Forbidden City of Heze + Dalufei

The heavy water vapor stagnates in mid-air, the vision is vague, and everything around seems to slow down.Crystal drops of water continuously gather on the white stone walls, trickling down paths under the soft light.

Junliu stuck out his bare upper body from the steaming big bathtub, lying motionless on the edge of the pool, slowly turning a glass filled with ice water with his fingers.The whole afternoon of ceremony rehearsal made him feel a little tired, so he rested his head on his arm with fine foam and closed his eyes, his dark hair was wet and pressed against his cheek.

He breathed steadily and deeply, his lips touched the water droplets lingering on his shoulder.The high temperature in the bathroom can completely soothe the muscles, and every pore on the reddened skin is so hot that it breathes comfortably.

"Your Highness, I have brought clean clothes."

After a few polite knocks on the door, Peng Si walked in with her neatly folded pajamas in her hands. Through the translucent curtain beside the bath, before she was enveloped by the rushing steam, she saw the expression on Junliu's face. A sweet smile.

"Grandma, call me Junliu as before."

"You have grown up, and it's time for me to observe etiquette." The old woman's slow voice seemed very patient, and she methodically put the clothes in the basket by the door in the order they were worn. glasses, and wiped off the fog on them.

"It doesn't matter when it's just the two of us?" He raised his head and muttered lazily, "The spice you put in the bathtub today is too strong, I can hardly breathe."

As he spoke, he frowned slightly, but he didn't show any complaints. The intentional waywardness revealed was actually an expression of intimacy.

"Be patient, tomorrow's occasion is too important, and all details must be meticulous." Looking at Junliu's expression like a baby, it seemed that he always had the right to be a child in front of her.Peng Si did not leave, but said with a smile, "Shall I wipe your back for you?"

Junliu readily agrees.The mother-in-law who has helped him bathe since he was a child is as close as his grandmother.Since Junliu entered the military academy, they have rarely had such a warm moment.

Peng Si smiled and rolled up her sleeves as she walked to the bathtub. The little master was in such good spirits that her heart was full of sweetness, "Did you have fun going out with your friends today? You were very active at the dinner table, and your words were louder than others. Usually more..."

"Who asked my mother to deliberately tell me the embarrassing things about my childhood as a joke, there are guests here!"

His suddenly cramped voice made Peng Si couldn't help laughing. Although she sympathized with Junliu who had been being teased as a target today, it undoubtedly brought everyone back to the normal family atmosphere in the past. Fortunately, the past The rift created by that incident should be healed gradually.

"Actually, it's not just today. You've been in a particularly good mood recently, right? The taciturn look in the past is really not suitable for an active age." Peng Si used a bath net to lather on his strong and smooth skin. She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, the fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes did not dull her insight, "Are you in love?"

"..." The blush on Junliu's face became obvious, and he leaned into his arms embarrassingly, "How did you find out? Is it obvious?"

"I'm the mother-in-law who has watched you two generations grow up. What changes in you have escaped my attention? Besides, your father and king also had the same symptoms before."

"Really, tell me quickly, was it when you met your mother?"

Peng Si smiled and said nothing, and stopped as if deliberately trying to keep her secret, and kept her mouth shut despite the other party's urging. She just rubbed Jun Liu's back vigorously, massaged the muscles and dredged the meridians, until he was so comfortable that he forgot to make a sound. Covered with dense bubbles.She scrutinized the young man's mature face, and her mind couldn't help but think of Yizheng when she was young, that child who also had a cursed pure blood, black hair and black eyes.

Although the picture in her mind has been washed away by time and faded away from its original color, memories are very wonderful things, they can reproduce the waves in her heart countless times, and even brew them more vividly than they were then.

I just remember that in the evening of that day, Yizheng came back from a walk in the garden as usual, but his body was covered in mud, and his arms and knees were scratched.He stepped into the door and wanted to run back to the room quickly, but the sharp-eyed Peng Si noticed something strange.

"What's the matter, did you fall? Does it hurt?"

Burns, who was only a head maid at the time, anxiously inspected his wounds.When he was young, Yizheng was not an active type. The most active thing was going out for a walk. Other than that, he was always quiet and orderly, so Peng Si had never seen him in such a mess.

"It's nothing, I met a nasty boy who jumped into the wall from the outside several times to steal mulberries and cherries, and beat the wild ducks that came here for the winter. The servants couldn't catch him, and he always escaped. Today let me I bumped into it, and I wanted to give him a warning, but he didn't even know who I was, and I've never seen such a guy with no common sense..."

He said a lot of words one after another, obviously his emotions have not calmed down yet.Peng Si raised her head and found that Yizheng's expression did not contain a trace of anger or disgust.Relying on a woman's intuition, Peng Si replied with a smile, "Really...Young Master, you have made friends."

As a result, a smile unexpectedly appeared on the master's face, which was so real that it made her heart thump.Two days later, when Peng Si was cleaning in the morning, she found a small basket of washed mulberries outside the door, the sweet luster was like a most beautiful greeting.

That was when the old king was still alive and they were still living in the countryside in Yinli, the former capital.

Maybe it was too stuffy in the steam room, Peng Si felt as if her chest was being pressed by a stone, and suddenly she couldn't breathe.Yizheng is not good at expressing her feelings, but she knew that when she met that person, he had the happiest time in his life, and he never had it before or after.

But Peng Si is sad that she is just a servant, no matter how much she cherishes her master as a relative, she can only watch the sorrows and joys of this family year after year, and helplessly watch them being loved and hated without results In the end, he could only be buried in the wild smoke and grass of the royal cemetery together with his eternal regret.

"Mother-in-law."

Junliu's voice brought her back to reality, and she quickly cheered up while answering, "What's wrong? Is the strength still appropriate?"

"Actually, I'm just unrequited love..." The young man slowly retracted his body into the hot water, and all the rich bubbles on his body floated on the surface of the water. He hugged his knees and sat in the bathtub, his eyebrows drooping , whispered, "What should I do?"

Although the night in early spring was not considered cold, the indoor temperature was lower than the outdoor temperature. There was still a fireplace lit in the study, and the dry firewood made a slight crackling sound, exuding some just-right burnt aroma.Apart from the flickering light of the fire, there was only a soft desk lamp on the coffee table, illuminating the heat rising from two cups of hot tea.

The dimly lit atmosphere created a suitable hiding space for him. Zilo felt that he was not as nervous as he imagined, but out of politeness, he still sat upright and looked directly at the head of the family in front of him.About ten minutes ago, he was alone in the room reading a book when he heard a knock on the door. He thought it was Junliu who came to chat with him after taking a shower. When he opened the door, it was Xiaoyi standing outside. He conveyed He accepted the king's invitation and brought Zilo to this secluded study.

"I heard that your record on the front line is very good, and the team you lead has always been the most commended. I am also very proud of you."

"Thanks to your help, I have the opportunity to go to the battlefield," Ziluo replied modestly. "Based on the seriousness of the military law I violated, even if I escaped death, I should still be a criminal until now, right?"

"The best people don't follow the rules. This is a world where heroes are judged by success or failure. The important thing is that you have the ability to achieve a good result. If you fail, no one can protect you." Yizheng There was no deliberate friendliness in the tone, but there was no sense of oppression either, "Besides...it's not without repayment for me to help you. After all, Junliu's return made my position rather awkward. You agreed to confess in court. The secret order to save him, and also safeguard my reputation as a king."

Zi Luo smiled, but he knew very well in his heart that this was a condition he had to agree to. If not, he might not be able to escape the sanctions of the military law.Although lying in public made him a little uneasy, it was a happy ending.

"I may not be qualified to say this, but Junliu is a very emotional person, and this incident hit him hard. I can understand that in that situation, you have to make such a difficult choice..." Qi Luo slowed down and was careful with his words, "But I hope this will not leave him with a psychological shadow, and your relationship can return to the way it was before."

Yizheng didn't respond to him directly, but said thoughtfully, "It seems that my son trusts you very much, and he will discuss everything with you, right?"

Zi Luo seemed to sense the deep meaning hidden in the other party's words, and he didn't know how to answer the words for a while.

"You know him very well." The man went on, his intentions were quite straightforward, "but as far as I know, your background is blank. Even Junliu knows very little, and you seem to be reluctant to reveal your own thing?"

"I didn't deliberately hide anything," Zilo said frankly. "I admit that there are some things I don't want others to know, but everyone has secrets. I didn't hide anything that would be of interest to you."

"Whether there is a stake or not may not be something you can judge." Yizheng corrected unceremoniously.Growing up in a cruel political environment created his city. Although he is not the type who is suspicious all the time, Zi Luo obviously caught his attention, especially since the other party is now in a relationship with the He Ze royal family, the power of the country. The core of the heart is close enough to be vigilant, "If Junliu was an ordinary child, I certainly wouldn't care so much about who he was dating. As far as I know, you were illegally immigrated to Heze back then, and you didn't go through the formal You entered the Royal Military Academy through the way, so you escaped the background check. There is no record of your past in the school's files. It is also difficult to extend your stay in the country."

The words were very clear, and Zi Luo was not surprised, "What does Your Majesty want to know? If I can clarify your doubts, I will be very happy to do so."

"What do you want?" Yizheng was clearly prepared, and only asked these few words.He believes that no matter in any situation, knowing the other party's motives is the most important way to understand a person.

The expression on Ziluo's face was slightly shaken. He admired the king's ability to observe words and emotions from the bottom of his heart, and asked the thing he was least willing to face in the first sentence.

"I... don't want anything." He couldn't help showing a wry smile.

Yizheng looked at the young man's eyes meaningfully, trying to shape more elusive information in it.He knew that what this child did must be supported by some kind of power, whether it was desire or belief, if he didn't find out, it would make people uneasy, "You came to Heze from a long distance and rescued me three years ago. He was even more unafraid of sacrifice in the later battlefields, and made great achievements repeatedly. A person has been fighting with his life for so long, and now it should be time to get rewarded. You don’t even want to say anything? Isn’t it too inappropriate? Does it make sense?"

"I used to have something I wanted, and I have been working hard with the determination to realize it." Then he lowered his eyes in a lonely way, and his eyes fell on the white mist on the teacup in front of him, his weak voice seemed tired , "But now everything is in vain, there is no hope. I don't want to say it, not because it is necessary to hide it from you or anyone, maybe it's just because I can't face it... and want to escape the fact."

The painful expression on the young man's face was very real, as if infected by this depressed emotion, Yizheng was silent for a moment, and his attitude softened a little, "Tell me what's the matter? Maybe I can help you."

Zi Luo didn't accept his kindness, and still lowered his head, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid this is something beyond your ability..."

"My ability may be greater than you imagined." Yizheng said firmly.

After coming out of the study, Zi Luo walked to the bedroom alone.The corridor with dim orange lights was covered with thick carpets, making the footsteps all the way silent, and at this moment, his heart was as silent as an empty and deserted room.

His steps were a bit messy, and he actually felt chest tightness. He unknowingly supported the wall and stopped halfway. Looking at the endlessly extending corridor ahead, he sighed deeply as if he was being squeezed by a heavy sense of loneliness.

After clearing up his mood, he continued to walk upstairs, walked to a guest room at the end of the top floor, and turned the doorknob lightly.

There was no light in the room, but the first thing I felt was a strange fragrance, especially when my eyesight was not working.

Zi Luo felt dizzy, and fumbled with his hands to turn on the light. The soft orange light illuminated the room, and he noticed a pot of white jasmine flowers on the desk.

In addition to this newly added flower, there are two large books piled up in the middle of the table, the leather cover exuding a warm dark luster.He walked over and found that it was two thick photo albums.Curiosity drove him to turn to the first page.

What was inside stunned him.Every page of the photo album is densely pasted, with pictures and words, but it is organized in an orderly manner according to date and content. Most of them are cut from newspapers, and some of them are collected from unknown sources. About Qi Lowe's news.

The daily casualty report of the air force he belongs to, the beginning and end of each battle he participated in, his achievements and honors, the layout and situation of the air force base where he is located, the members of the flying team he leads and the mission content, and the aircraft he flies. Fighter model and related knowledge, every photo and every conversation recorded by him was taken by war reporters.And, of course, every letter he sent.

For three years, every day was like a diary, recording the clues of his battle and life in the front line, and he accumulated two volumes.

Every time he turned a page, Ziluo's heart was shaken. This was an indescribable feeling that he had never experienced before. It was the first time that he was so strongly aware of his own existence.People who grow up in Dalufi are humble and submissive, without self-awareness.So before he met Jun Liu, he never took himself seriously.During these years of service, he watched Junliu from afar, watching this young man who was about to stand at the top of the country drift away, as if he could no longer reach him.Until this moment, he found that he was the one who was being watched and closely pursued.

A great sense of guilt filled his chest.At this moment, a pair of hands came up from behind, hugged him into his arms, and exhaled warm breath into the nest of his neck.

He trembled, turned his head and met those black eyes, which captured his sight like a magnet.

"Scare me, where did you come from?" Zi Luo hurriedly hid his emotions with a smile, "You can hide in such a small room?"

"I didn't hide it. It's because you looked too seriously and didn't realize I was there."

"You turned off the lights and said you didn't hide?"

Junliu hugged him tightly, his eyes fell on the open photo album on the table, and he said thoughtfully, "Compared to me, Xiao Luo, you are the one who hides, right?"

"what?"

"You are very mysterious." Junliu's face was pressed against his neck, which felt cool and comfortable, making him not want to move for the time being. "I don't know when it started. I suddenly want to know everything about you and become the person closest to you. For this reason, I spend a lot of time every day collecting all kinds of news about you, but no matter what I do No matter how hard I try, I still feel like I don’t understand you at all.”

"Why can't I just grab your heart?" His voice was a little lonely, and he leaned his whole body on Zilo's back.

"..." Zi Luo was speechless.The defense in his heart was crumbling, and he couldn't help but want to respond to the other party's feelings, but when the words of Yizheng appeared in his mind, it was like a big net covering him, making him lose his courage.

"Don't you like me touching you?" Sensing the stiffness of the person in his arms, Junliu said softly, "Maybe you are right, I really don't know any other way to express this feeling, I'm going to hate it I'm dead. I want to be close to you, to possess you, and to make you fall in love with me too. So I want to give you the best, maybe in exchange for your affection? But after much deliberation, I don't know what can attract You... If you are a person who is happy for money or status, at least I know how to satisfy you."

"When I was with Long Fei, he was obsessed with my body, so I thought I had enough charm to arouse your interest, beauty, this is probably the best thing I have," Junliu smiled wryly , "But you still rejected me. I am very scared, afraid that I will become worthless in front of you."

"Are you an idiot?!" Zi Luo couldn't listen anymore, he grabbed his hand and turned around, letting the young man look directly at him, "It's unbelievable, what are you talking about? Saying such humble words, Nothing like you."

"It's you who make me feel humble. Longfei can still respond to my feelings. Even if you only respond a little, I will be very proud, just like being the king of the whole world."

"But...you don't need to give me anything, we're not making a deal, how can I measure you in this way?" Ziluo showed a embarrassed expression on his face, "I don't need you to do anything for me , I don't need to get any benefits to be able to maintain the relationship with you. Are you underestimating me too?"

"No!" Junliu's voice was a little excited, "You don't understand...my mood."

My feelings for you are much crazier than you can comprehend.You think I have become cautious, but I am more greedy and arrogant than ever. What I want is not just a respectful friendship, but your body, soul, all emotions and everything in life.It hurts so much to be the only one so obsessed, and to drag you down with my noblest and foulest thoughts about you.If begging can win your favor, I will definitely kneel at your feet without hesitation, and if coercion can lead to your obedience, I will also use all the privileges of being a prince to let you be captured without a fight.

Junliu's head became hot, and he pushed Qi Luo, who was still in a daze, onto the table behind, and kissed his lips.The ups and downs of the chest were pressed against each other tightly, conveying the sudden intensification of the heartbeat.He tried his best to restrain his impetuous intentions, and didn't act rashly, making everything appear natural and gentle.As long as you don't trigger the alarm in the opponent's subconscious, you will have plenty of time to quietly pry open the shell of the green fruit.

The body temperature surrounding him was overheated, and Zilo didn't dodge too much under this sweet move.Although the wet touch on his cheeks made people feel awkward, he couldn't bear to push him away again, his consciousness was dragged down by the guilt fermenting deep in his heart, and he continued to indulge.