Chapter 138

Chapter 138

It was called a punishment, but who exactly was being punished in the end remained to be seen.

The carriage ride from the separate residence to Tang-Jing residence took more than an hour, slightly bumpy on the suburban roads. By the time the carriage entered Yu Jing with its smooth roads, Rong Tang was utterly exhausted, their clothes in complete disarray. Another scent lingered in the carriage, overpowering the fragrance of sandalwood, with moonlight spilling inside, each beam a witness to their passion.

Controlled it was, but ultimately Su Huaijing didn't bear to really suffocate him.

Not long after Su Huaijing kindly untied the hairband, Young Master Rong Tang relaxed from the intense tension, closed his eyes, and fell asleep in the carriage seat, his legs still resting on someone else's, completely unconcerned about the big villain's well-being.

Su Huaijing's expression changed again and again, finally settling on a resigned sigh. He silently opened the window, letting the early spring night breeze in to disperse the scent inside the carriage and to calm his mind.

Deliberately ignoring his physiological reactions, he covered Rong Tang with a blanket, then leaned against the carriage wall in contemplation.

There was much to consider—the court, the imperial harem, the common people...

Yet, as various matters flashed through his mind, the first thing Su Huaijing thought of was Rong Tang's unusual behavior these days.

Tangtang said he was fine, but truthful words were always scarce from his mouth, needing someone to persistently probe and coax out even a semblance of a sentence.

He had his own difficulties and considerations, and while Su Huaijing wouldn’t really hold it against him, when these issues affected Rong Tang, he couldn’t help but think about them.

Su Huaijing had long suspected that Rong Tang had unknown channels to communicate with another world—a realm he understood as the heavens.

Occasional stillness in the air and sudden disturbances in the airflow seemed to indirectly confirm this speculation.

But this was different from the matter with Cheng Chengli. Cheng Chengli was a real, flesh-and-blood person. Su Huaijing, based on Rong Tang's reactions to him and some half-true, half-false words, could infer that in the unknown realm, there might have been some past events.

However, this "communication" was entirely, from beginning to end, his conjecture. Rong Tang hadn’t revealed even a hint of information, and even Su Huaijing couldn’t be sure if his guess was plausible.

But apart from this, there seemed to be no other closer possibility.

Su Huaijing wondered, if this were true, what would it imply?

First, the other party might have assigned some tasks, hence the increasing frequency of communication to confirm details repeatedly.

But then, how to explain Rong Tang's apparent sense of loss after these so-called "communications"?

Were the tasks unreasonable or against his will?

If neither of these, could Su Huaijing have a second guess?

That Rong Tang lost contact with the other party.

Because of the inability to connect, he tried repeatedly and then showed such bewildered emotions after each failure.

Privately, Su Huaijing thought this guess was more likely.

But if so, what does it mean that the person or something originally in contact suddenly became unreachable?

His gaze grew intense, looking out the window at the dwindling crowd on the long street and the occasional Jinwu guards passing by, a wave of vague worry stirring within him.

It seemed... not to be a good thing.

The unilateral termination of contact meant either being abandoned by one party or an accident befalling the other.

Given Rong Tang's persistence, the existence of the other party must be special to him; he surely wouldn't want to see them come to harm.

Su Huaijing slightly closed his eyes, his fingers tapping the air aimlessly.

His mind had cooled down completely, yet he felt an unfamiliar sense of helplessness and frustration.

Whether it was Cheng Chengli or Cheng Xuyan, with a clear target, he could always find the best way to respond.

But how to ease Rong Tang's troubles when dealing with something intangible and unseen, not even sure if the guess was accurate?

Looking out the window, the Awakening of Insects this year fell on February 15th, with a full moon in the sky, its light pouring down. Gazing at the moon, he unexpectedly asked, “Would you like to contact me?”

Without a subject, unclear whom he was asking, he casually mentioned it without expecting a response, his eyes half-closed ready to drift into light sleep, planning to think of other ways to alleviate Rong Tang's worries later.

But strangely, the wind seemed to stop for a moment.

Su Huaijing was slightly startled, looking up to see a small cloud-like orb of light appear in the carriage, white and slightly larger than a fist, about the right size to toss and play with in both hands.

Its edges were soft, like cat fur, floating in the air, probably feeling quite nice to the touch.

Su Huaijing watched it silently, his brow furrowing slightly, he shifted quietly towards Rong Tang and covered him again with the blanket, leaving only half of his face exposed for breathing.

His movement startled the orb of light. Su Huaijing saw its edges stiffen momentarily, as if it turned around or perhaps didn’t move at all. It was just a cluster of white light from all sides, but strangely, it gave the impression that it had been watching Rong Tang and was now watching Su Huaijing.

If there was a difference, it was probably in the change of emotions.

The former was inexplicably sad, while the latter was alert and surprised.

After a long silent standoff, the orb of light was the first to speak, hesitantly asking, "Can... can you see me?"

If Rong Tang were to wake up at this moment, he would probably be extremely surprised.

The system's voice could mimic human emotions but not the timbre, so what he always heard was a mechanical voice. Contempt, indifference, quarreling, stamping feet, sarcasm, sulking – no matter how immature the expression, it became much more subdued behind that monotonous tone.

But the voice that filled the carriage now was that of a young child.

It sounded like a human child around three or four years old, soft and endearing, with a trailing tone as if just learning to speak, like a small brush hooking one in, making even a guarded question sound incredibly cute.

Su Huaijing was momentarily stunned.

The youngest child he had encountered was Yuan Yuan, but she was so mischievous she hardly seemed like a child and didn't get along with him at all. The big villain comfortably left her in the care of Ke Hongxue and Mu Jingshu.

But this orb of light, which he originally thought needed to be guarded against and could possibly take Rong Tang away at any moment, emitted such a soft, gooey voice, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words.

The system, apparently impatient from waiting – it was never known for its good temper – turned its light back towards Rong Tang, having received no response from Su Huaijing.

This confirmed for Su Huaijing that it indeed had a front and a back, though he couldn't see its eyes; now its gaze was definitely not on him.

After a moment's thought, Su Huaijing said, "I can see you."

"Hmph! I knew it!" the system retorted grumpily, its form shifting quickly as if it was giving Su Huaijing a sidelong glance before turning away again.

Just as Su Huaijing was about to ask it something, he heard it grumble resentfully, "You really aren't human!"

Su Huaijing: "…?"

The system scolded, "How could you bully Tang Tang like this? Happy or not, you always end up in bed. Jealous or sad, still you sleep. What, haven’t you weaned yet? Can’t sleep without Tang Tang, is that it?"

Su Huaijing: “……?”

The villain had never been scolded like this, especially in the voice of a three-year-old child, leaving him somewhat speechless.

The system continued to vent, "Tang Tang is so good to you, why do you always bully him? You know he's frail. The first time, you went on for three hours. Even with massage, it doesn’t change the fact that you're a brute."

Su Huaijing: “……”

Great, scolded as a brute by someone other than Tang Tang, and this person seemed to know exactly what they did, and appeared to be a child.

How absurd.

The system added, "And eavesdropping wasn’t enough, you had to be shameless about it? You know Tang Tang wouldn't scold you, right? So you dared to tie him up? Do you even know why it’s called a hairband, where it should be tied? How would you feel if I tied you up?"

Su Huaijing found no opportunity to interject amidst the rapid-fire accusations.

It seemed inappropriate to argue with this indistinct orb of light that kept mentioning Tang Tang and had an overprotective family member’s attitude.

After a long silence, just as Su Huaijing was about to speak, the system cut in again, “Be nicer to Tang Tang. He has had a hard time.”

The voice suddenly turned somber, as if the mood had deteriorated.

Su Huaijing watched the orb of light drift down, hovering close to Tang Tang’s cheek, as if wanting to get closer but hesitating, then just floating there, quietly observing Rong Tang.

The carriage jolted slightly, shifting the blanket’s weight. Rong Tang, perhaps feeling uncomfortable or sensing something, extended his hand from under the blanket.

The orb hesitated, then decisively floated over, nestling itself into Rong Tang's palm, gently rubbing against it, as if it was a long-practiced, intimate gesture.

The sleeping person’s fingers unconsciously moved, as if caressing the soft edges of the orb.

Realizing it was not the time to speak and that this mysterious entity wouldn’t harm Tang Tang, Su Huaijing simply sat aside, silently watching them.

After basking in warmth, the orb of light emerged from Rong Tang's palm, floating in the air before turning towards Su Huaijing, speaking with a heavy nasal tone.

"There are many things Rong Tang can't say, so don't keep asking. Just trust him and follow his lead," the system paused, its mood slightly improving. "Rong Tang likes spicy food, not sweets; he eats them because you like them. He should be living in a super great world, healthy, surrounded by loving family and friends, living happily without effort. He doesn’t complain because he knows it’s futile and trusts you thinking you're a good person, so you better not bully him."

"About the child issue Rong Tang's mother mentioned, if you even think about it, I'll float to your bed at midnight and chop off your vital parts, saving Rong Tang from your bullying," the system threatened fiercely.

The system continued nonstop, "Don't sneak a look at the novels Rong Tang reads. It's not civilized. And don’t tease him too much; blushing isn't good either. Let him drink if he wants to; he didn't marry you to be controlled. Who are you to forbid spicy food, alcohol, and plays? Are you a tyrant?"

Beneath the shifting moonlit clouds, the orb rambled on, uncaring whether Su Huaijing was listening. After sharing its thoughts, it hesitated, saying unsurely, "If Rong Tang wants to see me, tell him not to sleep too early next month on the fifteenth; wait for me. If he doesn’t want to...”

It fell silent for a very long time, finally speaking in a muffled, almost tearful voice, "Then I won’t show up."

Su Huaijing: “……”

The poor little thing.

He asked, "Who are you? How should I refer to you when I tell Rong Tang?"

The system: “……Tongtong.”

"Tong as in 'control'?"

"Yeah," the system responded.

Su Huaijing nodded as the carriage neared Yong’an Lane. A large cloud covered the moon, the orb of light in the carriage growing dimmer and blurrier.

As it tried to float close to Rong Tang's face again, Su Huaijing couldn’t resist interrupting, reaching out, "Excuse me—"

He asked, "Are you Rong Tang's child?"

Author's note:

Let it snuggle—let it snuggle! Don’t speak!!! (Exhausted cries!)