Without letting Xiaozhi carry the wooden box, Huo Ling, holding Concubine Ye, with the full weight of her "motherly love," walked leisurely and freely, with the gait expected of a playboy, towards the Eastern Palace, looking around as he went.
Picking flowers, playing with dogs, attracting cats—when he happened to encounter Huo Can on duty, Huo Ling also greeted him.
"Dear nephew, do well."
Suddenly named, Huo Can: "..."
Before Huo Can could respond, Huo Ling had already walked away on his own, leaving Huo Can standing there, staring at Huo Ling's red-bottomed figure as he walked away.
Huo Ling strolled leisurely and at ease, and every time Xiaozhi tried to remind him, Huo Ling would either disappear in the blink of an eye to pick flowers or suddenly squat down to interact with his "little brothers and sisters." Xiaozhi couldn't catch up with Huo Ling's pace, and she never found the opportunity to remind Huo Ling about the flower he had on his bottom.
Xiao Anzi: ... Your Highness, I really did my best.
Huo Ling, who was unaware, maintained a inexplicably pleasant state until he saw Huo Lai, who had been standing at the gate of the Eastern Palace for a long time. His joyful mood was suddenly diminished.
"Could it be that my nephew does not want to help me with my homework, so he has come to confront me?" Watching Huo Lai, who had obviously waited for him on purpose, Huo Ling became increasingly alert in his mind, but he still maintained the attitude of a caring elder towards the younger generation. "Why are you standing here, Lai ge?" Huo Ling tried to reach for Huo Lai's hand, attempting to preemptively stop him from saying, "Uncle, I'm not going to help you with your homework." "Come, come with me, your aunt in there has a lot of good things."
Huo Lai avoided Huo Ling's outstretched hand. "Uncle, I just came out from Aunt's place, and I was waiting for you here on purpose."
"On purpose? Waiting for me on purpose..." He had accumulated a lot of homework recently and did not want to lose a helper. Huo Ling tried to lead with his own logic, but the effect was not very obvious.
Not knowing that Huo Ling misunderstood his purpose, Huo Lai was puzzled by the other's strange behavior at the moment. Feeling that he had failed to approach him intimately, he simply gave up and directly grabbed the hem of Huo Ling's robe, looking up at him. "Uncle, I have collected a lot of books on water management recently. Do you want them?" Knowing that Huo Ling was about to go to oversee the first phase of the Yellow River governance, Huo Lai had gone to the Imperial library and, with the help of Li Zhuang and the tacit approval of the Emperor, took away many books related to water management.
"For being so considerate, allow me to cling onto your thigh." Huo Lai looked expectantly at Huo Ling, hoping that the other would understand his implied meaning, but... as Huo Lai's words fell, Huo Ling felt a great relief, glad that the other had not come to confront him. As for the hidden desires and flattery concealed under the guise of being attentive, Huo Ling only felt the respect of the younger generation towards the elders.
Easing his alertness, as he looked at the big eyes blinking at him, Huo Ling remembered the little cat who had coaxed him between his fingers earlier and couldn't resist feeling a little itchy between his fingers.
With a light cough, suppressing the desire to touch the other's head, Huo Ling once again missed the point. "Books? I hate reading the most."
Seeing the sudden dimming of Huo Lai's face, Huo Ling, feeling like a considerate and good uncle, thought he should give the other face, "But, since you have prepared it for me, then Uncle will graciously accept it." Oh... I should be able to use that like this, right?
Huo Lai's eyes suddenly lit up. "If I can help Uncle, that would be great." Finally, he had a chance.
In the end, unable to resist, Huo Ling directly ruffled the other's hair. "You have always been great!" Children indeed need more praise; he should praise them more next time. Huo Ling and Huo Lai's thoughts were completely not in the same direction, but both felt satisfied. As for whether Huo Ling knew about Huo Lai's true intentions, and whether Huo Lai had really clung onto Huo Ling's thigh... who knows.
Having Xiao Anzi escort Huo Lai out and retrieve the books he had prepared to give him, Huo Ling, with his joyful mood restored, walked into the Eastern Palace alone, carrying the wooden box.
He wanted to share the good things he got from Concubine Ye with Princess Consort Li, but as Huo Ling traversed the numerous palaces, his excitement gradually faded, even his light footsteps slowed down.
He had found another downside to moving into the Eastern Palace - it was much larger than the Prince of Yan's Mansion, so large that he did not have to worry about having a potbelly.
Entering the main hall, with the box in his embrace, he called out to the Princess Consort Li Yu, and by then, Huo Ling's back was already soaked in sweat.
"Ah Yu, look at the good things I got from Mother." Huo Ling was like a child eager to share with his little friend, pulling the smiling Li Yu from the inner room to the table, eager to show off. "Let me tell you, my mother's previous life was super exciting."
When Concubine Ye gave Huo Ling things, it was accompanied by a sense of nostalgia, and she would also mention a few words about her past, fully satisfying his curiosity. Returning to the Eastern Palace full of gossip, Huo Ling was eager to share with Li Yu immediately.
"Your Highness, slow down." As Li Yu was being pulled along by Huo Ling, she smiled and, as she was about to speak, her gaze inadvertently fell on the "big red flower" exactly at the location of Huo Ling's behind. The smile on Princess Consort Li Yu's face gradually disappeared.
Your Highness had walked back like this?
Watching as Huo Ling sat down at the table, preparing to open the wooden box, Li Yu couldn't bear to remind him. She took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped the sweat from Huo Ling's forehead. "Your Highness, you've been through a lot on the way here. Why don't you go bathe and change clothes first, and then I'll listen to your story?"
Huo Ling, unable to open the locked box after all the hassle, felt it was a good idea. He pushed the wooden box in front of the considerate Princess Consort Li. "Ah Yu, the box is for you. You can look at what's inside at your leisure. I'll go bathe first."
"Alright." Li Yu got up and instructed someone to bring in hot water. She then led Huo Ling into the inner chamber, helping him get changed while also coaxing him to take off his outer robe, stained with flower juice.
Just when Huo Ling was expecting a "surprise" because of Li Yu helping him remove his clothes, Li Yu smoothed out the wrinkles on Huo Ling's collar with a smile, and hung the clothes she had prepared for him on the screen. "Your Highness, take your time in the bath. I'll wait for you."
Then, Li Yu walked out of the inner chamber, holding the robe just removed from Huo Ling.
Huo Ling: ... He already had a feeling, you know?
Looking down at his pitiful "little brother," Huo Ling sighed helplessly. "Okay, she's my Princess Consort, after all. I'll have to figure it out myself."
When Huo Ling finished his bath and came out, the room was lit, and the Princess Consort, who was supposed to wait for him, had already fallen asleep on the divan. Her peaceful sleeping visage made one couldn't help but wonder what sweet dreams she was having.
Subconsciously trying to tread lightly, Huo Ling squatted down in front of the divan.
Quietly watching Li Yu sleep soundly, he leaned closer to her face. Just as Li Yu, who was pretending to sleep, thought he was going to kiss her, Huo Ling actually blew air into her eyes and, not only that, he poked her left cheek with his finger, then her right cheek.
Not content with just poking, Huo Ling even compared whether his own face was softer or if his Princess Consort's face was softer.
His breathing was unsteady, yet Li Yu, who had already woken up, had not been discovered by Huo Ling. "..." Fine, could she still hope that the always unpredictable Your Highness would do something romantic?
As Li Yu, pretending to be awoken by the poking, opened her eyes, she met Huo Ling's smile. "Ah Yu, you're awake? Let me tell you, I found out that my face is softer than yours."
"Is that so?" Sitting up, Li Yu maintained her smiling face, poking Huo Ling's face and then, her face was full of surprise. "It's true, Your Highness's face has become softer again, it must be because Your Highness has gained weight."
Huo Ling: ... Not knowing why the Princess Consort was not happy again, having been used to the fickleness of women from Concubine Ye, the pained Huo Ling fell silent after being poked in the foot, and very determinedly changed the subject, "Do you want to hear a story from me?"
"Okay." Following Huo Ling's 'okay', Li Yu, who had long been accustomed to Huo Ling's habit of always missing the point, didn't throw a tantrum and dutifully got up to sit at the table with Huo Ling, listening attentively to Huo Ling's stories about Concubine Ye's "heroic deeds."
Li Yu listened very seriously, adjusting her expression according to Huo Ling's changing expression, fulfilling her duty as the straight man in front of her own Prince.
Looking at the extremely hapy Huo Ling as he told stories about his "superb mother," Li Yu's eyes were full of tender smiles.
As a result of telling many stories, Huo Ling was late the next day. Not only was he late, but he also made the team set to depart for Yanchi County wait for him at the palace gate for a long time.
Because he was too tired, even though Ye Xiao repeatedly straightened his head and sternly instructed him to stand properly, Huo Ling, half-asleep and still greeting the people around him, paid no attention, completely relying on the upright figure of Ye Xiao.
Just as Huo Ling was about to close his eyes again, the figure that appeared in his hazy vision made him instinctively sit up.
"Why is he here too?"