chapter 13

Zemin looks at the hand placing a bowl of porridge  beside the hulatang soup. He looks up at Xingchen.

Xingchen stares back at him without any expression. Even every ant of the palace knows that Zemin can't eat spicy food. He either eats sweet dishes or bland dishes. He can't eat H of Hulatang soup. Yet, Yaad or Yang xi doesn't know about this.

Zemin looks away with a deep sigh "what are you doing here ?"

Xingchen doesn't give any reply but he sits beside Zemin while exchanging two soup bowls with each other.

Zemin frowns "what are you doing ? That's my soup."

"Can you eat this ?" Xingchen opens his mouth this time.

"I can. Yaad made it with so much efforts. I need to eat that.."

"So much efforts without caring what you can eat and what you can't ?"

Zemin shrugs "why do you care ? It's my problem."

"I am busy enough, Zemin. I am not here to fight with you... "

"That's what I asked. What are you doing here ? You don't need to worry about me." Zemin takes his bowl back and takes a spoonfull of soup in his mouth.

Xingchen stays silent for sometimes as Zemin's face slowly turns red because of the spices.

Zemin ignores Xingchen's gaze and takes another spoonful. His eyes turn blurry.

Xingchen sighs. He holds Zemin's hand as he proceeds to eat for the third time. "Enough! You have already proved your love for your consort Yaad."

Zemin looks away but he doesn't protest when Xingchen takes away the hutalang soup and feeds him porridge instead.

***

"You said that Zemin misunderstood something between me and Xingchen. They are fighting for me ? Where ?" Zixuan asks Yuzu standing outside Zemin's bedchamber .

Yuzu covers his face to supress his happiness "Well, they look so cute."

"I came all the way here , leaving my breakfast .. just to see my brother being fed like a kid." Zixuan complains. "Now you need to feed me like this."

Yuzu rolls his eyes "I guess, it's better that way. Xingchen would understand his feelings if Zemin gives a little bit cold shoulder to him."

Zixuan nods "and we shouldn't interfere in their life. It's their story." .

"Their story wouldn't start, without me."

Zixuan grins. "No my dear, their story started even before us."

***

Xingchen walks out of Ze-min's room with a serious face. He looks at the empty bowl of hutalang soup in his hand. He is sure that Zemin has no idea about this soup. Neither there is any secret meaning of this soup.

But he is sure these threats aren't as simple as it looks. He looks back at Zemin. Zemin is already engrossed in his papers. Which is weird. Zemin doesn't like to work. Yet ..

He was about to look away when he sees Zemin wipping his tears away. Xingchen blinks. Why does today's Zemin remind him of the boy he met at the cliff..

Xingchen closes his eyes for sometimes. He sees himself standing at the edge of hudian cliff at the edge of fourteen.

"No don't go there ... Come back .. your highness.. you will fall."

"Who is your highness ? Who are you ? Go away." A crying boy shouts back.

"No .. you will slip"

"I am here to die... Go away..."

"Why why are you dying ? Come back .. come back to me .. what happened ? Tell me .. "

"Why should I tell you ? What are you gonna do ?"

"I will protect you. I promise. Come back... I am strong. I will be there for you."

The boy looks at him with suspicious eyes. "You will protect me ?"

"Yes .."

"They bully me ... Hurt me ..."

"I will put them in prison."

"I want to die.. I should die .."

"No don't die. Please for me."

"Who are you ?"

"I am Xingchen. You know me. You know , I am learning to fight in army school already. I will protect you."

"Really ?"

"Really. I swear."

Xingchen opens his eyes. The little boy has grown up. Grown up to be a scheming villain. Grown up to call him a guard dog. Yet... He cries.

Xingchen walks back to the room and sits beside Zemin. Zemin looks away.

"Who told you that I liked emperor Zixuan ? Yaad ?"

Zemin stops his movements"what are you talking about ?"

"For the last ten years I wished consort Yuzu and emperor Zixuan to be together. When you really love someone, you can't wish him for someone else."

Xingchen looks at Zemin's red face. He places his palm on Zemin's forehead. "fever."

"I am fine.." Zemin tries to move but his head spins.

"I don't know what Yaad told you." Xingchen holds Zemin in his arms. "But if it involves me and emperor Zixuan then I have the rights to explain my side."

Zemin leans his head on Xingchen's shoulder. Xingchen feels the heat of Zemin's body. "You ... don't .. love me. You .. never. ... Last life ... you loved me ... because I ...  was ..Zixuan ... I am .. a fool."

Xingchen pulls Zemin up from the floor "You are a fool. Otherwise you wouldn't trust Yaad. Yaad is Afreen's cousin."

"I .. don't trust ...him. I ....know .. our ... Sto..." Xingchen puts Zemin on the bed.

"You know nothing. Now, hush ..." Xingchen sits beside Zemin and calls for a maid.

"Bring a clean cloth and cold water." Xingchen orders a maid while removing Zemin's clothes.

Zemin opens his eyes tiredly "I ... am ... Zemin.."

Xingchen stops "I know."

"I ... Called you ... Dog.."

"I know."

"Why .. are.you ...here ?"

Xingchen meets Zemin's gaze. "Because you are my husband. I took a vow to hold you and I made a promise to protect you."

Zemin closes his eyes witha deep breath. '

If that's the case then you use Yang Xi to threat me... I wouldn't have forced you anyway.'

"Zemin ..." Xingchen calls as Zemin didn't respond.

"I wish.... I could .. die.."

Xingchen clenches the clean cloth in his fist. "Why you always think about escaping ? Why it's always either you fight from the back or escape like a coward. Why can't you face the problem in the eyes ?"

Zemin chuckles "Because... I ...am not .... Zixuan."

Xingchen's blood boils this time. Why is he even wasting his time like this. He pulls Zemin's by his open robe. "Watch carefully ..  I would never do this to emperor Zixuan."

Zemin closes his eyes as his warm face feels the touch of cold palms, His rough and dry lips get wet by soft and warm lips. His heart skips beats. He wants to hug Xingchen. He wants to cage Xingchen within his arms and never let go.

But his hands are numb. His brain in foggy. Just like his last life. Why it's always him ... Why whenever he wants to keep something, he realises that he has no power to keep.

Xingchen's face flushes in deep shades to red. What was he thinking ? Why he always loses his cool when it comes to Zemin. Now, how to face Zemin. Xingchen looks beyond Zemin shoulder in embarrassment.

He needs to calm down. His takes deep breaths and bites his lips to control his smile. He needs to release the hug and face Zemin. But Zemin doesn't seem to let go.

"Zemin..." Xingchen whispers as his lips were really close to Zemin's left ear "let me go... I ..." Xingchen stops in the middle. All redness disappears from his face.

Horror stricks his heart as his eyes falls on the empty Hutalang bowl. Wh..why it has a blue cast in it ?

"Zemin....." Xingchen forcefully breaks the hug to look at Zemin's face.  "ZEMINNNN....."

Xingchen shakes motionless Zemin like a madman "ZEMIINNNNNN ... NOO ...NOOO ..."

Xingchen's head spins as he sees the blood in Zemin's parted lips. He shakes Zemin again "Zemin..."

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