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

"Let me tell you, I barely slept at all these past three days. Ever since I moved 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 he had no bones, he draped himself against Shi Changyuan while counting off his fingers and complaining.

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

"Very impressive," Shi Changyuan echoed.

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

But Lin Ling seemed not to mind, simply allowing Shi Changyuan to hold him.

"Oh, right! I saw lots of strange and interesting scenery too. It was completely different from the imperial palace!"

The moment Lin Ling mentioned this, Shi Changyuan instantly tightened his grip around Lin Ling's wrist. Mushroom bared his teeth in pain.

"Sorry."

Shi Changyuan stared at the wrist he had gripped too hard. Red marks had appeared on the pale skin. His fingers loosened slightly, yet seemed unwilling to release him 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 held his hand farther forward, reminding him pitifully, "You hurt me. Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

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

Lin Ling's eyes widened at once. He stared blankly at the other's movements, waiting for soft lips to touch the inside of his wrist.

A warm breath brushed across his wrist. Shi Changyuan had merely 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?"

Lin Ling looked serious and direct. In a small, muttering voice, he complained, "I thought you were going to kiss me."

Shi Changyuan's throat tightened. When he had bent down just now, he truly had nearly lost control. He shifted his gaze away and changed the subject. "Does it still hurt?"

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

"Do you not like that forest I mentioned?"

"No. I was just distracted." Shi Changyuan smiled. "I was thinking that Ling Ling encountered quite a few interesting things and was welcomed everywhere he went."

Even out in the mountains and wilderness, there was no shortage of novel things, nor people who liked him.

His kind lived together, free and unrestrained. It was better than the imperial palace.

The turmoil in Shi Changyuan's eyes was impossible to hide. No wonder every spirit creature wanted to return to the mountains and wilderness.

Praised by Shi Changyuan, Lin Ling's eyes curved with delight, excitement nearly jumping out of them. Yet he still pretended to be calm and composed as he agreed, "Yes, yes, it was so interesting."

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

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

"And, and, I let it slip that I can write. Everyone wants me to write their names for them, and I still owe everyone their names."

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

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

But this was still his illiterate Mushroom.

"It's fine. Ling Ling is already far more educated 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 reached out and slapped Shi Changyuan's thigh, looking spirited and proud. "I'm an illiterate Mushroom, but you aren't!"

"When you have time to come over, I'll take you there and let you show them what you've got. I guarantee they'll squeal and scream in admiration!"

More likely, they would squeal and scream from fright.

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

"Alright," Shi Changyuan said with a smile. "No matter what Ling Ling wants to do, I will accompany you."

"So remember to bring me along."

Lin Ling had clearly not rested well during those days in the mountains, yet on the journey back, he was exceptionally excited. He chattered nonstop, as though trying to make up for all the words he had not said to Shi Changyuan over those three days. By the end, his voice was hoarse.

Shi Changyuan pinched Lin Ling's lips together, manually helping him close his mouth.

By the time the two returned to the imperial palace, it was already time for the evening meal. They had spent many days traveling and sleeping outdoors and could have gone straight to rest, 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 solid reason. He was planning that if Shi Changyuan refused, he would act cute, whine, roll around, use both soft and hard tactics—he would surely...

Shi Changyuan chuckled softly. "Alright."

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

In truth, he had started feeling sleepy right after dinner. If it had been the Shi Changyuan from before, who knew how forcefully he would have made Lin Ling go rest. Even if they had not returned to the sleeping quarters, he would have made him rest in the inner chamber of the Imperial Study.

But this time, Shi Changyuan seemed to wish he could tie him to his belt. And while Lin Ling forced himself to stay awake and accompany Shi Changyuan as he handled official business, Shi Changyuan would wake him whenever he started nodding off.

Sometimes he gently pinched Lin Ling's cheek; sometimes he tapped his forehead with the shaft of a brush. There were all sorts of ways. Sometimes Lin Ling truly fell asleep, his head uncontrollably dropping forward, only to land right in Shi Changyuan's palm.