Chapter 8

Lin Ling also watched Shi Changyuan's movements, his calm eyes making it seem as though Shi Changyuan were merely wiping away ordinary water stains.

"Done."

After cleaning his hands, Shi Changyuan said to Lin Ling, "Give it to me."

Lin Ling placed the flowerpot in Shi Changyuan's palm, blinked, and suddenly said, "I'm not scared."

Shi Changyuan raised his brows at that, somewhat surprised that the not-so-clever Mushroom had only now figured out his earlier question.

"Why would I be scared?" The youth's eyes shone brightly.

"You didn't scold me."

Chapter 8

Shi Changyuan immediately laughed, and the cold sharpness in his eyes faded.

"Mm. I didn't scold you."

Having received Shi Changyuan's affirmation once more, Mushroom lifted his little face at once, clasped his hands behind his back, puffed out his chest, and looked immensely proud. "Of course I knew that. I'm not stupid."

"They got scolded because they must have done bad things." Lin Ling found it perfectly natural. "Mushroom wouldn't do bad things."

As Lin Ling spoke, he returned to the Imperial Study with Shi Changyuan.

Behind them, Shunde watched the Emperor personally carry the flowerpot without letting anyone else handle it, then looked at the chattering youth beside him. Silently, he slowed his pace to give the two of them a little space.

space.

For the entire day, Lin Ling talked nonstop beside Shi Changyuan's desk.

At first, he meticulously explained how to raise a Mushroom and what needed attention. Later, he simply rambled about strange things he had seen or little trivial matters.

Shi Changyuan listened seriously to every word, occasionally giving brief replies, until Mushroom talked himself to sleep.

The Imperial Study, which had never before known loud conversation, was now unusually lively, almost filled with laughter.

The palace servants attending nearby gradually relaxed nerves that had been taut for far too long.

The wind of approaching autumn brushed against the window lattice. Looking at the youth asleep beside his desk, Shi Changyuan beckoned for Shunde to bring a cloak.

"Your Majesty, Young Master Lin is sleeping here..."

Shunde had intended to cover Young Master Lin with the cloak, but Shi Changyuan took it from him first. He could only stand there helplessly.

"Let him sleep here."

Shi Changyuan glanced at Lin Ling, who lay sprawled to his left, then picked up the memorials again.

When Lin Ling woke again, he was lying on a chaise lounge in a side hall, with a wrinkled cloak bundled around him.

Outside, it was already the fifth watch. Shi Changyuan had gone to court early, while three palace servants had been left in the side hall to attend him.

"Young Master Lin is awake?"

One of the young eunuchs stepped forward and asked softly, "Would you like a meal?"

Little Mushroom sat up groggily and stared blankly at his surroundings and the palace servants. His mind slowly began to work, then he was startled out of his wits.

"You, I—"

Mushroom stumbled over his words, not knowing what to say.

This was the first time he had fallen asleep in front of humans.

Previously, no matter how late Lin Ling stayed in the Imperial Study, whenever Shi Changyuan extinguished the lamps and went to rest, Lin Ling would leap onto a beam, pretend to be a hidden guard, and return to his own concealed corner.

Of course, that was merely an illusion for the other humans. The instant he jumped onto the beam, he would return to his Mushroom body to rest.

Naturally, Mushroom had no habit of being woken up by others. He always slept until he woke naturally, then found a chance to appear before Shi Changyuan again.

Thus, Mushroom had thought he played the role of a hidden guard perfectly, without a single flaw.

But now it was all over—

Mushroom pulled the cloak over his head and chose to quietly play dead.

However, this young eunuch clearly did not possess Shunde's tact. Unable to see Lin Ling's expression in the darkness and receiving no reply, he hesitated before asking again.

"Young Master Lin, would, would you like a meal?"

The chaise lounge remained silent for several seconds. Then, with a sudden muffled thud, something seemed to hit the floor heavily.

Lin Ling sprang off the couch and rushed before the young eunuch. "You mean eating?"

Lin Ling's eyes shone startlingly bright in the darkness, filled with excitement and delight.

He had never eaten human food before!!!

The young eunuch seemed frightened by Lin Ling as well, and stammered even worse. "Y-yes..."

"Okay! Let's go!"

With a clear goal in mind, Lin Ling grabbed a small lantern and dashed out the door into the dim early morning.

The young eunuch was somewhat bewildered. He had just been about to summon a meal when he saw Young Master Lin head straight for the kitchens. He could only shakily follow behind.

It was five in the morning, and the Imperial Kitchen was already bustling with activity. After all, the Emperor's breakfast was at nine, and before then, they had to prepare exquisitely crafted, delicious, labor-intensive

delicacies.

Thus, after court, Shi Changyuan hurried back to the Imperial Study only to find no one there.

After questioning the palace servants, he rubbed his brow and, for the first time, condescended to set foot in the kitchens.

The moment he entered the Imperial Kitchen courtyard, he heard laughter and cheerful chatter within. Kitchen maids kept laughing as they said things like, "Eat more slowly," and "Be careful not to choke."

The person he had come to retrieve was thriving inside, calling every woman auntie and sweet-talking everyone in the Imperial Kitchen until they were dizzy with delight. They gave him a little of every dish to taste.

But Shunde's shout upon entering the courtyard instantly shattered the scene. Everyone immediately dropped to their knees in alarm and uncertainty.

Their swift prostration only made the slow-reacting Lin Ling stand out all the more, stiff and upright like a crane among chickens, and Shi Changyuan spotted him at once.

Shi Changyuan looked at Lin Ling's puffed cheeks. He was clearly standing there after having just stuffed a pastry into his mouth, without yet having time to chew.

In an excellent mood, Shi Changyuan waved his hand and dismissed everyone else from the kitchens, leaving only the furtive, exceedingly suspicious Mushroom before him.

"Why did you stop eating?"