I, The Substitute, Am With The Main Character Chapter 86

Cui Lingjing: “… Fine, you may leave.”

Meanwhile, He Xulan, using the excuse of changing clothes, took Xueya away from the banquet and brought him to the bamboo garden behind the side hall. It was quiet with few people around, and Huang Gonggong along with his attendants stood guard outside the bamboo grove.

“Why did you step on General Yi just now?” He Xulan asked.

Xueya was startled. He hadn’t expected his mischievous act to be noticed by He Xulan. After blinking rapidly for a moment, he lied, “I didn’t step on General Yi. I just went over because I saw a lot of good food on his table and wanted to grab something to eat.”

He Xulan remained silent, simply staring at Xueya.

Xueya pursed his lips and eventually admitted, “Yes, I did bully him a little, but it’s because his welcome banquet was so grand. You also won a battle, brother.”

“So, you were standing up for me,” He Xulan chuckled lightly, pulling Xueya into his embrace.

Xueya leaned into He Xulan, still feeling the injustice. “Brother, why does the emperor treat people differently?”

He couldn’t understand. After all, Cui Lingjing was fond of He Xulan. Shouldn’t the emperor have made He Xulan’s banquet even more lavish than Yi Yefeng’s?

He Xulan was silent for a moment before speaking softly, “Because he’s afraid.”

“Afraid? What is the emperor afraid of?” Xueya turned his head to look at He Xulan.

“Let’s not talk about it. Are you hungry?”

As a servant of the palace, Xueya couldn’t sit at the banquet table. The most He Xulan could do was sneak him a few bites when no one was watching.

He hadn’t planned to bring Xueya to the banquet, but Xueya had complained about being bored in Ningfu Palace and wanted to get out for a while, so He Xulan relented and brought him along.

“I’m hungry.”

Xueya pulled He Xulan’s hand and placed it on his stomach.

He Xulan gently pressed his hand against Xueya’s belly, finding it indeed empty, and considered leaving the banquet early to return to Ningfu Palace. At that moment, Huang Gonggong hurried in from outside the bamboo grove, stopping at a respectful distance. “Your Majesty, it seems the emperor is looking for you.”

He Xulan furrowed his brow and then gently said to Xueya, “You should go back with Tongtang and eat. I’ll return later.”

Tongtang was one of Huang Gonggong’s apprentices.

“Brother, I want to stay with you. I can eat later,” Xueya clung to He Xulan’s sleeve, unwilling to leave with Tongtang.

He Xulan frowned slightly, but before he could say anything, Xueya clung to his neck, nestling into his embrace, and began to plead, “Brother, don’t make me go back alone. I don’t want to eat by myself.”

As he spoke, Xueya planted soft kisses on He Xulan’s lips.

Though Huang Gonggong stood at a distance, he could vaguely hear the sounds, and despite his age and his eunuch status, his face flushed red.

“Xueya,” He Xulan tilted his head slightly to avoid Xueya’s haphazard kisses, “If you stay here, you’ll still be hungry. Go with Tongtang first. I’ll be back soon. Be good.”

Xueya remained reluctant. “I don’t want to go back. How about I wait here for you? When you’re done, come find me.” Seeing that He Xulan was about to say something, Xueya quickly interrupted, “I promise to stay here and not go anywhere until you come back.”

He Xulan glanced at the dimly lit bamboo garden and, after a moment’s thought, said, “Come with me into the hall. I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here alone.”

Xueya was more than happy to stay with He Xulan, though he was indeed quite hungry. Upon returning to Shuixi Hall, He Xulan was called behind the beaded curtain by the emperor’s chief eunuch. Xueya, not being allowed to openly follow He Xulan inside, had to hide behind one of the columns, secretly observing the officials.

Watching them drink and feast made Xueya even hungrier. Tongtang noticed and kindly offered, “I’ll go to the kitchen and get you something to eat.”

Xueya’s eyes lit up. “Okay, I’ll wait here.”

Once Tongtang left, Xueya was left alone behind the column. As he eagerly watched the direction in which Tongtang had gone, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar piece of fabric out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw Yin Qingxuan.

Yin Qingxuan had also attended the banquet tonight. His face was pale, and his dark eyebrows shadowed his cold eyes, which were fixed on Xueya. Alarm bells rang in Xueya’s mind, and he immediately wanted to flee, but Yin Qingxuan grabbed his arm before he could escape. Xueya struggled to break free, but Yin Qingxuan held on firmly. Seeing that they were in a hidden corner where no one would notice, Xueya’s panic grew.

“You—”

“It seems you’ve been living well these days, gained a bit of weight,” Yin Qingxuan said, interrupting him.

Hearing Yin Qingxuan comment on his weight, Xueya instinctively touched his face, momentarily forgetting his fear.

Yin Qingxuan’s gaze lingered on Xueya’s lips for a moment before he leaned closer. “Have you told him everything?”

Startled by this sudden move, Xueya stepped back in fear. Despite the crowded hall, their corner remained in the shadows. Even so, Yin Qingxuan’s boldness shocked him—was he not afraid of being seen?

“Let go of me!” Xueya pulled harder to free his arm.

Yin Qingxuan seemed about to say something, but his attention was suddenly drawn elsewhere. He reached into his robe and shoved something into Xueya’s hand before releasing him. Xueya looked down and realized that what he had been given was the warm jade Yin Qingxuan had previously taken from him.

Clutching the jade tightly, Xueya quickly turned and fled. His panic led him to instinctively seek out He Xulan. He burst through the beaded curtain and was startled by the chief eunuch’s shout. Only then did he realize his rashness.

“What are you doing here?” the chief eunuch asked, glancing nervously at Cui Lingjing’s reaction. Seeing that the emperor wasn’t angry, he sighed and motioned for Xueya to stay. “Never mind. Since you’re here, pour wine for His Majesty and the Empress Dowager.”

Xueya grew even more anxious but didn’t dare to ask He Xulan for help at this moment. Instead, he discreetly hid the warm jade in his sleeve and braced himself to pour wine for He Xulan and Cui Lingjing. According to etiquette, he should first pour for Cui Lingjing. So, he walked over, picked up the wine jug, and was about to pour when he noticed that Cui Lingjing’s cup was already full. He immediately thought of moving to He Xulan’s side.

But just as he was about to leave, Cui Lingjing suddenly lifted his cup and drank it all in one go. Xueya, seeing the now-empty cup, hesitated for a moment before unhappily refilling it. After pouring Cui Lingjing’s wine, Xueya again prepared to move to He Xulan, but then he heard Cui Lingjing say, “Godfather’s back injury has not yet healed; it’s best he drinks less.”

A back injury?

Xueya froze. He Xulan was injured? Why didn’t he know?

“You should also drink less, Your Majesty. Too much, and you’ll have a headache in the morning,” He Xulan responded calmly.

The chief eunuch, overhearing the conversation, called out to Xueya, “What are you standing there for? No need to pour wine. Serve the dishes to His Majesty and the Empress Dowager.”

Xueya, hearing this, reluctantly set down the wine jug and picked up the communal chopsticks. He glanced over the table filled with delicacies, and his hunger intensified. He unconsciously licked his lips and lazily picked up the closest fish, placing it in Cui Lingjing’s bowl.

After serving the fish, Xueya finally made his way to He Xulan. Although he didn’t know when He Xulan had gotten injured, he vaguely remembered that people with injuries shouldn’t eat certain foods.

But what were those foods?

He stared at the dishes on the table, troubled for a while, before finally deciding to give He Xulan some greens. Vegetables were definitely safe, he thought.

Still, just vegetables didn’t seem like enough, so Xueya added a spoonful of tofu to He Xulan’s bowl.

Cui Lingjing, who had initially been displeased that Xueya only gave him a piece of fish, swallowed his complaint when he saw the vegetables and tofu in He Xulan’s bowl.

Xueya wanted to give He Xulan more food, but he was afraid of revealing their close relationship to Cui Lingjing, so he returned to Cui Lingjing’s side and added another piece of fish.

Cui Lingjing, having just finished one piece of fish, frowned slightly when another arrived. Before he could say anything, he saw Xueya return to He Xulan with another serving of greens.

The chief eunuch couldn’t bear to watch anymore and gave Xueya a look, but Xueya didn’t catch it. He continued to alternate between fish and greens as he served the two men.

Just as Xueya was focused on serving, his stomach growled loudly, and the sound was unmistakable. Everyone present heard it. Cui Lingjing, practically drowning in fish at this point, noticed the noise and, after a moment’s thought, set down his chopsticks and said, “You may have this.”

He pushed his bowl towards Xueya.

Xueya, unwilling to eat Cui Lingjing’s leftovers, quickly said, “Thank you, Your Majesty, but I… I can’t eat fish. Yes, I can’t eat fish. It makes me feel unwell.”

Cui Lingjing instantly knew Xueya was lying. His expression darkened, but with He Xulan present, he restrained his anger and merely shot Xueya a glare before standing up and saying to He Xulan, “Godfather, I’m going to change.”

As soon as Cui Lingjing left, many of the palace servants followed. Seeing that only two servants from outside Ningfu Palace remained, Huang Gonggong instructed, “The Empress Dowager and His Majesty will need hangover soup later. Follow me to prepare it.”

Once the beaded curtain only hid the attendants from Ningfu Palace, Xueya didn’t dare act too intimately with He Xulan, but he quietly moved to stand by his side.

“Pour the wine,” He Xulan suddenly said.

Xueya glanced at him, quickly catching on. He picked up the wine jug, leaned forward as if to pour, but before he could serve, He Xulan’s chopsticks reached his lips.

Xueya opened his mouth and ate the tofu. Using this excuse of pouring wine, he managed to eat several more bites of meat. Soon after, Cui Lingjing returned, but it seemed he had something private to discuss with He Xulan. He ordered everyone to leave.

Following the other servants outside, Xueya looked around for Tongtang but couldn’t find him. Having eaten a few bites from He Xulan’s bowl, Xueya was still hungry. As he wandered, he suddenly spotted Yi Yefeng.

Yi Yefeng had outdrunk all the military officers who had toasted him and was now sitting alone. Xueya noticed the untouched food on Yi Yefeng’s table and couldn’t help but feel mischievous. He stealthily approached, but before he could get too close, Yi Yefeng turned his head, his gaze cold and sharp—nothing like someone who had drunk heavily.

Startled by his gaze, Xueya’s mischievous intent quickly faded. But just as he was retreating, his stomach growled again.

Yi Yefeng’s eyes flicked downward to Xueya’s stomach before returning to his own meal. After a moment, he impassively picked up a plate of snacks from the table.

Seeing this, Xueya blinked, then slowly reached out to take one. After confirming no one was watching, he quickly popped it into his mouth. After eating, and noticing Yi Yefeng still holding the plate, Xueya grabbed a few more pieces and found a quiet spot to eat.

Yi Yefeng watched him leave, took another sip of his drink, but before long, Xueya reappeared.

“Can I have one of your corn rolls?” Xueya asked in a small, polite voice.