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Luo Lingyu was out enjoying a stroll in the Lu Mansion gardens when all of a sudden, a hand caught her and dragged her to a deserted corner. She was about to scream for help when she blinked like a fool, recognizing the man before her at once.
“Lingyu,” Lu Xuechen’s voice carried a certain desperation she had never seen on him before, eyes frantically darting behind her as though fearing someone tailing behind them. “I need your help.”
Alarmed by this most unusual behavior, Luo Lingyu immediately cast aside the litany of curses she had saved just for him to grab his shaking hands. “What is it?”
His eyes finally met hers, anxiety clearly reflected in those big pupils, able to drown the most unexpected victim if one were not careful. Lingyu’s own heart sped up as her own anxiety spiked, barely holding back from shaking him to say something when–
“Prince Hengyang keeps dodging my advances,” he suddenly blurted out, lips slightly wobbling. “You have to help me. I’ve tried every possible conceivable way short of telling it to his face, but he somehow manages to twist it into something regular friends do…Please, A-Yu. I don’t know what else to do.”
Luo Lingyu closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She summoned the calmness she remembered from her late parents, the patience whenever Hua-er would accidentally break one of her favorite hairpins when she played dress-up. She imagined strangling this unbelievable man in front of her and let out a breath.
She finally looked at him properly and sighed in her heart—it was impossible to stay mad when he was one step away from unraveling completely. With a gentleness she did not feel compelled to give, she smiled sweetly at him and patted the hands holding hers desperately.
“What is it, hm?”
“Listen, I was going to ask A-Man for help but just imagining him laughing at me makes me want to shrivel up and die…” Xuechen seethed. “Jinchuan is utterly hopeless in the art of subtlety, so you’re my only hope. You’re so much smarter and much more cunning than I ever hope to be, so please—”
“Alright, alright.” She rolled her eyes. “Stop flattering me and tell me everything. Don’t skimp out on the details.”
After getting the basic run down of all the failed attempts he’s done (and she was quickly understanding his dilemma with how…absolutely obtuse the prince was), she sat him down and concocted a series of scenarios that would hopefully get the message across.
He bit his lip. “Do you really think this’ll work?”
She scoffed. “If it doesn’t, then that prince of yours truly is the most wooden man I’ve ever known.”
Operation 1
Luo Lingyu had all of her make-up arsenal spread out before them, Lu Xuechen obediently sat on the main chair as she carefully applied the right amount of rouge to his lips and corners of his eyes.
“Alright. Open your eyes, let me see how it looks.”
Lu Xuechen did as he was told, his long lashes trembling slightly as he slowly opened his eyes, looking up at her hesitantly from below his eyelids. Luo Lingyu was…momentarily stunned. If only she were interested in men…then she had no doubt whatsoever that this man before her would have been her number one goal to conquer. Heck, if she didn’t know he was a man, she would have probably risked it all for him.
“A-Yu…” His soft, pink lips pursed. “Are you sure this isn’t too much?”
She smiled, satisfied with her work. “Sometimes, all you need is a little planning to make sure they get to see all the best angles of you,” she winked. “Beauty is hard work after all. Don’t you also take your time to get yourself presentable every day? This is just some extra steps to that.”
“I suppose…”
“Ah! Did you do as I asked?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah, he should be here in half a sichen or so.”
“Good. That’s good. I won’t be here because it would lead to a misunderstanding instead…so you’re on your own.”
“What?! But you said-”
“Remember: Improvisation is key,” she patted his shoulder, ignoring the tearful gaze boring holes into her head. Combing one last time through his long hair, making sure it fell enticingly over his left shoulder, she waved at him: “Best of luck, and tell me how it goes later!”
“A-Yu!”
Lu Xuechen fussed over the elaborate robe Luo Lingyu had him wear tonight, faint curses slipping out of his mouth as he stared at the set pieces his friend had deliberately placed around his reading room, candles lit in strategic spots to further enunciate the “romance in the air” as she would call it. If he hadn’t been victim to her many schemes to get his attention before, he would have scoffed at her attempts…Xuechen huffed and looked at the piles of letters and books he hadn’t let her touch and brought one over. Well, might as well kill the time by actually doing something productive.
He was pouring over the many contents of the books, his mood greatly lifted as he finally found another clue to his fathers’ mystery when he heard a soft cough.
He raised his head to find Prince Hengyang standing awkwardly just beyond the threshold, looking adorably out of place with his royal robes in the middle of the night.
“Dianxia,” he perked up, beckoning him in with a bright smile. “Come in, come sit down!”
Prince Hengyang nodded before slowly approaching him, looking around the room in undisguised curiosity. Ah, he forgot that this was the first time the prince had been in his private study…his old study when he was younger was a lot smaller, located closer to the inner courtyard unlike the one he had once he was deemed old enough to take care of an entire courtyard.
“I was just reading through the copies of ‘Yellow Court’ for the secret code, and lo and behold, they really were hiding them in all the different prints.”
A gasp. “Really?!” The prince ran to his side, excited and tense all at once.
“Mm. Here,” he pointed to the pages he had circled. “On the exact same passage and the same chapter, three different characters were used for the same word unlike in the other copies. Here, as well…”
They spent the rest of the night pouring over the different copies and discussing the possible combinations of codes they might have used to hide the letter, the candles lit by Lingyu almost running out of wax by the time Xuechen felt the first hints of exhaustion creeping behind his eyes. But they were too in the flow now, he couldn’t…
He suddenly sneezed, the chill of the night air penetrating the single robe he had worn tonight.
“Ah- Here,” was all he heard before the warmth of the prince’s worn robe covered his back, the other man turning away before he could see his face. “It’s getting colder…you’ll get sick otherwise.”
Xuechen froze. He could not believe Lingyu’s devious plan actually worked. She had torn his outer robe away from him right before she left, ignoring his indignant complaints.
“Trust me—this will help you out tonight,” she told him with a sly wink.
“Oh…thanks,” he murmured, his face warming. He thought he was shameless—turns out he was but an amateur in the face of Luo Lingyu. They continued to read in silence, each marking the pages that they’d review together later on.
“Xuechen,” called the man beside him all of a sudden, pointing at two separate pages. “What about this one? The wording of this sentence feels a tad too audacious.”
“Oh. You’re right…” Lu Xuechen swore he’d gone through this text twice before. He murmured, “How did I miss that…?”
“You’re probably just tired,” admonished Prince Hengyang calmly. “Haven’t you been at it the whole night? Get some rest before you continue again. I’ll come and help you tomorrow.”
Xuechen turned to blink at him, staring at his dearest friend in quiet awe.
The prince stared back for a whole second before wilting. “That is…I don’t mean to impose, of course. So if you’d rather I don’t–”
“Nonsense,” Xuechen cut him off, leaning closer with a sweet smile. “Since you’ve given me your word, you better not take it back.”
Prince Hengyang looked away with a quick nod, a faint flush coating his ears as he cleared his throat. “How could I? I made a promise to you, remember?”
Laughter burst out of him at his answer.
“Exactly. Dianxia still remembers after all,” his eyes creased happily as he smiled at Prince Hengyang. Xuechen leaned closer, intending to tease him some more when the prince suddenly stood up with a loud cough.
“It’s…it’s late, Xuechen. I know I can’t stop you if you wish to continue, but…you should get some rest. I’ll be back tomorrow as promised.”
With a hasty nod, he practically ran out the room, almost bumping into an unsuspecting Jinchuan in his haste.
He blinked dumbfoundedly at his leaving back before sighing miserably. He supposed he should be glad he was at least finally going somewhere…
Operation 2
“This time, I’ll sacrifice myself and play the scapegoat for your sake,” declared Luo Lingyu one day during their afternoon tea.
“Scapegoat? What the hell are you on about?” Xuechen stared at her incredulously.
“Did you really never notice how His Highness Prince Hengyang always glared daggers at me whenever I get too close to you?”
“Well…” He scratched his head. “I did notice that he seems to be more curt when we’re all together, but he's been like that with A-Man too since we’re kids, so I just assumed it’s his normal behavior.”
Luo Lingyu rolled her eyes. “Unbelievable.”
“Hey! We haven’t seen each other in ten years, so how was I supposed to know if he’s still the same or not?!”
“Yes, yes, whatever. My plan this time is to bring forth his jealous streak, but I’ll need you to cooperate with me too.”
“Okay…?”
“Remember when you temporarily lost your eyesight?”
“Yeah…oh no. Are you asking me to act like I did back then? He’d see right through me!”
“Not if I’m there too,” Lingyu smirked. “My presence would convince him enough to at least set aside his suspicion just to be the one to help you.”
“…”
“We’ll say that the residue from the last poison acted up because you were fatigued from your lack of sleep. It‘s a brilliant plan!”
“Lingyu…”
“I’d much rather this happen while we’re still in control,” she said, strangely somber all of a sudden. “If something really did happen to you, we’d all be too worried to even attempt something like this.”
“…Alright. Fine. You’re having way too much fun with this, aren’t you?”
“My lips are sealed~”
Prince Hengyang came to the Lu Mansion as he regularly would when he was greeted by a sight that made his eyes twitch.
Far into the garden, Luo Lingyu held Lu Xuechen’s elbow as they slowly made their way to the veranda where he and Xuechen usually had their tea. He was about to stomp his way over when he felt a bucket of ice dumped onto his head. Xuechen…was wearing a blindfold again? What the hell happened?! He thought his blindness was only temporary back then—
“Xuechen! Miss Luo! What happened? Why was I not informed of another assassination attempt?!” He cried out, fear and anger a dangerous combination as he watched Xuechen attempt to place the right direction to his voice.
“Dianxia, no one tried to harm me, don’t worry,” he smiled. “The doctor said it’s simply a relapse…it should be back to normal in a day or two.”
“That’s right, your Highness,” added Luo Lingyu demurely. “Lingyu would never intentionally keep this from you. It’s just that Lu-San Lang has been staying up all night the past few days…the doctor said his fatigue brought it back.” She frowned. “I tried all I could to get him to bed but he kept refusing…”
Liu Mu did all he could to not explode into a ball of jealousy and took a long, deep breath.
“I understand now. Thank you Miss Luo for bringing this to my attention. And Xuechen,” he turned to the other man with a frown. “Let me help you. You’ve been bothering Miss Luo enough these past few days.”
He reached out to grab Xuechen’s arm only to grasp at nothing but air, blinking stupidly as the man was suddenly pulled to Luo Lingyu’s side. The woman herself gave him a too-bright smile. “It’s no bother, really! You could even say I grew used to taking care of him these past few days…right, Xuechen-dage?”
Xuechen suddenly coughed so hard his entire body trembled, the two of them rushing to support him as he swayed dangerously close to a wooden beam.
“Ha…haha…yes…thank you, Luo-meimei,” the other man let out a shaky laugh.
Liu Mu narrowed his eyes at the woman—he knew she had been trying to gain his attention since she arrived, but this was just- unprecedented! He could not allow Xuechen to continue to be coddled by this…captivating vixen. Yes. He was doing this out of the good of his own heart.
“Miss Luo, with all due respect, it is inappropriate for a distinguished woman such as yourself to be in such close contact with a man his age,” he said in the most diplomatic voice he could. “Do you want the rumors to start spreading about the two of you?”
“But your Highness,” Luo Lingyu pursed her lips. “Is it also not inappropriate for a prince to be visiting a nobleman’s abode as often as you do? Yet you still do it anyway. Why must I be shackled to the same rules at my own home?"
Liu Mu felt whatever defense he had shrivel up and die at her words. His grip on Xuechen’s shoulder tightened, unwilling to give up but not managing to find another way that won’t directly insult her virtue.
“Alright, alright. That’s enough, you two,” Xuechen piped up all of a sudden. “Why don’t we all just…sit down and catch up, hm?”
Sending a sharp look at Luo Lingyu, the two of them carefully steered Xuechen to his seat, Liu Mu trying his best to subtly pull Xuechen closer to himself. He slid the chair out to make it easier for him to sit before rushing to pour him tea, subtly keeping an eye out for what Luo Lingyu was doing in the corner of his eyes.
The woman seemed to be content watching Xuechen with a small smile, cheek squished against her palm as she gazed longingly at him.
Liu Chu didn’t realize just how much he was glaring at her until he felt a sharp burn on his fingers. He yelped, tipping the pot back upright just a little too late.
“Dianxia?!” cried the other two at the same time.
“It’s nothing, I just—”
Xuechen stood immediately and rushed to find his hand, cupping the burnt finger carefully in his hold.
“A-Yu, could you get someone to fetch a cold compress?”
Luo Lingyu looked hesitant to leave them by themselves before nodding. “Of course.” And she was gone in a flash.
Xuechen clicked his tongue as he continued to inspect the hand as though he could see it.
“Tsk. You’re not a child anymore, how could you be so clumsy?”
“…”
Liu Chu stared at the man in front of him—Xuechen’s soft lips pursed as he gently probed the damage on his fingers—and completely missed what he was saying when he realized with a start:
Xuechen was playing an act. He wasn’t sure if Miss Luo realized this as well, but he knew for certain the other man could see perfectly well right now. Maybe the blindness did return a few days ago; maybe he really was having trouble with his eyesight again due to his fatigue—but Liu Mu knew without a single doubt that the man in front of him was playing up his injuries for attention like he used to do when they were kids.
Without fully realizing what he was doing, Liu Mu cupped the other’s chin. Xuechen froze like a startled deer under his hand as he gently tilted his head up, silently looking at him with parted lips. Liu Mu wasn’t sure what came into him, but as he continued to look into the other’s eyes, now more than certain that he too was looking into his, there were so many things he wanted to tell the other man. His fear of losing him, his long-held affections, the way he had pined for him all these years…how he longed to tell him that if he wanted to act all helpless till the end of time just to be taken care of, he would gladly indulge him for as long as he wanted.
“…Xuechen, I—”
The sound of footsteps coming closer and Xuechen’s breath hitching snapped Liu Mu out of the strange stupor he was in, and he quickly pulled his hands away as though they were suddenly burned again.
(…And completely missed the dejected look on the other’s face.)
“I have the cold compress right here!” Luo Lingyu’s voice cried out like a warning, the woman herself finally coming into view a few moments later. She stopped, tilting her head in confusion. “Dianxia, Lu San Lang, is everything okay…?”
Xuechen cleared his throat. “Yes, of course. Where’s the compress? Give it to me.”
Luo Lingyu carefully placed the cold piece of clothing in his hands. He then turned to grab Liu Mu’s hand only for him to grab his wrist and carefully pry it out of his hand.
“No need, I can do it myself. Xuechen shouldn’t be troubled with something this small, you should be resting instead.”
“But-”
“It’s alright. I…I’m leaving anyway. It seems like I’m more of a trouble than help when you’re the one who’s suffering.”
Xuechen frowned. “…Dianxia.”
“Miss Luo, I leave Xuechen in your capable hands. I’ll check on him again tomorrow.” He nodded at them both before turning to leave, ignoring the gaping hole in his heart.
Lu Xuechen quietly watched the other’s back and bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from crying out after him like he did when they were kids.
He knew without a single doubt that had he done that, Liu Mu would come back to his side without a single word of complaint. But…that’s not what he wanted. Not when he was the first to reject him. What right did he have in begging him to stay?
“Lu Xuechen, ah Lu Xuechen…” Luo Lingyu whistled lowly. “What a predicament you find yourself in.”
He let his face fall into his arms and groaned. “Lingyu…”
“I already knew he’s wooden, but what was up with you?! I even gave you plenty of time to get your act together, but you just wasted my act of goodwill.”
His groan grew louder.
“I feel like there’s something you haven’t told me.”
“…Maybe.”
Luo Lingyu suddenly smacked his shoulder.
“Ow! What was that for?”
“That was for both wasting my time and whatever goodwill Prince Hengyang had for me. Now spill.”
Xuechen pouted but acquiesced. “So it’s like this…”
“He officially courted you the moment he came back and you rebuffed him multiple times?!”
“…Mm.”
“Oh God,” Lingyu hid her face in her hands, her voice muffled. “No wonder you’re both so awkward with each other now…”
“I thought I was making it very obvious that I’m more than receptive to his advances now, but he stopped trying a long time ago. Even after we cleared up the misunderstanding we had of each other…he became even more careful after that…” he wailed pitifully.
Lingyu was quiet for a while before adding, “And let me guess: you feel partly guilty for the estrangement between you both even though you already knew it was an impossible situation?”
“I don’t want to put him in a position where he felt like he owed me something to be with me,” Xuechen quietly said.
“Oh Xuechen…from where I’m sitting, it seems to me that Prince Hengyang is also waiting for you to do something to prove him wrong.”
“…You really think so?”
“Didn’t you just tell me he made the first move earlier?” She raised a brow. “But you obviously took way too long, and the last thing he wants is to make an unwanted advance on you again.”
“…”
“Lu Xuechen,” her voice softened, “show him the you that relentlessly and shamelessly pursued me until I had to clear things up properly with you. Where did that annoying man go, huh? Is it just because I’m a woman that you feel bolder to mess with me?”
“Of course not! I just…”
She laughed. “I know, I know. It’s because he’s not just someone you’re interested in…but also a dear friend from your childhood. Honestly, I would also think twice if I were in your shoes. But I probably wouldn’t have messed it up this badly.”
Silence fell between them. Lu Xuechen opened his mouth, closed it and finally said:
“…Sorry again for…you know. If I had known earlier…”
Lingyu’s laughter rang across the courtyard, and as Lu Xuechen looked at the radiant woman, he was reminded just why he really had fallen for her before.
“Considering I was just as relentless with you the first time I arrived here, consider us even.” She sighed. “Maybe in another life, if things were different…we would’ve been an unstoppable couple.”
Xuechen smiled, soft and content.
“Mm. But I already feel like the luckiest man to be your zhiji in this life.”
She grinned back. “You better be.”
Lu Xuechen held his cupped hands tightly in front of him, willing his heart to be still for once. Even going before the Emperor himself hadn’t shaken him this much.
He can do this. He’d already practiced exactly what he was going to say with Lingyu multiple times until she got sick of it, ruthlessly kicking him out the moment Chen Xiu arrived for their weekly “hangouts”.
He had called Prince Hengyang over for another chat outside of their usual schedule. Now that things had finally settled down a little after both spies were exposed, he figured now was the best time to strike. The heavens would never let him lead a simple life, and Lu Xuechen had long since realized that he had to take his chances whenever he could. The latest death and separation his friends had experienced…just hammered down this truth even more.
So no more waiting around until the “right time” arrived. It was either now or never.
He saw a glimpse of the prince’s robe entering his gardens and took a deep breath to calm himself before walking briskly towards him.
“Ah! There you are, Xuechen.”
He looked up at the other man, noting the slight height advantage he had, the soft smile whenever he looked at him and—
“Xuechen, what’s- mmpfh?!!”
Without a single word, Xuechen pulled him down by his collar and planted his lips squarely onto the other’s.
Eyes closed, he continued to kiss the other soundly, ignoring how the prince was frozen solid under his lips. After an entire minute without a single hint of reciprocity, he let out a soft disappointed sigh before pulling away, ready to apologize when he felt a strong hand gripping his waist.
He shivered.
Slowly, he opened his eyes, both afraid and eager of what he might see…only to find Liu Mu staring right back at him, a mix of emotions swirling behind his heavy gaze—fear, disbelief, shock, and…hope.
“…Xuechen, you…are you sure…?”
Ah, this soft-hearted idiot.
He let out a loud, elaborate sigh before pulling the other man even closer, savoring how the other’s grip tightened.
“And here I thought you'd be just a tiny bit less slow now that you're older…” he drawled, looking at him from below his lashes with a coy smile. “But I suppose I expected too much.”
Liu Mu didn’t even seem to register what he just said, his hand hesitantly cradling his face until Xuechen playfully leaned into it, his smile softening until it felt just as warm as he was feeling at this exact moment.
“All these years…” Liu Mu murmured, caressing Xuechen’s face. “I never thought…”
“Then what are you waiting for, hm? I’m not going anywhere.”
The man visibly gulped before gently tilting his head up, capturing his lips in a soft kiss.
Xuechen let him set the pace for a while longer before growing impatient, pressing his tongue between the other’s lips in silent permission. And like with most things in their lives, Liu Mu let Lu Xuechen do as he pleased, opening his lips for the other to completely take over.
Xuechen deepened their kiss with an urgency he hadn’t felt since they were kids and the knowledge that Prince Hengyang would be off with the army forcing him to kick dust as he ran to the entrance. But…he was too late. He took too long to decide and missed seeing him one last time.
He let all the grievance and apology and forgiveness flood his very being, hoping his dearest friend would be able to feel it in his bones as their tongues intertwined, quiet noises leaving his mouth until he felt lightheaded, their lips finally parting as they both tried to catch their breaths.
“Took you…long enough…Your Highness,” whispered Xuechen, his chest aching pleasantly.
But for some reason, Liu Mu suddenly turned away, a small scowl marring his handsome face.
“Dianxia? What is it?” Xuechen frowned as well, concerned at this sudden turn of behavior. Was there something else in his mind…?
“Xuechen, you…” His frown deepened into something more of a pout. “Are you going to continue calling me Dianxia even now…?”
…Huh? “Huh?” He blinked stupidly.
Liu Mu turned to him fully, lips pursed in that adorable way he did whenever he sulked.
“You casually call my seventh brother ‘A-Man’ all the time, even Miss Luo is fondly referred to as ‘A-Yu’ now…meanwhile you still call me ‘Dianxia’, ‘Dianxia’, as though I’m a mere stranger…” Liu Mu finally finished complaining, looking away with a huff.
Lu Xuechen stared at the other man in disbelief, laughter bubbling in his chest at this blatantly childish display of jealousy. “You- Wait a second. Is that why you were so hesitant to make a move this whole time?”
“…”
His lack of an answer was answer enough, and Lu Xuechen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. To think that all this time…all he should have done was call him by his childhood nickname.
He circled his arms around the other and pulled him closer until their noses touched. He then leaned close to his ear, his voice lilting and soft just like when they were kids:
“A-Jiao?”
He physically felt the other shiver in his hold, the hand on his waist incredibly tight as A-Jiao gasped, and Lu Xuechen suddenly had so many ideas in his mind for…the future.
He lowered his voice. “Can you kiss me again, A-Jiao?”
Xuechen distantly felt himself be dragged into a more obscure corner as small whines started escaping his mouth as they continued devouring each other, A-Jiao’s thumb brushing across his lips, his breathing heavy (“Keep…keep it down, Xuechen…someone’s walking by…”), his hands refusing to stay still as he mapped out as much skin as he was able to reach, stopping only when someone yanked his hand away from his destination.
“We- we can’t. We’re still outside,” whispered A-Jiao roughly, looking at him as though that was the only thing stopping him from giving him what he wanted. Xuechen swallowed the frustrated groan building up in his throat and forced himself to think clearly.
Right. They were still respectable men of society and important figures at that, especially the prince himself. They could not afford to be caught in the act of sodomy out in the open like this.
Chests still heaving between them, Lu Xuechen forced his eyes to tear away from the red, swollen lips presented in a golden platter in front of him to look into A-Jiao’s dark, heady gaze.
He licked his lips, enjoying the way the other immediately tracked the movement.
“…Are you free tonight?”
“Huh? Oh- yes. Yes, I will be.”
He smirked. “You will be?”
“Mm.”
“Alright, alright,” he smiled. “Meet me at my study after everyone’s asleep?”
“Mm.”
“A-Jiao ah,” Xuechen let out a soft laugh, smoothing out the wrinkled sleeves and collars from all of their enthusiasm. This man was impossible. “You can use words you know.”
Liu Mu gently grabbed his wandering hand and placed it near his heart. He smiled at him like a man in love. “Mm.”
Xuechen felt his own silly smile blooming across his face as he snorted, planting a chaste kiss on the other’s lips before pulling away, Liu Mu’s hands clearly loath to let him go until he truly couldn’t wrap around him anymore. After making sure they each didn’t look like they just got attacked by a love-biting bug, Xuechen finally gathered enough willpower to properly walk away from the other.
“I’ll see you tonight, A-Jiao.” He turned his head and smiled sweetly at the other man, relishing in the soft blush spreading across the other’s face.
“…Mm.”