C140 — Kill the top Scorer（7）

Upon hearing the news of Shi Ji’s arrival, Wen Yurong’s expression shifted slightly, but he quickly concealed it, sitting as usual below Shen Jue.

Shen Jue furrowed his brows slightly and responded, “Find him a palace to stay in. I’m exhausted today; tell him he doesn’t need to come to pay his respects. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the palace attendant replied before retreating.

However, Shi Ji didn’t follow the order and still came along with the attendant. When the palace servant entered, his face was full of fear. “Your Majesty, Lord Shi insists that he has urgent matters to report—he says it cannot be delayed for even a moment.”

Urgent matters? Could it be about Tong Meng’er?

If Shi Ji had come here, it was most likely at Tong Meng’er’s behest.

“Summon him,” Shen Jue said.

Shi Ji had traveled a long way, yet he remained energetic. If not for the dust on the hem of his robes, one might have thought he had taken time to rest before coming.

He lifted his robe and knelt on the ground. “This humble minister greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years.”

“Rise. You said you had urgent matters to report. What is it?”

Shi Ji said in a deep voice, “The Empress Dowager has been delayed by affairs in the capital and said that she may not be able to come to the Southern Palace this year.”

Shen Jue was truly stunned upon hearing this. In his past lives, Tong Meng’er had never done this. Had something happened in the capital?

 

“Is everything well in the capital?” Shen Jue asked.

“The capital is stable for now, but there have been multiple snowstorms in the northern cold regions. The Empress Dowager is discussing countermeasures with the ministers, so she is temporarily unable to travel to the Southern Palace,” Shi Ji answered.

 

In Shen Jue’s memories, snow disasters had indeed occurred, but they seemed to have happened after he and Tong Meng’er had already set out for the Southern Palace. Thus, Tong Meng’er had still come, though she had been extremely busy in the following days, only able to share a single meal with Shen Jue each day.

But now, she wasn’t coming at all and had sent Shi Ji in her place. This was rather strange to Shen Jue.

…

Shi Ji settled in the palace. Unlike Wen Yurong, he woke up early every day to train in martial arts, drawing much discussion among the palace attendants. He even trained shirtless in the freezing winter, completely unfazed by the cold.

Once, Shen Jue happened to witness this scene and couldn’t help but let his gaze wander over Shi Ji’s body. That kind of physique was truly enviable.

Noticing Shen Jue’s gaze, Shi Ji stopped his movements and strode over to pay his respects. As he approached, Shen Jue could almost feel the heat radiating from his body—warmth that seemed out of place in the frigid winter.

The man was like a fire, splitting open the dull and lifeless winter, burning through it. As Shi Ji came closer, Shen Jue’s envy deepened—if only that body were his.

Shen Jue stared at him, reluctant to look away, completely forgetting to tell him to rise.

Being stared at for so long, Shi Ji naturally noticed. Without even lifting his head, he knew that the sickly emperor was watching him.

What was he looking at? They were both men—what was there to stare at?

He recalled their last encounter in the hot spring, where the emperor had also stared at him—and even looked below.

Shen Jue was lost in thought until Wen Yurong’s voice broke his trance. Finally snapping back to reality, he realized that Wen Yurong had appeared from somewhere and had also come forward to pay his respects.

“Rise,” Shen Jue finally said to Shi Ji.

That day, Shen Jue had woken up particularly early. The reason? He had barely slept the night before—it was too cold, and he kept waking up. So, he decided to soak in the hot spring for a while.

He glanced at Wen Yurong and said, “Wen Aiqing, I’m going to soak in the hot spring for a bit. Will you join me?”

How could he refuse an imperial decree? Wen Yurong agreed immediately.

Shen Jue nodded slightly and continued walking forward, but halfway there, he suddenly stopped. “Shi Ji, you come too.”

The hot spring pools here were separate, each one enclosed, so the three of them would be soaking in different pools, with screens in between to ensure a degree of privacy.

Shi Ji didn’t have much patience for soaking in hot springs. His body was naturally warm, so after a short while, he got up and sat cross-legged at the edge of the pool to meditate. However, not long after, he heard sounds coming from the adjacent bath.

As a martial artist, Shi Ji’s hearing was sharper than most. After listening for a moment, he couldn’t help but open his eyes and glance toward Wen Yurong’s side of the pool.

…

At that moment, Wen Yurong was a bit stunned—even a little awkward. Looking down at the emperor who had suddenly burrowed into his embrace, he could only press his lips together and lower his voice. “Your Majesty, are you very cold?”

Shen Jue murmured an acknowledgment. He had been soaking for a long time but still felt an unbearable chill in his body. Unable to endure it any longer, he had gotten up, bypassed the screen, and entered Wen Yurong’s pool. He didn’t care how Wen Yurong felt about it—survival came first.

But even just hugging like this didn’t seem warm enough. Growing restless, Shen Jue opened his eyes, grabbed Wen Yurong’s hands, and wrapped them around his waist. “Hold me tighter.”

“…Yes.” Wen Yurong’s expression grew even more awkward.

This was different from usual. In the water, their clothes clung tightly to their bodies. With them embracing like this, there was no avoiding certain… contact.

Shen Jue felt cold, but Wen Yurong felt hot. The steaming hot spring water, coupled with the warmth of the person in his arms, made the heat rush through his body.

Just as Wen Yurong was finding it unbearably warm, he suddenly saw Shi Ji approaching.

Shi Ji had entered the water wearing only a pair of pants. As he stepped around the screen, he was met with the sight of two men tangled together.

Wen Yurong’s usually porcelain-white face was tinged with a faint blush due to the heat. When he saw Shi Ji, a flash of embarrassment crossed his eyes. Meanwhile, the emperor in his arms seemed completely oblivious to the newcomer, still nestled comfortably against him. His long hair, damp from the water, clung to his neck, partially obscuring his pale skin behind a misty veil of steam.

From Shi Ji’s angle, he could only see a partial side profile of the person in Wen Yurong’s embrace, not enough to discern his expression.

“What are His Majesty and Minister Wen doing?” Shi Ji suddenly spoke.

Shen Jue only slowly opened his eyes upon hearing the voice. Sensing Wen Yurong’s grip loosening, he burrowed even further into the embrace and warned, “If you dare let go, I’ll punish you.”

If his voice weren’t so frail, it might have carried some authority. But since he was still the emperor, Wen Yurong could only stiffen and continue holding him. He lifted his gaze to Shi Ji, hesitated for a moment, and then explained, “His Majesty is frail and sensitive to the cold.”

Frail and sensitive to the cold, so he had to be embraced like this?

Shi Ji’s expression flickered. In the next moment, he unexpectedly stepped forward into the water, boldly making his way over to them.

When he reached them, he said in a deep voice, “This humble servant has a warm body. Why not let His Majesty take warmth from me instead?”

Wen Yurong’s expression became even more awkward. He lowered his head and glanced at the emperor in his arms, unsure of what to do.

Shen Jue, of course, heard Shi Ji’s words. He hesitated, then half-turned his head to look at him.

Shi Ji did seem to radiate more heat than Wen Yurong. But Shen Jue wasn’t fond of getting too close to people he wasn’t familiar with. The reason he could embrace Wen Yurong like this was because they had done so countless times in his past lives.

Shen Jue turned his head away and nestled back into Wen Yurong’s embrace.

Shi Ji glanced at Wen Yurong’s somewhat thin frame, then looked down at himself, frowning slightly. But there was nothing he could do.

Time passed, and Wen Yurong eventually noticed the person in his arms slowly sliding deeper into the water. When he lowered his gaze to check, he realized that Shen Jue had fallen asleep.

Falling asleep while soaking in a hot spring—what an ability.

He turned his eyes to Shi Ji and mouthed silently, “His Majesty is asleep.”

Shi Ji looked at Wen Yurong and replied, “Your limbs must be numb by now. He’s heavy. Just give him to me—I’ll hold him.”

“…That might not be appropriate,” Wen Yurong hesitated. After all, last time Shi Ji had handled Shen Jue, he ended up injuring him.

Shi Ji seemed to guess what Wen Yurong was thinking and impatiently said, “How was I supposed to know his skin was that delicate? Don’t worry, I won’t hurt him this time. Give him to me.”

Wen Yurong’s legs were indeed numb, and he wanted to change into dry clothes. After some hesitation, he carefully transferred Shen Jue into Shi Ji’s arms.

He had to admit, Shen Jue’s ability to sleep was impressive—even being moved into another person’s embrace didn’t wake him.

This wasn’t the first time Shi Ji had held Shen Jue, but the last time he had merely picked him up and tossed him onto a bed. This time, however, Shen Jue was wet, making the experience feel strangely different.

…Too soft.

Shi Ji frowned inwardly, tempted to ask Wen Yurong if he felt the same, but Wen Yurong had already gotten out of the hot spring. Left alone with Shen Jue, Shi Ji could only suppress his thoughts.

Wen Yurong was gone for quite a while—long enough that Shi Ji began to feel drowsy. He had woken up early that morning, and the heat of the water only made his eyelids heavier.

As he dozed off, he loosened his grip slightly—just enough that Shen Jue’s body slipped.

The sudden sensation of water filling his mouth startled Shen Jue awake. He immediately coughed, eyes widening in fury—only to find himself in Shi Ji’s arms.

His eyes went round. “Why is it you? Where’s Wen Yurong?” His voice carried a sharp edge of anger as he pushed at Shi Ji’s chest.

But his body was naturally weak, and after soaking in the water for so long, his limbs were even weaker. His attempt to push Shi Ji away only made himself slip further down.

Seeing this, Shi Ji had no choice but to pull him back up. “Your Majesty, does it really matter who’s holding you? You clearly don’t have the strength, so why act tough?”

Shi Ji truly had a way with words—every sentence managed to strike at Shen Jue’s insecurities.

Shen Jue already resented his frail body, especially when compared to Shi Ji’s strength. Standing next to him only made Shen Jue feel even more like a weakling.

And now Shi Ji was using this scolding tone, as if reprimanding an unreasonable child.

Shen Jue’s expression turned completely cold. “Let go.”

Shi Ji didn’t move.

Shen Jue’s voice sharpened, laced with a chilling edge of command. “Shi Ji, I said—let go.”

This time, Shi Ji released him.

Shen Jue staggered, but he quickly braced himself against the edge of the pool. Gritting his teeth, he struggled toward the shore, his movements clumsy and unsteady. Shi Ji instinctively wanted to help, but Shen Jue’s glare stopped him in his tracks.

By the time Shen Jue finally made it out of the water, Wen Yurong had just returned. Seeing Shen Jue awake, he immediately quickened his steps toward him—but before he could even speak, a sharp slap landed across his face.

Shen Jue had put all his remaining strength into that slap. His long, wet hair cascaded down his back as he glared icily at Wen Yurong.

“Wen Yurong, how dare you conspire with Shi Ji to deceive me?”

…

After that day, Wen Yurong never saw Shen Jue again. No matter how much he pleaded for an audience, Shen Jue refused to see him.

A whole winter passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time for them to prepare for their return journey.

On the day of their departure, Wen Yurong finally saw Shen Jue again. Shen Jue was curled up in his bedding, looking even worse than before. He was coughing incessantly, his cheeks flushed red, and his lips chapped.

“Your subject greets Your Majesty,” Wen Yurong bowed in salute.

Shen Jue didn’t even look at him, merely waving a hand to dismiss him. Wen Yurong hesitated after rising but couldn’t hold back. “Your Majesty, are you still feeling cold?”

Winter was nearly over, yet Shen Jue looked even more frail than before.

Shen Jue pressed a silk handkerchief to his lips, coughing weakly. “What does that have to do with you? Get out!”

Before Wen Yurong could say much, he was driven out of the carriage. Standing outside, he watched as Shi Ji entered to pay his respects. Since he was supposed to share a carriage with Shi Ji on the way back to the capital, he decided to wait outside for a while. However, after a long time, Shi Ji still hadn’t come out. Instead, an eunuch arrived to urge him.

“Lord Wen, hurry and get in the carriage. We’re about to depart.”

Wen Yurong was taken aback. “Isn’t Lord Shi still inside His Majesty’s carriage?”

“Oh, Lord Shi was kept by His Majesty, so he won’t be coming down,” the eunuch replied.

…

Inside the carriage, Shi Ji frowned slightly as he looked at the person who had forcefully snuggled into his arms.

Meanwhile, Shen Jue only felt that the warmth beside him was incredibly comforting. From the moment Shi Ji got into the carriage, he had become nothing more than a walking heater in Shen Jue’s eyes.

This entire winter, in order to punish Wen Yurong, Shen Jue had gone out of his way to avoid him. But in doing so, he had ended up torturing himself. He had even endured being carried by eunuchs, but those eunuchs trembled so much when holding him that Shen Jue had to give up. Finally, today, when he saw Shi Ji, he could no longer hold back.

Letting out a sigh, he figured that since he had already thrown caution to the wind, he might as well go a step further. He slipped his freezing hands into Shi Ji’s clothes, stopping only when he found the warmest spot.

Shi Ji: “…”

He held back for a moment but ultimately couldn’t take it anymore and moved Shen Jue’s hand slightly upward.

…

There was no denying that Shi Ji, as a martial artist, was naturally warm. After hugging him for a while, Shen Jue finally started to feel warmth return to his body. For the first time in a long while, he got a proper sleep.

When he woke up, he was in a much better mood, and even his attitude toward Shi Ji improved. But Shi Ji’s expression, on the other hand, was dark. Unlike Wen Yurong, he didn’t have a good temper, and being used as a human cushion for half the day had already put him in a bad mood. On top of that, Shen Jue’s hands kept wandering where they shouldn’t, making his patience wear thin.

“Get out,” Shen Jue said. “Come back when it’s time for dinner. And be sure to bathe before you come.”

With a stiff expression, Shi Ji left the carriage. Upon seeing Wen Yurong, he couldn’t help but complain. “When he holds you, does he also like to grope around?”

Wen Yurong paused for a moment before shaking his head.

Shi Ji frowned. “Then why does he keep touching me? What a pervert.”

“Mind your words,” Wen Yurong glanced outside the carriage window and lowered his voice in warning.

Shi Ji, having far better hearing than Wen Yurong, could always hear when someone was approaching. He wasn’t particularly concerned, though, and continued grumbling, “No wonder he’s already thirty and still hasn’t held a selection for a consort. I used to think it was because of his poor health and that he didn’t want to burden some girl with the fate of being a widow. But now, it turns out he’s just a per-vert who likes touching men.”

He slammed a fist against the carriage wall in frustration. “Damn it, he wants me to go over again tonight. He’s definitely going to grope me again.”

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