Chapter 36 – Your Highness, You Have Hidden Yourself So Well

Translator’s Note-Namaste guyss!!Welcome. Tnq Anon for the support and contributing in goal.I will upload extra chapter in evening for your support.

Guyss I have started the goal on ko-fi of 10 chapters in next 10days.Hope you all help me complete it and enjoy(^-^).Anon is first one to take step towards the goal.Thank you.

https://ko-fi.com/sinu509/goal?g=10

The song of the little bear echoed in the hall, and what was even more remarkable was that, somehow, it triggered some mechanism, and the eyes of the bear started emitting colorful lights, creating a bizarre atmosphere in the silent night.

……..

Prince Lu Xingwang’s originally heavy heart was instantly shattered by this powerful impact.

Jian Mei, seizing the opportunity, thought that the song must have finished by now and sent a message: “How about it? Do you like it?”

Lu Xingwang remained silent for a moment and replied, “I don’t have that kind of preference.”

“Ah?” Jian Mei seemed a bit disheartened, like a small animal with a drooping tail, disappointedly asking, “You don’t like it?”

Lu Xingwang remembered that Jian Mei had said it was bought with saved pocket money.

In fact, if he thought about it carefully, no one would put much thought into buying something for him. It could be because he lacked nothing as a member of the royal family, or perhaps because no one was willing to put much thought into treating him.

Lu Xingwang sighed deeply in his heart and said something he knew was probably too indulgent, but still spoke: “It’s alright.”

Looking at the ugly bear in his hand, Lu Xingwang closed his eyes and, with a sense of enduring humiliation, said, “If you look closely, it’s actually not bad.”

“Really?” Jian Mei asked eagerly.

Lu Xingwang affirmed with a response.

Jian Mei was relieved. He knew very well that not everyone would like these stuffed animals, but he had a faint feeling that someone like DaZhuang ge, perhaps due to his personality, had never received a bear doll before. He wanted to make up for something, even if he could only play a small role.

Lu Xingwang put down the bear and looked at the jar next to it, asking, “What’s in the pot?”

Jian Mei remembered and quickly replied, “It’s medicine, it’s good for your body. You mentioned before that you weren’t feeling well, and I felt that you were sick too. So, this is a special tonic for you to drink and nourish your body. Our family has been making medicines for a long, long time. Trust me, it should be effective. Give it a try.”

Lu Xingwang calmly looked at the jar of medicine.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Jian Mei, but even the healing power of the divine officials couldn’t completely cure the unclear poison. How could a jar of medicine completely heal it? Unfortunately, he couldn’t explain this to Jian Mei and could only sigh helplessly.

“It might be a bit hot now. You can drink it later,” Jian Mei said while suddenly remembered something and hurriedly added, “I almost forgot, I actually wrote you a greeting card, but my handwriting is a bit ugly, so I won’t send it to you.”

Lu Xingwang said, “It’s okay.”

Jian Mei’s eyes lit up, thinking that he was going to comfort him.

Little did he know, Lu Xingwang replied nonchalantly, “After all, it’s not the first time I’ve seen something like this.”

“…”

Jian Mei wanted to argue but couldn’t find the right words to refute. After all, what Lu Xingwang said wasn’t entirely unfounded. Sometimes when he had trouble with a question, he would take a photo and send it to Lu Xingwang. Of course, he had seen his own handwriting before, but this time was different. Greeting cards were important, and he would surely keep them in the future. If the handwriting wasn’t good, this kind of embarrassing history would definitely be brought up and teased.

After pondering for a while, Jian Mei said, “Then I’ll send it to you to have a look. Promise me you won’t laugh.”

Lu Xingwang replied, “I won’t.”

So Jian Mei got up and walked to the table, took a picture of the greeting card he had written, and sent it to Lu Xingwang. It was a card that looked quite thoughtful. The protagonist’s handwriting had a touch of simplicity and immaturity, but the words inside carried Jian Mei’s personal style. However, Lu Xingwang’s attention wasn’t fully focused on the greeting card. Instead, it was on the hand that was accidentally exposed next to it.There was a mark that would likely be overlooked if one didn’t look closely. It was slightly red and looked very conspicuous on his fair skin.

Lu Xingwang furrowed his brow and asked, “Are you injured?”

Jian Mei was somewhat surprised, “Huh?”

Lu Xingwang pointed out, “Your hand.”

Jian Mei then realized and didn’t expect Da Zhuang ge to be so observant of details. He honestly replied, “I accidentally burned it while helping Dad with the medicine.”

Medicine…

Was it referring to the peculiar pot next to him?

Lu Xingwang knew how painful a burn could be. Jian Mei was a child filled with unexpected elements. Sometimes he seemed like an unruly child, but he was also remarkably sensible. Sometimes he appeared delicate, but he could endure pain without uttering a word. All this just for the sake of making a pot of soup for a stranger he had never met.

Jian Mei turned the conversation around to comfort him, “I’ve already applied the ointment, and it’s not very painful.”

“Oh, don’t think I’m clumsy. I used to help my grandfather with medicine all the time,” Jian Mei spoke cheerfully and added, “I’m not used to the stove at home, but I’ll be more careful in the future.”

Lu Xingwang sat on the steps, feeling the chilly breeze blowing in the hall. The bone-piercing pain coursed through his body. The trees in the courtyard gradually shed golden leaves, a few of which fell onto him, making him feel lonely and cold. The medicine pot beside him emitted a faint warmth, the only source of comfort in this desolate courtyard.

Jian Mei said, “I bought some sugar-coated hawthorn for you, afraid that you wouldn’t be accustomed to drinking medicine and bitterness.”

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Lu Xingwang’s lips.

Jian Mei softly asked him, “Are you listening to me?”

Lu Xingwang responded, “I’m listening.”

Jian Mei felt that Lu Xingwang’s voice sounded particularly low, as if he wasn’t happy with what was said on his birthday. So he added, “Don’t worry, your illness will definitely get better.”

If someone else had said such words, Lu Xingwang would have found them ironic. But when Jian Mei said it, his heart inexplicably became complicated. When he first learned about this illness, he didn’t have much fear in his heart. Life was already so difficult, naturally, he wasn’t so entangled with the arrival of life and death. People always said that Third Prince was the most outstanding heir to the throne, but what no one knew was that he didn’t desire to ascend the cold dragon throne.

Therefore, he cherished very few things, and he didn’t really care about the predetermined fate that awaited him three or four years later.

But…

There were people who wanted him to live, people who wished for him to live a little longer.

“I went to the arcade yesterday. It was so much fun there. They have everything—video games and claw machines,” Jian Mei’s voice rang in his ears, particularly clear and pleasant in this somewhat silent night. “Drink your medicine well, and when you get better, we’ll go there together.”

How many promises had they made?

Lu Xingwang couldn’t remember, but slowly, what was once insignificant started to give birth to an unexpected sense of anticipation in his heart.

Lu Xingwang slowly tapped the medicine pot and picked up the spoon inside. He took a sip, accompanied by the chattering voice in his ears, gradually finishing the pot of medicinal soup. Even if it had no effect, even if there might be some danger, at this moment, inexplicably, he didn’t want to dwell on it anymore. Suddenly, he had a strong desire to live, to live a little longer. Even if he couldn’t go to the arcade, he wanted to live up to this pot of medicine that came after being scalded.

Jian Mei asked him, “Did you eat the sugar-coated hawthorn?”

Lu Xingwang never ate sweets, but under Jian Mei’s pestering, he still took a bite of the sugar-coated hawthorn. It had a slightly sweet and sour taste, with the fruit’s fragrance blending perfectly with the sugar coating. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as expected. However, since he naturally didn’t like sweets, he didn’t feel much about it in the end.

Jian Mei’s voice was filled with anticipation as he asked, “How is it? Is it delicious?”

Lu Xingwang responded indifferently, “It’s alright.”

Finally, only the crooked cake remained. Lu Xingwang couldn’t bring himself to eat it, and Jian Mei might have felt a bit guilty as well. He briefly explained the process of making the cake, saying, “I failed several times before, but surprisingly, the last attempt was successful. However, something strange happened. I didn’t put as much batter that time, but the cake turned out bigger than the previous two. Then, the cleaning lady came. She said she saw my failed attempts and made a new cake for me.”

“As I suspected, I wondered how I succeeded, so I asked her.” Jian Mei spoke softly. “She said she helped me.”

Lu Xingwang listened quietly and then spoke, “So, what do you find strange about it?”

“I guess there’s nothing really strange.” Jian Mei just felt that something was off. “When I went to pick up the cake, I thought I had succeeded on my own. It was only later that I noticed a slight difference in size and decided to ask.”

Lu Xingwang was always more perceptive. He liked to address the root of the problem. “The problem lies in the fact that you didn’t notice anything wrong right away.”

Jian Mei was taken aback. “What… do you mean?”

Lu Xingwang realized that Jian Mei’s simple-mindedness wouldn’t grasp it so quickly, so he put it more bluntly. “If someone else used the kitchen, wouldn’t it be difficult to notice at first glance?”

However, Jian Mei didn’t notice anything wrong when he went inside the kitchen.

Unless someone intentionally erased some traces or deliberately restored it to the original scene.

There were no pots, bowls, or even an egg beater in sight. The scene was perfectly clean, so when he received the cake, he didn’t suspect anything. That was the biggest problem.

Jian Mei’s simple-mindedness pondered for a while before finally reaching a conclusion. “Are you saying that the cake might not have been made by the cleaning lady?”

Lu Xingwang replied leisurely, “It’s just speculation.”

If not the cleaning lady, then who could it be?

Jian Mei belatedly thought about his mother coming back in the afternoon. Could it be his mother who helped him? But she… didn’t like him having too much contact with online friends.

Lu Xingwang said to him, “Instead of speculating, the best way is to seek direct confirmation.”

Jian Mei felt more and more uneasy as he thought about it. He remembered his cold attitude towards his mother during dinner, and now, holding his phone, he felt restless. He couldn’t continue being carefree. After hesitating for a moment, Jian Mei finally couldn’t bear it any longer and said to him, “Then… then I’ll go and ask. You should eat first.”

Lu Xingwang responded, “Go ahead.”

For some reason, it was like seeing his own child worry, and his own heart felt relieved when he saw Jian Mei going to resolve the issue on his mind. However, what he didn’t know was that even though his own heart felt better now, the little general who had just received the travel permit felt differently.

Tonight was Lu Xingwang’s birthday, and with the travel permit in hand, he had brought a pot of good wine to celebrate with the Third Prince. Although they didn’t have a particularly close relationship, he still had to maintain some face. The maid, A Ruo, said, “His Highness is not here. He went to Consort Lan’s palace. The young general can go there to find him.”

The young general understood. Children always longed for their mothers, so he could understand. It was a good opportunity to bring the wine and drown his sorrows, have a heart-to-heart talk, and do things that normal people would do. Initially, he did find the Third Prince cold and difficult to read, but after spending time together, he realized that Lu Xingwang was actually quite normal. The more he got to know him, the more he realized that he was similar to other children from ordinary families, just a bit more mature.

As for his peculiar fetish with the bear last time… It must have been an accident. Didn’t the Third Prince say that it wasn’t his bear? It was just a coincidence. While thinking about this, the young general pushed open the door to the palace and prepared comforting words to say. However, when he met Lu Xingwang’s gaze on the steps, he saw a blue, oddly shaped bear that emitted light beside him. In his hand, there was a string of sugar-coated hawthorn, clearly just eaten.

Their eyes met, and silence filled the air.

The young general gulped. Your Highness, so the teddy bear from before really isn’t yours, but this one is.

LX-I don’t like teddy bears.

ZQ-I see you everytime with one teddy bear.

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