78 A Beauty (2/2)

Or was he still roaming the gardens of this gilded cage as was his habit?

Or was he conversing with Zhou Sheng?

Ning Fu didn't want to think too deeply or closely about the last question and shied away from his thoughts about why that question twisted his insides in a decidedly unfamiliar manner.

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Once he reached the inner compound of the palace, he started jumping around the various gardens and pavilions near His Majesty's room and found the aforementioned person standing in a pavilion not too far from him.

The monarch stood still while gazing at the sky with his half-closed eyes and his eyes showed clearly that he was mesmerised by what he saw.

Ning Fu wondered about what was so interesting in the sky that it held the complete attention of the Son of Heavens.

He looked up as well and had to agree that the night sky looked beautiful - like a canvas of ink, splashed with tiny pinpricks of light from the stars.

Even the moon was full and pregnant. It was shining. in all its glory.

However, the person it cast its light upon looked even more intoxicating.

His liege looked so delectable with his long neck stretched tautly and his lips parted a bit - as if ready to be licked off.

When his thoughts reached this point, Ning Fu felt a jolt of electricity go through him and shook his head to dispel such unseemly thoughts about someone he had vowed to protect.

Before he could leave the premises, he saw another shadow walk towards the monarch and who else could it be other than Zhou Sheng.

The other person came up to His Majesty, but neither of the two spoke.

They stood side by side - as if content in their silence and solitude.

Around then minutes later, he saw as the monarch seemed to gather his courage and turn towards the boy to speak.

However, before the monarch could verbalize his words, the other boy stopped him with a raised hand and with an acerbic tone said, ”I don't want to hear it. Anyway, you will try to force logic or some such rot and I find myself disinclined to hear to your excuses.”

Ning Fu once again marvelled at the audacity of the boy and also, at His Majesty for allowing someone so much leeway that the other person spoke without restraint.

The emperor simply sighed at those words and replied, ”I know you are upset at me. Still, you are overthinking things. I really didn't think of any maudlin thoughts and it was just a reflexive action.”

Instead of calming, those words seemed to infuriate Zhou Sheng.

The boy made as if to leave and walk away from the talk and the monarch held his hand before the other person could walk more than a few steps.

With a cajoling tone, the emperor continued, ”You...What do you want me to say? You don't even seem to believe my words any longer and I don't understand where your anger is coming from.”

The other person flicked His Majesty's hand off at those words and with blazing eyes turned to question him, ”Oh really? You are telling me that you really don't understand why I am upset and angry at you?”

The said person blinked his eyes in apparent confusion and Zhou Sheng huffed at that.

With a tone that could frost ice, he spoke, ”If you still can't think about why I am upset at your actions - actions from today and the ones previously them you are more of a fool than I ever thought. Is there anything between those two appendages that you call ears or is it only filled with useless thoughts?”

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Ning Fu thought that His Majesty would lose his temper at being talked to in such a disrespectful tone but to his surprise, His Majesty gave a sound that seemed too much like a guffaw and answered, ”You are still as sarcastic as ever. Atleast, that gives me a reason to laugh, doesn't it?”

Zhou Sheng gave an exasperated sigh, crossed his arms and replied, ”Others might not be able to see behind your well-constructed facade but I have known you for far too long to listen to your words. The speed at which you turned the subject almost gave my neck a whiplash.”

His Majesty's face went ashen at those words but he still gave an embarrassed smile at that accompanied by a casual shrug of shoulders - as if trying to say that he had to make a token effort even if he knew it was useless.

The boy opened his mouth to say something.

Ning Fu could see that the other person was gearing for saying an awful truth that the monarch was bent on ignoring. He could see it from the harsh lines that formed on the boy's face and the fierce gaze he gave to his conversation partner.

However, at the last moment, Zhou Sheng turned his back to the emperor and banged his fist into one of the pillars of the pavilion and he could see that the boy had hurt himself because there were tiny splatters of blood around the place where he hand repeatedly banged his fist.

His Majesty startled at the inopportune violence and tried to take Zhou Sheng's injured hand into his own, but the boy wriggled his hand out of the monarch's grip and simply walked away with a shake of his head.

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The monarch took a few steps forward - as if to chase Zhou Sheng but then he thought better of it and stood still at his place once again.

He stood stock-still and stared with a vacant expression at the retreating back of a person who seemed to mean a lot more to him than even his own blood mother.

In the end, the proud Son of Heaven's called his retinue of Shadow Guards to follow him back to his sleeping chambers and Ning Fu himself watched the slouching form of his liege slink away in apparent loneliness.