Mu Yungui carried Yu Yan back to his bedchamber and carefully placed him on the bed.

The youth was half asleep and half awake. Just as he touched the bed, he stretched out his body and let out a comfortable groan.

It's been almost two months since they departed and returned.

His sleeping conditions during the envoy mission weren't as bad as sleeping in the open, but the time spent in the carriage couldn't be compared to staying in the palace.

The bed wasn't soft enough and the food wasn't good enough.

Yu Yan turned over, buried his face into the soft pillow, and inhaled deeply.

...... Home was still the best.

"Master, wake up." Mu Yungui called out warmly. "Bathe first, then drink a bowl of sobering soup before going to sleep. Otherwise, you'll wake up with a headache tomorrow."

"Don't want....." Yu Yan whispered. "So sleepy."

The voice was slurred and exceedingly soft, sounding incredibly coquettish[1].

Mu Yungui was helpless.

When people are drunk, their temperament becomes very different from their usual. Yu Yan was no exception. Since Mu Yungui came to work under Yu Yan, he had never seen this person's drunken appearance. It was unexpectedly... cute.

He's going to die because of him. Whatever the little master does, he always finds it cute.

Mu Yungui pondered for a moment. He turned to the palace maid and ordered, "Go get some hot water. I'll help His Highness bathe tonight. Also, tell the imperial kitchen to brew a bowl of sobering soup, and to add some honey."

"Understood."

Mu Yungui was Yu Yan's shadow guard. The servants in Yu Yan's palace all respected him, and naturally accepted his orders.

Several palace maids left to carry the order. Mu Yungui bent down, holding onto Yu Yan as he took off his shoes and outer robe.

Without making a fuss, Yu Yan obediently allowed the ministrations as he closed his eyes.

But just when Mu Yungui untied his robe, Yu Yan suddenly opened his eyes and quietly said, "Yungui..."

"You're so handsome."

"I like you the most."

Mu Yungui's fingers trembled, directly tearing a hole in Yu Yan's robe.

"......"

Oh no. This seemed to be Master's favorite outfit.

The drunk Yu Yan naturally didn't know what was going on. He leaned against the head of the bed. His eyes were particularly bright under the dim light from the hall, though a little dazed.

He tilted his head and smiled. "It's nice to have you by my side."

Mu Yungui, "..."

He took a deep breath, and forcefully replied, "It's this subordinate's honor to be next to Master."

Mu Yungui naturally did not take Yu Yan's words completely to heart.

Being totally wasted with no sense of reason, Yu Yan might not even know what he was talking about.

Moreover, the words of liking coming from this person's mouth must not have a deeper meaning.

At least... it wasn't the same as his liking of him.

Mu Yungui liked Yu Yan very much.

From very very early on, he has always liked this person.

How could he not like him? During the darkest time of his life, it was this young man who had brought color into his gray and hopeless life.

It was Yu Yan who pulled him out of the abyss so that he could stand in the sun again.

Mu Yungui still remembered when Yu Yan brought him back from the Colosseum nine years ago.

At that time, he didn't trust anyone, let alone the so-called Prince Yan. But on the day he completely recovered from his injury, a young and noble boy stood in front of his bed and promised him with certainty.

—— He said he wouldn't let this happen again, that he would become the Emperor ruling over the Yan Empire and change the rotten country of Yan.

Such words were easy to say. If it was uttered by anyone else, Mu Yungui wouldn't have taken it seriously.

How could it be possible to change a country by oneself?

It was just that Yu Yan's expression was too sincere.

The young boy, brows full of arrogance and self-confidence when he said this, was so dazzling that one couldn't look away.

Perhaps because of this, from then on, he gave up the opportunity to regain the freedom to stay by this person.

The imperial place was a place filled with danger, like a dragon's pond and tiger's cave. How could he rest assured knowing this person fought alone. (皇室斗爭這個龍潭虎穴a dragon's pond and a tiger's cave – dangerous places)

Furthermore, if anyone could change something in this country, he believed it would be this person.

Originally, Mu Yungui was satisfied as long as he could be by his side and take good care of him,

But people will never be satisfied.

From wanting to stay by his side, he started wanting this person to rely more on himself, wanting this person... to only see him.

Mu Yun lowered his eyes, an obsidian color flashing within.

.

The palace servants quickly brought the tub over and placed the sobering soup aside.

Mu Yungui called off the servants, removed all the clothes on Yu Yan and carefully placed him into the tub filled with suitable water temperature.

After entering the water, Yu Yan's head was much clearer than before.

He lay inside the bathtub, tilting his head as he watched Mu Yungui help him wipe his body.

"Why don't you look at me?" Yu Yan asked curiously. "Am I unsightly?"

Mu Yungui breathed rigidly, his palm almost slapped the wall of the tub directly.

It was not the first time he had served Yu Yan as he bathed.

The imperial Yan family was far more complicated than one could imagine. Yu Yan didn't dare trust anyone, including the servants in his palace.

Since a long time ago, he hadn't allowed any servants to come close.

Except for Mu Yungui.

In the past, they were masters and servants. No matter what, Mu Yungui could not think too much about it.

But it was different now.

Between them, they had already...

Mu Yungui's ears were a little red. His line of sight didn't move, his voice was hoarse. "No. Master is very beautiful."

"But you don't even look at me." Yu Yan seemed to care about this very much. He got up from the bathtub, revealing his naked and soaked body that was a little reddened by the vapor. "Look at me."

"..."

Mu Yungui closed his eyes, and said with difficulty, "Master, stop making trouble."

With the sound of water splashing, Yu Yan sat back in the bathtub and snorted coldly. "You just aren't interested in me."

Mu Yungui, "............"

Mu Yungui didn't answer, and Yu Yan didn't ask further.

Having finished bathing him, Mu Yungui carried the person out of the tub and placed him back on the bed. Mu Yungui dressed him in his inner robe and then held the other's slender ankle to dry it.

Mu Yungui remained silent during the process, no one could tell what he was thinking.

After a long while, he said softly, "What Master said just now is wrong."

Yu Yan blinked in confusion.

As a shadow guard, he would rarely say Yu Yan was wrong.

Mu Yungui took a deep breath and continued, "Not uninterested, neither unwilling to look."

His breathing was fast, and his heartbeat couldn't stop speeding up.

How could he not want to look at him? It was just that he was worried he might be sinking too deeply.

With his status, being able to stay by this person was already a great gift. What qualifications did he have to think he could have more?

But...in the end, he wasn't reconciled to it.

The hand holding Yu Yan's ankle unconsciously tightened, and the latter frowned. "It hurts..."

Mu Yungui jerked. Realizing what he had done, he quickly let go of him.

"Master, forgive me."

Yu Yan's skin was white and delicate. With just a touch, it would turn red. He looked down at the red mark on his ankle made by Mu Yungui, and whispered, "It's so red..."

"Master...."

Yu Yan stepped on his thigh and ordered, "Help me rub it."

Mu Yungui, "..."

Why was this man asking for his life after drinking spirits?

"Hurry up."

Seeing Mu Yungui wasn't responding, Yu Yan tapped his thigh with his toes.

Drunk and a little unsteady, he almost stepped on a place he shouldn't touch. Mu Yungui quickly grabbed the other's ankle.

"This subordinate will obey. Please don't..."

Yu Yan smiled, satisfied. "That's more like it."

Mu Yungui held Yu Yan's ankle and gently kneaded the reddish area.

Yu Yan's figure wasn't considered short, but it was far smaller than Mu Yungui. His feet were a little cold, and his ankles were slender. Mu Yungui only needed a palm to fully cover it.

Having his ankle being kneaded comfortably, Yu Yan fell back on the bed and mumbled incoherently.

Mu Yungui's breathing was a little unstable. He felt that every mumble of the other party was beating on his most sensitive nerve, and his reasoning was balancing on a thread.

Obviously, he was a soft and cute person, how could he be an alpha in the first place?

Mu Yungui's fingertips gently brushed the back of the person's ankle, thinking inadvertently.

No, that's wrong.

In the eyes of outsiders, Master was still the second prince of Yan. He never had an underlying subtext in his words, he was a graceful and proper prince.

Only in front of him would Master be different.

This side of Yu Yan, only he could see.

This thought made Mu Yungui's heart feel very satisfied, and certain shameful thoughts grew unscrupulously through the dim and empty hall.

He raised his head, just to meet Yu Yan's gaze.

A tea fragrance stealthy drifted away from within the bedchamber without warning.

"Smells good..."

Yu Yan still had Mu Yungui's temporary mark on his body, and couldn't resist the other party's scent. But now that he's drunk, his rationality was thrown out the window, and he instinctively pursued the fragrance and leaned over.

"Yungui..." Yu Yan buried his head in the crook of Mu Yungui's neck and took a deep breath. "You smell so good."

The body in his arms softened little by little, and his body heat gradually increased.

His scent easily leaked out, intermingling with the faint scent of soap. The breath of the two gradually became heavier.

"No, we can't!" Mu Yungui suddenly came to his senses. He pushed the person away and stood up.

Master trusted him but look at him now.

How could he take advantage of this situation?

Mu Yungui shut his eyes and tried his best to control the scent pouring out from him.

"Master, please rest first. This subordinate will..."

Without being able to finish his words, Mu Yungui was suddenly hugged from behind.

The rich pear blossom scent swept across his body instantly.

Mu Yungui stiffened. The sweet omega scent wrapped tightly against him, suggestively, not giving him the slightest chance to escape.

"I knew it..." Yu Yan knelt on the bed, his arms wrapped around Mu Yungui's waist. "I knew you weren't interested in me at all."

"Just think of it as helping me. It feels terrible."

"...This is the last time. The last time, alright?"

When he returns to Jiang Du, he'll go see a physician and learn how to control his scent.

Tonight was the last time.

This sentence was like a hammer slamming into Mu Yungui's heart. His heart clenched in pain.

Yu Yan didn't know his thoughts at all. While Mu Yungui was lost in his thoughts, Yu Yan pulled back hard.

The two fell onto the soft bed.

Yu Yan rolled over and rode on Mu Yungui, a victor's smile appearing from the corner of his mouth. "Now you can't run away."

Mu Yungui: "..."

Yu Yan pulled Mu Yungui's clothes vigorously, but the metal buckle around the other's waist was extraordinarily complicated. No matter how he pulled at it, Yu Yan couldn't untie it at all.

The next moment, the two of them suddenly changed position.

The alpha scent became a hundred times stronger than before and poured out.

The second prince of the Yan Empire, under the influence of alcohol, constantly teased the other all night, and finally paid a painful price.

----------------------------------------------------

T/N: Coquettish[1]: flirtatious