Chapter 233 – The Foolish Prince Consort’s Farming Struggles – Assassination (16)
“Big brother, let’s talk this out, let’s talk this out…” Lin Xiaoshuang nodded vigorously to show she wouldn’t scream. Only then did the man in black ease his hand away from her mouth.
She raised both hands to show she wouldn’t resist. “Big brother, I just came from a remote mountain village. I—I don’t have any money.”
“Enough nonsense.” The man in black struck an acupoint on Lin Xiaoshuang, immobilizing her. “I’m asking you—do you know Baili Bin?”
Feeling the cold blade of a dagger press close to the skin of her neck, Lin Xiaoshuang didn’t even process what he said clearly. She quickly nodded. “Yes, yes… I know him…”
The man in black grabbed her hand. “Take me to him.”
As he spoke, he also struck her mute acupoint and jumped out the window with her in tow.
Lin Xiaoshuang experienced what felt like bungee jumping with no safety gear. Terrified, she wanted to scream, but the mute point had already been sealed—only faint “ah, ah” sounds escaped her throat.
“Useless woman,” the man in black sneered, seeing the fear written all over her face.
Soon, Lin Xiaoshuang was taken from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion to a small courtyard.
Ji Zhong sat at the head seat and said to the man in black, “Ah Qi, I told you to invite Miss Lin. Why did you tie her up? Hurry and release her.”
The man in black replied, “Yes, sir,” and tapped Lin Xiaoshuang twice on the back. Her stiff body loosened. With a push from Ah Qi, she staggered forward a few steps and barely managed to stay on her feet.
“Ah Qi, show some respect,” Ji Zhong said.
Lin Xiaoshuang stretched her limbs, secretly curling her lips in disdain.
The man sitting there was clearly in cahoots with the man in black who had kidnapped her, yet he was putting on an act and pretending to be the good guy in front of her. Did he really think she couldn’t see through that?
Ji Zhong looked at this seemingly calculating woman and decided to try bribing her first. If that didn’t work, he would resort to threats. One way or another, he had to find out where the Ninth Prince was hiding.
In the countryside, the occasional barking of dogs echoed through the quiet night. The cool night breeze rustled by, instinctively putting people at ease.
The villagers, having worked hard all day, were already in bed. Lighting oil lamps cost money, so saving where one could was the norm.
In stark contrast stood the brightly lit Gao residence.
Inside the room, Bai Tang sat on a stool, contemplating life.
He had grown used to his husband being adorably clueless, so now that the man had suddenly returned to his sharp and capable self, it felt a bit awkward—especially with the thought that they’d be sharing a bed tonight…
Baili Luo came in carrying a basin of water and placed it by the bed.
“It’s late. Tang Tang, do you want to go to bed?”
The no-longer-silly Baili Luo looked even more handsome than when he was acting dopey.
Bai Tang blushed furiously, imagining the possible unspeakable things that might happen next.
At that moment, Qiu’er pulled out an old notebook passed down by the former Prime Minister’s wife. “If the Emperor takes many consorts and it makes you uncomfortable, and if you feel awkward sharing a bed with him—this is not the time to talk too much. The more you say, the more mistakes you’ll make, and it’ll be easier for others to catch on. The best strategy is to pretend to be tired, close your eyes, and sleep. Whether it’s the ancestral family rules or the Emperor himself, no one can find fault with you for that.”
Xiao A asked, “Didn’t I already copy all the books in your library? Where did this one come from?”
Qiu’er quickly hid the notebook behind his back. “What are you doing? This is a private treasure—strictly not for sharing.”
Like hell he’d hand it over! If Xiao A got his hands on it and used it against him, he’d never get the upper hand again.
Xiao A smiled sweetly. “Come on, Qiu’er, be good. Let me take a look.”
Qiu’er shook his head frantically. “No way, no way… I’m not giving it to you!”
Bai Tang was lost in his wild thoughts, watching as Xiao A cornered Qiu’er step by step until he had him pinned against the wall. With a sharp “pop,” Bai Tang cut the connection.
Now that he’d seen that whole interaction between Qiu’er and Xiao A, how was he supposed to stop his imagination from running even wilder?
Baili Luo scooped Bai Tang up in his arms and gently laid him on the bed.
Bai Tang’s face flushed crimson as he stammered, “I-I’m sleepy. I’m going to sleep first.”
“No rush,” Baili Luo said with a warm smile in his eyes. “Wash up before you sleep.”
He crouched down and helped Bai Tang remove his shoes and socks, revealing his soft, fair feet.
The night breeze blew in, stealing away some warmth. Bai Tang shivered slightly, but when he tried to pull his feet back, the man caught them and held them still.
“It’s cold~” the young man murmured.
With careful hands, Baili Luo splashed water over the tops of Bai Tang’s feet. Once Bai Tang had adjusted to the temperature, he gently placed both delicate feet into the basin and began to massage the acupoints, using the techniques he had studied.
Bai Tang felt utterly relaxed. Watching Baili Luo carefully wash his feet, he suddenly felt a bit ashamed of himself for overthinking everything.
Even if in every world the male lead had to get to know him all over again, the goal never changed—he always treated Bai Tang with unwavering devotion. After all, they were already like an old married couple. Wasn’t it only natural for some things to happen?
That might be what he told himself, but the little squirrel’s shy nature was hard to shake.
Every world had a different setting, a different plotline, and each time, he and the male lead had to meet anew. It was like falling in love again and again—no wonder his heart always skipped a beat, and his face heated up so easily.
Baili Luo wrapped Bai Tang’s feet in a clean wool cloth, drying them off thoroughly, then gently lifted his legs onto the bed.
“All done. Time to sleep.”
He tucked Bai Tang in, the smile never leaving his face.
“Aren’t you going to sleep?”
Just as Baili Luo turned to leave, Bai Tang suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand. But when Baili Luo turned back, his eyes full of teasing amusement, Bai Tang immediately let go—like he’d been shocked by electricity.
Baili Luo gently tucked the boy’s hand back under the blanket and leaned in to whisper by his ear, “I’m just going to get some water. I’ll be right back.”
Watching the boy shyly bury his head under the covers, Baili Luo suppressed a laugh and quickly carried the basin out.
Meanwhile, Baili Bin—completely lacking in social awareness—was hoping to have a long, heartfelt conversation with his elder brother. He wanted to reminisce about their brotherly bond and maybe even vent about the miserable years he had spent in the harem and the front court.
But just as he turned a corner and lifted his foot to step up onto the platform, a basin of used foot-washing water came flying at his face.
He managed to dodge to the side with agile reflexes, but unfortunately, he wasn’t faster than his big brother—his right arm still got splashed.
“Seventh Brother, seriously? That’s not fair!” Baili Bin howled. He hadn’t even gotten a chance to talk to his royal brother before getting rejected outright. No wonder he always felt like his brother was looking at him with a complicated expression—it turned out he really did find him annoying and in the way.
Baili Luo smiled as he held the empty basin. “You’re finally catching on.”
Baili Bin: “!!!” Big Brother, are you really my big brother? Who even says stuff like that?!
“Go to bed early. We still have to get up early tomorrow,” Baili Luo said to him.
“…Okay.” Baili Bin trudged back to his room in defeat, mumbling to himself.
Once he got back to the palace, he was going to ask their mother to select him a royal consort. His consort would be chosen by the Empress Dowager, so there’d be no issue with family disapproval. But his royal brother was a different story. Even though Bai Tang was the son of Lady Bai, he was still a man—he couldn’t bear children. And when the day came that Baili Luo had to take a concubine… oh ho, that’d be a good show to watch.
Back in the room, Baili Luo undressed, taking off his shoes, socks, and robes before climbing into bed. He lay beside Bai Tang, watching the boy with his eyes squeezed tightly shut.
“Pretending to sleep, hmm? That’s not very convincing~” Baili Luo pinched the boy’s face, which was scrunched up from trying too hard to fake it.
“H-how did you know?” Bai Tang opened his eyes—right in front of him was Baili Luo’s bare chest.
“Why… why are you sleeping without any clothes on?” the boy asked in a soft, childish voice.
“I always sleep like this,” Baili Luo replied, blinking innocently.
“N-no, you don’t! You never did that before.”
“Oh? What was I like before?” Baili Luo teased. “I seem to recall there used to be a little squirrel who liked to sleep curled up on top of me.”
Bai Tang froze, alarmed. He thought his secret—that he was the squirrel—had been exposed. “How do you know about that?”
Baili Luo tapped the boy on the forehead. “You only like eating nuts—especially pine cones. You don’t like meat, and you love curling up when you sleep. You’re fast at digging up herbs too. If that’s not a squirrel, then what is?”
Bai Tang covered his forehead and huffed, “You—you! Hmph, I’m not talking to you anymore.”
Baili Luo pulled Bai Tang into his arms. “No can do. You can only talk to me.”
With nowhere to escape, Bai Tang was pressed up against his husband’s chest. “You’re bullying me.”
“I wouldn’t bully my Tang Tang. Let Tang Tang bully me instead.”
Baili Luo rolled over onto his back, letting Bai Tang lie on top of him.
His voice turned hoarse, and there was a smoldering heat in his eyes. “So, Tang Tang, how do you plan to bully me?”
“You said… I—I’ll bite you!”
As he spoke, the boy leaned down toward Baili Luo’s shoulder and opened his mouth wide to bite.
But the sharp pain Baili Luo expected never came. Instead, there was only a warm sucking sensation.
How could Bai Tang actually bring himself to bite Baili Luo? He wanted to teach him a little lesson but couldn’t bear to hurt him—so he ended up giving him a hickey instead. Even then, he couldn’t bring himself to be rough, so the mark didn’t even form. But this little tease completely set off a certain beast… and by the end of the night, Bai Tang had been thoroughly ravaged.
Completely exhausted, Bai Tang fell asleep nestled in Baili Luo’s arms, dead to the world.
Baili Luo, thoroughly satisfied, kissed his sleeping sweetheart. The more he looked at him, the more beautiful he thought life was.
Suddenly, a noise came from outside, and Baili Luo instantly tensed.
He kissed Bai Tang’s forehead and reluctantly moved him aside, tucking the blanket over him carefully.
Just as Baili Luo finished dressing, the candlelight in the room was snuffed out.
A dagger sliced through the air, piercing the window paper and heading straight for the bed.
With a swift roll, Baili Luo caught the weapon barehanded and threw it back along its original path.
Outside, the assassin in black was struck in the forehead and collapsed without a sound.
Bai Tang didn’t stir at all. He was completely wiped out and sleeping sweetly in bed.
Baili Luo, unwilling to disturb him, moved the battlefield out to the courtyard.
There were quite a few attackers this time—at a glance, nearly ten of them.
With swift and unstoppable moves, Baili Luo defeated the intruders with overwhelming force, leaving them no chance to retaliate. Even the assassins targeting Baili Bin and Gao Bo were taken care of by him.
Ji Zhong clutched his bleeding arm and said to the remaining two men, “Retreat.”
You don’t chase a cornered enemy—especially since Baili Luo suspected they might have a backup plan. Tang Tang was still sleeping inside the room, and he didn’t want to fall for a diversion.
“Master, they’re all eunuchs,” Uncle Gao reported after checking the corpses on the ground. Every one of them was mutilated.
“That one’s still alive—leave him to you.” Baili Luo pointed at a figure not far off. He knew exactly who he’d killed and who he hadn’t.
“Got it, leave it to me.” Baili Bin rolled up his sleeves enthusiastically. After spending time in the countryside, even a once-unreachable royal prince had learned the meaning of the word rough.
When Baili Luo returned to the room, the blanket had completely covered the boy’s head. He lifted a corner of the quilt, revealing Bai Tang’s flushed face from being buried under it too long.
Baili Luo couldn’t help but smile gently. He adjusted Bai Tang’s sleeping posture so he wouldn’t wake up the next day complaining about a sore neck.
Author’s Note:
Tang Tang really suffered a big loss here! How is this “bullying the male lead”? He was clearly the one getting bullied by the male lead~