The elegant bowl that Zhan had carefully placed on the tray, along with the jug of milk, caught King Yibo's eyes. Zhan set it on the small side table he had pulled close to the bed, where the king sat dressed in deep black.
Zhan opened the bowl, lowering his gaze briefly beneath the intense stare King Yibo fixed on him. Softly, Zhan asked, his lips barely moving,
"Do you want it?"
The grilled meat inside filled the room with a rich, irresistible aroma. Without answering, King Yibo took Zhan's hand....the one holding the lid...gently removing it and placing it aside. Then he guided Zhan to sit near him and murmured,
"Only if you feed me. My hands hurt."
The tone of his voice....low and rough in his throat....made Zhan lift his head sharply to look at him. King Yibo closed one eye in a playful wink, letting a wicked smile curl at his lips, the kind that nearly stole the air from Zhan's lungs. Flustered, Zhan quickly looked away, his heart beating wildly.
King Yibo took Zhan's hand again, running his thumb slowly across the skin, his gaze softening further as it lingered on Zhan's face.
With a gentle voice, he continued,
"Whenever you're with me, look at me as your friend… your companion, your close one when needed....your happiness. I want my home and family to be my refuge, where every burden disappears and every worry melts into joy. When I come back tired, I want peace here. When I return happy, I want to share it and multiply it.
Here, my name is Yibo, son of Murong, grandson of Tengshan.
Zhan's husband....not King, not the ruler. Hold me like I'm fragile, and I will surrender everything to you....my heart Star."
A deep calm washed over Zhan. He truly enjoyed being around King Yibo, though he still didn't know exactly what he felt for him. Something about the king....his presence, his elegance...pulled him in without explanation.
Despite the pain lingering in his body after everything that had happened yesterday, Zhan felt no resentment, nor anger. He was educated; he understood the responsibilities of a husband. He knew the value of marriage. And he knew one thing for certain:
King Yibo would never divorce him.....not even if asked.
And earlier, Dannen had reminded him of even more.... what he must do to stand as a husband in his own right.
"Ouch…" King Yibo groaned suddenly, pressing a hand to his stomach. Zhan turned quickly, alarmed, and the king's expression tightened painfully, as if hunger truly tormented him.
"Sorry," Zhan whispered with concern, reaching for the tray. He picked up the chopsticks to serve him, but King Yibo caught his hand firmly.
Zhan looked at him, confused. With a raised brow, Yibo said, "I want to eat with the hands. And I want your hands."
Zhan said nothing. Instead, he quietly set down the chopsticks and the tray, stood up, and went to the bathroom. He returned moments later, clearly having washed his hands. He placed the tray back over his knees and picked up a bite of meat, holding it to King Yibo's lips.
King Yibo took Zhan's hand gently, guiding the bite into his mouth, eyes fluttering shut as he exhaled a soft, satisfied breath. Zhan couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him, and even smiled.
Warmth spread through King Yibo's chest. Seeing Zhan smile.... that was what he had wanted all day. The silence around Zhan had weighed heavily, and he longed to hear his chatter again, to see his bright expressions return.
He ate more than usual, surprising Zhan, and drank the milk. When King Yibo deliberately sucked the sauce from Zhan's fingertips, Zhan squeezed his eyes shut, face burning, while the king watched him with a quiet smile.
King Yibo did not leave the room until 6:30pm. Before stepping out, he instructed Zhan to get dressed; he would come back to take him somewhere.
Zhan lowered his head and murmured "Okay," avoiding his eyes at all cost.
King Yibo had already walked out, but suddenly he returned, pulling Zhan gently to his feet. He lifted Zhan's chin, but Zhan refused to look at him. The king didn't push...he simply pressed a soft kiss to Zhan's forehead, sending a shiver down his spine.
Only after King Yibo stepped completely outside did he release a deep breath. He still hadn't grown used to the king's unpredictable tenderness.
Zhan washed up again, remembering Dannen advice to stay neat and composed. Afterwards he sat silently, thoughts racing.
King Yibo was full of mysteries.
Everything about him fascinated Zhan, though he didn't fully understand why.
He recalled what Prince Langya once said....King Yibo was dangerous. And he truly was. Zhan needed to understand how his family managed to end up in another country when Prince Deng had sworn that King Yibo killed them.
That video he saw… was it fake? What really happened?
The lack of answers and the need to find them pushed Zhan to his feet. He began preparing himself....he needed clarity, and he needed it soon. Even without knowing where they were going, his heart beat with anticipation.
Zhan stood perfectly dressed in a long black robe that suited him beautifully. Excitement fluttered in his stomach....he couldn't wait to leave the room.
He headed toward the bedroom they had stayed in, never expecting King Yibo to be back at the palace so soon.
Their hands touched at the same time on the doorknob...Zhan pushing forward while Yibo pulled, neither realizing the other was there until they froze.
Zhan stopped dead, head bowed, his eyes squeezed shut as embarrassment washed through him....even his bones felt weak beneath the weight of Yibo's imposing presence.
The aura around King Yibo dominated the space in that quiet hallway. A full minute passed with neither speaking. Zhan knew that if they stayed there longer, they might stand in silence all night. He dared to glance at Yibo from the corner of his eye....only for Yibo to look away, as if refusing to meet his gaze, though the intensity of that look lingered like a burning imprint on Zhan's skin.
Finally, Zhan's voice trembled softly,
"Welcome back."
Yibo released a breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding. Without returning the greeting, he stepped out fully and, in a clipped tone, ordered:
"Let's go."
He brushed past Zhan and walked ahead with that confident, commanding stride of his.
Zhan slowly exhaled, feeling as though invisible ropes were tied around his chest. He watched the king, unable to stop his eyes from following him, thinking privately how disturbingly beautiful Yibo was.
(....King Yibo was undeniably blessed with beauty, but that arrogant pride surrounding him was infuriating.)
Zhan almost said something out loud, then stopped himself.
Where exactly were they going so late at night?
His mind tangled with questions, and he hurried after Yibo.
When Zhan realized they were heading for the elevator, his heart jolted. He hated elevators....every time he stepped into one, he felt dizzy and faint. He only ever used them if someone was there to hold onto. His hands trembled slightly as he stepped inside, and when the elevator doors shut behind him, he clenched his eyes shut.
He opened them again when he felt Yibo pressing the button for the second floor.
"I'm scared," Zhan whispered, his voice shaking dangerously close to tears.
Yibo clearly heard him...but he stayed silent, adjusting his stance.
Zhan, feeling the panic rising, attempted to crouch to steady himself.
Without warning, strong hands grabbed him, pulling him forward....and before he could react, Zhan found himself pressed against King Yibo's chest, enveloped in that deep, intoxicating scent that made his heart tremble. He opened his eyes instantly....and met Yibo's gaze, already fixed on him.
Zhan shut his eyes fast, heart pounding wildly. He recognized that scent...it was the same perfume he once fought desperately to find, the one he scent from his clothes when he slept on the floor and later find himself on the bed. He searched among the king's things but never find that cologne.
Did that mean Yibo himself had taken him to bed? Or what exactly had happened that night?
King Yibo clearly understood Zhan's thoughts, and he also remembered the day Zhan searched tirelessly for that fragrance. Zhan didn't know that Yibo had simply stored it somewhere unexpected.
"Are we staying here tonight?" Yibo whispered into his chest, barely audible.
Zhan opened his eyes again, only to retreat quickly when he realized how close they were.
Yibo looked away and stepped back out of the elevator.
Zhan followed, letting out a shaky breath, and for the first time that evening, Yibo allowed himself a small, quiet smile....he, too, was embarrassed.
They walked down a passage Zhan had never seen before. Though he had been on the second floor once....when escorted by Dowager Ruyan for the first time.... he had never ventured past the sitting room. This hidden route surprised him greatly. According to everything he knew, the space between King Yibo's quarters and Dowager Taihou's was far apart. Yet here they were, connected by a private path only the king seemed to know.
Zhan stared around in awe, completely disoriented.
"I'm scared," he whispered again, voice trembling.
King Yibo looked at him, his sharp eyes unexpectedly soft. For a moment, it seemed he wouldn't respond...until he murmured quietly, almost like a secret,
"So am I."
Zhan's eyes widened.
"You?"
Yibo nodded once, closing and opening his eyes in a slow blink. Then he wrapped an arm around Zhan, pulling him close.
"I'm not as strong as you think when with you."
He whispered against Zhan's hair, holding him tightly.
Zhan froze, completely stunned. He tried to lift his head, but Yibo gently kept him pressed close. Zhan gave in, his cheeks burning, while the steady rise and fall of Yibo's breathing filled his senses.
They stayed like that for almost two full minutes before Yibo finally loosened his hold, guiding Zhan upright. Zhan refused to meet his eyes, and Yibo didn't force him...he simply took his hand and led him forward, a faint smile touching his voice as they continued walking.
Dowager Taihou was sitting on the bed, having been helped to bathe by Jasrah before she left. Her eyes were wide open, fixed on one point, a sign she was lost in deep thought. Her mind wasn't in the world of the living at all; it had gone solely to how she would persuade Cao and eliminate Zhan, who had become a thorn in her son's life. She was certain that what Cao had said was true; they would never change their pact unless she failed to fulfill her promise.
She was the storyteller of her father-in-law diviation (the Late King Tengshan) and the consequences that followed. To this day, Cao's judgment pursued them relentlessly, which was the very purpose of everything concerning her now, the root of all that happened to her.
For a long time, her mind had been completely alert. She kept trying to summon Cao, but there was no sign she would be visited. This was the peak of her agitation right now.
The movement and scent of King Yibo made her look up. Her large, pale eyes, whose color had now completely turned dark, were almost unreadable. Despite her anger towards him, it didn't stop her from feeling a chill in her heart at the sight of him, for truly, he was the most precious thing to her, before anything else she thought she possessed in the world. Before her own self, her gaze held love and affection, though she was trying hard to conceal it in reality.
A pounding struck Zhan's heart and his right brow simultaneously. He quickly pulled back, trying to withdraw his hand from King Yibo's grasp.
But King Yibo didn't release it until they reached Dowager Taihou, who only now noticed Zhan trying to hide behind him. King Yibo slowly pulled Zhan's hand, bringing him to his side, his eyes on Dowager Taihou, who was giving him a strange look.
A faint smile escaped him as he slowly released Zhan's hand, reached out to take Dowager Taihou's, placed Zhan's hand inside it, and then pulled back to sit on the edge of the bed, acting as if he wasn't observing the look his mother was giving him.
With a jolt, Dowager Taihou shook off Zhan's hand, giving him a vicious look.
Zhan himself shuddered from the moment his hand entered Dowager Taihou's grasp. His eyes flew open and darted around. But he refused to look at either of them, bowing his head and saying, "Mother, good day."
"What is he doing in my presence?" Dowager Taihou said, utterly lost, turning her gaze to King Yibo instead of responding to Zhan's greeting. The silence seemed to come from Yibo, making Dowager Taihou's day even worse, despite her knowing this was his nature.
He straightened up slightly and looked at her, a slight smile flickering again on his face. Slowly, he moved his lips, blinking. "Mom! We came to apologize, Zhan also want to greet you".
"Apologize? Then I'm telling you what I want is for him to get out of my sight. Get out of my sight and Yibo, don't let me have a problem with you over this boy. He isn't even worthy of being someone I look at, let alone listen to anything from his mouth. You! Get up and get out of here. I don't want to see you again in my sight, or else you will regret repeating this mistake." Dowager Taihou said, heatedly.
"Mom."
Quickly, she raised her hand to stop him. "I told you I don't need to hear anything from you Yibo, and I'm telling you again, send him away, divorce him.... If not, Yibo, I will give you now until tomorrow morning if you haven't withdrawn the protection given to that boy and a divorce paper, you'll be shock of my action."
A soft smile escaped Zhan as if the conversation wasn't about him. He slowly stood up and looked at Dowager Taihou, then turned his head to King Yibo. Their eyes met, and Zhan gave him a smile more disarming than the first, meant to shatter his composure.
"Death and life are truths, My Lord, just as destiny and trials are companions to every human. Mother is right. I don't deserve your PROTECTION, and furthermore, the bond of your marriage isn't suited to remain with a person like me. I, too, have understood everything today, I've discovered everything. Nothing is left, certainly nothing. Grant me the chance, I will apologize for myself, and I will also make her understand everything, for I know it's not her foult but the corrupted advice given to her by bad people." Zhan said, giving King Yibo a romantic smile.
King Yibo just looked at him, melting, his affection for him piercing deeper. Zhan's charm was truly overwhelming all his power. He understood Zhan wanted him to leave them alone. So, he just slowly stretched, bringing the phone to his ear as if about to call someone.
The moment King Yibo was out of sign, Zhan demeanor dangerously changed to a scary one, he released a wicked smile, his eyes fixed on Dowager Taihou....who looked as though she might choke on her own rage and collapse.
So this was the boy who would dare show her son....the Crowned King....what it meant to be a real man.
Suppressing his laughter, Zhan winked at her slowly, then drew two fingers down across his cheek in a teasing gesture.
"Ah, my dear Mother-in-law, why are you trembling already, while the game hasn't even begun? You've exhausted yourself with threats and ultimatum divorce... divorce.... Are you forgotten that your son is a king. A king does not dissolve a bond without a strong reason.
Oh....so you want me gone because I've become a stone wedged in your throat? Because I ruined your perfect porcelain plans? Oh, Mother-in-law… you made a mistake. You should never have allowed Xiao Zhan to step into the royal consort ranks."
He smiled wider, voice silk-sharp.
"You made a mistake the moment your son fell into the palm of my hand. You made a mistake when you touched me yourself for the first time...and today, the second."
Zhan leaned forward slightly, his tone dropping into a deeper taunting softness.
"My eyes have been wide open since the very first day I entered this palace. I've been watching every step, every player....yes, even you. And before dawn tomorrow, it is I who will surprise you, not the other way around.
Let me speak plainly. I poisoned your son with venom snake diluted in milk... not to kill him, but to pull myself closer to his side. It was the only path to secure my place in his quarters permanently. Because I know this: anyone who threatens his life...those murderers hiding in shadows....would try to kill me too. And your son, whether he likes it or not, would shield me. He wants to know who orchestrated the attacks...and I might be the only person who can show him."
He lifted a brow with quiet triumph.
"That was the first."
Zhan's gaze swept back to hers, making her calculations stumble.
"Second....on the day I arrived here, you became my primary suspect. I saw the terror buried in your eyes when i refused to drink the same milk you insisted I take. Remember that?"
He smiled with sharp sweetness.
"Third...while I lay unconscious in the palace clinic, the look you gave me told me more than any words. I stored that expression carefully....it was priceless."
He chuckled, tilting his head.
"Fourth....the day you insisted Dowager Ruyan to move me back to Yibo's wing under the excuse of investigating whether he killed his wives or someone else did… ah, genius!" He burst into soft mocking laughter.
"Truly, Mother-in-law, you're brilliant. Your schemes are art. If someone doesn't know the monster beneath your elegance, they'll die smiling at your feet."
He leaned back, eyes glinting.
"That day, I understood so much. You were merely hiding behind the chaos of innocent people's. And it impressed me."
His smile darkened.
"When Yibo drank the poison I prepared, you played it perfectly....not a single crack. I knew then: you are the sharpest blade in this palace. I could see it burning in your eyes."
Zhan's voice hardened.
"The day you commanded him to divorce me and chocked me....ah, that was your slip. In that moment, when your hand touched me, your eyes confessed everything you thought you'd buried."
"I Zhan, the one you see here..... leave him exactly where he is. He's far beyond the level of a fool to be toyed with. I am far smarter than you give me credit for, Dowager Taihou," he said with a sharp laugh.
"And today, the moment my hand touched yours, it only confirmed what I already knew....you are the Inner one, Dowager Taihou, the same woman who secretly destroyed the wives of your own son, same person you carried in your own womb.
What do you want? What lives in your heart? What is your ambition? What do you wish to become....even after everything life has already given you?
Tell me....and I promise to help you. I will never expose your secret, out of respect for your son's dignity and honor. I will never allow my husband's heart to break because of your selfish desires.
You are his mother, and I still see you with that respect only because of him. But I can never forgive you for the blood of my two siblings. Do not waste this chance. If you do....know that from this moment forward, it is war between us. A real war."
Dowager Taihou was frozen, eyes open but body completely still. Shock....pure, violent shock. Flames of fury burned deep in her gaze as she glared at Zhan.
Zhan, already understanding her thoughts, smiled slowly. He lifted his right hand....fist clenched in the palm of his left....drawing a line across his neck in a gesture of warning, lips pressed tightly as his eyes narrowed.
With a sudden jolt, Dowager Taihou sprang to her feet with a strength no one expected....just as King Yibo entered the chamber.
The seconds Zhan sence the King present.... He collapsed to his knees instantly, bursting into loud sobs before Dowager Taihou, gripping the hem of her robes.
"Mother, I know you will listen to me and judge fairly. None of this was my fault. They forced me....threatened to kill everyone in my family, especially you, the mother of our kingdom's ruler.
In my foolishness I agreed to poison him, believing he would reach the hospital before the venom took effect. Please forgive me… I made a terrible mistake. I beg you."
Dowager Taihou stood frozen once more, stunned beyond words. Was this boy even human?
King Yibo, though silent, stood so rigid and cold that Dowager Taihou could clearly see the warning in his eyes....burning sharply into Zhan who knelt before her. She understood immediately: if she harmed Zhan now, the consequences would be catastrophic....far worse than allowing him into the palace had ever been.
Swallowing hard, she bent down, took Zhan by the shoulders, and gently lifted him to his feet.
(Oh dear....those tears streaming down Zhan's face looked painfully real. 🤭😀)
With no other choice, she pulled him into an embrace, forcing out fake tears of her own and whispered shakily:
"I didn't know, my son… why didn't you explain sooner so I wouldn't think such terrible things? Forgive me....please forgive me…"
NB
This boy Xiao Zinnu son has become terrifying, truly 😂. So this is who he really is?
Maybe this child is royalty where he comes from in their hometown Yizhou and we had no idea.
This level of boldness, schemes has left me speechless.
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛