The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

Shen Yu didn’t return to his senses for a long time.

He only mentioned the swing to Shang JunLin once. He had no idea that in the blink of an eye, Shang JunLin would build a swing for him in Yuzhang Palace.

The swing wasn’t important. What was rare was that as an emperor, Shang JunLin kept him in his thoughts.

“I like it a lot.” Shen Yu turned around and met the man’s eyes, which were full of tenderness. He repeated, “I really like it very much, Your Majesty.”

“Go and have a look.” Shang JunLin took Shen Yu’s hand and walked to the swing.

The man’s hand was warm and strong. Shen Yu’s fingers curled gently in the man’s palm, like a tired bird finding shelter from the wind and rain.

Shen Yu surveyed the swing that had appeared so suddenly. The rope was two fingers thick, wrapped in green vines that were decorated with white flowers. The seat underneath was wide enough for him and Shang JunLin to sit together.

Shen Yu walked around the swing and felt a tingling in his heart.

“Your Majesty, I’ll sit down, and you can push me.” Shen Yu took his place on the swing.

To make it more comfortable, the seat was covered with a thick, plush blanket to add warmth and reduce the hardness of the surface.

Shang JunLin walked behind Shen Yu and slowly pushed on the rope.

Shen Yu sat there, swaying as the swing rose and fell. A light breeze brushed his cheeks, and his hair streamed behind him.

Every time he fell, Shen Yu’s hair followed the wind and fluttered against Shang JunLin’s chest and hands.

His eyes narrowed with contentment. After swinging for a while, Shen Yu realized it wasn’t good to make Shang JunLin keep pushing him. The next time he returned to the ground, he tugged Shang JunLin’s sleeve.

“What’s the matter?” Shang JunLin grasped the rope of the swing and stopped it.

Shen Yu turned his head and looked up at him. “I’d like Your Majesty to accompany me.”

Shang JunLin paused for a moment, but in the end he couldn’t resist the idea of joining Shen Yu on the swing. He went over and sat down beside him.

Instead of making the palace servants push the swing for them, they let it sway slowly. Shen Yu leaned on Shang JunLin’s shoulder and talked about his childhood.

“Back then, Shen QingRan loved to run over and show off in front of me. The Zhenbei Marquis made a swing for him in the courtyard. He liked it so much he dragged me to see it.” Shen Yu’s gaze drifted away. “He wanted me to watch him play.”

Many years had passed, and Shen Yu had forgotten most of these things. Today, as he sat on the swing, the long-lost memories returned.

“He was laughing so loudly, and I was standing not far away. I wanted to try it too, to see what it felt like to fly up into the air, but I knew Shen QingRan wouldn’t let me. He was always like that. Whenever he got something good, he had to show off to me.”

After saying this, Shen Yu chuckled. “At the time, I still had illusions about the Zhenbei Marquis. I actually went to him and naïvely asked for the same thing. You can imagine the result.”

Shang JunLin stroked Shen Yu’s hair. “It’s the Zhenbei Marquis’ fault.” 

“Later, I gradually learned that I couldn’t rely on the Zhenbei Marquis. No matter how much I wanted something, I wouldn’t ask him.”

But could the things a child wanted truly be that valuable? Under those requests was a simple desire for affection. Unfortunately, the Zhenbei Marquis never gave him even the slightest bit of warmth.

“Forget about the Zhenbei Marquis. Back to the swing. Later, when I grew up a little more, someone came to me with a property deed, saying he had some things left to me by my mother. The estate was one of them. When I went there, I asked someone to make a swing and tried it. It was totally different from what I imagined.”

“That won’t happen in the future.” Shang JunLin tightened his arms around Shen Yu.

Shen Yu was surprised. “Hmm?” 

“In the future, there won’t be anything Ah Yu wants but can’t have.”

Shang JunLin couldn’t change Shen Yu’s past. It was too late. All he could do was, little by little, make up for the unhappiness Shen Yu experienced in the past. Now that Shang JunLin was here, he could guarantee Shen Yu wouldn’t feel the same unhappiness in the future!

“I’m not a child anymore. If I really want something, I’ll get it myself.” Shen Yu looked up at the sky. “Things are good now. I have Your Majesty, and I’m already satisfied.”

This life was a gift he hadn’t asked for, and his fate was in his own hands. He could live his life as he wished.

After returning to the palace, their days gradually returned to normal. The new medicine tasted bitter, but aside from that, Shen Yu didn’t have anything to be discontented about.

“Is it really impossible to make Imperial Physician Gu change the prescription?” Shen Yu took the bowl and drank the medicine down. Then he immediately grabbed a handful of preserved fruit and put it in his mouth.

“Ah Yu will have to endure it a few more days. After this course of treatment, the prescription will change.”

Shen Yu looked suspiciously at the man who spoke so glibly about things he didn’t have to do himself. “Your Majesty told me the same thing yesterday.”

“Imperial Physician Gu said that adding things to suppress the bitterness will dilute the effects of the medicine. For the sake of your health, Ah Yu will have to bear it.” Shang JunLin didn’t want to see Shen Yu suffer either, but he’d already asked Imperial Physician Gu about it. The medicine would be unpleasant for a while, but he hoped Shen Yu would recover faster.

In just a few days, the little bit of flesh that had been gained with so much effort was gone. Shen Yu’s face was visibly thinner than before he fell ill.

Shen Yu knew the medicine was for his own good. He just couldn’t help complaining to Shang JunLin. Thinking about the reason for his illness, Shen Yu asked, “What about the man in gray? Who really did this to me?”

“We haven’t found the person behind it. The man refuses to speak no matter how much he’s tortured. If not for the fact he was captured in time, he would have already taken poison and killed himself.” Shang JunLin wanted to know who was responsible even more than Shen Yu did, but the lack of clues meant it was impossible to find out.

Last time there was an accident in Yuzhang Palace, he replaced most of the attendants, but he didn’t find the mastermind. He estimated it would be just as difficult this time.

“The man in gray must be a dead soldier. He knew our movements, and he understands the usual methods of the Hidden Dragon Guard and imperial guard.” Shen Yu pondered. “Putting the rest aside, there probably aren’t many people in all of Da Huan who know the methods of the Hidden Dragon Guard.”

The Hidden Dragon Guard were similar in nature to dead soldiers. Usually they only operated in the dark. Many of the ministers knew such a force existed and was in Shang JunLin’s hands, but nothing more. As for what the Hidden Dragon Guard looked like and how they operated, it wasn’t clear at all.

Shen Yu: “In that case, we probably won’t be able to learn anything about the man in gray. When the other party decided to act, they must have made plans in case of failure.”

Shang JunLin: “This emperor agrees.”

The man in gray had given the interrogators a real headache. They reached a near-consensus that, as a dead soldier, the man would never say anything. However, His Majesty didn’t relent, and they were forced to keep trying.

When the man had been tormented to his last breath, His Majesty finally sent an order: No need to ask anything else, just continue the methods.

The men who received the order looked at each other with blank faces. “What does His Majesty mean by this?” 

“His Majesty is venting his anger for the noble monarch. Just don’t go easy on him,” someone responded.

Another man sighed. “His Majesty really cares about the noble monarch.” 

“Stop talking and get back to work. We can also get our revenge for what we’ve suffered the past few days.”

On the other side of the dark prison, listening to the muffled screams coming from a distance, the King of Yue shrank into a corner.

He didn’t know whether those people did it intentionally, but every time they interrogated prisoners, it wasn’t far from him. If it was only once or twice it would have been fine, but after so many times, not even an immortal could endure the screams that continually pierced his ears.

In addition to the screaming, there were all sorts of torture sounds that were creepy to listen to: the “zizi” sound of a hot soldering iron meeting skin, the “crunch” that made one’s teeth ache, the sound of a whip landing on flesh, the sound of someone being beaten….

After a few days, the King of Yue was exhausted, and his dreams were filled with similar noises.

He couldn’t stay here any longer! He had to get out!

The King of Yue could no longer abide by the instructions of the late emperor, who told him to never use those forces until he had to. He just wanted to get out of this dark place and escape from the never-ending sound of torture!

The commander of the Hidden Dragon Guard kneeled respectfully. “Your Majesty, there’s been some movement.”

“Don’t beat the grass and startle the snake. This emperor wants to catch the big fish behind the King of Yue at the same time.” Shang JunLin sat on the throne with his head propped in his hand. His tone was flat.

“Yes.”

The King of Yue used a secretive method to initiate contact. Afterwards he felt relieved. When he heard the screams next door, they weren’t as difficult to endure.

The screams in the next cell continued, and low conversation could be heard occasionally. It was all about how much His Majesty doted on Noble Monarch Shen. The King of Yue sat by the wall and couldn’t help recalling that elegant young man in blue.

Shen Yu.

What exactly had gone wrong and made Shen Yu change his attitude towards him overnight? The King of Yue still didn’t understand.

When Shen Yu heard about the King of Yue from Shang JunLin, he didn’t understand. “Why did he suddenly lose his nerve?”

With the King of Yue’s caution, he should have been able to endure a few days in prison.

“This emperor asked them to interrogate the man in gray near the King of Yue’s cell,” Shang JunLin said calmly.

“Pfft.” Shen Yu couldn’t help laughing. “How did Your Majesty think of such a method?”

Shen Yu could imagine exactly how much the King of Yue had suffered. The King of Yue was the type of person who couldn’t stand noise. With those kinds of sounds lingering in his ears every day, it was amazing he waited so long to make a move.

“The noble monarch taught this emperor well.”

Shen Yu: “? ? ?”

“What did I teach Your Majesty?”

Shang JunLin reminded him: “The noble monarch asked this emperor to send letters summoning all of the King of Yue’s beauties….”

Shen Yu spluttered, but when he thought of how much misery the King of Yue must have been in, he decided to let it be.

Speaking of the dark prison, Shen Yu thought of someone else who was imprisoned there. “Your Majesty, did you hear anything about the He family?”

“Yes,” said Shang JunLin, frowning slightly. “They secretly traveled to the capital.”

When they arrived, Shang JunLin took no action to avoid startling them. He just told his people to watch their every move. For the time being, there was no other action.

The He family, the unknown forces behind them, and the King of Yue. Shen Yu considered the three together, and a new thought occurred to him. Maybe Young Master He was a cover for something else? If the King of Yue had the help of a mysterious force, maybe it wasn’t because he rescued Little Young Master He….

No—in that case, there was no need for the King of Yue to go to such great lengths to break Young Master He out of the dark prison. The King of Yue wasn’t the type to do anything unless it profited him. If he didn’t have a big enough stake in the outcome, he wouldn’t have taken such a big risk to free someone who was deep inside the dark prison.

“Your Majesty, please keep an eye on what’s going on with Young Master He,” Shen Yu reminded him.

“This emperor will pay attention.” Shang JunLin finished, put down the memorial he was holding, and approached Shen Yu who was standing on the other side.

“Does the noble monarch remember our bet? The spring exams will begin soon.” Shang JunLin picked up Shen Yu and carried him over to the soft couch. He gently set the young man down and immediately leaned over—

Shen Yu twisted around and escaped from Shang JunLin’s shackles. “Victory or defeat haven’t been decided. Why is Your Majesty in such a hurry?”

—

The author has something to say:

Today when I wrote about the swing, I couldn’t help but imagine the scene after the two confess their feelings and Ah Yu is pressed against the swing and so forth, so here’s a small theater:

The white fingers clung tightly to the rope as the swing kept swaying in time with the man’s movements. Shen Yu clutched the man’s clothes with his other hand, and his voice was heard intermittently:

“Your Majesty, mmm… Stop…”

“Don’t be afraid, hold this emperor tight.”

Shang JunLin embraced him tightly. Their clothes were still intact, and the black and white intertwined, layer upon layer. With the swaying of the swing, they gradually merged into one…