Chapter 5
Lu Mian turned his head fiercely, thinking, Serves the villain right for being unloved! Serves him right for being a psycho!
He glared at the person behind him with the look one would give a cunning villain, just in time to see Lu Lin retracting his foot.
“Get up,” Lu Lin said, turning his face away. The sounds of servants approaching could be heard from outside, and he couldn’t be too unrestrained in front of others.
As if triggered, Lu Mian used his last bit of strength to spring up. “Give give give, give what! I’m not a giver!”
He clutched his backside and retreated. Ahhh! That damned man just touched his butt!
Lu Lin’s eyebrows rose slightly. Lu Mian felt dizzy and wanted to fight him.
“Young Master!” The two servants rushed in upon hearing the commotion. “What happened?”
Seeing the two, Lu Mian hesitated and ultimately remained silent.
Lu Lin had finally gotten out of the ancestral hall; he couldn’t send him back in, or he’d make another enemy. But he didn’t want him to stay either. He didn’t want to be with the villain!
Lu Mian didn’t speak, but Lu Lin did. His expression was normal as he said to the two servants, “Go down. I’ll take care of it.”
The two servants exchanged glances. Seeing that apart from slightly flushed cheeks, the Young Master seemed fine, they bowed and left.
Lu Mian once again witnessed Lu Lin’s swift change of face, marveling at his ability to transform at will. A true performance artist. As he watched the servants leave, his eyes shifted, and he felt a surge of terror. Holy crap! He changed again! Where is he looking?!
Lu Lin glanced at the hand Lu Mian was using to cover his backside and said softly, “I didn’t use much force.”
“You’ve messed with the wrong cotton ball!” Lu Mian didn’t give Lu Lin a chance to speak, baring his teeth at him. “I’ll never forgive you! Never!”
Lu Lin watched him leisurely, knowing this was starting again.
Lu Mian’s mouth continued to babble. “If you’re a bro, then chop me! Don’t give me that!”
A soft chuckle suddenly echoed through the room, the unique timbre adding a touch of magnetism that tickled the listener’s eardrums.
Lu Mian rubbed his ears, deciding to ignore it. “Time for bed, time for bed, grown-ups don’t hold grudges against villains.”
Having scolded the villain, they were even now. He wouldn’t hold the butt-poking incident against him. Thinking this, Lu Mian threw his robe, which he had rubbed on the floor, onto the bed, and promptly fell asleep.
Lu Lin looked at the lump on the bed; the person under the covers seemed to have curled up into a ball.
He stared at the ball for a long time.
Lu Mian quickly fell into a deep sleep, his head emerging from the ‘ball’ crack. His pink lips were pursed, his hands resting obediently on his abdomen, his sleeping face unexpectedly serene, completely unguarded.
Lu Mian: zzzZZZ.
A shadow gradually covered his face, obscuring most of the light from the night pearls. Lu Lin stood by the bed, looking down at the sleeping figure, his fingertips hovering over the other’s pale, slender neck.
Just a little pressure…
And this fragile neck would snap.
The chaotic day passed. Lu Mian woke up and found he was still not back in his own world.
“Young Master is awake,” a voice said. “A-Ping, quickly fetch water. I’ll help Young Master dress.”
Lu Mian turned his head and saw one of the servants who had been with him yesterday, smiling obsequiously. “Young Master, A-Qing will help you dress. Madam will be taking you to the palace later.”
Lu Mian froze. He had finally woken up, only to be utterly defeated by A-Qing’s words.
The palace! He could easily go in vertically and come out horizontally!
But Lu Mian quickly calmed down.
It’s okay, it’s okay, the original owner’s identity was there; the Empress was his aunt. Thinking positively, he could visit the palace, not a bad deal!
With that thought, Lu Mian sat up and let A-Qing dress him. Once he was fully dressed, he sat in front of the mirror, ready to have his hair styled.
However, Lu Mian was startled as soon as he sat down.
The person in the mirror was exactly like him.
Lu Mian rubbed his face, blinking repeatedly. He pulled down his collar.
A cinnabar mole rested in the hollow of his neck, small and round. Lu Mian poked it.
This body…
Seemed to be his own.
Lu Mian was confused.
Where was the original owner?
Behind him, A-Qing suddenly stopped and looked towards the door. “Madam.”
Tao Rouxuan walked in, her gaze softening as it landed on Lu Mian. “Mian Mian, will you come with me to see your aunt today?”
Her older sister doted on her nephew, and she would undoubtedly be worried if she mentioned Mian Mian’s injury, so Tao Rouxuan decided to bring him along.
“Young Master hasn’t spoken since he woke up,” A-Qing said, noticing that the Young Master was staring intently at the mirror and showing no signs of acknowledging Madam.
Tao Rouxuan’s eyes dimmed slightly. “Serve the meal. We’ll enter the palace after Mian Mian has finished breakfast.”
Lu Mian ate his meal, which he couldn’t tell if it was breakfast or lunch, without tasting anything.
“Mian Mian, why are you eating so little? Does the food not suit your taste?” Tao Rouxuan asked softly, seeing that he remained silent.
Lu Mian wrinkled his nose. The food was fragrant, but he wasn’t in the mood to eat. Facing the concerned words of those around him, he didn’t know how to respond and could only remain silent.
Tao Rouxuan knew he didn’t want to talk to anyone and didn’t press for an answer.
The next moment, a familiar pastry appeared before Lu Mian’s eyes, and a gentle voice said, “Look, this is a cake hand. Mian Mian, do you want to eat it?”
Lu Mian jolted.
What is she saying?
Tao Rouxuan brought the pastry to his lips, treating him like a newborn. Her son had become increasingly mischievous over the years, and it was rare for him to be so quiet. Her maternal instincts resurfaced.
“Eat… eat…” Lu Mian, dazed, was fed a mouthful of pastry by the delighted Tao Rouxuan. After the meal, he was placed in the carriage heading for the palace.
The carriage traveled from the Lu residence to the palace.
On the way, he suddenly spoke. “Lu Lin.”
Tao Rouxuan replied, “Lu Lin has gone to the academy.”
Lu Mian nodded.
Tao Rouxuan lovingly stroked his hair. Letting Lu Lin stay with Mian Mian yesterday had indeed been effective. It seemed she should continue to have them spend time together.
The carriage arrived at the palace gates. Zi Han, the Empress’s chief maid, was already waiting there. She curtsied to the two. “Madam, oh… what happened to Young Master?”
Tao Rouxuan had only sent word of her visit today, without mentioning Lu Mian’s condition, so as not to worry anyone. That’s why Zi Han was so surprised. As the Empress’s personal maid, she knew better than anyone how much the Empress doted on her nephew. Zi Han said worriedly, “Her Majesty will be heartbroken.”
Tao Rouxuan sighed. “He accidentally bumped his head while playing yesterday.”
Zi Han didn’t pry further and led the mother and son to the Empress’s residence, Qi He Palace.
Lu Mian remained silent, his lips pursed, but his eyes curiously scanned his surroundings. Red walls and green tiles formed a magnificent picture, pavilions and towers shimmering under the sunlight.
Qi He Palace was grand and imposing, the interior magnificent, like a fairyland. As they walked to the inner hall, Lu Mian saw his current aunt.
Empress Tao Roujin and Tao Rouxuan were biological sisters, with similar features, their makeup enhancing their beauty. Dressed in a sapphire blue palace gown, with a flowing silver hairpin adorned with flowers and a phoenix-shaped gold hairpin, the Empress looked elegant, dignified, and noble, like a celestial being.
Lu Mian was dazzled.
Seeing Lu Mian, the Empress’s heart ached. “Mian Mian, come here and let Aunt see. How did you get hurt like this? Poor thing.”
Tao Rouxuan gently nudged Lu Mian’s back. “Go, let Aunt see you.”
Lu Mian obediently went to the Empress and let her examine him. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
The Empress looked at Lu Mian.
Lu Mian didn’t make a sound. Today, he wasn’t a little fool, but a little mute.
The Empress looked at her sister inquiringly, and Tao Rouxuan relayed the doctor’s words.
“How could this…” Tao Roujin was startled. Without her sister asking, she immediately ordered her maid, “Go and invite Imperial Physician Xu.”
Imperial Physician Xu’s diagnosis was similar to the doctor’s, just more detailed.
Tao Rouxuan, who had hoped the Imperial Physician would discover something new, was disappointed.
Seeing this, the Empress consoled her, “Mian Mian is blessed, you don’t have to worry too much.”
Tao Rouxuan chatted with the Empress for a while longer.
Lu Mian’s mind wandered.
The pillars here are so big, I want to hug them and see if I can wrap my arms around them.
The floor is so shiny, would it be cool to lie down? But I’m not really hot.
“I plan to take Mian Mian with me to the temple for incense in a few days,” Tao Rouxuan said. Her son was always restless and never willing to go with her.
The Empress nodded, her words carrying a deeper meaning. “It just so happens that day is a rest day. You can have Master Lu accompany you.”
Tao Rouxuan lowered her eyes and remained silent.
The Empress gave her a knowing look. “You… still haven’t let go, have you?”
“It’s getting late,” Tao Rouxuan changed the subject. “I should take Mian Mian back.”
“Stay for dinner before you go,” the Empress said.
Tao Rouxuan shook her head, her eyes curving slightly. “Your Majesty forgets, today is the fifteenth, His Majesty…”
She trailed off, a sly smile on her face.
On the first and fifteenth of every month, the Emperor had to accompany the Empress in the Central Palace; it was an ancestral tradition. Hearing this, the Empress’s eyes narrowed, a sweet smile appearing on her lips. She didn’t insist further.
Leaving the palace, Lu Mian started snoring softly as soon as he got into the carriage. He woke up just as the carriage stopped.
The steward was waiting at the gate. “Dinner is ready, Master is waiting for Madam.”
Tao Rouxuan glanced at Lu Mian.
Lu Mian, who had been offline all day, suddenly became alert. “Go back!” He didn’t want to keep acting.
“Take Young Master back,” Tao Rouxuan said to Liu Xu.
Lu Mian returned to his courtyard, relieved to finally be able to rest.
As soon as he entered, he ran into Lu Lin, who was sitting at the table. The breath he had just released caught in his throat.
“Lu Lu Lu…”
“Does Young Master want to see a deer?” Liu Xu wondered.
Lu Mian choked.
He thought Liu Xu had a sense of humor. Of course, he himself wasn’t bad either; he was quite the contrast.
A bad contrast, Lu Mian thought, pointing at Lu Lin. “Him.”
Liu Xu smiled. “Madam arranged it. As expected, with Eldest Young Master here, Young Master starts talking.”
Then came the next piece of devastating news.
“Madam said that Eldest Young Master will be living with Young Master from now on,” Liu Xu continued, completely unaware of the earth-shattering nature of her words. “I’ll go and have the meal brought in.”
With that, Liu Xu turned and left.
Once she was gone, only Lu Mian and Lu Lin remained in the room.
The door clicked shut behind her, and a light voice came from in front of him.
“Don’t want to live with me?”
Lu Mian: Not only do I not want to, I don’t even want to see him.
The villain in the book was either vicious or perverted.
He gave off the vibe of someone who could hold his beloved’s underwear and sniff it for half a day. A real pervert.
Lu Mian hugged himself and crouched down, afraid.
The voice continued, Lu Lin saying, “Little fool.”
Lu Mian stood up angrily. “Shut up! Call me Lightning Fire Wolf!”
