Inside his heart, Xiao YuAn shouted the nationwide cursed words commonly used1 back and forth, repeatedly shouting them a hundred times, then he went to protect his abdomen with one hand and punched Yan HeQing with his other hand clenched into a fist.
Yan HeQing was able to avoid this punch, and when he turned around to suppress Xiao YuAn one more time, a knock came from outside the bedchamber!
Yang LiuAn’s voice immediately sounded: “What’s wrong, Your Majesty? Weichen heard a loud noise.”
Yan HeQing’s eyes shrank, feeling panicked inside his heart. He quickly reached out and tried to cover Xiao YuAn’s mouth.
“I…don’t!” Xiao YuAn just shouted a word, and the rest of them were silenced by the palm of Yan HeQing.
“Your Majesty? Emperor? Are you okay?” The knocking sounds and Yan HeQing’s breath started to get hurried.
Yan HeQing knew that if the imperial guards came here at this time, not only he wouldn’t be able to kill the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, but he would also die without a burial place! Yan HeQing covered Xiao YuAn’s mouth tightly with one hand, and stuck his other hand on Xiao YuAn’s throat once more.
Naturally, Xiao YuAn will not let himself be slaughtered. Taking advantage of Yan HeQing’s panic, he fiercely bit down trying to break free from the hand covering his mouth.
Outside the bedroom, there was constant knocking at the door. Yang LiuAn said anxiously, “Your Majesty? Your Majesty, if you don’t reply, Weichen will come in!”
Yan HeQing’s hand was bitten by Xiao YuAn and blood started to flow. He couldn’t take any actions under pain and the whole situation seemed settled. Yan HeQing closed his eyes in despair.
A squeaking noise came from outside the door, and right at the same time, Xiao YuAn yanked away Yan HeQing’s hand, unable to even catch his breath, and shouted loudly, “Don’t come in!!!”
For a moment the world went silent, and the door that was being opened, closed again.
Yang LiuAn’s uneasy voice came from outside the bedchamber: “What happened to your voice, Your Majesty? Are you really fine?”
Yan HeQing was speechless, staring blankly at Xiao YuAn.
Xiao YuAn coughed a few times, and then shouted with all his strength: “I’m fine, nothing serious happened, you can go and keep guarding the door. And no matter what you hear, don’t come in.”
“Yes, I’ll obey His Majesty’s order” When the door was closed, everything went silent once more.
After those few words, Xiao YuAn had lost all his strength. He covered his lower abdomen and curled up on the bed like an useless man.
Yan HeQing was no longer in danger. He mumbled for a long time and finally asked with disbelief: “Why…”
Xiao YuAn opened his eyes and wanted to look at Yan HeQing, but his eyes were dazzled, unable to focus: “I said, I’m not the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom. If I really wanted you to die, then I would’ve given the order the first time I met you in the prison, and you would already be dead by now. Since I didn’t do it that time, then I won’t have that idea anymore.”
Yan HeQing lowered his eyelashes gently, not knowing what to think.
Xiao YuAn made a swear gesture, his eyes were serious and his expression was solemn: “Yan HeQing, I’m swearing an oath to the heavens and the earth’s conscience that I didn’t lie to you just now, and I will not hurt you in the future, no matter what.”
Yan HeQing raised his head to look at Xiao YuAn, his whole being was still on alert. They both looked at each other for a few seconds, but Yan HeQing didn’t mean to relax at all. Xiao YuAn feeling discouraged, pulled up the quilt, covered himself and laid down closing his eyes.
Yan HeQing asked incredulously: “…what are you doing?”
“Sleeping.” Xiao YuAn wrapped tightly inside the quilt felt pain all over his body, his throat seemed to have been burned by fire, it was hoarse, dry, it felt painful and inflamed: “I believe I said everything that needed to be said, even if you believe me or not. And if you want to strangle me, you should do it now. Anyways, I already died once, what’s so scary about dying a second time?”
After that, there was no sound behind him. Xiao YuAn was really exhausted, and now he could finally rest and sleep.
After what felt like a century, Xiao YuAn was finally falling asleep, but then he felt that the person behind him was lying down slowly.
Xiao YuAn gave him half of the quilt by instinct.
A long awkward silence followed, but in the end, Yan HeQng took the quilt and wrapped his body.
Xiao YuAn woke up a little bit and muttered in a low voice: “I know you can’t fully believe in what I said. It doesn’t matter. I will be by your side for a long time, anyways, I’m yours.”
After a pause, the wording felt wrong, so Xiao YuAn added: “I’m the one that will help you, by the way, are you still willing to stay in Jing Yang Palace?”
Yan HeQing mocked himself and asked: “Where else can I go?”
Xiao YuAn chuckled: “I also have nowhere to go, why not stay by each other’s side.”
Then, after a night without sound, they slept till dawn.
Footnotes:
Footnotes
国骂 guó mà; Common curse words, for example 他妈的 tā mā = Damn it!