're cooking?" Kaiser immediately frowned.

Bai Chuan: "If you’re not eating, then leave."

Get out fast, don’t ruin the vibe between him and Yi Ye.

Kaiser sat in sullen silence, watching Bai Chuan tie on an apron and head to the kitchen. He turned around and saw Yi Ye rummaging through the fridge for grapes.

Chewing on a grape, the youth pouted, "My brother’s a great cook, but don’t get any ideas about him, alright?"

"???"

What kind of nonsense is this guy spouting!

Kaiser’s temples pulsed, and he was in a foul mood. But besides Yi Ye inexplicably pairing him with Bai Chuan, there was another reason for his frustration—he couldn’t even compete with Bai Chuan’s cooking?!

And it was clear that Yi Ye was totally into Bai Chuan’s cooking.

Whoosh— Kaiser had had enough and abruptly stood up.

"What are you doing?"

Through gritted teeth: "Hand me an apron. I’m cooking too."

Yi Ye’s eyes widened.

Wait, why is the Young Master suddenly into cooking? No way... is he actually into Bai Chuan?! Before, hearing they couldn’t stand each other, Yi Ye had nearly taken Kaiser off the danger list. How could this fire reignite?!

"No!" he panicked, clutching a bowl of grapes and rushing over. "You’re not going in the kitchen! Not unless you step over me!"

"Why?"

Kaiser ground his teeth: "Do you think I can’t cook?"

If this guy dares to insult his cooking, he’ll—

Suddenly, a fingertip brushed past his lips, and the sweet juice burst in his mouth.

Kaiser froze, licking his lips.

Are these grapes?

Yi Ye: "Do they taste good?"

Kaiser: "...They're good."

Yi Ye forcefully pulled him to sit on the sofa, "Then just relax and eat the grapes. I can't finish them all, and they won't be fresh tomorrow. Let's finish them off today."

Then, he popped another sweet grape into Kaiser's mouth.

Kaiser didn't know what to say.

Kaiser obediently ate whatever Yi Ye told him to. As for cooking skills? Why bother showing off something so useless? Besides, he could only boil instant noodles. Earlier, he was just annoyed that Bai Chuan got to show off. But now, ha, only an idiot would waste time in the kitchen!

Though he still didn't get why he wanted to kiss Yi Ye, Yi Ye's touch felt good, and he wanted more.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen.

Bai Chuan watched the cozy scene in the living room through the window, his face blank. With a heavy chop, crack! He split the beef bone on the chopping board in two. His blank face masked the urge to rush out and chop Kaiser to pieces.

The bloody bone rolled to his feet, and he stared at the sticky blood.

Suddenly, the kitchen door swung open.

Yi Ye sat cross-legged, watching TV. He turned and saw Bai Chuan clutching his bleeding left hand. His breath hitched, and the thought "the hero's hurt, the world's ending" flashed through his mind. He tossed the fruit bowl to Kaiser and rushed over like it was an emergency. "What happened? Did you cut yourself?"

Bai Chuan, looking unusually vulnerable, shook his head: "It's fine... I can handle it."

"Bullshit!"

Yi Ye frowned and forced his hand open. Three fingers were deeply cut by the knife. "How did this happen? You're usually so good with a knife."

"Maybe my mood hasn't been great lately..." Bai Chuan lowered his eyes, his lips slightly pale.

Remembering his childhood, Yi Ye quickly stopped asking, afraid of bringing up Bai Chuan's sad past. He pulled Bai Chuan to wipe the blood and pushed Kaiser to go to the drawer to get the first aid kit, quickly finding gauze and band-aids to stop the bleeding and bandage the wound.

Kaiser: ...So annoying!

The good atmosphere of being alone with Yi Ye was ruined by this damn brother, and he had to be an errand boy, and after finishing, he had to stand aside with the first aid kit.

Kaiser's already bad mood worsened, his face dark and foul.

This guy had to cut his hand at this exact moment, how coincidental. He cursed and complained, and suddenly met Bai Chuan's gaze. The other was looking at him, his face expressionless, but the corner of his mouth curled up in a very subtle arc, clearly spelling out "You're an idiot."

?????

Damn it!!

Kaiser's pupils contracted. Damn, this guy did it on purpose!

"Yi Ye, he!"

"Shh."

Yi Ye signaled for silence, "We're not done bandaging yet, Young Master. You eat the grapes first, we'll talk about it later."

Still eating grapes?

He was ready to blow a fuse!

Kaiser gripped the fruit bowl so hard he bent the stainless steel into an oval. When Yi Ye finished bandaging the wound and went back to take the fruit bowl, he hesitated for a moment, staring oddly at the oval-shaped rim.

Was this... always shaped like this?

Since Bai Chuan’s hand was hurt, he naturally kept him out of the kitchen. Instead, he turned around and started bustling around with Kaiser. However, Kaiser was so noisy, babbling beside him about how "your brother is a manipulator, his injury was definitely self-inflicted on purpose!" Yi Ye mumbled in response, half-listening as the words went in one ear and out the other. His mind was only on how to cook the veggies without poisoning anyone.

Fed up with Kaiser’s yapping, Yi Ye kicked him out of the kitchen to focus on his dinner mission.

But Yi Ye had a knack for turning ingredients into disasters. The tasty beef bone soup turned into witch’s brew in his hands, and the crispy potato shreds became a gooey, charred mess... The only thing salvageable was the tomato and egg stir-fry. But he dumped in way too much sugar, turning it into a diabetic’s nightmare.

Bai Chuan and Kaiser exchanged glances.

Was this food? No, it was poison—straight-up poison!

"You go first," Kaiser groaned, covering his face in despair. "Guests shouldn’t be the first to dig in."

Bai Chuan: "...You eat first."

"No, you eat."

"No, you eat."

The two, who usually bickered nonstop, were suddenly all polite, with an awkward 'harmony' in the air.

Yi Ye: ...Cooking badly is my destiny, I get it.

He sulked, head down, tapping the plate with his chopsticks. The sharp clink shut them up instantly.

"If you’re not eating, just get takeout. I’ll handle this."

Yi Ye knew he couldn’t cook, but with Bai Chuan’s hand hurt, he had no choice. It was like asking a duck to do gymnastics—standing on the bar was a miracle, let alone a 360° spin!

He sighed, dragging the dishes closer, looking like a sad little kitten.

Bai Chuan: "..."

Kaiser: "..."

Those jerks.

"Who said I’m not eating?" Kaiser snatched the tomato and egg dish. "Of course I’ll eat, and I’ll finish it."

Bai Chuan hesitated, then quietly took the mashed potatoes—well, the burnt potato shreds.

"Really eating? I didn’t force you."

Kaiser dumped it into his rice, mixed it up, and shoveled it in, forcing a grin: "It’s... not terrible..."

Yi Ye immediately looked expectantly at Bai Chuan.

The latter gulped down the potatoes—well, the shreds—without chewing, veins popping: "Yep. Delicious."

"?"

Seriously?

"Let me taste—" A burning sensation like concentrated sulfuric acid surged across his tongue, and Yi Ye turned his head abruptly, "Blech—"

The two quickly went to get water, and Yi Ye quickly chugged a large glass of water from one of the cups.

But upon seeing those dishes again, he couldn’t help but, "Blech—"

His face turned red and then pale, so embarrassed by his awful cooking that his ears turned red. He should’ve just made instant noodles. It was truly a wonder how these two could utter the lies "not bad" and "delicious."

"Your taste buds... are something else." He raised his thumb in admiration.

Kaiser: "..."

Bai Chuan: "..."

What could they say?

Who asked you to be the one cooking!

But someone started laughing first, and the three of them looked at each other, suddenly burst out laughing. The ox bone soup in the middle of the table still smelled like a witch’s brew, while the shredded potatoes and scrambled eggs with tomatoes had turned into some kind of toxic waste, making the entire table terrifying. But Yi Ye laughed heartily, his eyes crinkled, sparkling, his voice clear.

Seeing him laugh, Kaiser felt happy and joined in.

Bai Chuan quietly started cleaning the table, though the corners of his mouth were also upturned.

"Maybe I should learn to make poison instead. I’m terrible at cooking, but maybe I’d be good at making poison."

"You? Who’d you dare to poison?" Kaiser said.

"You, of course."

"I’m with you."

"Hmph."

...

After the meal, they split up the chores to clean the table and all sat down on the sofa. There were two sofas, one large and one small. The small sofa was chosen by Yi Ye, who liked to lie down for an afternoon nap. He specifically picked a small sofa filled with slow-rebound foam, lying on it felt like sinking into a cloud.

However, it could only accommodate two people at most. Kaiser and Bai Chuan exchanged glances, quietly vying.

But before they could determine a winner, the black-haired guy sprawled out and took over the whole sofa.

Facing one who was his brother and the other a good roommate he had lived with for over a year, Yi Ye clearly regarded these two as his own, so much that he didn’t care how he looked. Once home, he changed into an extremely loose pajama, gray-blue and silk, clinging to his body. When he shifted his legs, his pale, slender ankles peeked out.

Kaiser sometimes wondered what Yi Ye’s skin was made of.

They were all students of the Imperial Honor Military Academy, with so much daily training and long-term exposure to the sun. Even Bush Meihua and Bai Chuan, who were naturally as pale as male ghosts, would be affected by the intense sunlight. But Yi Ye didn’t darken at all, remaining as white as jade.

Every part of his body was deathly white.

Don’t ask how he knew. With Yi Ye's completely unguarded nature, it wasn’t uncommon for him to go to the bathroom in just his underwear at night. Except for one place he hadn’t seen... he could almost remember and sketch the rest on a drawing pad.

Thinking of that scene, Kaiser felt his nose heating up again, and he quickly backed off, sitting as far from Yi Ye as possible.

Bai Chuan: "..."

Completely unaware of the psychological changes in these two, Yi Ye was busy scrolling through his terminal. General Lin Pei had suddenly sent him a message saying he would return to the main planet in a couple of days to attend the Emperor's birthday. He didn’t understand why this person specifically told him about this, but considering he was a superior, he replied.

"Yi Ye: Welcome, welcome."

"Ling Pei: Are you settling in well on the main planet?"

"Yi Ye: It's been great, really great."

"Ling Pei: Who have you met so far?"

"Yi Ye: Quite a few."

There was silence for a few minutes.

"Ling Pei: Yi Ye, if you don’t feel like talking, we can end the conversation."

His attempt to dodge the question was caught.

Crap.

Yi Ye frantically typed: "I met the Chief Justice, the Duchess of Wenz, Prince Peide, and Princess Juliet. I didn’t mention it earlier because the way you’re asking, General, feels like you’re grilling me like a census taker."

"Ling Pei: Exactly. I’m doing just that."

"Yi Ye: ???"

"Ling Pei: The birthday festivities kick off tomorrow, and there’ll be a banquet at the palace, but I can’t make it back. You cadets from the Imperial Honor Military Academy should receive invitations. At the banquet, you’ll meet other members of the Senate, including the Tenth Seat. Keep your conversations with him brief, and don’t accept anything from him."

"Yi Ye: Wouldn’t that be impolite?"

"Ling Pei: He’s known for drugging and assaulting good-looking men."

Yi Ye was stunned.

That’s downright terrifying...

Shortly after ending the chat with Ling Pei, an email popped up, as expected, and there were also two notifications buzzing. The email was sent out en masse, and all three of them received formal invitations to the banquet at the same time. Kaiser had already known he’d attend the dinner, took a quick look, and shut off his terminal: "I’ll send a car for you tomorrow."

"No need, Xiao Bai and I can catch the shuttle."

Although he had a good relationship with Kaiser, using his name to get into the palace was a different story. They were merely cadets at the Imperial Honor Military Academy, and they couldn’t easily show any inclination to take sides at this time.

Kaiser got the hint and didn’t push further.

"I should head out too."

"I figured you’d stick around till eight or nine." He glanced at the time; it wasn’t even 7 yet.

Kaiser straightened his coat, walked to the entrance, exchanged a glance with Bai Chuan in the living room, looked back at Yi Ye, and said meaningfully: "Next time, find a time when we’re alone, I’ll stay longer. Some folks are just too unpleasant."

Yi Ye was puzzled: "?"

"Leaving." He turned to leave, took two steps, and suddenly came back, hesitating as he eyed his outfit, "In the future, if there are outsiders, you... you might want to tone down the wardrobe..."

After saying that, he hurriedly left.

Yi Ye pulled at his hem, feeling a bit crushed after the fashion critique: "Xiao Bai, are my pajamas really that bad?"

Bai Chuan: "..."

Bai Chuan: "He’s just being weird, ignore him."

He diverted Yi Ye’s attention with words, but he kept a wary eye on the car speeding off outside.

This guy... really...

...

After getting ready for bed, the two of them lay on the same bed.

The roof in the next bedroom, Bai Chuan had always said he would find someone to fix it, but nothing had been done about it. Yi Ye asked twice but got no results, so he stopped asking.

He didn’t mind sleeping next to someone.

Bai Chuan seemed to have gotten used to it too. Sometimes when he woke up in the morning, Yi Ye would find himself lying in Bai Chuan's arms, and Bai Chuan wouldn’t push him away. It was just like when they used to share a bed before they grew apart, but back then Bai Chuan was too thin and small, so he always clung to Yi Ye like a little ball.

Now it was the opposite; he had become the one always leaning into Bai Chuan's arms.

Having a younger brother who grew up too fast is really a pain.

"Having trouble sleeping?"

Bai Chuan's voice came from the darkness.

"Kind of tired..." he yawned, "but I have to take bread to the old man next door at five tomorrow."

"I’ll wake you up, just go to sleep for now." After a pause, "Do you want me to go with you?"

Yi Ye shook his head and refused.

Bai Chuan hummed and quieted down.

The thermostat was set a bit low, and the bedroom felt cool. The cedar scent in the air was really calming.

Half-asleep, the youth would make some almost playful movements, his two hands hugging Bai Chuan's firm waist, seeking warmth as he snuggled closer.

"You’re really warm..." he mumbled, "My hands were cold during the day, but now they’re so warm at night..."

Bai Chuan was left speechless by his snuggling: "I don’t know either."

"Like a human heater." He chuckled softly.

The slight tremors from his laughter made Bai Chuan's body sweat, the muscles wrapped around his bones twitching, forming distinct lines.

As he responded to Yi Ye, all sorts of vivid images flashed through his mind. He really wanted to be rough with Yi Ye, touch him, kiss him, or spread his legs and lick him... He couldn’t think about it anymore.

Bai Chuan exhaled a hot breath deeply. Even though it wasn’t his heat period, it didn’t matter. He was too quick to have lustful thoughts about Yi Ye, and just a touch would make him feel like he was about to explode.

But the cruel thing was, Yi Ye had never reacted to him.

At least in his memory, Yi Ye hadn’t even reacted when he was doing it himself.

Most Betas in the world are sexually unresponsive, and Yi Ye seemed to be the best among them, having no desires. He said he liked girls, but he had never watched that kind of film. When he encountered any girl in his childhood, he always treated them like children.

It’s hard to imagine what he would be like if he had desires.

Bai Chuan held him, his thoughts running wild: If I were to lick him, would he react if I sucked with my tongue?

If I swallowed, it would definitely taste good.

The person in his arms moved slightly, unable to hide his drowsiness: "Are you thirsty... it seems like you’ve been swallowing a lot..."

His ears turned red, and he whispered, "A bit thirsty."

"Then go drink some water, there's some in the living room."

"No need." His chin rested on Yi Ye's hair. "I'll endure it... You go to sleep first."

Yi Ye made a sound of acknowledgment and fell into a deep sleep.

After he fell asleep, Bai Chuan got up and went into the bathroom. He returned almost two hours later, shivering from the cold water, and waited for his body temperature to return to normal before lying back down in the bed.

...

At 5 a.m., Yi Ye was promptly awakened by Bai Chuan.

He forced his heavy eyelids open, sat up, got dressed, and then drifted like a ghost into the bathroom. While washing his face, he noticed a small red mark on his shoulder. Thinking it was a bug bite, he scratched it and ignored it.

"You sure you don’t want me to tag along?" Bai Chuan was also up, holding a donut and a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

"It's just to the fence, not far. That old man’s too weird, if you come he might even scold me, so forget it."

"Alright."

He threw a coat over Yi Ye, saying, "It's a bit cold in the morning, keep it on."

Yi Ye, not fully awake yet, looked up lazily and smiled at him, "Alright, Bai Chuan, my little caretaker."

*

Arriving in the yard, Yi Ye carried a plate with both hands and walked to the part of the fence that had been previously dismantled. The mechanical corgi had already wriggled through the fence gap, but today it seemed pretty down, lying on the ground, and only let out a soft whimper when it saw him.

"Where’s that cranky old man? Why are you by yourself today?"

The dog barked, and only then did Yi Ye notice a small wooden box hanging from its neck, containing a note and a puzzle piece.

"I’m off on a trip, enjoy the donut. Help me with a puzzle, and I’ll have something for you when I get back. PS: Take care of Orange."

Orange... that’s this dog, right?

As for the puzzle, it was a thin piece, and the material was hard to tell by touch, but by shape, it seemed to be from the edge.

"Can't tell what the picture is either." Yi Ye raised an eyebrow. "Making me play with a puzzle for no reason, that old man’s so boring, I can’t be bothered."

"Woof woof woof!"

The dog got worked up.

Gently patting its head, Yi Ye put the note and the puzzle piece back into the box, flipping it over to find something written on the back of the paper.

"Knew you wouldn’t have the smarts to play."

He laughed, hands on hips, "Hey, the old reverse psychology trick doesn’t work anymore, you’re such an old geezer."

"Woof—" The dog gave him a pleading look, as if saying, "Really, you're not going to play? Really, really not? Wuwuwu QAQ."

Yi Ye scratched his head, defeated by its gaze.

"Does your master not have any other friends, that he’s asking me to play this? At least give me the rest of the pieces, huh?"

The dog didn’t get it, but seeing Yi Ye take the puzzle piece, it happily yelped and jumped up.

"Really... alright, I knew it wouldn’t be that easy, I’ll hold onto it for now. What a weird old man."

Turning his frustration into hunger, Yi Ye quickly finished the donut and coffee, then picked up the mechanical dog, muttering about whether mechanical dogs need oil and batteries, and carried the plate back into the house.

The moment he saw the dog, Bai Chuan's face contorted.

He didn't want anyone intruding on their private world, but Yi Ye seemed to like it, so he clenched his teeth expressionlessly and could only reluctantly nod in agreement.

But soon, that thought turned into regret.

Because the dog was more intelligent than expected, it even had a "stranger recognition" program, and upon seeing him, it bolted in fear, sticking close to Yi Ye's leg the whole time, whimpering and seeking comfort.

He remarked coldly, "Are you sure you want to keep such a clingy thing? It even clings to the door when you go to the bathroom."

Yi Ye: "Hmm... it should be fine to keep it for a few days."

"..."

Bai Chuan: How much gunpowder did he have left from the statue explosion...

Dealing with the mechanical dog would have to wait.

After breakfast, the clothes Kaiser had custom-made for Yi Ye arrived one after another, the production speed was almost as fast as a rocket launch. A whole row of clothes stood in the living room, making Yi Ye feel like a top-tier tycoon all of a sudden. He casually picked out a blue and gold tailcoat with a ruffled shirt collar, the tailoring was sharp and precise, making him look particularly tall and dignified.

In the mirror behind, Bai Chuan was wearing a finely detailed white suit, his blond hair was dazzling, shining brightly under the light.

The protagonist is getting more and more handsome. I wonder who he’ll end up with, Yi Ye thought.

"Let's go, brother."

He quickly snapped back to reality: "Alright."

Straightening his collar, the two walked out side by side and got into the car heading to the palace.