HMIME Chapter 55: Because it’s you, I love you

 Bai Lu had hardly slept all night, soaking in the steaming hot bath, surrounded by warm water. He watched as flower petals and herbal leaves floated on the surface, feeling his eyelids getting heavier and heavier, almost unable to keep them open.

As drowsiness overwhelmed him, Bai Lu shifted to a more comfortable position by the edge of the pool, intending to rest for a while. However, as soon as he closed his eyes, he unexpectedly fell asleep.

When Chu Ya entered the bathhouse, he saw Bai Lu leaning against the edge of the pool, deeply asleep.

Chu Ya shook his head helplessly. “Isn’t he afraid of choking on water?”

He walked over to the pool, bent down, and gently lifted Bai Lu out of the lukewarm water. The hem of his robe unavoidably got wet, but Chu Ya didn’t mind. He grabbed a loose bathrobe and wrapped Bai Lu in it before taking him back to the bedroom.

Bai Lu, still half-asleep, felt the soft and comfortable bed beneath his back as he was placed on it. He immediately relaxed, his slightly furrowed brows smoothing out.

In his sleepy state, he blindly groped around and found a pillow to hug tightly, sighing contentedly.

Chu Ya couldn’t help but chuckle silently. Was Bai Lu awake or still asleep?

He removed Bai Lu’s bathrobe, pulled up the covers, and glanced at the sky outside the window. It was almost noon. When Bai Lu was supposed to bathe earlier, Chu Ya had him eat something simple first and had the army physician check his pulse and injuries.

Now there was no rush to wake him up for lunch, so Chu Ya decided to let him sleep until the afternoon, then have him wake up directly for dinner. Today was cool, and the game from yesterday was already prepared, so he planned to let Bai Lu enjoy a barbecue dinner, although it wasn’t the healthiest option, it was one of his favorites.

Chu Ya was now brainstorming ways to please Bai Lu while he slept.

Bai Lu’s abduction by the Sky-Wolf Sect had caught him off guard, and hearing about the deaths from Chen Hu had left Chu Ya at a loss. Bai Lu was angry, whether at his coldness or his concealment, it was difficult to handle.

Chu Ya had been the emperor for nearly three years and had never encountered such a difficult situation. He didn’t know where to start or what to do. It was truly worrying.

As Chu Ya had expected, Bai Lu slept until the afternoon.

He was indeed tired, having been shocked and frightened all night, mentally and physically exhausted. After a good night’s sleep, he felt relaxed all over, his mind much clearer, and his muscles still a bit soft from just waking up. So, he lazily lay in bed, not wanting to get up.

Bai Lu half-opened his eyes, intending to take a nap, but as he turned over, he saw Chu Ya standing silently at the bedside, staring at him like a ghost.

“?!?”

Bai Lu was startled and sat up abruptly, hitting his head on the wooden bedpost with a thud.

“Ouch…”

Rubbing his sore head, Bai Lu glared at Chu Ya resentfully. “What are you doing standing there? Don’t you know it’s frightening to stare at people like that?”

“I thought you were about to wake up, so I came over to check.” Chu Ya reached out and touched the back of Bai Lu’s head, relieved to find no bumps or wounds.

He handed Bai Lu a warm damp towel and gently said, “First, wash your face. Dinner is almost ready.”

Bai Lu raised an eyebrow suspiciously, but still took the towel and wiped his face. Indeed, he felt much more awake afterwards. He tossed the towel aside, pushed Chu Ya away, and got out of bed.

“Don’t bother with this act. Even if you try to please me, I won’t forgive you for a while.”

Chu Ya smiled and followed him, standing behind him and helping him straighten out his messy hair. “I don’t have any ulterior motives. I just want to be gentler with you after you’ve had a fright. It’ll make you feel better.”

“Whatever, I don’t know you that well.” Bai Lu rolled his eyes, “You’re just feeling guilty, that’s why you’re trying to please me.”

He knew Chu Ya too well. Although he was usually very good to him, whenever he showed excessive kindness like this, it meant he had done something wrong and was trying to cover it up.

Bai Lu immediately concluded that besides the eleven people who had died, Chu Ya was hiding something else from him.

Bai Lu looked at Chu Ya’s expression in the bronze mirror on the table, trying to find a clue from that handsome face, but Chu Ya remained calm. Apart from his overly gentle smile, there was nothing unusual about him. After staring at him for a while, Bai Lu almost got seduced by his beauty.

He quickly looked away, coughing awkwardly. “I’m hungry.”

Chu Ya handed him the clothes he needed to change into and helped him put them on. Then they went out together.

It was the most comfortable time of autumn, with clear skies, warm sun, and a gentle breeze. Bai Lu sat in the pavilion like a master, waiting for the chefs to bring him the grilled food.

Chu Ya sat opposite him, serving him a bowl of sweet lamb milk soup and a cup of refreshing jasmine tea.

Despite his attentive care, Bai Lu still didn’t pay much attention to him. Chu Ya thought for a moment and tentatively said, “When we return, I thought of taking this opportunity to make you a deep-cover spy, adding some military achievements to your name. Once you have accomplishments, I’ll promote you to a first-class guard.”

After saying this, Chu Ya carefully observed Bai Lu’s reaction. He was still nonchalantly eating, not even looking up.

Chu Ya pondered for a moment, then tried another approach. “Once your position rises, I’ll double your monthly stipend?”

“…,” Bai Lu still didn’t respond. He finished his food, took a sip of tea, then looked at Chu Ya with a steady gaze. “You’ve been trying to please me like this, but it’s meaningless. All I want is an apology from you. From yesterday until now, you haven’t even said sorry to me once.”

Chu Ya was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized his mistake. He hurriedly said, “A-Bai, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to deceive you…”

Bai Lu raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t mean to?”

“Well, I intentionally hid it from you.”

Chu Ya looked into Bai Lu’s dark eyes and, for once, deeply reflected on himself. “Because I was afraid. I was afraid that you wouldn’t accept my dark side. I always wanted to present a perfect image of a lover to you, rather than a cruel, cold-hearted villain.”

He finally confessed his thoughts, feeling a mix of relief and anxiety as he waited for Bai Lu’s response.

After a long silence, Bai Lu reached out and touched the ring finger of Chu Ya’s left hand, where the wedding ring should have been.

“We’ve known each other for so many years?”

Chu Ya hesitated. “Almost five years.”

“I’ve known you for so long, and I’ve long known what kind of bastard you are. But I’m still willing to be with you. Do you know why?”

“Because you’re you.”

Even if he changed his appearance, his voice, his identity, he was still the same person. Bai Lu could love him decisively in this lifetime for one reason only: he was Chu Ya.