Chapter 16

He secretly glanced at Shi Changyuan's expression again and cautiously asked, "Are you feeling better now?"

Shi Changyuan nodded.

Lin Ling's eyes lit up. He tugged at Shi Changyuan's sleeve and pleaded pitifully, "Then... then can you tell me how the story ends?"

Shi Changyuan glanced at Lin Ling, granting Mushroom's wish. He picked up the book, casually flipped to the end, and summarized, "The scholar succeeded in the imperial examinations and became the top scholar."

Lin Ling froze at that and said quietly, "That's not the ending I meant."

"This story is about a romance between a human and a demon." He gestured with his hands, trying to explain. "What I want to know is whether they ended up together—"

Shi Changyuan looked at the Mushroom before him, somewhat surprised. "You even understood the human-demon romance?"

"Of course I did!"

It seemed Shi Changyuan had suddenly brought up a field Mushroom excelled in. Lin Ling immediately stood up, puffing out his chest with pride. "Not only do I know about human-demon romances, I also know human-human romances, demon-demon romances, human-immortal romances, human-ghost romances..."

Every genre Lin Ling listed proclaimed just how extensive his recent reading experience had been.

Looking at Lin Ling, Shi Changyuan followed Mushroom's lead. "Oh? You're that impressive?"

Lin Ling grew even prouder. "Of course! I'm not stupid."

After saying that, Lin Ling looked at Shi Changyuan and added, "You're not allowed to say I'm not smart anymore."

"Fine, smart Mushroom." Shi Changyuan smiled at that, then began fishing for information again. "Then what does smart Mushroom think about human-demon romances?"

"What do I think?" Lin Ling pondered with all his might. The question seemed rather complicated for a Mushroom.

"I feel like they're all so twisted. They like each other but won't admit it, they have misunderstandings but won't explain them, and there are always other people meddling in their business. I don't like that."

Shi Changyuan nodded and continued, "Then what if there were no misunderstandings, no denial, and no one meddling? What would Lin Ling think then?"

Well versed in the usual formulas of such conversations, Lin Ling thought it over. "Then wouldn't there be nothing left to tell?"

"How could that be?" Shi Changyuan gently guided him along. "Stories can be full of twists and turns, or they can flow quietly like a stream."

"What if there were no misunderstandings or separations between the protagonists? What if they simply experienced temple fairs, moon worship, winter hunts, ice games, and other everyday events together?"

Shi Changyuan looked into Lin Ling's eyes and asked softly, "Would Lin Ling like that kind of story?"

Hearing this, Lin Ling immediately became interested and asked excitedly, "Are there storybooks like that?"

Shi Changyuan did not answer him, merely asking again, "Would you like it?"

Lin Ling nodded vigorously. "I would!"

Having received the answer he wanted, Shi Changyuan lowered his eyes and smiled. "Good. You said it."

Lin Ling blinked. He had thought Shi Changyuan would bring him that sort of storybook in a few days, but nothing happened. A few days later, Lin Ling had forgotten all about it.

After a period of eating, drinking, and sleeping to his heart's content, Mushroom was preparing to go to the Imperial Study and wait for Shi Changyuan to return from court when Shi Liuwan suddenly intercepted him. She said she would soon be returning to the Northern Frontier and wanted someone to accompany her on one final stroll through the capital.

Lin Ling hesitated for a while, left Shi Changyuan a note, and then left the palace to enjoy himself freely.

"Lin Ling, you don't often leave the palace, do you?" Shi Liuwan asked with a smile.

Lin Ling nodded and honestly answered, "I've come out once."

"By yourself?"

Lin Ling hesitated. He did not betray Shi Changyuan, but how could he hide it from an old hand like Shi Liuwan?

"It's fine. This time, I'll take you somewhere different." As she spoke, Shi Liuwan led the inexperienced little Mushroom straight toward several of the capital's busiest streets.

Lin Ling had only seen the temple fair before. He had never seen what the capital's most prosperous districts looked like under normal circumstances.

The cries of vendors, the shouts of hawkers, and the gossip drifting from roadside teahouses were all new to a Mushroom from the depths of the palace.

"Come, this way!"

Before Lin Ling could react, Shi Liuwan pushed him into what looked like a teahouse. As they walked, she said, "I originally wanted to take you to Cloud Drunk Pavilion for some fun, but after thinking about it, I was afraid the emperor would give me trouble. Still, this place is good too."

As soon as Lin Ling entered, he caught the scent of an incense fragrance he had never smelled before. It was not exactly unpleasant, but compared with Shi Changyuan's scent, it was far inferior.

Snap—

Lin Ling heard the sound of a fan opening and closing. Then the storyteller in the center of the main hall began speaking slowly, immediately launching into a gripping scene.

Lin Ling instantly perked up. He wanted to hear the protagonist's name and figure out which storybook it was, but he vaguely caught several very familiar-sounding words. Could it be a storybook he had read?

Just as Lin Ling was puzzling over it, he heard Shi Liuwan beside him give a derisive snort. "Oh? Have people in the capital become this bold? They even dare write storybooks about the emperor."

Shi Changyuan had storybooks about him too?!

Mushroom's eyes widened at once as the doors to a whole new world slowly opened before him.

"Aunt, can I listen to the storyteller here?" Lin Ling stood in the second-floor corridor, gazing longingly at the main hall below.

Shi Liuwan raised an eyebrow as she looked at the beautiful young man before her, his face brimming with excitement. "Of course you can."

"But Aunt is curious. Are you interested in this story, or are you interested because Shi Changyuan is the protagonist?"

Lin Ling was stunned by the question. Then his gaze began to wander, and he immediately started speaking vaguely.

Shi Liuwan understood at once and burst out laughing. "All right, I understand. Go have fun by yourself. I'm going to meet some old friends."

Shi Liuwan waved her hand and left behind two shadow guards to protect Lin Ling.

Lin Ling watched his aunt leave. He saw her push open the door to a private room on the second floor, and faintly heard the sound of a qin and someone humming a little tune from inside.