Ling Rui’s little gesture didn’t escape Ah Wu’s sharp eyes.
Ah Wu, holding him, laughed.
Hearing Ah Wu’s laugh, Ling Rui instantly jerked his hand back like he had been electrocuted.
“Don’t laugh at me!”
Embarrassed and angry, Ling Rui swatted Ah Wu’s arm with his hand. Ah Wu was always touching his stomach at night, saying there was a cub inside. After hearing it so many times, Ling Rui had started to get a little confused himself.
“I’m not laughing at you.”
After being swatted, Ah Wu quickly toned down his smile and comforted Ling Rui, “Zai Zai, you’re adorable. Why would I laugh at you?”
“Stop calling me Zai Zai.”
Ling Rui rubbed his ears, feeling like he couldn’t bear to hear the word “Zai Zai” anymore, at least for the time being.
After a bit more of their nonsensical banter, Ling Rui resolutely declared that he was getting out of bed.
“We can’t stay in the palace any longer!”
Ling Rui announced sternly, “We need to go outside and get some fresh air!”
If they kept staying in the palace like this, people might start thinking they were being way too indulgent.
Sneaking a look at his plump waist and legs, Ling Rui thought that if this continued, his figure would be ruined.
Having made his decision, Ling Rui immediately got out of bed to find his clothes.
In Ah Wu’s sleeping quarters, there was no shortage of clothes for him. Sure enough, right beside Ah Wu’s clothes, Ling Rui easily found his own, all new and clearly made with great care.
He picked out an outfit he liked, but before he could put it on, Ah Wu came over and softly offered to help him dress.
Ling Rui’s face tightened, and he refused without hesitation.
“I can dress myself. I don’t need your help.”
Last time, Ah Wu had said he would help him get dressed, but in the end, neither of them ended up wearing any clothes.
Ling Rui had been traumatized by that.
After shooing Ah Wu away to dress himself, Ling Rui quickly slipped into his own clothes.
“Ah Wu, I’m going to work today.”
Now dressed, Ling Rui didn’t really feel like staying for breakfast.
Ah Wu looked at him, his lips pursing slightly, with a somewhat downcast expression. “Zai Zai, don’t you want me to stay with you?”
Ling Rui: “…”
Ling Rui wasn’t buying it.
“Stop playing the pity card. I won’t go soft on you.”
He reached out and held Ah Wu’s face in his hands, huffing, “You need to get back to work too. We both have jobs to do.”
Ah Wu’s job was to be a good emperor.
Ling Rui’s job this time was diplomacy.
They both had work to get done.
Ling Rui’s tasks were easier for now. After all, the Emperor of Great Qing liked him so much that the officials had already been instructed to treat the delegation from Qi Dynasty with real kindness.
Ling Rui’s work was going smoothly, and Ah Wu’s work was also making progress.
Great Qing had vast lands. Among the major powers, Great Qing’s status had always been unshakable.
But even now, Ah Wu was not satisfied.
His army had reached the border of Qi, and he intended to annex the country.
He hadn’t forgotten the prophecy Ling Rui had told him about.
The prophecy implied the death of his cub in this world and the decline of the Qi royal family.
This was likely caused by other nations.
Ah Wu trusted Ling Chen to handle the internal issues.
As for external threats, even with the powerful Murong family in play, the Qi Dynasty wouldn’t be able to deal with them in just a day or two.
Given this, Ah Wu aimed to expand his territory and bring unstable nations like Qi under his control.
With both internal and external threats eliminated, he believed his cub could live a long life in this world.
Ah Wu’s task was clearly much more challenging than Ling Rui’s.
However, Ling Rui wasn’t disheartened, nor did he think he was inferior to Ah Wu.
Ruling a nation and expanding borders were not his strengths anyway.
But when it came to other things, Ah Wu might not necessarily do better than him.
The delegation’s stay in Great Qing wasn’t short, but when it was time to leave, Ling Rui still felt it had passed too quickly.
He didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to leave Ah Wu.
“Zai Zai, I could write a letter to your big brother, telling him you’ll stay a bit longer.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
Though Ling Rui wanted to stay close to Ah Wu, his rational mind told him he couldn’t keep clinging to him.
He had to go back.
“Ah Wu, I’ll be busy when I return. I have to see Big Brother, Uncle Lian Qing, and… and…”
He hesitated, choosing not to finish the sentence.
He also had to report the good news to his big brother—that he and Ah Wu were together now.
Besides his big brother, he wanted to come clean to the rest of his family too.
Telling his big brother would be easy, but informing his parents would be a bit more difficult.
So for now, he didn’t want Ah Wu to know.
“Zai Zai, if anything happens, contact me immediately.”
“Mm!”
Ling Rui smiled, his eyes crinkling, and nodded. “I know.”
When he got back, he would use his foresight more often.
He needed to figure out what his future—and Qi Dynasty’s future—would look like.
Now that his love life was complete, his focus naturally shifted elsewhere.
No matter what, he and Ah Wu would last a long time.
But the Qi Dynasty was another story.
“Ah Wu, if you miss me, you can visit. Just don’t come too often!”
Ling Rui warned him in advance, “Big Brother once taught me that we can’t be consumed by love.”
Ah Wu made a sound of agreement, though it was unclear if he actually remembered what Ling Rui had said.
On the night before their separation, Ling Rui didn’t return to the inn.
He stayed in the Great Qing Emperor’s chambers, crying so hard through the night that he couldn’t breathe properly.
By the next morning, he couldn’t even remember how he had left.
When he regained consciousness, he was already in a sedan chair. The chair was lined with soft, thick blankets, and a small drawer beside him was filled with snacks.
Rubbing his eyes groggily, it took a while for Ling Rui to fully wake up.
He lifted the curtain and peeked outside.
His eyes met Meng Qiu’s.
“Young Wangye, you’re awake!”
Meng Qiu’s eyes lit up, and he greeted Ling Rui with enthusiasm.
Ling Rui stuck his head out and waved for him to come closer.
“Young Wangye, are you feeling alright?”
As Meng Qiu approached, he handed him a cup of tea.
The tea had honey in it, with a subtle sweetness.
Ling Rui gulped down the honey tea and lazily asked, “How did I get back this morning?”
“The Emperor of Great Qing personally escorted you. The sedan chair you’re sitting in, he gave it to you. He said you accidentally got drunk and were still sleeping, so he didn’t let us disturb you.”
Ling Rui: “Alright, then.”
Quite the believable excuse.
That final night had indeed been a bit too much.
Yawning, Ling Rui ate a little and soon felt drowsy again.
He slept for several more days before fully recovering and feeling energetic.
“Young Wangye, we’re almost there.”
Though Great Qing was vast and prosperous, seeming stronger than Qi Dynasty, to Meng Qiu, Qi was still his home.
The group returned with plenty of goods from Great Qing, and on the journey back, everyone was eager to get home.
The return trip took even less time than the journey to Great Qing.
Ling Rui, having settled his major life event, beamed with joy. Anyone who saw him would know that something good had happened.
“Meng Qiu, this is for you. A small gift for you and your wife. I hope you both like it.”
Ling Rui felt that much of his success this time was thanks to Meng Qiu.
So, after returning to the capital, he made a point to give Meng Qiu and his wife a gift as a token of his gratitude.
Meng Qiu was thrilled to receive the gift from the young Wangye.
“I thank you on behalf of my wife, Your Highness.”
“No need to thank me. Go find your wife now. Goodbye!”
“Goodbye, young Wangye!”
The two bid farewell cheerfully and went their separate ways, each heading home.
As soon as Ling Rui returned, he didn’t rush to see his parents. His first stop was his older brother.
“Big Brother, are you still busy? I’m back!”
Ling Chen, who was working in the study, heard the energetic voice and immediately relaxed. The frown on his face smoothed out as he closed the document and looked up at his younger brother, who was running toward him.
“Slow down, or you’ll trip.”
“I won’t trip! I’m not as clumsy as Pingping who—ow!”
Before Ling Rui could finish his sentence, he tripped over the threshold.
Ling Chen: “…”
His mouth twitched as he got up to help his unfortunate brother off the ground.
“You’re worse than Pingping. At least he can walk steadily now.”
“I was too focused on looking at you and didn’t notice the threshold.”
Ling Rui grumbled, shifting the blame to the threshold. “It’s too high!”
“Alright, alright. It’s the threshold’s fault.”
Ling Chen dusted off his brother’s clothes and led him back to the desk, sitting down together.
“How did you get here so quickly? I heard from Little Xiazi that you just returned to the palace.”
“I came straight here as soon as I got back.”
Ling Rui clung to his brother’s arm, resting his head on it affectionately, as if he couldn’t get enough of him.
Ling Chen observed him, sensing that something was off. His little brother coming to him first seemed unusual.
“Your Big Boss is here. Shouldn’t you go see him first?”
Ling Chen, trusting his instincts, smoothly changed the subject, hoping to send his brother off before they got too deep into conversation.
But hearing that his Big Boss had arrived only made Ling Rui’s eyes light up in joy. However, he remained firmly in place on the cushion, not moving an inch.
“I’ll see him a bit later.”
Ling Rui clung tightly to his big brother’s arm, determined not to let him escape. With a beaming face, he eagerly shared his news: “Big Brother, I’m with Ah Wu now!”
“Ah Wu told me he likes me, and I like him too. We’re getting married!”
Ling Chen: “…”
Ling Chen slowly covered his ears, his tone flat as he said, “Little Seven, I forgot to tell you—Big Brother has developed a hearing problem. I’m deaf now.”
What kind of joke was this? One was a young Wangye of Qi Dynasty, the other the Emperor of Great Qing. If they got married, the whole world would be utterly shocked.
“I don’t care, Big Brother. I want to get married!”
Ling Rui, having learned from Meng Qiu about the importance of ceremony, was fixated on the idea. Marriage was the most formal ceremony, and he and Ah Wu had to go through with it.
He pouted and insisted on getting married. When his brother didn’t agree, he rolled his eyes and whispered, “Big Brother, if you don’t let me get married, I’ll have to see if you ever get married!”
He had never used his foresight to check out his brother’s future wife!
