Your Highness, Please Love Me Tender

81. Giving You a Home (2)

Translator: Flying Lines

“If I ran away, you could simply catch me again.” Su Jie’s voice was lazy. He chuckled, and even his eyes seemed to overflow with laughter. He looked at Xiao Shengnian with a smile and asked, “Your Highness, does it mean you care for me?”

“I haven’t lost interest in you just yet, so of course, I wouldn’t let you escape.” Xiao Shengnian’s eyes were as deep as a bottomless abyss. His expression carried hints of elegant wickedness, and there was an indifferent look on his face. Perhaps he was too used to pretending for so many years that even when he should be showing tenderness and deep affections, he refused to reveal his true feelings. Instead, he only used an indifferent tone to suggest that he was simply still interested in Su Jie, and not because he truly cared for him.

“Who was the one who said he wouldn’t let me down during this lifetime?” Su Jie glared, his eyes carrying more petulance than he… first realized.

“Not letting you down during this lifetime is because I like you, so you have the right to stay by my side…” After a pause, he said, “I won’t fall in love with anyone else, so naturally, I wouldn’t let you down.”

Hearing this, Su Jie shrugged and said in a voice of indifference, “That’s good. So even if I die one day, you won’t be too sad.”

“I may not love you, but you have to love me.” Xiao Shengnian’s overbearing side reared its head once again in front of Su Jie.

In the face of such unreasonable words, Su Jie chose to ignore them all.

“In this life, you can only love me.” The possessive Xiao Shengnian added.

“Ah…” Su Jie suddenly let out a chuckle. He took the initiative to walk in front of Xiao Shengnian and his bony fingers touched Xiao Shengnian’s chest. He raised his eyes slightly and his gaze met Xiao Shengnain’s.

The youth’s lips pursed lightly, and these cool words escaped from his mouth. “Gaining the love of a man of sacrifice perhaps isn’t a good thing.”

Xiao Shengnian’s eyebrow twitched. “How so?”

“Because my love is possessive. If one day you no longer belonged to me, I think I would probably kill you,” he said with a bright smile, wisps of threat present in his words.

Hearing this, Zhui Xing, who had been pretending to be an expressionless wooden doll, couldn’t help but sweep his sharp gaze over to Su Jie as his eyelids twitched. But then he resumed his poker face and continued to be a silent wooden doll.

Xiao Shengnian didn’t seem to agree with Su Jie’s words. “So if you can’t obtain my love, other people also cannot obtain it, yes?”

“No. I just feel that if someone who originally belonged to me one day no longer did, I will probably… be angry. Anger leads to impulsiveness and impulsiveness can kill people. You also know that, as a man of sacrifice, my hands are extremely bloody. I’ve killed those who sinned and also those who were innocent. I won’t go easy on anyone.”

“You… have killed a lot of people before?” Xiao Shengnian was silent for a moment and asked.

Su Jie nodded, “Yes. A lot of people. So many that I can’t even keep count.”

“Do you hate that kind of life?” Xiao Shengnian asked again.

“… I’m used to it.”

Xiao Shengnian’s heart ached suddenly. He put his arms around Su Jie and said in a low voice, “As long as I am here to protect you, you won’t have to live that kind of life anymore.”

Su Jie did not refute him and let the slightly taller man embrace him. He frowned lightly. He couldn’t tell what he was feeling but the sentence tugged at his heartstrings.

“Xiao Shengnian, I actually don’t need anyone’s protection.” Su Jie’s lips moved slightly. He pushed away Xiao Shengnian as he said this.

“I only wish that I can give you a home when you are tired.”

“…”

Suddenly, Su Jie didn’t know what he should say. Forgive him for not interacting with others for so many years. No one had ever said such sentimental words to him, so Su Jie’s brain froze at this moment. He remained silent for a while, and then finally squeezed out the words, “It’s time to eat.”

“…” Now, it was Xiao Shengnian’s turn to be speechless. He felt as if his energy had drained out of him and ordered, “Zhui Xing, get the meal served.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

—divider—

By the time it was May, the temperature had gradually warmed but the spring breeze was still as refreshing as ever. Every year at this time, the State Yanhui’s royal princes would go hunting on their hunting grounds. This year was not an exception. Although the Emperor wouldn’t watch his sons hunt in person, he sent the palace’s eunuchs, who had brought rewards with them, to the hunting grounds. The prince who hunted the most prey would receive the Emperor’s rewards.

These kinds of hunting activities were the ninth prince’s, Xiao ShengXian’s, favorite. Every year, it would almost always be him who received their father’s rewards. On that day, he was dressed in a practical robe. He struck a pose on his horse on the outer edges of the hunting grounds, which dazzled everyone’s eyes.

Xiao ShengXian was the most attractive amongst all the princes, especially with that pair of alluring, slanted eyes. He could steal someone’s soul by just looking at them. Who knew how many unmarried maidens had already fallen for him, and dreamed of obtaining his favor.

In contrast, Xiao Shengnian was much more low-key than his brother. He wore a robe that was as white as a crescent moon. Beside him stood Su Jie, who wore a red robe.

Viewing this from far away, they were one person in white and the other in red. The white was as pure as snow whilst the red was as fierce as fire.

Xiao Shengnian’s expression was gentle, and his features were beautiful. Su Jie’s smile was bright and elegant.

Unexpectedly, when the two people stood side by side, they were an undoubted match made in heaven. Only Zhui Xing, who followed behind them, was like an ice sculpture; his face was devoid of emotion.

“Brother.” Xiao ShengXian dismounted from his horse and, with an air of valiancy, walked towards his brother.