Reborn To Be The Imperial Consort [BL]-Chapter 32: Budding Lotus — III

"What did Specter of the Blood Moon say?" Liu Mingyun asked, wondering if he — even with his enhanced hearing — had somehow misheard the doctor.

He hoped he hadn’t. Li Xinyuan’s words, even if misheard, had sent a strange sort of thrill down his spine, something he couldn’t recognise.

But it was not entirely unpleasant. It was something close to dipping his hands in the warm current of a river heated by the sun on a cool day.

It was somehow comforting yet equally distressing.

Li Xinyuan straightened up, finding himself adoring the Crown Prince’s reaction. It was not often that a man like him would get flustered by a simple question.

Folding his hands on his knees, Li Xinyuan leaned forward ever so slightly as he met the man’s eyes, warmth exuding from his gaze as he offered him a slight smile and replied.

"Perhaps, Your Highness," he began, watching the minute changes in Liu Mingyun’s body language. The way his shoulders tensed when he spoke, the way the muscles in his arms flexed. "This lowly one does wish to be wedded to you. This lowly servant, for one, has not found any particular reasons to refuse, after all."

As soon as his words fell, the Crown Prince relaxed, ever so slightly as he leaned forward, subtle distress replaced by concealed intrigue as he took the note of Li Xinyuan’s jest.

"This Prince must say," he started, keeping his voice an odd combination of soft yet distant as he spoke. "Doctor Li seems to have found some form of comfort with This Prince if he can jest like this."

Li Xinyuan smiled, lips stretching slightly as he leaned backwards, his back rested against the seat as he tapped his fingers on his knees and canted his head, innocently.

"Would Your Highness the Crown Prince prefer this lowly one to pretend that he dislikes Your Highness?" He asked, voice low. "It can be done, as long as Your Highness wishes for it."

Hearing his words, Liu Mingyun raised an eyebrow, his expression was somewhere between amused and impressed as he leaned his weight on one side.

"Surely, Doctor Li realises that he might be over-stepping?"

Li Xinyuan nodded, slowly as he dipped his head a little. "Is this lowly one, though?" He was never one to easily back down. Curse his stubborn nature.

Liu Mingyun stared at him, silent. Li Xinyuan for once since he had stepped into this palace, didn’t feel as anxious as he supposed he should.

He was talking to the freaking protagonist of this world. He should fear for this life, he should be shaking in his boots.

But he wasn’t. Instead, he faced the man, faced the danger and the death that could befall him for a simple slight.

Okay, maybe he did get a tad too comfortable around this man. Just a wee-bit, though.

The silence continued, it stretched. It tensed, it persisted. Then finally, it broke, shattered like a thin sheet of glass smashed on a hard floor.

The breaking of it... It was resounded.

For it came in the form of a deep chuckle that made Li Xinyuan scalp tingle and numb. In the best way possible.

Ah, shit. Curse his little gay heart thirsting for a man who wasn’t even his. Yet.

Who was supposed to have a harem too. Fuck.

Liu Mingyun shook his head, deep, magnetic sound of his low chuckle ringing into Li Xinyuan’s ears as he curled his hand on his nose, slender fingers closing in as he hid — what Li Xinyuan hoped — was a smile with his elbow propped on his knee.

This man... He had no right to look this good while doing something as simple as chuckling. Not even a proper laugh, for god sake. But here he was. Looking like a goddamn statue carved by the most skilled sculptors to perfection.

Holy shit, Li Xinyuan was simping, wasn’t he? But thirst for looks and the body didn’t mean love.

It was far from love.

Li Xinyuan sighed as he forced his eyes to look away.

When will he learn to love? He didn’t know. The surgeon pursed his lips into a thin line as he looked back at Liu Mingyun who had started to calm down.

Hopefully, it would be in this life and with this man. If it was his destiny then it may as well be something on some of his terms too.

At that thought, Li Xinyuan sighed to himself, feeling his heart clenching inside his chest as he closed his eyes for a brief moment.

When he opened his eyes again, there was a simple, familiar floating panel in front of his eyes. On it displayed a string of digits that made the surgeon raise an eyebrow.

[Current Points: 5152]

Hm. Did the readers like the changes he was causing this much?

A faint sound of the Crown Prince clearing his throat made Li Xinyuan look up with a start, face blank in silent contemplation as his golden eyes bore into the man’s.

"If Doctor Li still remembers This Prince’s promise to him, then This Prince would like to honour that promise he made with you months ago."

For a moment, Li Xinyuan’s mind blanked as a dumb part of him, very helpfully supplied, he didn’t promise Liu Mingyun something ridiculous, did? For example, a kiss?

The mental image was... something. With a furious shake of his head internally, Li Xinyuan cleared his throat, somewhat confused.

Liu Mingyun watched him, slightly amused yet exasperated that the surgeon had forgotten the promise so soon. How was he going to be able to trust him with other things?

"It seems..." Purposefully, he drawled, taking amusement in watching Li Xinyuan’s face contort in confused contemplation as he valiantly tried to remember what he was referring to. "... That Doctor Li has long forgotten my words. You wound me, Xin’er."

He stood up and whispered the last word, noting how the address made Li Xinyuan stiffen for exactly one second before the latter was back to normal. Then, he bent forward, considerately holding out a hand for the surgeon to take.

"... My apologies, Your Highness. This lowly one has been rather business since the last time we met." Li Xinyuan stood up too, tentatively taking the offered hand.

"This Prince understands." Liu Mingyun replied, despite himself, he could help but not the callousness of Li Xinyuan’s palm against his own more calloused one.

Unable to resist the urge, as was common for him when Li Xinyuan was involved, the Crown Prince gave his hand a squeeze as he led him out of the room, hand in hand under both of their robes.

Li Xinyuan’s hand was exponentially softer than his own. He liked the feeling of it. He liked how easily their hands slotted together.

As if they were meant to be like that. He somewhat hoped it was the case.