Even though he had been preparing for this for days, he still wasn’t sure about his father’s attitude.
After all, his father had been wearing a stern expression these past few days.
“Dad, daddy.”
The timid little one gently pushed a cup of tea toward his father on the table and whispered, “Chrysanthemum tea, it helps reduce anger.”
Emperor Ling: “…”
Emperor Ling said nothing.
Not far away, the gossip continued, with no concern for what would happen if the subject overheard.
As time went on, Ling Rui’s expression grew more and more troubled as his father remained silent.
He had already imagined the scenario where his father would outright refuse to accept his relationship with Ah Wu.
If that happened, he really didn’t know how he would handle it.
“Speaking of which, have you heard the strange tale from Ning Dynasty…”
Finally, to Ling Rui’s relief, the gossips changed the subject.
The new topic had nothing to do with him, but rather someone else’s story.
After listening for a while longer, Emperor Ling finished the entire cup of chrysanthemum tea and then stood up.
Ling Rui followed closely behind, looking both obedient and uneasy.
Instead of returning to the palace immediately, the two wandered around elsewhere, and before long, half the day slipped away.
Emperor Ling bought some small toys that children usually like, seemingly for Pingping and Anan.
Several times, Ling Rui wanted to speak to his father, but every time he opened his mouth, he stopped himself from mentioning Ah Wu.
By evening, the overcast skies finally cleared, revealing a sky full of red clouds, signaling good weather ahead.
Ling Rui looked eagerly at his father.
Emperor Ling was carrying quite a few things. He glanced at the items in his hands and then at his son.
“Shall we head back?”
Ling Rui hurriedly nodded.
The two made their way back to the palace, but once inside, Ling Rui didn’t see his father give any of the items to Pingping or Anan.
He found it odd.
“Dad, aren’t you going to have someone deliver those things to Pingping and Anan?”
“Why would I give them to Pingping and Anan?”
Emperor Ling’s tone was even more puzzled than his son’s. “I bought all of these for you.”
Ling Rui froze.
Emperor Ling handed the items to him, saying, “Take them. These were the kinds of things you liked to play with when you were little. I’m not sure if you still like them now that you’re older.”
“I like them!”
Ling Rui’s eyes curved into a smile as he took the things and placed them on his shelf.
After putting everything away, he left a small wooden boat in his hand.
“Dad.”
“Sit down.”
Emperor Ling pointed to a spot in front of him as he watched his son holding the boat.
Ling Rui obediently sat down.
Father and son faced each other, one looking down and the other looking up, their eyes meeting in midair.
Ling Rui’s heart was pounding like a drum.
He knew his father was about to say something important.
Meanwhile, outside the palace, along a small path, Ah Wu was on his way to see his beloved, completely unaware of what was happening inside the palace.
Carrying gifts for his beloved, his large figure flashed through the forest.
“Dad—”
“Can this still be changed?”
In the palace, the father and son spoke almost simultaneously.
Ling Rui’s eyes darkened as he shook his head, dejected but firm. “No, it can’t.”
He didn’t think there was anything wrong with being with Ah Wu.
Even if there were, he couldn’t change it now.
“Father, I like Ah Wu. I really, really like him.”
“Huo Qinwu is the emperor of Great Qing. No matter how much you like him, what good will it do? He rules over a vast empire. He can’t forgo having a empress or children! Little Seven, if you like men, I’ll find someone else for you. Whoever you want, I’ll find for you.”
“I don’t want anyone else. I only want Ah Wu.”
Ling Rui’s voice grew stubborn, spurred on by his father’s tone.
“If we were as powerful as Great Qing, wanting their emperor wouldn’t be an issue. But the reality is, we’re far inferior to Great Qing!”
As he said this, Emperor Ling couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of regret.
When Great Qing was aggressively expanding its territory, Qi Dynasty had been too focused on peace and comfort.
Now, despite Ling Chen’s efforts, they still lagged behind Great Qing.
If they were stronger than Great Qing, what couldn’t he give his Little Seven?
“Dad, don’t compare my relationship with Ah Wu to the power dynamics between Qi Dynasty and Great Qing. We’re genuinely together.”
“Ah Wu loves me deeply. He won’t take an empress in the future. Wait, no— I could be his empress, and he could be my Wangfei.”
“We don’t need children.”
Neither of them had any attachment to the idea of offspring or continuing their lineage.
Hearing this, Emperor Ling’s brows furrowed deeply with worry.
“Little Seven, you’re too naïve.”
How could an emperor of a great nation willingly forgo having heirs? Even if Huo Qinwu had said those words, it was surely just to appease his Little Seven, intentionally misleading him.
The father and son could not agree on their assessment of Huo Qinwu.
Ling Rui had talked until his mouth went dry, yet there was no sign of his father changing his opinion of Ah Wu. He slumped back in his chair, finally giving up.
“Forget it, Dad. Let’s stop arguing.”
Ling Rui picked up a cup of water, gulped it down, and wiped his mouth. Suddenly, a critical question dawned on him.
“Dad, just now, were you only against me being with Ah Wu? You’re not against me being with another man?”
Ling Rui had originally thought his father disapproved of him being with any man.
The emperor pressed his temples, looking both weary and somewhat resigned.
“I used to want you to settle down, to have children of your own and experience the joys of family. But after talking with your mother, I remembered that what I wanted most for you, from the beginning, was for you to grow up safe and happy.”
“Dad, you’re the best.”
Ling Rui leaned forward, clutching his cup, and threw himself into his father’s embrace.
“I’ve been really happy all these years, Dad. It’s because of you, Mother, and my brothers and sisters. You’ve all brought me the greatest joy.”
“I’ll keep being happy in the future too.”
The warmth between father and son lingered in the room, as Noble Consort Yi, standing quietly at the door, listened for a moment before tiptoeing away.
About half a cup of tea later, the affectionate moment was shattered as they resumed their debate on whether Ah Wu was a good person. The once tender atmosphere was instantly replaced by tension.
“Ah Wu loves me, he wouldn’t lie to me!”
“He’s an emperor! Emperors are the best at manipulating people’s hearts!”
Neither the father nor the son would back down.
That night, the emperor vented his frustrations behind closed doors with Noble Consort Yi, while Ling Rui sulked in his room. He angrily tossed the bottle of medicine that Shui Shui had given him onto the table and sprawled out on the bed.
“I was worried Father wouldn’t be able to handle the truth, but now it seems like this medicine won’t be needed after all.”
“Yeah, your father is pretty tough,” Shui Shui replied, soaking his feet in a basin filled with medicinal herbs.
Ling Rui rolled over and watched him soak his feet, puzzled. “Aren’t you in good health? Why are you using so many herbs for a foot bath?”
“It’s for Ling Yi,” Shui Shui explained curtly. “I’m testing its effectiveness.”
“Got it.”
After a brief discussion about the benefits of herbal foot baths, the conversation drifted back to the emperor’s rigid views on Ah Wu.
“Ah Wu is really great, Father just doesn’t understand him.”
“He hasn’t had a chance to get to know Ah Wu,” Shui Shui replied.
“You’re right, so I’ve decided to create some opportunities for Father to see the real Ah Wu.”
When friends are together, the conversations never seem to end. Though usually quiet and reserved, Shui Shui talked more with Ling Rui than with anyone else.
That night passed without further incident, and as dawn broke the next day, Shui Shui rose early to attend to his duties. Ling Rui accompanied him for a while, looking at medicinal herbs, but soon succumbed to drowsiness and returned to his bed for a nap.
As he crawled into bed, still half-asleep, his hand touched something cold.
Ling Rui: “!”
“Who dares sneak into my bed?” Ling Rui shouted. He had no tolerance for palace servants who tried to climb into his bed; the last one had been punished by his mother.
Without even pulling back the covers, Ling Rui refused to look at the intruder.
“Zai Zai, who else has tried to sneak into your bed?”
It was Ah Wu, who had traveled for two days and arrived late in the night. Not finding his Zai Zai, he had rested in his bed, only to be mistaken for an intruder.
Hearing Ah Wu’s voice, Ling Rui was momentarily stunned, then quickly peeked under the covers.
When he saw Ah Wu sitting there, his eyes lit up, and he threw himself at him.
“Ah Wu!!!”
Ling Rui pounced, holding Ah Wu’s handsome face in his hands and showering him with kisses.
He hadn’t seen Ah Wu in so long, and his excitement was palpable.
“Ah Wu, I’ve missed you so much!”
Ling Rui’s flurry of kisses, accompanied by sweet words, would have overwhelmed anyone else. Fortunately, Ah Wu had strong self-control and, amidst the barrage of kisses, managed to remain calm enough to ask:
“Zai Zai, be honest—who else has tried to sneak into your bed?”
Ling Rui: “…”
He blinked in surprise.
After all those kisses, how had Ah Wu not been completely distracted?
Luckily, it was still early, and Ling Rui had dismissed the palace servants, ensuring no one would overhear what was about to happen.
From the break of dawn to the full rise of the sun, despite Ah Wu’s restraint, Ling Rui ended up crying himself to sleep.
After Ling Rui had dozed off, Ah Wu got up and went to find the emperor. He was well aware of the groundwork Ling Rui had laid. Though he didn’t know that Ling Rui had confessed everything the previous night, he understood that the emperor wasn’t a fool.
All the preparations Zai Zai had made were almost the same as directly telling the emperor the truth. Now that Zai Zai had done so much, it was Ah Wu’s turn to take the next step.
The emperor had expected to see Ah Wu eventually, but he had never imagined that Ah Wu would confront him so boldly and directly.
The other party confessed directly—
“I’m with Little Seven, and I will stay with him for all eternity.”
The emperor: “Eternity? Are you dreaming?”
His Little Seven was an Auspicious Beast! An ordinary person couldn’t promise an eternity!
Ah Wu looked up at him, and in the next moment, he revealed his true form.
The emperor: “!”
The emperor was stunned. “You’re not human!”
Ah Wu: “…”
Ah Wu furrowed his brows, wanting to nod but feeling like something about that statement was odd.
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