The sharp and piercing "Your Highness" from Xia Anzi directly dampened Huo Ling's enthusiasm. Even the news of "his dream" coming to the East Palace didn't move Huo Ling's heart.
It's not good to come at any time, and it just happens at this time, really… tsk.
With these thoughts in mind, Huo Ling restrained himself from rolling his eyes, sighed, tucked the stray hair on Liuyue's face behind her ear, and turned his head to peck her lightly, "Do you want to come with me to see Uncle Emperor?" When it came to the words 'Uncle Emperor', Huo Ling's voice inevitably lowered.
Thinking that his Uncle Emperor, Huo Zi, was the commander of the Qingyu Guards, he couldn't wait to let the "Grand General" bite the other party.
Even though Huo Ling concealed all his grievances deep within, Liuyue, as Huo Ling's wife, still sensed a change in his emotions, although she wasn't sure why Huo Ling was feeling this way.
Subconsciously glancing towards Huo Zi on the other end of the corridor, she saw Prince Jing in a purple clean-front embroidered cloud-patterned Hangzhou silk straight-dress, swaying the fan, smiling back at her, showing a charismatic and exquisite demeanor.
He was the same person, the same Prince Jing, Huo Zi, who made Huo Ling's eyes light up. So why did the Crown Prince have such a strange expression?
Although she had some doubts, Liuyue didn't directly ask. She smiled and shook her head at Huo Ling, "Uncle Emperor wants to see you, I won't go with you."
"When the Crown Prince returns, I'll tell you some good news." Subconsciously, she caressed her belly, her eyes curved, graced with a smile, "I'll wait for you to come back."
"...Okay."
Unperturbed by Liuyue's indifferent attitude, Huo Ling not only lightly pinched Liuyue's face, but also moved his head over to lightly bite her in the spot he had pinched her. Only then did he let go of Liuyue and walked towards the other end of the corridor.
Standing in place, Liuyue subconsciously touched the place where Huo Ling had bitten her, feeling no hint of pain, but she felt that her cheeks had turned slightly red.
Her Crown Prince…
The warmth passed from her palm to her face, making her dizzy. With joy in her eyes, she looked at Huo Ling's back until she saw Huo Ling and Prince Jing walking out with their arms around each other, then turned around and entered the hall.
On the other side, walking with his hands behind his back, Huo Ling stepped forward with huge strides toward Huo Zi, giving a fierce glare at Xia Anzi. The innocent Xia Anzi quickly apologized and left.
When only Huo Ling and Huo Zi remained in the long corridor filled with purple wisteria flower petals, Huo Ling put on a smiling face and opened his arms to greet his Uncle Emperor, and Huo Zi also put down his fan, effortlessly meeting Huo Ling halfway with open arms.
Hugging Huo Zi, Huo Ling patted him on the back heavily, letting him fully feel his enthusiasm. "Haha, Uncle Emperor, when did you come back? It's been so long, and you're becoming more charismatic."
"Ah, I just missed you." As if not feeling Huo Ling's enthusiasm, Huo Zi's expression remained unchanged, and his voice didn't change either. He tightly hugged Huo Ling with a suffocating strength, conveying his longing for him. "That's why I came back."
Swallowing the groan that came when Huo Zi hugged him, Huo Ling maintained a smile and patted his uncle's back again, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."
Huo Zi kept smiling and increased the pressure in the hug, "I'm also very happy to see you again."
"Yes, indeed."
"True."
In their exchange, amidst going back and forth, the Prince Jing, who had been beaten by the Emperor just a while ago, decided to compromise by mentioning softly, "You let go and I will let go," which, in fact, had almost made Huo Ling breathless, and he was completely satisfied with the slight nod.
As the wind blew, dropping the purple wisteria flower petals all over the ground, when a petal driven by the wind was about to hit him, Huo Ling released his grip, and at the same time, Huo Zi also let go of his hand.
Taking a step back, Huo Ling coughed a few times in relief, then unfolded the ivory bone fan that had somehow ended up in his hand and shook it.
"Hey, you're holding the fan the wrong way." On the other side, Huo Zi, feeling equally relieved, gently tilted his head, not at all concerned that his fan had fallen into the other's hands, and still smiling, kindly reminded Huo Ling.
Huo Ling looked down and only then did he realize that the four characters "gentleman, like the wind" were right in front of him. He inexplicably felt that these four characters were mocking him. Huo Ling narrowed his eyes and said, "Oh, I did it on purpose."
Showing that the fan was intentionally held incorrectly, Huo Ling shook the fan, then casually closed it and inserted it into his belt. He then reached out and hooked Huo Zi's neck, saying, "Hey, I'm as tall as Uncle, it seems Uncle hasn't grown taller in the past few years."
Huo Ling's whole set of actions was so natural that Huo Zi forgot to mock him for holding the fan wrong, and instead reached out and put his hand on Huo Ling's shoulder, following up on the conversation, "I'm getting old. If I grow any taller, I'll become a monster."
At this point, Huo Zi couldn't help but sigh, "Many years ago, you were a little bean that I could easily pat with one slap. I didn't expect you to grow up so big. Ah, time waits for no one..."
"Aren't you a monster?" Ignoring the other's sigh, Huo Ling, fully surprised, asked, tilting his head. Before Huo Zi could flick his head, Huo Ling quickly moved his head back, and in a varied tone, recited, "A dandy in the capital, a casually elegant prince, commander of the Green Feathers, admire admire, humbly concede." As he said this, he also put down the hand on the other's shoulder and saluted.
Huo Zi: "..."
It's not as much fun as I grew older. Unable to flick Huo Ling's head, he simply reached out and pinched his face, "Do you want me to compose a piece for you again and have you sing those twenty characters?"
"Okay."
Stunned by the straightforward "okay", Huo Zi pointed at Huo Ling's face, and couldn't help rolling his eyes, "Give it up, are you really that resentful? It's not a big deal that I didn't tell you about my other identity."
"It is."
Huo Ling's face was serious, and he repeated, "It is a big deal."
What about "why smear good clay on the wall", "indulgence in all vices is the most despicable dandy", "a true dandy makes people shake their heads when they think of him, but they have to greet him with a smile when they meet" ... He hadn't forgotten what Huo Zi had said to him, but he felt that the other had probably forgotten all about it.
Humph, we agreed to be dandies together. I would be the leader and you the follower, but you quietly withdrew. Shameless.
Huo Ling complained to Huo Zi, "You owe me my 'idle prince dream'."
Huo Zi: "..."
Thinking that he had indeed been somewhat unfair, he gave in and agreed to many things he had said to Huo Ling but had never completed.
Until he felt it was enough, Huo Ling straightened up from his chair and with a smile on his face, said, "Uncle, I want to tell you something."
"Oh?"
"Before you came to the Eastern Palace, Father had already instructed Ande to inform me of this matter." Tilting his head slightly, still smiling, Huo Ling summarized, "So, I am honored to tell you that you have been deceived."
Huo Zi: "!!!!"
Feeling so angry that he turned around to find trouble for the Emperor, which resulted in the Emperor coming to settle accounts with him, Huo Ling comforted him meaningfully, "I have been tricking you for so many years, haven't I?"
"Just get used to it."
Think of the milk kitten taken away by Ye Xiao, then look at Huo Zi in front of you saying that if you dare to call me, I dare to snatch and beat you. Huo Ling, with a helpless look on his face, rubs the bewildered head of the young lion dog in the arms of the other person, "Alright, it's all yours, all yours."
The small, fluffy young lion dog felt a familiar breath and instinctively licked Huo Ling's fingertips, even "whimpering" once.
As the "big brother," Huo Ling felt his conscience aching, but faced with the unquestionable uncle Huo Zi, he could only reluctantly send the young lion dog, held in his arms, to the East Palace.
Watching the figure of the other person heading towards the Qianqing Palace, Huo Ling stretched lazily, "I hope Uncle and Father can have a pleasant chat." As for why Uncle Huo Zi wanted to take a young lion dog to the Qianqing Palace, and how his father, who is allergic to dog hair, would react, it had nothing to do with him - anyway, Uncle had promised to take care of his "little brother."
With the best wishes for Huo Zi, Huo Ling walked back to the Yun Palace with hands behind his back, taking big strides.
Before entering the warm pavilion of the Yun Palace, Huo Ling was about to call out to the Crown Princess Lui Yue as usual, but as he lifted his head, he saw the palace maids, Hong Xiu and Hong Liu, tidying up threads to pass the time at the corridor.
Noting that the two were not by Lui Yue's side, Huo Ling unconsciously lightened his footsteps, even lowering his voice, "Where is the Crown Princess?"
Noticing Huo Ling, Hong Xiu and Hong Liu promptly set down their embroidery baskets and bowed to Huo Ling, answering his question in a subdued tone, "Your Highness, the Crown Princess is taking a nap inside."
Receiving the expected answer, Huo Ling raised his eyebrows slightly - she had promised to wait for him to return, and yet here she was, already asleep? Outrageous.
Thinking about how to make the Crown Princess Lui Yue feel his dissatisfaction, Huo Ling showed no hint of it on his face. He casually waved his hand at the two of them, "Alright, go do what you're supposed to do."
"Understood."
As he walked past the two of them who had sat back down to tidy up the threads, Huo Ling pushed open the door and entered the warm pavilion.
Sometime back, Lui Yue had stopped using incense in the warm pavilion, instead substituting with fruits and flowers. This made Huo Ling, who was greeted by the smell of oranges, unable to help but let out a small sneeze.
The sneeze echoed clearly in the quiet warm pavilion, but it didn't disturb the peaceful sleep of the Crown Princess. Lui Yue was sleeping on the soft couch, one hand lightly resting on her face and the other on her abdomen. Her large water-red sleeve hung halfway down, intertwining with her hair that was also draped down.
Huo Ling unconsciously softened his breathing, and even his initial thought of waking her up and expressing his grievances vanished. At that moment, Huo Ling deeply regretted not having learned painting properly from his uncle in the past. Otherwise, he could have painted a "Beauty’s Autumn Nap" right now.
Lacking in artistic skill, he was powerless.
So Huo Ling could only walk to the front of the couch, lift up both the hanging sleeve and hair of Lui Yue, and then move her inward. After doing all this, he removed his shoes and lay down, holding the still sleeping Lui Yue in his arms - unable to paint a picture, but he could hold the beauty while she slept.
Happily, Huo Ling embraced Lui Yue, leaned his head against hers, and closed his eyes.
This sleep lasted until dusk.
When Lui Yue woke up, she opened her eyes and saw Huo Ling.
His even breath touched her face, enveloping her in warm breath, intertwining with her own, and she suddenly became aware of the current situation. Unable to contain her joy, Lui Yue bent her eyes.
Unlike the usual unruly and wild appearance, Huo Ling looked especially well when he slept, almost cute. Seeing herself being held by Huo Ling upon waking up, Lui Yue didn't struggle. She nuzzled her face against the crook of Huo Ling's neck, and upon finding that he was still asleep, she extended her finger to play with his long, thick eyelashes.
With the arrival of dusk and the lighting of lamps in the warm pavilion, the faint yellow light illuminated the figures, causing the candle flames and shadows to dance on the wall. The overlapping light and shadow also blurred the features of the people, but at the same time, it brought a unique feeling.
It is usually a delight to see a beauty under a lamp. Lui Yue was in such a state at that moment, admiring her prince who seemed perfect in every way. For her, even the slightly mismatched eyebrows seemed very charming, and she couldn't help but sigh, "Your Highness is really cute."
"I also think A Yue is cute." Huo Ling, who had woken up at some point, sat up holding Lui Yue. He straightened her disheveled hair with his hand and said, "Let's have dinner first, and after that, you can look at me for as long as you want."
"Even if it's for as long as the end of time, I don't mind." Huo Ling pecked Lui Yue's cheek with a smile, then pulled her up.
"...Okay."
The enchanting beauty, combined with her recently slower reactions, made Lui Yue, who had always been one to agree with everything he said, seem to believe everything that the prince said now, and she didn't feel anything wrong about it. She was filled with sentiments like "The prince is super cute" and "everything the prince says is right," which made Huo Ling, who had recently discovered this side of Lui Yue, feel exceedingly satisfied.
Ah, his A Yue is really cute.
With this thought, Huo Ling not only picked up a meatball for Lui Yue, but also picked a piece of spare rib from her bowl that he liked.
"Your Highness," the spare rib suddenly disappeared from the bowl, and Lui Yue, looking at the meatball in her bowl, blinked, lifting her head to look at Huo Ling with a bewildered expression, "Where is my spare rib?"
Huo Ling didn't answer Lui Yue's question. He smiled, tilted his head, and pecked Lui Yue's cheek, then asked, "Wanna eat the meatball?"
After hesitating for a moment and looking at the meatball that Huo Ling had specially picked for her, Lui Yue nodded slightly, "Sure." Lui Yue attentively began to eat the meatball that Huo Ling had picked for her, completely oblivious to the fact that he had taken a piece of spare rib from her bowl earlier.
After finishing dinner, when Huo Ling was ready to go strolling with Lui Yue in the imperial garden, Lui Yue finally remembered the good news that she had initially wanted to tell Huo Ling. She pulled Huo Ling into the inner chamber, and as they sat side by side on the bed, she placed Huo Ling's hand on her abdomen, "Your Highness, I'm expecting."
After nearly six years, she finally had news.
Overwhelmed with joy, Lui Yue let the tears flow freely from her eyes, her eyes and eyebrows were full of smiles, "Counting the days, it should be the day when Your Highness returned from Yanchi County." It was probably the commotion in the study during the day that led to her becoming pregnant. It was really embarrassing to think about it, the child was conceived in such an unexpected way, just thinking about it made her blush.
Huo Ling stared blankly at Lui Yue, filled with a strange sense of wonder and could only think "not knowing the current situation," until the tear that dripped from Lui Yue's cheek landed on his hand, only then did Huo Ling wake up as if from a trance, "A Yue, what did you say? My son hasn’t had enough of my attention, and you're already telling me you're pregnant?"
Because Huo Ling didn't show the expected expression Lui Yue had anticipated, she couldn't help feeling a little lost, "Your Highness?"
Could it be that the prince didn't want her to be pregnant? How was that possible?
After questioning herself and dispelling her doubts, remembering the promise she made to Huo Ling during their early days of marriage, Lui Yue, who didn't even bother to test the waters, directly asked, "Your Highness, what are you thinking? You don't want a child?"
"...Not at all." Faced with this "loaded question," Huo Ling slowly shook his head, "I just didn't expect it."
"You didn't?"
"I didn't expect to be so young and already have a child." His palm was pressed against Lui Yue's abdomen, and even though there was no sign of pregnancy yet, he still couldn't feel anything. Huo Ling still found it very strange, feeling as if he had said all this without thinking, "I am still a child, why do I already have another child?"
"Lui Yue:"
Thinking about Huo Ling's usual behavior and character, Lui Yue surprisingly found nothing wrong with his statement that he still saw himself as a child. Holding Huo Ling's hand firmly, she solemnly said, "Your Highness, you are my big baby," and the other hand that remained empty went up to her abdomen, the smile gradually spilling from her eyes, "He is my little baby."
——They were both her babies.
All the complex emotions and inexplicable confusion disappeared because of Lui Yue's tender words. Huo Ling suddenly realized a conundrum, "I was planning to take you to Jiangnan to see the scenery, but now... should I tell Father that I won't go to Jiangnan?" The Crown Princess was pregnant, and if the child was born while he was in Jiangnan and he couldn't make it back, what would they do? Just thinking about it made him feel that it was an extremely unpleasant situation.
Realizing this, Huo Ling couldn't help but have second thoughts about going to Jiangnan. However, before he could make a final decision, a single statement from Lui Yue overwhelmed all his thoughts.
"Your Highness, can you bear a child for me?"
"If you can't bear a child for me, then what's the difference if you're by my side or not?" Unwilling to let Huo Ling miss the chance to go to Jiangnan for experience, Liu Yue also felt that Huo Ling needed this opportunity. "Your Highness, please rest assured, I will take care of myself." Thinking back to Huo Ling's reaction when he first found out she was pregnant, and the teasing at the dinner table, Liu Yue realized that it was better for Huo Ling to go to Jiangnan. Otherwise, when she was taking care of the baby in her belly, she might also have to deal with a certain "big baby."
Most importantly, with Huo Ling attracting attention in front, there would be even fewer people paying attention to her.
As for the emptiness and worry of her husband not being at home, when Huo Ling was by her side, Liu Yue actually didn't worry any less about him being ambushed one day.
Suddenly, Huo Ling looked up and stared at the Crown Princess Liu Yue without blinking. "Ah Yue, are you looking down on me?"
Facing Huo Ling's keen perception as always, the corners of the Crown Princess Liu Yue's mouth didn't change at all. Without any guilty conscience, she shook her head with a smile. "Your Highness, you're thinking too much. I have never looked down on you."
"In my heart, Your Highness is the best!"
Huo Ling: "..." Always feels like something is not quite right, but if he were to argue about it, it would seem even more wrong?
Uncertain whether he should argue with Liu Yue, Huo Ling abandoned the idea and instead began to envision how he would be a good father once Liu Yue gave birth to the child.
"If it's a son, I'll teach him to be a playboy." Huo Ling has yet to give up on his dream of being a salty fish... Oh no, the idle king. Since he probably won't be able to realize his dream, he can only place his hopes on the next generation and decided on his own, "If it's a daughter, I'll teach her to be a willful princess."
Saying that, Huo Ling picked up a pen and ink, ready to make a list and plan.
The Crown Prince's serious preparation, even his carefulness when writing, made Liu Yue unable to control her laughter.
The next day when he was in court, Huo Ling was still somewhat puzzled. He had acted so seriously, so why did Ah Yue start laughing every time he spoke? How could she be like this? So unreliable.
As Huo Ling went to court, his mind was still echoed with Ah Yue's laughter, causing him to absentmindedly walk in court, completely unaware that the Emperor had called his name for the third time.
As for sending Huo Ling to govern Jiangnan, the Emperor had already communicated with the other party. He thought that the morning court would proceed smoothly today, but his foolish son once again dropped the ball publicly.
Every time he had a little hope for Huo Ling, the Emperor could feel what disappointment and helplessness truly meant. Looking at Huo Ling, who was completely inattentive at the head of the court, he directly scolded, "Huo Ling!"
"Ah! I'm here!" With a sudden jolt, Huo Ling raised his head to meet the Emperor's cold and stern gaze, feeling a bit puzzled. He tentatively asked, "Father, do you have something to ask me?"
Seeing Huo Ling completely unaware, the Emperor, with patience, said slowly, "I'm asking whether you will go to govern Jiangnan; you only need to answer 'go'."
Although the matter had been discussed in advance, Huo Ling still instinctively asked, "Is 'not go' not an option?"
The Emperor saw that there was only one answer in Huo Ling's mind, which was "go." He raised his eyes coldly and replied to Huo Ling with five indifferent words, "Dream on, no."
"Alright." Huo Ling shrugged nonchalantly. "Then father, remember to allow me to make my own decisions, including who I take with me."
Since it wasn't a big deal, the Emperor didn't want to restrict his actions, so he agreed to Huo Ling's request without much fuss.
With the Emperor's permission, Huo Ling blocked the path of Gong Yi, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, when he was leaving the palace on his way home.
Ha, finally, it was him who was stopping someone.
Feeling inexplicably excited, upon seeing Minister Gong Yi for the first time, Huo Ling excitedly reached out and grabbed his neck. "Minister Gong, have you seen the Yellow River?"
Caught off guard by the question, Minister Gong Yi, who was stopped by the Crown Prince, replied with confusion, "...??"
The author's note:
①: Fragrant winds induce the grand journey to the Celestial realm, bowing at the Cloud Step, greeting the Immortal of the Moon and Earth. Sharing the worldy worries, we don't know if it's today or what year it is. [From "Zhou Qin Travel Records" by Wei Guan of the Tang dynasty.]
Huoling first apologized to Gongyi, "Lord Gong, I'm really sorry." Thinking about how the Emperor had tricked him, Huoling couldn't help but frown, "I originally promised to arrange for you to go to the Yellow River, to work with Lord Li for a better future for Da Zhou, but unexpectedly my father blocked me, and the Ministry of Personnel directly passed the buck back to me."
Before Gongyi could express his understanding, Huoling continued, "But it's okay, Lord Gong, you've already seen the Yellow River before, so this time you can come with me to Jiangnan."
Forced to swallow the words he was about to say, Gongyi's expression changed when he heard this, "Ah?"
"How so?" Huoling leaned against the palace wall, arms crossed, and cocked his head, "Lord Gong, don't you want to see the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan?"
As a sudden gust of wind blew, lifting Gongyi's hem and also blowing back his rationality.
-Didn’t we just talk about the Yellow River? How did we suddenly end up in Jiangnan?
Trying to suppress the criticism that popped up in his mind, Gongyi, with no hint of surprise on his face, cleared his throat and, after getting his emotions in check, tentatively asked Huoling, "Your Highness, how did you think of this old minister?"
"I, as an old minister, have no special abilities. What qualities do I have to accompany Your Highness on a tour of Jiangnan?" With that "tour", which carried Gongyi's unnoticed grievance, and realizing his evasive excuse might make the mercurial Huoling angry, Gongyi quickly gave a reason for not being able to go to Jiangnan, "Moreover, my grandson is about to get married." Even though he was his great-grandson, a great-grandson was still a grandson.
While Huoling was pondering if he was being unkind to Gongyi, a patrol of the Imperial Guards happened to pass by them. The leader of the Imperial Guards, with a glance, subtly halted his steps upon seeing the two at the alley entrance. As soon as he recognized one of them as Gongyi, the Minister of Revenue, and remembered that his brother worked as a minor official in the Ministry of Revenue, he intended to greet them and remind them inadvertently, but then he noticed Huoling.
Thinking about the rumors about the Crown Prince circulating within the Qianqing Palace, this Imperial Guard saluted Huoling and, after a low greeting, completely ignored Gongyi, hastening to leave the alley with his men.
The position where Gongyi and Huoling were standing was quite delicate; outside the alley was the palace road used by officials when leaving the palace after court— no officials were allowed to linger. And beyond the alley lay the Yeting where no officials were permitted.
Being stopped in the alley by Huoling, Gongyi had initially hoped the Imperial Guards would remind the Crown Prince that lingering was not allowed, and "rescue" him, but to his surprise, upon seeing Huoling, the Imperial Guards hurried away even faster than the previous Zhengyangwen.
Feeling resigned, Gongyi could only choose to save himself, "Your Highness, this is not a good place for a conversation. Why don't we... talk another day?" He wished he could directly express this, even without the "another day," but under Huoling's pensive gaze, he shelved the idea, knowing it was impossible to achieve.
"Lord Gong, you overlooked one thing. This alley does not belong to the prohibited palace road, but also does not fall within the Yeting's scope." In other words, it was a place where one could linger or not.
"Is that so?"
Squinting as he looked at the boundless sky, Huoling caught sight of a bird flying across the horizon. When he shifted his gaze back to Gongyi, he lightly clapped his hands, "Lord Gong, in your heart, do you think your grandson is more important, or Da Zhou?"
"... Your Highness?"
This question posed by Huoling was like asking Gongyi— what is more important, Da Zhou or family?
This was a question Gongyi was destined to be unable to answer.
Even though Huoling's gaze was not overwhelming, even his posture was casual, just like the extravagant youth who would rather not stand properly, Gongyi found himself breaking out in a cold sweat under his calm gaze, unsure of what to say.
As Huoling straightened his posture and patted Gongyi on the shoulder, leaving a faint red mark from the palace wall, he spoke, "Lord Gong, I will not investigate whether your grandson is really about to get married. It's your decision whether to go to Jiangnan or not."
"I'll wait for you."
Leaving behind these three words, Huoling patted Gongyi's shoulder once more, then calmly left while shouldering the burden of his own questions. As he watched Huoling's departing figure, Gongyi fell into deep thought— he felt like his conscience would ache if he didn't go to Jiangnan with the Crown Prince... Was it just his imagination?
Before Gongyi could resolve this issue, another patrol of Imperial Guards noticed his presence. Unlike the previous patrol, the leader, with a stern face, coldly reminded him, "Lord Gong, this is not where you should be. Please leave quickly."
As for the Crown Prince, who was squatting in a palace corner and playing with sparrows, he only saw the Minister of Revenue, Gongyi, lingering here.
Gongyi: "..."
"Sorry, I'll leave right away, please forgive me."
"Please do so quickly."
Gongyi bowed to the cold reminder from the Imperial Guard, and with the questions raised by Huoling, walked past the Crown Prince, who was squatting in the palace corner playing with sparrows, and silently saluted him before quietly leaving the usually quiet palace road.
Not long after Gongyi left, Huoling, who had been squatting in the palace corner, stood up. He waved to the sparrows that had flown away to who-knows-where, then turned around and pounced on Ye Xiao, who had just left the palace after reporting to the Emperor, and happened to be nearby. "Ye Xiao, I've got you." It was rare to come out and be active, and it would be too much of a loss to only stop Gongyi in the palace road.
Having already noticed Huoling, Ye Xiao was prepared, and was not at all surprised by him. With a simple movement of his shoulder, he made Huoling, who had pounced on him, unconsciously stand up straight, no longer leaning on him.
With a light cough, without needing Ye Xiao to speak, Huoling, feeling responsible for the wrinkles he had just made on his clothes, smoothed them out.
After pursing his lips, he quietly called out, "Ye, Ye Xiao."
His calm, emotionless gaze sweeped over Huoling's body, and finding nothing that would make him feel "improper," Ye Xiao gradually softened his expression.
He flicked off the grass leaves that had somehow stuck to Huoling's collar, then led Huoling to the spot where Gongyi had been standing, and only then asked, "Is Your Highness here to discuss something with me?"