Mu Chongyan said this in a calm tone, a smile on his face, yet upon hearing them, Xie Huan felt a distinct pang of sorrowful discomfort. The impulse to dismiss him rose to the tip of his tongue, but the words ultimately lodged in his throat, refusing to be spoken.
"...You, have you had dinner yet?" Moving his lips, Xie Huan changed the subject and asked.
Mu Chongyan smiled and said, "I had some in the palace. I'm not hungry now."
Xie Huan pressed his lips together, unsure what to say next.
Perhaps sensing that Xie Huan was being uncharacteristically accommodating and less resistant than usual, Mu Chongyan seized the opportunity to press his advantage and push his luck. He then said, "The hour is late, and the curfew is now in effect on the main streets. I wonder if I might impose on Wenzhao to grant me a place to stay for the night?"
Xie Huan, who had been drowsy from the alcohol and tiredness, immediately woke up. He frowned slightly at Mu Chongyan and refused directly, "No!"
It was true that the curfew was in effect on the streets at this hour, but given Mu Chongyan's status and position, he could come and go as he pleased not just on the streets of the capital, but even in the forbidden palace city. There was no need for him to seek lodging outside.
Although rejected, Mu Chongyan didn't give up. He knew what Xie Huan was worried about and said, "Don't worry, I won't do anything to you. You sleep on the bed, I'll sleep on the couch in the outer room."
Xie Huan still wouldn't allow it. This wasn't the commandery Prince of Rui's residence. What if Yan Jingshu and Jiang Chenghan found out? But before he could speak, Mu Chongyan stood up, walked to the couch, lay down fully clothed.
There was no pillow on the couch, so he used his arm as a pillow. Then he said "Good night" to Xie Huan, closed his eyes, and acted as if he had gone to sleep first, leaving Xie Huan to do as he pleased.
Xie Huan was so angry his face turned even redder. He stood up intending to pull Mu Chongyan up, but perhaps the alcohol was hitting him—as soon as he stood, his head spun dizzyingly, and his body swayed.
In the end, it was Mu Chongyan, who, though his eyes were closed pretending to sleep, had been keeping a sliver of attention on Xie Huan, noticed his condition. He leaped from the couch, rushed over, and supported him.
"Look at you, don't you know your alcohol tolerance is poor? How much did you drink..." Mu Chongyan scolded verbally, but his hands gently and carefully helped Xie Huan to the bed in the inner room. He even personally helped Xie Huan remove his outer robe and shoes, waited until Xie Huan was lying comfortably on the bed, and thoughtfully tucked him in.
"...You... you are not allowed to... do bad things..." Tipsy and extremely sleepy, Xie Huan tried to push Mu Chongyan away but had no strength. He could only issue a verbal warning.
Hearing that soft, weak warning that sounded more like a coquettish complaint than a firm order, Mu Chongyan couldn't help but chuckle softly. He tucked the quilt around Xie Huan and said gently, "Don't worry, I won't bully you again, never again. Sleep..."
The deep, magnetic voice, softened by a gentle tone, conveyed a sense of reassurance. Xie Huan's mind, already weary and drowsy, seemed hypnotized. His eyelids could no longer stay open and slowly closed. Soon, he fell into a deep sleep.
After Xie Huan fell asleep, Mu Chongyan did not go to sleep on the outer couch as he had said earlier. But he also kept his promise to Xie Huan and did not do any 'bad things'. He just sat by Xie Huan's bedside for the entire night.
The next morning, when Xie Huan woke up and opened his eyes, he was startled to see Mu Chongyan leaning against the bedpost, fully clothed with his eyes closed.
Sitting up, he found his own clothes intact and, apart from a hangover headache, felt no other discomfort. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Just then, Mu Chongyan raised his head, his deep, smiling black eyes meeting Xie Huan's. "You didn't sleep?"
Mu Chongyan smiled and said, "I dozed for a while, didn't really fall asleep." So he noticed immediately when Xie Huan stirred.
Xie Huan got out of bed and looked out the window. It was already bright daylight outside, and he frowned. "It's already this late..."
The Jiang family servants would already be up by now. It would be difficult for Mu Chongyan to leave quietly without being seen. Thinking this, he looked back at Mu Chongyan with a mix of worry and displeasure.
Mu Chongyan didn't need to ask to know what Xie Huan was unhappy about. He stepped forward and smiled reassuringly, "You don't need to worry. If I don't want anyone to know my movements, no one will see me. But..."
"But what?" Xie Huan asked instinctively.
Mu Chongyan rubbed his nose, glanced at Xie Huan's expression, and said cautiously, "But actually, there's no need for that now. The matter of me coming here last night... Jingshu and Jiang Chenghan should already know about it."
"How could that be?!" Xie Huan exclaimed in surprise.
"You didn't know," Mu Chongyan explained what happened last night. "After you fell asleep last night, Yan Jingshu was worried you'd have a hangover headache and sent a maid to bring you sobering soup. I was afraid you'd be woken up, so I... I opened the door and sent the maid away..."
The maid was quite startled to see that it wasn't Xie Huan who opened the door, she nearly dropped the soup bowl she was carrying. It was only because Mu Chongyan quickly caught it and then identified himself before the maid could call for others that the situation didn't escalate. However, he didn't silence the maid at the time, so presumably, she later reported it to Jiang Chenghan.
Xie Huan had slept very soundly last night and was completely unaware of the maid's visit. Hearing Mu Chongyan say this now only made his headache worse. "Forget it. I'll explain it to Jingshu and Chenghan later. For now, you should leave quickly before anyone else sees you."
Sneaking in was one thing, Jiang Chenghan probably wouldn't mind. But spending the night in his room was something he felt awkward about explaining to Yan Jingshu.
Mu Chongyan still didn't agree and said, "I've been hungry all night. At least let me have some breakfast before I go."
"No," Xie Huan refused outright. Any more delay and Yan Jingshu would probably come looking for him. If he saw Mu Chongyan still in his room, Xie Huan would be mortified.
Mu Chongyan helplessly allowed himself to be pushed towards the door by Xie Huan. Just then, a knock sounded from outside the door.
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