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Chapter 40: Inviting the Emperor

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His clothes had been changed!

Once he was aware of this point, Ling Xiao shuddered and cold sweat dripped from him. His head felt faint and a burst of darkness appeared before his eyes. He feared that the end of the world would only amount to this much.

Experiencing a shock, Ling Xiao was on the verge of collapsing. Fu Yujun, who had been paying attention to him the whole time, hurriedly supported him. Seeing Ling Xiao’s ugly complexion, the smile on Fu Yujun’s face also disappeared. He looked worriedly at Ling Xiao, “Do you feel unwell? Quickly lie down.”

Ling Xiao shook his head and gripped Fu Yujun’s hand tightly, as if it was his lifeline, and hoarsely asked, “Your Highness, when you came in, did you see who helped me change clothes?”

He even forgot to address himself as “this servant”; he really lost his head.

Fu Yujun heard this irrelevant question and felt some doubt. He looked probingly at Ling Xiao, but Ling Xiao’s gaze was just full of hope as he looked at him. Fu Yujun’s heart shook.

His desire to probe dissipated in a split second.

This little servant tilted his head and looked at him with a gaze so rippling and innocent that this look shone into the deepest part of his heart and caused it to throb.

Those pale lips looked somewhat morbid, the small gap between them was also somewhat bewitching. Fu Yujun pushed down the incredibly strong urge to take advantage of the other. He looked away in embarrassment, clearing his throat with a cough, “Is it really important to know who changed your clothes?”

After saying that line, Fu Yujun scoffed to hide his evil desire. He had even spoken such a weak line.

He helplessly wondered what importance those little things had.

Who would have thought that the Ling Xiao in front of him would seriously nod his head.

“……”

Fu Yujun was astounded; there was puzzlement in his eyes.

But seeing Ling Xiao’s pale face and rather anxious look toward this matter, Fu Yujun couldn’t help but also become serious.

He carefully thought back and finally sighed, “Before I came, your clothes were already changed. I did not see who changed your clothes at all.”

Ling Xiao despaired and looked down.

“However…”

Hearing the turnaround, Ling Xiao lifted his eyes and stared at Fu Yujun, his expression bright.

His depressed appearance just now changed to become so lively because of this word. Those bright eyes that were rippling with hope looked at him like a small puppy that was looking forward to being fed. It caused his heart to soften and collapse into a total mess.

Fu Yujun lightly laughed and raised his hand to rub the hair on Ling Xiao’s forehead, saying, “Although I did not see who changed your clothes, when I came, there was no one else apart from the servants. Furthermore, these two maids were the ones that took the clothes you changed out of the room.”

Ling Xiao placed all his attention onto what Fu Yujun was saying and overlooked Fu Yujun’s action. He followed along Fu Yujun’s gaze to land on the two unconscious maids by his bed and wrinkled his brows.

Fu Yujun replied, “When they walked out, I immediately hit their sleep point. If your clothing isn’t missing, it should be just outside.”

In other words, they still hadn’t had the time to reveal his secret outside. Ling Xiao sighed in relief. This Fu Yujun finally did something good.

Watching Ling Xiao’s relieved look, Fu Yujun randomly asked with interest, “You… care so much about who changed your clothes. Perhaps you have some kind of secret on your body?”

When Fu Yujun said that, his gaze swept all over Ling Xiao’s body, as if he was not wearing anything.

Ling Xiao’s body went stiff and he got up to shake off Fu Yujun’s supporting hand. His face was steady as he changed the subject. “Your Highness, didn’t you want to ask what this servant wants? This servant can tell you now…”

Fu Yujun raised an eyebrow at that, pricking up his ears to hear it.

“One, this servant wants those two maids to disappear from the palace for a period of time. I will trouble you to take them out of the palace for a while.”

Anxious enough to want them out the palace? There’s a secret!

Fu Yujun looked at the two unconscious maids and raised an eyebrow in thought before answering, “Alright, no problem.”

“Two, when you go back home, this servant wants to leave with you.”

Ling Xiao could not wait any longer; the secret on his body was like an unsteady time bomb; it could be exposed at any time in front of the Emperor…

Fu Yujun said in astoundment, “You want to leave with me? Leave the Mu Country’s imperial palace? Are you thinking clearly?”

Ling Xiao nodded.

The little servant’s serious appearance did not look fake. Fu Yujun rubbed his chin, curiously asking, “Then what about the Mu Country Emperor? Although you are a servant right now, as far as I know, if you continued to stay in the palace, you would become the First Consort of Mu Country. You’re willing to discard that and leave like this?”

Ling Xiao stared blankly, he didn’t expect that this Fu Yujun would be able to get this much information in such a short time.

However, Ling Xiao did not plan to reveal too much to Fu Yujun and coldly replied, “If this servant said I am willing to leave like that, Your Highness, are you willing to take me or not?”

Fu Yujun relaxed his brows, his gaze serene and deep as he looked at Ling Xiao. This little servant really was very different from what he imagined!

No wonder that Mu Country Emperor would not allow anyone to visit, and was trying to hide this servant securely. He originally thought this was absurd, but now it looked like he could understand why the Mu Country Emperor decided to do that.

He indeed needed to be watched carefully. Otherwise, in the blink of an eye, he would slip away.

He thought about it for a long time before smiling and agreeing, “I’ll take you. Naturally, I’ll take you with me. I didn’t think that you would want to follow me even if I wished for it. However…”

Just as Ling Xiao heaved a sigh of relief, his heart once again sped up. He frowned and attentively watched this Fu Yujun that liked speaking in suspense, unhappily mumbling to himself, “If you have something to say, then just say it.”

“Mu Country’s Emperor won’t just let you go so easily. The news that you are favored is known widely throughout the palace. Although I have not been in Mu Country long, even I heard about it. The Emperor of Mu Country will not let you go. How can I bring you with me? Perhaps you want me to elope with you?”

Fu Yujun’s words were said ambiguously. While speaking, he also wore a smile and was eyeing him, as if that was really what Ling Xiao was thinking of.

Ling Xiao’s eyelid jumped a few times and he managed to suppress the vulgar language he was going to use and took a deep breath. He gently shifted the subject and asked, “When does Your Highness plan to return home?”

Fu Yujun thought a bit, then lightly smiled and asked, “When do you want me to return back to my country?”

“The faster the better.” Ling Xiao quickly replied, but after he replied, he noticed he might have been too impatient and looked at Fu Yujun.

Fu Yujun held his chin, a smile yet not a smile on his face as he looked at Ling Xiao, “I didn’t expect you to be this impatient for us to be together. Then isn’t it hard for me to reject your wish?”

While Fu Yujun said that, his face had an expression of deep love. Ling Xiao’s mouth twitched and was just about to reply when Fu Yujun immediately clapped his hands and said, “Alright, since you are so impatient, how about tomorrow? I’ll go back tomorrow!”

“!”

This really was… pretty willful! Ling Xiao remained silent.

“After that, how will you leave with me?” Fu Yujun leaned against the bed and looked at Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao cleared himself of any expression and thought for a bit before saying, “Tomorrow, this servant asks Your Highness to wait outside for a short moment. This servant will go find you.”

“You want to escape from the palace?” Fu Yujun narrowed his eyes and looked at Ling Xiao, almost certain of it.

Ling Xiao pursed his lips; this was his only way. Worried that Fu Yujun would back out, Ling Xiao explained, “Don’t worry, the Emperor will not go out to chase after a small eunuch. Nor would he sacrifice the relationship between two countries just for one either. If this servant fails tomorrow, the Emperor will not investigate you for the sake of the relationship between the two countries. Besides, this servant will not necessarily fail.”

Fu Yujun looked at Ling Xiao for a long time, then quietly laughed. This servant really thought that the Mu Country Emperor would let him go so easily?

While thinking, Fu Yujun slightly shook his head, but did not reject Ling Xiao. He merely quietly replied, “Tomorrow, I will wait for you.”

Fu Yujun left with the two maids, and Ling Xiao tiredly lay back down on the bed.

He was injured nowadays. It wasn’t the best timing for him to run away, but he could not wait anymore.

He was injured this badly this time, yet the Emperor never came to see him. This made Ling Xiao even more certain that the Emperor knew! Why else would he give him the cold shoulder like this…

He could not sit and resign to his fate; that would be too worrying.

At night, Ning Xuan Palace was brightly lit. Dressed in white, Ling Xiao sat upright with a zither table in front of him, somewhat lost in thought as he looked at the entrance.

One little eunuch appeared at the entrance in a split second, hurriedly bowing as he entered and respectfully saluted to Ling Xiao. “Steward Ling, His Majesty has arrived.”

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