Chapter 68

This scene felt strangely familiar to Li Chenjing, as if... at some point, in some place, he had once asked Little Eight to "recite a poem within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

Unlike his current predicament, Little Eight was confident in front of him, a smile playing on his lips, his bright eyes flashing with a hint of mockery, as he wrinkled his nose and called him "Master".

He seemed to have some vague recollection, but it was too blurry to see clearly through the heavy fog before his eyes. He decided to stop thinking about it... It was just a fragmented memory of the man who had treated Little Eight badly, worthless. The important thing was that Little Eight was right in front of him now, very close, within reach. She no longer addressed him as "Master" in a distant manner, and although she still somewhat awkwardly rejected him, he could sense that she was... softening, and was not as resistant to his approach as before.

It's all that stupid emperor's fault for setting such a ridiculous topic! A poem about "brothels"—bah! His Little Eight, is a respectable scholar; would he ever willingly go near such a despicable place? He's deliberately making things difficult for him! Look at him, sweating profusely... If he were still the same person he always was... with some knowledge and eloquence, he could surely help Little Eight Ba.

It's a pity that his mind is currently blank; he can't recall a single elegant sentence, not even a poem, song, essay, or literary composition.

I want to help him...

I really want to help him...

I didn't want to see his pitiful, anxious, and helpless look...

Anything that can help Little Eight is fine...

"Huh? What... what are you doing?" Zhu Bafu, who was racking his brains, suddenly froze, because a magnificent brocade Wide Sleeves suddenly appeared in front of him, the soft silk edge gently brushing his forehead, cheeks, and even the tip of his nose...

--He is the Young Master.

She looked up in a daze, her eyes meeting a pair of deep, dark eyes that were fixed intently on her. It was as if there was nothing around them, no His Your Majesty sitting there sipping tea, no woman he once cared about most; only she was in his eyes, the most important person, irreplaceable by anyone.

"Let me wipe your sweat." A refined male voice rang out, as clear and melodious as jade. He didn't care about the opinions of others at all. His intimacy wasn't for show, but it caused the expressions of the two people standing next to him to change.

Young Master Piao smiled faintly, gripping the small porcelain cup in his hand even tighter. Liu Rongrong, on the other hand, frowned deeply, twisting her gauze collar with her fingers. She wanted to open her small mouth to say something, but looking at the distinguished Young Master Piao in front of her, she couldn't speak.

"Don't rush. Think about it slowly. If you can't figure it out, we'll leave. Okay?"

He gazed at her, so close...

It wasn't some fatal love confession, nor was it a spicy, risqué joke from a pornographic film; it was just a gentle, simple phrase, not even meant to comfort her, yet it made this well-read woman's cheeks flush instantly. She didn't know where to look at him. His pupils... no, that's too deep; if she fell in, she might not be able to climb out. His fingers... no, they had just touched the tip of her nose and were still covered in her sweat. His lips... even more so, no, no! She was afraid she wouldn't be able to control herself and would shamelessly press her lips against his to fulfill her promise prematurely, in front of two other people, wearing a man's Confucian Robe, and making a sudden, indecent advance towards him...

"Hey, Pig Kid, stop being all lovey-dovey with Little Jing in front of me. You're keeping me waiting too long, and it's getting on my nerves. If I'm in a bad mood, I won't even have an appetite for your beautiful poems."

Young Master Piao's words pulled Zhu Bafu out of the ambiguous atmosphere, eliciting an unpleasant "tsk" from Li Chenjing, who looked at the current emperor with the eyes of someone looking at a bothersome fly.

"What? You think I'm interrupting your flirting?" Taking a sip of fragrant tea, Young Master Piao didn't even look at Liu Rongrong standing behind him, but addressed her directly, "Rongrong, don't you also find the scene before you jarring?"

"... What is Your Holy Emperor saying? Since Chen Jing has found another love, although... the object of his affection is somewhat strange, Rongrong sincerely offers her blessings. After all, although Rongrong and Chen Jing were Childhood Sweethearts, they are now completely unrelated. Rongrong is a woman serving Your Holy Emperor." Her words were spoken with conviction and clear pronunciation. As she finished speaking, she stared intently at Li Chenjing's expression, only to see that he hadn't been listening to her at all. He reached out and stroked the Little Scholar's back, his eyes full of doting affection.

"... Pfft. Rongrong, aren't you feeling frustrated? It's the first time I've seen someone speak and Chen Jing not listen to a word, not even glancing at you. Haha! Interesting, very interesting."

"... Your Holy Emperor, please don't joke about Rongrong and Chen Jing's matter."

Turning back, Young Master Piao's eyes held a hint of probing, "What? Is there something between you and Little Jing that I can't joke about?"

"..."

"Aren't you my woman?"

"... yes."

"As long as you understand this, it's fine to joke around. Don't take it too seriously, Rongrong."

"... Rongrong understands."

Withdrawing his slightly calculating gaze, Young Master Piao rested his chin on his hand and reminded him again, "Pig Kid, isn't it about time for an incense stick to burn? It's time to hand in your homework."

"..." Taking a deep breath, Zhu Bafu stepped forward, and without understanding why, he raised his sleeves and bowed deeply to Liu Rongrong.

This action surprised both Li Chenjing and Young Master Piao.

"Pig Kid? What are you doing?"

"Little Eight? Why are you bowing to that woman?"

She looked up at Liu Rongrong, who was also frowning with suspicion, and said, "Miss Liu, I don't know what difficulties you have faced in the past, but... the current situation is special. I am trying to persuade His Your Majesty to return to the palace. Please forgive me if my words have been offensive."