SWHCBB 41

Chapter 41: My Little Husband Doesn’t Dare to Trust Me

Jiang Chuang’s eyes reddened as he listened, his rims hot with emotion. But he was too embarrassed to shed tears in front of Zhuge Qing. He clutched his hand tightly and rasped in a low voice, “I thought you didn’t understand! Just hearing you say this… makes my whole life worth it!”

Heaven knew how long he’d waited? In their previous life, Zhiyu buried all his feelings deep within. Only during their escape did Jiang Chuang realize how much Zhiyu had suffered, but by then it was already too late.

Now, finally hearing Zhiyu bare his heart like this, he was so moved he wanted to hold him and cry! But unfortunately, that killjoy Zhuge Qing was standing right there.

Wen Jue felt too guilty to respond. What he’d just said was for Zhuge Qing’s benefit, and Zhuge Qing might not even believe it. True, he hadn’t harmed Jiang Chuang, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t used him.

Since Zhuge Qing’s stance shifted with Jiang Chuang’s, and Zhuge Qing mistakenly believed Wen Jue was trying to seize the throne, then why not go with the flow and fully pull him over to his side?

Zhuge Qing looked carefree and unruly, but Wen Jue could tell, he valued loyalty and affection above all. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have used up his personal favor to summon a divine physician to treat Wen Jue just for Jiang Chuang’s sake.

A divine physician like Bai Yuan didn’t like entanglements. But because of a favor owed, he’d been drawn in by Zhuge Qing. Once that debt was repaid, he would surely vanish without a trace.

Such a person was not easy to enlist. Yet Zhuge Qing had without hesitation given up this precious opportunity, this said everything about the kind of man he was.

Strike where it hurts most, if he saw Jiang Chuang as a brother, then Wen Jue had to amplify his own feelings for Jiang Chuang, say sweet things that would make Zhuge Qing place Wen Jue among his own people.

Whether he believed it or not didn’t matter. Jiang Chuang certainly believed it. And given time, Zhuge Qing would too.

With someone like this helping him, Wen Jue could feel much more at ease. When the time was right, he could slowly reveal who he truly intended to support.

Zhuge Qing looked at Jiang Chuang, speechless. “I really came here for nothing. Turns out I just helped you two deepen your relationship. Fine, fine. If that’s the case, just treat me as a meddler. I’m leaving before your lovey-dovey act stabs my eyes blind.”

He waved dismissively and made to leave. He hadn’t expected that he, the hunter, would become the hunted with just a few words exchanged. But even if he’d seen it coming, there was no avoiding it, he could only submit.

Among the imperial family, the ones with the best shot at the throne were Prince Yi and the Sixth Prince. But the Sixth Prince was a useless man-child, raised by a powerful maternal family into nothing but a waste.

That left only Prince Yi. Originally, Zhuge Qing had no interest in meddling in such affairs. Everyone knew that after a new emperor took the throne, the strategists were always the first to die! And he very much wanted to stay alive!

But this fool Jiang Chuang had caught Prince Yi’s attention. There was no escaping it. So Zhuge Qing figured, fine, might as well help Prince Yi. At least he wasn’t an idiot, and he had a decent mind for strategy.

He’d seen Prince Yi scheme and draw Jiang Chuang in over and over again. He simply hadn’t said anything. If he had, knowing Jiang Chuang’s blunt and stubborn personality, he definitely wouldn’t associate with Prince Yi again, it would only cause more trouble.

To Zhuge Qing, Prince Yi or Prince Jin, it was all the same.

Jiang Chuang had saved his life multiple times. He couldn’t just abandon him. While others gave their lives for wise rulers, he was giving his for a fool.

“Strategist, please wait.” Wen Jue called out, “I consider myself discreet in action, and even Prince Yi might not be able to uncover the truth. But with your abilities, I seem to have nowhere to hide. May I ask, how are you so sure these matters involve me?”

Jiang Chuang answered for him: “This guy loves acting all mysterious. Even I don’t know where he gets all his information. Scheming all day long like he has a hundred clones. It’s like there’s nothing in the world he doesn’t know. Always so secretive.”

Zhuge Qing smiled and uttered just two words: “Baixiao Pavilion.” Then he turned and walked away.

Wen Jue was startled at first, but then found it unsurprising. So that’s how it was, no wonder.

“Baixiao Pavilion? What’s Baixiao Pavilion? Some kind of Jianghu organization?” Jiang Chuang asked.

Zhuge Qing was already far away and clearly had no intention of explaining. Wen Jue nodded and smiled, “It is. Very mysterious.”

“Tired? Do you want to sit a bit longer? Do you want to play something?” With Zhuge Qing gone, Jiang Chuang no longer fixated on his words.

Wen Jue shook his head, eyes lowered in silence for a moment. Then he suddenly took a deep breath, as if summoning courage. “Yunchuan, don’t you want to know… what all I’ve done?”

“Do you want to tell me? If you do, I want to hear it. If you don’t, then I’ll pretend I don’t know anything.” Jiang Chuang cupped his face, trying to lift the corners of his lips with his fingertips. “I don’t want to make things hard for you. I don’t want you to be upset. What matters most is how you feel.”

But Wen Jue didn’t smile. His voice carried disappointment. “You always say that, as if no matter what I do, you’ll forgive me. But isn’t that just another kind of avoidance? If one day, someone else tells you what I’ve done, and you never come to ask me, but instead grow to resent me because of it. What am I supposed to do then? How can I even defend myself?”

“I… would never…” Jiang Chuang froze. He had never thought his unwavering support and love for Zhiyu could be seen this way. But the more he thought about it, the more sense it made.

He asked nothing, said yes to everything. He made no demands of Zhiyu, didn’t even ask for equal love in return.

Only now did he realize that was what made Zhiyu so uneasy. He wanted to hold Zhiyu with all the gentleness and love he had, just so he could be carefree and unafraid.

But for Zhiyu, Jiang Chuang knew nothing. He couldn’t trust that Jiang Chuang wouldn’t one day pull away.

And if Jiang Chuang really did pull away, took back all that love. Zhiyu, held aloft by that affection, would crash down into the abyss.

Too perfect was not real.

Wen Jue hugged him tightly, brows knit in unease. “I’m sorry. I was overthinking. I shouldn’t have doubted your heart. I’m just… afraid. Afraid you might come to hate me.”

Jiang Chuang couldn’t see his face, but those words tugged at his heart. He gently stroked the back of Wen Jue’s head. “I won’t. But I really do want to know everything you’ve done. Not because I fear you’ll hurt me, just because of the possessiveness I have for the one I love. I want to know every secret you hide.”

Jiang Chuang’s voice deepened, though he kept it restrained: “I want to strip away everything you’re keeping inside. I want every movement you make to be within my sight. I want to control you. You can’t have secrets. You can’t think of anyone else, not even your royal sister. Your body is mine. Your heart has to be mine. And if your eyes can see, they should only see me.”

“Otherwise, I’ll lock you in a room and screw you unconscious over and over.” As he spoke, Jiang Chuang couldn’t help but grind his teeth. The desire he had long suppressed was, for the first time, laid bare before Wen Jue.

Every time he kissed Zhiyu, touched him, held him, he had to hold back the urge to meld him into his own body.

“This is the real me, Zhiyu.”