Chapter 138: You're Bullying Me

The romance time-travel novel had just launched its latest update, but you only came because Baili Xian claimed his life was utterly miserable. This naturally stirred a great deal of sympathy in Liu Linger’s heart. At this moment, Baili Xian would surely have been thrown to the ground and trampled underfoot, perhaps even swept away like trash with a large broom.

Liu Linger’s lips twitched: “Hey, Baili Xian, go ahead and cry if you must, but don’t wipe your snot on me. If I can’t stand it anymore, I won’t let you have a good outcome.”

Her threat worked immediately. Baili Xian withdrew the hand he’d been using to wipe his nose on her, nervously glancing at Liu Linger with cautious eyes. He feared that she might suddenly lose her temper and transform into a fierce tigress, ready to beat him senseless.

“Good grief, Baili Xian, can’t you be cute for once?” Liu Linger gazed at him with pity, as if silently accusing, “I’m not thinking clearly today, but you—you can’t bully me, can you?”

In an instant, Liu Linger’s anger vanished. Sitting at the bedside, caught in a dilemma between staying or leaving, her eyes flicked to the teacup on the table. “Ah Xian, you must be thirsty. Let me pour you a cup of water, okay?”

After drinking, it’s easy to get thirsty, and Baili Xian had been rambling on to Liu Linger for quite some time, leaving his mouth dry. Her suggestion was just what he wanted. With a wipe of his face, Baili Xian said, “Sure.”

In the blink of an eye, all the tears and snot disappeared. His change of expression was even more impressive than a master of Sichuan Opera face-changing.

After finishing the water, Baili Xian handed the cup back to Liu Linger. Just as she was about to place it on the bedside cabinet, he spoke again, “I want more.”

Perhaps he was extremely thirsty, and Liu Linger understood. She poured him another cup, which Baili Xian drank down in one gulp.

Liu Linger thought Baili Xian was fine now, but as soon as she took the cup, he whispered in her ear, “Another cup.”

She thought she’d heard wrong and looked up at him. Baili Xian glared, “What are you staring at? Didn’t you hear me? I want more water.”

Damn it. He really thought she was his servant, bossing her around as if it were completely natural. If it weren’t for seeing how confused he was after drinking, she might have quit right then and there. Though she gave him a few half-hearted slaps, Liu Linger still tolerated him.

But this time, she was smarter. She didn’t go back and forth pouring water again; instead, she brought the teapot over and filled his cup to the brim. When Baili Xian had drunk nearly all the water, Liu Linger forced a smile, “Prince Xian, why aren’t you drinking anymore? I don’t have much else, but there’s plenty of tea.”

“Thank you, my lady. You really care for me. Come here for a hug.” Liu Linger’s skin prickled all over. Who would have thought that the stern commander of the imperial guards, the Prince Xian who ranked just below the lord of the Xian Palace and was known as the Cold-faced Prince, would act so coquettishly?

She snatched the teacup from Baili Xian’s hand. “Prince Xian, you’ve finished that water too. Why don’t you sleep now? I’ll watch over you. No one will disturb you, okay? Be good.” Her tone turned into earnest pleading. She was genuinely afraid of him. If this went on, Baili Xian might not collapse, but she certainly would.

She wanted to rest, but Baili Xian stubbornly went against her wishes. “Where were we just now? Oh right, the bloody night three summers ago.”

Baili Xian tapped his head. “Little Shuangshuang was not even a month old, and Susu was still recovering from childbirth. But the emperor’s health was being ravaged by illness, getting worse by the day, with no hope in sight.

“At that time, my eldest brother was busy managing state affairs and rushing back and forth taking care of Susu and the baby. He was overwhelmed. My second brother told him, ‘Susu just gave birth. You should stay with her more. I’ll handle the court affairs for you.’

“My eldest brother trusted him without suspicion and handed over the power to manage the court. I warned my brother to be wary of my second brother, but he didn’t take it seriously. After all, they were family. What difference does it make who becomes emperor?

“Until the day I received the imperial guard’s token secretly sent by the late emperor himself, I knew something was wrong in the palace. When I led the guards to the palace, the atmosphere was completely different.

“When palace insiders told me my eldest brother had drawn his sword to assassinate the emperor and force him to abdicate, I was stunned. But when I asked where my eldest brother was, they said he failed in his assassination and was now being hunted by palace assassins. These impossible things were happening.

“I knew my eldest brother was being framed. Anyone could usurp the throne, but my brother would never do something so foolish. He was the crown prince—how could he be so reckless? On that day, the emperor passed away, and my second brother took the throne under the late emperor’s decree. Sadly, my eldest brother’s whereabouts have been unknown since then. Also, I never got to see the late emperor one last time.”

Watching ancient dramas filled with countless melodramatic palace intrigues and secret histories, Liu Linger never imagined she would hear such a story straight from Baili Xian’s mouth. With a brother like that, no wonder Baili Xian’s fate was so tragic.

Baili Xian sighed deeply. “At that time, I exchanged the ordinary military power I held for Susu and Little Shuangshuang’s lives. Ning Susu was locked away in the cold palace by my second brother, and I brought Little Shuangshuang to the Xian Prince’s residence. Over the years, my second brother has tried every means to weaken my power. I don’t have to attend court sessions anymore—ha, a nice way of putting it. It’s clear they’re trying to push me out of the center of power.”

“Do you know why your second brother hasn’t killed you?” Baili Xian suddenly asked Liu Linger.

Liu Linger didn’t know; she wasn’t a prophet and didn’t want to be like her senior sister Ma Ling’er, who was gifted in divination. “Maybe he doesn’t want brothers to slaughter each other. It’s a family affair.”

That excuse was so poor that even Liu Linger doubted Baili Xian would believe it. Baili Xian rolled his eyes. “Are you really that dumb or just pretending? My second brother has always wanted me dead. He hasn’t suddenly changed his mind after all these years.

“The Baili royal family controls a power base established by the founding empress, controlled by every emperor in turn. When the late emperor died, my second brother likely didn’t gain control of that faction, while I was granted command of the imperial guards. Baili Hai both feared my military power and assumed the late emperor had entrusted that faction to me as well. That’s why he dared not make a move against me.”

Liu Linger’s heart skipped a beat. The Baili family’s faction—if there was no mistake—should be the Tianfa Organization. She had inherited that power herself. Should she tell Baili Xian?

After some thought, Liu Linger decided against it. Baili Xian was still not fully lucid and might not even remember if she told him. Besides, that faction was given to her by her senior sister for a reason. Most importantly, Baili Xian seemed to have finished his confession and had now fallen asleep.

Finally, there was peace. Liu Linger knew waking him now would only make things uncomfortable for herself. She tidied the blanket over him and, exhausted, leaned against the bed frame, drifting into a light doze.