Chapter 171: It Feels So Good

July 2, 2023Merchie

For the entire night, Qi Changyi hugged Pei Zheng and refused to let go. Occasionally, he woke from his slumber, and he had to feel around for the warm body beneath his hands. Only when he made sure that Pei Zheng was still there did he drift back asleep.

But as Pei Zheng was being held by him, he did not sleep very well.

When dawn broke, Pei Zheng carefully moved the small man in his arms to the side. He pulled the quilt over him, before he left.

After Qi Changyi woke up, he felt around the empty space beside him. He quickly opened his eyes. As expected, he did not see Pei Zheng.

His little face fell immediately.

“Pei-gege…”

Qi Changyi called a few times. But instead of calling Pei Zheng over, he summoned Cheng Feng.

“Your Highness, you’re awake. Master has gone with the officials to inspect the city. He said that after you wake up, you should bathe and have breakfast.”

Several servants came in and arranged a few dishes on the table, before someone came in to help Qi Changyi dress.

After he finished putting on his clothes and got off of the bed, Qi Changyi sat in front of the table, but he did not have any appetite at all.

“A-Feng, when is Pei-gege coming back? His wound hasn’t healed yet, so he can’t be running around recklessly.”

Cheng Feng said, “Your Highness, don’t worry. Master is well aware of his condition. He should be back soon.”

“Pei-gege never takes good care of his body. What if he wears himself out? If Shifu were here, everything would be okay. Shifu would definitely be able to heal Pei-gege‘s wound fast.”

Since Qi Changyi had already recovered his memories, he had remembered Shen Huan.

“A-Feng,” Qi Changyi looked at Cheng Feng and asked, “Say, why did Shifu refuse to leave with me? We could’ve returned to the Imperial City, and never part from each other again. I lived with Shifu for three years. Shifu has always taken care of me, worried about me, and she bought me tasty food, but she could never bear to take a single bite. How could Shifu leave me?”

Cheng Feng hesitated, “Your Highness, although Master Shen is a woman, her heart and mind is broader than those of many men. She must consider the safety of the entire foreign tribe. If the foreign tribe were to be annihilated, Master Shen would be completely alone. So she is willing to temporarily give up her feelings and stay with the soldiers at the front lines to defend the borderlands.”

“But it’s too dangerous over there! I’m really worried about Shifu…” When this thought crossed Qi Changyi’s mind, the corners of his eyes reddened slightly.

At this moment, someone opened the door, and Pei Zheng walked in.

After Qi Changyi saw who it was, he immediately stood up from his chair and ran to the door to greet him.

“Pei-gege!” Qi Changyi rushed forward and hugged Pei Zheng’s waist. He took the other’s wound into consideration and avoided the area, before he leaned his head against Pei Zheng’s chest.

The moment Pei Zheng walked in, he had been embraced by an adorable little prince. The corners of his lips rose, “When did you wake up? Hm?”

Qi Changyi buried his head in his chest and did not speak.

Pei Zheng glanced at Cheng Feng, and Cheng Feng retreated with his head bowed, closing the door behind him.

As he gazed at the little head buried in his chest, Pei Zheng thought that the small man really was becoming more and more clingy. However, Pei Zheng was very happy about this, and looked forward to him becoming a little clingier.

He hugged the small man as he sat down on a chair. Pei Zheng lifted the little prince’s head and noticed the reddened corners of his eyes. They were drooping slightly, and he looked quite pitiful.

“What were you talking about earlier? Why do you look like you’ve been wronged?”

Qi Changyi pressed his lips together, “Pei-gege, where did you go? When I woke up, I couldn’t find you…”

His voice sounded quite aggrieved indeed.

Pei Zheng squeezed his little chin, “I went with the officials to the city to see how the refugees were doing. When I left, you were still sleeping, so I didn’t want to wake you. What’s wrong, my little sweetheart, are you mad at me?”

After Qi Changyi heard this, he shook his head, “I’m not mad, but when I couldn’t find Pei-gege, I was worried about you. But A-Feng told me…”

“What did you and Cheng Feng talk about?”

Pei Zheng took a bowl of porridge from the table, scooped up a spoonful, put it to his lips, and blew on it a few times before holding it in front of Qi Changyi’s mouth.

“Open up.”

Qi Changyi obediently opened his mouth and drank the porridge in the spoon, before he answered Pei Zheng’s question.

“We talked about Shifu. Pei-gege, I miss Shifu.”

Pei Zheng fed him another mouthful of porridge.

“Master Shen has saved countless lives in her lifetime, but she has only ever had you as an apprentice. To her, you are the most special out all of those people.”

Qi Changyi began to miss Shen Huan even more. When he and his shifu parted, he had not yet recovered his memories. He had been unable to say much of anything to his shifu. Now, he had remembered, but he could no longer see his shifu.

Then, when I see Shifu again, I must beg for her forgiveness. This disciple was unfilial, I actually forgot you, Shifu.

Pei Zheng fed Qi Changyi until the entire bowl of porridge was empty. Then, Qi Changyi changed Pei Zheng’s dressings again.

After two days, the wound had already begun to heal slowly, and all the refugees in the city had settled down well. They, too, had to leave this place quickly and return to the Imperial City.

Because news had arrived from the Imperial City, saying that an unforeseen event had occurred in the palace.

After a simplified explanation, the city’s officials prepared a carriage for them, and the three of them rushed in the direction of the Imperial City

Only after traveling nonstop for tens of days did they finally reach the gates of the Imperial City.

As the traveled, the closer they were to the territory of the Celestial Dynasty and the farther away they were from the borderlands, the more peaceful life was. The people lived in prosperity and contentment, but those in the borderlands were consumed and tormented by the flames of war.

The main street of the Imperial City was still the same as before. It was crowded and busy, bustling and noisy.

Two days ago, snow had fallen in the Imperial City, and there were still mounds of snow piled on the ground. The entire city was like the cloth of a mourning gown.

The carriage rolled through the city gates, and slowly came to a stop in front of the gate to the Prime Minister’s Manor.

It had already been a long, long time since they had returned to the Prime Minister’s Manor.

Pei Zheng got out of the carriage, before he carried Qi Changyi out as well.

The small man was wrapped in a thick mink fur coat. He stood in front of the entrance to the Prime Minister’s Manor and stared at it for a long while.

He knew this place very well. He had formed good and bad memories here. He had felt sweetness and pain. Now, he had returned once again.

“Let’s go.”

Pei Zheng clasped the small man’s hand, pulling him along as they walked through the gates.

The moment they stepped into the courtyard, a gaggle of maids were waiting for them with their heads bowed. And the housekeeper, Li Yu, was standing in front of all of them.

When Qi Changyi spotted Li Yu, his eyes immediately grew wet.

“Xiao Yuzi….”

Li Yu lifted his head in shock. When he met Qi Changyi’s tear-filled gaze, he instantly understood.

His master had returned.

“Your Highness, Your Highness, you… you remember me? You know who I am?”

Li Yu stuttered in disbelief.

Qi Changyi quickly walked up to him and opened his arms to him, “Xiao Yuzi, Xiao Yuzi, how could I not know who you are? You’re my Xiao Yuzi, you’re the Xiao Yuzi who has grown up with me.”

Li Yu stepped forward and carefully hugged Qi Changyi, whereupon he in turn was tightly embraced by the other.

“Xiao Yuzi, you’ve been through so much during these past few years. Now that I’m back, will you still be my Xiao Yuzi?”

Li Yu had begun to cry as well. He wiped his tears and nodded enthusiastically.

“I will! I will! Of course I will! I’ll always be Your Highness’s Xiao Yuzi!”

The master and servant were huddled together, whispering to each other, when Qi Changyi was suddenly yanked away by Pei Zheng, who was standing off to the side.

“If you have anything to say, save it for later. Li Yu, there are still many matters in the manor that need to be taken care of, no? You can get back to work now.”

After the pair walked away, Li Yu was still standing in place, wiping his tears, watching the two figures leave in bewilderment.

No, His Lordship hasn’t returned in so long, what kind of matters are there to be taken care of?

Pei Zheng pulled Qi Changyi along and kept walking. They walked all the way to the back garden before he finally slowed down.

Servants had been cleaning the back garden for all this time. Right now, it was immaculate; all of the snow had been swept to a corner, and someone had even made a snowman.

When Qi Changyi spotted that snowman, he made a beeline toward it. He excitedly darted around the snowman, before he pointed at it and said loudly to Pei Zheng, “Pei-gege, look over here, a snowman!”

Pei Zheng stood at the side and glanced at it casually.

But it looked like Qi Changyi liked it a lot. Pei Zheng knew that he liked snowmen, and he also knew that he liked to make snowmen, but this snowman was so ugly. One could tell that it had been messily thrown together; what was so good about it?

But Qi Changyi still stayed at the side and gazed at it for a long while. He even touched it up, piling snow here and there.

Pei Zheng saw how his little hands had been frozen to the point of redness, and forbade him from playing any longer, before he continued to pull him into the little pavilion.

The furnishings inside of the little pavilion were the same as before. Nothing had changed. A warm charcoal fire was burning inside, and one was enveloped by heat as they walked in.

Qi Changyi was wearing a lot; he resembled a round, fat rice dumpling. The heat made his cheeks flush red.

Pei Zheng pulled him to the side and took off the little prince’s mink fur cloak. When he saw his rosy face that resembled a charming span of red sky, he could not help but reach out to touch it.

Cool fingers traced that soft, delicate skin. When he gently pressed down, a faint fingerprint was left behind. Immediately after removing his hand, that fair patch of skin would instantly become even redder.

Qi Changyi grabbed Pei Zheng’s hand and pressed it against his own face. His hand was a little cold, so when he held it against his face, which was emanating heat, it was like an ice pack; it felt very good.

Strangely, Qi Changyi let out a few soft hums of pleasure, “Ngh, Pei-gege, your hand is so cool, it feels so good.”

One of Pei Zheng’s hand was cupping Qi Changyi’s face. The other hand, which was placed on his slender waist, pressed the little prince into his chest.

Right now, they were in the Prime Minister’s Manor. Although there were still a mess of things that needed to be dealt with, Pei Zheng did not want to worry about any of them.

If it was possible, he would immediately resign from his duties in the palace and spend every day at home, being clung to by the small man. Ignoring the outside world, free from worry.

The temperature of his body was still rising. Pei Zheng’s hand on the small man’s cheek slipped down to his chin. His fingers lifted slightly, and that pair of watery almond eyes blinked at him.

Two pairs of lips slowly inched closer, so close that they could hear each other’s breaths, yet they did not touch.