CH 7.3

He opened his eyes and wanted to say, “You should take the refreshments and go back to the back bedroom to eat.”

But then, he saw Meng Huan lower his head and gently tug along the table, pulling out a piece of letter paper.

“?”

Lin Bozhou’s face changed slightly, a cold glint appearing in his eyes, and he began to fondle the string of beads hanging down from his wrist. If people familiar with him were around, they should know that according to his usual attitude, he was generally considering whether to kill someone at this time.

…… The words were written beautifully.

Not feeling the crisis, Meng Huan directed the page to the light, repeatedly skimmed through it, and gently read the words on it. “The people’s welfare……”

Reading it, he frowned and widened his eyes to identify this traditional Chinese character.

Identify again.

“……” Fine. I genuinely don’t know.

Thus, Meng Huan only knew seven or eight words on the whole sheet of paper. The others were all traditional Chinese characters, even in running script*.

*Running script: Chinese calligraphic style.

He put the paper down, looked up, and saw Lin Bozhou darkly staring at himself with a smile that wasn’t a smile.

…… The smile was very strange. Meng Huan felt a chill on his back.

Lin Bozhou raised his eyebrows. “Read the letter once again.”

Read the letter? Meng Huan did not understand. “Why?”

“Read,” Lin Bozhou only said a short word.

Although uncomprehending, Meng Huan still re-picked that letter, coughed gently, and swept his gaze up and down the letter paper.

As he waited, Lin Bozhou never heard a sound.

“Hmm?”

A shadow fell beside him. Meng Huan’s white fingertips pressed against the paper. He carefully pointed to the first word, tilting his head like a kitten. “Husband, how do you pronounce this word?”

Lin Bozhou. “…………”

That was just a simple “reward” word.

If he didn’t even recognize this word, he must’ve not understood this letter at all.

Meng Huan was also muttering. “Can I stop reading? There are so many words that I don’t know……”

Lin Bozhou sighed. “Then don’t read it.”

Meng Huan had strolled for a while and was also slightly tired. Sitting beside him, he propped himself up on the table and dozed off.

The letter was finished and sealed with sealing wax.

Lin Bozhou stood up. The sleeping young man was like a curled-up kitten, softly letting out a purring sound.

The wrist peeking out from the sleeve was thin. Apparently, the food in the Ministry of Rites’ family was average, so the youth’s development was also common. His body seemed to be very light.

Lin Bozhou reached out and tried to pull him up.

But pulling his wrist, almost without force, caused the young man to fall into his arms.

Meng Huan leaned forward, his forehead on his chest, and had even found a soft place to rub, continuing to huff and puff softly.

Lin Bozhou calmly said, “Get up.”

He did not wake up.

Lin Bozhou gently pinched his jaw.

Meng Huan finally woke up, still muddled, and his eyes closed.

“Going to sleep? Your Highness.”

“Sleeping.”

Receiving the reply, Meng Huan gently pulled his sleeve and returned to the back bedroom like a sleepwalking lonely soul.

Then he fell head first into the soft quilt.

“Woo……” He let out an uneasy sound of sleep-talk.

Lin Bozhou lowered his eyes and saw that Meng Huan had taken up half of the bed. He had nowhere to lie, so he didn’t know what to say.

He took Meng Huan’s leg and pushed it to the inner side of the bed.

Then, a colorful and thick picture booklet was pushed out from under Meng Huan.

Lin Bozhou picked it up and read the poem first.

“There is a different sky in the tiny pot. The iron ox plows the ground and grows golden lotus.”

Then, he saw the drawing.

“…………”

The spring paintings had been turned over with apparent traces. Lin Bozhou put his fingers on the pages and turned them back and forth, noticing brand-new ink marks on one of the pages.

Meng Huan should have drawn something on it but then erased it.

Did he make this mark? Lin Bozhou lowered his eyes.

He looked closely at the picture scroll again. An eyesore of a painting, the thing popular in brothels. Lin Bozhou only frowned when he saw it.

Compared to the rumored noble and cold young master, the young man before him seemed more proactive.

Previously, when Lin Bozhou took him back to the house, he thought he would throw him in the backyard and casually raise him. He didn’t expect this person to repeatedly appear in front of him, constantly occupying his sight.

The previously cursing young master.

And the soft and obedient young man now.

In the end, which is the real you?

Retracting his gaze from Meng Huan’s body, Lin Bozhou swept through the spring paintings again, eyes dropping, and immediately closed it.

–

Early morning in the prince regent’s residence— the sun shone brightly, and the air was slightly hot.

The maids busily went in and out to put ice cubes to cool them down, moving very gently, afraid to wake up the prince and his wife on the bed.

Oh! There were spring paintings on the floor.

Last night, it was the first time Madam served him in bed. He must’ve been tossed the whole night, right?

A bold maid quietly glanced at the bed and saw that the prince had his arms around the little madam, holding him tightly in his arms; she felt amazed.

The prince had never been close to beauty, and this large royal residence never had a madam, concubine, or inner family members. The maids usually had little topics to talk about.

Now, the house finally came to life a little.

The maid tiptoed out the door.

Meng Huan sensed the stifling heat from being embraced on the bed and uncomfortably inclined his head.

Who the hell is it? It’s too hot being held. He pushed away the body leaning against his own and rubbed his face, feeling more conscious.

He lowered his head and saw Lin Bozhou on the bed, seemingly on the verge of waking up, his thick, long eyelashes fluttering.

“……”

Meng Huan laid back on the bed, not moving, returned to his arms and rubbed his shoulder, confirming the same position as when Lin Bozhou embraced him just now.

When Lin Bozhou opened his eyes, he saw Meng Huan looking at himself with clear eyes. “Your Highness, are you awake?”

Like a wife who was infatuatedly in love with him.

Lin Bozhou closed his eyes again. The young man in his arms was obedient and was like a cat lying in his arms. Afraid that the action was not intimate enough, he moved with difficulty into his embrace.

Then…… he was rubbed by Meng Huan.

“……”

Then, Meng Huan silently moved away again.

These small back-and-forth movements were quite cute. A muffled laugh slipped from Lin Bozhou’s throat, and he gently tilted his head, hugging Meng Huan more tightly into his arms.

The scent of sandalwood reached the tip of Meng Huan’s nose.