Troublemaker Prince C25 (Part 1)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 25.1
Although Huo Xiling's hands could execute the most exquisite hidden weapons and control the force of archery to within a hair's breadth, when facing You Yusui, he couldn't even untie the simplest sash.
Huo Xiling felt his face heating up, especially when he met the Crown Prince's eyes that carried a smile—his entire body seemed to be burning up.
After You Yusui had enjoyed enough of the youth's shyness and embarrassment, he gently lowered the hand that had been lifting Huo Xiling's chin, then placed both hands over Huo Xiling's hands.
"Shall this prince teach you how to untie my sash?" You Yusui asked with a smile.
"Your Highness..." Huo Xiling's Adam's apple bobbed gently. He was afraid he couldn't hold himself back from pouncing.
You Yusui looked down at his fingers resting on Huo Xiling's hands and said, "Learn it now, you'll need it in the future."
Hearing this, Huo Xiling felt somewhat dejected. In the future? However... the Crown Prince's meaning wasn't to refuse him, but rather that such things should wait until later.
Understanding what he believed to be the Crown Prince's meaning, Huo Xiling's eyes brightened, and his dejected mood vanished.
"Come, this prince will teach you." You Yusui placed the sash in Huo Xiling's hands and taught him bit by bit how to untie it.
You Yusui's fingers were nimble, and in no time, he had guided Huo Xiling in untying the dead knot they had just created.
The belt fell to the ground, its golden hook striking the floor with a crisp clinking sound. You Yusui's outer robe loosened, revealing a disheveled beauty.
Next, the crimson outer robe slowly slid from You Yusui's shoulders, finally falling to the ground and over his shoulders. Standing to the side watching, Huo Xiling was like a wooden statue.
"Untie the middle layer," You Yusui said.
Only then did Huo Xiling react, reaching out to untie You Yusui's middle garment sash while watching You Yusui remove the white middle trousers.
The snow-white silk slid from You Yusui's waist, revealing slender, fair calves and delicate, small ankles. The skin was smooth and fine, the calves had flowing curves, and both legs were long and straight.
At this moment, You Yusui was left with only his undergarments. Just as Huo Xiling reached toward You Yusui's undergarment sash, You Yusui turned away.
His Crown Prince, with his back to him, untied his own undergarment sash and slowly pulled it down.
Fair, round shoulders were revealed, and the snow-white, thin undergarment continued sliding down, making Huo Xiling want to see more—the beautiful shoulder blades, the flowing curves of the shoulders and back, the somewhat thin waist, and those beautiful dimples of Venus.
Just as Huo Xiling wanted to continue looking down, a piece of white, smooth fabric with a faint fragrance covered his eyes.
When Huo Xiling removed the fabric blocking his view, You Yusui had already walked into the hot spring. In the misty vapor, everything became hazy and indistinct.
Huo Xiling quickly discovered that the smooth fabric in his hand was the Crown Prince's undergarment. So Huo Xiling glanced at You Yusui, who was resting with his eyes closed in the hot spring, then quickly stuffed the undergarment into his own clothes.
The Crown Prince probably wouldn't notice one missing worn undergarment, right? Huo Xiling thought expressionlessly. At the same time, he secretly despised himself as a lecher for having such thoughts about the Crown Prince.
The facts proved that the Crown Prince's earlier teasing had already corrupted Huo Xiling.
Just then, You Yusui opened his eyes. He looked at Huo Xiling still standing on the shore and said, "What are you standing up there for? Get down here. Do you need this prince to invite you?"
"Oh." Huo Xiling casually responded, then began removing his clothes. Leaving on only his underpants, he jumped into the water like a swimmer.
The huge splash soaked You Yusui, but he wasn't annoyed. He simply picked up a wine pot floating nearby, poured a cup, and handed it to Huo Xiling, saying, "Peach wine from last year. Try it."
Hearing this, Huo Xiling took it and drank a mouthful. He found the wine had a faint peach flavor—not intoxicating, like fruit juice that noble ladies drank.
You Yusui closed his eyes again and said, "First keep me company soaking here for a while. When it gets dark, this prince will give you another gift."
"Another gift?" Huo Xiling was surprised. Hadn't You Yusui already given him a bird- feathered cloak?
You Yusui opened his eyes and looked at him with a smile, saying, "Do you think this prince is so petty as to only give you one bird-feathered cloak and be done with it?"
Huo Xiling fell silent. Others probably couldn't even afford a single golden thread from the bird-feathered cloak, yet the Crown Prince casually spent a fortune.
"Alright, don't talk. Just obediently keep me company for a while." After speaking, You Yusui closed his eyes again.
A moment later, You Yusui and Huo Xiling rose from the hot spring. Palace servants brought clothes to dress You Yusui and Huo Xiling.
You Yusui was still in red robes, though the style was more formal than before. Huo Xiling wore black robes, dignified and neat.
By this time, the sky had darkened, and stars filled the sky.
"What's the highest place you can take me to?" You Yusui stood in the courtyard holding a hand warmer and asked Huo Xiling.
Huo Xiling swept his gaze across the entire hot spring estate and pointed to a pavilion on a cliff wall, saying, "I can take you there."
"Then take me there," You Yusui said.
Hearing this, Eunuch Fubao at the side hurriedly tried to stop them, saying, "Your Highness, it's already dark. The mountain path is difficult, and that place is so steep. Let's go during the day instead."
Going to such a dangerous place just to celebrate the Huo family’s youngster's birthday—it was unnecessary, truly unnecessary.
But Huo Xiling looked down at You Yusui beside him and asked, "Does Your Highness trust me?"
You Yusui countered, "If this prince doesn't trust you, who should this prince trust?"
The next moment, You Yusui's waist was encircled by Huo Xiling, and his whole person felt as if he were flying.
Huo Xiling, carrying him, stepped lightly and nimbly on tree branches and cliff walls. In just a moment, he and Huo Xiling were sitting on the roof of the pavilion at the cliff's edge.
You Yusui's long hair was blown by the night wind. He reached out trying to touch the starry sky, then said softly, "This is my first time coming to such a high place. Even this high, it's still difficult to touch the starry sky."
After speaking, You Yusui looked at Huo Xiling and said, "The gift this prince wants to give you is here."
Unable to touch the stars, but I can make all the stars come for you.
As his words fell, countless fireworks shot into the sky. Golden fireworks exploded in the high air, scattering countless golden sparks that illuminated almost half the sky. Then the fireworks fell, scattered stars gathering into a river like a waterfall. At this moment, the sky was like an inverted galaxy, the Milky Way about to pour down, thousands of starlight all coming toward them.
"Do you like it?" You Yusui asked.
"I like it," Huo Xiling said. This was the best gift he had received in over ten years.
Hearing this, You Yusui's lips curved up. Good that he liked it.
The next moment, Huo Xiling pulled You Yusui into his embrace, quietly watching this grand fireworks display in the night wind.
As the last firework fell, You Yusui looked at Huo Xiling beside him and said, "Happy birthday."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Huo Xiling quickly stole a kiss on You Yusui's cheek, then used his peripheral vision to sneak a look at You Yusui's expression.
Very good, His Highness wasn't angry. Huo Xiling's heart filled with joy.
"Tired. Let's go back to sleep," You Yusui said.
"Alright." Huo Xiling picked up You Yusui and used qinggong to descend the cliff.
You Yusui's room at the hot spring estate was furnished exactly the same as the Eastern Palace, so Huo Xiling also had to sleep in this room to keep night watch for You Yusui.
"Today is your birthday, yet you still have to keep night watch for me. Next time on your birthday, how about this prince gives you a day off," You Yusui said with a smile while sitting on the edge of the bed to Huo Xiling.
"No." Hearing this, Huo Xiling instinctively grasped You Yusui's hand.
Only by staying at You Yusui's side was he happy. If he couldn't stay by You Yusui's side, he didn't want to celebrate his birthday even if it was his birthday.
Seeing this, You Yusui smiled and said, "Alright, it's late. Time to sleep."
Soon, the palace servants lit calming incense, extinguished the candles in the room, and withdrew. The room fell silent.
Late at night, the sleeping Huo Xiling felt as if he had arrived at another place.
Here there were sounds of slaughter, cries of alarm, and clashing weapons. Tall, magnificent buildings were painted with blood. Countless bodies lay on the ground. Soldiers from both sides were killing each other, and war horns blew again and again.
In this gray, gloomy environment, Huo Xiling barely recognized this as Xuande Hall in the palace. But His Majesty had extremely strong control over military power—how could there suddenly be a military disaster?
Just as Huo Xiling was puzzled, a general in black robes wearing a ghost mask rode out of the crowd on a warhorse. That aura of killing intent made even Huo Xiling break out in goosebumps.
It wasn't until Huo Xiling met the ghost-masked general's eyes—eyes so familiar they made him shudder—that he understood.
Next, Huo Xiling saw this ghost-masked general, whose entire body was filled with murderous energy, unhesitatingly behead the opposing commander.
Huo Xiling looked closely—that head belonged to the Third Prince, You Yushan.
Huo Xiling was deeply shocked. A palace coup had occurred in the palace, so what about the Crown Prince?
Where would the Crown Prince be? At this moment, Huo Xiling's heart was in chaos.
So Huo Xiling ran through the slaughtering crowds, heedless of everything, toward the Eastern Palace. He didn't see that the ghost-masked general, who supposedly couldn't see him, was staring intently at him.
Huo Xiling didn't know how long he ran, running until he was exhausted. He finally arrived at the Eastern Palace where the Crown Prince lived, but it wasn't what he had imagined.
This place had long lost its former exquisite beauty. Spider webs on the eaves went untended, and wild grass covered the courtyard.
Huo Xiling frantically searched every room in the Eastern Palace. Nothing, nothing, all empty!
The Crown Prince wasn't here!
Then where?
In an instant, Huo Xiling was surrounded by endless panic.
He had lost the Crown Prince!
"Wake up, wake up."
Wrapped in vast darkness, Huo Xiling felt someone patting his face. The fingers were ice-cold, pulling him out of the darkness.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw You Yusui in a white middle garment setting down a lamp in his hand and looking at him with a smile.
"Had a nightmare? You kept calling my name, so loud this prince couldn't sleep," You Yusui said with a somewhat lazy expression.
The next moment, You Yusui was tightly embraced by Huo Xiling, who sat up from the bed.
"Your Highness!" Huo Xiling held You Yusui, sensing You Yusui's existence in this moment.
His Crown Prince was still here. That was so good. That dream had been too realistic; he couldn't help but be frightened.
Seeing this, You Yusui was slightly surprised, then reached out to pat Huo Xiling's back. It seemed the dream really had frightened Huo Xiling.
Then You Yusui's lips curved up as he said, "This prince is cold. This prince rewards you by letting you warm my bed."
It wasn't that he felt sorry seeing Huo Xiling's pitiful appearance after the nightmare and was preparing to sleep with him for the night.
After embracing You Yusui, the panic in Huo Xiling's heart gradually dissipated. Hearing You Yusui say this, he couldn't help but nuzzle You Yusui with his head, saying, "I knew Your Highness cares for me most."
"It's clearly because this prince is cold," You Yusui retorted.
Huo Xiling didn't believe it. The Crown Prince cared for him most.
So before You Yusui could continue arguing, Huo Xiling directly picked him up horizontally and walked toward the Crown Prince's bed.