Three months after their official duties resumed, Adrian made an announcement that stunned the entire household.
"We are going out," he said calmly over breakfast.
Ten pairs of eyes lifted.
"Out?" Tang Huo repeated, nearly choking on his tea. "As in—beyond these walls?" pointing the mansion's walls.
"Yes," Adrian replied. "As husbands."
Zhao Ming's brows lifted with interest. "Incognito?"
"Of course incognito," Wei Jian muttered. "If we go publicly, the entire capital will shut down."
Gu Han leaned back slightly, assessing. "Security risks increase outside."
Su Cheng immediately spoke, already calculating routes. "I will deploy a discreet perimeter—"
Adrian raised a hand.
"No."
All ten stilled.
"No guards in formation. No official escort. No visible protection," Adrian said firmly. "Today is not about power."
Mo Yan tilted his head slightly. "You forget I am the protection."
Adrian's lips curved faintly. "And you may remain so. Quietly."
Bai Xuan's silver eyes gleamed. "How rebellious."
Adrian stood, robes simple today—light gray trimmed in blue, hair tied loosely. No crown. No insignia.
"We will dress like ordinary men," he said. "We will walk the streets. Eat what commoners eat. Listen to what they say."
Lin Qiyue smiled softly. "Field research?"
"Call it… a date," Adrian answered.
The word hung in the air.
Tang Huo grinned immediately. "Now this is interesting."
An hour later, eleven strikingly handsome men stepped through a side gate of the palace rarely used.
Even dressed simply, they were impossible to ignore.
Gu Han wore dark travel robes, sword concealed but present.
Lin Qiyue carried a folding fan.
Zhao Ming had already disguised his finer accessories.
Shen Rui wore plain physician garb.
Mo Yan blended into shadows almost instinctively.
Liang Feng carried a bamboo flute tucked casually at his waist.
Wei Jian looked like a serious merchant clerk.
Tang Huo's energy remained untamable no matter what he wore.
Su Cheng stayed half a step behind Adrian unconsciously.
Bai Xuan's silver hair was tied back to appear less conspicuous—though "less conspicuous" was relative.
Adrian stepped into the capital streets.
The air smelled of roasted chestnuts and fresh steamed buns. Vendors shouted cheerfully. Children darted between stalls. The world felt alive.
And for the first time since awakening here, Adrian walked not as a symbol—but as a man among people.
Tang Huo immediately grabbed his wrist.
"Food first," he declared.
Gu Han frowned slightly. "You have the appetite of a soldier."
"And you don't?" Tang Huo shot back.
Adrian laughed softly as he was tugged toward a skewered meat stall.
The vendor blinked at the sight of eleven tall, devastatingly handsome men crowding his cart.
"How many?" the vendor asked, slightly flustered.
"Eleven," Zhao Ming answered smoothly, already placing coins down before anyone else could.
Wei Jian glanced sideways. "You didn't negotiate."
"It's a date," Zhao Ming replied. "Not a transaction."
Adrian accepted his skewer and took a bite.
Juice and spice burst across his tongue. His eyes widened slightly.
Liang Feng noticed immediately. "Good?"
Adrian nodded once. "Very."
Gu Han watched the way Adrian ate—not delicately, not aristocratically—but earnestly. Something about that made the general's chest tighten faintly.
They wandered deeper into the market.
Lin Qiyue paused at a calligraphy stand, examining ink quality. Wei Jian quietly debated pricing fairness with a shopkeeper—purely out of habit. Shen Rui stopped to examine medicinal herbs at another stall, offering small corrections to a young apprentice who looked stunned but grateful.
Mo Yan disappeared briefly—only to return moments later, murmuring near Adrian's ear, "Pickpocket five stalls down. Already handled."
Adrian did not even ask how.
Tang Huo found a street performance ring and immediately challenged a local martial artist in friendly sparring. Within moments, a cheering crowd formed.
Gu Han crossed his arms, watching critically. Tang Huo deliberately held back, making the match entertaining rather than humiliating. When he won, he helped the other man up with a grin.
Adrian clapped lightly.
"You're enjoying this," Bai Xuan observed beside him.
"Yes," Adrian admitted.
They moved toward the river district as afternoon light softened. Liang Feng finally took out his flute and began playing. The melody was gentle—light enough to blend with ambient noise, but beautiful enough that passersby slowed without realizing why.
Adrian closed his eyes briefly, letting the sound wash over him. When he opened them, he noticed something unexpected.
His husbands were watching him—not the crowd, not the surroundings.
Him.
"You're staring again," Adrian said dryly.
Su Cheng answered quietly, "You smile differently out here."
Adrian paused. "How?"
"Freely," Shen Rui replied.
Zhao Ming nodded slightly. "Without calculation."
Adrian considered that. Perhaps it was true. In the palace, every expression held political weight. Here, he was simply laughing at Tang Huo nearly knocking over a basket of cabbages.
As evening approached, Zhao Ming suggested renting a private river boat.
"Large enough for eleven?" Wei Jian asked.
Zhao Ming smirked. "Trust me."
Soon they were drifting along calm waters beneath lantern-lit bridges. The city glowed gold around them. Adrian sat at the center cushion once more—but this time not as symbolic positioning. It simply happened naturally.
Gu Han sat to his right. Bai Xuan to his left. Others arranged around him comfortably.
No tension.
No rivalry.
Liang Feng's flute resumed softly. Tang Huo lay back, hands behind his head, staring at the sky.
"Who would have thought," he said lazily, "that the ten most powerful men in the empire would be sharing one boat for a date?"
Wei Jian replied calmly, "It is statistically unprecedented."
Adrian laughed. Zhao Ming poured wine into small cups, passing them around.
"To our first official scandal," Tang Huo declared, raising his cup.
Lin Qiyue corrected him gently. "To unity."
Gu Han added quietly, "To him."
Ten cups turned toward Adrian. He blinked once.
"You all realize," Adrian said slowly, "that if word spreads, the court will faint."
Mo Yan's lips curved slightly. "Let them."
Adrian lifted his cup. "To choice," he said simply.
They drank.
Later, as lantern reflections shimmered across the water, conversation softened. Shen Rui leaned close enough to rest his shoulder lightly against Adrian's.
"Are you tired?" he asked.
"A little," Adrian admitted.
Gu Han immediately shifted closer. "Lean on me."
Adrian hesitated only a second before doing so. His head rested against Gu Han's shoulder. Bai Xuan's fingers brushed lightly over Adrian's wrist absentmindedly.
Tang Huo rolled onto his side, propping himself up on an elbow. "So, Rose-bearer… is this what you imagined?"
Adrian looked at each of them.
Ten extraordinary men. And somehow—peace.
"No," Adrian said softly.
They stilled slightly.
"I imagined something far more complicated."
Lin Qiyue smiled faintly. "And what is it?"
Adrian looked out at the river lights. "I imagined constant competition. Subtle jealousy. Power struggles."
Tang Huo scoffed lightly. "Too exhausting."
Wei Jian adjusted his sleeve. "I do not share assets poorly."
Bai Xuan's voice was smooth. "We knew what we agreed to."
Gu Han's arm tightened slightly around Adrian's waist. "You chose us carefully," Gu Han said. "Did you think we would not choose carefully in return?"
Adrian went quiet. The boat drifted under a low lantern bridge, golden light cascading over them. For a brief moment, the world felt distant.
No empire.
No politics.
No expectations of heirs.
Just warmth.
Adrian shifted slightly, looking up at Gu Han first. Then Lin Qiyue. Then Zhao Ming. One by one.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
Tang Huo blinked. "For what?"
"For not making this harder than it has to be."
Silence followed—but it was soft.
Su Cheng spoke last. "We follow because we respect you. Not because law binds us."
Adrian's chest felt warm again. Not the burning flare of destiny. Something steadier. Belonging.
As the boat returned to shore, night fully settled. They walked back through quieter streets, closer together now. At one point, Adrian reached out—taking Gu Han's hand. With his other hand, he caught Bai Xuan's sleeve lightly.
It was a small gesture. But none of them missed it.
Ten powerful men. One rose-bearer. Walking side by side under lantern light—not as strategy, not as spectacle, but simply as husbands on their first date.