Masquerade in Bridal Attire and Marry the Prince

193. The Knot in His Heart

Translator: Bryan

Du Chuxuan walked around his sister who had been kicked aside and flung his arms around his silly sweetheart from behind, startling him. “If it weren’t for the special circumstances, I’d suspect you’re trying to seduce me in an unconventional way, Your Highness.” With a slight exertion of strength, he relaxed Yuxing Tianrui’s tense muscles.

Du Chuxuan was fondling him, but Yuxing Tianrui just stood there, unmoving. He would not have had this kind of feeling had he not seen Du Chuyue. The existence of Du Chuyue seemed to be telling him that he was the one responsible for all that. It was unmistakable that he could have had Du Chuyue arrested and brought back at the very beginning, but eventually he had shelved that idea and let it perish.

Having perceived that the man in his embrace would not relent unless he resorted to violence, Du Chuxuan heaved a sigh. Then he looked over his shoulder and saw the incredulity on his sister’s face. He turned to instruct Luo Yi, “Take them back and have them under constant watch. Make sure they’re out of harm’s way. Bring them back here tomorrow night. We still need to get some things straight.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Luo Yi answered, and with that, the two guards walked up to Du Chuyue and the man and thrust a pill into each of their mouths. The two of them fell asleep before they could resist. Having perceived that everybody else was gone, Du Chuxuan scooped Yuxing Tianrui up in his arms and said, “I thought it was water under the bridge.”

Yuxing Tianrui was somewhat flustered as he was lifted off his feet, but the next second, his mouth was covered. Du Chuxuan smiled at Yuxing Tianrui, turned around and clapped his hands, and with that, the one who had impersonated Yuxing Tianrui walked out of the shadows. Du Chuxuan gave the man a wink and said, “Do you think me narrow-minded now, Your Highness?”

“And you think I’m mistaken? At lunch, you made a big deal out of a glutinous rice ball, making the meal an ordeal for everybody. I married you because I needed someone to ensure a peaceful family life for me. If you can’t do that, I’ll have someone else do it in your stead!”

“Oh, you sound so intimidating, Your Highness! I’ll pay to see that happen. You were the one who implored me to be the Crown Princess, and now you’re gonna make a fool of yourself?!”

“Look at yourself. There’s nothing about you befitting a Crown Princess whatsoever! You’re virtually a shrew! Ada, get some men here. I want the Crown Princess under constant watch! He’s not to leave this palace unless I say otherwise!”

With that, the impostor slammed the door shut and left the palace. The place he was heading for was none other than Zhao Ling’er’s dwelling. But it had nothing to do with Du Chuxuan now. He pivoted around and spotted Yuxing Tianrui’s serious face, his eyes glittering disapprovingly.

After a long while, Yuxing Tianrui noticed that Du Chuxuan was still carrying him. When the two of them were cuddling up against each other in bed, Yuxing Tianrui said with a somewhat uncertain tone, “I’d never talk to you like that.”

Du Chuxuan nodded. “Yeah. I knew Your Highness could never bring yourself to say anything like that to me, which was why I had him do it for you. Otherwise all our efforts would come to naught.” Then he smiled a toothy smile which rendered Yuxing Tianrui unable to chide him.

In the final analysis, it was because of him that Du Chuxuan had done this and been subjected to all those injustices. Yuxing Tianrui felt that he was in no position to judge Du Chuxuan. Having noticed that the man in his arms was angry but had no way to vent his anger, Du Chuxuan grinned even more happily.

“Don’t be mad, Zizheng. I know you’re nice to me, and that’s enough. What the outsiders think of us has nothing to do with us, doesn’t it?” With that, he lowered his head and licked Yuxing Tianrui’s chin. Yuxing Tianrui instantly blushed and said, “It’s late. We should turn in.”

Reaching out his hand to grab Yuxing Tianrui who attempted to struggle free from his embrace, Du Chuxuan snorted, “There’s no hurry, Zizheng. Tell me, how many times have you felt guilty because I might marry you?”

After hearing his question, Yuxing Tianrui averted his eyes from Du Chuxuan. Resigned, Du Chuxuan reached out his hand in an attempt to have Yuxing Tianrui turn his head back to look at him, but unexpectedly, Yuxing Tianrui said sulkily, “Has it ever occurred to you that if your big sister had not run out on the wedding, you would have become the Crown Prince’s brother-in-law, and the girls wanting to marry you would-”

“However many girls would want to marry me, it means nothing to me now,” Du Chuxuan observed, turning Yuxing Tianrui’s head back and gazing fixedly into his eyes. “What’s done is done, isn’t it? My sister running out on her wedding meant that I was destined to become your marriage partner, and you’re preordained not to disclose the truth.”

“Since all those things were fated to happen, and they happened the way we wanted them to, what’s the point of beating ourselves up for them? What we really should be doing is to thank the divine being who arranged for those things to happen.”

“Are you suggesting that I should thank your sister for running out on the wedding?” Yuxing Tianrui mumbled unhappily with a dull snort.

Du Chuxuan almost dissolved into giggle at the sight of the amusing look on Yuxing Tianrui’s face, but he managed to keep a straight face and said, “Not really. No matter what, she did do something she shouldn’t do. Considering your social status, you have every right to mete out punishment to her as you please. After all, she has to accept responsibility for her actions.”

After hearing Du Chuxuan’s words, Yuxing Tianrui was unsure as to whether he should agree or disagree. Du Chuyue was now his elder-sister-in-law, and he, naturally, wouldn’t punish a person whom Du Chuxuan cared much about.

Having noticed that Yuxing Tianrui had finally composed himself, Du Chuxuan said no more. At first he had indeed wanted to reason with Yuxing Tianrui and help him sort out the issue that had been troubling his mind all this time, but a moment ago he had suddenly thought it through. All that mattered was that he would stay by Yuxing Tianrui’s side, despite the fact that the latter might experience that emotion again.

He would soothe Yuxing Tianrui every time he felt that guilt. It would, inevitably, take pain to untie the knot in the pit of his stomach. He did not have the heart to have Yuxing Tianrui experience that kind of excruciating pain. Besides, for their romantic relationship to work out, they needed to keep each other company. There wasn’t a plain explanation for everything.

After giving Yuxing Tianrui’s ear a playful bite, Du Chuxuan said in a particularly titillating voice, “Zizheng, it seems you’ve had enough fun in Pincess Zhao’s chambers, which means it’s time you let me have some fun. Someone sounded very lordly a short while ago.”

Before he could respond to Du Chuxuan’s teasing words, Yuxing Tianrui felt the restless stirring in Du Chuxuan’s groin. He closed the curtain, concealing the erotic scene on the bed. It struck him that the Crown Prince, after having his fill of pleasure tonight, wouldn’t look any differnet from usual tomorrow.