Chapter 102.

The feeling of a fluttering heart ignites emotion, but even Yen Chengyu can't pinpoint when his heart actually stirred.

Maybe it was after being blinded from the assassination, spending half a month with Xue Shu, clinging to each other at the foot of the cliff. Or perhaps it was when he saw Xue Shu carving his own flesh to feed him. Maybe it was when Xue Shu tirelessly searched for medicine, refusing to leave his sickbed.

Five years, over a thousand days and nights.

They’ve seen the best and the worst of each other. They’ve fought with blades in hand, and they’ve shared moments of tender affection. Their bond was too deep, their bodies intertwined in a way that left a lasting mark on his soul. The lies they told themselves, while convincing others, never fooled them.

The truth was, in this world, love and desire are never neatly separated.

Yen Chengyu and Xue Shu were like two vines, entwined so tightly that, with time, they couldn't easily pull apart. A fleeting spark might stir the heart, but true love and desire only grow through years of companionship and mutual support.

He traveled through wind and snow, through long nights, with only Xue Shu by his side, never leaving him.

Five years together, and there was no way to remain indifferent.

"I’d rather follow you," Xue Shu said, gazing at him, the facade finally dropping. His expression was a mix of grief and longing, with a touch of something broken inside. "To lie beside you in life, and in death—better than spending the rest of my life apart, never seeing you again."

He gripped Yen Chengyu’s hand, pressing it to his chest, his words sharp as they came out. "After you left, I’ve been miserable."

"Miserable" didn’t even begin to cover it.

He’d never known what it was to long for someone until he couldn’t have them. The pain of longing was unbearable. After Yen Chengyu died, he learned the agony of being separated by death—feeling lost in both heaven and earth.

Years later, Yen Chengyu's brother always said he’d gone mad. He’d rather be truly mad, at least it would be more merciful than living sober and allowing his heart to be torn apart by longing.

Yen Chengyu saw the hidden sorrow in his eyes, the pain that Xue Shu tried to hide beneath his stoic exterior.

Xue Shu, with a heart as wild as any beast, never liked showing weakness. But now, the pain was too much for him to bear, and he was finally afraid of losing control.

His heart ached, but Yen Chengyu’s gentle touch on his face soothed him, and he whispered, “Don’t I treat you well?”

He thought that when he was gone, Xue Shu would grieve, but only for a while.

His younger brother would eventually stabilize the court. Xue Shu was more than capable of advising him until he came of age, and he could live comfortably. If he played his cards right, after the young king took power, he could retire and live in peace until his old age.

But when he looked at Xue Shu, all those thoughts fell away.

"Who would care for me when you’re gone?" Xue Shu’s voice was bitter. "You worked so hard to set things up for them, but once you were gone, they forgot all about you. Even when I tried to build a monument for you, they tried to stop me."

His eyes flared with anger as he leaned in, kissing Yen Chengyu deeply, his cool lips moving against his, tasting the words that came out in a murmur. "Only I think of you... day and night... never forgetting."

Nothing had changed.

Whenever he spoke of others, be it Yen Chengyu's brother or Xie Yunchuan, it was always filled with disdain.

Yen Chengyu didn’t argue but instead responded to his kiss, letting his lips meet his in a slow, passionate exchange that calmed the intensity in both of them.

Maybe the pain had softened, and the kiss became a mix of tenderness and need. Xue Shu cradled his face as if he could swallow him whole, fuse him into his very being.

But Yen Chengyu, still recovering, pulled away, struggling to breathe. "Enough," he murmured, pushing his face away. "I’m still cold."

Xue Shu didn’t stop, though, rubbing his face against Yen Chengyu’s palm, then turning to kiss the bite marks on his wrist. He had left them there in the past, a mark of the pain he wanted Yen Chengyu to feel—biting deep without mercy. The marks were still fresh, the contrast of red against pale skin almost alarming.

Only now, with regret, Xue Shu kissed them, a slow, deliberate act, as if he were tending to a priceless treasure he had once lost.

The subtle itch on his wrist stirred something in Yen Chengyu, and as his fingers ran through Xue Shu’s hair, he pulled his head back, bringing his lips close.

"Kiss me," he whispered, his voice thick with temptation.

Xue Shu’s eyes reddened.

He pinned Yen Chengyu’s wrist to the bed and bent down to claim his lips once again.

The warmth of the charcoal fire filled the room, the air thick with desire, wrapping around them like the warmth of spring. Xue Shu used every trick he knew to please Yen Chengyu, drawing a moan of frustration as Yen Chengyu bit into his shoulder in retaliation.

"Your illness isn’t over yet," Xue Shu said, rubbing his lips with his thumb as if to soothe him. "When you’re better, I’ll take care of you."

He always knew exactly what Yen Chengyu needed.

Yen Chengyu’s lips loosened, and he kicked Xue Shu away. "Get off me," his voice hoarse.

About time the tension broke, the two of them were vibing better than ever, and there was this unspoken energy between them that no one dared interfere with.

During the two days when Yin Chengyu was ill, no matter the task, big or small, it was Xue Shu who took charge, handling everything while also relaying messages on his behalf to the outside world. When he could steal a moment of free time, he'd indulge in some quiet, heated moments with Yin Chengyu.

By the third day, Yin Chengyu’s illness had mostly subsided. After some rest, his complexion actually looked healthier, even better than before the sickness.

That day, it was time for the big bosses of the Sanjiang Merchants' Association to come with their ledgers for the handover.

Since their last encounter with Xue Shu, these merchants had no illusions. The little tricks they had hoped to get away with were now completely out of the question. They had all diligently recalculated their stock after returning and arrived on the scheduled day, eager to present their books.

Their businesses spanned far and wide, with stores in every corner of Huguang. Xue Shu had originally given them two days to complete the transaction, but given the inconvenient roads and some warehouses being far from Wuchang, there wasn’t enough time for some to move the goods.

When the bosses arrived, they were visibly nervous, fearful that Xue Shu would take another of his infamous no-nonsense approaches and chop off the finger of the unlucky one who might get caught.

Luckily for them, it wasn’t just Xue Shu walking in first. The merchants’ eyes lit up when they saw the crown prince lead the way. They realized immediately that the prince was their savior. Had they known just how difficult he could be to handle, they would’ve never dared deceive him in front of the crown prince, letting him unleash Xue Shu in the first place!

As Yin Chengyu entered the hall, Xue Shu had a soft cushion laid out on a Huanghuali wooden armchair and a warming charcoal basin, offering a moment of comfort before inviting him to sit.

"I recently caught a cold, so I entrusted the task of acquiring disaster relief materials to Xue Shu. He tells me that several of you big merchants have been extremely cooperative with the court’s disaster relief efforts. You’ve even agreed to sell 70% of your stock at just 30% of the market price. You all talk about profit-driven business, but I see you as men of great patriotism. Once the disaster subsides, I will have Governor Jiang engrave your contributions on the merit tablet for future generations to honor."

As they listened to the crown prince speak with such righteous words, the merchants couldn’t help but feel the sting.

Thirty percent of the market price?

If they sold this batch of goods at that rate, not only would they not break even, they might lose everything they’d made off the snow disaster!

They dared not show their anger, only forcing out strained smiles, muttering, "It’s the right thing to do, Your Highness."

They were well aware that the crown prince wasn’t as easygoing as he appeared. They had only believed his polite demeanor before, which was why they had tried to push back repeatedly. But now, it was clear that he had withdrawn from the front lines and let Xue Shu take over, making sure they wouldn’t get away with anything this time.

They exchanged looks, briefly glancing at the eldest son of the Wen family, who had come to handle the family business in place of his father.

The young man looked pale, but he kept his composure. He stepped forward with the ledger, laying it out and speaking clearly, "The Wen family has five thousand and three hundred bushels of rice in stock. After leaving fifteen hundred bushels for business transactions, we still have three thousand eight hundred bushels remaining. These are stored across eight warehouses, with the largest stocks in Wuchang’s Tongcheng and Chongyang counties, totaling twenty-three hundred bushels. The rest are scattered across six other warehouses, so moving them would be time-consuming and difficult. I suggest that Your Highness allow us to keep the rice in Wen family’s warehouses, and when disaster strikes, the government can use official orders to collect supplies locally. Our staff will cooperate fully with the government’s arrangements."

The crown prince nodded in agreement, "That’s what I had in mind. You, the big merchants, stay here for now. Governor Jiang will come to discuss the distribution of the supplies, and we will need you to help relay messages to the various regions, making it easier for us to act."

After a pause, he turned to the Wen family’s eldest son, "As for the rice in Tongcheng and Chongyang, it can be dispatched immediately. I’ll need you to send someone to accompany the officials."

The Wen heir quickly agreed, giving instructions to his manager to join the officials in transporting the rice to the two counties.

Once the ledgers were reviewed and the necessary arrangements made, Governor Jiang finally arrived.

He had been busy overseeing the disaster relief efforts and looked more worn than before, but his energy was still high. He quickly exchanged pleasantries with the crown prince and eagerly began confirming the exact locations of each warehouse with the merchants.

With this stockpile of goods, they wouldn’t need to rely on nearby administrative offices to borrow disaster relief grain anymore.

As Governor Jiang enthusiastically engaged with the merchants, the crown prince decided to withdraw to the study, where a mountain of paperwork and correspondence awaited his attention.

Later that evening, Governor Jiang returned with good news, saying that they had finished mapping out the distribution of the grain and were ready to send out orders the following morning.

"Any news from Tongcheng?" the crown prince asked.

Governor Jiang checked the time and replied, "Tongcheng is nearby, so the messenger should be back soon."

Just as they were talking, a loud voice called out from outside, "Your Highness! Governor Jiang! The rice in Tongcheng has been robbed by mountain bandits!"