Chapter 25

(Memories of five years ago... Shen Nuo 11yrs and Li Yan 22yrs).

______________________________________________________________

The young Emperor sat cross legged silently forth his white jade desk in his chamber, flipping through the memorials. His upright posture was very handsome and revealed a great sense of power and majesty within. And his face was cold and cold, dignified, expressionless and indifferent. But his long eyes narrowed darkly.

"Shen Nuoyan, do you know what kind of a crime it is to interrupt the Emperor's privacy?" He asked in an icy voice without raising his head. But his cold eyes were fixed at Shen Nuo through the pearl crown.

Shen Nuo shuddered wildly. He was standing by the corner with a lowered head. He couldn't help but gulp. "Your Majesty..." He stuttered in a lame whisper. "I told Your Majesty once, when I heard someone scream inside a room, I ... I just wanted to -"

The Emperor suddenly slapped his palm on the desk with a deafening sound. He was really angry. But no one knew the reason for his anger...

Shen Nuo looked as if struck by lightning. He immediately stopped talking and lowered his head, feeling horrified.

"Still dare to speak back, do you?" Li Yan asked in a dangerous voice, gritting his teeth. His voice was piercingly cold. "Heard a scream or not, is the private chamber of the Emperor and the Empress somewhere you can barge in at wish?"

Shen Nuo blushed deep red amid rising fear and embarrassment. Why did it feel so ambiguous? Of course he knew it was the private residence of the Emperor. Who would dare to casually scream inside there, unless... unless... He wanted to dig a hole and burry himself. He should have guessed it before barging inside rudely.

Shen Nuo's face blushed purple. He had indeed heard about the matters of bed. He had seen strange ambiguous pictures that were shared among his classmates. At first he had been confused. He decided to show the book to a teaching elder and get a satisfying explanation.

But for some reason, he forgot. But he was too curious. He had asked his third brother Shendu for an explanation.

"Third brother, why should a man and a woman ...er... hug tightly on the bed?"

Shendu was just too busy with some military documents sent by his father. He was biting a piece of grass in a corner of his mouth while he flipped through the letters in a hurry. He did not clearly pay attention to what he was listening. So in a daze he replied back.

"What do you mean? Is there anything to ask in that? They were obviously sleeping!"

Back then, Shen Nuo was too small to understand the hidden meaning behind the word sleep. He only took it for ordinary sleeping. However he looked curious.

"But why do they have to take off their clothes?" He had asked seriously. "They can also do that without getting undressed. Big brother, I'm confused..."

Shendu furrowed his brows, frowning. Why was he feeling irritated? Something was definitely wrong with the report he was reading. A moment later, he heard Shen Nuo's anxious voice again. "Big brother, you're holding the report upside down..."

Shendu was speechless. He spun the letter and looked at Shen Nuo. "What did you ask before?" He asked creasing his brows. "I wasn't listening properly."

Shen Nuo silently pressed his lips together before opening them to speak again in a meek voice. "Ahem, hugging on a bed without dresses..."

"..."

"Big brother, actually it wasn't only men and women, I also saw a picture of a man and a man too..."

"???"

"But, big brother, I also think it's cool." Shen Nuo said genuinely.

"!!!"

"Big brother, I'm going to try it with my puppy tonight!" Shen Nuo said with a face full of smiles.

And Shendu had simply stared at him as if he had eaten shit...

He had only asked one question from Shen Nuo back then. "Where did you learn this!!?"

Shen Nuo who saw his brother's face get demonized in an instant, realized that he had accidently cracked his nut. But he was definitely not going to say that he happened to flip through some forbidden books that were secretly kept by his classmates. He was afraid this brother of his would burn the Academy and build it into a pigsty. So he came up with a possible lie.

"Fourth brother Shen Hao was flipping through a book at old master Liu's book store and he looked quite interested in it. I was just curious. So I joined him to watch..."

Shendu's face nearly dripped with blood. That day, he did not explain anything about that thing to Shen Nuo. Instead, he fetched a good spiny iron rod from the store room and went in search of Shen Hao hissing something which sounded very much like "Beat you into dead meat..."

Shen Nuo immediately fled the scene and pretended to be the innocent puppy full of fluffy fur again while his fourth senior brother Hao got beaten to death even without knowing why...

Later with time, Shen Nuo realized that such matters were better not to be done or spoken about in public. He realized that it was something embarrassing that could only be done in secrecy...

And this was honestly the first time he saw it with his own eyes. But what a thrilling fate? Those two people happened to be the Emperor and the Empress. How can he be not stunned?

But he also felt wronged. This thing would not have happened if the Emperor had not snatched his tassel one year ago... He had not forgotten that incident but back then, he had been too afraid to come alone. He had endured it for one whole year and finally decided to do it...

But was it his fault that they happened to be enjoying their personal time when he came? He was deliberately trying to help when he heard a woman scream. But who the hell thought she screamed because...???

So he gained courage and spoke back. "It was Your Majesty who asked me to come find you if I want my tassel back. I only did as I was told!"

Li Yan's eyes flashed in a dangerous light. His face drew even gloomy. But he didn't say anything. After what seemed for ages, he spoke back irritatedly. "The tassel is tightened to Zhen's waist belt. Zhen has work to do. So take it yourself!"

Shen Nuo felt lame. Did he just hear rightly? His eyes subconsciously lowered to look at the Emperor's narrow and slender waist. It was indeed hanging down there, tightened to the side of his waist belt.

Shen Nuo bit his lower lip nervously and took few steps towards him.

"Why do you like it that much?" The Emperor asked grimly, changing the memorials.

Shen Nuo thought for a while. He really did not know how to answer that question. If truth be told, he had asked the same question from himself, several times.

"I don't know..." Shen Nuo replied in a whispery voice, lamely. "It had been with me for many years. Maybe that's why I feel reluctant to leave it."

Li Yan fixed his indifferent gaze at him. "Is that so? Are you sure there's nothing else?"

"Your Majesty." Shen Nuo spoke honestly. "This jade tassel was given to me by someone when I was small. I don't remember him clearly. But once I happened to visit Wu Xiang Monastery and a fortune teller there told me that the person who gave me this tassel would be my husband one day..."

He went on speaking without realizing the change that went over Li Yan's face. The Emperor's breath became suddenly heavy. His pale fingertips tightened onto the brim of the desk. "Really?" He said in his cold voice but it was suddenly a bit hoarse.

Shen Nuo frowned. "Yes." He said. "He also said that person would come in search of me one-day. The tassel is not originally mine. It should be returned to it's rightful owner..."

Li Yan smirked in distress. He suddenly seemed to have a lot of emotions flashing through his slightly red eyes.

"Make sense. Also true! There's nothing wrong if you want to return it to that person oneday. Take it yourself and leave!"

Shen Nuo slowly closed the distance between them and half knelt beside the Emperor. Li Yan coldly continued to read the memorials. Shen Nuo raised his shivering fingertips to Li Yan's waist where his beloved white jade tassel kept hanging.

Back then when the Emperor snatched it way from him, it was already stained with mud. But now it looked fresh and new again. But why did the Emperor has to snatch it away from him like that? It was said the Emperor was righteous and justice loving...

And he just snatched away a child's accessory just like that? What the actual -

Suddenly the Emperor sneezed and Shen Nuo in a moment's shock, grasped from Li Yan's waist belt in fright.

Suddenly their eyes met again. Shen Nuo gulped, his eyes widening. The Emperor was looking at him as if to pierce through his soul...

That glare...

Shen Nuo immediately let go of the belt and knelt fully on the wooden floor in horror. "Your Majesty! Forgive me!"

He cried out in fright. But for a long time, there was no response. He slowly raised his eyes to look at Li Yan.

The Emperor was breathing hard. His lips were pursed tightly before his gritted teeth. His face looked frightening. "You think it's fun?" He asked in a softer but more dangerous voice.

Shen Nuo opened his mouth but did not know what to say. He felt completely lost. He was madly shivering. He stared at the Emperor with widened eyes and a tightened heart.

Li Yanlong sighed shaking his head dismissively. "Stupid!" He turned back to read the memorial grimly. "If you want the tassel, just take it and get lost! Don't trouble Zhen. Zhen has so much work to do..."

Shen Nuo gulped. This was deliberately bullying. He was called stupid again. He did not like the idea when others belittle him. It gave him so much pain.

Besides, that person was the Emperor. He was not someone whom anyone could casually touch. No matter what, that person should still be respected. How can Shen Nuo retrieve his tassel back?

Shen Nuo pursed his lips silently. He had learned so much self control than when he was small back then. So he did not cry. But it didn't stop his eyes from reddening at the ends. He lowered his head to the Emperor respectfully.

"Your Majesty, nevermind. Shen Nuo doesn't want it anymore. Shen Nuo has a lot to study. He will take his leave."

He turned to leave without waiting for a reply.

But the Emperor became colder. "Wait!" He hissed in a warning voice. "Zhen did not give you the permission to leave! Come back!"

Shen Nuo felt irritated. But anyway he turned back and went to stand beside the Emperor again. He looked at the Emperor's face clearly and was suddenly flabbergasted. He immediately knelt forth the Emperor, cupped his hands around Li Yan's face and raised it toward him. "Look at me!"

The Emperor was stunned. Shen Nuo really dared to touch him like this! His eyes were suddenly flashing with a dangerous light. His heart was beating like thunder and his mind suddenly went blank. He did not know whether it was anger or something else. He glared at Shen Nuo.

But Shen Nuo's gaze was fixed at the beautiful scarlet mole between the dense brows of Li Yan. Why does it look like he faintly remembered something that he had forgotten? Why does he feel like had had forgotten something very important?

Suddenly Shen Nuo went dazed. Familiar, yet, also unfamiliar memories slipped into his mind. Those memories were scattered. He saw himself very small, not even upto four feet tall...

He was standing under a blossoming peach tree and a handsome young man in golden robes half knelt forth him. That person also seemed to have a scarlet mole like Emperor Li Yan...

Shen Nuo faintly remembered that he was interested in that mole so he had gently pressed it with his fingertips... The afterward memories were just messy and was not clear to him. He didn't remember of having this kind of an encounter with such a person before.

But golden robes were only worn by the Emperor. Could it be that...

Shen Nuo's eyes were slightly hazy as he looked at the mole. Then without warning, he moved his face closer and pressed his lips against the scarlet mole.

This was the second time Shen Nuo touched it.. Shen Nuo was still the same...

The Emperor's breath hitched immediately. He was shocked. A shudder ran down his back when the most sensitive part of his body got sucked by such a soft and a warm mouth.

To be honest, since the moment he saw Shen Nuo enter into his chamber, he was completely restraining himself. He warned himself in the heart not to go too far with him. Shen Nuo was still a child that did not know many things.

Li Yan could only hide his emotions behind his cold face and pretend to be a devil. But Shen Nuo repeatedly provoked him when he was controlling himself forcefully.

Shen Nuo was the person whom he loved in the depths of his heart. He was the only person capable of arousing his silent desires. How can Li Yan turn deaf and blind when he is being provoked by that person again and again? And this time Shen Nuo went far to the point of kissing his sensitive mole.

It did not take Li Yan too much time to get aroused.

However, Shen Nuo was too muddle headed to feel the Emperor stiffening. He bit the mole lightly before letting go...

And then when he lowered his face to look at Li Yan, he felt thunderstruck. What did he just do!!? He was too scared when he felt Li Yan's scorching breath hit his neck. He was frightened by Li Yan's face. He wanted to withdraw immediately.

But it was too late...

Li Yan pushed him onto the wooden floor and mercilessly pressed him down under his body.

__________________________________________________________________