Wolf King And His Fox Consort

Halfway through Chu Yun's interrogation of the concubine, Xiao Zai realised that he was bluffing. 

He was giving her rope to hang herself with, but she tied the noose around her own neck, admitting to what she had done, and not being convincing enough to deny what she hadn't.

Now, Xiao Zai couldn't help appreciating Chu Yun's cunning. 

"Don't you feel guilty? She could be executed for the death of the Crown Princess," Xiao Zai asked, pressing the question into the hot skin of Chu Yun's neck.

He didn't know what answer he expected, or wanted to hear. But seeing the ruthless side of Chu Yun always sent a bolt of arousal through him. He could be merciless when he wanted to, which made his kindness, his compassion, and the rare glimpses of sweetness he allowed Xiao Zai to see, all the more precious.

"It won't come to that," Chu Yun said, grinning and stealing a breathless kiss from Xiao Zai. "But, it will make her desperate to save her own skin."

He gripped the two sides of Xiao Zai's collar and walked him backwards to the bed. He pushed Xiao Zai down into the mattress and climbed on top of him with a triumphant grin.

"She knows that any chance she might have of being promoted to Principal Wife is ruined, and the King will definitely kill her if he thinks she went against his orders." He traced a finger from Xiao Zai's bottom lip, down his chin, over his bobbing throat. 

Xiao Zai swallowed drily, looking up at him in awe. His fingers tightened on Chu Yun's waist, his eyes never leaving the proud curve of his lips. 

With a smile, Chu Yun lowered himself over Xiao Zai's body and brought their faces close together, letting their breaths mingle before touching his lips to Xiao Zai's sweetly. Xiao Zai couldn't resist sliding his hand down towards the taut curve of his generous ass and gripping a handful. Chu Yun laughed into the kiss, tightening his grip around Xiao Zai's neck in warning.

"After we let her stew in her fear for a time, we'll give her a choice," Chu Yun said, whispering the words into Xiao Zai's ear. "She'll be spared if she testifies against the King. If she tells the court he ordered her not only to get rid of her own child to incriminate you, but also to kill the Princess Consort."

Xiao Zai hummed in contentment, lifting his knees to rock upwards against Chu Yun. Their bodies moved in a slow rhythm that added to the fire burning under their skin.

"There's only one problem, the King doesn't benefit at all from the Crown Princess' death," Xiao Zai said, his wandering hands growing restless, trying to get at Chu Yun's skin. "We can make her accuse him, but it's a different story to make the accusation stick."

Chu Yun hummed against Xiao Zai's lips, conceding his point. "I think we can leave the motive up to the people who wanted her dead," he said, cryptically.

"What does that mean?" Xiao Zai asked, laughing when Chu Yun licked a ticklish strip across his jugular.

"Don't worry about it."

Xiao Zai considered pressing him for more information, but soon Chu Yun started undoing his robes, and the moment Xiao Zai got his hands on his bare skin all rational thoughts flew out of his mind.

---

Chu Yun woke up the next morning feeling sated and sticky. Xiao Zai was glued to his back, both arms banded tight around Chu Yun's waist as if he feared he might run away in the night.

Las night, they stopped after the first round because Chu Yun got hungry and reminded Xiao Zai of his promise to cook for him. Xiao Zai didn't want to go into the kitchens, and so he compromised and rode into the market streets to get them something from a stall.

They ate naked in bed, all the better to continue from where they had stopped.

Now, with the faint morning light streaming in through the paper panes, Chu Yun turned around in bed to admire the shadows Xiao Zai's long eyelashes cast on his smooth cheeks.

He traced the crisscrossing pattern with his fingertip slowly, trying not to wake him. Xiao Zai wrinkled his nose in his sleep, ticklish.

Overcome with fondness Chu Yun kissed him softly.

He couldn't bear the thought of saddling Xiao Zai with the knowledge that his dam might have orchestrated, or at least been complicit in, the murder of the Crown Princess. It was a toss up between Gu Wei and the Queen Dowager, for who did it -- but they might even have been working together.

With the privilege of hindsight, their odd conversation during the hunt finally made sense. It explained why the Queen Dowager watched from their tower, why it was important for her and Gu Wei to be seen at the same place that day.

Did they help Chu Yun avoid any accusations of slipping into the forest and killing her himself? Sure, but that was never an argument that held much water to begin with.

No, the most important thing was that both of them were clearly visible the entire night, and in each other's company.

Chu Yun had no idea why they'd done it, but now he had enough leverage to ask Gu Wei. This time he wasn't leaving without some direct answers.

Something jumped in his stomach and he touched his abdomen. A well-timed reminder that they were still running against time. The King wouldn't sit idly by now -- they had to get rid of him once and for all. If Gu Wei proved uncooperative Chu Yun would be happy to remind him of that.

Chu Yun cast one more look at Xiao Zai's peaceful sleeping form and got up from the bed, shivering when his bare feet touched the cold floor.

It pained him to leave his warm bed to meet Gu Wei, but he could make the sacrifice.. Xiao Zai would compensate him later, in much the same fashion he had last night.