Your Highness, Please Love Me Tender

74. I Want You to Meet My Mother

Translator: Flying Lines

House of Auspice

After Su Jie finished bathing, he put on a loose red robe, untied his hair, and made his way out to the courtyard to sunbathe. Da Hua lied on the ground beside him. The human and the tiger both shared an attitude of laziness. The sun shone down on them, enshrouding them in a layer of warm calmness.

“Little slave…” When Xiao Shengnian returned to the courtyard, his expression softened. He had always lived alone in this spacious courtyard. Although there were many servants, after all, there was never the warmth of an ordinary person’s home. However, now that Su Jie and Zhou Zaiyue had moved in, Xiao Shengnian’s mood would naturally relax when he returned home every day.

The many years of getting along together allowed Xiao Shengnian to build a sufficient amount of trust towards Zhou Zaiyue, especially because Zhou Zaiyue was still Xiao Shengnian’s medical teacher. Even though he felt curious towards Zhou Zaiyue’s identity to the point where he wanted to investigate Zhou Zaiyue’s background, but from another point of view, the person Xiao Shengnian respected the most was Zhou Zaiyue.

Of course, that did not mean to say that Xiao Shengnian treated Su Jie with insincere cordiality. Even if in the beginning, the reason for letting Su Jie stay was because of Zhou Zaiyue, their interactions afterward allowed Xiao Shengnian to accept and become fond of the handsome youth from the very depths of his heart. Su Jie himself possessed a temperament that was very alluring to others. When he restrained his murderous intent, Su Jie had an arrogance and determination that seemed to emanate from within his bones. With his youthful vitality and radiant expressions, he easily won over Xiao Shengnian.

Sometimes, falling in love with someone was very simple. Perhaps, it was because of only one sentence, of one thing or even because of one smile. Yet, the favorable impression Xiao Shengnian held towards Su Jie came from their everyday interactions that were as calm as water. Even though it wasn’t dramatic, a gentle and steady stream of affections could also penetrate deeply into someone’s heart.

“After some days, I may bring you to meet my mother.” Xiao Shengnian said as he watched the red-robed youth bathed in the sunlight. His lips were ever so gentle and his voice was like a collision of jade. His expression was calm and elegant.

Hearing this, Su Jie froze for a second, and then… a trace of nervousness rose in him.

“What time would it be, roughly?” Su Jie asked.

“It won’t be too long, within a month at most.” Xiao Shengnian answered after he had thought about it for a bit.

“Sure.” Su Jie nodded as he smiled. Even though he seemed calm on the outside, he couldn’t restrain the hint of anxiety at the innermost corners of his heart… Would Xiao Shengnian’s mother like him?

Why did he have the feeling that one would have when they meet their in-laws?

Su Jie shook his head; he must not have these kinds of feelings. The Sharp Sword must face every situation with a level head. If he really was thrown into confusion just because of meeting Prince Rui’s mother, he would be making a big deal out of nothing…

“Do you not feel nervous?” Xiao Shengnian was not satisfied with Su Jie’s reaction. He had already expressed his desire to have Su Jie by his side. That was why he wanted to take him to meet his mother. Shouldn’t his little slave feel happy about this?

“Your Highness is Consort Yun’s son. Whoever Your Highness likes, Your Highness’s mother would also like.” Su Jie’s smile was dyed with the blazing clouds of the sunset. His expression was full of confidence and this confidence was very infectious.

“You are quite optimistic.” Xiao Shengnian also smiled. This was his little slave, persistent, unyielding, and proud. His eyes, clear and bright. These were his little slave’s most attractive features.

As an excellent and wise prince, Xiao Shengnian naturally did not like people who were blindly obedient and cowardly in their attempts to please him. The sort of people he admired were sharp-witted youths like Su Jie…

“Little slave, let Yu Che follow you whenever you go out from now on, otherwise, you’ll be on your own. I will worry.” Even though Su Jie’s personality matched Xiao Shengnian’s tastes but since he had learned from his ninth brother today that Su Jie had some kind of relationship with Drunken Spring Brothel, it was only natural for Xiao Shengnian to consider placing someone by Su Jie’s side.

From a certain angle, Xiao Shengnian’s feelings were completely rational. He would not let himself be blinded by his affections. More often than not, he would think things through more, or, in Xiao Shengnian’s mind, he would habitually use rational and level-headed thinking to consider things. The only exception would be familial relationships.

“Okay.” Su Jie nodded without the slightest hint of hesitation, yet a thread of caution had already formed inside his heart. Xiao Shengnian sending Yu Che to follow him around, in a sense,  also meant that he was being watched. Had someone observant seen him meeting with Prince Qin?

It looked like he would have to be more careful from now on.

But after Elder Zhou removed the Death Gu from his body, he would journey towards State Yanling together with Elder Zhou… From then on, perhaps he would never return to State Yanhui and meet with people like Prince Qin, Prince Rui and Prince Xian again, right?

The corners of Su Jie’s lips revealed a hint of pure geniality. He thought that perhaps the people he had met in State Yanhui would become passersby in his life’s journey. After their time together had ended, they would drift away, each going their separate ways. The only things that would be left behind were memories.

Therefore, he mustn’t be too invested in this relationship. Otherwise, how would he remove himself cleanly from this place in the future?

At this time, Xiao Shengnian still didn’t know that Su Jie was thinking about this kind of thing in his little head because the youth had originally approached him on someone else’s  orders. Moreover, this little slave, who had an arrogance that permeated through his bones, would one day become the pillar upholding State Yanling’s warriors and reclaim the glory that State Yanling’s royal family had lost over ten years ago.

Both of them had troubles in their hearts, yet it didn’t affect their interactions. In all fairness, Su Jie also felt an existing attraction to the gentle Prince Rui. However, Su Jie chose to ignore his innermost feelings for Xiao Shengnian because he had never been preceptive of anything emotions-related.

As a man of sacrifice, Su Jie could murder in cold blood yet, as a young man, Su Jie didn’t have much experience in relationships. He only knew that the person he liked was Prince Qin. Even if Prince Qin’s uncle, Hu Qin, was the mastermind behind Su Shuche’s and Jin Zheng’s deaths, he still wouldn’t be able to move on from Prince Qin.

Prince Qin’s every frown and smile was firmly etched into Su Jie’s brain… Su Jie couldn’t forget them yet he must.

Perhaps it was very easy to start liking someone but forgetting someone was much more difficult. At least to Su Jie, it was like that.

Su Jie had tried to be loyal and protect Prince Qin to the best of his abilities. Prince Qin was someone who he had fully trusted, who he was devoted to, and who he had sacrificed his time and youth to protect. But his affections for Prince Qin would never result in anything.

Just like flowers blossoming, if they missed the time, they could only wait until next year. But in the next year… the flowers may still be there but the person may not.

Su Jie knew he and Prince Qin were simply not destined to be together in this life.