AEOGA CH36

Xie Chongjin stood utterly baffled, completely at a loss.

He could feel that Lu Xuechao seemed to be angry, yet he had no idea what he was angry about.

Had he said something wrong again?

Before he could figure it out, another knock sounded at the door—the hot water he had ordered from the waiter was ready.

Lu Xuechao had also finished his dinner. The waiter cleared the tableware from the table, and upon spotting the silver chopsticks that clearly did not belong to the inn, he muttered inwardly that these travelers truly came from a grand household in Yujing. To think they brought their own chopsticks just to eat a meal—and silver ones at that—likely to test for poison.

After the waiter cleared out and left, the doors and windows were tightly shut, and warm vapor billowed from the hot water inside the bath barrel.

Xie Chongjin tested the water temperature with his hand, and upon confirming it was just right, he said, “Qingshu, you go first.”

Lu Xuechao did not act coy; he pulled out the hairpin from his hair and expertly unfastened the sash at his waist.

When they were newly wed, Lu Xuechao would still hesitate for a long time out of bashfulness before taking off his clothes in front of Xie Chongjin, requiring Xie Chongjin to strip his garments every time. Now… after being an old married couple for so many years and having lived through who knows how many lifetimes in their memories, this level of intimacy could hardly stir any waves in him.

As the white robe was hung over the folding screen, Xie Chongjin gazed upon Lu Xuechao’s flawless body with an admiring gaze, devoid of any lewdness.

Lu Xuechao was like a masterfully crafted work of art, a masterpiece meticulously sculpted by the heavens from his face down to his body. His skin was like congealed lard, as white as frost and snow—a piece of crystal-clear, exquisite white jade in human form. Beneath his slender neck lay delicate collarbones, and his back outlined a graceful, flowing curve, with a pair of butterfly bones looking as though they were about to spread their wings and fly. A crescent-moon mark graced the dimple of his lower back; rather than adding a flaw to his skin, it served as the finishing touch, making even the birthmark appear in just the right place. A pair of long legs were straight and slender, while his loose long hair draped over most of his body, partially veiling him in a way that invited even greater reverie.

Standing before the bath barrel that reached past his waist, Lu Xuechao stepped onto a low stool barefoot and submerged himself into the water.

Standing behind him, Xie Chongjin scooped up a ladle of hot water and poured it over Lu Xuechao’s snow-white, delicate nape and back.

The heat flushed that skin a soft pink beneath the white. Xie Chongjin soaked a cloth, wrung it dry, and wiped Lu Xuechao’s back, his fingers brushing against that gorgeous pair of butterfly bones, making him feel Lu Xuechao tremble slightly.

Like a butterfly fluttering its wings.

Xie Chongjin admired the sight for a moment before sighing, “You’re too thin, you need to exercise more.”

Lu Xuechao perfectly embodied the aesthetics pursued by the people of Changli—fair, slender, beautiful, captivating to the extreme, a beauty who naturally evoked a strong desire to protect him.

Yet Xie Chongjin always felt a trace of regret.

—Though beautiful, he was far too fragile and frail. He loved Lu Xuechao, so he naturally found him perfect in every way, but if this beauty was bought at the cost of his health, he didn’t like it nearly as much.

He would rather Lu Xuechao were less “perfect,” so long as he was healthy and whole.

Regrettably, Lu Xuechao had been frail since the womb, his delicate frame shaped by deep-rooted, lingering illness. No matter how much he exercised, he could only achieve an exterior appearance indistinguishable from an ordinary person; having eight-pack abs like Xie Chongjin was virtually impossible.

Xie Chongjin could not be considered burly, yet he was a tall, imposing man who stood like a crane. Standing alongside Lu Xuechao, a noticeable contrast in body size could be seen.

Lu Xuechao urged in a low voice, “It’s cold, hurry up.”

His body was naturally cool and sensitive to cold; even soaking in hot water on a summer night, he would feel chilly without clothes on.

Hearing this, Xie Chongjin immediately picked up his pace, quickly finishing the wipe-down before scooping Lu Xuechao out of the water and drying his body.

The water used for the bath remained clear to the bottom. Glancing at it, Xie Chongjin smiled and remarked, “You really are an immortal who remains unsullied by the mud.”

Having put on his inner robe, Lu Xuechao sat on the bed wringing his wet, long hair, his eyes turned downward as he watched Xie Chongjin kneeling on one knee on the floor, holding his ankle and wiping the water from the top of his foot.

That ankle was so slender it looked as though it might snap with a flick, held fast by a hand with distinct, defined joints—like holding a fragile, precious treasure.

When the ruler of a nation performed such tasks, he did so with practiced ease, without the slightest sense of incongruity.

Truth be told, were it not for the game’s influence or their occasional discussions on state affairs, Lu Xuechao would hardly realize that his lover was the sovereign of a whole nation.

He didn’t put on the slightest air of an emperor in front of him.

The first time he had been served like this, Lu Xuechao had said, “Aren’t you afraid of damaging the royal majesty?”

Xie Chongjin had merely replied, “What need is there for majesty in front of my spouse? All I need is to be henpecked.”

Lu Xuechao suspected that Xie Chongjin had secretly taken advanced courses in husbandly virtue in Xifeng Kingdom.

After finishing the wipe-down, Xie Chongjin stood up: “I’ll go bathe now. Don’t sleep just yet; read a storybook for a bit and wait for your hair to dry before sleeping, lest you wake up tomorrow with a headache.”

Lu Xuechao tucked himself into the warm bedding, nodded sluggishly, and looked down at the storybook handed to his fingers.

The storybook was written by Hua Yan, inspired by the Emperor-Empress love stories Xie Chongjin had told over those years. Polished and refined by Fu Xinian, its quality turned out even better than many popular romance novels among the common folk.

Hua Yan had not given up on his dream of writing storybooks, thinking that if he wrote them himself and hired storytellers in Huaman Pavilion to serialize them, it might even draw in clientele.

Earlier on, Fu Xinian would turn red in the face just reading these storybooks, yet recently he could edit them without batting an eye—who knew if he had simply grown terrified of Hua Yan’s relentless pestering. After writing the first few chapters, Hua Yan had even handed them over to Xie Chongjin for a preview to ask for the involved parties’ input.

Fearing Lu Xuechao would be bored, Xie Chongjin had brought along some books for him to pass the time on the road, including this very storybook.

The protagonists all used pseudonyms, but as Lu Xuechao read through the plot, it grew more and more familiar.

Was he sure he wasn’t reading an autobiography…?

Xie Chongjin had the waiter change the water, then stepped in to bathe as well. Shedding his clothes revealed clearly defined, sculpted muscle groups.

Having practiced martial arts since youth, he looked lean in clothes but possessed solid physique beneath—every muscle that ought to be there was present in full. Ordinarily hidden beneath brocade robes, only Lu Xuechao could feast his eyes on it.

If the common folk were to see Xie Chongjin’s figure, he would likely land straight at the top of the “Most Desired Escort in Changli” ranking.

However, having seen it far too often, Lu Xuechao had lost all worldly desire; he merely cast a glance, calmly retracted his gaze, and continued reading his storybook.

Xie Chongjin, secretly observing Lu Xuechao’s reaction: …My spouse seems to have lost interest in me, what should I do?

Naturally, find a way to seduce him.

Recalling that Lu Xuechao seemed to be angry tonight, a sense of crisis instantly welled up in Xie Chongjin’s heart.

Could it be that during their past lives, he had acted too excessively at times, draining Qingshu’s passion and causing him to be so cold in this life?

Speaking of which, in the three months since awakening, the number of times they had shared a bed could be counted on one hand.

Xie Chongjin felt a bit distressed; those memories truly seemed to have brought about a relationship crisis between them—whether those memories were excessively painful, or excessively wild.

He had to make Qingshu vent his anger.

Xie Chongjin cleared his throat and raised his voice: “Qingshu, I can’t reach my back, help me out.”

Lu Xuechao remained expressionless.

What a scheming escort.

As a practitioner of martial arts, he could execute even the most awkward contortions, yet he couldn’t reach his own back?

He had so many petty tricks right now, so why had he been such a wooden block earlier?

Lu Xuechao turned a page, pretending not to hear.

“Qingshu—”

“No.” This time Lu Xuechao spoke up, refusing crisply and decisively.

Xie Chongjin suffered a massive blow.

In Qingshu’s eyes, was he no longer even as good-looking as a storybook?

He suddenly regretted handing out that storybook earlier and drawing away Lu Xuechao’s attention.

Xie Chongjin finished bathing at top speed, threw on a robe, and slid into the quilt.

He deliberately refrained from wearing his robe properly, leaving the front open to expose his chest muscles, paired with that remarkably handsome face—it carried a full, alluring charm.

Lu Xuechao didn’t give him half a glance, focusing entirely on reading the storybook.

Xie Chongjin: “…”

He adjusted his posture once more, reclining half-sideways on the bed while propping his head, his voice dropping into a low, husky, seductive tone: “Spouse.”

Lu Xuechao’s fingertips trembled, his ears tormented by that melodramatic timbre, unable to fathom how a perfectly fine, refreshing youth of the past had turned so greasy.

Unable to bear it any longer, he said, “Act normal, stop… preening like that.”

Xie Chongjin didn’t understand: “Were you really not seduced? I studied this seriously for a long time.”

Lu Xuechao’s gaze turned icy cold: “Who did you learn these seduction methods from?”

Had other consorts seduced him like this?

“Hua Yan,” Xie Chongjin answered honestly. “Hasn’t he learned methods to please people? I wanted to please you and make you happy, so I went to learn from him. Don’t worry, he only taught through words, not by demonstration; except for you, I have eyes for no one.”

Lu Xuechao: “…Hua Yan’s methods, he doesn’t even use them himself.”

Xie Chongjin’s voice returned to normal as he sat up: “I didn’t want to use them either, but you were clearly angry tonight. Since I didn’t know the reason and couldn’t think of how to make you happy, I could only treat a dead horse as a live one.”

Lu Xuechao: “…”

He let out a sigh.

Thinking about it calmly, why should he bother getting upset with Xie Chongjin?

Xie Chongjin simply had a straightforward nature—open, upright, saying whatever was on his mind without so many intricate twists and turns, a true gentleman of noble character.

Lu Xuechao, on the other hand, was far more sensitive and delicate; his reserved personality always left him with words he couldn’t bring himself to say, bottling them inside for others to figure out.

That was why since childhood, Xie Chongjin had always been the active one while Lu Xuechao remained passive. Xie Chongjin was accustomed to putting him first in everything, a habit that persisted after marriage, where he still cared for him like an elder brother.

However, the way a husband and wife interacted shouldn’t just be about mutual respect; it should also be about sharing life’s joys and burdens together. Refusing to divulge anything was a serious issue on his part as well.

They had been through so many lifetimes, so what was there left to hesitate about? He ought to be open and honest with Huaiyun, too.

After a moment of silence, Lu Xuechao said, “Do you think I was angry because what you did back then was excessive?”

Xie Chongjin candidly admitted his fault: “Yes, I’m sorry, Qingshu. I know you don’t like hearing me apologize, but those things weren’t controlled by the game—I was a bastard myself who didn’t consider your feelings. It’s only right that you’re angry, and it’s only right that I apologize.”

He genuinely felt it was his fault.

Lu Xuechao went silent for another long moment before speaking again: “Have you ever thought… back then… I wasn’t being controlled either?”

“So, my lack of refusal, and my cooperation with you every single time, might be because…” Lu Xuechao’s voice grew softer and softer, “I liked it too?”

Xie Chongjin paused: “…What? I didn’t hear clearly.”

Lu Xuechao pursed his lips, refusing to say it a second time.

If he didn’t hear it, then forget it.

Unable to focus on the storybook in his hands anymore, Lu Xuechao lay down beneath the quilt and turned his back to Xie Chongjin, his calm expression fading away to reveal a face full of aggrieved frustration.

It hadn’t been easy for him to voice his feelings for once… how had Xie Huaiyun gone deaf?

He heard Xie Chongjin let out a soft, muffled chuckle.

A weight pressed against his back as Xie Chongjin embraced him from behind, his tone filled with laughter he couldn’t hide.

“Since you like it, don’t say I’m bullying you in the future… We have a journey to make tomorrow, so I’ll grant you a peaceful night’s sleep tonight.”

“I ought to learn from Qingshu—I had no idea how to soothe your anger, yet Qingshu has ten thousand ways to make me happy.”