Gu Yun’s drowsiness vanished, and his muddled mind cleared in an instant. His face turned a shade paler. He clenched his fists, held his breath, and stood up.
This was not the first time he had encountered wolves.
Panic flashed through him for a moment before he steadied himself. He let out a long breath and scanned his surroundings, looking for a tree he could climb to safety.
The surrounding trees were not densely packed, though not all of them lacked lower branches. He quickly found a suitable one.
He pulled a burning stick of firewood from the fire, placed it beneath the tree, slung his bundle over his shoulder, rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a branch, and used the trunk to haul himself up.
“Hiss—” The wound on his back seemed to split open again from the sudden movement, sending a dense, stinging pain through him. Gu Yun could not help but gasp. He clenched his back teeth, stared up at the pitch-black treetop, and kept climbing.
His shoes had soft soles, which made the climb less difficult.
He stepped onto a branch, pulled himself higher, and tried to reach the next one. The moment his foot landed, there was a sharp crack. It snapped.
The ground vanished beneath him. He nearly fell, but hurriedly clung to the trunk. Before he could even feel relief, he heard rustling nearby. He did not dare look back and continued climbing. Reaching the middle of the tree, he finally felt relatively safe. He hugged the trunk, carefully shifting his position on the branches until he managed to sit down, only then glancing towards the source of the sound.
There was nothing there.
Yet Gu Yun had a sudden feeling and looked down.
Two yellow-eyed wolves had indeed arrived beneath the tree. The branch he had placed there earlier was still burning, its faint light flickering, sparks scattering intermittently.
The two wolves circled the tree. They were not afraid of the fire? Gu Yun paused and looked more closely.
Grey-brown fur, strong and powerful bodies, narrow waists and long limbs, pointed ears and muzzles, sharp eyes, and thin tails held upright… Wait. Were these dogs? For a moment, Gu Yun could not tell whether they were wolves or dogs. If they were dogs, they looked like wolves; if they were wolves, their tails were upright, and they did not fear fire either.
While he was still thinking, the two “wolves” placed their front paws on the trunk and began barking furiously, even glancing back as they did so.
Gu Yun’s heart jolted, and he followed their line of sight.
There was a moon tonight. Though only a thin crescent, its light was not dim, and most things could still be seen clearly.
Tall trees stood across the ground, their slender branches swaying in the wind. Shadows of leaves danced across the earth like tangled seaweed. Beneath them, clusters of shrubs grew thickly, the moonlight blocked by the canopy so they lay in near darkness.
Suddenly, the shrubs trembled. It was late autumn, and there were already few leaves left on the branches; with the violent shaking, the remaining leaves fell in rustling cascades.
Gu Yun saw several figures moving towards this direction.
In an instant, he understood. He snapped off a few branches and hurled them at the two yellow-eyed “wolves.” “Go away, move aside, don’t bark!” he hissed.
The two dogs nimbly dodged, barking even louder.
Gu Yun shot them a vicious glare and climbed higher. After two more branches, he dared not go further. The branches were too thin. He crouched down, curling into a tight ball, and used the broken branches to shield himself.
At that moment, someone reached the base of the tree.
The dogs stopped barking. Through the gaps in the dark green leaves, Gu Yun looked down. The others stopped a short distance away; only one person stood beneath the tree.
He wore a white coarse cotton robe, his long hair loose and damp. From a cloth bag he carried, he took out two strips of dried meat.
The two dogs leapt up, each grabbing one. The man smiled and patted their heads.
What a dog king.
Gu Yun thought this just as the “dog king” looked up. The face was sharply defined, lit by firelight. Narrow phoenix eyes, dark and clear, deep and unfathomable.
Gu Yun recognised him instantly and nearly fell from the tree in shock.
That damned crown prince. Wasn’t he supposed to be drugged?
He held his breath, as though walking on thin ice, and stared at him.
Chao Yan seemed not to notice him at all and only glanced up briefly before looking away. He walked to the fire, sat down, and began drying his hair.
Someone tried to step forward to help, but he stopped them. He simply sat by the fire, unhurried, doing it himself.
Gu Yun watched him warily.
Wisps of steam rose from his hair. The side facing the fire dried first; he then turned, letting the other side take the heat.
Gu Yun frowned.
So many things going on. What exactly was he trying to do? Had he discovered him already? Why not expose him? Was he toying with him?
He grew increasingly agitated, his legs going numb from squatting. Just as he was about to change position, the two dogs beneath the tree, now gnawing on dried meat with saliva dripping, heard the movement and looked up.
“What are you looking at? I’ll snatch all your dried meat!” Gu Yun glared fiercely, baring his teeth.
The dogs seemed startled and lowered their heads, continuing to eat.
Gu Yun felt a small surge of satisfaction and slowly shifted his posture.
At that moment, a soft voice came from below. “Is it pleasant up there?”
Gu Yun: “……”
He peered down through the gap again. At some point, Chao Yan had walked closer and was now looking up.
Gu Yun was certain he was being deliberately provoked. The tension vanished in an instant, replaced by a surge of anger. In a fit of temper, he hurled all the branches down.
“Damn you, I’ll smash you to death!”
The branches rained down on Chao Yan. Two even struck his forehead.
Gu Yun saw a bead of blood well up where they hit and froze. His rage cooled instantly, and regret surged up.
It’s over.
Chao Yan took out a handkerchief, wiped away the blood, and said calmly, “How long do you intend to stay up there?”
Gu Yun pressed his lips together, slid down the tree, and stood before him, head lowered. “I didn’t mean it.”
Chao Yan raised his hand. Thinking he was about to be struck, Gu Yun instinctively shut his eyes. Instead, the hand landed on his shoulder and took his bundle. “Go back.”
Gu Yun opened his eyes and looked at him. “You’re not leaving?”
Chao Yan handed the bundle to his attendant and stepped closer. Gu Yun retreated, but before he could take more than a couple of steps, Chao Yan seized him by the waist and legs, lifted him up, and struck him several times on the backside.
“Gu Yun, who taught you to drug me? Do you want your head anymore?”
Gu Yun’s face flushed red. He clenched his fists and swung towards Chao Yan’s back, but just before impact, a bolt of clarity struck him.
Calm down. This is the crown prince. Calm down.
He withdrew his hand, grabbed Chao Yan’s arm instead, and said, “I was wrong, Your Highness.”
Chao Yan asked, “Do you truly realise your mistake, or are you just saying it?”
“I truly realise it. Please, Your Highness, be magnanimous and do not hold it against me.”
Chao Yan looked at him and then carried him forward.
Gu Yun struggled lightly. “Your Highness, put me down. There are people…”
“They will not look,” Chao Yan replied.
Gu Yun glanced around. Everyone had already turned their backs. He slumped like a deflated fish and stopped resisting.
After passing through the rough path, Gu Yun saw several horses. He was placed onto one, and Chao Yan mounted behind him, wrapping an arm around his waist as he took the reins. With a soft command, the horse set off at a gallop.
Wind rushed past. Gu Yun clutched his sleeve tightly. He did not know how to ride; the last time had been when he was six, on a holiday, riding a small pony for a photograph.
Sensing his tension, Chao Yan tightened his arm and slowed the horse slightly.
“Do you insist on leaving me? If so, I can let you go. But the matter of drugging me… death may be avoided, but punishment will not be.”
Gu Yun quickly said, “I’m not leaving. I really am not leaving.”
He rushed to explain, “I admire Your Highness, but I am afraid of you. You are the crown prince, you have so many women, I do not want to compete with them. I am foolish and clumsy, with no family backing and no knowledge of court etiquette. I cannot compare. What if I anger you one day? I am afraid you will forget what we have between us and punish me severely, or leave me forgotten in some corner.”
Chao Yan said, “I only have you. You do not need to compete with anyone, nor worry that I will forget our bond, unless you commit a grave mistake.”
Gu Yun hesitated. “Are you comforting me?”
“If I lie to you, may I be struck down by heaven and earth,” Chao Yan said. “This time I will take you back and give you a title. I cannot make you crown princess yet, but I can make you my secondary consort. Is that acceptable?”
Gu Yun, half dead inside, replied, “Alright.”
“Why are you not smiling? Are you unhappy?”
Gu Yun forced a smile. “I am happy, Your Highness.”
Chao Yan observed him, then slid a hand under his short jacket. Through the thin fabric, he felt the sudden tension in the body in his arms and understood. Lowering his gaze, he said softly, “Call me husband in private.”
Gu Yun replied lifelessly, “That is not appropriate, Your Highness.”
Chao Yan said, “Wife, I must tell you a secret. You must promise not to tell anyone.”
Gu Yun: “Hm?” Curiosity briefly revived him. “What secret?”
Chao Yan leaned in close and whispered into his ear: “I have not regained my memories.”
Gu Yun’s eyes widened.
