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But once he had truly touched it, he wanted to hold on tight and never let go.

"Let me tell you, I really didn't sleep well at all these past three days. Ever since moving into Li'an Hall, I haven't been used to sleeping in a little flowerpot. The day before yesterday, I even fell out of it."

Lin Ling sat with Shi Changyuan in the carriage back to the capital. Limp as though boneless, he draped himself against Shi Changyuan while counting on his fingers and pouring out his grievances.

"But the next day, I made a fence out of tough leaves. Pretty impressive, right?"

"Very impressive," Shi Changyuan agreed.

He glanced at Lin Ling's animated expression, then lowered his eyes to the wrist in his palm. He had steadied Lin Ling when they boarded the carriage and caught his wrist then, yet he had not let go since.

But Lin Ling did not seem to mind and simply let Shi Changyuan hold him.

"Oh, right! I saw lots of strange and unusual sights too. They were completely different from the Imperial Palace!"

The moment Lin Ling mentioned this, Shi Changyuan instantly tightened his grip on his wrist. Mushroom grimaced in pain.

"Sorry."

Shi Changyuan stared at the wrist he had gripped too hard. Red marks had appeared across the fair skin. His fingers loosened, yet seemed unwilling to release it completely.

He loosened his grip, then tightened it again, repeating this several times without taking the next step. Mushroom grew a little anxious and even offered his hand farther forward, reminding him pitifully, "You hurt me. Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

At that, Shi Changyuan lowered his eyes to the reddened wrist and gently stroked it with his thumb, as though soothing it—or as though trying to erase the marks. Just as Lin Ling was about to speak again, Shi Changyuan suddenly lowered his head.

Lin Ling's eyes immediately widened. He stared blankly at Shi Changyuan's movement, waiting for soft lips to touch the inside of his wrist.

A warm breath brushed across his wrist. Shi Changyuan had only blown on it.

When Shi Changyuan raised his head and saw Lin Ling's visibly disappointed expression, he smiled and deliberately asked, "What's wrong?"

With an earnest and direct look, Lin Ling muttered in dissatisfaction, "I thought you were going to kiss me."

Shi Changyuan's throat tightened. When he had lowered his head just now, he had indeed nearly lost control. He looked away and changed the subject. "Does it still hurt?"

Lin Ling shook his head and let the matter pass. He looked at Shi Changyuan, trying to find the reason for his sudden shift in mood.

"Do you not like hearing about that forest?"

"No. I was just distracted." Shi Changyuan smiled. "I was thinking that Lingling encountered many interesting things. You're welcome everywhere you go."

Even in the wilderness, there was no shortage of novel things—or people who liked him.

His kind lived together in freedom. It was better than the Imperial Palace.

The emotions in Shi Changyuan's eyes were hard to conceal. No wonder all spirits wanted to return to the wilderness.

Praised by Shi Changyuan, Lin Ling's eyes curved as delight nearly leaped from them. Still, he put on a composed and steady appearance and agreed, "Yes, yes, it was so interesting."

Shi Changyuan's gaze darkened further, but in the next moment, Lin Ling added, "So when we have time, let's go play together!"

Lin Ling went limp again against Shi Changyuan and continued, "I came down the mountain overnight, after all. If my neighbors can't find me tomorrow, they'll definitely be sad."

"And, and, I exposed the fact that I can write. Everyone wants me to write their own names for them, and I still owe them their names."

As he said this, Lin Ling looked pitiful again. "Not only is my handwriting ugly, but some little spirits have such difficult names to write! I haven't even learned them myself yet—"

Hearing something familiar, Shi Changyuan chuckled softly, feeling as though a lifetime had passed.

But this was still his illiterate Mushroom.

"It's all right. Lingling is already far more literate than they are."

Shi Changyuan looked at Lin Ling and comforted him. "Even if you're a little illiterate, it doesn't matter. I..."

Before he could finish his comforting words, Lin Ling slapped Shi Changyuan's thigh, looking bold and spirited. "I'm an illiterate Mushroom, but you aren't!"

"When you have time to come, I'll take you there and show them what you can do. I guarantee they'll scream in admiration!"

Hopefully, they would not scream in terror instead.

Shi Changyuan felt somewhat helpless, but he enjoyed how Lin Ling always included him in this "we" whenever he spoke of what he wanted to do. It was as though they would forever be one, inseparable.

"All right," Shi Changyuan said with a smile. "No matter what Lingling wants to do, I'll be with you."

"So remember to bring me along."

Lin Ling had clearly not rested well during those days in the wilderness, yet on the road back, he was unusually energetic. He chattered without stopping, as though trying to make up for all the words he had not said to Shi Changyuan over those three days. By the end, even his voice had gone hoarse.

Shi Changyuan pinched Lin Ling's lips together, manually closing his mouth for him.

By the time they returned to the Imperial Palace, it was already time for the evening meal. They had spent many days traveling in hardship and could have rested immediately, but Shi Changyuan insisted on first going to the Imperial Study to deal with the memorials that had piled up for nearly ten days.

"I'll keep you company!" Lin Ling was equally insistent, though he had no good reason. He was preparing to act cute, throw a tantrum, roll around on the floor, and use every soft and hard tactic available if Shi Changyuan refused. Surely that would...

Shi Changyuan gave a low laugh. "All right."

"Huh?" Lin Ling froze, apparently not expecting Shi Changyuan to agree so easily.

In truth, he had grown sleepy right after eating. If it had been the Shi Changyuan of before, he would have found some way to force Lin Ling to rest. Even if they did not return to the sleeping quarters, he would have had him sleep in the inner room of the Imperial Study.

But this time, Shi Changyuan seemed to wish he could tie him to his belt. And as Lin Ling forced himself to stay awake while accompanying Shi Changyuan in handling official business, Shi Changyuan would wake him as soon as he started dozing off.

Sometimes, Shi Changyuan would lightly pinch his cheek. Sometimes, he would tap his forehead with a penholder. There were all sorts of methods. Sometimes Lin Ling really did fall asleep, his head uncontrollably dropping forward, only to land directly in Shi Changyuan's palm.