The Emperor’s Runaway Lover

Fu Yucheng looked at the young man in the alley and, for a moment, his mind went blank.

The visitor had a slender, strong body, and he was wearing a modern, slim knight outfit in black that contrasted with a flawless face that looked just like a snow sculpture, cold and beautiful.

And at that moment, those dark eyes that were once so familiar were looking at him coldly.

Fu Yucheng felt his throat dry up inexplicably under the heavy gaze, and he could not help but take a step back without thinking.

Immediately, he mocked himself again—Bai Mo, this kid, has prospered indeed, but if he actually wants to start a fight, he lacks experience and he’d be no opponent against me.

But then again, although he had left this kid out of necessity back then, he still felt a little guilty. At that point, it was inevitable… to have a guilty conscience.

Moreover, he couldn’t make a move now.

The fact that he had recovered his psionic power couldn’t be known for the time being.

Fu Yucheng’s mind was in disarray, and he took two steps back unconsciously.

After his small retreat, the other man seemed to tense up for a moment, and then he whispered, “Stop right there.”

Fu Yucheng’s mental resilience was very good. At that point, he was already completely calm again, so he smiled cheekily and said, “Little Mo, I trust you’ve been well since we last saw each other.”

The young man looked at him as if he hadn’t heard him, and he did not say anything for a long time.

After who knows how long, he said coldly, “I don’t know you. I’m just here to perform an arrest. Don’t talk to me like we’re close.”

Fu Yucheng blinked, looked him up and down carefully, and suddenly raised his eyebrows. “If you don’t know me, what did you come here to arrest me for?”

Bai Mo gritted his teeth and fixed his eyes on him. “I received news that there was activity from rebel individuals in here… It is my duty to capture all remnants of the rebellion.”

“Oh, so it is like that. Got it.” Fu Yucheng nodded and spread his hands helplessly. “But I’m afraid I can’t go with you at the moment.”

Bai Mo stared at him coldly. “You don’t have a choice.”

He slowly walked towards Fu Yucheng as he spoke.

At the same time, a large cloud of icy mist filled the air, small ice ridges quickly condensing as the temperature gradually dropped. Suddenly, the pressure of an S-class psionic field became obvious.

A little mouse in the corner squeaked in horror and slipped back into its hole with a swish.

This kid, pretending to have amnesia with his bad acting skills, he seems to want to do it the hard way… Fu Yucheng had already gone through the entire route across the slums in his mind. He turned slightly to the side and stretched his arm against a patio wall, which quickly swung inwards.

Bai Mo sternly ordered, “Stop!”

Fu Yucheng did not intend to listen to him. In a flash, he had climbed across several low walls and turned around multiple alleys, running faster than a rabbit.

He swiftly weaved his way through various alleys and small courtyards, causing some people to burst out in exclamations from time to time. However, even though the icy breath at his back got both closer and further away, he couldn’t seem to actually get rid of it.

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Fu Yucheng suddenly turned a corner, leaned against a wall and took a few breaths, feeling a little worried.

Bai Mo, this kid has really grown over the years… However, he has always been a neat freak, he hates crowded places and hates being touched…

At that moment, business hours had started at this slum of ill repute.

The alley gradually became more lively, and bright colored lights were lit up. In the small windows of some of the tin houses, several handsome men and beautiful women showed up, performing bold, appealing dances.

Fu Yucheng looked around, then his eyes lit up slightly and he stepped into a lively tin house.

It was a loud, cheap pub.

On the small dance floor, men and women in all kinds of strange garments wiggled like worms under deafeningly loud music and bizarre, dizzying lights. The balconies and walkways around were also bustling with people coming and going.

As soon as Fu Yucheng entered, someone boldly proposed, “Hey, handsome guy, do you want to play together? I’m down for everything, and the price isn’t expensive.”

Fu Yucheng closed his eyes lightly and sensed that the oppressive psionic field was getting closer and closer.

Since he was very anxious at that point, he didn’t pay much attention and he put his arm around the person’s shoulders. “Let’s go, can you find somewhere discreet?”

The other looked up and saw his face, suddenly dumbfounded, and said helplessly, “You- You’re really good-looking.”

Only then did Fu Yucheng notice that, although the other’s voice was clear, it didn’t sound like a female voice. He looked down and found that it was a young male prostitute1 wearing heavy makeup vaguely outlining a delicate face. He was definitely no more than twenty years old.

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but he didn’t have the time to choose in that situation. He said, “Hurry up and find somewhere discreet, I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

The little prostitute seemed to be afraid that such a great client would run away. He was in a greater hurry than him, and he nodded desperately. “At the back, there’s a place at the back, where we can play… Well, we can play however you want…”

Bai Mo stood in front of the bar, raised his eyelids expressionlessly, and glanced at the exaggerated neon sign. It said “Pink Village”, with a vulgar pair of red lips next to the letters.

Fu Yucheng had just walked in and the bar had no back door, so he couldn’t run away.

As soon as the young man entered the bar, he felt overwhelmed by the deafening music and the smoky air made him retch. The smell of sweat, alcohol, cigarettes, and cheap perfume all mixed together, and it was nauseating.

He glanced around and realized that this was a low-end whorehouse. Cheap female and male prostitutes wearing revealing clothes were everywhere, and the scent of low quality cigarettes was enough to make him choke.

Bai Mo didn’t even hesitate for a second, squeezing in through the people without thinking twice. He looked around carefully. There were dazzling lights everywhere, men and women making out, traffickers selling illegal drugs.

He quickly went around the whole bar and still found nothing.

Where was that man?

If he ran away that day… then, afterwards… afterwards…

The anxiety in the young man’s heart was indescribable, his mind going dumb, and some frost even began to condense between his fingers involuntarily.

At that time, he heard a very lewd, playful laugh. “Alan, baby, I’ll take you to the back, let’s have some fun.”

Bai Mo looked to the side and saw a middle aged, balding man with a lewd expression on his face embracing a young man covered in powder, the two of them kissing and walking towards the back of the bar.

Bai Mo pondered for a moment, then followed.

Behind the bar, there was a small bathroom with only three stalls, all of which were tightly shut, with vague noise coming from the inside.

And beside the old, dirty sink, there was a young couple playing and laughing chaotically, completely immersed in each other and not even noticing that someone had walked in.

Bai Mo didn’t spare them a second glance, his cold eyes slowly sweeping through the gaps under the three stalls.

In the gap under the first stall door, there was a pair of low quality brown leather shoes and a pair of dirty sneakers. Wrong. Under the second stall, there were two pairs of flip flops. Wrong. Under the third stall, there was just a pair of white sneakers, those shoes were wrong as well…

The young man felt extremely disappointed and turned around to walk out. He had just reached the door when he suddenly heard a very slight gasp of pain.

The extremely quiet gasp resounded like thunder in Bai Mo’s ears!

He turned around abruptly and kicked the door of the last stall.

Fu Yucheng sat pitifully on the toilet tank, his face full of helplessness and a little bit of hilarity. An eighteen or nineteen-year-old boy was rubbing himself against him, kissing his cheek indiscriminately while murmuring pleadingly, his voice soft and hoarse, “I don’t want any money, just play with me for a while, alright? Please…”

Bai Mo stared at the two condescendingly without saying a word.

The deep chill in those dark eyes could have almost taken solid form.

Fu Yucheng also knew that he had already lost, so he had to bite the bullet and raise his head, smiling awkwardly. “…Little Mo.”

At that time, the young prostitute came back to his senses.

He turned his head to look at Bai Mo blankly, and was immediately frightened by his expression. He looked back at Fu Yucheng timidly, and finally came to an understanding. “Are… are you hiding from him?”

Bai Mo stared at the young male prostitute with heavy makeup, his heart tearing itself out of his chest.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, tried to calm his almost boiling anger, and then slowly turned his gaze towards Fu Yucheng.

Fu Yucheng had been pulled into the bathroom stall by the young prostitute just a moment prior. He had wanted to hide there for a while, but he hadn’t expected the male prostitute to be so enthusiastic. He took his trading coins and still refused to stop, saying he had to give him a service.

Then Bai Mo walked into the bathroom.

Fu Yucheng had known that he had come in. He had been afraid of making noises and didn’t dare to say anything. He could only quietly reject the over-enthusiastic young prostitute, but he was not very successful.

At that moment, his appearance could only be described as unbearable.

His collar was completely torn open, his slender neck was covered with messy, red hickeys, and there was even a subtle bite mark on his thin left earlobe. Just a second earlier, the young prostitute had bit him and he couldn’t help but hiss and lean back, being then discovered by Bai Mo.

Bai Mo stared at him. It would be hard to describe his mood at that moment.

Over the past few years, no matter how much I longed for the man before me, I never dared desecrate him, not even a bit. I could only secretly touch his lips while he slept.

Only twice, just a light touch.

I never dared to commit any other transgressions.

And he ends up in a place like this, with a male prostitute, looking like that!

Bai Mo clenched his fists tightly, barely suppressing the boiling killing intent in his heart, and slowly opened his mouth. “What are you doing?”

Fu Yucheng sighed secretly, knowing very well that, under these circumstances, he couldn’t get rid of the kid for the time being.

He licked his lips and stood up slowly, trying to find a reasonable explanation, “Ah, actually I…”

Bai Mo stared at the little rosy mole on his earlobe, with an indistinct tooth mark next to it. Suddenly, he said, “Did he bite it?”

“Huh?” Fu Yucheng blinked, not knowing what he meant.

The young man had looked down, glancing at the little prostitute who was now sitting on the ground. A sharp icicle slowly appeared in his hand.

Fu Yucheng was stunned, and then he finally understood and hurriedly said, “It’s just an ignorant kid, let him go!”

Bai Mo lowered his eyes, making it impossible to read the expression on his face. “Follow me back, and I will let him go.”

Fu Yucheng had already thought about it. To be safe, he couldn’t reveal to anyone that he had recovered his psionic power, so he couldn’t get rid of the kid for the time being. It shouldn’t be a big deal to go back with him, so he nodded readily. “No problem.”

The other glared at the young prostitute again. “You’re still not leaving?!”

The young prostitute, having barely escaped with his life, ran away.

Bai Mo raised his eyes and stared at Fu Yucheng, his expression doubtful. “You are a good person.” He paused, and then asked casually, “Have you often come to this sort of place these last few years? Did you know that male prostitute? Have you… have you two…?”

He gritted his teeth and turned his head to the side slightly, unable to say anything else.

Seeing the young man awkwardly pretending to act indifferent, Fu Yucheng finally felt that he was once more the brat he knew.

He couldn’t help but chuckle and lowered his head to adjust his messy collar. “Have we what? Didn’t you just say you don’t know me? Why do you care about my private life so much?”

Bai Mo opened his mouth but couldn’t answer anything.

He stared fiercely at the man before him, his heart in torment.

The young man felt his heart go from warm to coldness, from extreme anger, unspeakable resentment and deep sadness… to extreme joy and happiness.

He had once trusted this man like a fool without reservations. He had relied on him, admired him, longed for him… and then, the man had abandoned him and all the promises he made.

He had left without hesitation.

There had been no news of him for four whole years.

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And at that time he was still able to act nonchalant… as if he hadn’t missed him at all.

There was no hug after a long awaited reunion and no ecstatic smile. The first action he had taken when he saw Bai Mo had been to take a step back.

And then, he even tried to run.

At that moment, the young man felt as if a bucket of ice and snow had been thrown on his head. He felt as if he was a big joke.

However, this man is intact, healthy, and alive. He’s able to talk and laugh, jump and dance, and even pull tricks, just the same as before.

It’s still much better than in my terrible nightmares.

At least, at the very least he’s well enough to stand before me… even if he hasn’t missed me at all.

He hasn’t looked for me in four years.

Perhaps… he even avoided me on purpose.

The most ridiculous thing was that, over those years, I worried that he had an accident and exhausted practically all means to desperately look for him, from the Earth’s deserts to the ocean of ice… and then across every Industrial Region.

In order to be able to mobilize this many resources, I didn’t even hesitate to become the Imperial family’s dog, accepting a fate that I thought I had already escaped. My fate as an Imperial experiment.

However, it turns out he had been hiding from me, after all.

He didn’t want to see me.

Why? Just because… I like him?

However, back then, back then… he had clearly agreed.

He promised, he promised me, how could he be like this? How could he…

Seeing his vicious stare gradually become dazed, Fu Yucheng started to feel a little bit sorrowful.

After hesitating, he said softly, “I’m sorry, Little Mo.”

Author’s note:

Spoiler

Now Little Mo is just lamenting and hasn’t blackened yet, and Chengcheng will comfort him.

Regarding faking his death and getting locked up by a yandere,2 that’ll come later in the novel. Chengcheng will do something big and look for big trouble.

However, this novel isn’t a tragedy, it can be classified as sweet melodrama with some broken glass~

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In which Fu Yucheng somehow manages to surpass himself. Or, according to my editor, “that’s men for you, Bai Mo”.

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Footnotes

Raws say little duckling, which apparently is a term for gay prostitutes specifically. I didn’t want to use gigolo because that seems to be male prostitutes targeting women.In the raws “little black room”, apparently slang.