Chu Yun could feel Xiao Zai stiffen under his touch, go taut with confusion and worry, like an animal afraid of being lured into a trap. If Chu Yun was honest with himself, he had to admit he liked it.

He liked that Xiao Zai considered him a threat, enough to be on his guard around him.

It made this act he had to put up more bearable.

He might have to pretend to be eating out of Xiao Zai’s hand for the benefit of everyone watching them like hawks. He might have to show everyone what a big bad alpha his husband was that he effortlessly subjugated a “foreign” alpha to his will in about a week of marriage.

‘Hey, wouldn’t it be great if he put some of that effortless dominance to good use and ruled the country?’

People were easy to manipulate — but incredibly stupid.

If this was what it took to get Xiao Zai on the throne, Chu Yun behind him, effortlessly pulling the strings, then so be it — Chu Yun would endure the humiliation.

But it gratified him, that while he might be fooling everyone else, Xiao Zai knew better.

He knew just how sharp Chu Yun’s claws were, and that he had the fangs to match.

Just as a reminder, he scraped one canine against the tender skin of Xiao Zai’s neck, just to feel him squirm.

“Did you have fun, dear?” he asked, pulling away from Xiao Zai’s neck with a glint in his eyes.

Xiao Zai said nothing, his dark eyes were inscrutable, his jaw tight with tension. If they were alone he might have said something, but he was playing it safe.

“We had a very agreeable conversation,” Minister Song cut in, relieving the tension building between them like a low pressure storm.

Chu Yun grinned at her. “Wonderful, I also had a great time with Lady Tan.” Tan Ruo matched his grin with an eager nod of her own. “Maybe Minister Song and Lady Tan can pay us a visit someday.”

He elbowed Xiao Zai on the side, the action hidden by the large sleeves of his robes. This was the kind of thing where his participation was also required.

“Yes, that would be great,” he said, rather stiffly.

Minister Song either didn’t notice or didn’t care, and promised to accept any invitations forwarded to their residence, and likewise welcomed Chu Yun and Xiao Zai to visit whenever they wanted.

Their estate was in no condition of welcoming anyone just yet, but Chu Yun would fix it up in no time.

They said their goodbyes and made their way through the hall. Chu Yun kept his arm looped through Xiao Zai’s.

“What has gotten into you?” Xiao Zai hissed, once they had put enough distance between themselves and Minister Song and Tan Ruo.

Chu Yun rolled his eyes. “Don’t you want to be king?” he hissed back.

Xiao Zai shot him a look of utter confusion. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Chu Yun didn’t want to explain himself in the middle of the busy hall. “I’m the strategist, leave the strategics to me.”

He could tell Xiao Zai didn’t like that answer, but he also didn’t protest having Chu Yun glue to his side through the rest of the evening.

They made small talk with a few more ministers. Chu Yun was polite and courteous, ignoring every jab at Xin, at foxes in general, the surprise of everyone they addressed that he was managing to fit in so well.

It was vexing to be treated with so much condescension by a people that thought that visible collarbones were too much skin to be displayed in polite company.

He tried to steer Xiao Zai towards certain topics of conversation, anything that made him sound bold and determined.

Frankly, it wasn’t hard to do, considering the First Prince had made a spectacle of himself by ignoring his future consort and leaving his own engagement ceremony to have a tryst with his manservant.

Chu Yun had to wonder why he didn’t just make the man his concubine, it would be less scandalous that way. As someone from a commoner background, he would never rise above a certain rank in the First Prince’s household, but being a concubine was still better than being a servant, especially when your master was just going to do as he pleased with you, anyway.

Chu Yun doubted it was the servant himself rejecting the idea. Most likely the king had expressly forbidden it. If it was an already poorly kept secret in the court, Chu Yun could only imagine how much worse it would get if everyone started noticing the resemblance between the First Prince’s new concubine, and Gu Wei.

Speaking of which…

He and Xiao Zai were alone again, maybe he could test the waters.

“What was that all about with Xiao Yuan?”

Xiao Zai tensed almost imperceptibly. “I have no idea.”

Chu Yun narrowed his eyes at him. Xiao Zai had to stop thinking he could lie to him. “Really? That servant he was pawing at reminded me of someone,” he sucked in a breath. “I just can’t put my finger on it….”

A hand closed around his wrist, and then Chu Yun was being dragged out of the reception hall, and pulled into a nearby room.

Xiao Zai slammed the door closed with a loud thud. The room was more of a storage closet, and had no windows, the moment Xiao Zai pulled the door closed plunged them into darkness.

“What are you trying to imply?” Xiao Zai asked, his nostrils flaring. “Don’t play dumb with me, I know you’re anything but. So, if you have something to say just come out and say it.”

Chu Yun would do no such thing — it wasn’t how he operated.

But right then he was too distracted by Xiao Zai’s eyes to come up with a diversion. There was something different about them, they were glinting in the darkness, reflecting the little light available in the cramped closet.

“What’s going on with your eyes?” Chu Yun asked, mesmerised by the silvery sheen over Xiao Zai’s dark irises.

Xiao Zai went very still. He and Chu Yun were pressed almost chest to chest against the wall. He hadn’t noticed.

Chu Yun became aware of their closeness at the same time a powerful wave of Xiao Zai’s wolfberry wine scent hit him.

“It’s going to be the full moon in three days,” Xiao Zai said, putting some distance between him and Chu Yun.

He tried to leave but Chu Yun held him back, closing his fingers around the jutting bone of his wrist.

“And what does that mean?”