Chapter 16

He secretly glanced at Shi Changyuan's expression again and asked tentatively, "Are you in a better mood now?"

Shi Changyuan nodded.

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

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

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

"This story is about a human-demon romance." He raised a hand, trying to gesture as he spoke. "I want to know 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 Mushroom's area of expertise. Lin Ling immediately stood up, proudly puffing out his chest. "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 named proclaimed just how extensive his recent reading experience had been.

Shi Changyuan looked at Lin Ling and went along with Mushroom's words. "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. "So what does smart Mushroom think of human-demon romances?"

"What do I think?" Lin Ling thought very hard. 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 denials, and no one meddling? What would Lin Ling think then?"

Lin Ling, who knew all the usual storybook tropes by heart, considered it. "Then wouldn't there be nothing much to tell?"

"How could that be?" Shi Changyuan patiently guided him. "Stories can be full of twists and turns, or they can unfold slowly and gently."

"What if there were no misunderstandings between the protagonists, no separation either, and all they did was experience temple fairs, moon worship, winter hunts, ice games, and such everyday moments 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 gotten 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 a storybook of that sort after a few days, but nothing happened. A few days later, Lin Ling forgot all about it too.

Mushroom spent a period of time eating, drinking, and sleeping soundly. Then one day, when he was preparing to go to the Imperial Study and wait for Shi Changyuan to finish court, Shi Liuwan suddenly intercepted him. She said she would soon be returning to the Northern Frontier and wanted someone to accompany her on one last stroll around the Capital City.

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

"Lin Ling doesn't leave the palace often, does he?" Shi Liuwan asked with a smile.

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

"By yourself?"

Lin Ling hesitated, unwilling to betray Shi Changyuan, but how could he possibly 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 sheltered Little Mushroom straight toward several of the Capital City's busiest streets.

Lin Ling had only seen the previous temple fair. He had never seen what the Capital City's most bustling districts looked like under normal circumstances.

The cries of vendors, the calls of hawkers, and the gossip drifting from roadside teahouses were all fresh and novel to a Mushroom from the deep palace.

"Come, this way!"

Before Lin Ling could react, Shi Liuwan pushed him into a place that 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 is a good place too."

As Lin Ling entered, he caught the scent of incense unlike anything he had smelled before. It was not exactly unpleasant, but compared to Shi Changyuan's scent, it was far inferior.

Snap—

Lin Ling heard the sound of a fan opening, followed by the storyteller in the center of the main hall beginning to speak in an unhurried voice, immediately launching into a captivating 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 pronunciations that sounded extremely familiar.

Could it be a storybook he had read?

Just as Lin Ling was wondering, he heard Shi Liuwan beside him give a derisive "Heh" and say, "My, people in the Capital City have gotten quite bold. They even dare write storybooks about the emperor."

Shi Changyuan had storybooks written about him too?!

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

Chapter 16

"Auntie, I want to listen to the storytelling here. Is that alright?" Lin Ling stood in the second-floor corridor, gazing eagerly down at the main hall below.

Shi Liuwan looked at the beautiful young man before her, his face full of excitement, and raised a brow. "Of course."

"Though Auntie is curious—are you interested in this story, Lin Ling, or is it because Shi Changyuan is the protagonist?"

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

Shi Liuwan understood at once and burst out laughing. "Alright, I understand. Go have fun on your own. I'm going to see some old friends."

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

Lin Ling watched Auntie leave and saw her push open the door to a private room on the second floor. Faintly, the sound of a qin and a softly hummed tune drifted out from within.