Chapter 145: Fondling and Kissing Under the Umbrella

Chapter 145: Under the Umbrella: Teasing and Kissing

Beside the umbrella stall, there happened to be a shop selling crab roe soup dumplings. Qin Jiao wasn't hungry initially, but the shop owner's little daughter was especially adorable, her pearl-like eyes gazing at them with bright, dewy sparkle as she recommended their crab roe soup dumplings.

Qin Jiao could never resist such coaxing, so he immediately bought two baskets, planning to enjoy them as a snack.

Crab roe soup dumplings are best eaten hot, so Qin Jiao alternated between eating one himself and feeding one to Xie Nai, buzzing around happily.

"These crab roe soup dumplings are a bit light on the crab flavor," Qin Jiao laughed. "If we used those 'fragrant paddy crabs' His Majesty gave me, they'd definitely be delicious!"

They had been strolling for a while, and the sun was growing increasingly fierce. At this moment, the plainer silk umbrella Qin Jiao had also bought came in handy.

The pale green silk umbrella opened above Qin Jiao's head, and Xie Nai held it with one hand while using the other to brush aside the willow branches behind Qin Jiao.

Lingbei was thick with willow trees, planted along the riverbanks. They now stood by an embankment, with clusters of willows behind Qin Jiao and gentle ripples on the river.

"I want to go to Xiaoxiang Prefecture—I heard the crabs there are really plump!"

This was something He Zhao had mentioned to Qin Jiao on the day he got drunk. Perhaps because of Xiaoxiang Prefecture's unique location, it produced plump crabs almost year-round. At that moment, Little Master Qin, who loved eating crabs, felt a quiet pang of heartbreak—so what had all those years of waiting for Mid-Autumn crabs been for?

Xie Nai smiled and ruffled Qin Jiao's head. "Then let's go to Xiaoxiang Prefecture tomorrow."

"Huh? Just up and leave?"

Qin Jiao had only mentioned it casually—after all, Xie Nai was so busy, how could he have time to accompany him on sightseeing trips? "Aren't you in a hurry to return to the capital?"

"No rush." Xie Nai lazily leaned against the willow trunk. "I was planning to go to Xiaoxiang Prefecture anyway."

"Is there a reason?"

Qin Jiao was astute; the moment he heard Xie Nai's words, he guessed there must be another reason behind this.

"We've identified the poison used on my imperial brother." Xie Nai's gaze drifted toward the distant sky, his voice dropping. "It's from a venomous snake in Xiaoxiang Prefecture—the 'Sharp-crested Snake.'"

Earlier, Xie Xuanran had sent Shadow Guards to find a box of medicines in the Second Prince's secret chamber. After examination by Xiao Qisheng and Xiao Baiyu, the poison in those compounds matched the poison that had been used on Xie Shu.

Upon verification, it was confirmed that within the Tianyuan Dynasty, only Xiaoxiang Prefecture was home to the Sharp-crested Snake. Xie Xuanran immediately dispatched Shen Fuqing to Xiaoxiang Prefecture to investigate, and Xie Nai, after swinging by to pick up Qin Jiao, was also heading there.

"Then why wait until tomorrow!" Qin Jiao immediately grew restless the moment Xie Nai finished speaking. "Let's set out this afternoon!"

Qin Jiao moved to leave but was pulled back by Xie Nai. "In summer, the river runs fast and the tides are rough—it's not suitable for night travel."

From Lingbei to Xiaoxiang Prefecture, traveling by water was fastest, but as Xie Nai said, summer weather changed quickly. If they encountered another sudden downpour like yesterday's, they might not make it out unscathed.

"Fine, then let's set out early tomorrow!"

Xie Nai had been investigating the Late Crown Prince's poisoning case for three years, and Qin Jiao hoped he could learn the truth soon and ease the heaviness in his heart.

Qin Jiao secretly glanced at Xie Nai, his gaze complicated.

Ever since he and Xie Nai had been reunited, whenever Xie Nai spoke of his late imperial brother, his expression was always somber and pained. But Qin Jiao felt Xie Nai shouldn't be so dejected—and the hardworking, beloved Late Crown Prince didn't deserve such an unexplained death either.

"Why are you staring at this prince like that?"

Qin Jiao thought his covert glances were well-hidden, but every move he made fell under Xie Nai's watchful eyes.

"I wasn't looking at you..." Qin Jiao, caught red-handed, rubbed his nose awkwardly. Saying something like "I feel bad for you" would be way too sappy. Just then, Qin Jiao lowered his head and saw the crab roe soup dumplings in his hands, so he said offhandedly, "I was just wondering which you'd like more—the crab dumplings or the plain noodles from earlier!"

After saying this, Qin Jiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Xie Nai glanced at the oil-paper package in his hand. "Then which does the little master prefer?"

"Huh?"

Qin Jiao paused. This felt a little familiar—hadn't Xie Nai asked him the same thing at the noodle stall just now?

"Of course, Xie—"

So Qin Jiao's eyes darted around, about to pull the same stunt again, but before he could finish his sentence, a cool hand came to rest on his chin.

Xie Nai stroked Qin Jiao's chin like he was petting a cat, his thumb with its thin calluses brushing across the young man's lips, rubbing and kneading with a light but insistent pressure.

"This time..." Xie Nai's voice was soft, but the look he gave Qin Jiao was burning hot. "The little master had better think carefully before he answers."

Qin Jiao couldn't take the teasing, shivering as he backed up until his waist hit the railing. "Are you trying to scare me?"

Xie Nai ran a fiercely possessive look over Qin Jiao, smiled, and said nothing.

His stroking grew firmer, and Qin Jiao's lips visibly reddened. The little master's lower back trembled at the teasing, and he immediately grabbed the man's hand to stop him.

"You get mad so easily." Qin Jiao mumbled. He couldn't even crack a joke.

"Mhm." Xie Nai owned up to Qin Jiao's "accusation." "So which does the little master prefer?"

Xie Nai's hot breath ghosted over Qin Jiao's neck, sending a violent shiver down his spine. "We're way too close..." Qin Jiao thought to himself.

Last night, Qin Jiao and Xie Nai had shared a room, and though they'd been intimate, it had only been a brief taste—nothing more.

Now Xie Nai deliberately teased Qin Jiao, provoking the little master until his face flushed and his eyes went misty. It wasn't long before Qin Jiao "gave in." "I like Xie—Xie Nai's Xie, okay..."

Qin Jiao silently cursed himself for being so weak-willed, unable to handle the teasing. He was also afraid someone might see them like this. "Let go of me quickly—what if someone sees us like this?"

Hearing what he wanted, Xie Nai smiled, satisfied. The next second, the hand holding the umbrella tilted downward, and the green umbrella just barely hid them from view. "Consider this your reward."

Following Xie Nai's words came a lingering, demanding kiss.

The wind rustled the willow branches, the sun shone brightly, and the little master was held by the nape as the man kissed him in soft pecks. The green silk umbrella hid their tangled, intimate forms. "Mm, don't bite me..."

He was using a bit too much force, and Qin Jiao frowned in pain. Xie Nai said nothing, but his kisses did become much gentler.

Beneath the clusters of willows, a silk umbrella veiled a thousand little intimacies, leaving only the glimmering river to mirror their quiet affection... After a long while, Xie Nai finally released Qin Jiao and wiped the silvery thread from the corner of his lips.

"You—you're way too rough."

Qin Jiao couldn't help but complain between light pants. It had only been a little over ten days since they'd last seen each other—how had this guy gotten so rough? His tongue was going numb.

"I know." Xie Nai said as he gently massaged Qin Jiao's cheeks. "Next time, this prince will go easier."

"Mm, stop pinching!"

Xie Nai's hands moved back and forth, and Qin Jiao's cheeks were squeezed until he looked like a goldfish, just short of actually blowing bubbles...

"There won't be a next time!"

Annoyed, Qin Jiao wriggled free and ran off, covering his face. Xie Nai slowly folded the umbrella shut first, his gaze flicking briefly across the distance, then went after Qin Jiao.

"I saw nothing, I saw nothing!"

On the far bank of the river.

Thanks to Luo Yue's "well-honed instincts," the second Xie Nai tilted his umbrella, he'd already dragged Luo Bei off to a safe distance. The others—Qing Yi, Si Lu, and Ning Zhong—weren't so "lucky."

Although they could not see what was happening beneath the silk umbrella, the "deliberate omission" left even more room for imagination.

"That young master and his companions have left. Qing Yi, are you still going to keep following them?" Si Lu asked, the tips of his ears turning slightly red as he looked at Qing Yi.

"I'm not going to anymore."

Withdrawing his gaze from Ning Zhong over there, Qing Yi was struggling to suppress the trembling that ran through his entire body. "Why can't you just forget him?"

"Forget what?" Si Lu noticed Qing Yi seemed a bit off and asked with concern, "Qing Yi, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Coming back to his senses, Qing Yi suddenly smiled softly, his eyes shining with eager light. "It's nothing. Why would anything be wrong with me? Let's hurry back."

"Oh, alright..."

On the way back with Si Lu, Qing Yi unconsciously touched his own face, his eyes shimmering as he murmured gleefully:

"If anyone's got a problem, it should be them."

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