Chapter 20 Quite Fond?

Chapter 20: That Fond of Me?

"Young Master! Young Master! Time to get up!"

Jiang Wang felt as if he were sleeping inside a watery sphere—soft, comfortable, and completely isolated from all the noise outside.

Yet Changle's voice pierced through, reaching his ears perfectly clear.

Jiang Wang frowned impatiently, as if to say he refused to hear such sounds and wanted to sleep a little longer.

"Young Master, get up quickly!" Changle lowered his voice and repeated, but he couldn't hide the urgency in his tone. "His Majesty is waiting outside to have a meal with you!"

These words acted like a needle pricking the soft water balloon. With a "pop," the balloon burst, and Jiang Wang tumbled out, landing with a painful thud.

He snapped awake instantly, opening his eyes to look outside. Through the gaps in the screen, he indeed saw a figure.

The Emperor?

Xiao Yan?!

Why is he here?!

Jiang Wang rolled out of bed, ignoring the pain from his wound as it was tugged, hurriedly changed his clothes, and walked outside, just in time to meet Xiao Yan's gaze.

"Your Majesty has come to see your subject... for something?"

Otherwise, he really couldn't think of a reason why Xiao Yan would be here.

But the latter merely smiled slightly and even stood up to greet him: "Nothing important. Minister Jiang now resides in the palace, and We are quite fond of this. It's just a meal together, that's all."

Quite fond? He's fond of me living here?

A meal together?

Why do these words sound so strange when put together...

Jiang Wang admitted he had been thinking better of Xiao Yan lately, but certainly not to this extent.

He sat down suspiciously, deliberately maintaining some distance from Xiao Yan.

Since he couldn't fathom Xiao Yan's thoughts, he would stay the course.

For example, this feast Xiao Yan brought—he would eat.

After a night's sleep, he felt much more rested, but his wound still hurt, and his stomach was growling with hunger.

Since such delicious food was laid out before him, there was no reason not to eat it.

Moreover, this was food prepared for the Emperor. The quality of the dishes was exceptional. He couldn't miss this opportunity.

Seeing Xiao Yan pick up his chopsticks, Jiang Wang stopped being polite and began devouring the food ravenously.

Only after letting out a satisfied burp did he reluctantly put down his chopsticks, wipe his mouth, and end this pleasant meal.

This meal hit the spot perfectly—fragrant but not spicy, rich but not greasy, even the vegetables carried a hint of sweetness.

If he weren't already stuffed, he could have eaten two more large bowls of rice!

But only after eating and drinking his fill did he realize... it seemed like everyone around him was staring.

Xiao Yan, Cen Maoshi, even Ling Shan standing guard outside had glanced at him several times.

"What's... wrong..."

Jiang Wang asked, feeling a little guilty.

He hadn't done anything, had he? He just ate a meal.

Xiao Yan didn't answer, but smiled lightly and instructed Cen Maoshi: "From now on, deliver meals to Minister Jiang daily, following this standard."

Cen Maoshi readily agreed, his smile towards Jiang Wang growing even brighter.

Jiang Wang's face also lit up with joy. He had just been wondering how to handle daily meals now that he had a place to stay, and here it was, served to him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," he quickly expressed his gratitude. "However, this subject has one more request."

"Speak."

Xiao Yan was very straightforward.

"Might I also ask the imperial kitchen to deliver some cooked meat and vegetables daily? Not much, just enough to fill Big Orange up."

He had food now, but his cat did not.

Moreover, Jiang Wang thought about it—in ancient times, there was no cat food. Cats could only eat what people ate.

But cats couldn't eat things too oily or salty, and raw meat might have parasites and was also unsafe, leaving only cooked meat suitable for cats.

At that moment, Big Orange happened to walk in from outside the hall, circled around the two of them, and finally lay down in the middle.

His little paws played with Xiao Yan's shoes, while his tail swished back and forth, teasing Jiang Wang's feet.

Spreading his affection around equally.

Wait, didn't Big Orange come to him first?!

This is Xiao Yan's first time meeting him, right? And he's already playing with Xiao Yan?!

A twinge of jealousy welled up from the depths of Jiang Wang's heart. He crouched down and scooped the kitten closer to his side, admonishing with a hint of warning: "Big Orange, come here. Don't scratch His Majesty's shoes."

The kitten sat crouched by Jiang Wang's feet, looked up at him slightly as if trying to gauge his thoughts, then glanced at Xiao Yan beside him.

In the end, he dramatically flopped down again and began playing with Xiao Yan's shoes once more. Moreover, the distance seemed even closer than before.

Fine, fine, you naughty cat.

How do you know how to "play up to the powerful" so well?!

Can even a tiny little cat figure out who's in charge in this room?!

Was I only the favorite for one night before being dumped?!

And here I was, just fighting for its right to eat meat, and this is the thanks I get.

Jiang Wang just wanted to pick Big Orange up, hold him in his arms, and give him a good squeeze to vent his frustration—teach him a lesson!

But it seemed he was a step too late.

Xiao Yan, the Emperor himself, actually deigned to crouch down and reached out to play with the cat.

Cen Maoshi's eyes gleamed.

As the emperor, Xiao Yan could have anything he wanted—rare birds and exotic animals were never in short supply. Even if he wanted a qilin, someone would have to capture it for him. Yet now, he had taken an interest in a common, chubby little cat.

What could be the reason for this?

It had to be because of Lord Jiang.

This was clearly a case of "love me, love my dog."

Upon learning that Lord Jiang's house had burned down, the emperor had brought him into the palace and arranged for him to stay in Biwu Lodge, the residence closest to Cangwu Palace.

Not only did he send the imperial physicians to treat his injuries, but he also came in person to have dinner with him that evening.

Now he was even playing with Lord Jiang's cat. Such treatment wasn't something any ordinary official got!

The rumor he'd heard earlier that "Lord Jiang is the emperor's closest minister" was indeed true.

Although Lord Jiang currently held only the modest position of Court Diarist, with the emperor as his powerful backing, his career path was sure to be smooth with limitless prospects!

Getting in good with Jiang Wang now was sure to pay off later.

Cen Maoshi's smile toward Jiang Wang grew even brighter.

After eating, drinking, and playing with the cat for a while, Xiao Yan stood up and left, leaving Jiang Wang behind, seething inwardly.

A short while later, Cen Maoshi returned with a large bowl of fragrant, cooked meat, with a few vegetables mixed in, exactly as Jiang Wang had requested.

Jiang Wang reached out to take it, but Cen Maoshi deftly blocked his hand and instead placed the bowl directly in front of Big Orange.

Big Orange was not as enthusiastic toward Cen Maoshi as he had been toward Xiao Yan. He even took a few steps back with what looked like disdain, only approaching to eat after Cen Maoshi had moved away.

Cen Maoshi, however, didn't mind. After all, his primary target was Jiang Wang.

Cats and dogs were just icing on the cake. If it weren't for Jiang Wang, he wouldn't be delivering food to some cat.

"Lord Jiang," Cen Maoshi's voice dripped with flattery, "from now on, I'll take care of your cat's meals. I'll have someone deliver them to you daily."

"Such a trivial matter shouldn't trouble Chief Steward Cen so much," Jiang Wang hurriedly declined.

Firstly, as the Chief Eunuch, Cen Maoshi had no need to handle such minor tasks—it seemed like "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut" and might invite gossip. Secondly, Jiang Wang had no particular fondness for Cen Maoshi and didn't want to owe him a favor for no reason.

But Cen Maoshi's smooth talk gave Jiang Wang no opening to refuse.

"How could it be trivial? Matters assigned by His Majesty are of great importance. The emperor said your cat is playful and cute, and all its needs must be met. The coarse eunuchs who do the rough work are clumsy; they might neglect it, and that just won't do."

With the emperor invoked, what else could Jiang Wang say?

He forced a smile and replied, "Alright, then I'll trouble Chief Steward Cen."

Having obtained the answer he wanted, Cen Maoshi took his leave contentedly, waddling his plump frame out of the courtyard.

Jiang Wang watched Cen Maoshi depart, then turned to find that Big Orange had already devoured all the meat and was now licking the plate clean, savoring every last bit.

He squatted beside the kitten and tapped its head in mock exasperation.

"You little thing, why are you such a snob! Who is Xiao Yan to you? Why are you so friendly with him? I'm your owner, remember?"

Jiang Wang didn't use any force, merely parting the fur to leave a small dent.

However, Big Orange seemed to play along with the idea of his "mistake." He promptly flopped down beside Jiang Wang's feet, doing a chubby roll and meowing.

Jiang Wang had never owned a cat before and had never experienced such treatment. His heart instantly softened.

He's just a kitten, after all. What does he know about rich and poor? Maybe he just liked how Xiao Yan smelled.

In no time, Jiang Wang had cooked up an excuse for Big Orange, convinced himself, and accepted the cat's affection.

"It's alright, it's alright," Jiang Wang stroked the cat's chin, his voice softening without thinking. "The kitten can play with anyone~"

In the end, the man and the cat quickly reconciled, returning to their previous state of so-called "fatherly kindness and filial devotion."

After petting the cat for a while, Jiang Wang yawned, seeing that it was bedtime again.

Staying up late really takes it out of you. Even though he had slept the entire day, he still felt very tired.

Since there was nothing else to do, he decided to listen to his body.

Go to bed immediately.

But after lying down, the sense that he'd forgotten something grew stronger...

This feeling had occurred before, but he had ignored it.

What was it, exactly...

Ah, right—the mission!

The third mission the system gave him was to see the New Year in, but he had fallen asleep that night.

Did that mean the mission failed...

Jiang Wang wanted to cry. His 15 points—there went his 15 points!

But when he logged into the system, the "Current Points" section clearly displayed 25 points.

That couldn't be right. If the mission failed, he should still have only 10 points.

Where did these extra 15 points come from?

Since he hadn't earned them himself, Jiang Wang felt uneasy.

He frantically called out to the system: "001! Come out, quick! You have a bug!"

"Coming, coming."

The system's lazy voice sounded in Jiang Wang's mind, as if unaware of any issue.

"Hmm." Jiang Wang pointed at the points module, indicating the confusion there.

001, however, seemed completely oblivious to anything amiss. In the end, Jiang Wang had to spell it out.

"The points here... there are too many."

"Huh?"

001 sounded briefly puzzled. Its voice faded as if checking something, then returned a few seconds later.

"Exactly."

Now Jiang Wang was the one confused.

"Exactly?"

His task clearly hadn't been completed.

001 explained, "According to backend data feedback, you were awake during the early morning hours, so this New Year's Eve vigil task is judged as completed."

Jiang Wang's eyes widened.

Not in surprise, but in delight.

He never expected the system to be so understanding.

He was indeed awake in the early morning—after all, he had just fled the fire scene in a sorry state and didn't rest until the sky was already bright.

The system usually didn't act human, but this occasional moment of thoughtfulness made him feel a bit unaccustomed.

"Ahem," Jiang Wang said awkwardly, "Thank you."

But 001 didn't respond for a long time.

When Jiang Wang looked again, he found that the latter had already gone offline...

What a mood killer. To have such an opportunity to get closer and not use it.

However, after the initial joy, his excitement-soaked mind gradually cleared, and he sensed something off.

When the third task was issued, that bootlicking system wasn't as cold and abrupt as it was now; instead, it was quite emotionally expressive.

So now... is it feeling guilty?

Why would the system feel guilty?

Jiang Wang stroked his chin, pondered briefly, and formed a rough idea. Concealing his true emotions, he called the system again.

But this time, the system absolutely refused to appear.

There must be something fishy going on.

Author's Note:

System: *Rubs its nonexistent nose, looks up at the sky*: Um... I did this... for your own good...