Chapter 84
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A child’s rebellion against bathing likely indicated some issues.
To make the chubby cub understand how repulsive not bathing was, Xue Yao decided to lead by example.
He decided to join the chubby cub in refusing to bathe!
Upon learning about his educational approach, Consort Xi reluctantly expressed support on the surface but felt internally devastated.
Originally, seeing a dirty son every day was challenging enough. Now, having to deal with a dirty playmate was double the distress.
But Xue Yao felt that this would allow the Seventh Prince to reflect on his mistakes through the eyes of others, and thus resolve his knot and obediently take a bath. Consort Xi still unconditionally supported it.
Five days later, on a bright and sunny afternoon.
Looking disheveled, Xue Yao, with a world-weary expression, sat cross-legged in a corner of the courtyard like a beggar, despairingly watching the dirty chubby cub, who had just finished three rounds of sparring with the training master.
Whether it was the agility of the chubby cub’s swordplay or the pungent odor of sweat, the master seemed unsure, but every encounter with the chubby cub ended in successive defeats.
The Seventh Prince sheathed his sword, lifted his hand, and gazed at his palm with a surprised expression.
Lately, His Highness inexplicably became invincible.
Whether on the training grounds or in the palace, the instructors couldn’t withstand His Highness’ three moves, voluntarily conceding defeat.
Even the scholars in the academy refrained from bothering His Highness about correcting his penmanship.
Everyone held a reverent fear of His Highness, keeping a safe distance.
His Highness, a loner who sought defeat!
“When is Fourth Zhang returning to the palace? Let him witness your grandpa’s progress.” The Seventh Prince proudly smirked, striding over to Xue Yao sprawled in a corner of the courtyard.
Three or four flies danced above Xue Yao’s head.
The Seventh Prince raised his hand, shooing away the flies, then sat down next to the paralyzed reader-in-waiting, as usual urging Xue Yao, “Does Your Highness want some milk?”
Xue Yao stiffly turned his head to glance at the rebellious brat, his eyes filled with increasing despair.
The cub seemed completely oblivious to his old father’s unkempt appearance.
Not surprising, considering the rebellious brat had grown accustomed to his own filth. In the Seventh Prince’s eyes, the whole world probably appeared exceptionally fresh and clean right now.
Xue Yao turned his head, nodding to a palace maid not far away.
The maid brought over milk and jam pastries, prompting Xue Yao to feed the Seventh Prince.
Amidst the persistent presence of flies, the Seventh Prince, unruffled, drank the milk and began enjoying the pastries.
Dipping a pastry in jam, Xue Yao fed a bite to the cub. After two pastries, he noticed traces of jam at the cub’s mouth.
Instinctively, Xue Yao picked up a cloth napkin from the tray and wiped the chubby cub’s mouth.
The Seventh Prince obediently tilted his chubby face, allowing him to wipe it.
This scene left the palace maids and eunuchs in shock.
His Highness allowed someone to wipe his face!
Initially oblivious, Xue Yao, upon seeing the contrast between the wiped clean skin at the corner of the cub’s mouth and the dusty face, snapped to his senses.
This caught Xue Yao’s immediate attention. He cast a vigilant look at Seventh Prince’s expression.
His Highness remained completely unaware of the difference.
Xue Yao discreetly tightened the cloth in his grip, squinting as he gradually increased the pressure while expanding the wiping area beyond the cub’s mouth.
In no time, the chubby cub’s face below the nose was thoroughly cleaned!
Just as Xue Yao shivered with satisfaction, intending to continue wiping the entire face, his wrist was suddenly seized by the Seventh Prince!
Sensing the subtle movement of the reader-in-waiting, the Seventh Prince narrowed his eyes and stared at Xue Yao, his voice dark as he spoke, “Don’t wipe. That’s how your grandpa is.”
Hearing the sound of shattered hope, Xue Yao, unwilling to give up, struggled with his wrist, still wanting to clean the cub’s face!
The rebellious brat’s grip tightened even more, preventing the little reader-in-waiting from breaking free.
Gritting his teeth, Xue Yao moved the cloth to the tip of his fingers. While his wrist was restrained, he exerted force with his fingertips, getting close to the chubby cub’s dirty face…
The Seventh Prince tilted his head, completely avoiding the range of the reader-in-waiting’s fingers!
“Your Highness, this is too much!” Xue Yao angrily tossed aside the cloth, glaring at the chubby cub. “It’s been a full seventeen days, seventeen days! How much longer does Your Highness plan to go without bathing!”
The Seventh Prince released his grip, coldly staring at Xue Yao. “A few more leisurely days, a few more days without bathing.”
“Your Highness intends to go without bathing for a full two months!” Xue Yao roared!
The Seventh Prince tilted his head, squinting. “Leisurely returning after a full two months?”
Xue Yao gritted his teeth, panting with frustration!
No way.
As long as the chubby cub bring up his broken promise, Xue Yao would be rendered speechless.
“I’ve already apologized!” Xue Yao desperately said, “I’ve promised not to do it again. Can’t Your Highness be a bit more forgiving?”
“Hmm…” The Seventh Prince lowered his eyes, contemplating.
“Is it alright?”
Seventh Prince smirked, “Not alright.”
Xue Yao: “……”
The rebellious brat was intentionally teasing him!
“Fine! If you won’t bathe, then don’t! Your Highness can become the dirtiest of them all! Let everyone see how unclean our Seventh Prince is! Everyone, take a good look!”
In a fit of rage, Xue Yao scooped a lump of strawberry honey jam, slapped it on the chubby cub’s face, and roared, “Now it’s even dirtier! Is Your Highness pleased?”
The Seventh Prince’s peach blossom eyes widened in disbelief, wiping the strawberry jam off his face. “Yaoyao dirtied your grandpa’s face!”
Unable to bear it any longer, Xue Yao shook his head and launched a wild jam assault on the chubby cub’s face, “Smear it! Smear it! Didn’t Your Highness forbid getting clean?”
The Seventh Prince, filled with shock and anger, tightly gripped Xue Yao’s wrist, unable to believe Xue Yao would “smudge” the handsome face of His Highness in such a manner!
If His Highness’ face became dirty, Yaoyao should be upset!
Xue Yao desperately twisted his wrist but couldn’t escape the rebellious brat’s restraint!
Unable to launch another jam attack, the frustrated Xue Yao glared at the chubby cub!
The Seventh Prince smirked, revealing an expression of complete control over the situation.
The fragile reader-in-waiting was utterly incapable of escaping His Highness’ control!
Xue Yao squinted, the hand held by His Highness suddenly adopting the gesture of an orchid finger. With a flick toward the chubby cub’s face, he executed a “finger-flicking technique,” launching a blob of jam!
“Plop,” a drop of jam hit the Seventh Prince’s nose, slowly sliding and hanging on the tip, seemingly about to fall but not quite.
The chubby face, the peach blossom eyes shimmering, the rounded jam-coated nose, and the sharp little tiger teeth poised for mischief—
In this instant, the Seventh Prince seemed to transform into a puppet cat on the verge of bursting.
Xue Yao was stunned by the momentum of the Long Aotian cub. Despite that, he didn’t yield. “It’s Your Highness who wants to be dirty!”
“Hmph.” The Seventh Prince coldly snorted, gripping Xue Yao’s wrist and suddenly pulling it towards himself.
“Oh!” Caught off guard, Xue Yao tumbled into the chubby cub’s embrace!
Just as he tried to lift his head, the Seventh Prince forcefully pressed his cheek, rendering him unable to move, his face against the rebellious brat’s chest.
Xue Yao’s eyes widened, pondering whether the chubby cub was actively seeking a reconciling hug.
However, the next moment, the Seventh Prince’s other hand scooped up all the jam from the bowls and plates barehanded!
“What are you doing… What are you doing!” Seeing the chubby cub’s hand with jam, reaching towards his face, Xue Yao struggled frantically, attempting to break free from the rebellious brat’s restraint.
But it was futile.
“Ahhhh!”
Xue Yao’s screams echoed incessantly.
The sight was unbearable. Palace maids and eunuchs turned away, afraid to watch.
The Seventh Prince smeared a bowl of jam evenly, plastering Xue Yao’s face with it.
After smearing, the rebellious cub released his guilty paws.
Xue Yao, panting heavily, frantically wiped the jam from his face, but no matter how much he wiped, it only became stickier!
“I only smeared a drop of jam on Your Highness!” Xue Yao, with a face covered in strawberry jam, angrily stared at the rebellious cub.
The Seventh Prince pursed his lips, elegantly responding, “A drop of jam, a gushing spring in return.”
“Ahhh!” Suddenly launching an attack, Xue Yao stood up and hugged the chubby cub’s neck, desperately rubbing the jam from his own face onto the rebellious brat’s face!
The Seventh Prince supported himself with one hand on the ground and tried to push Xue Yao’s face with the other, but due to the slippery jam, he couldn’t stabilize, ending up with his hands, face, and neck covered in sticky strawberry jam.
Consort Xi happened to pass under the eaves, seeing her son and Xue Yao “playing around with face rubbing” in the corner of the courtyard. A loving smile instantly croseed her face.
“Old Seventh has never played so joyfully like this with the Emperor before~” Consort Xi left contentedly.
The Seventh Prince and the reader-in-waiting, both smeared with jam, commenced a cold war.
After dinner, Xue Yao refused to feed milk, lay back in his room, and vented his frustration by shopping.
The moonlight was hazy. The Seventh Prince stood with his hands behind his back under the corridor, calmly blowing in the evening breeze.
He was attempting to air dry the strawberry jam on his face so that his face wouldn’t be so sticky.
Taking a bath was an impossibility.
This was the first epic battle between master and servant, bound by deep camaraderie.
It was a test of endurance. How could the one who surrendered first ever lift their head again?
Lying on the bed, browsing the mall, Xue Yao quickly forgot the agony of the jam, unconsciously rolling onto his side.
When he tried to turn over again, Xue Yao found his face stuck to the pillow and couldn’t peel it off.
Xue Yao hurriedly exited the system mall, carefully tearing the pillowcase off his cheek, sitting up dazedly on the bed.
Truly, he could bear it no longer!
In the middle of the night.
Xue Yao tiptoed, sneakily ran to the bathhouse behind Qingqiong Hall, and peered through the window gap.
Odd.
There was no one in the bathhouse, so why were the lights on?
Still steam in the air?
Perhaps Consort Xi bathed at night?
Xue Yao didn’t think much and turned around to leave.
In the bath, the Seventh Prince sensed that the person outside had already left. He immediately emerged from the water.
The Seventh Prince raised his hand, smoothing the ink-like long hair to the back of his head, scooped up a handful of water, and splashed his face.
Water droplets glided over his delicate features like a painting. Tilting his head back, eyes closed, he leaned against the edge of the pool, savoring the long-lost freshness.
Before long, Xue Yao returned to the bathhouse with a change of clothes and handmade soap, gently pushing open the door.
The Prince in the pool instantly vanished underwater!
Xue Yao noticed ripples at the deserted edge of the pool.
Perhaps, just as the door opened, some wind blew in.
Xue Yao, eager to sneak in a bath, didn’t bother to think too much. In three swift moves, he undressed, grabbed the soap, and swiftly dove into the pool!
In the moment enveloped by warm water, Xue Yao, who hadn’t bathed in five days, was almost moved to tears.
Behind him, a chubby baby face slowly emerged from the water…
The Seventh Prince watched as the little reader-in-waiting continuously sigh in happiness. Just as he was about to raise his hand to pat the attendant’s shoulder, he heard the little eeader-in-waiting mutter with a huff, “So, you’ve grown wings, huh! Covered in jam all over, I don’t believe a chubby cub like you can last two months!”
Xue Yao snorted defiantly, grabbed the soap, and began to lather his entire body.
The unreachable spot on his back bothered him. Xue Yao pressed the soap with force, trying to reach it.
Suddenly, a hand from behind took his soap and helped him scrub the unreachable spot on his back…
Just as Xue Yao was about to say thank you, he suddenly shivered.
The prepubescent voice of the Seventh Prince echoed faintly from behind, “Who’s this chubby cub?”
Xue Yao’s eyes widened in instant horror!
His entire body froze in the pool!
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I was so embarrassed throughout the chapter 🤣😭