Gu Fuzhou repeatedly pondered the words “not necessarily”. Lin Qingyu did “not necessarily” not miss him; did “not necessarily” only like girls.

How exactly was he supposed to take this? Why won’t Lin Qingyu just answer him directly? Could it be that Lin Qingyu was… not exactly in love -- don't lie -- but just liked him a little?

He wanted to ask more questions, but the tipsy great beauty had already closed his eyes, though he still clutched the corner of his sleeve.

Gu Fuzhou consoled himself: No rush, no rush. Take it slowly. This is also a kind of sincerity. It takes time for a straight man to turn into a cut-sleeve. He was able to carry Lin Qingyu after having known each other for two years. At the rate they were going, he might just be able to kiss his forehead in another eight or ten years.

Oh, shit.

The sobering soup was useless at this point. Gu Fuzhou took off his clothes and lay down beside Lin Qingyu. Once again, he was sleeping in the same bed with Lin Qingyu and his reaction showed no signs of fading. He didn’t expect that a body in its thirties would be so energetic even after drinking alcohol. It was making him feel a little uncomfortable.

However, this body truly hasn’t vented for a very long time and enduring it any longer would be bad for the body.

Gu Fuzhou spent a little while just looking at Lin Qingyu’s sleeping face. Looking at it sent his heart aflame. He then looked around the room — the towels he could use for wiping and cleaning were on the shelf a few steps away from the bed; there was no hot water in the house and if he really were to do something, he would have to call someone to bring in water to wash his hands. It was so cold outside and the bed was oh so warm.

Gu Fuzhou hesitated. He hesitated and hesitated again. In the end, he chose to simply lie down and accept his fate.

Forget it. Just go to sleep. You won’t have to think about it when you’re asleep. Maybe there’ll be something exciting in his dreams.

On the first day of the new year, Lin Qingyu got up half an hour later than usual. Occasionally, drinking a little wine helps him sleep. He slept very well last night. When he woke up, he felt good but he was a little thirsty.

Lin Qingyu moved a little and his back bumped into a warm and firm chest. He had only been tipsy last night and he remembered clearly what had he said and done. When Gu Fuzhou went to bed, he hadn’t even fallen completely asleep yet.

Gu Fuzhou had asked him if he still only likes women. Lu Wancheng also asked him this question once before he died.

The two answers he gave were completely different. So, what did Gu Fuzhou think? He still remembered that the day after he married Lu Wancheng, Lu Wancheng kept saying that he wasn’t gay. Later, he kept pestering him to be friends, insisting that they call each other brothers. Being a cut-sleeve, this kind of thing, has to be done together. If one person cuts and the other doesn’t, it will only bring more troubles.

Lin Qingyu stayed lying down for a while before he tried getting up. He was lying on the inside of the bed and the way out was completely blocked by Gu Fuzhou, who was sleeping on the outside. If he wanted to get out, the only way was by stepping over Gu Fuzhou.

Gu Fuzhou was sound asleep. Usually, at this hour, the earth quaking and the mountains shaking couldn’t get him to wake up. Lin Qingyu felt that he didn’t have to worry about it but he still lightened his movements. Unexpectedly, just as he was halfway over, Gu Fuzhou suddenly turned over, causing him to topple to a sit over Gu Fuzhou’s waist.

Although Lin Qingyu was thin, he was an adult man nonetheless. The sudden force down, caused Gu Fuzhou to frown and he very reluctantly opened his eyes.

The moment Lin Qingyu locked eyes with him, for the first time in Lin Qingyu’s life, he felt completely at a loss as to what to do. His current posture didn’t seem right.

Lin Qingyu’s hair was very long and seated over the man’s waist, the blue silk of his hair cascaded over his shoulders, some strands falling to his chest. Gu Fuzhou looked for a while but because he was too sleepy, he closed his eyes once again.

Lin Qingyu breathed a sigh of relief. He was about to resume his getting out of bed, when a pair of hands closed around his waist on either side.

Gu Fuzhou still had his eyes closed, his voice low and smiling, “Thinking of escaping?”

Lin Qingyu said calmly, “I want to get some water.”

Gu Fuzhou tried scaring him, “If you get up early on the first day of the new year, you will be forced to get up early throughout the rest of the year.”

Lin Qingyu laughed. “Waking up early is nothing to me – now let go. I’m really thirsty.”

Gu Fuzhou didn’t allow him to get up. He hugged him back and then stuffed him back into the quilt. Lin Qingyu saw that he was mouthing some words and when he looked closer, he found that he was actually counting down. “Five, four, three…”

When he reached “one”, Gu Fuzhou suddenly opened his eyes. He lifted the quilt and got out of bed, strode to the charcoal stove and quickly poured a cup of tea, bringing it immediately to Lin Qingyu. As soon as Lin Qingyu took the tea cup, he burrowed back under the quilt. “It’s so cold, so cold. I’m going to freeze.”

The tea has been warmed on the charcoal stove and was slightly hot. Lin Qingyu sat on the bed, taking small sips. The dryness in his throat due to drinking the night before was quickly relieved.

Gu Fuzhou, wrapped in the quilt, watched the beauty drinking morning tea. He’d wanted to relieve himself last night but gave up the idea because it was too cold. It wasn’t much warmer in the wee hours of the morning than at night but he was unexpectedly able to get himself up within ten seconds for Lin Qingyu, going to the other room to bring him back tea.

Gu Fuzhou couldn’t help feeling emotional: Fuck, I really like him.

Lin Qingyu slowly finished his cup of tea. Gu Fuzhou took the empty cup and put it on the side of the bed. “Not that you’re no longer thirsty, can you stay in bed with me?”

Lin Qingyu said, “Today’s a rest day. No one’s going to stop you from staying in bed. Why do you want to drag me along?”

Gu Fuzhou smiled and said, “It’s boring by myself but with two of us, we can talk.”

“What do you want to talk about?”

Gu Fuzhou thought about it and said, “Why don’t we play Connect-the-words?”

Lin Qingyu glanced at him. “A game that Qinghe stopped playing when he was five? Are you sure you want to play that?”

“Oh, does Doctor Lin think my game too childish? Okay, then let’s discuss how one becomes a true and proper wild king.”

Lin Qingyu wondered, “Why would you want to be a true and proper wild turtle?”

…

The two of them were nestled under the quilt, exchanging inconsequential chatter. In the blink of an eye, it was already three poles high in the sun. Save for when he was sick, Lin Qingyu had never gotten up so late. A rotten apple spoils the barrel. Being in close contact with this bag of lazybones for so long, even he couldn’t help being lazy occasionally.

However, he had to admit that having a lie-in with Gu Fuzhou in the middle of winter felt really good.

Gu Fuzhou had no parents and there no guests would come to the mansion on the first day of the new year. After freshening up, the two took their noon meal together. The servants who stayed in the mansion to celebrate the New Year came one after another to give their New Year’s greetings to the master, offering auspicious words. Lin Qingyu had Yuan Yin to take out the pre-prepared rewards and distributed them to the servants one by one. Among them, Huan Tong and Hua Lu were undoubtedly the most rewarded, several times higher than the others.

When Huan Tong got the money gift, he beamed, “Thank you, Young Master. Thank you, General. I wish for the Young Master to have all your wishes come true. May the General grow younger with every passing year — Achoo.”

Lin Qingyu asked, “Have you caught a cold?”

Huan Tong wiped his nose with the back of his finger and complained, “It’s been really cold these past couple days. It’s like an ice cellar under the quilts when I sleep.”

Gu Fuzhou’s tone was lazy. “It can’t be, it can’t be. There are actually still people without a wife to warm their bed in winter?”

Huan Tong: “…”

Lin Qingyu threw a look at Gu Fuzhou, signaling him to shut his mouth. He summoned Yuan Yin and said, “Make the arrangements. The amount of charcoal in each room is to be doubled during winter.”

After the crowd of servants dispersed, Gu Fuzhou took out a heavy purse. “Happy New Year, Qingyu. Here’s my money gift for you.”

Lin Qingyu was puzzled. “You’re younger than I am. Why are you giving me New Year’s money?”

Gu Fuzhou said, “In terms of physical age, I’m twelve years older than you. And in my hometown, the husband prepares New Year’s money for his wife.”

Lin Qingyu smiled. “Thank you.”

Gu Fuzhou smiled as well. “I’ve given you my New Year’s greetings. Would you like saying one back?”

“Alright.” Lin Qingyu flicked his sleeves, put his hands in front of him, closed his eyes and bowed slightly to Gu Fuzhou, “First, a thousand years to langjun and second, to the qieshen, perpetual health.”

Lin Qingyu’s attitude was dignified and magnanimous, a graceful bearing befitting a learned scholar. In contrast, Gu Fuzhou immediately felt that his New Year’s greeting just now felt like a child’s playing house.

He knew this poem — and it was about a couple making a toast and exchanging wishes at a spring banquet—Lin Qingyu used it to pay his New Year’s greetings to his husband.

Gu Fuzhou imitated Lin Qingyu’s movements, bending over to return the salute, “Third, like the swallows perched on roof beams, may we see each other year after year.”

News that Xiao Jie had been conferred the title of feudal king on New Year’s Eve didn’t reach the General’s mansion until that afternoon. Hearing that Xiao Jie was proclaimed ‘King Ning’, Gu Fuzhou said, “King Ning? Good choice. All throughout history, there has never been a King Ning who hasn’t wanted to rise in revolt.”

“Wrong.” Lin Qingyu corrected him, “We don’t want to rise in revolt; we want conspire against the state.”

There was a difference between revolting and conspiring against the state. The former focused on military power, while the latter focused on strategy. Unless absolutely necessary, Lin Qingyu did not want to use the troops, nor did he want to seize the throne from the Xiao Clan. What he wanted was a change of rule in the palace. The country may have a ruler surnamed Xiao, but it will not be Xiao Cheng.

Gu Fuzhou smiled and said, “My wife is the only person who can use the words ‘conspire against the state’ in such an understated way.”

On the second day of the new year, Lin Qingyu and Gu Fuzhou stayed in the Lin Mansion. On the third day, Lin Qingyu was called by the emperor to the palace to diagnose his pulse.

In the palace, he happened to run into Xiao Jie, who had just finished offering his New Year’s greetings to the emperor. Xiao Jie came out of the emperor’s chambers with an anxious look on his face. He was dressed in an azurite prince’s robes, looking very preoccupied.

Lin Qingyu stopped to salute Xiao Jie, “Greetings to His Highness.”

Xiao Jie smiled when he saw him, showing his fine white teeth. “It’s Doctor Lin. Are you here to examine my Imperial Father?”

“Yes.” Lin Qingyu said, “Congratulations to Your Highness. I heard that the prince was made feudal king. The General and I were looking for an auspicious day to visit the prince and offer our congratulations.”

“Sigh, please don’t mention this.” Xiao Jie waved his hand, “This King Ning, feudal king matter is all nonsense.”

Lin Qingyu asked knowingly, “Why do you say that?”

Xiao Jie grumbled, “My Imperial Father has no intention of letting me be an idle king. He’s already given me an assignment!”

Lin Qingyu’s lips curved slightly. “Is this not a good thing?”

“What about this is good? He asked me to go to the Ministry of Revenue and work with Nan’an Hou to raise funds for the provisions of the army in the Northwest for the coming year. But I don’t know anything about all that! My Imperial Father handed over that sort of thing to my older brother, the Crown Prince before. I don’t know why he’s suddenly throwing this to me.”

“Your Highness, there is no need to worry.” Lin Qingyu comforted, “I think Steward Xi may be able to share your worries for you.”

Xiao Jie sighed. “I certainly hope so.” Xiao Jie seemed to remember something and added, “By the way, Doctor Lin, A’Rong told me yesterday that you forgot to tell him the secret behind the tea. He was planning on going to the General’s Mansion to ask Doctor Lin for it.”

Lin Qingyu smiled lightly. “May I inconvenience Your Highness? Kindly tell him that I’ll be waiting.”