FTLHFP Chapter 2: I'm Dumb, But I'm Faking It

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The sun had set, and the candle flames flickered.

Outside the bridal chamber, the sound of orderly footsteps approached, followed by the respectful voices of attendants as they bowed.

"Creak—"

The door was pushed open, and someone stepped inside.

The flames of the dragon-phoenix candles wavered under the draft, nearly extinguished, only to sputter back to life with a faint sizzle as the door closed.

Unsteady light and shadows swept across the person’s figure and face—jet-black hair, snow-white skin, and crimson wedding robes, the contrast so stark it sent shivers down the spine.

Beautiful—yet eerie.

Especially those black-and-white eyes, so clear they reflected the coldest, most terrifying aspects of the world.

Like the sharp glint of a blade slicing downward. Like the fear of peering over the edge of a thousand-foot cliff. A presence so powerful, so suffocating, it made one's back press instinctively against the icy, oppressive air, evoking a fear so deep it tricked the nerves into pain…

Gong Jiuyu approached the bed.

A small figure sat there obediently, covered by a red bridal veil.

Casually, Gong Jiuyu picked up a jade ruyi from the table and lifted the veil.

The red fabric slid down like a receding tide, its color stark against the white beddings.

Beneath the veil, a young man looked up. His bright, glass-like eyes reflected the face of the person towering over him.

…This was the first time they met.

The boy was already an adult, but his round face still held a hint of youthful softness. Only his chin was slightly pointed, while his cheeks retained a trace of baby fat—like a soft, white glutinous rice ball filled with creamy sweetness, a clear sign of a well-pampered upbringing.

His nose was delicately shaped, his lips slightly parted, revealing neat teeth and two tiny, sharp canine teeth—like little grains of rice.

Among his small and delicate features, only his eyes stood out—large and brilliantly clear.

Like a cool spring in April, where one could see the fish swimming beneath the surface in a single glance.

When they stood together, they were like a fearsome, predatory beast and a well-behaved, timid rabbit.

Silence stretched between them—until the boy reached out his soft, chubby hand, grabbed onto the fierce beauty’s robes, and let out a long, awed, "Waaah—!"

In an instant, the rice ball-like cheeks dimpled, and his tiny tiger teeth pressed against his petal-like lips in a bright, delighted smile.

"Are you a fairy?"

The young man’s voice was filled with wonder, his brows arching in pure amazement. "You’re so pretty!"

The noble beast of a person raised an eyebrow.

No one had ever smiled so radiantly upon seeing Gong Jiuyu.

People were either terrified or too tense to breathe.

This young man, though foolish, radiated an innocent purity. So clean and untainted that it sparked an almost destructive urge.

Pure and beautiful.

Gong Jiuyu studied him for a long moment before curling his lips into a smirk, reaching out to pinch the fool’s chin. The pad of his finger pressed against the soft red lips, the sensation as delicate as the petals of a freshly bloomed flower.

"Mm."

The boy furrowed his fine brows in discomfort and instinctively stuck out his tongue, licking his stinging lips—brushing against Gong Jiuyu’s slender fingers in the process.

Had anyone else dared to offend Gong Jiuyu like this, he would have sliced their tongue off without hesitation.

But this fool… there was no ill intent behind his actions.

Li Ge, the only son of the Prime Minister, was born with a feeble mind. Eighteen years of simple, foolish existence.

The world was filled with greed and desire, but this little fool had none of it.

So instead of anger, Gong Jiuyu found amusement in the sight before him. He watched as the boy, like a kitten grooming its chin, tried his best to push away the offending fingers—leaving his fingertips damp with a faint sheen.

Finally, after being held in place for too long, the boy whimpered. His glass-like eyes reddened, and tears welled up at an alarming speed, pooling into large drops before spilling over.

Sniffling, he clung to Gong Jiuyu’s hand, tilting his head up as he sobbed.

Softly, with a crying voice, he pleaded—

"Can you… can you take it away?"

"It hurts… B-Baby hurts so much…"

"It hurts… Baby hurts so much…"

The fool's delicate, teary-eyed expression was heartbreakingly beautiful, almost alluring.

If not for his noble birth, with such a face and temperament—one that invited people to bully him—he might have long since become some woman's plaything.

Seeing this pitiful sight, the icy aura around Gong Jiuyu gradually faded. His eyes remained cold, but amusement flickered across his face.

"Before marriage, did your father never teach you how to serve your future wife?" he asked, voice laced with mockery. "That pain would have been far worse than this."

The young man blinked, stunned.

He instinctively pressed his lips together, his soft upper lip brushing against Gong Jiuyu's finger.

His thick eyelashes, damp with tears, fluttered as he seemed to think hard about the question. His innocent, white cheeks made him look all the more pitiful.

"Father… did say something."

After a moment, under Gong Jiuyu’s amused gaze, the young man suddenly straightened his back and, as if repeating someone else's words, announced loudly, "You must endure it! When you're with your wife, you won’t cry! You’re all grown up now!"

Gong Jiuyu stretched out his voice with a teasing lilt. "Oh~ but you just called yourself ‘Baby.’"

The boy hesitated, then quickly corrected himself. "I won’t cry!"

Gong Jiuyu chuckled and let go of his chin. "Good boy."

"Hehe!"

Being praised made the boy grin instantly. He clung to Gong Jiuyu’s arm, nuzzling his face against the man’s cold palm like a clingy little pet who couldn't live without its owner.

Originally, this marriage was only a political move to secure the Prime Minister’s support—a mere transaction. Yet now, as Gong Jiuyu looked down at the foolish boy clinging to his hand and giggling like an idiot, the previous disdain and indifference faded slightly.

Lifting the little fool like a rabbit by its ears, he placed him aside.

He casually pulled off the red wedding quilt, scattering the symbolic nuts meant for "early offspring" onto the floor. Then, with long, slender fingers, he slowly and methodically removed the boy’s elaborately embroidered red wedding robe.

The boy watched with wide eyes, staring at the strands of dark hair and long, elegant fingers. His plump little fingers twitched, itching to reach out and touch the silky black strands.

"Don't move."

The low warning came as if the man had eyes on his back.

The boy immediately shrank back, obediently keeping still.

Once everything was in order, Gong Jiuyu placed the boy on the bed and leaned over him.

Bright red robes contrasted against snow-white skin, and jet-black hair spilled out in strands like slithering venomous snakes. Gong Jiuyu knelt on either side of the fool, his sharp, merciless eyes gleaming like ink in the flickering candlelight.

The scent of incense thickened, and an ambiguous atmosphere arose.

The foolish boy, oblivious to everything, looked around curiously, giggling.

But when Gong Jiuyu tugged open the delicate collar clasped around his neck, the sudden rush of cold made him shiver. Goosebumps pricked his pale skin as he shrank back, staring up at Gong Jiuyu with round, nervous eyes.

"Cold."

He pouted, his soft lips pursing like flower petals.

"Father said… doing this will make you catch a cold!"

The fool beamed brightly, as if he had said something very clever.

Gong Jiuyu was silent for a moment before sneering, "Idiot."

Of course, he wasn’t truly a woman and couldn’t possibly make this fool pregnant. But appearances had to be kept—and kept convincingly.

He reached out, fingers pressing against the boy’s delicate throat, examining the harmless face beneath him.

There was no lust in his gaze, only something unreadable—something dark.

The candlelight suddenly flickered out.

And with the arrival of darkness came the tightening of fingers, leaving mottled marks on the boy’s fragile neck…

Outside, the servants heard a sharp, high-pitched yelp from within the chamber, followed by soft, hiccuping sobs.

It sounded like someone in great pain—before melting into the delicate, kitten-like whimpers of a crying child.

The maids standing outside blushed.

They exchanged glances.

Considering their master’s cold and prideful nature, they had initially assumed he would never touch the fool he had been forced to marry.

But unexpectedly…

Well, it made sense.

That Prime Minister’s foolish son might not be breathtakingly beautiful, nor was his voice particularly sultry, but the way he cried—so soft and pitiful—was strangely alluring.

It made people want to hear him cry even more.

Two hours passed before the sounds from the chamber finally ceased.

The blushing servants and guards outside let out a collective sigh of relief.

Inside the room…

Gong Jiuyu retrieved the wedding robe from the floor and draped it loosely over his shoulders. His long, disheveled black hair cascaded in silky strands, framing his face—his cold, handsome features illuminated once more by the rekindled candlelight.

A beauty like a distant moon—brilliant, but unreachable.

He stood at the bedside, lips faintly curved.

On the bed, the foolish boy lay curled on his side, wrapped in red blankets.

His soft, tear-streaked face was flushed pink, and his small nose was tinged with a pale blush.

From his throat down to his collarbones, dark red imprints stretched down, disappearing beneath his clothing. His wrists, deliberately gripped hard enough to bruise, now bore a purpling hue.

Even in sleep, tears clung to his eyelashes, wet and shimmering, sliding down his cheeks to form tiny puddles near his nose.

His lips, even in unconsciousness, were still pressed into a pitiful, aggrieved pout.

"All this fuss over a few surface wounds," Gong Jiuyu murmured, watching the boy’s tear-streaked face with faint amusement.

"And you said you could endure it."

His full lips curled as he let out a soft chuckle, clearly entertained by the fool’s antics.

With that, he turned and left.

The door opened—then closed.

On the bed, the foolish boy who had spent the entire night whimpering and calling himself "Baby" suddenly…

Snapped his eyes open.

Slowly, he sat up, his clear, seemingly innocent gaze fixed on the closed door.

A long pause.

Then, he spoke two words—

"System."

_____

[Author’s Note]

💬 Li Ge: I was dumb—No, I was just pretending.

T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you🍊🍊🍊