The King's Dancer

Chapter 23

Xie Lian didn't dare to look up at Hua Cheng, too afraid of being rejected, no matter how irrational it was.

However, the king wasn't merciful at all, and put his forefinger underneath Xie Lian's chin, forcing him to lift his head anyway.

"So what gege wants to say is that, deep down, he wants me to be his alpha?", Hua Cheng asked gently.

"Not... right now", Xie Lian eventually answered, after his logic and won over his desires.

"And why not?", Hua Cheng proceeded to ask, his voice sounding carefully neutral.

"Because... I think in a relationship like that... people need to compromise, and I would have to... accept certain things that I'm not willing to accept, because I don't want to make you stop doing... things you don't necessarily want to stop. That would be wrong. So I think it's better to wait until the situation changes... or I move on. Whatever happens first. Wouldn't you agree that's the best course of action?"

"No. I disagree", Hua Cheng said immediately, and somewhat harshly. It startled Xie Lian a bit, if he was honest. "I think that, whatever compromise you think prevents you from wanting this sort of relationship with me, needs to be talked about. Right now."

"San Lang... that wouldn't be right. I can't tell you what to do and not to do and I certainly don't want you to stop doing things you enjoy just because I said so. You'll start resenting me in the future if I ever did that", Xie Lian said, fully aware that he was pleading by now. Really, this king needed to learn some rationality!

Hua Cheng kept looking at him intensely, before he seemed to realise what exactly was plaguing Xie Lian's mind.

"It's the harem, isn't it? That's what's bothering you."

Xie Lian tried to look away then, however Hua Cheng's gentle hold with the forefinger turned into a firm grip, with Xie Lian's chin and jawline now resting in the king's palm. It wasn't painful, it wasn't even uncomfortable, but it restrained Xie Lian from moving his head to look away from Hua Cheng.

"Gege... please be honest with me", he then said, and Xie Lian was fully aware that the alpha was trying to coax a confirmation out of him. So Xie Lian gave up.

"You already seem to know it anyway", he mumbled as well as he could with Hua CHeng still holding him like this.

"So it is the harem", Hua Cheng confirmed, nodding to himself. "Yin Yu!"

Xie Lian hadn't even noticed that somebody was still in the room with them, but he heard quick footsteps coming towards them, just stopping before the steps.

"Your Majesty?"

"Put a notice out that the harem will be abolished, effective immediately. If needed, help the members find new jobs inside or outside the palace", the king decreed, just like that.

"As Your Majesty wishes", Yin Yu replied, just like that.

Xie Lian could only stare at Hua Cheng in complete puzzlement.

"S- San Lang!? What are you- I just said-..."

"If there is something that stands between you and me entering a proper relationship, it needs to go. I don't care what it is. As for the harem, I've only had it for my rut to begin with. I won't lie to gege and pretend I haven't indulged in it when I felt like it outside the rut as well, but keeping it now is of no use anyway. Pei Ming has told me that they tried to get a concubine to tend to my needs before you got there, and also that I attacked him when I realised he wasn't you. Which is why it's redundant to keep it anyway, since it can't fulfil its primary use anymore", Hua Cheng explained patiently.