Demon Consort Runs into the Beijing Crown Prince - Chapter 14

Chu Muyun tilted his head back expectantly, his rosy lips parted slightly, waiting for a kiss.

“…I can’t.”

Chu Muyun’s eyes instantly welled up with tears, shimmering in his dark, bright eyes.

No wonder he’s an actor, Lu Hanzhang thought. The tears come so easily.

“Why won’t you kiss me?” Chu Muyun asked, his voice trembling. How can someone be so heartless?

“Because that’s something you do when you’re officially dating,” Lu Hanzhang replied.

“Then when will you agree to date me?” Chu Muyun pressed.

“I need to think about it,” Lu Hanzhang said.

To him, dating meant unwavering devotion, a lifelong commitment to one person. Even if eternity wasn’t possible, it shouldn’t be reduced to a mere transaction of power and desire.

Yet…

Chu Muyun had made his intentions clear from their first meeting, he wanted acting opportunities and to be taken care of. These past few days had almost created the illusion of romance. But even with Chu Muyun’s efforts to please him, wasn’t their relationship ultimately just about money?

Lu Hanzhang’s parents had entered into a business marriage, an open arrangement where neither cared for the other and pursued their own affairs. Over the years, he’d occasionally had to deal with his father’s illegitimate children from various affairs. Children raised in such environments often develop extreme views on relationships: either becoming promiscuous and casual, or demanding absolute physical and emotional fidelity from themselves and their partners.

He was the latter.

He couldn’t easily say the word “love.”

“Alright, I’ll wait until you’ve made up your mind,” Chu Muyun said, unaware of Lu Hanzhang’s inner turmoil. He skillfully put on a full-fledged act of crying, pursing his lips and wiping his tears with the back of his hand. “Just remember to consider me first. Don’t let anyone cut in line!”

He added, “You’ve already kissed me! My mark is on your lips! If you even think about someone else—”

The Great King belonged to him alone, the Little Demon Consort’s possessiveness burned fiercely.

“What will happen?” Lu Hanzhang asked.

“You’ll never have a wife!” Chu Muyun snapped, his tone turning fierce. In his past life, the Great King had died of illness, a loss that had shattered Chu Muyun’s heart. He refused to curse the Great King with sickness or any other misfortune.

“Alright, I promise to consider you first.”

Actually… Lu Hanzhang thought, among all the people I’ve met, only Chu Muyun can stir my emotions and ignite my desires.

Pushing open the door of the restroom stall, they returned to the cocktail party.

Zhou Wei and his group had been discreetly watching the banquet hall entrance. When the two figures reappeared, someone whistled, “The Crown Prince is back already? Is he really up to the task?”

Zhou Wei glared at the speaker, “You dare say that? If word gets out, I can’t save you.”

“Just joking, just joking,” the man quickly zipped his lips shut.

Zhou Wei was also wondering what the two of them had done in the restroom. It hadn’t taken as long as a quick hookup, but it was longer than a simple bathroom break.

They didn’t look like they’d done anything intimate. Their hair wasn’t disheveled, their clothes weren’t wrinkled, and their faces weren’t flushed.

Did they just kiss?

How… innocent?

If Chu Muyun could hear his thoughts, he’d grit his teeth. They hadn’t even kissed!

Entering the banquet hall, Chu Muyun glanced at his previous seat. The table was empty, waiters had already cleared the plates and glasses. He’d been so focused on discussing the advertising collaboration with President Meng that he’d barely touched his food.

His stomach was still growling.

Chu Muyun turned and headed straight for the buffet area for the second time. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lu Hanzhang beside him also approaching the buffet. The Great King had just arrived at the banquet and had likely been working nonstop until now, without eating either.

Both men picked up plates and began filling them.

Many eyes silently followed their movements.

Although Lu Hanzhang hadn’t officially agreed to a relationship, to onlookers, their synchronized actions served as a public declaration of status. As the Crown Prince—and a Crown Prince who had never been seen with anyone else before—this gesture carried immense weight.

This person is mine. I’m protecting them. Show them respect and don’t cause trouble.

Chu Muyun grabbed some food and went to mix another drink.

He approached the bar just as a waiter was opening a bottle of red wine, setting the cork aside. Chu Muyun suddenly snatched the cork and swiftly tossed it onto Lu Hanzhang’s plate.

“If you’re such a blockhead, you should stick to chewing on wood,” he muttered, his words tumbling out in a rush.

This little fit of temper, accompanied by a sparkling glare from his eyes, left Lu Hanzhang with nothing but a smile as he removed the cork.

If he’d agreed to be my sugar daddy, would he still talk to me like this?

Then again, I’m his boss now, and Chu Muyun doesn’t seem particularly respectful.

Wow.

Zhou Wei, watching from afar, mentally applauded the scene.

While some at the party were busy networking and discussing business deals, he and his group of spoiled heirs, who had lost their family inheritance rights, were thoroughly relaxed. They had nothing better to do than watch the drama unfold between the two men. Tonight’s entertainment was truly a feast for the eyes.

The two men sat facing each other in the seating area, setting down their trays.

“Still angry?” Lu Hanzhang asked.

“No,” Chu Muyun replied, taking a large bite of his juicy hot dog. The sight made Lu Hanzhang wince in phantom pain. “I was thinking…”

His eyes glazed over as he pondered aloud, “The bed is so big… so empty… Taobao… Muscle Man Body Pillow…” He finally turned to Lu Hanzhang, cutting to the chase. “Send me a photo.”

“No,” Lu Hanzhang said. “Ask for something else.”

He would give Chu Muyun any amount of money, transferring funds was easy. But he didn’t want their relationship to be limited to financial transactions.

“Hmm…” Chu Muyun thought for a moment. “Wait, I’ll send you a text. Read it aloud for me.”

He lowered his head and tapped furiously on his phone, quickly opening his favorite Tyrant x Demon Consort fanfic forum. He selected his favorite story, copied a passage, and added his own embellishments with lightning-fast fingers before sending it to Lu Hanzhang via WeChat.

Chu Muyun deliberately avoided the most explicit passages, knowing Lu Hanzhang’s thin skin would make him refuse.

“My beloved consort, tonight the moonlight flows like water, much like you…” Lu Hanzhang began, his voice low and gentle. He paused, frowning. “Is this a novel?”

One of those trashy web novels like “The Runaway Princess: The Overbearing Prince’s Fierce Love”?

“Something like that,” Chu Muyun replied. “The parts in parentheses are my notes. Don’t read those aloud. Wait until you get home to read it properly and send me a voice message.”

Lu Hanzhang glanced over the text. It seemed relatively normal. “Okay.”

After a satisfying meal and drinks at the banquet, Chu Muyun rode home in Lu Hanzhang’s car.

Sitting in the back seat, he pretended to be slightly tipsy and leaned against Lu Hanzhang’s shoulder.

Lu Hanzhang didn’t push him away. In the quiet of the car, he suddenly asked, “Do you know how to drive?”

“I have a license, but it’s been years since I’ve been behind the wheel. I’m a bit rusty,” Chu Muyun replied.

“Hmm,” Lu Hanzhang said, offering no further comment.

A while later, a Rolls-Royce Phantom discreetly entered the residential complex and dropped Chu Muyun off at his building.

“See you later, big blockhead,” Chu Muyun waved goodbye.

Back home, he took a shower, changed into pajamas, and lay in bed scrolling through his phone.

Ding! A new WeChat message popped up. Lu Hanzhang had sent a two-minute voice recording.

Chu Muyun tapped the play button.

“My beloved consort…”

The voice emanating from the screen wasn’t the flat, emotionless drone of a robotic reading. It seemed tinged with genuine feeling, carrying a familiar warmth.

Because as Lu Hanzhang spoke those words, an inexplicable flutter stirred in his heart. My beloved consort… the phrase seemed to have slipped from his lips countless times before, each utterance brimming with tenderness and affection.

“Tonight, the moonlight flows like water, much like you…”

The phone tumbled onto the bedsheets, looping the same voice recording. Though he’d barely touched alcohol, Chu Muyun felt almost tipsy, his gaze hazy, cheeks flushed crimson, and cherry-blossom lips parting slightly.

“Great King… I want more…”