The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

05/07/23-edited

Shang Junlin didn't want to choose either option. He finally got someone, and he didn't want to be separated from him even for a moment, let alone at night. He had already gotten used to sleeping with his soft and fragrant lover, and now that they had a physical relationship, he wanted to be even closer to him.

"I don't want to move out, nor do I want to sleep in the small study. Ah Yu and I are husbands and should sleep together," Shang Junlin insisted on staying.

Shen Yu wasn't surprised by this result. He raised an eyebrow and said, "You can stay, but can you guarantee that you'll abide by what I've written?"

Shang Junlin took a step forward and lifted Shen Yu horizontally, much to the latter's surprise. "It's late. I'm taking Ah Yu to rest," he said, avoiding Shen Yu's question.

As his body suddenly lifted, Shen Yu instinctively grabbed onto Shang Junlin's clothes and leaned against his shoulder, not wanting to change the subject so easily. "You haven't answered my question yet," he said.

Looking down at Shen Yu's playful eyes, Shang Junlin carried him out of the room and said, "Don't you think ten days is too long?"

"I don't think so. If it weren't for His Majesty, I would think a month would be great," Shen Yu replied, shaking his head.

Meng Gonggong and the palace maids followed the two from a distance, unable to hear their conversation clearly.

"I want to be closer to Ah Yu. Don't you want to be closer to me?" Shang Junlin refused to give up. "I did my homework beforehand, so Ah Yu should be comfortable."

Shen Yu didn't deny this. It was indeed comfortable, but it was also exhausting. Especially the next day, his legs felt like they weren't his own, and it was difficult to get out of bed.

"Have you tried with someone else?" Shen Yu narrowed his eyes.

Although his tone sounded casual, Shang Junlin heard a hint of chill in it. He continued walking, but his voice was tinged with amusement. "I'm with Ah Yu all day long. If I tried with someone else, Ah Yu should know, shouldn't he?"

"There are also times when we are not together," Shen Yu snorted coldly.

"That's during morning court or when I'm in the study with the ministers. I also want to bring you with me. If you're worried, why don't you stay by my side all the time?" Shang Junlin said, feeling that this suggestion was good. He wished that Shen Yu would agree right away.

"No, I trust His Majesty," Shen Yu replied without hesitation. His previous comment was more teasing than anything, and he didn't really doubt Shang Junlin.

"I won't try with anyone else. Besides you, I won't do this with anyone else," Shang Junlin lowered his head and kissed Shen Yu, "And the same goes for you. Only with me."

"As for what you're curious about..." Shang Junlin lowered his voice and said a few words in Shen Yu's ear, successfully making the youth's earlobes turn red.

"I understand, His Majesty doesn't need to say anymore," Shen Yu interrupted him repeatedly, his face growing hotter and hotter.

Shang Junlin stopped as Shen Yu wished. After a moment, he continued, "Practice makes perfect in everything. The more skilled we are, the more adept we become at it. You should practice more with me, so you won't be so unable to bear it in the future."

Shen Yu couldn't believe it. Shang Junlin said these words with a serious face.

Feeling Shen Yu's incredulous gaze, Shang Junlin smirked. "Isn't that what you said, Ah Yu?"

"His Majesty is really..." Shen Yu was once again amazed.

The small study was not far from the bedroom, and they arrived after a short walk. The palace servants opened the door gently, and Shang Junlin carried Shen Yu inside.

"You don't have to come in," he said to Meng Gonggong, who stopped in his tracks and stayed outside with the servants.

Shang Junlin laid the youth on the bed and leaned over him. "Ten days is really too long. Can you bear to let me suffer for so long, Ah Yu?"

Shang Junlin savored the moment. If it weren't for...ahem, he wouldn't have stayed up all night and provoked Shen Yu in the early morning.

Shen Yu was held tightly under the man, and he could look up to see the handsome face of the man and his eyes that only held him.

Shang Junlin had standard phoenix eyes, narrow and elongated, with bottomless black pupils, like an abyss that chose its prey.

Shen Yu tilted his head, feeling a moment of hesitation in his heart.

"Ah Yu..."

"Stop," Shen Yu's finger pressed against Shang Junlin's lips. "We can discuss what happens next later. For now, at least ten days. Every extra word you say, adds another day."

Shang Junlin didn't dare to say anything more.

"Alright, I'm going to sleep," Shen Yu glanced at a certain place on Shang Junlin's body. "Your Majesty, take care of yourself. If there is a next time, you can go to the study by yourself."

Shang Junlin had caused quite a commotion in the morning, so he naturally didn't dare to do anything now. After washing up, he hugged the youth who had already fallen asleep.

The youth found a more comfortable position on his own and sank into a deeper slumber.

Only Shang Junlin was suffering, with his beloved in his arms, defenseless and sleeping soundly, he couldn't do anything.

On the other hand, Shen Yu had a good night's sleep.

After a few days of rest, Shen Yu's body had recovered enough. During these few days, Shang Junlin kept his promise and didn't do anything beyond occasional cuddling and kissing. If he ever crossed the line, it was nothing too serious, and Shen Yu let it go.

After a sticky kiss, Shang Junlin withdrew his hand from his clothes under Shen Yu's angry gaze. A hint of regret flashed in his eyes.

Straightening his clothes, Shang Junlin took the initiative to shift Shen Yu's attention to the matter in Subei.

"Official Fang has already met with Xun Chao, and the Hidden Dragon Guards have found enough evidence to deal with those people all at once."

"So, Official Fang is almost finished with his mission?" Shen Yu was indeed distracted from what Shang Junlin had done earlier.

Official Fang was sent to Subei to help with disaster relief, but it was only one part of his mission. The more important task was to find out what went wrong in Subei and solve the problem. Only a few people knew about this matter, even the officials in the court didn't know much about it.

"It should be in these few days."

"Does His Majesty have any leads on the instigator behind the rumors?"

"Yes, it was a coincidence. The person happened to have a connection with Subei, and the Hidden Dragon Guards caught him red-handed.  Fang Jun will deal with him as well."

---

This took place in the main city of Subei.

Under the protection of the Hidden Dragon Guards, Xun Chao disguised himself as an inconspicuous servant and quietly left the mansion after dark.

With only the sound of his footsteps breaking the silence, Xun Chao made his way through the alleys and arrived at an inconspicuous tavern, where Minister Fang was staying.

Official Fang was injured and was lying half-awake in bed. If not for the Hidden Dragon Guards secretly protecting him, the sword that had pierced his shoulder might have ended up in his heart.

"Are you feeling better, my lord?" Xun Chao entered the room. He only found out that Minister Fang was injured when the latter came to his doorstep.

"I'm fine. How are things outside?" Fang Jun struggled to sit up, his face turning even paler.

"Everything is going according to plan. Shouldn't you rest for a few more days, my lord?" Xun Chao looked concerned.

"I'm fine. We can't afford to delay this opportunity any longer. Fortunately, we've caught the insider in the Subei Army, and they weren't too deeply rooted."

It was fortunate that there were no major problems within the Northern Army, or else things would have become much more complicated.

While Official Fang was taking action, the Hidden Dragon Guards had also infiltrated the Subei Army. They had traced the remaining insiders with the help of a traitor planted by one of the Subei officials, and then Official Fang had contacted the upper echelons of the Subei Army to coordinate their efforts. With an inside-outside collaboration, they had silently captured these insiders.

The Subei Army was responsible for interrogating them, and after obtaining the necessary information, they informed Official Fang, who had locked onto several officials with the help of intelligence gathered by the Hidden Dragon Guards.

It was also around this time that Minister Fang was attacked. The assailant had come to kill him but was intercepted by the Hidden Dragon Guards who were secretly protecting him. Unable to escape, the assailant had committed suicide without leaving any clues.

Official Fang had been the target of assassination attempts more than once. He knew that Subei officials had probably realized something and did not want him to leave Northern territory alive. Taking advantage of this assassination attempt, he had gone into hiding.

The Hidden Dragon Guards had been hiding in the shadows all along and had not appeared in public since entering the Northern territory. The Subei officials were still oblivious to the fact that the Emperor's eyes and ears had infiltrated their territory and had already extended their claws.

They were still complacent and thought they had solved a big problem.

---

"That official the court sent, Fang Jun, hasn't shown up in a while, has he?" an official asked during the banquet.

"Doing something you shouldn't have and disappearing, isn't that normal?" replied another person, holding a wine glass.

Everyone sitting here was dressed in luxurious clothes, and on the table were dishes and drinks no less sumptuous than those at a palace banquet. Dancers entertained them, and they were having a great time.

This was a banquet only enjoyed by the high-ranking officials of Subei, and being able to participate was equivalent to being one of them. After so many years of development, Subei had become a one-party state, with the emperor far away and high above. If one wanted to climb the ranks and achieve higher positions, joining them was the only way.

As for the officials sent by the court, either they colluded with the locals or suffered an "accident." In Subei, except for the Subei army, they held all the power.

These people were used to getting what they wanted and thought they had everything under control, but they didn't know that the guillotine was already hanging over their heads.

Xun Chao sat in the second row. He had been low-key all these years and had not had any major conflicts with these local officials. He held a wine glass and sipped it while looking down. He didn't need to look to know who was present.

"This time we were able to solve such a big trouble thanks to Xun Daren. Here, let me toast you," said one of the officials.

Xun Chao raised his wine glass and replied, "It's just a matter of duty."

In order to infiltrate their ranks, Xun Chao had done many things against his conscience over the years. He had also participated in the assassination of Fang Jun, but before it happened, he had informed Fang Jun through the Hidden Dragon Guard and Fang Jun had given him four words: "Fight fire with fire."

That was why Fang Jun was seriously injured, and under his deliberate manipulation, these people thought that the assassination had been successful. So they had this "victory banquet" and a great opportunity to take down all of Fang Jun's people.

As they toasted and celebrated, drinking and dancing, and enjoying the spicy liquor, who would have thought that Subei was experiencing a natural disaster.

"The most unexpected thing was that the big shot would help us. If it weren't for his knowledge of the situation in the capital, we wouldn't have known that Fang Jun had such a motive," said the person sitting at the head of the table.

"Are you talking about me?" a slightly amused voice sounded, and the room fell silent.