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"Are you not going to take a look at me before you leave, Ye Chen?"
Lou Yu's voice was extremely cold, a stark contrast to the refreshing tone he had in his youth. Yet, that unique timbre of Lou Yu's still allowed Ye Chen to recognize him instantly.
Ye Chen suddenly grabbed Pei Guanjing by the collar, his eyes filled with questions. What was going on? Wasn't this the ship you arranged? How could Lou Yu have found them?
Pei Guanjing remained calm. He gently held Ye Chen's hand, pressed a kiss to his lips, and whispered, "You should sleep first; I'll go take a look." After saying that, he carefully tucked the blanket around Ye Chen.
But at such a moment, how could Ye Chen possibly sleep? He threw off the covers and prepared to rush to the door before Pei Guanjing could stop him, but Pei Guanjing was quicker. He blocked Ye Chen from behind, shaking his head gently to signal him not to act impulsively.
Pei Guanjing slowly opened the door.
The boat drifted leisurely on the river, surrounded by small boats coming and going, creating a bustling scene on the water. It seemed no one noticed that a secret meeting was taking place here.
The traitor Pei Guanjing and the current emperor were now on the same boat. Strangely enough, there were no sounds of fighting; it appeared that Lou Yu had come privately, though it was unclear how many soldiers he had brought with him.
Through the slowly opening crack of the door, Lou Yu's face was cold as he locked eyes with Pei Guanjing from below. Then he shifted his gaze to Ye Chen behind Pei Guanjing, his lips moving slightly as he said, "Ye Chen, you’re here."
Ye Chen nodded, his tone complex. "Long time no see, Lou Yu."
Lou Yu forced a bitter smile. "You came but didn’t even want to see me before leaving?"
"I... I'm sorry, Lou Yu. I came this time to take Guan Jing away. I know there’s conflict between you two, but now that peace has been established in the realm, Guan Jing has promised me that he won’t oppose you anymore and won’t rebel. I will keep an eye on him and ensure he doesn’t return to the capital. Can you let him go?" Ye Chen suddenly pleaded in a sorrowful tone.
Seeing Ye Chen plead so humbly with Lou Yu made Pei Guanjing's expression darken slightly. He stepped in front of Ye Chen, his loose robe completely blocking Lou Yu’s view of him.
"Lou Yu," Pei Guanjing said firmly, "Ye Chen is begging you; I will not beg you. But I promise Ye Chen that I will never set foot in the capital again; that is true—I will never return to the imperial city in this lifetime. As for my former soldiers, they are also citizens of the previous dynasty; I believe you won’t harm them. So..." As he spoke, Pei Guanjing suddenly took out a tiger talisman from his waist and handed it to Lou Yu. "This is a token; with it, you can incorporate them all into Emperor Taizu of Dachang's army and they will no longer serve me."
Lou Yu's eyes shifted away indifferently.
The current Lou Yu had changed drastically compared to five years ago. The once spirited youth had ultimately been crushed by power and walked down a bloody path entirely different from what he had imagined.
"Aren't you afraid that once I reclaim military power, I will hunt you down?" Lou Yu asked directly as he stared at Pei Guanjing.
Pei Guanjing showed no fear; a smirk appeared on his lips as he suddenly lifted his robe and knelt down with a thud. "Commoner Pei Guanjing pays respects to Your Majesty; long live Your Majesty!"
Once upon a time, they fought together at Lan Prefecture Military Camp—Pei Guanjing charging into battle while Ye Chen tended to the wounded behind. It was during those days that Lou Yu broke his previous prejudice against Pei Guanjing. But soon after, their relationship deteriorated again as both fell in love with Ye Chen, leading them to this current predicament.
At the moment Pei Guanjing knelt down, Ye Chen was completely stunned. In his heart, Pei Guanjing had always opposed Lou Yu, never once begging for mercy even while enduring torment in prison.
But now, he willingly knelt, bowing his head to Lou Yu, surrendering his military authority, all for the sake of living a peaceful life with him.
This time, Pei Guanjing had truly made up his mind to walk this path with him.
A sharp pain surged in Ye Chen's heart, followed by a sweet warmth. However, Lou Yu was momentarily taken aback, then absentmindedly looked down at Pei Guanjing. It wasn't until he heard the sound of another kneeling figure beside him that he realized Ye Chen was also kneeling before him.
Instinctively, Lou Yu reached out to help Ye Chen, but his hand was stopped by Pei Guanjing's outstretched arm.
Though kneeling, Pei Guanjing's gaze remained cold and clear. "Your Majesty, there's no need for you to worry about my wife," he said. Without waiting for Lou Yu's approval, he stood up and pulled Ye Chen to his feet, gently brushing off the dust from his knees.
Lou Yu’s expression darkened considerably.
In truth, he had long wanted to know whether Ye Chen was alive or dead and had planted spies at the city gate. So on the very first day Ye Chen entered the capital, he learned that Ye Chen had come, and it was for Pei Guanjing.
Bitterness filled his heart, yet there was a sense of relief as well. He thought to himself that as long as Ye Chen was alive, nothing else mattered.
The person he had loved deeply in his youth ultimately did not choose him.
When the news from his spies reported that Ye Chen had a child in Jiangnan, it took a long time for Lou Yu to accept this reality. It turned out that Ye Chen and Pei Guanjing already had such a large child together.
At this moment, the river before dawn was shrouded in mist.
The water glimmered faintly in the darkness like a vast expanse of black satin, gently rippling with the breeze. In the distance, a faint light began to seep through the horizon, attempting to tear apart the thick darkness.
A thin layer of fog enveloped the river surface, shrouding everything around it in a dreamlike haze. Occasionally, the calls of waterfowl pierced the silence, adding an extra layer of cold solitude to the atmosphere.
Lou Yu closed his eyes and turned away, gazing at the rising sun by the riverbank. After a long while, he spoke softly: "You may leave now. From this day forth, there will be no more Regent's adopted son Pei Guanjing, only commoner Pei Guanjing."
With Lou Yu's permission, Pei Guanjing immediately threw the tiger talisman towards him and prepared to take Ye Chen to another room. He felt that this room carried an ominous aura.
As soon as Pei Guanjing stepped out with Ye Chen, Lou Yu called out to him once more.
"Ye Chen," he said with a bitter smile, "why do you always trust him more than you trust me?"
At that moment, all Ye Chen felt was a deep sense of sorrow.
“Lou Yu, I’m sorry.”
For Lou Yu, he truly didn’t know what else to say; these two words were the only way to express his inner regret. Even if Pei Guanjing had never appeared in his life, he still wouldn’t have developed feelings for Lou Yu. He was a man, and falling for Pei Guanjing was already beyond his expectations.
As for Lou Yu, from the very beginning, he had only regarded him as a brother. Even when Lou Yu had once sought Pei Guanjing’s approval to marry him, he hadn’t paid much attention because he didn’t want to lose such a good friend.
But the world is unpredictable; who can truly say how things will unfold?
Upon hearing this, Lou Yu suddenly felt a surge of anger. “Ye Chen, what I want to hear is not an apology. I want to know why you chose him instead of me. I am now the emperor; as long as you stay by my side, I can overlook your past. I will make you my empress, and whatever you desire in the future, I will grant it to you. Even so, you still choose him?”
At these words, Pei Guanjing’s large hand resting on Ye Chen’s shoulder tightened unconsciously.
Ye Chen furrowed his brows, stopping in his tracks to look at Lou Yu seriously. “Lou Yu, we have always been brothers. I’m sorry; I didn’t take your previous words seriously, but now I can answer you clearly. I don’t like you; I like Pei Guanjing.”
Lou Yu’s lips trembled, the darkness in his eyes thickening as if it would erupt at any moment.
Yet Ye Chen continued, “Lou Yu, you will meet someone who truly loves you. But unfortunately, that person is not me; don’t waste any more time on me.” After saying this, Ye Chen pressed his lips together and lowered his head, no longer looking at Lou Yu.
Pei Guanjing then relaxed his furrowed brow and took Ye Chen’s hand, leaving without looking back. This left Lou Yu standing alone at the doorway, staring at the calm river surface, lost in thought.
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