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With the soaring cold and fragile health of Chu Wanning, Mo Ran wasn't surprised when he learned his Chu Fei had fallen sick.
The old servant Liu Gong presented Chu Wanning medicine but the master of the Red Lotus Pavilion had no intention of taking it. Liu Gong tried his best to convince Chu Wanning into drinking it but it was to no avail.
The old servant was full of apologies when he informed the emperor about it.
By Mo Ran's own rules, no one was allowed to touch Chu Wanning besides him. The old servant could only go so far with his words. And so the emperor himself was the one who would personally look after him.
On the first day, Mo Ran entered the Red Lotus Pavilion, a bowl of medicine in his hand. He was well aware of how difficult it is to get Chu Wanning to drink bitter medicine if he wasn't willing.
Being physically more powerful than Chu Wanning was his advantage. After some struggle, he did manage to feed his Shizun one spoon of medicine.
However, at the second spoon, something unexpected happened.
Mo Ran forced another spoonful of medicine into Chu Wanning's mouth, but this time he did not swallow it. Instead, he sprayed it out.
Not anywhere else, but straight at the emperor's face
Mo Ran's most hated enemy, his beloved concubine sprayed the medicine back on his face.
After doing so, he hmphed, tucked his hands under his sleeves, and turned away from facing Mo Ran.
Mo Ran wasn't mad. He lowered his lashes as the medicine dripped down his face and smiled. A smile that clearly stated: 'this isn't over Shizun.'
Yesterday, the emperor returned to his chambers with failure.
Today, the stubborn emperor returned to the Red Lotus Pavilion with a bowl of medicine once again, to accomplish what he failed to do yesterday. This time, he came prepared.
If his Chu Fei is going to play dirty, so will he.
Mo Ran entered Chu Wanning's room. Chu Wanning was sitting on a chair, supporting his temple with his hand, reading a book in the candlelight.
He heard someone come in but he paid no sort of attention. He was well aware that it would be no other than his unruly disciple who came to pay him a visit.
With no sort of greetings or even a glance towards the intruder, he said, "get out."
"Shizun is always so angry. This Venerable One came to visit you by himself instead of calling you over with your sick body, shouldn't you be a little grateful?"
"I'd rather you not visit me at all. There's no need for your concern, I am no longer sick," Chu Wanning told him, still not turning to look at him.
"How can that be? Your sickness never recovers in a day," Mo Ran paused, then smiled, "or is it that Shizun is afraid of drinking medicine again?"
Chu Wanning stiffed for a moment at the mention of the horrid medicine before he composed himself again. Mo Ran seems to have seen right through him.
"Get lost."
Seeing Chu Wanning had no intention of welcoming him, he stepped forward. "My Chu Fei has been very daring lately. Not only is he not greeting This Venerable One properly but also going as far as splashing me with medicine," by the end of his sentence, he was already standing behind Chu Wanning. He bent to Chu Wanning's ear lever, touching the back of it with his lips. "Tell me Shizun, what should be done with you?"
Chu Wanning didn't answer, as expected. Mo Ran straightened up, placed the medicine on the table, and pulled Chu Wanning up from the chair. Taken by surprise, the book in his hand landed on the floor.
"What are you doing?!" Chu Wanning bent to pick the book up. As soon as he stood, Mo Ran pulled him in. Mo Ran was now sitting on the chair Chu Wanning was just in a moment again. Soon, Chu Wanning found himself sitting on Mo Ran's lap, his back pressed against his chest.
Mo Ran held Chu Wanning's chin and forced him to look at him. Only then Mo Ran could see his face. As much as Chu Wanning wanted to appear as if he wasn't sick, his feverish flushed face betrayed him.
Mo Ran's heart stopped for a moment. How can a person look so dazzling even when they're sick? As much as he hated Chu Wanning, he couldn't deny his Shizun was a thing of beauty, never mind whether he was sick or not.
Mo Ran married the most beautiful woman in the world; Song Qiutong.
But when comparing her with Chu Wanning, Mo Ran always thought she looked dull.
Mo Ran pressed the back of his hand to Chu Wanning's forehead to feel the temperature. "Look at you, lying through your teeth saying you aren't sick even though your skin is burning. All because you don't want to drink medicine."
Mo Ran would be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying this. Watching Chu Wanning being helpless brought him a strange sense of satisfaction.
Chu Wanning didn't answer him. He had a headache and his body was already weak from the fever. He didn't struggle to break free from Mo Ran, because he knew it'd be useless.
"Be good. This Venerable One told the palace chef to prepare the best pastries. If you finish this bowl of medicine without giving me any trouble, this Venerable One will bring them to you, how is that?" Mo Ran was aware of Chu Wanning's love for sweetness more than anyone. Even though he knew bribing Chu Wanning would be of no use, he still insisted.
"Take the medicine and get out, I will not drink it. A small fever like this takes less than a week to recover from. There is no need to drink bowls after bowls of medicine." Chu Wanning argued, looking at the bowl of bitter medicine as if it were his worst nightmare.
Mo Ran laughed at the sight of Yuheng of the night sky, his mighty Shizun glaring at a bowl of bitter medicine.
"How can that be? This Venerable One can't wait one week. You need to recover quickly so I can..." Mo Ran spoke against Chu Wanning's neck, placing a couple of kisses here and there. He smiled against the skin which made a chill run down his spine.
Chu Wanning knew exactly what Mo Ran was talking about. For a moment, he couldn't decide whether staying sick was the better option after all.
Mo Ran hummed, thinking something to himself, then he said to Chu Wanning, "since you really don't want to drink it, this Venerable One is willing to make a deal with you, are you interested, Shizun?"
Chu Wanning didn't answer, but Mo Ran caught him looking at him from the corner of his eyes and he understood that Chu Wanning was interested.
"Just do as this Venerable One tells you, and I'll let you off this time."
"......What is it?" Chu Wanning spoke up after what felt like a lifetime.
Mo Ran smiled and whispered in Chu Wanning's ears. Hearing what Mo Ran told him, the tip of Chu Wanning's ears turned red from both anger and shame.
"I will not call you…that." Chu Wanning's response was clear.
"Then…" Mo Ran stretched out his arm to take that bowl of medicine sitting on the table. Before he could take it, his hand was grabbed by Chu Wanning.
Chu Wanning was at a loss. He didn't want to agree to Mo Ran's deal, nor did he want to drink that medicine. Debating which option was the worst choice, Chu Wanning suddenly blurted out a word.
"This Venerable One didn't catch that, say it again." Mo Ran said with curiosity. But Chu Wanning knew that curiosity was fake. Mo Ran heard what he said, the purpose of asking is to get him to say it again.
"Husband." Chu Wanning gritted his teeth, eyes piercing through Mo Ran's soul.
"Ah, good Wanning, good. This Venerable One is happy that you took the offer. But Shizun…" hearing Mo Ran's coaxing call, Chu Wanning knew nothing good was going to come out of his mouth.
"You said it like not only you don't mean it, but you also want to kill me," Mo Ran kissed Chu Wanning's cheek, then slowly bit his earlobe and said, "say it a little nicer,"
"Mo Weiyu! I did what you asked of me, now you're going back on your words. Do you really have no shame?" Chu Wanning was furious, finally trying to get out of Mo Ran's lap.
Mo Ran didn't let Chu Wanning escape, keeping a strong grip on him. He laugh and mocked, "look at you Shizun, you can fight my thousands of chess pieces at once, risk your life by shattering your spiritual core but you called this Venerable One husband because you don't want to drink medicine,"
Chu Wanning was getting angrier. He felt exhausted and thought it was not of any use to argue with this person. Taxian Jun was indeed shameless and he can't win against him by bargaining.
"Since you don't want to call this Venerable One nicely then I'll have no choice but to feed you the medicine."
Chu Wanning looked at the bowl of medicine and realized he'd have to accept his fate.
With Chu Wanning's chin held in his hand, Mo Ran picked up a spoonful of medicine and brought it to Chu Wanning's lips. The smell alone was enough to make Chu Wanning lose his appetite for a good week. He struggled, refusing to take it in his mouth. Mo Ran easily parted his lips just by applying a little pressure and the spoonful of horrid medicine entered Chu Wanning's mouth.
The bitter taste made Chu Wanning nauseous, he wanted to spit it out and then wash the bitterness off with ten buckets of water.
But before the events of yesterday can Repeat themselves, he found Mo Ran acting fast and capturing his lips with his own.
The sudden action made Chu Wanning gasp. The bitterness of the medicine flower between the two people's tongues. Mo Ran's lips were soft against him, his tongue invading his mouth. The sensation of it was so pensive as if Chu Wanning forgot to remember how bitter the liquid in his mouth was. He felt high, he didn't know if it was the fever or the sensation of being kissed so deeply that made his head spin.
Before he knew it, he already swallowed the Medicine Mo Ran forced into his mouth.
Chu Wanning felt the young monarch smile against his lips, claiming victory.
"Mo Ran, what are you—" before he got to finish the sentence, another spoonful of medicine was pushed into his mouth followed by Mo Ran pressing his lips against his once again.
Chu Wanning felt dizzy as if he was drunk on something. He wanted to remember where he was, and what he was doing but all he could think of at the moment was Mo Ran's tongue exploring his mouth, the soft occasional bites on his lips, the smile on the youth's lips.
He was kissed for a long time, till the last drop of the medicine was swallowed. Only then the emperor loosened his grip on him. But at that moment, Chu Wanning felt he had been shaken awake from a daydream. A dream he didn't want to end.
Chu Wanning was scared of his own thoughts, what was he thinking? How can he think he wanted to be kissed by Mo Ran more with a clear, conscious mind?
"Tsk," Mo Ran wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb and said, "I even tasted the bitter medicine for you but you still refuse to look at this Venerable One,"
Hearing him, Chu Wanning felt a little guilty.
Why? Mo Ran, why would you care if I took the medicine or not? Why go to such lengths to cure me? Won't you be happier, the more I suffer? Then why?
Chu Wanning didn't know the answer and he didn't ask.
He only stared at the handsome face of the emperor. He looked so innocent. Upon seeing him, no one would think this person who looked so delicate and tender committed such horrendous crimes.
"What now?" Mo Ran raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding why Chu Wanning was staring at him so deeply. Chu Wanning's face betrayed nothing. Although it was flushed from the fever, it was impossible to tell what he was feeling.
After staring at each other for a moment, Mo Ran suddenly smiled as he thought of something.
As if answering Chu Wanning's unsaid prayers, Mo Ran drew his face closer to Chu Wanning once again.
Lightly brushing his lips against Chu Wanning's, he whispered, "does Shizun still want pastries, or is this disciple's lips sweet enough for you?"
Two pairs of lips intertwined again as the snow fell harder and harder outside through the whole night.