Binding the Dragon for the Empress Chapter 29

Very Happy

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Xiao Dezi didn't think that Young Master Han would be so stubborn, saying that he would wait, but he really waited until dawn.

Yan Yuan came after the morning court, and the sun was not yet warm. The eunuchs on guard outside the hall bowed to Yan Yuan, and Xiao Dezi lowered his voice to Yan Yuan, "Your Majesty, you have finally come... This Young Master Han has not slept all night."

Yan Yuan stopped and turned his head to look at Xiao Dezi: "Didn't sleep all night? Why?"

Xiao Dezi held his palms up, half covering his mouth: "Young Master Han said you would come and insisted on waiting for you."

Only then did Yan Yuan remember that after he had taken the dragon scales yesterday, he had told Xuan Long that he would come to keep him company later and had forgotten about it when he saw Ning Zhiyu. His eyebrows knitted slightly and he said, "Why didn't you persuade him?"

This was a great injustice to Xiao Dezi, who felt wrong and grimaced, "Your Majesty, this servant persuaded him… but Young Master Han didn't listen, he insisted on waiting for you. He didn't even take his evening meal last night, he said he would wait for you to come and pass it on."

Yan Yuan frowned and pondered for a moment: "He is just like this, he is very stubborn, it is normal that he cannot be persuaded. I don't blame you."

Then he walked towards the bedchamber.

The eunuch trotted past Yan Yuan, pushing open the doors to the hall to his left and right. As soon as Yan Yuan entered the inner hall, he saw the man who had waited for him all night lying asleep on the carved rosewood round table.

Xuan Long rested one arm under his face, his long hair unbound, his dark gold mask still properly in place, his extraordinarily thick black eyelashes drooping quietly, and his cold, hard facial features making him seem impersonal and inexplicably lonely.

His face was pale from the wounds he had sustained and his lips were dry and slightly flaky.

He always slept this deeply, and Yan Yuan was used to it. Sitting down on the wooden bench next to him, he raised his hand and nudged Xuan Long's shoulder.

“A'Po."

“A'Po."

Xuan Long looked like he was very uncomfortable; his sharp eyebrows wrinkled slightly, and a faint muffled hum came from his nose. When Yan Yuan saw that he still did not wake up, he increased his force, pushing Xuan Long so hard that his chest hit the edge of the table, causing him pain. Breaking out in a cold sweat, he finally got up from the table.

Yan Yuan saw him covering his chest in pain: "Are you okay?..."

Xuan Long shook his head and moved his hand away from his chest, his eyes still a little blurry from just waking up.

Yan Yuan took out a white silk handkerchief from his chest and wiped the cold sweat from the corner of Xuan Long's forehead: "You are finally awake, I… I heard Xiao Dezi say you waited for me all night, how could you be so silly? In the future, if you don't see me coming when it's very late, you should rest earlier."

Xuan Long looked at him quietly and said in a low muffled voice, "... You said you would come."

Yan Yuan paused his movements and locked eyes with him, "I did say that, but who knows when I will be caught up in government affairs. As an emperor, I cannot be as leisurely as ordinary people."

Xuan Long lowered his eyes and said indifferently, "Yes, I know."

But perhaps he will come.

Yan Yuan wiped away the cold sweat at the corner of his forehead, "So don't be so stubborn in future, and don't take my words too seriously."

Xuan Long just looked at him with those dark turquoise pupils which contained emotions that Yan Yuan did not want to understand and did not say anything, 

Yan Yuan knew that the dragon had definitely not listened to his words, so he did not want to persuade him any further. He put away his handkerchief and opened the brown wooden food box that he had brought in himself on the table.

"You have not eaten all night, you must be starving. I have asked the imperial kitchen to prepare a snack, made of fresh shrimps, you should like it."

The celadon plate in the food box was taken out and placed in front of Xuan Long. The snacks on the plate were made of shrimp and raw flour, and they were kneaded one by one into small round balls which were crystal clear and mixed with grains of pink shrimp, making them look very delicate.

The food was not greasy, Xuan Long smelt the aroma and felt a little hunger in his stomach.

Yan Yuan handed him the chopsticks and said with a smile, "Try it."

Xuan Long took them and with great difficulty, he picked up a prawn ball in a very awkward and odd manner, and slowly put it into his mouth. As soon as he swallowed it, Yan Yuan asked eagerly, "Is it good?"

An inconspicuous happiness appeared in Xuan Long's eyes as he whispered back, “En, it's delicious."

Yan Yuan diligently picked up the teapot in the middle of the table and poured a cup of water, placing it next to Xuan Long's hand, and said softly, "Then you should eat more. If it's not enough, I'll have the imperial kitchen send some more."

Xuan Long felt uncomfortable seeing him staring at him with such an intense gaze. He slid the tips of his chopsticks between the prawn balls before finally picking one up and bringing it to Yan Yuan, “A’Yuan should eat too."

Yan Yuan leaned over and ate the prawn ball from Xuan Long's chopsticks, and smiled, “En, I'll eat too."

One person and one dragon ate all the food on the plate, but Xuan Long's chopsticks were not very good and two of them fell on the floor, soiling Yan Yuan's clothes.

He was particularly good-tempered and gentle with Xuan Long today, so he did not get angry with him. After the not too hearty breakfast, he carried Xuan Long to bed.

The fire he had held back at Ning Zhiyu's room last night was all poured out onto Xuan Long. Yan Yuan didn't want to see the wound on his chest, so he took him from behind. Xuan Long knelt on the bed, his long hair hanging down in front of him, moving with his body.

After kneeling for a long time, he couldn't kneel any longer and buried his face in the soft pillow, panting hard, and the white cloth wrapped around his chest oozed blood.

Yan Yuan was young and energetic, and had a strong desire in this area which lasted a long time. He tossed Xuan Long around every time, but he never cried out in pain, he stifled it all and swallowed it so no one would know.

As long as the person behind him was happy, that was all that mattered.

The moment of peace after a rough affair is when Xuan Long is happiest, when Yan Yuan will hold him and sometimes kiss him on the forehead, just as he is doing now.

Yan Yuan's hands circled his waist, kisses fell on his forehead, warm breath spilled on his face, and he intertwined intimately with him, speaking in a cordial way, “A’Po, are you happy when you are with me?"

"... Happy." Xuan Long's voice was hoarse as he answered him truthfully.

Yan Yuan was obviously pleased: "Then how happy are you with me?"

This question really stumped Xuan Long. He only knew that Yan Yuan was the most important person in the world to him, but he had not thought about the rest.

He was silent for a long time before saying, "I am very happy."

Dissatisfied with this, Yan Yuan pestered him and said, "How happy is very happy? If the maximum is ten, how happy are you with me? Is it ten?"

Xuan Long was embarrassed by such blunt words from him and looked away, “En."

More than ten. If Yan Yuan wanted it, he would even give up his life.

Yan Yuan took advantage of the situation and said, "Then can you promise me one thing?… Okay?"

Xuan Long smiled and turned his head to look at him: "Say it."

Yan Yuan: “Promise first."

After a pause, Xuan Long said, "Okay."

Yan Yuan's eyes glowed, "You've agreed?"

"Mm."

Yan Yuan hesitated for a moment and tentatively said, "Do you... have a spiritual core in your body that is condensed from spiritual energy and called an inner elixir?"

"Mm."

Yan Yuan looked at his pale face, his own face reflected in those ice-cold beautiful turquoise pupils, "Can you give me your inner elixir?..."

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: April 29, 2022