Chapter Ninety-Eight: Spanking the Crown Prince’s Bottom

The scene left everyone dumbfounded. After Yun Bai closed the door, he leaned against it, his face flushed red, and tilted his chin up slightly to look at Xiao Chengze, who stood a head taller than he did, his expression solemn.

“What’s wrong, Yun Bai? Did you really get hit?” Xiao Chengze asked nervously.

“Do you know why I had you come here today?” Yun Bai’s little face burned crimson as he stared hard at Xiao Chengze.

“You missed me, obviously. Talking through bugs is such a hassle.” Xiao Chengze looked at him blankly.

“Xiao Chengze, I’ll tell you the truth. My mother has been tricked into the palace again by your father and mother. Your mother is so wicked, who knows what she might do to my mother. I—I called you here to use you to scare them. If they dare bully my mother, I’ll beat you.” Yun Bai shouted with all the courage he had, and when he was done, tears spilled out against his will.

Xiao Chengze froze, just staring at Yun Bai, unable to say a word.

“Anyway, anyway, if my mother gets bullied, I really will hit you. If she’s fine, and you hate me and don’t want to play with me anymore, that’s fine too.” Yun Bai was crying bitterly, his words coming out in a blur. For a child so young to admit betrayal and manipulation out loud was indeed cruel. Xiao Jingxuan wanted to comfort him and tell Yun Bai to stop talking, but he did not know what to do, so he could only hand a handkerchief to Yun Bai. Yun Bai turned his head away and refused to take it.

“Then… will you beat me to death?” Seeing how heartbroken Yun Bai was, Xiao Chengze grew miserable too. Looking at him with grievance, he asked the question that had been weighing on his mind. Xiao Jingxuan rolled his eyes, thinking that the emperor had been wise all his life—how had he ended up with such a foolish son?

“Huh? Probably not. It depends on how your father and mother bully my mother, and whether you help me or your mother. It also depends on…” Yun Bai had never really thought that far ahead, had never even considered death. It was impossible for him to actually beat Xiao Chengze to death; after all, Xiao Chengze’s eager devotion had made him so comfortable, he had almost grown attached to it.

“Of course I’ll help you. Like this—when you hit me later, go easy on me, but I’ll act like it hurts like crazy. Okay?” As soon as Xiao Chengze heard that he would not be beaten to death, he actually smiled. Shameless and unbothered, he leaned in and started discussing with Yun Bai how to deal with his father and mother.

Xiao Jingxuan could not bear to watch anymore. With the way Xiao Chengze treated Yun Bai, how could anyone even bring themselves to lay a hand on him?

“Fine, but you have to make sure you can act well enough.” Yun Bai wiped away his tears and began speaking in all seriousness too. Children were children; no matter how much scheming they carried, they could not hide their innocent nature.

“Ah, my mother really is troublesome. She always keeps a stern face at me, and I’m scared every time I go to pay my respects. Then suddenly today, I wasn’t allowed to go at all, and her palace was under tight watch, which finally gave me a chance to slip out. Only after I came to you did I learn she’d caused trouble again. This really has nothing to do with me, Yun Bai. Do you believe me?” Xiao Chengze looked heartbroken and helpless, shaking his head and sighing dramatically. Worried that Yun Bai would not believe him, he once again explained his relationship with the empress and the situation earlier that day, making clear that he had neither motive nor time to commit any wrongdoing.

Xiao Jingxuan suddenly felt that this was all incredibly childish. Was he really supposed to sit in this room and watch two children ramble nonsense at each other? What he should be worrying about now was whether the palace’s secret guards would hurry up and bring back word.

Yun Bai and Xiao Chengze made up as quickly as they had fallen out, and the two of them walked out hand in hand. Outside, Chunying and Qiuhe, who did not know what had happened and had only heard Yun Bai shouting and crying loudly, rushed over and looked nervously at the Crown Prince and Yun Bai.