Chapter 017: Curing the Fool

The little fool lay in Qi Zhen’s arms.

Qi Zhen cleaned his hands with a cloth, and when he lowered his eyes, he saw the little fool’s eyes were slightly teary, red, and his whole demeanor was soft like a cloud, making him quite endearing.

Qi Zhen lowered his head and gave him a kiss, then flipped through the book on the table.

“Study well, I’ll come back to teach you when I have time.”

“I don’t want you to teach me!”

Qi Zhen pinched his cheek, “If you don’t want me, then who? If you don’t want me, don’t come crawling into my arms at night.”

“That’s not gonna happen!”

A ready-made warm baby!

Lin Shouyan looked aggrieved, “I’ll study, okay? But Yan Yan thinks, Crown Prince brother doesn’t always need to come teach me… Actually, you just want to get close to Yan Yan, right?”

In his heart, he thought “hmm,” but said, “You’re already a fool, but why is your skin so thick?”

????

!!!!

How can this person be like this!

Having his thoughts exposed, he got defensive and turned the tables?

Lin Shouyan got a bit angry, turned around, and lay on the table facing the book, looking aggrieved.

Qi Zhen looked at him, the corners of his mouth slightly lifting.

In the eyes of others, he used to live like an ascetic monk.

Qi Zhen didn’t feel it was bitter.

Personal desires can be completely eliminated.

He always looked down on them.

He had seen all kinds of beauties before, some bright and charming, some delicate and lovely. The means of seduction were endless, either subtle or straightforward.

He never had any thoughts.

But somehow, recently, he increasingly felt the need to endure this.

When Lin Shouyan lay beside him, it was one thing if thoughts arose. Sometimes, even seeing him from afar made him want to call him over, and if he couldn’t kiss him, holding him or pinching him would be nice.

Yesterday was even more embarrassing.

While discussing matters, he thought of him because of the word “banquet” in “night banquet,” thinking of all sorts of things about him. He couldn’t help but laugh.

The whole room was shocked.

Fortunately, Qi Zhen had been maintaining his composure for years and wouldn’t lose it because of this.

But thinking about it afterward…

It’s all because of this troublesome little thing.

Qi Zhen lowered his eyes.

In his sight was a small section of Lin Shouyan’s nape, fair and tender. From the slightly open collar at the back, a small red mole could be seen.

This mole was in a hard-to-notice place.

If it weren’t for Qi Zhen being in this position,

If it weren’t for Lin Shouyan’s long hair being tied up,

It would be impossible to see.

At this moment, the mole moved slightly with its owner’s breathing.

Every time he kissed here, he would cry even more fiercely.

Qi Zhen reached out, pressed on the mole, and gently touched it.

Lin Shouyan almost jumped up.

Very sensitive.

“Brother, what are you doing? Stop teasing me! If you keep this up, I won’t be friends with you anymore!”

Qi Zhen calmly withdrew his hand, tidied up the desk, and changed the ink-stained clothes for both of them. Then he called people in to clean up the ink stains Lin Shouyan had made in the room.

“If you don’t want to be friends with me, then who? The maids and servants you brought from Jiangnan?”

Lin Shouyan lay on the table watching the maids and eunuchs come and go, realizing that if he didn’t break away from the fool’s persona, he might be bullied by Qi Zhen until there was nothing left of him.

He didn’t pay attention to what Qi Zhen said, just gave a muffled “hmm,” then turned his head, “Brother, Yan Yan feels a bit smarter now.”

Qi Zhen put down the scroll, his expression inexplicably a bit heavy.

“Where?”

Where is he smart?

“Yan Yan has learned quite a few words, and today I can even count. I feel like I’m learning to read faster. If Yan Yan studies hard, can I become as smart as you? Then… from today on, I will work twice as hard to study! Brother, write me a few more words!”

Qi Zhen looked at him skeptically and tested him on the words he had learned in the past few days.

He did remember them all.

If that’s the case, it’s a good thing.

Qi Zhen pinched his ear and studied with him, teaching him to read. By evening, when he checked again, he had indeed remembered quite a bit.

The little fool was particularly happy and determined.

For several days in a row, whenever Qi Zhen passed by the window, he was studying.

In just three days, he could stumble through reading a book.

The nanny was moved to tears.

Haitang was overjoyed.

Xu Fuquan shouted to the heavens in gratitude.

Only Qi Zhen was not very happy.

Because the little fool only had eyes for studying, nothing else could fit in.

Before, as soon as he entered the door, the little fool would come to greet him. Now, even when he was pinching his chin to kiss him, the little fool was holding a book, asking him what this word was.

No matter how turbulent his thoughts were, about to explode, he could only tell him how to read that word first.

He wanted more and more, but the little fool didn’t want it anymore.

And that Haitang, perhaps seeing hope in Lin Shouyan’s recovery, had become increasingly attentive lately. She even privately asked Lin Shouyan about returning to Jiangnan.

Qi Zhen called an imperial physician to check the little fool’s pulse.

The physician checked repeatedly but couldn’t find anything conclusive, only prescribing a tonic.

Qi Zhen held the prescription, standing under the corridor, hearing Lin Shouyan inside discussing what gift to give Miss Haitang for her birthday with the nanny.

Lin Shouyan was very concerned about this.

The prescription in his hand slowly crumpled.

After a while, Qi Zhen entered the room.

Lin Shouyan immediately looked over, seeing his bad expression, and asked, “Is the pulse not good?”

“It’s very good. The physician said it’s improving.”

“…”

This physician isn’t reliable.

This physician has issues.

“The physician said, perhaps the turbid energy in your body has been expelled, coupled with some recuperation, so you’re improving.”

“?”

Qi Zhen put down the prescription, his expression calm.

“You previously had a severe illness, accumulating a lot of turbid energy in your body, clouding your mind. That’s why you were foolish.”

Lin Shouyan listened, bewildered, “Then how did I expel it?”

“One drop, ten drops of blood.”

“…”

Lin Shouyan squinted slightly.

“Then how did I recuperate?”

“It was me.” Qi Zhen lowered his eyes, coughed lightly, and the tips of his ears slowly turned pink.

“I am your medicine guide.”

Haha!

Hahahahahahaha!

Qi Zhen’s expression was as usual, steady as an old dog. Very deceptive.

If Lin Shouyan wasn’t pretending to be a fool, he would have believed it!

Qi Zhen didn’t know what madness he was on, originally just wanting to keep the person by his side, but the more he kept him, the more he wanted.

It shows that people are always greedy.

Since the lie had begun, he continued to weave it.

“You’ve been married into the Eastern Palace for quite some time, and only after returning from Qianshan did you gradually start to improve.”

Keep spinning.

“The ancients said, ‘Near vermilion, one becomes red; near ink, one becomes black.’ You don’t understand?”

Goodness!

Even praising himself in a roundabout way!

Keep spinning!

“At that time, you were very foolish. Later, after you wet the bed, the next day you could recognize quite a few words.”

“…”

Lin Shouyan heard this explanation and, for a moment, couldn’t find any loopholes.

He even felt, damn it, it made sense.

Qi Zhen brought out the imperial physician, “The physician said so too.”

Your physician is unreliable!

“Then brother, won’t you become foolish?”

“No worries, I’m much smarter than you.”

“…”

So, this is your reason for deceiving me?!

Deceiving a fool like this, doesn’t your conscience hurt?!

This ill-intentioned dog like Qi Zhen should be caught!

Qi Zhen’s entire ear was red, he turned his head slightly, paused for a while, then said, “Do you still want to become smart?”

Just a couple of days ago, he had confidently declared he wanted to become smart, now he was hoisted by his own petard.

Lin Shouyan opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again.

In his heart, he formed a

—You damn!

Qi Zhen’s voice became a bit stern, “Lin Shouyan, don’t avoid treatment.”

“…”

Lin Shouyan covered his face, slowly turning red to the base of his neck.

“How long will the treatment take?”

Qi Zhen looked at his thoroughly red face, couldn’t help but reach out and stroke it.

Then he painted a picture.

“Treat as you go. Before you’re cured, don’t go anywhere, just stay by my side.”