After the Devoted Subordinate Was Reborn

When he was sixteen, Lu Song'an, a guard by the Crown Prince's side, caught the eye of the Fourth Prince. In a flash, he became the Fourth Prince's consort.

Later, when the Fourth Prince raised an army in rebellion, Lu Song'an fought at his side, leading the charge and putting himself in danger first. He was even willing to die for him.

Lu Song'an wasn't afraid to die. The Fourth Prince had treated him well, so if he died for His Highness, he would have no regrets.

But in the final moment before his consciousness faded, he heard a familiar voice: the Fourth Prince's.

"He's only a consort. If he dies, he dies."

*

When Lu Song'an opened his eyes again, he had returned to the time before he met the Fourth Prince.

The Fourth Prince was no good. Lu Song'an didn't want to love him anymore.

But as soon as he left the city, the Fourth Prince captured him and had him shackled to a bed in the underground palace.

It was pitch-black down there. Lu Song'an didn't know how long he'd been imprisoned. His stomach hurt terribly, and he thought he might be sick.

Perhaps the pain was making him hallucinate. Dimly, he sensed someone lifting him. The person's scent was cool and clear.

It was the sandalwood incense reserved for the Crown Prince.

In a daze, Lu Song'an remembered the day in his previous life when the Empress had arranged his marriage. The Crown Prince had asked him whether he truly wanted to submit to another man.

The Crown Prince seemed to have more to say, but after Lu Song'an nodded, he said nothing more.

Lu Song'an struggled to open his eyes, trying to see the person holding him.

"It's all right now." The man pulled him closer against his chest and spoke gently. "I'll take you back to the Eastern Palace."

*

The Crown Prince, Pei Yun Zhan, had fallen for someone. He always wore at his waist a sachet given to him by that woman. Its embroidery was so dreadful it was almost painful to look at, but he treasured it like a precious jewel.

The Crown Prince said he had already asked His Majesty for permission to marry and would choose a date soon. When people asked who the woman was, he always smiled and said nothing.

Then one day, at the biggest restaurant in the capital, someone coaxed the quiet young guard at his side, who had a delicate face, into drinking. After just one cup, the guard was tipsy and slumped over the table.

Everyone then saw the Crown Prince, who normally never touched anyone, give a faint smile. With practiced ease, he slipped an arm under the young guard's knees and scooped him up, as if capturing a docile puppy.

Lu Song'an caught the familiar scent and instinctively nuzzled his neck. Then he rested his head on the man's shoulder and fell fast asleep again.

Pei Yun Zhan lowered his eyes to look at the person in his arms and carried him toward the sedan chair. His broad, warm palm gently stroked the back of Lu Song'an's neck, his spine, and his slender waist.

There were still red marks there from the night before.

Theme: Though warned not to cross the river, he crossed it all the same.