Chapter 46 Crown Prince’s Forced Marriage with You

Chapter 46: The Crown Prince's Coercive Pursuit

Lou Han withdrew his hand from over Xiao Jing's chest. His mind was in turmoil, and he didn't know what to say, so his expression naturally darkened. Lou Han was adept at concealing his feelings; a cold exterior was often all that showed.

To Xi Jingqi, Lou Han showed no reaction. Xi Jingqi's eyes narrowed instantly, and his expression slowly cooled.

Lou Han continued carefully cleaning Xiao Jing's wound, meticulously applying the golden trauma ointment, and then gingerly bandaging it.

When his face was blank, it held a natural chill. He set down the scissors after cutting the gauze, his lips pressed together. Even while doing these things, it revealed little intimacy for Xi Jingqi, as if he was sulking with him—though it was only an appearance.

But to an outsider, it was different—it truly was.

Xi Jingqi hadn't expected that after all his careful maneuvering, A-Han would instead get angry with him.

Why? Wasn't he the one at fault? Could it be that the connection they shared these past few days was all fake, just Lou Han pretending? Had he long resented him for keeping him in the palace, knowing how cruel this action truly was—to detain him forever, forcing him to marry him as a woman?

This made Xi Jingqi's eyes darken further.

Was Lou Han actually... such a person?

Before, Lou Han's heart and mind couldn't have been clearer. Although there had been some changes recently, he was still that same person, the pure youth who, upon closer reflection, made Xi Jingqi's heart soften.

But if he were to discover that Lou Han had been pretending all these days, that he had been played for a fool, he dared not imagine what he might do.

He stared at Lou Han, his expression no longer as composed as before.

He also lost the desire to speak.

Lou Han saw that Xiao Jing, sitting across from him, wasn't speaking.

He waited quietly for a while.

Then, after a short while.

He suddenly felt like laughing a little.

After thinking it over carefully, he still decided to get up first to clear away the washbasin and other tools, and then bring Xiao Jing a cup of water to drink.

Xiao Jing believed this matter couldn't be known by others; surface appearances had to be maintained. They couldn't summon the imperial physician, and naturally couldn't use the kitchen staff to make some blood-nourishing tonics for Xiao Jing.

*Hmm. Fetching a cup of water was still necessary.*

But just as he stood up, perhaps tonight's events had thoroughly stirred him up, for Xi Jingqi's gaze upon him grew increasingly intense.

He was clearly getting up to put away the medicine, but Xi Jingqi mistakenly thought he was getting up to leave and seized his hand.

He rarely exerted such strength.

Lou Han turned to look at him, and Xi Jingqi almost firmly turned Lou Han's face back, his eyes fixed on him.

Xi Jingqi had deep-set eyes, harboring a trace of almost imperceptible aloofness. That gaze, when it fell upon Lou Han, carried a hint of scrutiny, as if evaluating him.

Xi Jingqi was originally this kind of person—fickle and faithless. If he couldn't get the desired result, he would immediately start assessing whether it was worth continuing to invest.

As for the "gentle and lovely" image he had painstakingly maintained in Lou Han's heart for nearly twenty years, he no longer cared about it.

Lou Han's hand was tightly gripped by him.

The grip grew heavier and heavier.

It was at this moment that the faint scent of ambergris from Xi Jingqi's body drifted into Lou Han's nostrils.

In such a situation, Lou Han found himself momentarily distracted, staring at Xiao Jing's narrowed phoenix eyes, counting his eyelashes—one, two, three...

Xi Jingqi's body slowly leaned closer. He wanted to do... something, to vent a little, but then he stopped.

He blinked his eyes, seeing the Lou Han before him still not uttering a word.

Lou Han's eyes reflected his own face, their clear, intelligent gaze looking at him like an innocent fawn.

This look of his was something Xi Jingqi greatly favored, which was why he wanted to maintain his image in front of him and thus couldn't bear to ruin it...

Lou Han saw Xiao Jing look at him for a long while.

Then suddenly, he himself stood up to leave.

Lou Han, seeing him about to leave, was baffled.

He hurriedly grabbed Xiao Jing's hand himself. Since Xiao Jing's right hand was injured, he couldn't hold that one, so he tentatively held his left hand instead. He watched the moonlight fall on Xiao Jing's profile, his clothes still bearing a trace of blood.

Lou Han remained silent.

Lou Han felt somewhat guilty. He should have thought of this earlier.

Xiao Jing was authoritative and cautious, and his thoughts were complex and ever-shifting.

Lou Han leaned in and kissed Xi Jingqi's cheek. Then he pulled Xiao Jing towards his own body, his lips finding Xi Jingqi's, and slowly kissed him, parting his lips.

The cold tension Xi Jingqi had been holding instantly melted away.

Although he usually appeared reserved and indifferent, Lou Han was much more skilled at this than Xi Jingqi. He was even very direct and forceful.

When Xi Jingqi felt something soft slip into his mouth, he frowned.

He hadn't expected Lou Han to initiate such a thing. Logically, this shouldn't have happened.

But it happened anyway.

Very interesting.

This feeling was also very good.

Xi Jingqi didn't refuse. He immediately cast aside the other thoughts in his mind.

It wasn't until Lou Han was panting heavily, separating their connected lips, that he realized Xi Jingqi had, at some point, begun to reciprocate.

Lou Han remained silent.

Really... without any physical training in this life, this pampered, well-cared-for body was failing him again. Meanwhile, Xiao Jing seemed unaffected after being kissed by him for so long.

Lou Han lowered his head, feeling no embarrassment. But he felt he should pretend to be a little embarrassed. He blushed slightly, though it might not be very visible on his fair face, and asked, "Was this what you wanted?"

Now it was Xi Jingqi's turn to stare at him, motionless.

Lou Han knew the words he spoke were different from his usual self.

And his actions somewhat resembled those he took when he saw Xi Jingqi about to leave—a spur-of-the-moment move.

But what's said is said and done is done, so Lou Han braced himself and pressed on.

Lou Han thought for a moment, then gently took Xiao Jing's hand and gave it a slight shake. "But... we can't go any further. Your hand is injured."

Xi Jingqi continued to stare him down, as if the emperor had been stunned by his actions.

See, this was why Lou Han often refrained from taking the initiative—because doing so tended to startle Xi Jingqi instead.

In truth, he understood better than the system what needed to be done.

Because the system was merely an outsider intervening between him and Xiao Jing, whereas he and Xiao Jing had actually spent many years together.

From Lou Han's observations, Xiao Jing was an extremely suspicious person in every world. Taking the initiative to approach him never ended well.

Instead, he had to stay put, patiently waiting for Xiao Jing to come to him, to take the initiative himself. And then—he would gain a lover.

Of course, Lou Han figured these kinds of thoughts were not something he could share with the system, so he had never discussed them.

As far as Lou Han knew, if Xi Jingqi liked someone, he would probe into that person, because in Xiao Jing's view, his time was precious.

In this world, Xiao Jing had already reached the pinnacle of power as a minister, making him even more sensitive and suspicious. That he was willing to probe into Lou Han meant he had at least some interest in him, childhood feelings aside. But Lou Han also had to tread even more carefully.

Yet, seeing Xi Jingqi's expression just now, Lou Han couldn't help but take the initiative to kiss him.

But now, with Xi Jingqi frozen in place, Lou Han felt he had acted too rashly.

Lou Han had come to this world partway through. To him, this world was merely a stop on a journey; he would move on to the next destination, with the ultimate goal of returning to the real world. But for Xiao Jing, this world was his everything. He had his own idea of Lou Han from before, as well as his understanding of the throne and his ambitions—all things Lou Han had never been part of. So... his earlier actions must have seemed too abrupt to Xiao Jing.

Lou Han couldn't help but smile.

He looked at Xi Jingqi.

Xi Jingqi was staring blankly at his face, which also surprised Lou Han. In this world, Xiao Jing's image was always refined and elegant, rarely so dazed. Usually, when facing Lou Han, he appeared all-knowing and always in charge. Even when tender and affectionate, it was clear that Xi Jingqi was the one calling the shots.

Lou Han was dressed in white. He glanced at the yellow robe embroidered with dragon patterns that Xi Jingqi wore and let a small smile touch his lips. White and yellow were still a perfect match.

After that slight lift, Lou Han pressed his lips back into a line.

Xi Jingqi looked down at him, seemingly lost in thought.

He gazed at A-Han before him—the vivid, lively Lou Han—whose lips had lifted and then been pressed down again. He raised his hand to examine the bandaged wound, and his spirits lifted a little.

As he turned his hand over, examining it back and forth, he glanced at Lou Han.

Lou Han also watched, puzzled, as he looked at his right hand, the palm wrapped in gauze, with the slender fingers still exposed.

Then, Xi Jingqi suddenly broke into a smile.

This smile carried no particular meaning, as if everything that had just happened dissolved within it—gentle yet dazzling.

Just as Xi Jingqi himself had said, he had suffered many serious injuries before. His scrutiny of his hand wasn't due to sudden concern over the wound but rather hesitation.

As thoughts rose and were suppressed in his mind, he continued to turn his injured hand over.

But after repeating this about four times, Lou Han watched as the noble emperor finally stopped.

Then, he simply looked at Lou Han.

Xi Jingqi once again—using his uninjured hand—grabbed Lou Han and kissed him.

It wasn't until Xi Jingqi's tongue surged into his mouth with overwhelming force that Lou Han confirmed this kiss was filled with desire—not the slightest hint of restraint, even more fierce than the last time. This time, Xi Jingqi had completely surrendered to his desires.

Xi Jingqi led him toward the bed.

In his dazed state, Lou Han hadn't expected things to reach this point again.

He mumbled indistinctly, "Your Majesty, what about your empress..."

His words killed the mood.

By addressing Xiao Jing as "Your Majesty," he intended to ask: You're the emperor, and you'll still have to marry an "empress" in the future. After what we're doing now, how do you plan to handle your future "empress"?

In ancient times, a relationship between two men was quite scandalous, wasn't it?

But hearing Lou Han's words now, Xi Jingqi felt he was hinting at something else entirely.

...

There are some people.

No matter what mischief you engage in, they never refuse you.

Perhaps you might be deceived by their outward aloofness, but in truth, you only need to reach out casually to pull them into your embrace.

Isn't that a form of... seduction in its own way?

Xi Jingqi looked down at him from above, as if wanting to devour him whole. After a moment, he leaned closer to Lou Han, who, caught off guard, was pushed onto the bed.

Xi Jingqi's hair cascaded over Lou Han just as before. Even though things had only just begun, the air seemed to brim with boundless springtime, with amorous feelings swirling around them.

"A-Han, you are naturally my empress," he said to him in a low, husky voice.

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Author's Note: You might not have noticed the emotional journeys of these two in these two chapters, but in fact, within these short two chapters, both of them underwent many shifts in their thoughts about each other, haha. I'll write out a breakdown of the changes for you all another day.