Chapter 16 Extra: Dust and Smoke (The End)
Xie Chen immediately said, "Brother, if you're tired, take a good rest. I'll take care of the Emperor. There's no need for you to rush over. Besides, the Emperor is very busy right now. Whether it's dealing with memorials or 'dealing with' Empress Xiao, he'll be busy for a long time."
However, most likely, no, almost certainly, Su Fuliu was busy helping Feng Muting process memorials, while Feng Muting was busy "dealing with" Su Fuliu.
As a result, Feng Muting was kicked out of his bedchamber again and couldn't go back to sleep for several days.
Fortunately, Su Yan couldn't bear to send him to sleep elsewhere. But even if Su Yan was "hard-hearted" enough to do so, he had a way to make Su Yan take back his words. After all, he had found such an adorable foodie brother!
Su Yan lay there and couldn't help but sigh, "I suddenly miss the time when I first met you. You were so well-behaved and obedient back then, unlike now, when you just spout nonsense. You were so quiet back then, I even thought you couldn't talk."
Xie Chen clung to his side and replied, "I'm being very good and listening to my brother now."
"Pah! If you listened to me, would I still be lying here so weakly?" Su Yan retorted.
Xie Chen chuckled awkwardly, "That's because I love my brother too much, and I always lose my sense of proportion when I do."
"You still think you're right?!" Su Yan cursed, and tried to hit him, but instead strained his back, making his already sore back even worse. "Ouch, you little bastard, I won't listen to your nonsense again, I don't believe Su!"
“Yes, brother can take my surname Xie.” Xie Chen couldn’t help but laugh.
"You wish!" Su Yan continued to curse, rubbing his waist.
Xie Chen sighed, "Even my brother's cursing sounds so good. I really like it. I wish you would curse a few more times, preferably while calling out 'A-Chen' and making some panting sounds in between."
Upon hearing this, Su Yan's face flushed red instantly, and he wanted to curse, but when he thought of what he had just said, he swallowed the curse back. Then, enduring the pain in his back, he turned to the side.
Xie Chen reached out and hugged him, resting his head on his shoulder, and said, "Brother, scold me as much as you want. Over the years, I've gotten used to you scolding me. Besides, you only scold me like this, which means I'm the most special one to you. You love me the most, right?"
"What's wrong with you? Do you like being scolded?" Su Yan pouted, he had never seen Xie Chen like this before.
Xie Chen whispered in his ear, "It's not that I like being scolded, it's that I only like being scolded by my brother..."
"..." Su Yan was slightly taken aback.
"elder brother……"
"Um?"
"I love you……"
Su Yan paused involuntarily.
Xie Chen thought that this time would be the same as before, and he would not get a response. Although he knew that Su Yan's heart was with him, Su Yan was too hypocritical and thin-skinned, and he would never say the words that he wanted to hear.
But just then, Su Yan suddenly turned around, faced Xie Chen, and stared at him, saying, "You little bastard, you can't just say those three words lightly. Once you do, you'll have to bear the responsibility for the rest of your life!"
Xie Chen nodded earnestly: "Loving my brother is my lifelong responsibility."
Su Yan suddenly chuckled softly, then said with slightly reddened eyes, "Achen, I love you too."
Overjoyed, Xie Chen's eyes widened, and he hugged Su Yan tightly and kissed him.
This kiss signifies two hearts united, hand in hand until old age.
Chapter 1 Side Story: Black and White (Part 1)
Before dawn, I heard someone calling softly.
"Yulang, Yulang? Wake up, it's time to get up." Lu Chimo gently nudged Bai Yulang, who was still fast asleep.
If Bai Yulang didn't have to attend the morning court session, he wouldn't have been willing to wake him up.
Bai Yulang hummed twice, then turned over and continued sleeping.
"Yulang, if you don't get up soon, it will be late. If you are late, those ministers will start nagging and making your head spin," Lu Chimo continued to shout.
Bai Yulang reluctantly opened his blurry eyes and said with dissatisfaction, "Senior brother, can you go for me? I'm tired."
"If I could, I would have gone in your place long ago. Why would I be here disturbing your sweet dreams?" Lu Chimo said, looking at Bai Yulang, who was still sleepy.
Bai Yulang closed his eyes, reluctantly sat up, then leaned into Lu Chimo's arms, wrapped his arms around his waist, and said, "I need my senior brother to help me get up."
"Okay, senior brother will help you get up." Lu Chimo pinched his nose, then picked up Bai Yulang and got out of bed to help him get dressed and wash up.
"Senior brother."
"Um?"
"You were too rough last night... My back hurts terribly now, you'll have to carry me to the morning court later."
Lu Chimo smiled and said, "Aren't you afraid they'll laugh at you if they see you like this?"
"They won't laugh at me; they'll only envy me for having such a good senior brother." Bai Yulang clung to Lu Chimo, unwilling to let go.
Lu Chimo let him sit on his lap and fed him.
"Senior brother, you'll have to carry me back after the morning court session."
"Yes, your senior brother is waiting for you right behind you."
"Also, I'll have to trouble you to review the memorials as well."
"good."
Bai Yulang looked at Lu Chimo, who agreed to everything he said, and asked, "Senior brother, aren't you angry?"
"angry?"
"I need your help with everything, but I don't do anything myself. Won't you be angry, senior brother?"
"Your senior brother said he would take care of you for the rest of his life, so how could he be angry? Your senior brother is overjoyed." Lu Chimo picked up Bai Yulang and sent him to the morning court.
"Senior brother, you're so good. You're the best senior brother in the world." Bai Yulang hugged Lu Chimo's neck and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.
If it weren't inappropriate, he would have made Lu Chimo the emperor and himself the empress long ago.
Every day, Lu Chimo wakes him up; he simply can't get up on his own.
During the morning court session, although he listened to the officials' reports in the main hall, Lu Chimo actually heard everything clearly in the back hall. He knew all the affairs of the court and the corresponding strategies. He was just waiting for him to tell him all of this after the morning court session. He, the emperor, was just a "middleman".
Afterwards, Lu Chimo took care of all the tasks when he went to the Imperial Study to review memorials. He only needed to stay by his side and massage his arms and legs.
The hardest thing for him was to "serve" Lu Chimo, so he was kneading and rubbing his own arms and legs, which were sore and painful.
"Senior brother, you've worked hard!" Bai Yulang picked up the tea on the table and handed it to Lu Chimo.
Lu Chimo, who was reviewing memorials, glanced at him and laughed, "Senior brother is not tired, it is Yulang who is tired. Look at you, you have been sitting on the side rubbing your legs for half a day, haven't you?"
Bai Yulang chuckled and said, "My hardship is different. Mine is hardship accompanied by happiness, but my senior brother's hardship is just that—hardship and exhaustion."
“Then, Yulang, spend more time with your senior brother tonight, and he won’t feel tired,” Lu Chimo replied meaningfully.
Chapter 2 Side Story: Black and White (Part Two)
"Don't worry, senior brother, I will definitely satisfy you." Bai Yulang said, taking back the teacup that Lu Chimo had just taken.
Lu Chimo was slightly taken aback, and then looked at him.
He took a sip himself, then reached out and hooked his arm around Lu Chimo's neck, offering it to him.
Bai Yulang asked with a mischievous grin, "Senior brother, is the tea good?"
"It tastes good, but one sip won't quench your thirst." Lu Chimo raised an eyebrow at him.
"Senior brother, you're so naughty!" Bai Yulang let go of her hand. "I like it so much!"
After he finished speaking, he took another sip of tea. But before he could even lean in, Lu Chimo had already come over.
"Senior brother has worked so hard, we should ask Yu Lang for some 'hardship fee' first." Lu Chimo said after much deliberation.
He didn't stop until Bai Yulang's lips were swollen.
"This is just a small 'service fee.' We'll settle the bill properly when we get back tonight. Don't worry, Senior Brother, Yu Lang definitely won't haggle with you. Whatever Senior Brother asks for, Yu Lang will give you." Bai Yu Lang said earnestly.
Lu Chimo nodded with affection in his eyes: "This is what Yulang said himself. If Yulang begs for mercy later, senior brother will not listen to him."
Just as the two were flirting, An'er suddenly ran in: "Uncle Lang, Uncle Lang."
When Bai Yulang saw An'er arrive, he quickly got up and went over to pick him up in his arms: "An'er, what brings you here?"
"I miss Uncle Lang, I miss Uncle Lang, I want a hug." An'er said while pinching Bai Yulang's face. "Uncle Jing is soft, I want Uncle Jing, I want Uncle Jing."
Yuan Sichen followed him in and was about to speak when he saw Bai Yulang's swollen lips. He paused for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry, An'er insisted on coming in, and I couldn't stop her."
"It's alright, An'er, come in if you want." Bai Yulang carried An'er back and said to her, "Your Uncle Jing isn't here, so if you want to be held, only Uncle Lang can hold you. Isn't Uncle Lang good enough for you? Why are you so disgusted with him!"
"Uncle Lang is good, that's good, everything is good." An'er was still quite sensible.
Yuan Sichen followed behind, glancing at Lu Chimo sitting there. His eyes narrowed slightly before he said, "An'er, let's not bother your Uncle Lang. He's busy. Uncle Yuan will take you out to play."
An'er shook her head: "No, no, I want Uncle Lang to hold me, I want him."
"Okay, okay, Uncle Lang, hug me, hug my precious An'er." Bai Yulang immediately coaxed.
An'er noticed his swollen lips and couldn't help but reach out her chubby little hand to poke them, then asked, "Uncle Lang got bitten by bugs?"
Bai Yulang laughed after hearing this: "Yes, I was bitten by a 'bug,' a naughty bug that bites people's lips."
"Didn't Uncle Lang swat that nasty little bug?" An'er asked earnestly.
“No, I can’t bear to part with it. Although that ‘bad bug’ is bad, I like it very much,” Bai Yulang replied.
An'er exclaimed "Eh!" and then immediately couldn't help but show her disdain: "Uncle Lang likes bad bugs, I don't want Uncle Lang to hug me anymore, Uncle Yuan hug me, Uncle Yuan hug me."
As he spoke, he turned around, opened his little arms, and wanted Yuan Sichen to hug him.
Yuan Sichen quickly reached out and took him, saying, "An'er, don't be afraid. Your Uncle Lang was just trying to scare you. There are no bad bugs. Alright, we won't bother your Uncle Lang anymore. Uncle Yuan will carry you out."
Chapter 3 Side Story: Black and White (Part 3)
An'er said, "Uncle Lang is clearly slacking off. He's not even leaning against the table. Uncle is sitting there helping Uncle Lang with his work. Uncle Lang is such a lazybones."
Bai Yulang, who was being disliked by his own nephew, did not feel embarrassed at all. Instead, he said confidently, "It's not that Uncle Lang is lazy, it's that your uncle is good and can't bear to see your Uncle Lang working hard. What do you know, you little brat?"
"Hmph, Uncle Lang doesn't smell good anymore. I don't want to talk to Uncle Lang anymore. Uncle Yuan is much better. Uncle Yuan, let's go. We're not going to play with Uncle Lang anymore," An'er said angrily.
Yuan Sichen shook his head and said, "An'er, you can't really be angry with your uncle, you know?"
“Okay, I’ll listen to Uncle Yuan. I’ll be angry with Uncle Lang today, but he’ll still be nice tomorrow,” An’er replied.
"Okay, An'er, be good. Come on, Uncle Yuan will carry you out to play." With that, Yuan Sichen glanced at Bai Yulang, nodded slightly, and then carried An'er away.