Chapter 44: A Warm Night of Companionship

After finishing the noodles, Mu Rong Shu shooed everyone off to bed, mainly because she was tired herself.

Wen Jing felt much better now. Although he occasionally experienced signs of an oncoming episode, he noticed that as long as he stayed close to Mu Rong Shu, those symptoms seemed to dissipate on their own.

Back in the room, Wen Jing, feeling that his condition was no longer serious, suggested to Mu Rong Shu, “Shu Er, you’re not in great health. You should take the bed tonight.”

“What? You’re the patient here!” Mu Rong Shu couldn’t help but recall jokes she had seen online, where the patient sits by the bedside while their caretaker sprawls out on the bed.

“I’m feeling much better already, and I’m not sleepy. I might as well read for a bit.” Wen Jing could tell Mu Rong Shu was exhausted. The events of the day had been overwhelming, but he himself was too exhilarated to sleep.

“You’re such a bookworm!” Mu Rong Shu couldn’t quite grasp the logic of an over achiever’s mind. If he wanted to study, so be it. She thought, “If you’ve got a bed and don’t sleep on it, you’re the fool here.” Without hesitation, she climbed into the bed and lay down.

Wen Jing sat at the desk with a book in his hand, but after a long while, he hadn’t turned a single page. His thoughts were consumed with Mu Rong Shu, and he yearned to confess his feelings to her. Yet, in this situation, he feared coming across as improper or insincere.

Mu Rong Shu, lying in bed, wasn’t asleep either. The noodles had left her uncomfortably full, and she wasn’t used to sleeping in a strange bed. She suddenly felt like listening to a story.

“Zi Yu, do you have any storybooks here?” she asked, interrupting Wen Jing’s swirling thoughts.

Wen Jing was momentarily taken aback by the question. He owned countless texts on the Four Books and Five Classics, essays, and political treatises, but not a single storybook.

“I don’t usually read that kind of thing, so I don’t have any,” he replied, feeling a bit regretful. If he’d known Mu Rong Shu liked them, he would have stocked up on a few for his library.

“Well, I can’t seem to fall asleep. If you don’t have storybooks, how about you tell me a story yourself?” Mu Rong Shu was simply craving the soothing tones of Wen Jing’s voice, which was utterly delightful to listen to.

“What kind of story would Shu Er like to hear?” Wen Jing didn’t quite know what constituted a “story,” but given that he lacked storybooks, he resolved to make something up on the spot.

“Tell me about the Emperor and the Empress! I’m so curious about them!”

Mu Rong Shu had heard many versions of their story but suspected they weren’t the full picture. She figured Wen Jing, as someone familiar with the royal family, might have some juicy details to share.

Wen Jing hadn’t expected her to want to hear about the Emperor and his little sister, the Empress. As he thought back, most of his memories involved the Emperor sneaking into their family’s estate and climbing walls to see his sister. Was it really appropriate to share such embarrassing stories?

But seeing Mu Rong Shu’s eager gaze, Wen Jing felt it couldn’t hurt. After all, these were just the Emperor’s misadventures, and it wasn’t like Mu Rong Shu could verify them with the Emperor himself. Hesitating slightly, he asked, “Are you sure you want to hear this?”

Mu Rong Shu eagerly nodded, not wanting to miss out on such a prime gossip opportunity, who knew how long she’d have to wait for another chance like this?

Wen Jing went to a cabinet in his bedroom and pulled out an old scroll. Mu Rong Shu glanced at it curiously, noticing its weathered appearance.

“What’s this?”

“This is a painting I made back when the Emperor was courting my little sister. You wanted a story, right? I’ll tell you all about it.” Wen Jing opened the scroll and sat down on the reclining chair by the bed.

“Wait, why did you draw this?” Mu Rong Shu was stunned. What kind of hobby was this?

“Back then, I found the Emperor annoying, so I drew these for fun.” Wen Jing chuckled awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed by his youthful antics. At the time, seeing the Emperor “stealing” his sister away made everything about him unbearable.

Mu Rong Shu gave Wen Jing a thumbs-up. “You’re bold,” her gesture seemed to say. Who else would dare to openly admit they found the Emperor annoying?

With Wen Jing’s vivid descriptions and the scroll’s illustrations, Mu Rong Shu was treated to a front-row seat to the Emperor’s embarrassing misadventures when he was still a prince, trying to win over the fourth Miss Wen. Wen Jing’s animated storytelling made her feel as though she were witnessing the events first hand.

Eventually, though, Mu Rong Shu succumbed to exhaustion, and Wen Jing had to reluctantly stop his storytelling session.

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The Next Morning

Wen Jing woke up early, feeling remarkably refreshed. There was no trace of the usual weakness he experienced after an episode, instead, he felt brimming with energy. Noticing that Mu Rong Shu was still fast asleep, he grabbed a book and headed to the courtyard for his morning reading.

When Mu Rong Shu’s brother, Mu Si Shu, and Wen Jing’s elder brother, Wen Zhi, woke up and saw him, they were both surprised.

“Third Brother, are you already well?” Wen Zhi asked in disbelief.

“Big Brother, I’m fine now. Sorry for worrying you,” Wen Jing replied with a polite smile.

“Brother Zi Yu, did you have another episode last night?” Mu Si Shu asked, a trace of concern for his sister visible on his face.

Wen Jing, seeing Mu Si Shu’s intention to check on Mu Rong Shu in the room, quickly intervened.

“Brother Si Shu, Shu Er only just fell asleep a little while ago. Let her rest for now.”

Mu Si Shu frowned slightly. “Brother Zi Yu, was it because of another episode? Did she stay up to take care of you again?” He couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for his sister.