HMIME Chapter 44: What’s Wrong with the Little Kitten Shedding Fur?!

Chu Ya led Bai Lu out of the secret chamber, walking through a long dark corridor, and then out of a door, which surprisingly led to Chu Ya’s study.

After Si Zhu came out, he manipulated some kind of hidden mechanism, and the bookshelves on both sides silently closed towards the middle, quickly covering the door behind them.

Bai Lu, like any man passing by a construction site, was very interested in this kind of secret passage mechanism. He circled around the bookshelves, studying them for a while, but couldn’t make sense of it. Plus, with Chu Ya urging him to go eat nearby, he had no choice but to give up.

Sure enough, it started raining during dinner. It began with a few drops, but soon it poured heavily, pattering on the banana leaves. The eunuch in charge of the kitchen, familiar with Bai Lu’s preferences, had already set up the dining table in the Tingyu Pavilion.

Bai Lu wanted to invite Si Zhu to dinner as well. Although he didn’t particularly like him, Si Zhu had saved his life, so it was only proper to treat him. However, as soon as they left the White Deer Palace, Si Zhu disappeared like a drop of rain into the ocean. Bai Lu didn’t notice, and he vanished before Bai Lu could say anything, just like Ling Feng, always elusive.

Chu Ya turned around and saw Bai Lu constantly looking around. He couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong? Who are you looking for?”

“Just now, Si Zhu.” Bai Lu looked around for Si Zhu’s figure, feeling puzzled. “He was here a second ago, but now he’s nowhere to be seen.”

Chu Ya smiled and wrapped his arm around Bai Lu’s shoulder. “Forget about him; he has his own work to do.”

Bai Lu was surprised. “It’s so late, and he’s still working? You’re really exploiting your subordinates. Don’t you pay them overtime?”

Chu Ya remained silent.

Overtime pay? Since when did assassins get paid overtime for killing people in the middle of the night?

On the table in the Tingyu Pavilion sat a copper pot emitting steam, filled with tender braised beef. There were sixteen delicate side dishes, and a pot of clear stewed pigeon tofu soup beside it, with a milky white and rich aroma.

As soon as Bai Lu sat down, he forgot about Si Zhu. He picked up a delicate porcelain bowl and served himself some pigeon soup, sprinkling it with pepper.

Chu Ya picked up two pieces of beef for him, intentionally or unintentionally saying, “It’s raining, and it’s cold at night. How about going to bed early tonight?”

Bai Lu sipped his soup and glanced at Chu Ya over the bowl. “It’s not cold. It’s quite cool, actually. I plan to visit my mother tonight. I heard she’s teaching Concubine Wen to dance Latin.”

“Latin…” Chu Ya sighed helplessly. “Women’s activities, why bother getting involved? Listen, don’t go out tonight. It’s chilly, and it’s raining heavily. If you catch a cold and can’t work tomorrow, your pay will be deducted.”

As soon as money was mentioned, Bai Lu realized the seriousness of the problem. He put down his bowl, incredulous. “No sick leave? Deducting pay for being absent due to illness?”

Knowing Bai Lu took the bait, Chu Ya playfully threatened, “No sick leave. If you’re absent due to illness, I won’t compensate you.”

Bai Lu banged his chopsticks on the table in frustration. “The evils of feudal capitalist exploitation! Always squeezing us poor folks dry!”

Chu Ya said, “…You’re not a poor folk. Eat your food.”

So Bai Lu, filled with hatred for the heartless capitalist, protested and grumbled through his meal. Each bite felt like chewing on the flesh of oppressors, as if he was trying to reclaim the money deducted from him, even though it wasn’t.

After dinner, the palace eunuch and another little eunuch held oil-paper umbrellas and accompanied Chu Ya and Bai Lu back to the Bailu Palace.

Their dinner had taken longer than usual. By the time they returned to their bedroom, it was already dark outside, and the rain had become drizzly, gradually subsiding.

Bai Lu was about to change clothes when he heard the rain easing up. He immediately fastened his belt again and prepared to go out.

“The rain seems to have stopped. I’m going to the Lotus Pavilion to find my mother. She said she would make osmanthus cake for me yesterday and asked me to pick it up today.”

He seemed calm, as if the heavily guarded harem had already become his maternal home.

Chu Ya suddenly felt uneasy. If Bai Lu went to the harem at this hour, he might run into Si Zhu committing a crime. Although Si Zhu was always discreet when killing, the chances of Bai Lu catching him were slim, Chu Ya couldn’t risk it.

So he decided to sacrifice his charm, hugged Bai Lu from behind, and kissed his sensitive neck and ears softly, using a low, magnetic voice to provoke him. “It’s late. Let’s go to sleep. We can discuss other matters tomorrow.”

He emphasized the word ‘sleep’ deliberately, making it sound suggestive, fueling the imagination.

Bai Lu’s throat moved up and down, feeling a strange heat rising in his lower abdomen. A wicked idea formed in his mind.

His forgetful brain always succumbed to Chu Ya’s subtle seduction, forgetting his own position, and only thinking about dominating Chu Ya in bed, doing all sorts of naughty things.

Bai Lu thought about it, and then he acted on it. He turned around, tiptoed, and directly kissed Chu Ya’s mouth, his hands not idle, reaching out to tug at Chu Ya’s clothes, behaving like a hooligan.

Chu Ya chuckled lowly, going along with his actions, half-pushing and half-enticing him to the bed, and then they ended up rolling onto the bed while kissing.

Bai Lu was determined to assert his dominance, like a little wolf, kissing Chu Ya’s neck, imitating Chu Ya’s usual caresses, but now on Chu Ya’s body, groping randomly.

But Chu Ya didn’t feel much pleasure from his own body; his greatest pleasure during lovemaking came from Bai Lu. Watching Bai Lu’s distressed moans, cries for mercy, and pleas for forgiveness was much more enjoyable than being randomly groped a few times.

So Chu Ya reached out and grabbed Bai Lu’s nape, gently lifting him off and placing him aside. He said provocatively, “Since A-Bai is in such a good mood today, why don’t we try out what I’ve prepared for you?”

Bai Lu, still immersed in lust, didn’t raise his guard after hearing this, just felt puzzled. “What did you prepare?”

“The things I showed you the other day.” Chu Ya patted Bai Lu’s back and coaxed him softly, “You know where they are. Be a good boy and get them yourself.”

Bai Lu suddenly woke up from his passion, realizing that he had stepped halfway into the fire pit. Someone was eyeing him eagerly.

He didn’t even realize the danger and asked, “What things? How do I use them?”

Chu Ya just smiled and whispered something in Bai Lu’s ear.

Bai Lu’s eyes widened, his face changed suddenly, and he struggled to get off the bed, angrily saying, “Why didn’t you say so earlier! I don’t want to be poked by that thing! Let go of me!”

Chu Ya restrained him with one hand and looked at the jade devices on the bed. He comforted, “Don’t worry, these things aren’t as big as mine. It won’t hurt. Come here.”

After saying that, he pulled Bai Lu over, and casually closed the bed curtains.

Bai Lu was horrified. “You’ve changed! You’ve changed! You’re saying such shameless things now! Don’t touch me, don’t take off my clothes, put that thing down…!”

The carved wooden bed was sturdy and heavy, bearing their passionate encounter without a single movement, except for the slight swaying of the canopy, indicating the intensity of their affair.

The next day, Bai Lu couldn’t get up. Chu Ya deliberately stayed in bed with him a little longer, gently massaging his sore waist while he slept, and secretly touched his backside.

By the time the sun was high, Bai Lu woke up. The first thing he said with clenched teeth was, “Just you wait! One day, I’ll take your life!”

It was indeed a harsh threat, spoken with a fierce tone, but with the crimson eyes and mottled kiss marks on his neck, coupled with the bruises on his wrists, it lacked any real menace.

He had gone a bit too far last night, indulging in some special techniques, his enthusiasm heightened more than usual. He accidentally (intentionally) made Bai Lu cry and even whispered many embarrassing sweet nothings to him while he was out of his mind.

So now Bai Lu was furious, even contemplating murder or cannibalism, but it was completely understandable.

Emperor Chu felt quite aggrieved. Wasn’t it the duty of the Empress to accompany him to bed? Why so angry? What was the point?

T/N: Guys, If you are reading this as I am publishing, just know that I am re-editing some chapters so you might come across some inconsistent names.