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Lin Ling jumped out of bed and pushed open the window.

The moment the window opened, a cold gust of wind rushed in. Shi Changyuan stretched out his long arm, caught Lin Ling's hand, and shut the window again.

"Be careful not to catch a chill." Shi Changyuan looked disapprovingly at Lin Ling, who wore only his inner robes.

Although the window had only been open for an instant, Lin Ling had still seen the world outside—

The thick ice and snow outside had begun to melt, and the branches beyond the window had sprouted tender new buds.

A plump little white bird stood on one of those budding branches.

Lin Ling recognized at once that it was also a spirit creature on the verge of taking human form.

"Spring has already come?" Lin Ling looked at Shi Changyuan and asked.

Shi Changyuan was silent for a moment before nodding. Lin Ling's eyes instantly lit up.

"No wonder my mind feels so refreshed—it's no longer all foggy like before!" Lin Ling jumped up and threw his arms around Shi Changyuan's neck, saying happily, "It looks like my hibernation period is over!"

Shi Changyuan stared intently at the person in his arms, yet his expression showed none of Lin Ling's ease.

Lin Ling quickly changed clothes and dragged Shi Changyuan, who had just returned from court, out for a huge meal to celebrate.

"Burp~~" Lin Ling patted his belly. Because of hibernation, he had not eaten this much in a long time.

"Oh, right—do you have any plans later?" Lin Ling looked at Shi Changyuan and asked. "If you need to review memorials, can I go to the Imperial Garden to look for Old Turtle?"

"He has probably awakened from hibernation too."

Thinking of it, Lin Ling found it rather funny and happily shared, "He was always the one hibernating before. I never expected that in my first year after becoming a spirit, I'd discover I was a mushroom that needed to hibernate too."

"I need to ask him for some advice."

Shi Changyuan listened patiently and smiled as well, though the smile did not reach his eyes.

"Nothing urgent today. I'll accompany Lingling," Shi Changyuan said.

"Okay..."

"No!!"

Before Lin Ling could finish, that tiny voice appeared again. "Little Mushroom, don't stay with this human emperor yet. We want to talk to you. We have something very important to tell you!"

Lin Ling looked around and spotted the plump little bird beneath the eaves outside the window.

"Just me?"

The plump little bird under the eaves nodded. The next second, a nut shot through the air with a whoosh, nearly striking the bird and frightening it into darting about in every direction.

Lin Ling was startled by the sudden nut as well. He looked toward Shi Changyuan, but Shi Changyuan spoke with complete conviction, his tone even a little aggrieved. "I only wanted to feed him something."

Seeing Shi Changyuan's expression, Lin Ling felt that he was being utterly sincere and chose to believe him, completely dazzled by his looks.

After thinking it over, Lin Ling emphasized from another angle, "But you scared him."

"Mhm. My fault."

The little bird outside felt that the two inside were playing off each other so smoothly that it could not get a word in. Overwhelmed and mocked by some indescribable emotion, it angrily turned and flew away.

"I'm done eating. I'm going to the Imperial Garden." Lin Ling set down his bowl and chopsticks, rose to his feet, and bid Shi Changyuan farewell.

"Mhm," Shi Changyuan answered flatly.

Lin Ling stared at Shi Changyuan like that for a moment, then walked over and hugged him. Rubbing against the side of his neck, he asked worriedly, "You don't seem to be in a very good mood today. You've been talking less, and you aren't smiling either."

"Can you tell me why?"

Shi Changyuan smiled and merely said, "It's nothing. I just feel that as soon as Lin Ling opened his eyes, he wanted to see this friend and that friend. You're busier than I am."

Lin Ling froze.

He had only just awakened from hibernation, and Shi Changyuan had been the first person he saw. Yet he and Shi Changyuan were simply too familiar with each other, so the moment he woke up, his attention had been drawn away by other things.

Lin Ling suddenly realized that Shi Changyuan's earlier claim that he was not busy had probably just been an excuse. He had wanted to spend a little more time with him on his first day awake.

Just like throughout the entire winter: whenever Lin Ling was awake, Shi Changyuan would put aside everything he was doing to accompany him through that rare time.

"I'm sorry." Lin Ling tugged at Shi Changyuan's sleeve and said in a coaxing tone, "How about we go to the Imperial Garden together?"

"Just for the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, then we'll come back." After thinking for a moment, Lin Ling added, "Just the two of us!"

Shi Changyuan looked at the mushroom acting cute before him. Beneath his sleeve, his hand moved, as though instinctively reaching to grasp something.

After agreeing on it, the two headed toward the Imperial Garden. They did not walk quickly; it was more like taking a stroll.

"I'm going to see my friends. You might not be able to hear them when they talk, so don't interrupt us later, okay?" Lin Ling held Shi Changyuan's hand and specifically reminded him.

Shi Changyuan nodded without saying much.

"Great Elder, the pretty mushroom is here!" The moment Lin Ling and Shi Changyuan stepped through the gates of the Imperial Garden, the plump little bird chirped.

The Great Elder was also a bird, with gray feathers and only a tuft of white atop his head. He was also known as the White-headed Old Man.

"Ah, why did you bring the emperor too?"

Elder White-headed Old Man was somewhat startled, but he did not say much. Judging by the flourishing Dragon Vein Fortune, this emperor was likely an exceptionally wise ruler; otherwise, the nation's Dragon Vein Fortune would not have prospered so greatly.

"Don't look at me. Pretend you're admiring the scenery... Yes, that's it. Listen to me like that, and don't expose yourself."

White-headed Old Man directed Lin Ling's movements. Lin Ling had wanted to say that Shi Changyuan already knew his identity, but White-headed Old Man gave him no chance.

"There's actually nothing else. I merely noticed there were spirit creatures in this palace, so I came to give you a reminder. This year, the Dragon Vein Fortune is flourishing, a rare occurrence in a hundred years. Hurry and claim a good spot while you can."