Ning Rushen felt a sharp sense of danger, but his curiosity got the better of him.

Li Yingtang quietly pulled out a stack of papers with a subtle rustling.

Holding the stack in front of him, Ning Rushen hesitated. He had the distinct feeling he was about to open Pandora’s box.

Just then, Li Yingtang raised his gaze, his face suddenly showing a bit of urgency, even using a kind of “hunger marketing” tactic:

The freshly inked pages, having been grabbed and tucked into his outer garment by Prince Xuan, revealed some striking lines:

“…entangled in silk drapes, his hand smudged the ink as he trembled in the swaying carriage. Tears streaked down his face as he begged: Please… spare me…”

Ning’s hand shook, his ears went red with a sudden flush—

This was actually a pornography text! Prince Xuan really had no shame!

Ning Rushen’s heart pounded as he kept reading.

Just as he was about to reach a part mentioning “the lord,” he suddenly heard a commotion behind him. The next second, a breeze swept past his ear, mixed with the startled greetings of the palace servants, “Your Majesty!”

A large hand covered his eyes from behind in an instant.

“Mmph!” Darkness engulfed his vision.

Ning Rushen’s heart raced in shock as his back pressed against a familiar chest. A low, cold, angry voice came from above him, “Li Yingtang!”

“…”

The papers in Ning Rushen’s hand were snatched away by who-knows-who, and his heartbeat pounded, “Your… Your Majesty.”

What was going on? He felt like he’d just been caught in the act!

As he spoke up, the chest behind him seemed to relax slightly.

Li Wuting looked down.

In the deep night, a faint glow from a palace lantern cast a warm light into the pavilion, highlighting Ning Rushen’s red ear under his gaze, with a small red mole that appeared even more striking.

Li Wuting removed his hand from Ning’s face.

He then coldly addressed Li Yingtang, “You’ve got some nerve.”

Ning Rushen regained his sight and saw Li Yingtang trying to maintain his composure, one hand still sneaking the paper into his pocket.

“Have I done anything wrong?” he dared to ask.

Li Wuting paused briefly, “Sowing disorder in front of the throne.”

Ning Rushen, “…”

The tension in the pavilion grew heavier. Sensing that the situation was getting out of hand, Li Yingtang quickly made a run for it before Li Wuting could say anything further, “Uh, I just remembered I need to go accompany my mother consort. Excuse me!”

With that, he disappeared into the night at top speed.

Once Li Yingtang left, only Ning Rushen and Li Wuting were left in the pavilion.

Ning Rushen felt a bit awkward about getting caught red-handed with the xiaohuangwen. But glancing at Li Wuting’s expression, he realized that Li himself seemed even more embarrassed than he was.

He suddenly remembered: Oh right, Li Wuting had read it, too…

So now they were practically xiaohuangwen buddies.

The air was a bit still.

Ning Rushen gently tried to break the silence, “Your Majesty, actually, there’s nothing…”

But just as he spoke, Li Wuting looked over, his gaze intense. “You think it’s nothing?”

Ning Rushen nodded, “Yes, quite normal.”

Li Wuting, “Quite normal?”

“…What’s wrong?”

He’d heard about all sorts of taboo things before; what’s a little story like this?

The two of them stared at each other for a moment.

Li Wuting looked down, seeming to contemplate something, and then suddenly asked, “What did you see?”

Ning Rushen was momentarily stunned: Was he supposed to answer that?

He vaguely replied, “Uh… this and that… some stuff.”

Li Wuting was silent, then just asked directly, “The main character’s name, did you see it?”

“…There was something about a ‘lord.’”

“Is that all?”

Ning Rushen leaned in, curious, “Was there something else?”

Li Wuting scrutinized him for a moment, seeming to relax a little, then pressed Ning’s head back into place, “Nothing else. I told you to speak less with Prince Xuan, to keep your mind from being filled with nonsense.”

Ning Rushen reassured him, “Rest assured, Your Majesty, my mind is still completely blank.”

“…”

There was a pause, then Li Wuting’s lips quirked slightly, “Fine. Empty is good. Tomorrow, you’ll accompany me to ‘restock.’”

“?” Ning Rushen: Restock???

·

The next evening.

In response to the summons, Ning Rushen accompanied Li Wuting to a bustling night market in the city.

It was the height of the evening crowd.

The market was lit up with lanterns and alive with lion dances and dragon performances. Vendors along the street called out their wares, while passersby, dressed in new clothes and adorned with mugwort, mingled and laughed.

De Quan and several members of the Royal Guard dressed in casual attire accompanied them.

Li Wuting wore a deep sky-blue robe with silver embroidery, and even among the swirling crowd, he looked refined and striking.

Ning Rushen walked beside him, momentarily dazzled by the bright lanterns and the glimmer of Li’s robe. Lost in thought, he accidentally bumped shoulders with a passerby and found himself shoved up against Li Wuting’s side.

Li Wuting turned to him, “…”

Ning Rushen quickly apologized, “I lost control.”

Li Wuting took a steadying breath, ignoring his choice of words. “Your gaze is all over the place. Didn’t sleep well?”

Ning Rushen blinked, “Mm.”

Not that he’d mention it, but now that he thought about it, he remembered.

He hadn’t slept deeply last night, his dreams full of tangled silk curtains and the rocking of a carriage. He vaguely recalled a familiar red gauze curtain that somehow wound itself tightly in the carriage…

When he woke up, he was drenched in sweat.

He still hadn’t fully recovered.

Prince Xuan’s little stash, really, was packing quite the aftershock.

Lost in thought, Ning Rushen suddenly heard Li Wuting speak, “De Quan.”

Nearby, a stall selling sugar-coated hawthorn skewers caught his eye, the translucent sugar glistening on the crimson fruits. De Quan promptly bought a skewer and handed it over, “Lord Ning.”

Ning Rushen: ?

Li Wuting, “Clear your mind a bit, so you don’t bump into me again.”

“…” Ning Rushen took the skewer, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The sweet and tangy hawthorn jolted his taste buds.

Ning Rushen felt his mind sharpen instantly.

With a big red hawthorn candy in his mouth, he looked up at Li Wuting, his eyes visibly brightening. “Your Majesty, I’m clear-headed now.”

Li Wuting glanced at him, giving a slight chuckle.

Having broken the ice with the candied hawthorn, Ning Rushen ended up snacking his way through the market. Maybe because it was a rare festive occasion, Li Wuting didn’t stop him.

Once he’d eaten his fill, they had covered most of the market.

They stopped on a street near the Huaiming River, watching boats sail past and listening to the cheers of the onlookers.

Ning Rushen, hands tucked in his sleeves, observed for a moment.

He noticed that Li Wuting seemed to come outside the palace quite often, different from the emperors he’d seen in dramas.

He glanced over at Li Wuting, “Your Majesty, do you get stifled inside and come out here to enjoy with the people?”

“…” Stifled.

Li Wuting skipped the first half of his comment and looked out at the lively, joyful street before him. “The people’s joy is my joy. If I spent every day high in the palace, how could I share in their joys and sorrows?”

Ning Rushen looked at him, momentarily moved.

Li Wuting turned to him, “What? Do you think I’m wrong?”

“No… Your Majesty is absolutely right.”

Their gazes met, and the warm glow of the surrounding lanterns reflected in Ning Rushen’s eyes, carrying a hint of unspoken thoughts.

Li Wuting’s lashes lowered slightly, and his tone softened, “What do you want to say, Ning Qing? You can speak freely.”

Speak freely.

Ning Rushen glanced around and released his pent-up thoughts, “With Your Majesty’s heart for the people, why let the small treasury bear the cost alone? In my opinion, we should bring in sponsorship from the major families—”

As he spoke, he gestured, “For instance, the dragon boats, the lanterns along the riverbank, the street lanterns could all be funded by the noble families. As a token of gratitude, we…Your Majesty, could grant them naming rights with a small note: ‘Thanks to the sponsorship of the so-and-so family…’”

Li Wuting seemed somewhat taken aback.

All the Royal Guards, and even Li Wuting himself, stared at Ning Rushen in awe, as if marveling at his ability to “squeeze out” funds.

Ning Rushen, “…”

He softly backtracked, “This gives them a chance to gain recognition far and wide. You, Your Majesty, are such a generous ruler.”

Li Wuting, “…”

After a silent moment, he tilted his head to examine Ning Rushen’s head.

Ning instinctively touched the top of his head, “Is something wrong, Your Majesty? Have I gone bald?”

“No,” Li Wuting replied, hinting at something. “It’s pitch black.”

Ning Rushen: .

·

Having nearly covered the market, they prepared to leave.

They took a path along Huaiming River, walking towards the market’s edge. As they left the bustling market behind, Li Wuting, still in good spirits, wore a faint, elusive smile.

“We’ll discuss this further after the festival. Come, let’s return to the residence.”

Ning Rushen perked up: Return?

Did this mean Li Wuting was personally seeing him back?

Overwhelmed, he gestured, “That’s too much! I can return by myself.”

Li Wuting continued without stopping, “I’m concerned that, like last time, you’ll end up colliding with someone on the street.”

Ning Rushen’s cheeks reddened, his eyes softening.

Li Wuting continued, “Then someone else will have to be compensated.”

Ning Rushen, “…”

The Emperor truly does share in the people’s struggles.

Ning Mansion wasn’t far. They made their way there on foot.

They took a small alley that looped around to the back of the mansion’s main courtyard, quiet and empty.

As they rounded a corner, they saw two figures in the shadow of the main courtyard’s outer wall, climbing over.

Both men stopped in their tracks.

Ahead, Li Yingtang was perched on Geng Yan’s shoulders, climbing up. From below came a casual exchange:

“So, you say you often see His Majesty here? Is that true?”

“Almost all the time. Have you made it up, Prince?”

“Almost there. It’s so dark in here.”

Ning Rushen, “…”

Li Wuting, “…”

After a long silence, Ning Rushen softly said, “Your Majesty, am I witnessing something…creepy?”