Leng Qinxue thought he must have screwed up somewhere.

His plan was to befriend Huangfu Rongjin, find a ticket out of Yue, and live in peace. So far things were progressing smoothly, but...was marriage the only solution? Couldn't he be the ancient equivalent of a diplomat or cultural ambassador or something...oh right, you need a brain for jobs like that.

Leng Qinxue began to consider whether it was too late to "regain" his sanity.

A shadow fell over him before he realized Huangfu Rongjin was holding an umbrella over his head. Leng Qinxue looked at the blue skies dubiously. "It's not raining."

"The summer sun is harsh, even in Yue," Huangfu Rongjin replied, taking the chance to straighten the prince's collar and smooth out his robes. "Ah-Xue's been standing here for ages. It wouldn't do to get sunstroke."

Leng Qinxue shifted his gaze to that smiling face and kind eyes, bemused. "You're calling me by name more often these days."

"The three-year period is almost up," Huangfu Rongjin replied. "I'm uncertain whether I'll get the chance to call Ah-Xue again once I resume my status."

"About that..." Leng Qinxue trailed off. Certainly, it wouldn't be appropriate to go by nicknames once Huangfu Rongjin was king again, especially if Leng Qinxue refused to marry him. "I'm still deciding."

"Ah-Xue can take all the time he needs. Your Ah-Jin will wait a lifetime if need be," Huangfu Rongjin's tone remained serene.

"...." Leng Qinxue was lost in his thoughts.

Being a male consort wasn't too terrible, right? Farming was hard, and he was used to a life of ease in the palace. If Huangfu Rongjin gave him free reign to run around as he pleased...it'd be the best of both worlds. Besides, most marriages with royals were matters of convenience. They could stay bros while he explored the world—no problem there.

Leng Qinxue actually felt a twinge of guilt instead. Wasn't he just taking advantage of Huangfu Rongjin from beginning to end? Did the man always let others step all over him? Was that why he'd died so easily in the original novel?

Huangfu Rongjin had been watching Leng Qinxue the entire time. While the other had good control over his expressions, his eyes always gave him away.

Consideration, delight, doubt, worry...

He was still studying those amber pupils when their owner looked up and plucked the umbrella out of his fingers.

"You should get used to being a king again," Leng Qinxue suddenly chided. He was shorter, but did his best to raise the umbrella and shade them both. "You're not going to wait on others as royalty."

"No," Huangfu Rongjin agreed, though his smile widened. "With the exception of my consort."

"I haven't decided on that yet!"

"That's why I still have hope," he replied.

All right, my fault for leaving you hanging, Leng Qinxue admitted.

He was still wavering a couple days later when the crown prince came for another visit, this time with a box of savory pastries.

"The kitchens said your slave has been taking this kind back to Jadefrost Palace over the past few months," his brother smiled. "This morning I happened to grab the latest batch. Royal Brother should've told me you preferred the salty ones."

"Ah," Leng Qinxue replied perfunctorily before popping one into his mouth. Shame that Ah-Jin's just left to fetch the snacks. Now he'll make a trip for nothing.

The crown prince went on to discuss the weather, but Leng Qinxue only felt his throat starting to itch. He coughed a few times, but the motion brought sharp stabbing pains that left tears in his eyes. A metallic taste filled his mouth as the hacking intensified—until he spat up black blood into his palms. He stared at it blankly even as the crown prince rose to his feet, walked to his side, and thoughtfully squeezed his shoulder.

"What a shame," his brother sighed. "You've been poisoned."

At last, the piece he'd been saving in the royal palace could finally be put to use.

Leng Qinxue's first thought was that he hadn't escaped palace scheming after all. Then came relief, because it was him and not Huangfu Rongjin who'd eaten the pastry.

After that, darkness.

—

Wild rumors spread through Yue Kingdom in the week before Huangfu Rongjin was to regain his status as King of Yan.

Apparently, he'd befriended the fourth prince with ulterior motives and poisoned him in cold blood as revenge for his countrymen. Everyone knew the King of Yue loved his youngest son, an idiot too simpleminded to do any wrong. The same kind prince had taken in Huangfu Rongjin and sheltered him for three years, only to be cruelly betrayed at the last moment. Evidence was unassailable: the pastries favored by the prince had been laced with a rare, toxic herb only found in Yan, and even Huangfu Rongjin's sword was found hidden beneath the fourth prince's bed. He must've been plotting against Leng Qinxue from the start!

The royals demanded Huangfu Rongjin's arrest, but the treacherous man had actually slipped their guard through secret paths in the palace and escaped! Public outcry arose and for a while, Yue was in a manhunting frenzy as everyone sought the criminal in the streets. The crown prince personally offered a generous reward for anyone who caught him, while the heartbroken King of Yue declared he'd conquer Yan to make them pay.

Unexpectedly, the Yan army arrived outside the capital gates three weeks later. At their head was their king: Huangfu Rongjin, who had shed his gentlemanly aura to be a bloodthirsty beast. In actuality, his kingdom had secretly built up strength in the last three years while their monarch was held prisoner.

It took less than a month for Yue to fall. Of the royal family, all were taken prisoner except the crown prince, who was publicly executed and had his corpse hung over the city walls. The civilians were left unharmed, but all of them quavered in the streets when they saw the King of Yan march out of the capital with his army.

Especially eye-catching was the opulent carriage following right behind him.

Despite their fears, the people couldn't wonder who was inside. A captive princess? An important ally? But the curtains were drawn and the carriage heavily guarded, so no one had the chance to know.

And thus, nobody glimpsed the beautiful youth lying unconscious on its seats.

—

At midsummer's height, a handsome man dressed in simple white robes pushed a wheelchair to the very center of a platform beneath a cloudless night.

"Ah-Xue, we've arrived."

The youth sitting in the wheelchair was dressed in purple brocade robes with a shiny gold hairpin through his hair. He seemed to be fast asleep, head leaning to one side.

"They say you can see all the stars of Heaven from here. Aren't you going to take a look?"

The man in white leaned down with head cocked, waiting for an answer.

No response.

He sighed and moved to the front, crouching to peer up at the unconscious face. "Is Ah-Xue still mad at me? I lied to you about Yan's strength...even abolished Yue's throne to capture your family. You're so furious you won't wake up, right..."

A warm summer breeze stirred the youth's lashes. Huangfu Rongjin watched them flutter before drawing a shaky breath.

"I know...Ah-Xue doesn't like me in that way. That's fine. I can love enough for us both. What you gave me before, I'll give you double. Anything you want, I'll get—just as long as you wake up."

The poison wasn't fatal, but the crown prince's doctors who made it knew little about Yan's rare herb. Somehow they'd distorted the formula and now Leng Qinxue was left no better than a vegetable.

"You can even hate me if you want. But don't—don't leave me alone."

At last Huangfu Rongjin sank to his knees, head buried in the other's lap. What was it worth to subjugate Yue and rule as king of both lands? Power, prestige, and glory only isolated him from the world. He never wanted this, if not for the chance to take Leng Qinxue back again.

"Ah-Xue, you still haven't told me your decision yet. Please..." Huangfu Rongjin's words faded away as his wish grew unintelligible, just as a shooting star streaked across the sky.

A moment later, Leng Qinxue's eyelashes stirred imperceptibly.

And then one of his fingers twitched.