Chapter 42

Later that evening, after finishing official discussions with Song Qiao in the study, Bu Nian returned to the bedroom. Lian Ai had already prepared the bath.

“General, let me help you change.” Lian Ai undressed him and helped him into the tub.

Soaking in a hot bath like this on a winter night, especially with a beautiful body to hold, was the ultimate comfort.

Bu Nian had only just begun to relax, arms resting along the edge, when the water rippled. A warm body leaned into his chest, slipping in along the current.

The tub was large enough for two. Bu Nian turned his head slightly, caught the direction of the breath against his skin, and kissed Lian Ai’s lips.

Lian Ai lifted his arms from the water and looped them around Bu Nian’s neck. A soft, sticky moan slipped from his throat, sweet and indulgent.

Bu Nian’s hot palm slid down the bare curve of his back, fingers circling lazily at the last vertebra. He traced slow, teasing loops like scratching a ticklish spot, but never moved any lower.

Lian Ai shifted upward in the water, his asscheeks catching that finger and rubbing against it, grinding back in invitation.

Bu Nian’s lips curved slightly. He let go of his mouth and kissed down the wet shell of his ear, then along the side of his slender neck.

Lian Ai remembered his earlier reminder. Since Bu Nian could no longer see, he wanted to make up for it in other ways. He didn’t hold back. His moans poured out freely, even more unrestrained than usual.

“Ah… put it in…”

He straddled Bu Nian’s thighs, legs parted, rocking in small, impatient motions. His ass was twitching, the entrance fluttering open and shut like a hungry little mouth begging to be fed.

Bu Nian curled his finger slightly and pushed in a little deeper. Lian Ai cried out louder, though there was a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice.

“General… ah, not this…” Bu Nian’s mouth had already moved down to his chest, lips latching onto one of the soft, erect pink buds, sucking and nibbling without pause.

Lian Ai trembled under the stimulation, his body nearly going limp. He arched his back, and both his nipples followed the motion, as if desperate to be fed into Bu Nian’s mouth.

Bu Nian gently ground his teeth against the firm little nub in his mouth, tongue flicking lightly across the sensitive tip. Lian Ai gasped and shuddered in response. When he bit down harder, just enough to hurt, it drew out a moan that sounded almost like a sob.

Bu Nian was completely obsessed with this honest, uncontrollable response. He never expected that even blind, he could experience such intense pleasure.

“Why did you take off the nipple chains?” he asked, still licking the now reddened and swollen nub.

Lian Ai’s hole was being fingered with a slow, shallow rhythm that only teased. It felt like scratching an itch through a layer of cloth. His desire burned hotter by the second. He didn’t want fingers. He wanted something thicker, harder, to fuck him deep.

“They get in the way when I run… mmm…” Lian Ai tilted his head back, one hand bracing Bu Nian’s shoulder, the other pressing against the back of his head, as if to push him closer. He trembled, breath unsteady. “Before we went to Tianfu Temple… ah… I took them off…”

Bu Nian withdrew his finger and pushed in two at once. The warm bathwater slipped into his stretched hole along with the fingers, flowing deep and stimulating his sensitive inner walls. Lian Ai twisted his hips uncomfortably, but Bu Nian grabbed his thigh and held him still.

The tight flesh wrapped around his fingers, hotter than the water itself. Bu Nian curled them inside, pressing and grinding against a particular spot. The walls clenched hard in response, and Lian Ai’s broken moans filled his ears.

Ah… there…” He moved like a beast driven by lust, hips swaying, rippling the water. His waist was tight, his whole posture oozing obscene seduction. “More… feels so good…”

Bu Nian granted his every demand, fingers thrusting in and out rapidly, fucking him until he fell apart completely.

The moment his fingertips pressed precisely against that soul-stealing spot, Lian Ai’s entire body went rigid. The muscles in his thighs twitched violently, his tight little hole clenching around Bu Nian’s fingers. His palms, braced on Bu Nian’s shoulder and nape, involuntarily tightened before slowly loosening again.

He had just climaxed from his ass alone, left dazed and limp, curling lazily into Bu Nian’s arms, obediently kissing the man’s neck, a soft hum slipping from his throat.

Bu Nian withdrew his fingers from that still-twitching hole, scooped up one of Lian Ai’s long legs from the water and draped it over his shoulder. Then he pressed his already-hard cock against that soft, slick entrance.

“Want it?” he teased, even now being deliberately mean.

Lian Ai was at his most sensitive. Anticipation mixed with fear. He slid a hand into the water, grabbed his own cock and began stroking it slowly, lips trembling. “…Yes… I want you, General… mm… I want you inside!!”

The moment the word “want” left his mouth, Bu Nian drove in to the hilt, leaving no room for refusal.

That ruthless thrust made Lian Ai curl his toes, his entire body shaking violently. His hand clamped down around his cock, squeezing too hard and hurting himself, but that only heightened the raw stimulation. Pain and pleasure crashing into one. The surge of sensation slammed into him, and with a sharp twitch of his cock, he ejaculated.

Strands of white floated in the water. He seemed a little dazed, his entire body trembling helplessly. Every time he opened his mouth, soft moans would spill out without thought.

“Ah…” Even his voice shook, unable to calm. “I’ve never… mm… come so fast before…” He licked his lips. “General, you’re amazing…”

Bu Nian had just entered and was already overwhelmed by how tightly that hole squeezed around his cock. When that pressure finally eased, he didn’t hold back anymore and started pounding upward from below.

He spread those firm ass apart and drove his cock in deep. “There’s more than just amazing. I’ll show you just how much more today…”

Lian Ai’s back pressed against the edge of the bath barrel. As their bodies rocked together, water splashed everywhere.

Maybe Bu Nian really was fiercer today, or maybe Lian Ai was just too sensitive. Within the time it took for a single incense stick to burn, he had already orgasmed twice more.

He had already ejaculated once, and his cock couldn’t get fully hard again so soon. All he could feel was a bit of warm fluid leaking from his slit, but it wasn’t cum.

His skin, from neck to toe, had turned a soft flush of pink. His eyes were hazy, dazed like he was about to fall apart completely.

“I… ah… I can’t take anymore, General…” Tears slipped from the corners of his eyes yet his hole still clung to Bu Nian’s cock, refusing to let him go.

Bu Nian pressed his lips together tightly, already at the brink himself.

He slammed hard into that warm, tight little hole, bottoming out, then pulled out entirely until only his swollen tip remained inside. When the greedy walls tightened around him, unwilling to let go and aching for more, he pushed back in, breaking through the resistance and giving him everything he wanted.

He kept fucking him hard, thrust after thrust, over a dozen times. Then he rammed all the way in, so deep it felt like even his balls were about to be forced inside. His body trembled twice, and Lian Ai felt the rush of liquid shooting deep into him.

“Ah…” Lian Ai had no strength left in him, only able to let out a few weak, broken cries.

Their bodies were pressed so close that when Lian Ai leaned forward just a little, his cheek touched the side of Bu Nian’s face.

He rubbed against him with deep longing, kissing his cheek, but ended up tasting his own bitter tears.

Bu Nian steadied his breathing, then slowly pulled out of him. He lifted him up sideways into his arms, stepped out of the bath, and walked toward the bed.

But in just those few short steps, Lian Ai suddenly felt something start to go wrong inside his body.

By the time Bu Nian laid him down on the soft bed, that familiar pain and heat had already spread through his entire body.

Lian Ai’s body trembled, unable to stop for a long time. When Bu Nian’s fingertips brushed his damp back, just a feather-light touch made him cry out in pain.

Bu Nian frowned deeply. He couldn’t see Lian Ai’s face, which made it impossible to tell what was wrong.

“Lian Ai?” His voice turned sharp with tension. “Speak. What’s happening to you?”

Lian Ai had been worrying about Bu Nian these past few days, so much that he had been drifting through each day without focus. Tonight was the full moon, the night Mianmian was supposed to take effect. And he had completely forgotten.

Now that the poison had flared up, the pain was unbearable. He forced out a few words. “It’s… Mianmian… ah…”

The moment Bu Nian heard the word “Mianmian,” he visibly froze, then quickly climbed off the bed.

Lian Ai was already drenched in sweat. Now it poured off him like rain as he twisted and rolled on the bed, almost falling off.

After a moment, he felt the mattress sink slightly beneath him. His chin was grabbed, jaw forced open, and a bitter pill was shoved into his mouth without warning.

The medicine dissolved instantly. Within moments it sank into his stomach, and the pain began to ease.

He lay there for a while, slowly recovering. When he opened his blurry eyes, he saw Bu Nian sitting beside him with a cold face.

“Was it Zuo Lingxue who poisoned you?” He guessed it immediately.

Lian Ai knew there was more behind it than he could explain. He pushed himself up and leaned closer, wanting to touch Bu Nian’s hand, but Bu Nian slapped it away.

“You really dared to hide something this serious from me? Are you tired of living?” Bu Nian’s face was grim, his expression already darkened with barely restrained fury.

Lian Ai hadn’t seen him this angry in a long time. And after all that pain and exhaustion, he shrank back a little.

He knew he was in the wrong, so he didn’t argue. Instead, he lowered his head and admitted, “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have kept something this important from you.”

Bu Nian drew in a long breath, forcing himself to calm down. When Lian Ai noticed his expression ease slightly, he reached out again to touch his hand.

This time, Bu Nian didn’t push him away. Instead, he grabbed Lian Ai’s slender wrist. “If you don’t get the Gu removed, you’ll be taking medicine for the rest of your life. But every medicine is toxic in its own way. Keep taking it and it’ll start damaging your organs. In a five years, and you’ll be a dead man walking.”

Lian Ai’s face turned pale, from the pain earlier and the fear now.

He bit his lip. “If we find Zuo Lingyu, we’ll find Zuo Lingxue. If we can cure Fentian, we can cure Mianmian too.”

Bu Nian was quiet for a moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was cold, nearly cruel. “What if we can’t find them?”

Lian Ai lowered his eyes, staying silent longer than Bu Nian had. But when he finally opened his mouth, there wasn’t a hint of fear or hesitation in his voice.

“If we can’t, then I’ll die early.”

Bu Nian’s grip on his wrist tightened. It even started to hurt.

“General?” Lian Ai didn’t dare pull away.

Bu Nian suddenly let go and exhaled heavily. “Mianmian, the one Zuo Lingxue used… I spent a fortune in the southern frontier to get two matched pairs of Gu worms and gave one to her. I never imagined both would end up being used on you.”

Lian Ai hadn’t expected that part. “No wonder she made me take Mianmian before she would believe me. She even lied and said it was poison. Just like you did back then…”

Bu Nian suddenly turned toward him. “So that’s why you said she and I are alike.”

Lian Ai shrank back slightly. Even though Bu Nian’s eyes were still covered, and he couldn’t see him, Lian Ai still felt like he was being stared down.

“General, we’ll find them, right?” Lian Ai leaned against him. “We’ll both be okay.”

Bu Nian gently patted Lian Ai’s cheek where it rested on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you die young.”

Lian Ai smiled. It didn’t matter if he died early. As long as the General lived a long life, that was enough.

“When spring comes, we’ll go boating in Jiangnan. You better not forget, General.”

It would be spring in another 3 months. Lian Ai didn’t want to even imagine the possibility of Bu Nian’s poison flaring up. In his heart, Bu Nian would live a long life, much longer than his. There was no way he would die from some filthy poison like that.

He was Bu Nian. The dream man of countless noble young women, the great hero in the hearts of the people of Great Qi. He hadn’t died on the battlefield. He hadn’t been killed by the countless assassination attempts. So how could he possibly die at the hands of someone like Zuo Lingyu?

That would be ridiculous. And cruel.

The next morning, just as the sky began to lighten, Bu Nian left the general’s estate. Lian Ai was still asleep when he went.

He wasn’t heading to court. He went straight to the Court of Judicial Review where Gan Yan was being held.

The young Emperor was still too inexperienced to have a mind of his own. When the Minister of Justice asked him how to deal with Gan Yan, he came running to Bu Nian for advice.

Since they had asked Bu Nian, he simply took full control of the matter.

He had never shown mercy to his enemies. Killing them outright with a clean strike was far too generous. What brought him satisfaction was breaking them slowly, step by step, until they died in pain.

The Empress Dowager was still clinging to life, lying in bed day and night with no strength to move, piss, or eat properly. She lived worse than a dog. That was Bu Nian’s deepest revenge.

The only reason Gan Yan was still breathing was because Bu Nian didn’t want to let him die too easily either.

Bu Nian stopped in front of the dark, damp dungeon. Inside the cell, a pale, gray figure stirred at the sound of footsteps.

A gaunt face lifted. When he saw who stood outside the cell, his eyes widened. With a hoarse voice, he sneered, “Come to see your defeated enemy?”

He let out a raspy, grotesque laugh. “I lost by a single move. “I should’ve killed that little whore sooner. He wouldn’t have had the chance to strike me then! I keep thinking about him these past few days. The way he cried, the way he moaned, the way he screamed. If I had one more chance, I’d cut every piece of flesh from his body with a knife, slice by slice, and shove it down his throat!”

Bu Nian said nothing. He simply let Gan Yan rant, lost in his sick fantasies, while he stood there with his hands behind his back, silent and unmoving like a shadow.

“You have no idea how pitiful and sweet he looked when he begged me for mercy. When I ejaculated on his face, he even thanked me for the reward! Hahahahaha! What I loved most was seeing him all bloody, with that filthy mess smeared across his face. Absolutely irresistible! You trained him well, Bu Nian. A little whore like that is perfect to send to the enemy as a spy!”

Gan Yan had taken an iron bolt to the chest. It had nearly pierced his heart. He survived, but not in one piece. His body was now sustained only by ginseng tonic, hanging on by a thread. He was skin and bones, a walking corpse.

“What’s wrong with your eyes? Are you blind? Blind, good. You deserve it. If I can’t be Emperor, then you’re not getting that seat either. Cough… cough…”

He couldn’t even enjoy his own gloating. After every few lines, he had to pause to catch his breath. When he got worked up, he started coughing uncontrollably.

Bu Nian raised his hand and motioned to a nearby guard. The jailer quickly ran over.

“What are your orders, General?”

Bu Nian said flatly, “Give him some water. I don’t want him coughing himself to death just yet.”

The jailer cupped his hands in acknowledgment. “Yes, General.”

Gan Yan struggled to his feet and staggered toward Bu Nian. His steps were unstable, and the last few were so unsteady he nearly threw himself against the bars.

“Don’t get smug too soon. One day, you’ll lose everything, worse than I did.”

Bu Nian lifted a hand and waved it in front of his nose. Gan Yan reeked, and the stench made him uncomfortable.

“The Emperor has given me full authority to deal with you.” He dropped the words without warning, like a thunderclap.

Gan Yan froze, then stared at him in terror. “I’m the Emperor’s uncle. You can’t kill me.”

He thought Bu Nian was going to execute him. That only proved how little he understood Bu Nian, and how much he had mistaken him for a man who played by the rules.

“No.” Bu Nian raised his hand again. Two jailers immediately opened the cell door, rushed in, pinned Gan Yan to the ground, bound his hands and feet, and stuffed a rag into his mouth.

“I’m not going to kill you. Don’t worry.”

Gan Yan writhed and struggled, but it was all in vain.

Just then, the jailer who had gone to fetch water returned, holding a cup and looking uncertain about what to do.

“Pass it here,” Bu Nian said as he took the cup. He didn’t enter the cell. Instead, he reached his hand through the bars and held it directly over Gan Yan’s head.

“You’ve been talking so much. Must be thirsty.” As he spoke, he tipped the cup and let the tea pour in a straight stream down onto Gan Yan’s head and face.

Gan Yan’s muffled noises grew more frantic. Bu Nian guessed he was cursing him.