After sending off the physician, Jin Wang returned to the bedchamber alone.

Ye Shu was reclined on the small couch, reading a book. Hearing the sound of footsteps, he looked up to sweep him a glance and then coldly withdrew his gaze.

Looks like he hadn’t been placated yet.

Jin Wang, not knowing exactly what he had done wrong, “……”

A Kunjun’s mood would become fickle during pregnancy. Gu must not take offense and should coax him. Jin Wang meditated these words inwardly for the umpteenth time. He walked over to Ye Shu’s side and sat down. “A-Shu, you’re tired. Go and bathe first, then rest early ba.”

“Not going.” Ye Shu turned his back to him and even pulled up the velvet quilt to wrap himself in it, balling up into a white dumpling of fur.

With temper in check, Jin Wang continued to coax patiently, “You suffered from the cold today. You have to take a cold-dispelling bath; you’ll get sick otherwise.”

Ye Shu was silent for a moment. He tossed the book onto the small couch and spread his arms. “Then you take me there.”

Jin Wang, “……” When did this man get so smooth at ordering Gu around? 

This goes against the grain.

Jin Wang was already feeling somewhat depressed at the imperial physician’s words. At the thought of it, he suddenly got irked, “Go by yourself.”

Ye Shu resolutely replied, “Then I’m not going.”

The two; one standing and the other sitting, looked at each other for a moment.

Jin Wang, “…I’ll take you.”

…He’s Gu’s Kunjun. He’s carrying Gu’s child. Gu has to coax him.

Jin Wang carried the man to the side chamber.

The bath had been infused with cold-dispelling herbs in advance under Jin Wang’s command. The water was a little warmer than usual, and the room was steaming with vapor. Despite seeing His Majesty himself carry the noble consort there, the servants looked composed as they all curtseyed.

—Even his attendants were already used to it.

Jin Wang dismissed those in close attendance and placed Ye Shu at the edge of the bath. He was just about to leave, when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Ye Shu looked at him puzzledly. “Why isn’t Your Majesty going out yet?”

Jin Wang cleared his throat and said insipidly, “Gu wants to be with you today.”

Ye Shu, “……”

Jin Wang reflected on what he had done these days and finally felt it was truly inappropriate. He had spoiled this man too much.

This man wasn’t riding roughshod on Gu’s head, he was already gamboling there.

This wouldn’t do.

His Majesty the monarch decided to get back in the saddle. He said, “You’ll serve Gu to bathe today.”

Ye Shu narrowed his eyes.

Jin Wang met Ye Shu’s gaze and added in a low voice, “……Gu is incapable because of the wound.”

Ye Shu, “……Oh.”

His reasoning was irrefutable.

In any case, there was nothing to be embarrassed about, he had had baths with Jin Wang on more than one occasion before. Ye Shu said nothing more and directly took off his outer clothing and got into the water.

After a while, the water around him rippled as Jin Wang sat next to him.

The bath carved from white jade was large enough to accommodate several more people. The two men sat side by side, each other’s faces somewhat fuzzy.

Jin Wang’s wounded arm rested on the edge of the bath as Ye Shu scooped up the water and helped him wash his hair.

Only the sound of shallow water could be heard in the bath for a while.

But as time went on, Jin Wang couldn’t stand it anymore. He grabbed Ye Shu’s hand, his ears reddened imperceptibly. “Don’t you come any closer!”

Ye Shu innocently said, “Wasn’t it Your Majesty who asked to be served by this subject?”

“……” Gu didn’t ask you to exude so much faith incense.

Jin Wang felt nothing but that the air in the bath was gradually thinning and that it was getting rather difficult to breathe.

Something was going to happen if this went on any longer.

Jin Wang got up to leave, only to be grabbed by Ye Shu. “Where is Your Majesty going?”

“Gu’s going…” The other party’s palm was soaking hot from the water. The skin was so hot that it almost burned where it touched him. Jin Wang instantly turned red to the roots of his ears. “Going to get some air!”

Jin Wang dropped those words and hastily got up to wipe himself dry, then ran away.

Ye Shu snorted out a laugh.

What a fool.

Ye Shu took a deep breath and perceived the green plum scented fragrance of his faith incense lingering in the air. He had been learning how to control his faith incense for the past few days. He had not yet mastered it well enough, but it wasn’t too hard to tease the other man by releasing it a little. 

Letting it loose was always easier than controlling it.

Who asked this dog emperor to lie to him? Served him right.

Ye Shu stretched himself in the warm water and was soon soaked into drowsiness.

Jin Wang filled himself with a cup of tea in the cold breeze outside before he could finally calm down. With his mind refreshed, he returned to the side chamber and saw Ye Shu had already fallen asleep while soaking in the water.

The young man was propped over the edge of the bath, his fine black hair splayed around him, his head resting on his two exposed arms. He was sound asleep.

Jin Wang’s heart suddenly softened to the point of no return.

…Why should Gu be angry with him?

It was clearly because Gu felt ashamed in front of him.

He walked to the pool, lowered his head, and felt Ye Shu’s hair. “A-Shu, let’s get you back to bed to sleep.”

Ye Shu was in deep sleep, resistantly burying his face in his arms, saying with a soft and seductive voice, “…Be quiet.”

Jin Wang, “……”

This man definitely did it on purpose.

Jin Wang fished the man out of the pool.

Ye Shu, who was now asleep, was incredibly obedient, allowing Jin Wang to fiddle with him.

Jin Wang didn’t know how much self-control it took for him to successfully help the other get dressed, dry his hair, and carry him back to the bedchamber. 

Jin Wang held Ye Shu in his arms and laid him down on the bed, tucking him into the quilt.

Being half-awoken by him, Ye Shu involuntarily arched to and fro in his arms.

“Ye Shu!” Jin Wang was rubbed by him so much that his animal spirits roared. Eventually, he held back the man’s limbs by force. “No more moving around.”

“…Bitch hole Jin Wang,” Ye Shu was all clamped down and couldn’t move, rebuking him with eyes closed. “You’re so annoying.”

Jin Wang had long been accustomed to this man babbling  in his sleep, and he laughed instead, “Gu treated you so well yet you’re still annoyed at Gu. Aren’t you being unreasonable?”

Ye Shu kept being unreasonable, “You’re just annoying.”

Jin Wang asked, “How did Gu annoy you?”

Ye Shu was silent for a while, then he said in a low voice, “…Not telling. Think of it yourself.”

“But Gu can’t think of anything,” Jin Wang leaned closer, his voice softened, “A-Shu, how did Gu upset you again?”

“You provoke me all the time,” Ye Shu rubbed his head against Jin Wang’s embrace and said vaguely, “…You’re always lying to me and treating me a little poorly.”

“……Dog emperor.”

The smile on Jin Wang’s face faded. “When did Gu ever lie to you?”

“Why should I tell you.” Ye Shu’s voice gradually weakened. “I’m not telling.”

Ye Shu’s breathing then stabilized, and soon he fell fast asleep.

Jin Wang held the man in his embrace, his brows furrowed slightly.

Was it possible that…he had guessed it?

The following days, Ye Shu obediently stayed in the bedchamber, resting in rare peace. Jin Wang also didn’t bring up the previous incident with him again.

That day, when Ye Shu woke up, Jin Wang had already gone to the morning court.

He was sluggishly consuming his morning meal when a servant announced that physician Feng had arrived.

After the previous incident, physician Feng deeply felt that it wasn’t easy for the noble consort to survive in the harem. Upon returning to the imperial hospital, he didn’t let his eyelids meet for several days on end, working continuously with no heed for day or night to prepare the pill, finally accomplishing the feat today.

He couldn’t wait a moment longer and immediately came to Yangxin Hall on grounds of a routine consultation for the noble consort.

Ye Shu poured out a pill from the jade bottle and twirled it with his fingertips to observe. “This is the induced abortion pill?”

“Yes,” Physician Feng leaned closer and lowered his voice, “This pill is colorless and tasteless when dissolved in water. It can also be mixed in meals to ensure that no one will find out.”

Ye Shu put the pill back into the bottle and said with a straight face, “This must have caused trouble for the imperial physician.”

“It was no trouble at all. It’s good that this subject could be of help to the young master.”

Physician Feng, on second thought, said, “Another thing, this pill is extremely harmful to normal people. Never let anyone else take it. Under no circumstances should the young master himself eat it by mistake.”

“……” Of course the physician would remind him about that, for he knew he was also pregnant.

Ye Shu fiddled with the jade bottle in his hand, while the other hand subconsciously fell on his lower abdomen, not showing what he was thinking.

After a moment, Ye Shu smiled and responded, “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Ye Shu hid the jade bottle and exhorted, “I hope the imperial physician can let what has transpired today remain confidential for the time being. In particular, it must not be made known to His Majesty.”

“This subject understands,” Physician Feng nodded. Seeing Ye Shu getting up to see him off, he hurriedly said, “Young master should rest in bed. This subject can leave on his own.”

Ye Shu was about to nod when he suddenly heard a voice ring out from the outside.

A figure clad in the black-gold court dress walked in accompanied by attendants, with a dangerous smile in his eyes. “What is it that must not be made known to Gu?”