Arc 3: Chapter 8
【Di! Please pay attention host, the villain’s blackening value has risen to 76%.】
【Di! Please pay attention host, the villain’s blackening value has risen to 87%.】
【Di! High risk warning! High risk warning! The villain’s blackening value has risen to 99.999999%! The villain’s blackening value has risen to 99.999999%!】
Although 521 had made some mental preparation, when it saw this blackening value, it still hysterically flew around screaming: “Ahhhhhh! 99.999999%! Why is it so high? What to do? What to do? It’s actually 99.999999%, Senior, what should we do?”
How would Lin Yuan know? Right now his husband looked like he was completely fine on the surface.
Jiang Qian’s smile was pure and honest, and he gave off the aura of a gentle and cultured scholar. If anything, his clothes were half untied, and the candlelight brightened on the side of his face and shoulders, which made a gorgeous picture of unfinished allure.
His appearance was beautiful and elegant, yet also gave off an atmosphere of depravity.
Lin Yuan stared at Jiang Qian’s perfect features at close proximity and blushed and swallowed with difficulty: “No… no need for thanks, I…… I like…. I like you, so saving you… is what I should do……”
Hearing the little prince’s confession, Jiang Qian’s amber eyes deepened like a dense forest at night, with indiscernible danger.
Like? So while he was not conscious, took advantage of him and forced him to lie underneath?
This kind of love did seem in line with the noble status of the little prince.
Jiang Qian’s smile dimmed yet he still maintained his elegance: “Since the little prince doesn’t need this slave’s life-saving grace, then this slave will thank the little prince for his favor. If it wasn’t for this bit of favor, then this slave would still be in Prince Yanping’s manion crawling… on the ground.”
As he spoke, memories of Prince Yanping’s manion rushed forward like a tide.
Jiang Qian felt as if those wounds began to carve themselves back into his body and bleed and fester. The phantom pain drenched him in cold sweat, and he couldn’t stop trembling. Those unbearable acts of humiliation and suffering returned: being trampled under the soles of others’ feet, and the bone-embedding stench of dirt and rot.
Jiang Qian didn’t even know how he survived through it all.
At first, he gritted his teeth and told himself that in history, many sages had also suffered before achieving great things. They had been trapped in cages too, but still remained iron-willed. Regardless of whatever torture method, he would never bend or bow to their lowly acts.
At that time, Jiang Qian really thought that he could emulate those great sages. He thought that he could retain the hardness of his bones under thousands of tortures. t/n in chinese culture, having tough bones often meant that one had strong willpower
But then Jiang Qian found out that in the face of unending malice, he could only be trampled on the ground and struggle at death’s door. As a slave, he couldn’t even die, how could he have the qualification to talk about willpower?
Jiang Qian could not imagine how he was reassembled back into a complete human shape. It took him five months to wake up. In the past five months, he must’ve acted like a crazy fool.
He glanced at Lin Yuan with deep and cold eyes, with complex emotions swirling inside.
From being tortured and hanging on the edge of his life, now he only needed to lie under the little prince to live well. It could be considered a good life for him.
Fine, a male pet was a male pet.
Did he have a choice? If he resisted this little prince and the little prince’s love disappeared, then he feared that whoever’s hands he fell into next would not treat him any better.
Jiang Qian sneered at himself. If he had come to Prince Chu’s manion first, then he would definitely regard this as the greatest shame in his life. But now he was thinking of how to please the little prince so he could hold onto the little prince’s favor for longer.
Lin Yuan hadn’t yet gotten over the shock of Jiang Qian’s blackening value, so he didn’t react when Jiang Qian used the term ‘slave’. After he got over his period of daze, Lin Yuan quickly reacted and said: “Jiang Qian, don’t call yourself a slave. You’re not.”
Jiang Qian smiled shallowly, and he thought sarcastically, there was no difference between male pets and slaves, just one served on the bed and another served the rest of the time. Their life and death was controlled by the master.
His eyes narrowed and he whispered: “The emperor has decreed that all members on the Ji Family registry be demoted to slaves. The Ji Family’s crimes go against the heavens, and this slave is the lowest of the slaves.”
Lin Yuan’s eyes swept over Jiang Qian’s thin body, and he could still see the dense criss-crossed scars, like a bonded net trapping Jiang Qian’s life.
“Jiang Qian……”
Lin Yuan called him softly.
Jiang Qian was startled by his call. He wondered why the little prince’s voice was so soft and even a little coquettish. He answered: “Yes, this slave is here.”
Lin Yuan asked: “Jiang Qian, can I hug you?”
He had hugged, kissed, and rubbed Jiang Qian before when the other wasn’t sober, but he was not familiar with how Jiang Qian was now. They were practically strangers.
Lin Yuan felt that Jiang Qian was like fragile porcelain that had been broken and then glued together. If just a bit of strength was applied, he could break again.
Jiang Qian was even more confused in his heart, but still nodded: “Of course. This slave is now the little prince’s…… person. The little prince can do as he wishes.”
He really couldn't say the two words ‘male pet’. This much was already his limit.
With Jiang Qian’s consent, Lin Yuan leaned closer and hugged Jiang Qian. He also patted the other on the back for comfort: “Everything’s okay, Jiang Qian. Now you have me, I’ll protect you……”
The two of them had their clothes strewn all over the place, and with this hug, their bodies were pressed against each other. Jiang Qian could feel Lin Yuan’s warm skin. He had never been close to another person like this, and he felt a bit numb and strange.
Jiang Qian thought that Lin Yuan would do something more. Unexpectedly, the little prince just hugged him for a long time and then told him to go to bed.
They lay down, pulled up the quilt, and Little Prince Lin encircled his neck and fell asleep.
…… That’s it?
Jiang Qian silently puzzled.
When he awoke the next day, Jiang Qian continued to be confused. Little Prince Lin took him to the table for breakfast. The maid brought over the meal and then retreated and closed the door.
Why did the door have to be closed for breakfast?
After breakfast, Lin Yuan wanted to take a walk with Jiang Qian as usual, but he didn’t know if Jiang Qian would like to. He asked carefully: “Jiang Qian, shall we go outside for a stroll? The physician said your body needs to recuperate for a period of time. Walking around after eating is good for the body.”
Jiang Qian noticed how Lin Yuan treated him with a soft attitude and liked to coax him, which really wasn’t like he was interacting with a regular male pet.
But Jiang Qian had only heard about male pets before, and didn’t know how other people treated their male pets. He only thought that Little Prince Lin favored him now, so he was spoiled a little.
After the stroll, Lin Yuan led him over to the study, where there were shelves and shelves of books. Jiang Qian was an avid reader. He thought about Little Prince Lin’s attitude and felt that reading a book should be fine, right?
Jiang Qian smiled: “Little prince, this slave wants to read a book, is that allowed?”
Lin Yuan didn’t like how Jiang Qian used the term ‘slave’ all the time. Jiang Qian was his husband, his favorite little princess. He also didn’t like how Jiang Qian called him ‘little prince’.
“Jiang Qian, you aren’t a slave, don’t call yourself a slave anymore! And don’t call me ‘little prince’, call me Sui Sui.”
Sui Sui?
Jiang Qian felt that the little prince’s nickname was quite unique. He believed the only reason that the other person didn’t regard him as a slave and allowed him to use the other’s nickname was because Lin Yuan spoiled him, so he pitied him and pampered him.
In the future, Little Prince Lin would get tired of him or go like other people. Then this matter of using the prince’s nickname would be added to his list of crimes.
Jiang Qian would not allow such a risk to exist.
“Little prince, you are the master, but this slave is just a criminal slave. This slave doesn’t dare do this.” Jiang Qian said.
Lin Yuan didn’t expect that after Jiang Qian regained consciousness, the other wouldn’t even be willing to call him by his nickname. He racked his head and pulled Jiang Qian over onto the soft couch. He made Jiang Qian sit down, and then he sat down on Jiang Qian’s lap.
Jiang Qian was instantly stupefied. This posture seemed strange for two men. No one had ever sat in his lap before. For an inexplicable reason, Jiang Qian couldn’t meet the little prince’s eyes.
Lin Yuan pinched Jiang Qian’s chin and asked fiercely: “What should you call me?”
His voice sounded like he was angry, but Jiang Qian could only focus on Lin Yuan’s round, apricot eyes that shone with grievance and his soft and pale skin that seemed like a milky bun.
Jiang Qian subconsciously rubbed his fingers together and said: “Little prince.”
As soon as his words fell, Jiang Qian felt a soft, warm touch on his lips.
His long and narrow eyes widened slightly, and they expressed his confusion.
Little Prince Lin, he…… he……
Lin Yuan licked his lips and raised one of his eyebrows and asked again: “What should you call me?”
Jiang Qian was silent. Then he answered: “Little prince.”
Unsurprisingly, the same warm touch fell again.
Lin Yuan asked again: “What should you call me?”
“......Little prince.”
The teenager’s lips pressed over once again, and Jiang Qian’s heart jumped another beat.
Lin Yuan gently touched the corners of Jiang Qian’s lips and said: “In the future, if I hear you say ‘little prince’ or ‘this slave’ again, then I will punish you like this, even if we’re outside. Anyways, the whole capital knows that I’m obsessed with you, so I don’t care.”
He leaned forward and licked Jiang Qian’s lips, with a trace of mischief in his eyes.
“Jiang Qian, do you want to try? Shall we do this in public, in front of everyone else’s eyes?”