His highness's Allure - Chap 175
Pei Zheng had thought that Qi Changyi would stay and chat with the emperor for a while; he happened to hear that several ministers had just left the residence, so he sought them out and discussed court affairs with them.
An urgent report had come from the borderlands; the entire Celestial Dynasty was facing terrible conditions. Although those in the Imperial City could not feel the ravages of war yet, no one knew for sure if it would reach them at some point.
Moreover, the Celestial Dynasty’s emperor was currently bedridden, and even more government affairs were now under Pei Zheng’s jurisdiction. Pei Zheng could not relax for even a moment.
After a short, hurried conversation, Pei Zheng rushed back to the residence, but he then heard the old eunuch say that the prince had gone after the Second Princess. When he found the two of them, he heard what Qi Changyi was saying to Qi Bingzhi.
For the moment, Pei Zheng stood outside that little courtyard and did not enter. He heard Qi Changyi ask “has anyone every carried you on their back through the snow before”, and the corners of Pei Zheng’s lips suddenly hooked into a smile, and his gaze grew tender.
This little prince seemed like a fool, but he knew how to stab where it hurt.
As he held the aggrieved little prince in his arms, Pei Zheng squeezed his waist.
“Why didn’t you wait for me like a good boy and run off instead?”
Qi Changyi pouted, “Pei-gege, you said you would wait for me. You’re the one who ran off.”
Pei Zheng smiled again, “All right, I was wrong. I’m sorry. Did you crash into the wall earlier?”
Qi Changyi shook his head and said in a soft, honeyed voice, “No.”
Pei Zheng supported him to stand properly, but he did not retract his hand. From start to finish his eyes were pinned on the small man, completely ignoring Qi Bingzhi.
“Lord Pei…”
Qi Bingzhi’s eyes were red. It had been so long since she had seen Pei Zheng. Seeing him again, he was still so breathtaking, still such a heartthrob.
“Lord Pei, when did you return? Why wasn’t I… notified about it?”
It seemed like Pei Zheng had only just noticed that there was someone standing across from them. His cold gaze swept over to her. There was still a smile on his lips, but the feeling was completely different.
“When I returned is of no concern to the princess. When has the princess ever needed to know about this minister’s business?”
A stabbing pain suddenly pierced Qi Bingzhi’s heart; was she not even allowed to know?
No one said a word, and their surroundings fell quiet for a moment, so the growling of someone’s stomach was quite noticeable.
Qi Changyi immediately became embarrassed. He sneakily clutching his empty belly, hoping that no one had heard his stomach just grown, but he had been hungry for a while now.
Another hand placed itself over his stomach, pressing against his soft belly and gently pinching it through his clothing, eliciting a slight shudder from Qi Changyi.
“Hungry?” Pei Zheng lowered his head to the little prince’s delicate ears, his voice deep and teasing.
Qi Changyi’s ears heated up, and he nodded obediently, “Pei-gege, I’m hungry, I haven’t eaten anything tonight… “
Pei Zheng let go of his waist and clasped his hand. They were just about to leave.
In a last ditch effort, Qi Bingzhi called out once again from behind them, “Lord Pei, please wait!”
Pei Zheng did not plan on stopping, but Qi Changyi tugged his hand, forcing him to stop.
Facing Pei Zheng’s back, Qi Bingzhi said, “Lord Pei, I… have a request. Could you put in some good words for my husband in front of Father? He is at fault, but he hasn’t committed any unredeemably evil crimes! Please ask Father for leniency, to have mercy and spare my husband’s family!”
“You’re asking the wrong person for that, Princess,” Pei Zheng turned, his eyes filled with imposing indifference.
“In this minister’s opinion, he deserves death for his crimes.”
Those words made Qi Bingzhi’s blood run cold. Her heart instantly fell to the deepest point of despair. Her legs went limp, and she collapsed onto her knees with a “thud”.
“Lord Pei, I’m begging you, Father doesn’t even want to see me now, I’m begging you! I really am begging you!”
Qi Changyi watched as Qi Bingzhi knelt there in submission, and said, “Second Princess, you should get up first. Your husband’s family really did make mistakes, and those who make mistakes must receive punishment. Even if you beg Pei-gege, that won’t absolve him of his crimes.”
Pei Zheng stroked Qi Changyi’s hair in satisfaction. Not only had he understood what the two were saying, but he had also replied in a clear, reasonnable manner, and was direct in his answer.
“Well said, ” Pei Zheng smiled, “I’ll give you a reward later.”
Qi Changyi’s eyes immediately sparkled, and he suppressed the joy in his voice as he asked, “What kind of reward?”
But Pei Zheng refused to tell him, saying that he would find out in a bit.
Still refusing to give up, Qi Bingzhi said, “He doesn’t know anything, you can’t believe a word he says. Lord Pei, I’m begging you to reconsider. You’re in a good position, if you help my husband’s family, it may prove to be of use to you in the future.”
But Pei Zheng merely replied with indifference, “I am in no position to do that.”
He ganced at Qi Changyi, “My position is my position. Your Highness, what do you think?”
Qi Changyi frowned and thought for a moment, “I think that people who make mistakes should be punished.”
“All right, whatever you say goes.”
Pei Zheng had arrived at his conclusion. He really did not want waste time on useless matters involving useless people anymore. His little prince was hungry; that was actually the most pressing matter here.
The pair walked out of the little courtyard, before Pei Zheng paused at the entrance. Knowing that Qi Bingzhi was still kneeling there, he said without turning his head, “Second Princess, this minister has always sought revenge. Although you haven’t experienced it yet, it’s only a matter of time. This minister did not forget. Take care.”
Once they walked out of the courtyard and no one was watching, Qi Changyi no longer had to restrain himself and latched onto Pei Zheng’s neck; nearly all of his body weight was hanging off of Pei Zheng.
So Pei Zheng supported the little prince’s body as he walked, his footsteps a bit hurried.
Qi Changyi scurried along with his little legs but could not keep up, so he tripped himself. His arms loosened, and he almost fell headfirst onto the ground.
Fortunately, Pei Zheng scooped him back up and placed the small man’s arms back around himself. The little prince’s body immediately grew limp, as if he were boneless. He was nestled in Pei Zheng’s arms and unwilling to walk on his own, his legs drooping downward.
Pei Zheng quite liked this clingy version of him, and wanted nothing more than for him to hang off of his body forever. He held the little prince’s bottom up with both hands and lifted him up, before he stepped forward with his long legs and continued with quick, steady strides.
“Acting spoiled now, are we?”
Qi Changyi did not need to walk by himself. He was slumped over Pei Zheng’s shoulder, staring at the limestone tiles fading into the distance. He rubbed his cheek against the other’s neck, “I’m hungry, I don’t have the energy to walk, you can’t blame me…”
Pei Zheng could not help but start laughing. He immediately replied in a deep voice filled with innuendo, “It’s not good for you to be so physically weak. We’ll have to come up with a way for you to get in shape.”
Qi Changyi said, “I’ll have energy once I’m full. I don’t need to get in shape, I’m in great shape.”
“Oh? Full where? What’s in great shape?”
Qi Changyi could not understand, and replied seriously, “When my tummy is full, and my body’s in great shape.”
He patted his hungry, sunken stomach, “Once I’m full it won’t be empty in here anymore. It’ll become round and fat, and I’ll become chubby, and Pei-gege won’t be able to carry me anymore.”
Pei Zheng stiffened as the other pressed his body against him, before he squeezed those round buttocks, keeping his voice low, “Stop squirming.”
Qi Changyi stopped squirming, before he slumped back over Pei Zheng’s shoulder. He seemed to have remembered something, and asked, “Right, Pei-gege, where’s A-Feng?”
“He has things to do.”
“What things? Does he know that Imperial Physician Jiang is back in the palace? Earlier, I even bumped into him, but he had business at the Imperial Hospital and was called away. We didn’t even get to talk very much.”
“Mm, they have the same business to take care of.”
Qi Changyi raised his little head, “Ah? What does that mean?”
Pei Zheng pressed the back of the small man’s head back onto his shoulder, “Don’t worry about it. Just be good and keep lying like this. Hold onto me.”
“Okay.” Qi Changyi wrapped his arms around Pei Zheng’s neck.
“Hold on tight.”
Qi Changyi obediently tightened his arms.
A hand protected the back of his head while another arm held his body, and the pair shot into the air. After just a few jumps, they were at the palace entrance.
After the two boarded a carriage, Pei Zheng sat down, while Qi Changyi remained seated on his lap.
The carriage continued to travel toward the streets far away from the palace, but it did not head straight for the Prime Minister’s Manor. Instead, it slowly came to a stop on the main street.
“We’re getting off.”
Only then did Qi Changyi let go of Pei Zheng’s neck and allow Pei Zheng to carry him off of the carriage.
After steadying himself, Qi Changyi still had not looked up to see where they were, when an overwhelming fragrance wafted into his nostrils.
Besides Yi Pin Xiang, where else could this familiar scent be coming from?
Qi Changyi impatiently pulled Pei Zheng into the restaurant.
Although it was getting late, Yi Pin Xiang was still full. It looked like there were no more free seats.
The restaurant manager shouted, “Apologies, we’re a full house today, please-“
Before he finished, he looked up and saw who they were, and he could not even close his mouth from the shock.
“M-m-my Lord, Y-young master…”
The last time the two of them had showed up here together had been years ago. The manager immediately thought he was hallucinating, before he snuck several glances at Qi Changyi; only then could he confirm that it really was the same young master.
A private room upstairs had been left vacant this whole time. The manager hurriedly led the pair upstairs to be seated.
Not long after, the table was laden with delicacies.
Qi Changyi had been craving the delicious food at Yi Pin Xiang for a while now. He hastily began to eat, coating the corners of his lips with grease.
Pei Zheng did not pick up his chopsticks; the whole time, he would wipe the little prince’s mouth from time to time, remind him to eat slower, and not allow him to swallow until he was finished chewing.
There was a jar on the wine on the table. Pei Zheng slowly drank it by himself.
The little prince said he was so hungry that he could not walk, but in truth, his appetite was not that voracious to begin with. After having a bite of each dish, he was stuffed, and his little belly really did become round and fat.
After eating his fill, Qi Changyi licked his lips, before he stared fixedly at Pei Zheng, who was holding a wine cup and drinking.
Pei Zheng put his cup down and asked, “You’re full?”
Qi Changyi nodded, his eyes pinned on his cup.
“Pei-gege, is that tasty?”
It looked like it was incredibly delicious.
Pei Zheng’s mouth was still filled with the fragrance of wine. As he gazed at the eager little prince, he could not help but smile, “Want to find out?”
Qi Changyi nodded again, swallowing back his saliva.
Pei Zheng beckoned to him, “Come here.”
Qi Changyi obediently leaned over, before he was grabbed by Pei Zheng, falling onto Pei Zheng’s lap.
Before he was suffocated by those scorching breaths, there was a buzzing sound in Qi Changyi’s ears, before a few words broke though it.
“Close your eyes.”
Notes
I CANT BELIEVE PEI ZHENG ASKED THAT WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING SIR
Anyway, sorry I’m late again! I quite literally forgot to finish editing this.
Thanks for reading~
