Volume Three, Chapter Thirty-Seven

He jumped in fright. He had never imagined Li Chenjing would make such an intimate gesture in full view of everyone. Their closeness left him feeling as though needles pricked his back, and he instinctively tried to look behind him at the officials watching and gossiping by the palace gates. But his neck was forcibly turned forward, making him face an icy expression utterly at odds with Li Chenjing's outrageous actions.

"Do you want rumors of your passion for cut sleeves spreading on your very first day at court? Let go!" He had been lifted several inches in that embrace, with only his tiptoes touching the ground to keep his balance. "From now on, we're both the same sex. If a colleague submits an impeachment against us, they'll start saying we're a disgrace again! Haven't you been punished enough? You've only just been released, and you already want to be locked up again?"

"Being locked up would be fine, if it were just the two of us."

"Even with me dressed like this?" He pointedly indicated his male court attire.

"Yes. Whatever clothing you wear is fine. Wearing nothing is fine too."

Author's note:

I told you our dear Zhao was going to stir up trouble...

Things really are different once they've slept together, huh? Give me back my abstinent, upright Young Master, sob sob sob.

Chapter 125: Volume Three, Chapter Thirty-Seven

"...You're still in the mood to play the Young Master at a time like this?" Was this how he had infuriated His Majesty? Calmly reporting what had happened between them, then adding that he intended to take responsibility and marry him? With a way of speaking that practically begged for a beating, no wonder His Majesty had been so angry that he had hauled him off to the