"What… want what?"
Gu Fang wanted him to say he wanted it?
Jing Xuan didn’t understand. He couldn’t comprehend it at all, nor did he know why Gu Fang had suddenly stopped his hand and was looking at him with that expression.
It was just like when they were young, whenever he made a mistake, Gu Fang would patiently teach him, never getting angry or losing his temper, just quietly watching him like this. And after a while, he would usually feel guilty and admit his wrongs.
But this time, it wasn’t about admitting a mistake, it was about making him say that he wanted it.
He had no idea what Gu Fang meant, only that when his senses had reached their peak and were on the verge of release, he was suddenly forced to a halt. The frustration of it was so unbearable that it drove him mad.
Without thinking, he lifted his knee and bumped Gu Fang, anxiously ordering, "Hurry up and move!"
Commanding, imperious, fierce, and arrogant.
Such a bad temper.
But Gu Fang obediently complied. With calloused fingers, he precisely scraped against that spot.
The once lofty emperor instantly let out a muffled groan, unable to endure it. He clutched Gu Fang’s arm, buried his face into his shoulder and neck, arched his back, curled his toes, and trembled helplessly.
"Your Majesty, say you want it."
After just one stroke, Gu Fang stopped again.
This time, Jing Xuan understood what he meant. But his face turned red, and he bit his lip fiercely, unable to say it no matter what.
Yet the raging desire within him, ignited by the parasite, made his body feel like it was about to explode at any moment.
Gu Fang then placed his left hand over the smooth, white jade-like skin, his fingers playing with the two soft petals, circling gently over the flawless surface. The pristine jade was soon stained with a blush as deep as peach blossoms, and a dewy mist seeped out in tiny droplets.
If this continued, he would die—not from the pain of the parasite, but from an unbearable torment even worse than death.
Jing Xuan arched his back high, his body taut like a bullied kitten. The small ridge of his nape trembled lightly. He bit down on his lip, and finally, in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible, he choked out, "…Want it."
Gu Fang’s left hand increased the intensity of its torment.
"Want it from whom?"
Jing Xuan was on the verge of breaking. Tears had already gathered on his lashes. He had lost all rational thought—like a dying man grasping for survival, like a helpless child seeking comfort—he instinctively spoke the words he believed would be the most effective:
"Want it from Little Uncle."
The moment those words left his lips, Gu Fang’s once-calm and restrained gaze instantly darkened, as deep as the night.
Jing Xuan had already surrendered, yet it seemed he was still being punished. Unable to hold back, he shouted in frustration, "Gu Fang! I already said I want it—what more do you—mmph…!"
Gu Fang leaned down, his tall frame completely enveloping Jing Xuan, seizing his chin and pressing their lips together without warning.
Before Jing Xuan could even adjust to the forceful intrusion of lips and tongue, he suddenly felt something else—another, even more invasive intrusion.
Panic seized him, and he struggled desperately, kicking at Gu Fang with all his strength. But Gu Fang caught his ankle in one hand and coaxed in a low voice, "Your Majesty, be good. Otherwise, you’ll get hurt."
Jing Xuan couldn’t listen.
"I don’t want this! What are you doing?! It’s so weird! Get out of me!"
Jing Xuan was already in so much pain he was about to cry. He thought this was another one of Gu Fang’s punishments for his disobedience and fought like a drowning animal.
But before he could struggle free, Gu Fang’s left hand suddenly pressed down harder.
Jing Xuan’s eyes flew open in shock. His entire body tensed, fingers clutching at Gu Fang’s robes. His lips parted slightly, panting as raggedly as a gust of wind sweeping through a peach orchard in spring. His trembling back was as taut as a drawn bowstring.
He smelled dragon musk—stronger than any incense, rich and overwhelming.
"So it’s here."
Gu Fang paid no attention to the sudden stain that had appeared on the regal black-and-gold dragon embroidery. Instead, he lightly bit down on the delicate Adam’s apple that trembled violently beneath his lips.
"Your Majesty, it’s time to serve your subject."
"H… a! Ah…"
Jing Xuan had no memory of how that night passed.
He only remembered burning—burning with madness, with unbearable longing, with searing pain. And Gu Fang had held him down, over and over again, leaving countless punishments on his body that he couldn’t endure.
In the end, he couldn’t take it anymore. He was too exhausted to curse, his throat hoarse beyond words. With the last of his strength, he bit down on Gu Fang’s throat and cried in fury, "Gu Fang, I hate you! I hate you to death!"
Gu Fang didn’t respond. He simply flipped them over again, pressing him down once more.
No matter how hard the emperor’s slender fingers dug into the silk sheets, Gu Fang’s larger hands would always come down to cover them—grasping, holding, claiming.
Veins stood out, wrist bones cold in color, sweat dripping down.
Gu Fang lowered his head and kissed away the tears at the tips of his eyelashes, his voice warm and gentle: "But Your Majesty, I am the exact opposite."
---
When Jing Xuan woke up, he felt as if he had just had a long, long dream.
In the dream, he first kicked and cursed like an irritable tiger. Then, he arched his back and bristled like an angry yet powerless little cat.
Slowly, he turned into a snake that couldn’t stand the heat, frantically coiling around a stalk of green bamboo, desperate to drain it of its coolness.
But that bamboo was terrible. It bullied him relentlessly. In the end, he could only turn into a dried-up fish, so parched that he couldn’t even make a sound!
Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! Once he returned to the palace, he would order all the bamboo in the empire to be chopped down!
And was that bamboo some kind of centuries-old stalk? How could it be so thick and so hard? It was nothing like a refined gentleman, it was clearly a lethal weapon in human form!
Jing Xuan got so worked up cursing that he couldn’t hold back from slamming the bed. Instantly, a sharp pain shot through his entire body, making him gasp. Even though medicine had been applied to a certain area, it still burned and ached.
Wait… could it be that he had really been whipped by bamboo last night?!
The raw pain in his body sobered Jing Xuan up a little from his dazed state. Struggling to turn over, he froze in place.
Because right in front of him, across the bed, was a bronze mirror.
Inside the mirror was someone who looked almost exactly like him.
Only… that person wasn’t wearing the bright yellow sleepwear he usually wore. Instead, they had on a liuguang silk robe that was clearly several sizes too big, hanging loosely and barely covering anything. And they weren’t even wearing pants.
The large expanse of exposed skin was nearly entirely covered in marks. If not red, then purple, if not purple, then bruised. Even the tiny mole on his ankle was surrounded by a ring of bite marks.
But the most terrifying thing wasn’t any of that.
It was the hand resting on his waist—long and powerful, its muscles lean and well-defined, yet not overly exaggerated.
Following the arm upward, he saw a narrow, firm waist, broad shoulders, deeply cut collarbones, and finally a refined yet cold face, one so intimidating that people would usually never dare to act presumptuously toward it.
"Awake?"
The owner of the arm spoke slowly and leisurely.
Jing Xuan: "....."
He shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep again.
Jing Xuan thought his acting was flawless. Gu Fang, however, played along, casually brushing away a stray lock of his hair and calmly saying:
"It seems His Majesty is quite fond of my bed. Not to mention, my efforts last night in changing the bedding seven times were not in vain."
Jing Xuan: "..."
How could it be seven times?!
He shot up "Do you want to die?!"
Gu Fang thought for a moment. "Not seven times, indeed. But three times, at least."
Jing Xuan: "???"
Gu Fang continued, "Though not three times from me alone. Rather, once from me, and twice from Your Majesty—plus one."
Twice plus one?
Jing Xuan recalled the first two times—once with fingers, once with that "weapon"—and then, the last time…
He suddenly remembered the faint trickling sensation from that final moment, when he had been utterly pushed past his limits.
"Gu Fang! I'm going to kill you!"
Jing Xuan flew into a rage, completely losing his temper. He lunged to strangle Gu Fang, determined to take him down even if it meant perishing together.
But Gu Fang simply propped his head on his hand, not bothering to dodge. He only asked, "If His Majesty kills me now, wouldn't it all be for nothing? You still wouldn’t have retrieved the The Silver Crane Guard’s command token."
"?"
Gu Fang extended his hand in front of him. A crane-shaped jade pendant, about the size of a palm, dangled from his fingertips. The jade was crystal clear, smooth, and lustrous all over. Every crane feather was intricately and perfectly carved, while the tip of the crane’s beak delicately held a blood-red bead.
Like a crane spreading its wings, arching toward the sun beyond the clouds.
Jing Xuan recognized this jade pendant. It was the Gu family’s heirloom, passed down for three hundred years. It was not only a family treasure but also a symbol of the patriarch’s identity.
Later, when the entire Gu family was executed, leaving only Gu Fang alive, the patriarch was no longer the patriarch. A lone crane could not cry.
It was also because of this jade pendant that his father had specially permitted Gu Fang to personally select elite soldiers and establish the Silver Crane Guard.
“The transfer order I gave you last time was merely a formal process through the Ministry of War. It’s not uncommon for them to refuse to obey. But with this jade pendant, seeing it is like seeing me. The Silver Crane Guard will then truly be at Your Majesty’s command.”
Gu Fang spoke casually, as if what he was handing over was just an ordinary ornament.
Jing Xuan was momentarily stunned, unsure of how to respond.
Did he want the Silver Crane Guard? Of course, he did.
Although the Golden Scale Guard had always been secretly under his control, they were, after all, palace guards—more for show than for battle. They were far from the Silver Crane Guard, whose every member possessed unparalleled skills and an indomitable military spirit.
But Gu Fang was just giving it to him like this?
How was that possible?
Had Gu Fang forgotten what happened last night?
Jing Xuan felt a bit lost.
“It seems that Your Majesty is truly heartless.” Gu Fang lazily propped himself up, half-lowering his eyes to observe his expression. “Last night, we made an agreement, yet after just one sleep, Your Majesty has wiped it clean. It seems you don’t intend to take responsibility for my innocence?”
Agreement?
Jing Xuan lay on top of Gu Fang, trying to recall with his muddled, desire-drained mind.
He vaguely remembered sneaking off to Zhangtai Alley behind Gu Fang’s back to find Liu Chou'er. Then, Liu Chou'er told him about the “Full Moon and Blossoms Gu.” After that, just as he was about to collapse, Gu Fang appeared and brought him back to the palace.
At first, he resisted with all his might. But Gu Fang was a fox spirit specialized in seducing men—his willpower wavered. However, at the final step, the pain was unbearable, and he refused to let Gu Fang enter. He even declared that as a dignified emperor, he would never succumb to base desires or treasonous ministers.
Gu Fang was tormented to the point of exhaustion and had no choice but to coax him, saying:
“Yes, Your Majesty is a resolute and unyielding emperor. How could Your Majesty possibly yield to lowly desires? But this minister has also been poisoned by the Gu. This minister also desires. This minister wants to serve Your Majesty.”
Jing Xuan cursed him for being inhuman, called him a wolf with wild ambitions, harbored ulterior motives, and even revealed the contents of the secret letter he got from Liu Chou'er. He scolded Gu Fang until his eyes were brimming with tears, utterly aggrieved.
Gu Fang seemed helpless yet amused. After a long silence, he finally said:
“In that case, let’s make a deal. If Your Majesty allows this minister to serve once, this minister will give Your Majesty one military token. If Your Majesty allows it twice, this minister will yield another command seal. If Your Majesty allows it three times, this minister will no longer concern himself with Your Majesty’s daily meals. Does this arrangement make Your Majesty trust this minister?”
Whether he trusted him or not, Jing Xuan couldn’t say. Either way, he couldn’t defeat Gu Fang.
So, in the end, he reluctantly agreed, and as for whatever else Gu Fang said afterward, he had no recollection at all.
Yet now that he was awake, Gu Fang had truly handed over the military token that would grant him full control over the Silver Crane Guard.
Jing Xuan found it unbelievable, certain that there had to be some trick.
To reassure him, Gu Fang lied without changing his expression:
“This poison Gu didn’t only affect Your Majesty. Your Majesty is a resolute and determined emperor, but this minister is not. This minister fears pain and death. So, to preserve my life, I have no choice but to exchange these external possessions for Your Majesty’s monthly favor. With this explanation, does Your Majesty feel reassured?”
That did make sense.
After all, Gu Fang indeed did not possess his unwavering resolve. Having endured hardships, it was understandable that he would yield to lowly desires for survival.
Jing Xuan was thoroughly convinced.
Besides, how could there be a Gu that afflicted two people in the same way—where he was writhing in agony, yet Gu Fang remained completely fine?
Though he knew little about Gu poison, he understood that it was usually mutually binding.
So, even though his nightmare had come true, at least it wasn’t what he had initially feared—that Gu Fang was using his beauty and body against him or treating him like a war trophy. Instead, Gu Fang, like him, was merely a fellow victim.
Jing Xuan thought this, feeling as if a burden had been lifted, yet at the same time, there was an inexplicable sense of emptiness.
But he quickly ignored that strange feeling, snatched the jade pendant, and growled fiercely:
“Don’t think this means I’ll forgive you! If you don’t give me a proper explanation about that secret letter, I’ll have your head chopped off tomorrow!”
So fierce.
If it weren’t for someone crying last night, accusing him of refusing to sleep with him, soak in the hot springs, drink wine, and all sorts of grievances, he might have actually been intimidated.
But now, he only found it adorable.
Seeing those little tiger teeth grinding away like knives, he even had the urge to kiss them.
Gu Fang had starved the whole night. Now that he was full and satisfied, his mood was great, so he leisurely teased,
“If Your Majesty really chops off my head, who will serve Your Majesty on the next full moon night?”
“?”
“Besides, that Liu Chou'er also said that if the two people afflicted with this Gu separate by more than a hundred miles, their hearts will be wrung with pain. So, even if Your Majesty dislikes me, you can only keep me close.”
Jing Xuan: “??”
“So why not just take my throne and directly make me your imperial consort? That way, it saves a lot of scruples and trouble.”
Jing Xuan: “???”
“Gu Fang! You were poisoned by a love Gu, not a lust Gu! Stop spouting this nonsense!”
Jing Xuan didn’t believe a single word of what Gu Fang was saying.
Even if he didn’t have treasonous intentions for the time being, would a powerful regent, who held sway over the entire court, really be willing to settle for the imperial harem?
Wasn’t Gu Fang originally a scholar? Weren’t scholars the ones who valued reputation and integrity the most?
Jing Xuan refused to believe that Gu Fang would truly be willing to go down in history as a ruler’s male consort. A man like him, whether he became a tyrant or a renowned statesman was destined to be remembered through the ages.
Not to mention, he was his nominal uncle.
So what was the point of talking all this nonsense!
Jing Xuan didn’t even know why his mind raced so quickly to these conclusions, but instinctively, he didn’t want to continue this topic.
Enduring his pain, he kicked Gu Fang away.
“You have time to play the fox spirit here, but not to think about how to interrogate Liu Chou'er? Also, what happened last night! only heaven, earth, you, and I know. Other than Liu Chou'er, not a third person can find out!”
After saying this, he got up from bed, intending to bathe and change.
However, he completely overestimated his own strength.
The moment he stood up, his legs gave out, and he fell forward.
Gu Fang quickly caught him and, in the process, pressed him back onto the bed.
Just then, the door creaked open.
“Your Majesty, this old servant has prepared some deer whip tonic for strengthening the yang and replenishing the kidneys— Aiya! This old servant deserves death! This old servant saw nothing! This old servant will take my leave now!”
Fu Chang rushed in and out, the door shutting swiftly behind him.
Immediately after, a sharp voice outside dutifully announced:
“His Highness and His Majesty are bonding. Irrelevant personnel, do not enter!”
Gu Fang’s trusted aide, who had just run into the courtyard to report about Liu Chou'er, heard this and immediately turned back: “Understood!”
Right then, he bumped into Hua Ting, who had just been carried back in a less-than-decorous manner. Without missing a beat, he said, “His Highness and His Majesty are bonding. Irrelevant personnel, do not enter!”
Hua Ting’s eyes widened. He immediately turned around, and outside the courtyard, ten kneeling male beauties shouted in unison,
“His Highness and His Majesty are bonding. Irrelevant personnel, do not enter!”
Gu Fang lowered his eyes.
“Your Majesty, perhaps you should count again. How many people absolutely must not know?”
"...."
Jing Xuan closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and asked,
“What should I do to die”