I'm Helping You Here

They returned to the palace at sunset, and went to their chambers feeling quite tired and heavy.

Except for Ren Jidian and Empress Wei, who were blooming so much with how they just look at each other and have fun, people could really believe that river makes wonders.

But no, it's not the river that made wonders. It's the two of them.

At nighttime, they had prepared for bed together. The scholar was no longer sleeping at the room next door.

He now slept beside the Empress, where he could have all his fun watching him and playing with his hair as he slumbered.

"Empress.... Is it really alright for me to sleep here?" Ren Jidian asked. "Are you not worried that your husband may suddenly barge in and see us sleeping at the same cot?"

"No. Are you?" Wei Wangyi grinned at him, as he also reached out for Ren Jidian's hair.

"Not really. I was more worried about you. But that bastard was so dense anyway that he would just be easily convinced that it's just something Yin friends do."

Empress Wei's expression became slightly more serious. "All thanks to that Song Xiu... I still highly distrust him, but he has helped cover for us several times."

"Yes..... But his intentions for that may be no good."

"Why?"

"He wanted to gain my trust. That he was a true ally, and that he would let me be with you." Ren Jidian speculated.

"Or at least, he wanted me to keep my guard down. Become so distracted of the joys that I feel, having fun with you, like how one would lure a horse with a carrot. Then..."

"He will strike, hitting me with a stick. And repeat again, luring me with a carrot and hitting me with a stick over and over."

Wei Wangyi sat up, grinning. "And I'm that carrot, right?"

Ren Jidian kissed him. "Yes. My delicious carrot. And if I do not follow him, if I do not do his bidding....."

"He will punish me by taking you away from me."

Wei Wangyi knew these speculations were not just for nothing. Ren Jidian has a point to believe this way.

"Gou Zhongcheng said she will take care of him when it comes to that. You need not to worry." Wei Wangyi placed a kiss on his forehead. "But it also pains me to just rely this on her."

"She's doing nothing for her own happiness." Ren Jidian sighed. "But its her choice. Unlike me, she doesn't have an Empress Wei."

"The problem is that she relies too much on Shu Zhanxing to be her Empress Wei."

The so-called empress also could only rub his forehead lightly. "We could not even force her to fall for another person. Love is an emotion that could not be forced."

"That is true. But the Emperor will never learn that." Ren Jidian scoffed.

"Mm..... Yawn..." The Empress stretched his limbs like a cat, and went to laid down on the cot. "Life really never runs out of problems. It's an endless stream."

"And we just have to keep swimming in it." Ren Jidian also laid down, facing him as he did. "As long as I'm with you, I can keep swimming and swimming no matter what."

Empress Wei nodded. "And I feel the same as well."

They closed their eyes and hugged each other as they slept.

But then, in the middle of the night, Ren Jidian heard rustling.

He woke up immediately. He had always been a light sleeper, and can easily be awoken by sounds and sudden light.

He consider this as a good skill, as this meant that no one can come up to him while he was sleeping undetected.

But he did not move yet.

He just waited.

Then...

SLASH!

He may be no assassin, but with patience on the perfect timing, he managed to cut a slash towards this creepy crawler's hair and face!

The stalker managed to move backwards on time, only grazing his cheek. If not, his face would have been permanently scarred diagonally.

He moved quickly and gripped Ren Jidian's wrist, causing him to let go of the knife.

"Not bad, not bad at all, my dear boy....." A familiar untrustworthy voice said. "But who sleeps with a knife on his bed? And a bed shared with the Empress no less?"

Ren Jidian just sneered. "Someone smart enough to know that someone would come up to be a creep and watch people while they're sleeping."

"Such strange words you use." Song Xiu said, reaching out to touch the blood that dripped on his cheek, and licked it. "I do not know what a creep means...."

"But is it wrong to watch you two fragile Yin men for protection?"

"What great nonsense your mouth spouts, perhaps it's better if I had cut it off."

Ren Jidian then swept his feet over to kick his head, but Song Xiu also caught it. The advisor grinned triumphantly---

But he headbutted him!

"Argh!" He let go to touch his head.

Ren Jidian also felt that it hurt, but he did not care. He reached for the knife, and aimed it at his neck---

"You have the count of ten to state why you're here, inside the Empress' manor, at this time of the night." Ren Jidian said.

"If I don't, would you kill me?" Song Xiu just smiled sweetly.

"No. I will shout, and let everyone hear that you are here."

"The Emperor may kill you even before you kill him. Or perhaps you may battle each other, and while everyone's distracted, my Empress and I will escape."

Song Xiu had to admit. Ren Jidian really was scary if he wanted to be.

"I am a helper here, 'Scholar Ren'. Not the enemy." Song Xiu grinned even with the knife at his neck. "And I only came here to warn you about your own cycle."

"My cycle?" Ren Jidian narrowed his eyes.

"You do not sense it? I can smell it even from a hundred chis from here." Song Xiu said, raising his eyebrows.

He was interested now. "You are not feeling any pain? Any yearning for a Yang?"

"No." Ren Jidian shook his head.

But if his heat had really begun..... That puts him in even more danger from this freak. He went here because of his pheromones.

Who knows what he could have done if Ren Jidian have not sensed him?

Should he really let him live? After all, the Plan B he said earlier was getting more and more enticing....

But then, Song Xiu said:

"I am not after you just because of your cycle. I too am not easily affected by scents, I can detect them but I am not drawn to them."

He said sincerely. "I feel no lust for you at all."