The Lotus tattoo

Morning arrived with an unsettling stillness.

The golden light shone on the cold stone floor of the Cold Pavilion, but A'Xian felt no warmth from it. The events of the previous night still clung to him, and as he sat stiffly on the edge of the low wooden bed, he clenched his fists, willing himself to forget.

But forgetting was impossible.

To think that he saw me.. like that..

His head dropped into his hands.

A knock at the door disrupted his thoughts.

"His Highness requests your presence in the bathhouse."

The words sent a fresh wave of fury through him. Not only was he being kept like some caged bird, but now he was attending to Ji Haoyu as a servant?

This fcker has tons of servants to even wipe his sweat..

He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to rise. There was no choice.

At least not yet.

But he planned on making one soon.

In the Bathhouse~

The bathhouse was filled with steam, curling in thick, lazy wisps that clung to the carved wooden pillars. He entered, opening the large gate slightly and a thick wave quickly escaped above him.

He felt suffocated, not with steam buy with the scent of sandalwood and medicinal herbs that lingered in the air, blending with the faint trickling of water.

A'Xian stepped towards the big tub, his hands tightening around the folded towel in his grasp.

Ji Haoyu was already in the bath, reclining against the wooden edge with unbothered ease, golden eyes half-lidded. His long, raven-black hair trailed in the water like flowing silk on the waist of courtesans and droplets clung to his collarbones, sliding down his sculpted chest.

A'Xian forced his gaze away.

He cleared his throat once, letting him know that he had arrived. He didn't want another incident like yesterday to happen again for good.

"Finally awake, Prince Ling?" Ji Haoyu's voice was languid, his tone teasing.

A'Xian's lips curled into a sneer. "If you needed a servant, perhaps you should have summoned one of those who called me out instead."

Ji Haoyu only smirked, tilting his head back. "And yet, here you are."

Here I am- what is with this shit? He's always after me..

A'Xian didn't reply. He stepped closer, kneeling beside the bath, and begrudgingly began his task. He scooped warm water into his hands and poured it over Ji Haoyu's shoulders, watching droplets glide down his bare skin. His fingers brushed against his exposed back, only for the barest second but even that was enough to make his jaw clench.

Why does fate hate me? Did I betray a celestial being in my past life? Why am I scrubbing this damn man's back like an old palace maid?

Ji Haoyu exhaled a pleased sigh. "See? Not so difficult, is it?"

He began rubbing Ji Haoyu's body rather violently, leaving the skin reddend where he scrubbed.

Screech, screech.

Ji Haoyu chuckled watching him work very hard to piss him off. He tilted his head to one side, asking him to scrub him on the neck.

A'Xian stiffened. This was really unbelievable. To be forced into such a position, as a prince at that.

He threw the scrubber on his neck like a petulant younger brother made to do simple chores of elder one. He slammed his hand on the scrubber, but instead he slipped and almost fell into the bath.

" You're such a kind and devoted servant, obviously."

I will drown this bastard in his own bath.

One. Just this part and I'm free. Stay strong, Ling A'Xian. Stay strong.

But what unsettled him more was Ji Haoyu's restraint.

Why was he not forcing himself on him? Why was he playing this slow, insufferable game?

Like....yesterday?

A'Xian shook his head, realizing that he had been thinking the opposite since earlier.

But his gaze caught something unusual.

A small lotus-shaped mark rested at the base of Ji Haoyu's lower back, stark against his pale skin.

A'Xian paused. That mark…

It was familiar. But from where?

Before he could think further, Ji Haoyu who had suddenly risen from the bath, turned around, the water still falling off his body in glistening rivulets.

A'Xian froze.

Ji Haoyu was completely bare.

His gaze instinctively dropped before he snapped his eyes away, flinching violently.

Amusement flickered in Ji Haoyu's golden gaze. "Why turn away now, Prince Ling?"

A'Xian refused to look, ears burning as he held the towel out blindly. Ji Haoyu's wet footsteps approached him, stopping just before him.

Then, a warm hand tilted his chin upward.

Ji Haoyu leaned in, lips curled into a smirk, his gaze dark with unexplainable emotions. A'Xian could feel the heat radiating from his bare skin, could smell the faint traces of sandalwood lingering on him.

"Look at me," Ji Haoyu murmured. He ran a hand through his long wet hair, shifting them back on his head. Some bangs however, still adorned his face.

A'Xian's hands curled into fists, but he couldn't stop Ji Haoyu from slowly turning his face toward him.

For a long moment, they simply stared at one another, one gaze laced with amusement and the other brimming with barely restrained rage.

Then, without another word, Ji Haoyu took the towel from A'Xian's hands and draped it loosely around himself.

And as A'Xian thought that was the end of his torment, he was wrong.

He was informed that he was also expected to dress Ji Haoyu.

Rage coiled in his stomach, but he swallowed it down and forced himself to comply.

Ji Haoyu sat at the edge of his bed, waiting for A'Xian as he retrieved the fine robes. His face full of excitement instead of shame which A'Xian felt on his behalf.

A'Xian began removing the towel, his eyes squinted to the point he could only differentiate the colours. His fingers trembled slightly as he fastened the innermost layer, brushing against Ji Haoyu's firm chest.

Every second was agonizing.

Ji Haoyu hummed in amusement. "Your hands are shaking, Prince Ling."

A'Xian bit back a sharp remark, forcing himself to continue. He tied the sash too tightly, knowing full well that it was deliberate.

Ji Haoyu chuckled.

Finally, when the last piece was secured, A'Xian stepped back with relief. It was over.

Or so he thought.

Before he could move, Ji Haoyu suddenly leaned in and pressed a brief, fleeting kiss to his lips.

A'Xian's entire body went rigid. His mind blanked.

The contact lasted only a second, but it left a strange warmth tingling on his lips.

When he finally regained his senses, Ji Haoyu had already stepped away, adjusting his cuffs as if nothing had happened.

"I'll be expecting you at dinner," Ji Haoyu said casually before walking away.

A'Xian just stood frozen in place, staring after him in utter bewilderment.

Why… why was he not pushing him away? Why did Ji Haoyu keep playing this game when he was clearly against it?

His fingers brushed against his lips, feeling the lingering sensation.

Last night itself....he seemed to have ignited the fire himself.

He avoided getting blamed for that. He simply didn't want to accept that he liked all of it, to some point.

But why? Why is it that he felt something so contradicting..

He put a assuring hand over his chest. His heart had been pounding violently since earlier.

That mark.

Weird..that mark is actually keeping me at edge. Is it really.. that important?

A blurred memory surfaced, a flicker of someone he once knew.

Someone caressing his cheek and looking at him with untainted smile.

Th e details were hazy, unreachable. But the feeling was quite strong.

A'Xian's fists clenched.

Just who… are you really?