The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

Chapter 172

Bonus Chapter! <3 Thank you for the support <3

Shen Yu began to feel a subtle ache in his waist.

Noticing the change in Shen Yu's expression, Shang Junlin inquired, "Ah Yu, what were you just thinking about?"

'Just considering how to get through tonight,' Shen Yu silently replied to himself.

He picked up a piece of his least favorite vegetable and placed it into Shang Junlin's bowl. "Nothing in particular, just felt that Your Majesty could use some calming down."

Shang Junlin was well aware of when Shen Yu's expression shifted and why, but when it came to the meat before him, there was no reason to let it go untouched.

He acted as if he hadn't noticed.

Shang Junlin consumed the vegetables from his bowl without altering his demeanor.

With the conversation diverted, Shen Yu lost interest in observing the performances. While he occasionally enjoyed teasing Shang Junlin, he understood the importance of knowing when to stop. Moreover, if he persisted, he might suffer more than just a sore waist tonight.

Shang Junlin wasn't particularly captivated by the music and dance. He preferred watching Shen Yu, who sat quietly beside him. In Shang Junlin's eyes, Shen Yu outshone everyone else.

With no further interest in the performances, Shen Yu redirected his attention to their conversation. They conversed as if there were no one else present, leaving many of the ministers below astonished.

They were aware of Shen Yu's favor in the court, but hearing about it and witnessing it firsthand were entirely distinct experiences. The Shang Junlin beside Shen Yu defied the image of the emperor they had stored in their memories.

Many couldn't help but marvel inwardly: So His Majesty possesses such a side as well.

The ministers had arranged fine wine, and naturally, cups were set before Shen Yu and Shang Junlin. Unable to partake, Shen Yu refrained, while Shang Junlin indulged in a few sips at the start of the toast from the ministers, thereafter abstaining from the wine.

Feeling a slight temptation, Shen Yu secretly took a sip from Shang Junlin's cup when he wasn't attentive. Knowing he shouldn't indulge too much, he restricted himself to a small sip.

Beneath the piquant flavor, Shen Yu couldn't help but furrow his brows. His body was yet to acclimate to the taste of alcohol, and just one sip left him feeling slightly lightheaded.

As Shen Yu glanced at the cup, contemplating another sip, a large hand abruptly reached out and seized the cup from him.

Following the hand upward, Shen Yu peered at the owner of the hand.

Shang Junlin looked at him helplessly. "How did you manage to sneak a sip when I wasn't paying attention?"

"I only tasted a tiny bit, didn't drink much," Shen Yu defended himself.

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Seeing Shen Yu's lingering gaze on the cup in his hand, Shang Junlin simply brought the cup to his own lips and downed the remaining liquor in one gulp. "You can only have one sip, so I drank the rest for you."

To prevent Shen Yu from sneaking more, Shang Junlin instructed the palace attendants to remove the wine from the table altogether.

Shen Yu chuckled. "Your Majesty won't let me watch the performances or drink. What do you want me to do?"

"Watching over me is enough," Shang Junlin replied, hoping not to divert even the slightest attention away from himself.

Feeling a bit stifled after drinking, Shen Yu said, "Your Majesty, I'd like to go outside for a walk."

"Why?"

"It's a bit stuffy in the hall, and I'd like some fresh air."

The braziers burned fiercely in the hall, with the doors and windows tightly shut. While warm, it could get stuffy after a while.

"Wait a moment, I'll accompany you back," Shang Junlin said.

Summoning Meng-gonggong, Shang Junlin whispered a few words to him before rising from his seat. "Let's go, Ah Yu."

At such gatherings, once the necessary formalities were completed, leaving early was permissible, especially for Shang Junlin, the reigning emperor. No one could stop him from doing what he wished.

As they left, the atmosphere in the hall became even livelier.

Before stepping out, Shang Junlin carefully wrapped Shen Yu in a cloak. "It's cold outside. Be careful not to catch a chill."

As the door opened, a chilly breeze swept in, causing Shen Yu to shiver involuntarily. The slight haziness in his mind was cleared by the wind.

With Shang Junlin's warm hand enveloping his, they walked side by side along the path, with palace attendants trailing behind at a distance.

Upon reaching the Yu Zhang Palace, Shen Yu, who had been slightly intoxicated, became completely sober.

"Your Majesty, are you leaving all the ministers behind like this?" Shen Yu asked as Shang Junlin showed no intention of leaving after entering.

Do they matter as much as you do? Today is my birthday, and I want to collect my gift, Shang Junlin said, his hand on Shen Yu's waist subtly caressing.

"Didn't you receive your gift from me yesterday?" Shen Yu countered, placing a hand over the one attempting to slip into his robe.

"That was your initiative. Today, I'm asking for one," Shang Junlin replied, exerting pressure with his arm to draw Shen Yu closer, keenly aware of the changes in his body.

A kiss landed on Shen Yu's neck, Shang Junlin's voice growing huskier. "I've been wanting to do this for a while now. How could you look at someone else..."

Indeed, it was about the incident with the dancers. Shen Yu knew he probably couldn't escape tonight, but he couldn't help but struggle a bit.

His hands restrained, his breath stolen away, every escape route preemptively blocked.

As the temperature around them rose, it felt like being engulfed in flames, from the inside out.

Wherever Shang Junlin's fingertips touched, tremors followed. Shen Yu felt like he was adrift in the vast ocean, tossed by the waves.

Shang Junlin remained as domineering as ever, refusing to slow down his movements no matter how much Shen Yu begged.

The waves grew larger, and Shen Yu clung tightly to the man holding him.

The candlelight flickered, illuminating the night.

As dawn approached, Shen Yu couldn't bear it any longer. He kicked the still-enthusiastic man away. "Stay away from me!"

Amid their movements, certain areas were inadvertently touched, causing Shen Yu to inhale sharply. He wrapped himself tightly in the blankets, ignoring Shang Junlin's attempts to coax him out.

"I promise, I won't do anything this time, just clean you up," Shang Junlin assured, but Shen Yu, wary, turned his back to him, his voice full of distrust. "You said that before."

But as soon as he let his guard down, he was dragged into it again.

Shang Junlin tried for a while to pull away the blankets, but Shen Yu had wrapped himself up tightly, and after several attempts, Shang Junlin gave up.

Tired and sleepy, Shen Yu soon fell asleep once the man stopped bothering him.

Shang Junlin looked at him for a moment before pulling both Shen Yu and the blankets into his arms, slowly closing his eyes.

Shang Junlin only rested for a short while before getting up for the morning court. When the time came, Meng-gonggong entered quietly to attend to him.

Putting on his outer robe, Shang Junlin instructed, "Prepare hot water in the bathroom. Send it up as soon as the Noble Monarch wakes up."

Meng-gonggong nodded, bowing his head to straighten Shang Junlin's robes. "Understood. Meals will also be kept warm. Rest assured, nothing will be lacking when the Noble Monarch wakes up."

Satisfied, Shang Junlin nodded. "Instruct them not to disturb him. If he doesn't get enough sleep, he'll be irritable."

During the morning court, the main topics remained the same: Beimo and King Yue. Shang Junlin, concerned about Shen Yu still in the Yu Zhang Palace, swiftly concluded the morning court.

After the court session, the ministers left the hall in twos and threes.

"His Majesty seems particularly anxious today. Is something important happening?"

"Has something gone wrong again?"

"If something really happened, there should have been some movement in the court. But there's no sign of anything. It shouldn't be anything major."

"His Majesty directly promoted Gu Huai to the rank of General of the Third Rank. Does anyone know about this Gu Huai?"

"We sent people to investigate last night. All we know is that he's the younger brother of Physician Gu. Nothing else could be found."

Physician Gu was known to many. He was the royal physician responsible for the Noble Monarch's health and also the designated successor to Head Physician Wu.

"Is it because of Physician Gu that His Majesty treats him so favorably?"

"It shouldn't be. If His Majesty were really favoring his family, wouldn't he have lavished praise on Marquis Zhenbei as well? But look, it's been a year since the Noble Monarch entered the palace, and there haven't been any major changes in Marquis Zhenbei's manor."

The ministers were less resistant to Shang Junlin's exclusive favor toward Shen Yu because Shang Junlin hadn't promoted any of Shen Yu's family members excessively.

"The relationship between Marquis Zhenbei and the Noble Monarch may not be as good as we think..."

"Even if it's not good, that is still his biological father. Blood is thicker than water. From this perspective, our Majesty is still rational. Even if he favors the Noble Monarch, he hasn't promoted anyone who shouldn't be promoted."

"Moreover, regarding Gu Huai, after the incident with the late emperor, there are few capable military commanders available in the court. Gu Huai's outstanding performance as a young general makes him a talent worth nurturing. It's only natural for His Majesty to have high hopes for him."

"Exactly. It's difficult to find talented individuals, and His Majesty is indeed adept in this regard. However, he is also the emperor of Da Huan. It's not feasible for him to personally don armor and lead the troops into battle. Da Huan currently needs capable military commanders."

As Shang Junlin was pressed for time, when the ministers left the palace, it was still early, and they might be able to return home to have breakfast with their families.

When Shen Yu woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.

Shen Yu remained in the same position he had been in the previous night, wrapped in blankets. The other side of the bed was empty. With some effort, he rolled out of the blankets and examined the mottled marks on his body, sighing deeply.

With his rationality returning, Shen Yu felt the stickiness on his body and his expression changed. Every time he woke up before, his body would be dry. Only this time, because of his own actions, it remained until the next day.

Should he blame Shang Junlin? It was because Shen Yu refused to cooperate. But if he didn't blame him, the culprit for the current situation would still be him...

Shen Yu sat up with a complicated expression.

"Is Ah Yu awake?" Shang Junlin entered with warm water. "Have some water first."

Shen Yu was thirsty, so he drank a glass of water from Shang Junlin's hand, feeling relieved, and then said, "I need to freshen up."

"I've already had hot water prepared."

Following Shang Junlin's instructions, the servants brought in the hot water and quietly left after placing it down.

"If Your Majesty can't control yourself next time, just go back to your own bed."

The ten-day agreement had been broken countless times already. Later, Shang Junlin learned to control himself and no longer disturbed Shen Yu for half the night. Perhaps he was affected by something last night, as Shang Junlin was particularly excited.

Aware that he had gone too far last night, Shang Junlin silently regretted it as he gently wiped away the marks he had left on Shen Yu's body with a towel. He had become quite skilled in doing this kind of thing.

Shen Yu leaned against the edge of the bathtub, his eyes slightly closed. His skin was faintly visible under the water, and he lay half-leaning in front of Shang Junlin, completely defenseless. Shang Junlin's throat moved slightly, and he submerged his arm in the water.

Shen Yu's eyes widened suddenly as he grabbed the hand. "What does Your Majesty intend to do?"

Lol, Shang Junlin the insatiable beast XD