Chapter 025: No Birth Chart, But a Pillow
Wei Wanlan was afraid of pain, death, the dark, and ghosts. In short, he was scared of everything.
At this moment, seeing blood, he didnât dare to look at his own wound but was still anxiously trembling:
“Regent… am I going to die? I…”
Su Jingzhi didnât even want to answer him, pursing his lips and glaring at him.
“Regent…”
“Stop crying!”
Wei Wanlan quickly covered his mouth, letting out a few soft whimpers.
The porcelain bowls used in the Imperial Palace were made exceptionally thin for the sake of beauty.
So when the two bowls on Wei Wanlanâs chest shattered, it was like someone had smashed them into flat pancakes, breaking them into fine fragments, leaving his chest covered with tiny shards of porcelain.
With no other tools at hand, Su Jingzhi could only use his fingers to carefully pick out each piece of porcelain, one by one, and flick them away.
He had to be cautious not to touch the already lacerated wounds on Wei Wanlanâs body. The tiny porcelain shards were difficult to clean out completely.
Throughout the process, Su Jingzhi didnât utter a word. The suppressed tension thickened the air in the study. He had a growing feeling that this little creature was going to drive him mad.
Any trace of emotion stirred by the earlier words, “I feel sorry for you,” had been entirely erased by Wei Wanlanâs latest foolish behavior.
How could someone always manage to create such unexpected disasters?
Already irritated, Su Jingzhi lost his precision and accidentally tugged on Wei Wanlanâs clothing, pulling at the wound underneath.
Those doe-like eyes welled up with tears again, and though he dared not cry, he weakly reminded:
“Regent… it hurts, please be gentle.”
Su Jingzhi suddenly froze.
His peripheral vision swept across the entire study, realizing that he had torn open Wei Wanlanâs robe. The little emperorâs dark hair was scattered across the desk, his inner garment stained with blood. He was crying, saying it hurt. His body was adorned with fallen plum petals. The situation was absurdly ambiguous.
Su Jingzhiâs throat felt dry.
The pride and honor of a man of his stature couldnât allow him to maintain such a compromising position in the study. He used the back of his hand to brush away the last bits of porcelain from Wei Wanlanâs body.
The little emperor squirmed uneasily, like a mermaid caught on shore, beautiful yet helpless, asking:
“Is it over? Am I going to die?”
A walnut-sized bloodstain showed through his inner garment, but it wasnât near his heart.
Su Jingzhi said in a low voice, “Itâs not fatal.”
Hearing that he wasnât going to die, Wei Wanlanâs heart settled, and his expression brightened a little, like a flower bud blooming in the morning.
“But it needs to be disinfected. The wound isnât clean.”
His face fell again, like a wilted flower.
“I want some medicine that doesnât hurt.”
“There isnât any. If you say one more word, Iâll use chili water.”
So mean! QAQ!
Su Jingzhi called out to the servants outside the room to bring some medicine and hot water to clean the wound.
The servants outside were all martial artists with sharp hearing, and they had vaguely heard someone enter the Regentâs study, followed by the sound of clothes tearing, someone crying out in pain, and then the Regent asking for medicine and hot water.
Connecting the dots, they came to a shocking conclusion! The gossip spread through the Regentâs estate like wildfire. The servants delivering the medicine and water ran faster than steeds:
“My lord, the medicine and hot water are here.”
“My lord, is it Miss Xiao Wan in there?”
“My lord, should we call a military physician to check on Miss Xiao Wan?”
“My lord, please be gentle with the lady.”
“Leave it at the door and go!”
Oh my~~~~~~
The Regent didnât deny it. The Regent was flustered and angry.
So, the lady inside must be Xiao Wan, the pretty girl that Aunt Yun and Uncle Zhong brought back.
By the heavens, the Su family ancestors must be watching over us. Our Regent has finally bloomed like a steel tree!!!
The joy spread throughout the Su residence.
The old soldiers and veterans wore satisfied smiles on their faces, having witnessed a miracle, and they all dispersed in contentment.
When Su Jingzhi went to the door to retrieve the medicine for Wei Wanlan, he found not just a basin of hot water, but a large bath barrel filled with hot water, big enough for two people. It was sprinkled with flower petals and had a towel draped over it.
It was as if a massive black pot had slammed down on the Regentâs back:
“Wei, Wan, Lan.”
***
Wei Wanlan, having applied the medicine, was now lying in the bath barrel, washing himself. A towel was draped over his head, and the steam made him feel a bit light-headed. He played with the flower petals in the water, sticking them to the sides of the wooden barrel, decorating it with a ring of roses.
Two soft strands of hair fell over his forehead, enhancing his innocent expression.
“404, why does the Regent seem unhappy?”
*[I am the Sage Emperor System. If the treacherous minister is unhappy, you should be happy.]*
Wei Wanlan nodded, then asked, “Why didnât he kill me this time? Iâm not even electrocuting him anymore.”
*[Perhaps something you said flattered him. Heâs like a donkey that enjoys being petted when you smooth his fur.]*
“I see. Iâll keep praising him next time. I still have plenty of words left.”
He scooped up some water and poured it over the flower petals stuck to the barrel walls, watching as they swirled in the water.
Splashing in the water, his eyes sparkled as his playful demeanor became even more charming.
The system, however, gave him a gentle electric jolt as a reminder: *[Donât get carried away. The treacherous minister might not let you off so easily next time.]*
“Oh. Then Iâll deal with next time when it comes. For now, Iâve survived.”
Indeed, he had survived, and the system had nothing more to say. As Wei Wanlan conversed with the system, a shadow appeared outside the door.
“Xiao Wan.”
Wei Wanlanâs ears perked up, and he cautiously gripped the edge of the bath barrel. “Who is it?”
Could it be Su Jingzhi coming in suddenly? He wasnât wearing any clothes. That would be awkward.
“Itâs me. Can Auntie come in?”
It was Aunt Yun.
Given the difference in gender, it was even less appropriate. Though he was still pretending to be a girl, he wasnât wearing his fake chest in the water, so it wasnât right to be seen.
Wei Wanlan wanted to find an excuse to step out and talk.
But Aunt Yun sounded even more ashamed: “Alright, Xiao Wan, I know you donât want to see me. I wonât force you. But Iâm here to apologize for what happened today. Let me atone for my sins with death!”
There was the sound of a dagger being drawn.
Wei Wanlan was so frightened that he quickly stood up in the bath, only to remember he was undressed and sat back down, grabbing a towel to cover his chest. Why was Aunt Yun suddenly talking about taking her own life?
He hurriedly yelled toward the door: “Donât! Donât! Auntie, please come in!”
The study door opened.
Aunt Yun, face flushed with guilt, rushed in and immediately began stroking Wei Wanlanâs face and head repeatedly:
“Good child, have you suffered? Did the Prince scare you?”
“Yes, he scared me to death. I bled so much.”
He hadnât actually bled that much.
Wei Wanlan was just being delicate. To him, any amount of blood was too much, and it made him feel wronged.
But he had no idea how much of an impact his words had on Aunt Yun, deepening her guilt and sympathy:
“Iâm so sorry, Xiao Wan. If I had known, I would never have let you into the study to water the flowers. I didnât mean for the Prince to harm you.”
Wei Wanlan replied casually: “Auntie, this isnât your fault. Youâre not the one who should be responsible.”
“Does Xiao Wan want the Prince to take responsibility for tonightâs incident?”
“Shouldnât he take responsibility for hurting me?” Wei Wanlan was confused.
“He should, he should! If he doesnât take responsibility for you, Auntie will go to the ancestral hall and tell his mother…”
Wei Wanlan tilted his head, feeling that Aunt Yun was doing a great job. She was truly righteous.
Too bad he had never been to the ancestral hall to meet the villainâs mother, or else he would definitely complain to Lady Rong. *How did you raise Su Jingzhi to be so wicked?*
“Thank you, Auntie!”
“Donât worry, Auntie will make sure justice is done for you.”
*[This is your chance to get Su Jingzhiâs birth chart details.]*
Got it.
Though he didnât quite understand why the timing was perfect.
Remembering the systemâs advice, Wei Wanlan tried to be subtle: “Auntie, you mentioned last time that you wanted to compare my birth chart with his. Are you still going to do that?”
But Aunt Yun, her face flushed with embarrassment, gently pushed him and laughed: “Silly child, thereâs no need to compare birth charts now. Let me tell you something else instead.”
“Huh?”
Wei Wanlan looked up in confusion: What else?
Aunt Yun started explaining: “The Prince is like a donkey that needs to be petted in the right direction. Remember to always smooth his fur from now on, okay?”
“Understood.”
*Iâve been doing that every day, havenât I? I donât need you to teach me that.*
“Good girl,” Aunt Yun said, even more pleased, her face turning red as she whispered, “The Prince is already twenty-seven. At his age, you need to be more patient with him at first.”
Wei Wanlan nodded again, though he felt the Prince should be more patient with him. After all, Su Jingzhi was almost ten years older and kept bullying him every day.
But the birth chart was more important: “Auntie, I still want to hear about the birth chart.”
“You donât need to worry about the birth chart. Just remember to place a pillow under your waist when you sleep.”
“The birth chart.”
“A pillow!”
“The birth chart…”
“A pillow, a pillow, a pillow!!! Silly girl, stop worrying about the birth chart! You should be thinking about the pillow!!!”
After saying this, Aunt Yunâs face turned bright red, and Wei Wanlan could only nod in agreement. Their conversation had somehow taken a bizarre turn and ended just as strangely.
With a loud *bang*, Aunt Yun, face still flushed, closed the door behind her.
A flower petal drifted down onto Wei Wanlanâs head.
“System, sheâs gone.”
*[…]*
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