Chapter 146: The Male Imperial Advisor’s Little One is Super Cute (7)

Chapter 146: The Male Imperial Advisor's Little One is Super Cute (7)

Wenren Shu's fingertips twitched slightly.

Like... him?

Come to think of it, it was, after all, his own imagination.

His eyes lowered, and a gentle breeze rustled, sending a single leaf drifting down into the teacup, sending ripples through the tea.

In his ears was the little one's gulping sound as he drank.

The little one was unable to stay quiet. That little mouth never seemed to stop.

Even when he wasn't speaking, he still made other sounds.

The sound of drinking, sounds of admiration—everything felt so real.

It felt like he was real, but... how could that be possible?

Wenren Shu let out a low chuckle, amused but slightly deranged.

Song Chuyi had just finished drinking and, hearing his laugh, looked up at him.

"Brother Wenren, what are you laughing at?"

Wenren Shu didn't answer the little one.

No need to answer.

Because this was just an internal struggle with himself.

Song Chuyi had grown used to him not answering and continued talking. "Brother Wenren, what's it like outside?"

If not for the risk of being caught, he would have loved to go out and explore.

Unfortunately, he couldn't risk going out until he regained his human form.

Wenren Shu grew even more convinced that this was his imagination.

He still didn't speak.

But that didn't stop Song Chuyi from continuously asking.

"Brother Wenren, are the emperor's concubines pretty?"

"Are they all girls? Are there any boys?"

"Does the emperor really visit a different concubine every day?"

"Are the concubines really brought in without clothes?"

…………

Wenren Shu: ...

"Are you interested in the emperor?" he suddenly spoke up.

Song Chuyi paused, thought for a moment, and nodded seriously.

"Interested."

He had never seen the emperor before, so of course, he was interested.

What intrigued him the most was the emperor’s concubines. So many women vying for one man—it sounded like a pretty intense competition.

He was better off; he only had to focus on one person, not compete with anyone else.

Sighing, Song Chuyi sat on the edge of the stone table, his legs dangling as he lightly swung them in the air.

He rested his hands on the stone table and turned to face Wenren Shu.

"Brother Wenren, have you seen the emperor’s concubines?"

Wenren Shu fell into silence.

After a long while, he uttered two words.

"No."

"The affairs of the palace are not to be meddled with or interfered by the National Preceptor’s residence."

Song Chuyi nodded thoughtfully. "So the emperor keeps his personal life pretty private."

He stood up, walked over to Wenren Shu, and lightly poked his finger.

"How many concubines does the emperor have?"

His touch was light, like a gentle breeze brushing over Wenren Shu’s fingertip.

This fleeting touch was so light that it barely registered.

Wenren Shu lowered his gaze, his long lashes casting a shallow shadow.

"I’m not sure."

He picked up the teapot and poured a cup of hot tea.

Placing the cup in front of the little one, he said,

"Drink tea."

"Oh, okay." Song Chuyi responded, obediently standing on his tiptoes to reach the cup.

After a few sips, he rubbed his belly and paused.

"Brother Wenren, when are we going to eat?"

"I’m hungry."

Just drinking tea isn’t going to fill me up!

The sun had already risen high in the sky, and unknowingly, it was already noon.

Wenren Shu’s eyelashes fluttered as he stood and left the courtyard.

Song Chuyi waited patiently in the courtyard for lunch.

Soon enough, Wenren Shu came back with their lunch.

Today's lunch was simple: a small bowl of rice, a dish of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a plate of mung bean cakes.

After sitting down, Song Chuyi surprisingly spoke first.

"No osmanthus cake for lunch today."

"I told the kitchen to bring osmanthus cake with dinner."

Song Chuyi nodded and grabbed a mung bean cake, starting to munch on it.

"This is so good," he mumbled around a mouthful of cake, still focused on his food without looking up at Wenren Shu.

Wenren Shu ate in silence. The courtyard was eerily quiet, devoid of the usual sounds of insects and birds. This part of the National Preceptor’s residence was off-limits to most, adding to its desolate atmosphere.

The silence was finally broken, but it left him feeling oddly empty.

Wenren Shu set down his chopsticks, his appetite gone.

After finishing one mung bean cake, Song Chuyi felt a bit full. He patted his little belly and glanced at the small dish of mung bean cakes that were almost untouched.

"Brother Wenren, aren’t you eating?"

Wenren Shu gave a soft ‘Hmm.’

Song Chuyi's eyes brightened slightly. "Can I leave these mung bean cakes here for later?"

"I'll eat them when I'm hungry again."

Wenren Shu slid the plate of mung bean cakes toward the little one, the gesture clear.

Song Chuyi gave him a sweet smile.

"You’re the best, Brother Wenren," he said with a smile.

He touched the tip of Wenren Shu's finger, giving it a light high-five. Of course, the force from him was negligible to Wenren Shu.

Before long, Wenren Shu was summoned away by the emperor's people.

Song Chuyi flew back to the swing and continued swinging.

When tired, he would run down to eat some mung bean cakes and drink some tea.

Life was still comfortable, but it felt a bit dull with no one to talk to. Song Chuyi's heart, which longed to go out, began to stir again.

————

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Gong Ji dismissed everyone and greeted Wenren Shu.

"Male imperial advisor, the grand sacrificial ceremony will be held seven days from now."

"Any different plans this year?"

Wenren Shu's expression remained indifferent, leaving it unclear whether he had listened or not.

"As per usual."

Gong Ji replied, "I’ve heard that you’ve been spending more time in the courtyard lately. Is everything okay? Or is something bothering you?"

"Nothing," Wenren Shu slowly raised his gaze, and in his amber-like eyes, a subtle undercurrent began to rise. "Your Majesty, the National Preceptor’s residence never involves itself in court affairs."

"You don’t need to worry so much, Your Majesty."

Gong Ji laughed heartily, "National Preceptor, you’re joking."

"I’m just concerned about you."

"Hmm." Wenren Shu flicked his long sleeve, "If there’s nothing else, I will take my leave, Your Majesty."

Gong Ji nodded, watching Wenren Shu leave.

After he left, Gong Ji summoned the undercover guard.

"Go and investigate if the National Preceptor has been in contact with anyone from the Prime Minister’s or General’s factions recently."

The struggle between the two factions in the court was becoming increasingly intense. Though he was the emperor, his actual power was limited.

For now, he could still leverage his imperial authority to keep things in check, but if one faction were to become too powerful, the court would likely fall into chaos.

Clearly, the key to this power struggle lay with Wenren Shu.

Although no National Preceptor in history had ever taken sides, the previous ones had their preferences. Only Wenren Shu seemed to have no thoughts on the matter at all.

As an emperor, Gong Ji had many thoughts and even more to do.

What Gong Ji didn’t know was that Wenren Shu had recently become captivated by the little one.

In the courtyard, Song Chuyi, unsatisfied with just one swing, tied several more to the tree branches.

This way, he could choose whichever swing he felt like playing on.

Just as he finished tying another swing, Wenren Shu returned.

This time, Song Chuyi noticed his arrival immediately, and he quickly fluttered his little wings and flew over.

"Brother Wenren, you're back!"