The time spent playing with the lower jaw being pinched was a bit long.
The moisture on Meng Huan's shoulder evaporated, bringing a cool sensation. The atmosphere was romantic, resembling a scene from a TV drama where a tyrant and his favored concubine bathed together... Petals, rose bath, two naked bodies facing each other, rinsing each other with water. The next step should be sweet and blissful in the water.
Lin Bhouzo stared at him without shifting his gaze, his eyes intertwined with a hint of ambiguity through the mist of water. It made Meng Huan's head spin...
According to the routine, will they start getting intimate now?
Will he come close and kiss him?
Meng Huan closed his eyes resignedly.
"Tsk."
However, he heard a low chuckle in his ear.
Lin Bhouzo caressed his jaw. His fingers were clean, his hands were large, and he easily pinched Meng Huan's pointed chin. He smiled and asked, "What are you thinking?"
The young gentleman in front of him obediently closed his eyes halfway, his eyelashes moist, almost waiting for his favor.
-"So innocent". Lin Bhouzo narrowed his eyes but recalled what happened a few days ago. The young gentleman who cursed him day and night in the courtyard and screams passionately, Meng Xueming's adopted son known for his upright and scholarly demeanor, with a reputation of being a young prodigy, highly knowledgeable, and of good character in the capital city. But now...
Lin Bhouzo lowered his gaze.
Meng Huan felt ticklish from his scratching and blinked.
-"How can someone be so innocent?"
Lin Bhouzo tightened his fingers, and a low voice came from outside the door: "Your Highness, there is a message from the palace."
"Good, they came at the right time." Lin Bhouzo let go of his hand, glanced at Meng Huan, and had been waiting for this moment. "Come in."
Meng Huan and Lin Bhouzo were behind the screen, and they could vaguely see the figure moving behind the gauze curtain. The person stopped behind the screen and spoke respectfully, "Your Highness, a decree from His Majesty."
When someone important came to discuss matters, Meng Huan lowered his head and played with the water, pretending to be distracted and invisible.
Lin Bhouzo raised his eyes and said, "Huanhuan, listen."
Meng Huan looked up, confused, "Huh?"
"Later, I have something to ask you."
There was a hint of malicious delight in the corner of Lin Bhouzo's lips as he lazily leaned against the poolside and closed his eyes.
Meng Huan bit his lip and shifted his gaze to outside the screen.
The person who announced the decree recited in a serious tone, "Imperial brother's decree: Five days ago, officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Works jointly accused imperial brother of abusing power and embezzling tax funds. This is clearly a frame-up, disrespectful and provocative, and it undermines the brotherly relationship between you and me. Now, I have ordered the Eastern Factory to exile these treacherous officials and criminals, and I request that imperial brother no longer stay at home under the pretext of illness but instead consider the overall situation of the country, take office as soon as possible, and work together with the ministers in the cabinet to safeguard the court, thus comforting my heart. This is the decree."
After the decree was announced, the person remained silent.
The atmosphere in the room was quiet.
Perhaps the initial speculation was wrong.
Lin Bhouzo stood up from the water, grabbed the dry clothes hanging on the screen, put them on his shoulders without saying anything, and walked away from the pool in big strides.
He left suddenly?
Meng Huan was a bit surprised.
According to the original plot, the Regent should be burning with desire at this moment, enduring the urge to immediately make love while intentionally teasing and humiliating the original protagonist like a cat catching a mouse, right?
Meng Huan was stunned in the water for a moment. In the original book, their fight tonight was spectacular. One was an unyielding tough guy, and the other was a crazy anti-social pleasure seeker. The more you struggle, the more excited I become; the more excited you become, the more I struggle. The tense struggle filled with tension made Meng Huan pound the bed and emit uncontrollable excitement in the middle of the night.
At that time, the comments section was filled with "What? My pants are flying~", and you could be tripped up by bitter tea leaves at any time.
But now, they had both taken off their clothes, yet they hadn't come together?
Isn't this deviation in the plot a bit too big?
Of course, Meng Huan didn't mean that he was looking forward to them getting intimate with each other.
Putting on his clothes and pants, Meng Huan walked back, blowing in the night breeze. Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him...
Could it be that Lin Bhouzo was so indifferent because he thought Meng Huan wasn't passionate enough?
"..."
Generally speaking, sexual preferences have a significant impact on sexual desire. Otherwise, why would there be categories like "cool and aloof uke," "crybaby bottom," "muscular man bottom," "big-breasted bottom," and so on in the market for BL novels?
Labels represent sexual preferences. Everyone prefers to see labels that align with their tastes. This is also a way of expressing sexual preferences.
Wow, Meng Huan had completely turned the original protagonist, who was supposed to be cool and aloof, into a foolish bottom.
"...gulp," Meng Huan swallowed and thought, "I'm sorry."
But if Lin Bhouzo wasn't interested in him, did that mean they could avoid the love-hate plot of the original book? Meng Huan no longer needed to worry about being violated or killed?
Meng Huan: Yes!
Being carefree was great, long live being carefree.
His life in this world of extravagance and indulgence began today.
The night breeze was refreshing as Meng Huan rode back to his room on a cool breeze, his steps light and full of confidence.
Entering the room, he touched the glossy pearwood Grand Tutor Chair, delicate Jingdezhen ceramics, beautifully written calligraphy with ink, ceramic teapot, jade wine cups, the ancient qin with its melodious sound, silk curtains and bedding, and pastries on the table that still retained warmth...
Looking up at the carved dragon and painted phoenix beams, Meng Huan thought to himself, the Regent's residence is really magnificent. Setting aside the issue of life and death, this place is indeed suitable for living.
A maid entered the room, saying, "Madam, the face-washing water is ready."
"Madam, the dinner has gone cold. Should I ask the chef to make something fresh?"
"Madam, this is freshly poured hot tea."
The maid sisters were so gentle.
Meng Huan: ^v^
After a satisfying meal, Meng Huan lay back on the soft bedding, his mind hazy. He rubbed his head.
The faint scent in the quilt drifted around, allowing his thoughts to wander lazily as he pondered about transmigrating into a book. In the original world, Meng Huan had been an orphan since childhood, without parents. He lived in an orphanage until he turned eighteen and got into college, where he worked hard to cover his tuition and living expenses.
He learned to paint and took orders every day. He initially read this novel to draw the characters, never thinking he would transmigrate into it.
At that time, Meng Huan was most envious of the luxurious and wealthy lives of the noble families he saw in TV dramas. They could eat whatever they wanted, drink whatever they liked, and there were people to take care of them.
He never expected that it would now be his turn.
It had to be said, the heavens have eyes.
Lost in thought, Meng Huan fell asleep. When he woke up and remembered his duty as a concubine, he called for a maid, "What do I need to do?"
The maid replied, "The Prince does not have a legitimate wife, so there is no need for Madam to serve tea. Therefore, there is nothing you need to do."
So easy?
Meng Huan blinked his eyes, "Do I need to accompany the Prince for meals and sleep to entertain him?"
"The Prince doesn't like to be disturbed. If he wants to see Madam, he will send someone to notify you. You can just wait in the courtyard and don't need to take the initiative."
So pitiful, the maid thought. Last night, they even took off their pants together, but the Prince still left without a word. The incident of them not consummating the marriage had spread throughout the residence. This young and beautiful Madam was equivalent to being banished to the "Cold Palace." There probably wouldn't be another chance for her to be favored, and she wouldn't be able to live a good life anymore.
How nice, Meng Huan thought. This is the standard beginning of a rich widow in a wealthy family.
Since Lin Bhouzo wasn't interested in him and wouldn't summon him, he didn't need to rack his brains anymore to please him. And since Lin Bhouzo was so rich and held such a high position, Meng Huan could have his fill just by dropping a hint to him.
Meng Huan's face showed a pensive expression as if he was thinking about something.
The maid was about to comfort him.
Meng Huan asked with a serious tone, "As the Prince's wife, how much money can I receive each month?"
The maid hesitated and said, "According to the usual practice, as a concubine, you will receive fifty taels (1.8kg) of silver per month."
What's going on? Don't you even consider fighting for favor?
Meng Huan counted on his fingers and scratched his head, earnestly calculating the exchange rate between taels of silver and Chinese yuan. Six hundred yuan per tael, fifty taels meant he would have a monthly allowance of thirty thousand yuan for his living expenses.
"Unbelievable, thirty thousand (4.2k USD) pocket money per month, what kind of concept is that?"
"The monthly salary is fixed by the officials, but it can actually increase. If you use some tricks, you can make a fortune under the name of the Regent Prince's Mansion!"
But Meng Huan, he is content with what he has. He's already happy with thirty thousand yuan per month. Thinking about the silver he is about to receive, he couldn't help but smile.
"Then what should I have for breakfast?"
Meng Huan's expectant eyes made the maid tremble.
The Regent Prince's Mansion only has one male master, Lin Bhouzo. His parents are deceased, and he has no wife. The previous king's concubines are kept in the fiefdom to pray and guard the tomb. So although Meng Huan is a concubine, he is the most prominent "female" master in this highly influential Regent Prince's Mansion.
When it comes to food and drink, he is the same as Lin Bhouzo.
The maid sensed that the young madam was about to go crazy and said, "Mutton stir-fry, roasted shredded goose, pork stir-fried with yellow vegetables, steamed pig's trotters, twice-cooked fried fresh fish, braised pork in clay pot, fragrant rice, bean soup, beef noodles, coix seed porridge, pine nut and lotus seed porridge, tea soup. A total of twelve dishes."
"........"
Are you reciting the names of the dishes?
Meng Huan took a deep breath and placed his hand on his chest.
He suppressed his excited and surging emotions.
He stood up and said, "Serve the food."
His complexion regained its brightness and color. "After having breakfast, I will go to the treasury to receive my monthly salary of thirty thousand yuan."
"...?"
The treasury is located to the east of the royal palace, several buildings and pavilions away from the courtyard where Meng Huan lives. After eating his fill and stepping out of the courtyard, sedan chairs were already waiting at the gate.
"Lady, please."
The Regent Prince's Mansion is so large that even for outings, they need to use palanquin chairs.
When Meng Huan was lifted onto the palanquin chair, he marveled at the decadent life of this feudal dynasty.
It was so wonderful.
He took out some silver and gave it to the palanquin chair bearers. "Thank you for your hard work."
"Lady, you're joking. It's our duty."
Ah, it's not good to have such concepts.
He observed them accepting the silver.
This...
Just as Meng Huan was about to start his ideological education lesson, he stopped again.
The palanquin chair swayed along the way, and Meng Huan felt drowsy. As they passed by a pavilion behind the bodhi tree, sounds came from within.
It seemed like a group of people was standing there. As the palanquin chair moved forward, the figures of those standing in the pavilion entered Meng Huan's sight.
Lin Bhouzo was living a more luxurious life than him. His tall figure sat in the pavilion, his eyes lowered, playing chess with someone. Behind him, a maid fanned him, and a guest played chess with him. A male servant stood by, holding an umbrella to shield him from the sun. Outside the pavilion, there were also a group of servants and attendants.
Meng Huan's eyelids twitched. "...Go around."
The bearers carrying the palanquin chair were urged like madmen, "Go around, go around, go around! Quickly, go around him!" But before they could turn to another path, a voice from behind sounded unlucky.
"Who dares to be so bold? How dare you not dismount when you see the prince?"
The bearers set Meng Huan down, kneeling in a hurry.
Ancient etiquette was extremely strict. Officials of certain ranks should bow to each other when they meet, officials of a lower rank should avoid walking on the same official road as their superiors, and officials of certain ranks are not allowed to walk the same path as a prince. If they violate these rules, they would be checked and supervised by the supervising officials and might even be subject to an assessment that could affect their promotion or demotion.
Being one step late, Meng Huan had no choice but to lift his head and make eye contact with Lin Bhouzo in the pavilion.
"..."
"Ah... the little princess seems to be living a very comfortable life. It seems that you are already enjoying the life in the prince's mansion."
While tidying up the chess pieces, Lin Bhouzo clicked his tongue in surprise.
Last night when they met, Meng Huan was pale and trembling, even speaking. He was a pitiful little young man. But now, his spirit was full, his cute face had a healthy flush, and his hair was neatly combed. He looked like a completely different person from the disheveled man who had been starving and cursing a few days ago.
It wasn't just Lin Bhouzo, even he was quite surprised.
As he delicately tapped the jade chess pieces with his clearly defined fingers, he raised an eyebrow and squinted.
"..."
Meng Huan's scalp began to tingle.
He could feel Lin Bhouzo's somewhat cold gaze slowly sweeping from the top of his head to his toes, scrutinizing him up and down like a beast about to devour its prey, with his tongue gently grazing his lips.
He was waiting for Meng Huan to reveal a flaw so he could devour him, swallow him whole, and chew on his bones until nothing was left.
Under the pressure, Meng Huan took a deep breath.
Then, he bowed and spoke with a sweet and coquettish voice.
"I have seen my husband."