Chapter 32

(Back to the present)

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These few days, Shen Nuo wasn't bothered by any matter. So Shen Nuo spent his days at Mingyue Palace busy with his own investigations and tutoring Minghe.

Nothing serious happened except Jinyu who dared to eat Shen Nuo's terrible cooking and became the ghost that haunted the toilet for a week. Minghe visited often and learned many interesting things.

Zhanhua visited at least once two weeks, secretly and they would exchange all that they had discovered about the murder that was going to happen.

Other than these, there wasn't any serious issue that troubled him except one. Shen Nuo was repeatedly visited by strange dreams all of which seemed to belong to original Shen Nuo's childhood. He did not know why he kept dreaming about them. But why did they also feel like some long forgotten memories he had?

At first Shen Nuo was annoyed. But with time, he was baffled. As he gradually recovered original Shen Nuo's memories, he felt more and more complicated. There were many things beyond the novel that he doubted. For example, it was actually the Emperor who had taught Shen Nuo Martial Arts and lore... This was something that he didn't expect even in his dreams.

The other thing was, the Emperor had really loved Shen Nuo before. He used to protect Shen Nuo secretly. But everything changed on their wedding day. Li Yan suddenly became cold to him. But what was the reason for such a sudden change?

Li Yan wasn't a person who would try to get revenge for simple matters. His mood was like frozen ice that would never melt even by fire. Such being the case, what on earth happened to him to have that of a strong emotional change just within a very short period of time?

It was not a secret in Li Yang that the newly wedded male consort was ignored by the Emperor in the wedding night. It was true. Li Yan didn't go to Shen Nuo's room that night. He spent the night with Consort Lian instead. One month later, Li Yan married another woman and made her his Empress...

Modern Shen Nuo also saw in his dreams how the original Shen Nuo struggled later to get the Emperor's attention. He tried everything he could. He was very naive and sensitive. He wasn't much strong. But for the mad love he had towards Li Yan, he did everything he could. He wore heavy makeup. He dressed flashy robes... He tried to act like a woman... All he wanted was attention so he tried to get it innocently.

But he became the laughing stock in the harem. He was often bullied. He was harassed and was laughed at and mocked. Li Yan ignored him. He never looked at him. He never listened to him. When Shen Nuo was framed for faults he didn't do, Li Yan was the first to punish him. Those dark days, the only comfort that original Shen Nuo had was Zhanhua...

Zhanhua was very kind and understanding. He secretly helped Shen Nuo a lot. And later, he was caught by the Emperor and was beheaded under the accusation of having a secret affair with the Emperor's consort...

How did things come to this? What is there behind the scene that original Shen Nuo didn't know? Why was he suddenly ignored by Li Yan after having been Li Yan's secret crush for years and years?

Shen Nuo felt a headache.

He raised his head to look at Li Yan who was calmly reading some court documents at the desk. He head was held high majestically and with a great demeanour of an Emperor. And he was... extremely handsome... Minghe was also sitting by a desk in the corner of the Study, copying down scrolls quietly. He was calm and silent whenever he was with Li Yan.

It was this morning that Shen Nuo was ordered to accompany them in the Study. So Shen Nuo sat patiently by the side of the desk, reading a novel. But he was definitely not someone who could sit patiently for a long time with his mouth shut. It would start to itch. He pouted his mouth in dismay. "I want to go to the toilet!" He said in a pleading voice.

"No." Li Yan replied simply even without looking at him. "You just went there few moments ago."

And Shen Nuo looked at him incredulously. "Li Yan I want to piss!"

Li Yan raised his brows. "Didn't you piss seven times the hour before? Zhen thinks you mustn't go to visit the toilet. Zhen thinks you must visit the doctor." But it was clear that his reply was a no. He patiently flipped through the scrolls he was reading. His slender fingers were swift.

Shen Nuo sighed feeling his headache worsen. He helplessly looked at Li Yan. He wanted to go back to Mingyue Palace because he promised to meet Zhanhua this afternoon. But he was summoned by the dog in the morning. The dog did not have any idea on letting him go it seems.

Shen Nuo was also very hungry. But he's not going to beg for food from the dog. He was definitely not going to beg anything from him. He silently pursed his lips and pouted his mouth even higher in dismay.

Li Yan pushed the fruit bowl on the desk towards him. "Eat!"

Shen Nuo was startled at first. How did the Emperor know he was hungry?

Then Shen Nuo was angry. How dare the dog! He just summoned him without a cause or a reason and kept him waiting over him for nothing? Zhanhua was at Mingyue Palace! He needs to go back!

Shen Nuo gritted his teeth.

Playing with me, are you? Let's see if I don't make you chase me away out by yourself!

He smiled sweetly and looked at the fruit bowl that was pushed towards him. There were delicious looking grapes, peaches, apples, lichi, and several nuts.

Minghe looked at Shen Nuo mournfully in a pleading look. The look was obviously asking for help. It looked as though Minghe was tired after having to write the whole morning.

But he was caught red handed when Li Yan turned to look at him. Minghe was flabbergasted. He lowered his head immediately. Imperial Father wasn't like daddy Shen. He aught to be careful...

But for his surprise, Li Yan sighed shaking his head. "Minghe, come and sit beside Imperial Father!"

Minghe looked over the moon. His cherry lips stretched into a happy smile. He immediately got up from the seat.

Shen Nuo also smiled brightly. "Ah'Ming! Come and sit beside daddy Shen!"

Minghe subconsciously paused in his tracks. He was speechless.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "Father told you to come and sit beside me!"

Shen Nuo didn't seem to give up either. "Ah'Ming! Daddy Shen also told you to come and sit beside me!"

It looked as though Minghe was tearing between two. He looked at both of them in turns, helplessly.

"Minghe, come here! Sit beside your father!"

"Ah'Ming! Come here! Sit beside your daddy!"

Minghe looked at Shen Nuo helplessly. "But Imperial Father told me to call you mother!"

Shen Nuo raised his brows at the dog. I'm clearly a man! Bro, are you challenging science?

However, Minghe seemed to have his own plans. He sheepishly came and settled upon Shen Nuo's lofty lap and looked at Li Yan nervously. "Imperial Father... I - "

The Emperor at looked Minghe darkly. "You shouldn't spend your time with him!"

"But father! No one wants to play with me like mother- father Shen! I don't like to be with Mother Empress or Mother Lian... I -"

"Shut up!" Li Yan said in a hard voice. He was dumbfounded. Minghe never argued or spoke back to him before... But now? It looked as if Shen Nuo hadn't been idle in the past few days with Minghe. "If I tell you not to go to the Mingyue Palace, then you're not to!"

"Then I need a little brother to play with!" Minghe said furiously raising his head.

The Emperor choked in his breath. "What-?"

Minghe turned to look at Shen Nuo. "Daddy Shen, tell Imperial Father that I need a brother to play with!"

Shen Nuo looked at Li Yan with his lips curled up slightly at the ends. It was inadvertently teasing and seductive, also suggestive and too tempting. "Why don't you ask your Imperial Father? Hmm?" He told to Minghe in a misterious whisper. "It's not like that I can give you one. Don't look at me!"

Little Minghe did not understand. "I don't mind how! But I need one tomorrow!" He said pouting his little cherry lips and looking away unhappily. The Emperor's eyes suddenly met with Shen Nuo. That pair of alluring phoenix eyes were deep but fathomless and penetrating

Shen Nuo raised his brows. "Emperor will have to work hard tonight! Little Minghe needs a brother tomorrow, understood?" He teased softly. He did not realize that he was not a man in this world but a ger...

The Emperor pursed his thin lips. His breath was suddenly heavy. It looked as though he was restraining something hard. At first, Shen Nuo was a little scared. But the Emperor looked too adorable though... So after a moment, Shen Nuo felt like teasing him more, not knowing he would dig his own grave with his own mouth.

His lips immediately stretched into a malicious smile. He ran his slender long fingers over the fruits and picked up a plumpy long banana. And this banana had a dark reddish brown pericarp, a certain kind of banana that was unique to Asian countries... But Li Yan who saw this from the corner of his eyes, felt his breath hitch.

He gritted his teeth and continued to read the reports. This was deliberately provoking!

Shen Nuo knew what Li Yan was thinking. So he brought the banana closer and sniffed it deeply and let out of soft seductive moan. "Whoah... This fragrance..." Is alluring...

Li Yan's hands tightened to the brim of the report he was holding. He pursed his thin lips. He said nothing.

Shen Nuo kissed the tip of the banana with a submissive smile and peeled off the pericarp with slender little fingers. He threw away the pericarp which flew over the Emperor's head and got hung onto a scroll  in a near by rack. Shen Nuo didn't feel embarrassed at all. His pale white fingers that held the edible fruit looked paler and paler... with distinct knuckles and velvety skin ...

Shen Nuo turned to Minghe with a strange smile.

"You know? Minghe? You shouldn't give your wife to eat so much bananas once you grow up and marry." He said looking at the Emperor meaningfully.

The Emperor had his eyes lowered but behind his tightly pursed lips, his teeth were already grinding. The hands clenched into fists under the heavy golden sleeves.

Minghe looked however curious. "Why?" He asked eagerly.

The Emperor couldn't take it anymore. "Shen Nuoyan!" He said in a hard voice. "Don't lead him astray!"

Shen Nuo looked at him innocently. "What are you saying? Just let me eat it! I have the right to eat it in whatever the way I like! Why are you looking at me like that?"

Li Yan was speechless. It was as if all the bad thinking was done by him. He gritted his teeth raising a brow.

He really did not know what to do with this consort. He suppressed his feelings and turned to look at the report again.

And by the next moment, Shen Nuo started eating it. He was extremely noisy. He chewed and sucked, licked and gnawed and smacked it without realizing that the Emperor's body was stiffening.

F@#k you Li Yan! Let's see how long you'll put up with it! I'll disgust you until you chase me out by yourself!!!

But little did he know even his single move just brought the other person to see nightmares. He did not know how much the other person had secretly wanted him all these times... Even a single move of him was but adding pine oil to fire...

Finally Li Yan couldn't take it anymore. "Eat something else!" He said in a furious voice. He couldn't bear to hear such embarrassing noises. Was it that hard to eat a banana? What was Shen Nuo doing?

But this time Minghe unexpectedly helped. "Imperial Father. Daddy -ahem, mother Shen likes to eat bananas so much. Then dad shouldn't stop him from eating them. Instead, dad should give him more bananas to eat!"

And Shen Nuo thought he was going to have a heart attack. He looked at Minghe in incredulous disbelief. "You!"

However, Li Yan thought what Minghe said was very reasonable. But it won't be too good for Minghe to see it. So he suppressed himself forcefully and narrowed his eyes.

"Are you going to eat it or not?" He asked back in his dangerous voice. "It's not like you don't have teeth. Don't trouble Zhen with inappropriate noises!"

And Shen Nuo just pretended to be stunned. "What are you saying? Huh? Inappropriate noises?" It was as if Shen Nuo was an innocent lad who does not know even how to ... And the way he innocently blinked at Li Yan was as if ...

Li Yan looked at that alluring but mischievous face that was full of evil intentions.

Li Yan had sustained and sustained. But after having had enough, Li Yan finally broke through his own limits. "Zhangsun!" He called out slamming the report onto the desk with a bang and Zhangsun came inside.

"Minghe is tired! Send him to Consort Sagangui's Palace!"

Minghe looked at Li Yan in dismay. "Father!" He cried out mournfully. It was obvious he didn't want to leave them...

But Zhangsun was cold hearted. He was carrying out the orders. He looked at Minghe coldly and bowed. "Little Prince, please!" He said showing out the way.

Shen Nuo gulped. Coming color was not good. What's happening. Li Yan wasn't looking too good. Shen Nuo only dared to mess up with Li Yan because he thought he was safe since Minghe was there. But...

Minghe left with Zhangsun...

Shen Nuo came back to his senses and immediately got up to his feet to flee.

But suddenly without warning, Li Yan pulled him back by the sleeve. The pressure was strong and Shen Nuo was thrown back. He screamed. Then with a thud he felled onto Li Yan's lap. He was horror-stricken.

He struggled out to get away but Li Yan wrapped his strong arms around him in an iron lock, forcing him to lean his back onto Li Yan's stiff and study chest. And by the next moment, Shen Nuo found himself locked between Li Yan and the desk. The chilling fragrance of Sandalwood enveloped Shen Nuo's nose. He couldn't even move. His eyes widened. "You -!"

Li Yan's breath was very heavy. He narrowed his eyes darkly and looked at Shen Nuo's face that was very close to him. "You were so eager to provoke Zhen before. Where are you going to run away in a hurry now? Hmmm? Zhen did not give you permission to leave..."

Shen Nuo tried to push away Li Yan's arms. "Let go!"

But Shen Nuo's unwillingness drew Li Yan to look even colder. He tightened his wrap around him.

"My wife very much likes to eat bananas right?" He whispered meaningfully in his magnetic whisper and his scorching breath hit Shen Nuo's neck sending a cold shudder run down Shen Nuo's back.

"!!!"

Shen Nuo felt goosebumps in his skin. How did he end here!!? He only wanted to get the dog pissed off. But he didn't expect even in the least to get himself pissed off like this. He was speechless for a while.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes even darker in satisfaction and looked at Shen Nuo who was very obedient. He then reached the fruit bowl and picked up an even plumpy banana with a shining red skin.

Shen Nuo's eyes widened. He couldn't even move as he lied leaning his head onto Li Yan's sturdy chest, locked in between Li Yan's strong arms speechlessly. He gulped when he saw Li Yan peeling off the banana slowly and carefully.

Li Yan lowered his face even closer and his cold and thin lips slightly brushed against Shen Nuo's ear. "Since you like it so much, of course Zhen will definitely look in for it and help you ..."

Shen Nuo shuddered wildly. Why did it sound more than words?

The banana was brought towards Shen Nuo's lips. "Eat!"

Shen Nuo stubbornly turned his head away, tightening his lips. He was not going to yield. "You fucking let me go!"

But in the next moment, Li Yan bit his ear. Shen Nuo couldn't help but press his hands against his mouth to muffle the painful yell. His eyes teared in pain. It was the same spot that Li Yan had once bitten some few weeks ago. Li Yan was really a dog! The scar got scratched again and got stained with blood. Li Yan let go of the ear and coldly looked at Shen Nuo again.

"Are you eating it this way or not? Or do you want me to feed it to you in another way? Hmm?"

Shen Nuo was frightened. Before he could refuse, his mouth had yielded already. Curse the original Shen Nuo's body! He was shuddering madly. He opened his mouth quickly. Li Yan smirked and pushed the top of the banana through his lips. Shen Nuo ate bit by bit obediently. His lips were shivering. He felt dizzy. His face was very red at the ends of his eyes, neck and his nose tip.

"Are you still hungry?" Li Yan asked softly. "Do you want to eat more?" He asked tightening his grasp around Shen Nuo's thin waist. "Zhen has lot of work now. If you can wait until tonight, Zhen can give you enough until you hate bananas for a lifetime." He said in an assuring voice, meaningfully.

Shen Nuo shook his head like a rattle drum. "No!" He whispered in a hoarse and shuddering voice. "I.. I had enough today... Don't want to... eat more!"

Li Yan nodded, letting Shen Nuo go. "Then you better behave!" He spoke in a warning voice. "Restraining myself doesn't mean that I can't do anything to you!" He looked at Shen Nuo warningly.

Shen Nuo immediately got off Li Yan's lap. He fled. He was out of his mind. Meanwhile, Li Yan pursed his thin lips even tighter and looked at the door with red eyes.

He did not know up to which extent he would be able to restrain himself before he really press him onto a tree trunk or a bed... Tsk! Forget it! He knew he won't be able to let go of Shen Nuo once he had caught him. So better let him play around freely for a while more...

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Don't miss the next chapter... Ok, here the chaotic tale starts between Li Yan, Zhanhua and Shen Nuo...