(Quick Transmigration) Meat Eating Journey

Ancient Times‧Holy Monk (7-8)

Chapter 7

Huai Yan was doing his evening prayers as usual. Ye Xuan hated seeing him so absorbed in his chanting, looking as if he was detached from the world, like a star she couldn't reach.

Yet, this was when Huai Yan was the most alluring, as if he was born to remain untainted and untouched by the world's impurities.

Ye Xuan entered the room quietly and sat silently by his side, waiting for the deep chanting to cease. For a full half-hour, she watched Huai Yan with intense eyes, so much so that even his meditative state couldn't ignore her piercing gaze.

「Commoner Huai Yan, greets Your Majesty.」

Even though Ye Xuan had told him many times not to bow, he insisted on doing so. Each time she saw his polite and distant bow, she couldn't help but lose her temper. But today, she said nothing, only calmly saying, 「Rise.」

Huai Yan was slightly surprised but remained calm outwardly. In the past, after her outbursts, Ye Xuan would start to pressure him.

For the Emperor, used to having her way, making someone submit was easy. Give them what they need or take away what they value most. But none of these usual tactics worked on Huai Yan. There were several times when she had him pinned beneath her, stripped him of his clothes, even aroused him, but seeing his serene face, she knew it was all futile and ridiculous.

Luo Cheng's words resurfaced in her mind: showing weakness... Very well, she would try to stop forcing Huai Yan and see if she could gradually soften him.

Tonight was probably the most uneasy night for Huai Yan since entering the palace. The Emperor sat quietly by his side. Whether he was meditating or reading, she didn't disturb him. Instead, she picked up a Buddhist scripture and started reading.

In the following days, things grew even stranger. After court sessions, Ye Xuan would go to Huai Yan's residence. He disliked being served, so she only brought Gao Gongming and wouldn't let him enter the room. She even prepared tea herself. She ate vegetarian meals with him and stayed quiet during his evening prayers, not mentioning anything about making him submit to her.

At first, Huai Yan thought it was a ploy. He was no stranger to worldly affairs, and the Emperor's actions clearly showed she was trying a softer approach since the hard one failed.

Indeed, that was Ye Xuan's plan. But gradually, in this day-to-day companionship, she began to forget her initial intentions. She found satisfaction in simply being with him, even if he barely spoke to her. Deep down, she realized that loving someone didn't necessarily mean possessing their body. She only knew how to seize and possess, not how to share and rely on each other.

As this affection for Huai Yan grew, she finally tasted the essence of companionship. Huai Yan, puzzled, could not ignore the Emperor's genuine affection. As a saintly monk, he was well aware of worldly entanglements and could see through the Emperor's sincere love for him.

This was precisely what troubled Huai Yan the most. He bore the expectations of a worldly person, knowing he couldn't reciprocate. He once thought the Emperor's insistence on bringing him into the palace was just a phase of novelty and desire unfulfilled, so he could righteously refuse her, calmly rejecting her advances.

But this was going too far. Huai Yan finally couldn't remain indifferent. He had to cut off these expectations clearly to prevent the Emperor from falling deeper.

「Your Majesty,」 after another evening prayer, Huai Yan put down the prayer beads and, for the first time, called out to her. Ye Xuan's heart skipped a beat, sensing something bad was about to be said. She wanted to stop him, but Huai Yan continued, 「Your Majesty's affection and favor are deeply felt by this humble monk, but I have sworn to follow the Buddha, severing all worldly desires.」