Imperial Weight Chapter 25
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 25
Kissing—they did this often in their previous life, and it seemed like the most ordinary thing.
Because Little Phoenix was uninhibited, he was always the one who initiated kisses, asked for hugs, or sidled up to Xingyi, wanting to play with him. When Xingyi was busy and couldn't spare him any attention, he would turn back and give him a kiss, as a sort of reward. Sometimes Little Phoenix would run off to play elsewhere, go find books to read on his own, or paint and play the qin. When he had nothing to do, he'd also come over to ambush him—it was common for him to suddenly rush in, plant a kiss, and leave.
At first, Little Phoenix worried that Xingyi would be annoyed by him, but after conducting multiple experiments, he discovered that his husband didn't seem angry at all, so afterward he grew even bolder.
Xingyi basically never refused his requests—if he wanted hugs, he got hugs; if he wanted kisses, he got kisses. But Little Phoenix wasn't satisfied. Once, Little Phoenix solemnly sat down across from Xingyi and said seriously, "Weijian, I want to discuss something with you."
Xingyi put down his brush and looked at him. "Go ahead."
Little Phoenix propped his chin and gazed at him for a while, then said, "Next time, could you be the one to kiss me first? You never take the initiative."
Xingyi asked, "Don't I always initiate kissing you?"
Little Phoenix looked at him with pleading eyes. "But that's only because I ask you, and then you give it to me. Could you sometime pretend to kiss me on your own initiative?"
Xingyi laughed and rubbed his head. "Why pretend? You'd have to give me a chance. Every time, you're the one rushing to pounce on me first. I want to take the initiative, but you always beat me to it."
Little Phoenix quickly promised, "Then next time I won't do that anymore. Let's try it, okay?"
Xingyi picked up his brush again and said, "All right."
Little Phoenix was reassured. With his peripheral vision, Xingyi caught sight of him starting to grab the pastries on the table again, eating with his head down, and added, "Wipe the corner of your mouth, you've got something on it."
That evening, Little Phoenix went to sleep particularly early—so early that he didn't even have time for his usual outings to stroll the streets or watch garden operas.
Xingyi found this strange and thought he might be ill, so after dinner he canceled his own social engagements, planning to keep Little Phoenix company.
When he walked in to take a look, the person on the bed heard his footsteps and quickly moved, swiftly tucking something from beside him under the pillow. A moment later he went still, his breathing becoming long and even, and he even deliberately added some snoring sounds.
Xingyi bent down to pick it up and saw it was nothing more than an ordinary storybook, one that Little Phoenix had never finished reading. He wasn't here to inspect him—why was he so anxious to hide it?
He braced his hands on either side of Little Phoenix, lowering his head and eyes to ask him, "What are you doing?"
Little Phoenix didn't answer. His eyes were shut tight, but there were subtle fluctuations in his facial expression—clearly he was pretending to sleep, without a doubt.
Xingyi pinched his face. "Are you uncomfortable, sleeping so early? Mm, why aren't you talking?"
He felt Little Phoenix's forehead, then loosened his clothing to check the temperature of his neck and underarms—everything was fine. Looking at his complexion, his little Fenghuang had no problems whatsoever. He even looked much more spirited than Xingyi's own pale complexion from years of late nights and exhausting labor. His face was rosy, and there were no signs of fatigue at the corners of his eyes and brows.
Little Phoenix still didn't speak.
Xingyi was puzzled and was pondering this when suddenly he heard Little Phoenix cough lightly and point out seriously, "Weijian, this is your chance to take the initiative. I'm asleep now, so you can take the initiative."
Xingyi hadn't immediately thought of this matter, but once he remembered, he laughed outright. "But you've said it out loud now, haven't you?"
Little Phoenix pulled the blanket over his head, his voice muffled. "Then come in again."
Xingyi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He patted the person under the blanket through it, then said, "All right, go to sleep quickly."
He got up and left the room. After waiting a moment, he knocked on the door. When he heard the rustling inside turn to complete silence, he pushed the door open again.
Sure enough, Little Phoenix was doing a better job of pretending to sleep this time. The book was put away, and his sleeping posture was perfectly proper—so proper that anyone could tell "this guy is pretending to sleep."
Xingyi slowly leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Then shall I begin?"
His low, magnetic voice, along with his warm breath, swept past his ear, gentle and drowsy.
Little Phoenix's ears gradually turned red.
Xingyi caressed the corners of his eyes, his jaw, slowly kissing downward, his gaze very earnest. As if this were a real ambush, he kissed his soft lips, kissed his eyes that would be brilliantly radiant the moment they opened, waiting for him to wake—
Waiting for his beloved to wake.
****
Little Phoenix was half-dragged, half-lifted and pressed into his embrace. His hands had no choice but to brace behind him against the bed, scrambling in panic to grab the edge. But the edge was too far away. He grasped at empty air, and then Xingyi gripped him firmly, pulling him forward into his own arms.
This kiss was forceful, carrying an air of dominance and reprimand, but in his panic, when Little Phoenix raised his eyes to look up, he discovered that Xingyi's eyes still held that teasing, smiling glint—as if... as if he knew this was a clumsy attempt at goading, and didn't mind at all.
He actually hadn't expected Xingyi to really kiss him. Leaning so close, he only had time to see clearly that trace of amusement in Xingyi's eyes before being so startled that he squeezed his eyes shut—Fuli Yuanshi Tianzun, this identity was indeed somewhat different from the Weijian he knew. Exactly what was different, he couldn't say clearly. Perhaps it was that the Xingyi who didn't remember him made him feel somewhat unfamiliar. Testing and probing again and again, he still didn't know where this person's bottom line was.
This little troublemaker who was all bluster finally showed his true colors.
Xingyi pressed his advantage, clasping the back of his head and smoothly pressing him down on the bed, kissing him deeply, even kissing Little Phoenix until he was somewhat breathless. What was even more infuriating was that this person had absolutely no intention of keeping it light and brief. What Little Phoenix had envisioned was at most a shallow kiss, tender and lingering, just like in Xingyi's life as a prince—their first time holding hands, their first kiss, all gentle and lingering.
Nothing like this violence now!
Little Phoenix was still wearing Xingyi's clothes, oversized and loose, slipping down his shoulders. The silver measuring ruler Xingyi had used to take his measurements was scattered across his body, linking Xingyi's fingertips with the ends of his hair. Both had their hair loose, and for a moment it was hard to tell what kind of position this was. Their breaths intertwined, soft moist lips touching, rubbing, sucking, hands not knowing where to rest. Xingyi pressed too urgently. Little Phoenix was held in his embrace and accidentally let out a muffled moan—soft and sweet, as if it could wind a person's heart into silk threads, boil it down into parched, thirsty sugar syrup.
After hearing that muffled moan, Xingyi paused, released him slightly, and laughed lowly. "I wouldn't dare, would I?"
Little Phoenix finally opened his eyes. His dark pupils stared unmoving at him, somewhat guilty. "You dare."
Xingyi looked at him.
Little Phoenix swallowed and tried to negotiate. "Well, look, since you dared, how about one more kiss? I feel like that one just now wasn't long enough. I still want to savor it."
Xingyi flicked him lightly on the forehead. "You're thoroughly bad."
He released Little Phoenix, lay down beside him, and calmly closed his eyes.
Little Phoenix was unconvinced and scooted toward him, continuing to negotiate. "So now that you've kissed me, does that mean you accept me as your Empress? You can't say you don't accept it, because otherwise you'd be very bad. This is called trampling on a little bird's feelings, and everyone should condemn you for it."
"Mm," Xingyi said.
"What does 'mm' mean?" Little Phoenix circled around him, poking and prodding on the left and right, wanting him to open his eyes and look at him.
Xingyi reached out to grab his wrist. With his eyes closed, he rolled over and pulled him into his embrace, holding him like a body pillow, pressing him down so he couldn't move.
Little Phoenix's eyes widened slightly, and the words he was about to say got stuck. Then Xingyi took his hand and gently pressed it against his own heart.
"Listen, Little Phoenix," Xingyi said with his eyes closed, as if talking in his sleep. "Can you hear my heartbeat?"
The sensation under his hand was firm and solid—this was the body of an ancient war god, with the same temperature as a living person, but beneath it there was no fluctuation at all, as if this physical form was entirely a pool of dark, still, dead water.
Little Phoenix said righteously, "I can hear it."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he saw Xingyi open his eyes and tap him on the top of his head again.
Little Phoenix reluctantly changed his answer to the truth. "...I can't hear it."
Only then did Xingyi continue, "That's what I mean."
Little Phoenix struggled in his embrace, trying to sit up to make things clear with him. "You tell me what you mean. I can't guess your thoughts. You won't marry me but you kiss me, and you hold me—you need to give me an explanation."
Xingyi wouldn't let him move, locking him even more tightly, resting his chin on top of his head. "Give me some time. I need to learn."
Little Phoenix asked, "Learn what?"
Xingyi pulled up the blanket to wrap around both of them. "Learn to fall in love with you. Do you understand, my little Yuanyuan?"
