Chapter 10

Chapter 10

In the end, I still couldn’t remember what I wanted to ask Yin Zhi. Following behind Su Zhongguan, I walked all the way into the sleeping quarters.

It was quiet inside; Yin Zhi didn’t seem to be there. Su Zhongguan quietly withdrew. Remembering the rules Doukou usually taught me, I sat down properly in a chair, staying quiet and making sure not to wander around or touch things. While it was indeed a bit boring, at least my eyes could still wander.

Yin Zhi’s sleeping quarters were very large, but a bit cold. It was already winter; with the nights being this cold, why hadn’t he lit any charcoal?

I was lost in thought and didn’t notice that Yin Zhi had already returned.

“Xiao Man?”

I snapped back to reality and saw that gentle, smiling face of his again. I didn’t feel bored at all anymore. “Ah Zhi, you’re back!”

His body still carried a damp moisture. It dawned on me that he must have just finished bathing.

I blinked, realizing he seemed to have become a bit more handsome again. But before I could tell him, Su Zhongguan walked in carrying a bowl of medicine. “Emperor, it is time for your medicine.”

Yin Zhi picked up the bowl of pitch-black medicinal broth and drank it without changing his expression. I finally remembered what I had been muttering about on the sedan chair-I wanted to ask if Ah Zhi’s illness was better. But seeing him still drinking medicine now, it seemed… there was no need to ask.

“Have you been waiting long?”

After rinsing his mouth, Yin Zhi came over and sat beside me.

I thought about it and shook my head. “Not long.”

“…That’s good.”

He fell silent after saying that. I didn’t know what to say either, so I simply stared at him with eyes full of curiosity. You couldn’t blame me; who told him to be so good-looking?

The sleeping quarters were silent. After a long while, he asked me tentatively, “Does Xiao Man know… what we are going to do tonight?”

I shook my head, not quite understanding what he meant. But he seemed to breathe a great sigh of relief. He led me to a very large bed and said, “Tonight, Xiao Man will sleep in this bed.”

I gave an “oh.” I really was a bit sleepy, so I started unfastening my cloak. Yin Zhi looked a bit startled. “Xiao Man?”

He turned his face away, the tips of his ears turning a faint red, refusing to look at me further. “What are you doing?”

“Going to sleep!”

I took off my cloak, revealing my pale pink undergarments. After quickly climbing onto the bed, I couldn’t help but let out a yawn. “Didn’t you want me to sleep here?”

Yin Zhi fell silent.

I nimbly ducked into the cotton quilt and gave a little shiver. There was no charcoal lit in the room, and the quilt was still a bit cold.

“Then… you sleep first.”

After the silence, Yin Zhi reached out and tucked the corners of the quilt in for me.

I watched as he gently pulled the bed curtains closed and then walked away slowly. He was probably going to look at memorials again, wasn’t he?

Being the Emperor sure is busy.

Since he’s working so hard, I should wait for him. So, I endured my sleepiness and waited and waited. I waited for a long time, and just as I was about to fall asleep, he still hadn’t come. My eyelids grew heavy when suddenly, a series of muffled coughs came from outside the curtains.

Is Ah Zhi coughing?

Poking my head out from a gap in the curtains, I saw Yin Zhi with his back to me, lying on his side on a soft couch not far away.

Why is he sleeping there? Doukou clearly said that Yin Zhi would sleep with me tonight.

I got out of bed and didn’t even put on shoes, walking barefoot to the side of his couch. He seemed to sense something and turned his head to see me. He hurriedly sat up, his voice full of guilt when he spoke. “Did I wake you?”

I shook my head and crouched down, looking at him in confusion. “Why are you sleeping on this?”

He clearly should be sleeping with me.

Yin Zhi opened his mouth, and only after a long pause did he say, “…I was afraid of crowding Xiao Man.”

“You won’t!”

I had just come from there; how could I not know if it was crowded? So I told him earnestly, “Don’t worry, the bed is very spacious. We could even roll around on it!”

“Cough-cough, cough-”

Yin Zhi suddenly started coughing again. He pressed his fist to his mouth, trying his best to suppress it, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

Once it slowly subsided, he spoke again. “There is no need… Thank you for your kindness, Xiao Man, but I am already used to sleeping alone.”

“It’s fine, you’ll get used to it after sleeping together a few more times!” I grabbed his hand, and just as I was about to pull him down, I shivered from the icy touch.

Why were his hands so cold? Remembering that there was no charcoal lit and that he was in poor health, I reached my hand into his bedding to check. It was freezing; no wonder he was coughing.

“This bed isn’t warm at all!” For some reason, I felt a bit angry. “Not at all!”

If a person gets cold, they get sick.

“We’re sleeping together!” After saying that, I looked at him expectantly. “I’m very warm, Ah Zhi. Mother and Ah Lao both told me that in winter, as long as two people hug each other while sleeping, it won’t be cold anymore!”

Yin Zhi just kept his head down, staring at our tightly joined hands. After a long while, he nodded with difficulty.

I cheered up and quickly pulled him to the large bed. After I crawled into the quilt first, I signaled him with my eyes to hurry up and lie down too. He lay down with slow movements, his whole body stiff.

I knew it. Not lighting charcoal when it’s this cold-see, he’s frozen stiff, isn’t he?

A grown man like him, yet he doesn’t know how to take care of his body. With a sigh, I rolled into Yin Zhi’s arms. His body was icy, without a trace of warmth. I endured the chill and hugged him, pressing the soles of my feet against the tops of his. “I’ll warm Ah Zhi up… Is it warm now?”

Yin Zhi gave a low “mm” and reached out to gently hug me back. “It’s warm.”

I wanted to talk to him, so I softly called his name.

“Ah Zhi.”

The sleeping quarters were very quiet, and I heard his voice clearly. He said, “I’m here.”

I was a little happy and couldn’t help but want to tell him everything I had eaten and done over the past two days in one go.

“Even though it’s only been two days since we last met…” I let out a yawn, my voice growing smaller. “But Ah Zhi, I still missed you a little…”

Yin Zhi stroked my head. It took a long time before he spoke, his voice still so gentle and pleasant to hear. “…Thank you for thinking of me, Xiao Man. I am very happy.”

Feeling his body gradually grow warm, my sleepiness surged up again, and the gap between my eyelids grew narrower and narrower.

“I told you… I’m very warm…”

Yin Zhi’s hand gently patted my back. He really is a good person, even coaxing me to sleep.

I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep in his arms.