A-Xuan looked up from time to time and when Yizhen would catch him he would look down cheeks flushed. Yizhen smiled and they kept eating in comfortable silence.

Yizhen weirdly felt the need to pull him on his lap. He’ll do that once he’s his. When A-Xuan turned for a few seconds the man was gone and when he tried to pay for the food they said it was already paid.

This is the first date he’s ever had with his husband. In every world, they would get together in weird ways and they never had a proper date. A-Xuan boarded the carriage and headed to the imperial palace.

When he was walking the halls he passed the Emperor surrounded by a eunuch and two men. He avoided his eyes, bowed, and quickly left. Yizhen looked back a few seconds and left.

A-Xuan was in his room getting dressed by a few maids. He was wearing blue robes and had a small crown on his head. His long hair was cascading on his back and he had a golden belt on matching his eyes.

When he was done he walked to the hall with his eunuch, once he was in front of the doors the two guards opened them and he entered.

He is late but who cares. When he entered everyone looked at him, they watched as he walked elegantly to the throne and bowed to the emperor.

Yizhen had on black robes with gold dragons and he looked imposingly handsome.

"Your majesty." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Have you recovered?"

A-Xuan looked up and smiled shyly with sparkly eyes.

"I have, thank you, your majesty."

Yizhen couldn’t stop himself from smiling, he hasn’t been able to look into A-Xuan’s gold eyes as himself in what felt like an eternity.

Before he had to disguise himself to get a single glimpse of him. But this time he isn’t looking down and he is smiling at him as the Emperor.

A-Xuan’s eyes softened and Yizhen felt his heartbeat quicken. A-Xuan left and took his seat.

Yizhen still had his eyes on him but he turned when he felt an intense stare. He first met angry eyes but they quickly turned infatuated.

He frowned, what did he miss? Zhao Wei was looking at him with the heat of thousand suns.

Just yesterday Ding Liren snuck into her palace but now she looks head over heels for him. Yizhen looked away, this doesn’t change anything anyway.

A-Xuan was drinking whine bored, he watched as the guests walked in and out of the garden.

He wants to get some air but he has to wait, he sighed and took another sip. After a while, a man came in through the doors and knelt in front of the emperor.

Everyone was surprised since the banquet had already started three hours ago. The man stood up and lunged at the Emperor. Zhao Wei’s scream resonated in the entire hall as she ran.

But she stopped when A-Xuan countered his hit after taking a guard’s sword. Quickly the two started to exchange a few blows until A-Xuan’s sword fell.

The man smiled mockingly at A-Xuan but it faded when he took out a blade from his chest and pointed it at his heart. Only the tip was in.

He tightened his hold on the grip of his sword and when he was about to go in again A-Xuan pushed the blade in until all you could see was the grip.

A-Xuan picked up something from his chest discretely and pulled back the blade. The man fell backward on the floor. This is for Zhao Meng.

This man made the original’s life miserable when he was in prison, he was the one who abused him. Naturally, A-Xuan wouldn’t let him live.

Yizhen was already up, he felt like his heart was about to explode when the man managed to unharmed A-Xuan.

But now it’s clear that it was his plan all along. He waved to the guards to take the body away, A-Xuan knelt and picked up the sword he borrowed, and gave it back to the guard with a shy smile.

Everyone was amused seeing that, it’s clear that he is good when it comes to fighting but he is still shy after taking someone’s sword.

Zhao Wei looked at the Emperor and followed his eyes. That softness in Yizhen’s eyes was directed at her useless brother.

When A-Xuan turned to the Emperor he looked down at his hand and frowned. Everyone followed his eyes and saw that his hand was bloodstained.

The Emperor ended the banquet and asked for an investigation to be made.

A-Xuan was in his chambers when the imperial physician entered with the Emperor. He immediately stood up to bow but the Emperor put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

He sat back and the physician looked at his hand. After seeing that it was just a small cut he couldn’t understand why the Emperor asked for him. Even a maid could’ve taken care of that.

He turned around and saw that the emperor was pacing, he seemed to care deeply for A-Xuan. He memorized his face to make sure he wouldn’t offend him in the future. When he was done he bowed and left.

A-Xuan looked at the stressed Yizhen.

"Your Majesty it’s just a small cut, you didn’t have to bring in the imperial physician at this late hour."

The Emperor stopped pacing and sat next to him. He was looking ahead, A-Xuan looked at him and felt like screaming at the top of his lungs.

It’s always the same thing, his husband acts badly and he wants to teach him a lesson but when he sees him sad or worried he can’t stand it. If he’s not okay I’m not okay.

A-Xuan put a hand on his and said soothingly:

"I’m alright your Majesty I promise."

Yizhen looked at him and took a breath. He leaned his forehead against A-Xuan’s and closed his eyes. A-Xuan closed his eyes as well and they just sat there for a while not talking.

Yizhen thought his guards would get to the man before but A-Xuan jumped in. He knew his brother and Zhao Xu had this planned and they were planning on blaming A-Xuan.

He saw A-Xuan taking the note out of his chest so it’s clear that he knows what they’re up to. Then this means he’s on his side and he won’t hate him once he takes his father down.

He doesn’t want to put him in this kind of situation ever again, the only reason he’s in this mess in the first place is that he’s loyal and protecting him. Now it’s my turn to protect him.

A-Xuan pulled back and asked when Yizhen opened his eyes.

"Are you alright?"

Yizhen swallowed and looked down. He said in a strained voice:

"You could’ve..."

A-Xuan smiled and lifted his head:

"I didn’t."

"What if next time you..."

Yizhen couldn’t finish his sentence again. It’s always the same his husband can never utter those kinds of words when it concerns him.

A-Xuan approached closer and caressed his cheek.

"I won’t."

Yizhen looked into his determined eyes and nodded. He can’t lose him, he can’t. This person is the only one who makes him feel and he’ll never allow anyone to take him away.

When A-Xuan let go and moved further from him he was disappointed and wondered what happened. When he heard footsteps he understood.

Zhao Wei walked in and looked at the Emperor surprised, she bowed and said:

"Your majesty, I came to see if my brother is okay."

A-Xuan smirked.

"I’m fine sister, you didn’t need to trouble yourself."

Zhao Wei looked at A-Xuan’s smirking face and felt like drowning him. She saw how the Emperor was looking at him and how worried he was when he was fighting.

Those two are clearly close but she’ll never let that happen. She’s the imperial noble consort!

"You’re majesty since my brother is alright should we go and let him rest?"

Yizhen looked at A-Xuan who was looking away, he was hoping he would ask for him to stay a little longer.

He nodded and left with Zhao Wei. Before exiting he looked back but A-Xuan was still looking away.

Does he not care? Everything he does is only because I’m his Emperor or is it because he cares for me? He hates how he can’t read his thoughts.

Like at the banquet the way he looked at him with soft eyes and now he sees him leave with his sister but it’s like he couldn’t care less. Once I take them all down he’ll be mine no matter what.

He doesn’t understand how he was so blind before but now that his eyes are wide open he won’t rest until A-Xuan loves him and he agrees to spend the rest of his life with him. He’s his soulmate, he’s never been more sure of anything in his entire life.