Ch 45

As the eldest son of the Zhao family, Zhao Feng had been brought up as the heir and successor. His wishes were treated as commands, and he has never lacked for anything. Hence it was not an exaggeration to say that Su Yang's bowl of noodles was the most revolting food he has ever tasted, if this pot of blackish and reddish stuff could even be called food to begin with.

Su Yang looked ashamed. He had made this pot of noodles to curry favour with Zhao Feng. As the saying goes, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!

The system: "You almost destroyed his stomach."

Su Yang: "..."

A heavy silence hung over the dining area. Zhao Feng slowly set his chopsticks down. "Just stay away from the kitchen for now." He paused, then added, "For the future as well."

Su Yang looked aggrieved. "You said it wasn't bad."

"I didn't want to embarrass you, but I didn't think you would try to poison me!" Zhao Feng crossly pushed the bowl of noodles over to Su Yang. "How about you try it yourself."

Su Yang immediately waved it away, saying sheepishly, "No no, it's fine. I'll never step foot in the kitchens again."

His evasiveness further roused Zhao Feng's displeasure. His brows drew together as he growled, "Were you deliberately trying to mess with me."

Indignant, Su Yang puffed out his cheeks and lowered his lashes. "I wouldn't dare..." he mumbled.

Zhao Feng thought, That's true. He pulled the youth onto his lap and kissed the corners of his soup-stained mouth. "Tell me," he said. "Why did you suddenly decide to make dinner for me?"

Su Yang looked straight into Zhao Feng's eyes, his bright, round pupils filled with charming determination.

"Because I heard the housekeeper say you liked eating this. I just thought that, if I was just a little better, would Feng gē also..." His voice grew lower and softer, almost but not quite coquettishly, making his listener's heart flutter.

Feeling his pulse quicken, Zhao Feng tightened his arms around the youth. "Say it again, I didn't hear it clearly."

Su Yang rested his head on Zhao Feng's shoulder but shook his head, refusing to speak again.

Zhao Feng's throat bobbed in a swallow. He slid a scorching hot palm up the hem of Su Yang's shirt to gently rub at the smooth skin of his waist. Su Yang broke into shivers from the touch, his fair cheeks quickly turning crimson.

"Are you saying it, or not," Zhao Feng murmured in his ear. "If you don't say it, I'll do you right here."

Little Zhao Qi was still innocently staring at them, his eyes bright with curiosity.

Beast, Su Yang silently swore at him, but capitulated and whispered in his ear with a trembling voice, "I said, if I could make Feng gē's favourite food, and be even more excellent, would Feng gē also come to like me a little. Not because I resemble someone else, but just because of myself."

Zhao Feng was taken aback. Su Yang slowly wrapped his arms around Zhao Feng's, pressing closer to him. "I know my place," he said softly. "And I wouldn't dare try to replace the person in your heart... Feng gē, I'm not asking for much, I only need a little, really. It's fine if you could just give me a little, couldn't you?"

Zhao Feng was silent, his emotions a confused mess.

He had never imagined that there would be a day when someone could replace that phantom in his heart. The most beautiful being that had been lingering in his heart since he was young, haunting his thoughts and dreams, which had led to many a sleepless night. Every time his thoughts strayed to him, his heart would begin aching fiercely.

But if it was this stupid rabbit in his arms, if it was him, it may not be impossible after all...

He shut his eyes tightly. Zhao Feng, what the hell are you dreaming about! How could anyone replace him! That could never happen! !

Zhao Feng took a deep breath, then pinched Su Yang's chin and pressed down firmly on those honey-sweet lips. This little demon was so seductive, it could actually make his heart waver. This is wrong, wrong.

Su Yang silently observed the struggle and resentment in the man, but did not feel too disappointed. This was only the beginning.

As long as he wants to win someone over, there is no way he would miscalculate. Even if the man who was now frantically plundering his mouth, stirred fear and dread deep in the depths of his heart.

Zhao Feng was like a wild beast. Before he began pressing down on Su Yang, even though Su Yang had been afraid, the fear had only been vaguely present at the edges of his cognizance. Besides the ever present survival instinct which clamoured at him to flee, he hadn't felt any other sense of danger.

But now the beast has finally exposed his sinister fangs, the sharp claws digging into the delicate curve of Su Yang's spine. The threat to his life was very real and tangible, and under these circumstances, between taming this fierce beast or being torn to shreds, there is no viable third option.

He has to take Zhao Feng down as soon as possible.

With that in mind, Su Yang clumsily stretched out his tongue to cater to Zhao Feng's ferocious kisses.

This was the first time he had responded in anyway when they kissed. Although his movements were clumsy and inexperienced, lacking in any sort of finesse, Zhao Feng was so excited that his eyes were red.

He didn't know where this soul shaking sense of excitement came from, nor why he should feel this way. But at this moment, he was mad to the point of obsession with the desire to possess this youth.

He propped up Su Yang by his buttocks, letting the boy's legs wrap around his waist, and carried this devil who will be the death of him upstairs.

Little Zhao Qi had long since been whisked away by the housekeeper. Along the way, he asked incessantly, "Is Zhao Feng biting Xu gē gē? Xu gē gē's face was very red, why didn't he bite back? If it was me, I would definitely bite back..."

The old butler remained stony faced as he broke into a cold sweat, not daring to utter a single word in reply.

That night, Su Yang was unprecedently active. With this pliant and flexible body, coupled with Su Yang's proficiency in many forms of dance, he unlocked several forms of positions with ease, leading to Zhao Feng almost losing his mind and swallowing him whole.

=========

After that night, Su Yang stayed in bed for a full three days. It was during this time that Little Zhao Qi was unceremoniously sent back home to the Zhao family's old master Zhao.

The heartbroken child cried his eyes and lungs out as he gripped Su Yang's hand, refusing to let go. "Xu gē gē," he sobbed. "I won't go I won't go, I like to play with you..."

However, Su Yang did not even have the strength to lift a finger. His brain had turned to mush. He could only watch numbly as the child was hoisted away by Zhao Feng.

After ridding himself of this little third wheel, Zhao Feng ordered the servants to pack up their clothes. A dazed Su Yang found himself bundled into the car, and they drove down the mountain away from the villa.

The air of the outside world was obviously not as fresh and clean as in the mountains, but it had the taste of freedom.

Su Yang rubbed at his eyes and unconsciously snuggled closer against Zhao Feng's chest. "Where are we going?" he asked mutedly.

"Slow down a bit," Zhao Feng ordered the chauffeur, then hugged the befuddled boy tightly against him, his eyes overflowing with a tenderness he had never noticed in himself. "We're going home first, then to the company after."

Su Yang looked at him dumbly. Which 'home' was he referring to?

Zhao Feng calmly answered his unspoken question, "Our home, of course."

Although he still did not understand, Su Yang no longer asked. It's not like he had the right to pick and choose anyway. He yawned, his eyes drifting shut as he sank back to sleep.

The 'home' that Zhao Feng referred to was the top floor of the International Commercial Trade Center located at the heart of S City. It was the tallest building in the entire metropolis, and the topmost floor offered a breath-taking view of over half the city.

Su Yang was carried in through a special passageway by Zhao Feng. With people coming and going in all directions, although they were surrounded by bodyguards, Su Yang could not help burning with embarrassment and quickly buried his head against Zhao Feng's chest.

Zhao Feng whispered by his ear, "Everyone's looking at you, baby. Why don't you look up."

Su Yang trembled with fury and gave his chest a vicious bite. Although the fabric prevented his teeth from sinking in too deep, the saliva marks left on his shirt as well as the faint sting of pain made Zhao Feng frown. As punishment, he pinched and kneaded the firm buttocks in his hands.

A certain rabbit's back stiffened, and he no longer dared to act out.

Arriving at the topmost floor was like arriving at another world. There was deep silence all around. Only the tapping of leather shoes against the ground could be heard. The gold, gilded walls reflected Zhao Feng's strong and slender figure, as well as himself nestled against the man's bosom.

Zhao Feng's posture spoke of strength and brimmed with protectiveness. It was as If Su Yang was a prince he had wholeheartedly pledged his loyalty and devotion to.

Looks can be deceiving, Su Yang thought. If one only knew how he views Zhao Feng, and how Zhao feng in turn treats him.

The bodyguard ahead of them unlocked the door and carried the luggage in. Only after their belongings have been sorted and put into order, did Zhao Feng carry Su Yang in.

The interior decorations of the room was in keeping with Zhao Feng's usual style. Simple, clean, and utilitarian, without a single thread out of place. But it held a bit more warmth then the old Zhao residence, a little less imposing and dignified.

Su Yang was still tired, and immediately began poking around the sofa for the most comfortable spot to lie down on. Suddenly, he recalled something and opened his eyes to squint at Zhao Feng. "You sent Xiǎo Qi away? You promised yesterday he could stay, how can you just go back on your word like that?"

Zhao Feng gave a low chuckle and crouched down before Su Yang. He began casually unfastening the buttons of the boy's shirt to expose pale, lustrous skin generously dotted with pink bite marks.

His eyes were deep as he said meaningfully, "Seventh is still young. If he continues staying with us, if he happens to stumble on any scene unfit for his eyes, what would you do?"

{T/N : Seventh is referring to Zhao Qi, as he's the 7th child. That and 'Qi' literally means 7 as well.}

Su Yang looked down at his chest, then looked back up at the beast before him. He couldn't deny it at all! !

"It's not like you'll never see him again. The next time school lets out he can come stay a few days with us." Zhao Feng pinched Su Yang's cheek and coaxed, "You can watch the TV first, the remote's on the coffee table. I'll go cook some porridge."

Su Yang tugged on his hand and said feebly, "I really don't want anymore porridge..."

"What do you want then? How does Chinese medicine sound?"

"..." Su Yang said, "Porridge is fine too. Remember to add sugar."

Zhao Feng's lips quirked. "Good boy. Every time you have porridge, I'll have the same with you as well."

{T/N : Porridge because…. of sore rear ends.}

Don't act like you're doing me a favour, you're the damn reason I have to have porridge! Su Yang glared at his back as Zhao Feng headed to the kitchen, grinding his teeth silently. But when Zhao Feng turned around, he immediately switched to his sweet-as-a-cookie mode, pouting his lips and blowing a kiss.

After Zhao Feng entered the kitchen, he picked up the remote and turned on the TV. A history program was on, with the mysteries of the Yu Dynasty being the topic of discussion.

Su Yang had little interest in history. Given the choice, he would opt to watch movies over dry discussions of archaeology any day. But he remembered that this was Zhao Feng's area of interest, so he stifled his impatience and deigned to listen for a while.

The famous historian Zhang Lao was seated on an armchair, waving his folding fan as he spoke with self-assurance born of experience. Su Yang was already somewhat sleepy to begin with, and this droning lecture made him even sleepier. His consciousness began drifting, until the words 'Wu Xingde' floated to his ears. He woke with a start.

A simple scroll painting was displayed on the TV screen. On the yellowed parchment, was an old, mighty general, in armour and astride a war horse, brandishing a black double-edged sword.

Su Yang's eyes were fixed on the letterings at the side of the painting : Lord Wu, the supreme general of the Ming Dynasty. His entire brain was dumbfounded.

The scene changed and the camera panned back to the historian. Zhang Lao waved his fan as he spoke slowly, "This Wu Xingde was an outstanding officer under Emperor Tai Zong. With regards to the territories of the Ming Dynasty, at least half was won in battle by him. When Tai Zong was young, he relied heavily on Wu Xingde. In order to placate him, the Emperor even conferred him with a Death Exemption plate. One should know, that this Death Exemption plate is valuable beyond measure..."

Su Yang scrambled up from the sofa and gave himself a vicious pinch. It hurt enough for his let out a silent hiss.

—–It's not a dream! !

Heedless of anything else, he ran to the bedroom and began turning out the pockets of Zhao Feng's coat. Fortunately for him, Zhao Feng has never set a password on his phone. Su Yang opened the browsing app and tapped out the key words : Ming Dynasty.

Hundreds of search results soon filled the screen. Su Yang directly clicked on the topmost one.

Ming Dynasty, the ruling dynasty prior to the founding of the Yu Dynasty. After Emperor Cheng Tian assumed the throne, the [Ming] Dynasty was officially renamed as the [Yu] Dynasty.

Su Yang's heartbeat thundered in his ears. He felt he had just stumbled upon an impossible truth. His fingers trembled as he slowly typed out 'Emperor Cheng Tian', and the webpage changed to show two very familiar words.

{T/N : Cheng Tian means 'to uphold/adhere to the way of heaven'.}

—–Jing Cheng.

Jing Cheng : (1454 – 1493) was the third Emperor of the Ming Dynasty and founder of the Yu Dynasty, well known as the golden age of prosperity. The era name of his reign was Cheng Tian, and he was subsequently known as the Cheng Tian Emperor. He ascended the throne at the age of 32, and reigned for seven years. Within the first three years, he drove away the Northern barbarians and vanquished the Ping Nan dwarves.

{T/N : 平南 (Ping Nan} – county in east of Guangxi, China. The dwarves are a derogatory term for the Japanese.}

The Emperor Cheng Tian is honoured by scholars throughout history as 'The Emperor of Ages'. He was granted the temple name of Shengzu, and the posthumous name of Emperor Hongyun Wenwu Ruizhe. He was buried in the Imperial Tomb with his wife, the Empress Tao.

{T/N : Temple names are posthumous titles given to Chinese monarchs. Shengzu means 'divine ancestor' or 'Patron saint'. A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, after the person's death. Hongyun = great fortune, wenwu = civil and military, ruizhe = wise and farsighted}

Empress... Tao?

Like a clap of thunder from clear skies, Su Yang felt like his head had burst open. He frantically continued searching for information on the phone, trying to tell himself that it was just a coincidence in an attempt to deceive himself, but the more he found, the more it confirmed this incredible truth.

He is still in the same world, just six hundred years later.

Su Yang fell to the ground in a daze. The phone dropped to the wooden floorboards with a clatter, the display screen still shining brightly, displaying article where some reputable scholars laid out the evidences to prove that the Emperor Cheng Tian had died of depression after the passing of his beloved wife.

Jing Cheng has been dead for hundreds of years...

The man who had been very good to him, and also very bad to him, was dead. He died because of Su Yang.

Zhao Feng came over after hearing some noise and found Su Yang wedged in a corner, hugging his knees. The boy's eyes were red and swollen, his face wet with tears.

His brows drew together sharply and he strode over. "What's wrong? Are your wounds hurting you?"

Seeing Zhao Feng drawing close, Su Yang immediately avoided his touch. He couldn't understand why himself, but right now, he did not want to be touched by anyone.