Mushroom: Hi y’all great news! I have a new editor for SSCM! Shirubame is very awesome and is also editing the past chapters. I’m very happy since this takes of a burden of my shoulders.
Anyway onwards!
In the evening, He Lang was so immersed in the joy of Zhen Puyang winning first prize that he cordially invited him (ZPY) to his (HL’s) house to taste his craft.
Zhen Puyang himself was in a wonderful mood. How could he (HL) be so excited when he (ZPY) himself, the recipient, was not this excited? His eyes were bright, unconscious of how beguiling he looked right now. Zhen Pu Yang did not want to but could not help but watch him.
He Lang’s invitation was not appropriate. It was too late. If he went to his (HL’s) residence, Zhen Puyang would not be able to return to the palace.
He Lang looked up at the deepening sky and suggested, “If you don’t dislike it, Your Highness can rest for a night in my humble home.”
“Dislike…..I dislike it!” Zhen Puyang did not expect that Teacher would be so enthusiastic. He was flattered but rebutted loudly.
Then after a few seconds of mutual confusion, his voice sounded again, mild as he waved his hand.
“Nevertheless, This Highness does not bother about frivolity, nor can This Highness look down on the common people.”
After that, both of them got into their sedan chair, not minding each other, to make their way to He Lang’s house.
He Lang shook his head, finding it funny. He did not know what was going on in His Highness’s thoughts and also got into the sedan chair.
Two men were in a narrow space together. Coupled with the shaking of the carriage, it was unavoidable that their limbs would contact several times. He Lang was not careful and fell on top of Zhen Puyang’s shoulder.
The light fragrance that flowed from him was like an invisible hand, enrapturing Zhen Puyang’s head. He wondered if it was the sedan chair’s shaking that was making him dizzy and frowned.
He Lang twitched his nose, realizing that his disrespect had upset His Highness, and carefully placed himself on the other side, trying to avoid physical contact with him.
Zhen Puyang exhaled in relief and looked at him, whose eyes were closed uncomfortably and eyebrows wrinkled. He did not know what he was thinking.
He originally thought tasting Imperial Tutor’s craft was a joke, but unexpectedly, he really worked for half an hour in the kitchen.
Considering his (HL’s) feelings, Zhen Puyang picked up the chopsticks.
He wondered if it was because he was hungry, after Zhen Puyang took a bite, he would silently and frequently use the chopsticks.
Under his attentive gaze, he added another bowl of rice, pondering. As far as he knew, Teacher was born from a well-off family who always had only read and studied every day. How come he knew how to cook?
Zhan Puyang chewed slowly and stopped in his contemplation.
Seeing him like this, He Lang was frustrated and said, “The skill of this official is not so bad as to make it difficult for you to swallow it, is it?”
Zhen Puyang immediately took a big bite and asked, “Your Highness is just wondering how Teacher learned how to cook.”
Nobleman stayed far away from the kitchen. Aren’t scholars not supposed to pay attention to these things?
After Zhen Puyang spoke, He Lang was silent for a moment. His eyes drooped down, considering.
He used to be a prince, but unlike other princes, he did not have a large number of maids.
There was a maid named Paichun, and they used to support each other. When Paichun was busy with a lot of work in his residence, he would cook to fill his stomach.
But naturally, he could not explain this, so he had to say, “I learned for Your Highness.”
“…?!”
This answer was definitely beyond his imagination that it made Zhen Puyang almost bite his tongue.
Even his biological mother, with her aloof and condescending manner and her pampered slender hands, had never done these things for him. How can this person do it so casually….
Zhen Puyang frowned, his heart giving rise to a little uneasy and sweet satisfaction. He straightforwardly said that he would give him the precious horses he had won today.
Such an impulsive gift giving made He Lang laugh out loud.
“It’s still yours.” Zhen Puyang glanced at him and then cleared away the food.
It was getting late, so he rested in a chamber and slept well at night, well into the late morning the next day.
He Lang heard that Zhen Puyang had not got up yet, but nobody dared to disturb him except He Lang.
He did not have second thoughts nor did he knock at the door. He went straight into the room and called out to the sleeping Highness a few times without any response.
Zhen Puyang’s sleeping form was small and tender, calm and quiet like an obedient child, not at all like the usual arrogant and condescending juvenile.
He Lang couldn’t bear to roughly lift his bedsheets. At the same time he felt very playful, so he pinched his nose and waited for him to wake up on his own.
Quickly, Zhen Puyang opened his eyes, an angry look across his face. He was about to erupt when he recognized the person in his hazy vision. Somehow his rising temper defused in an instant.
At this time, several maids came forward and hurriedly handed over the washbasin and towel to the small devil, who still had a hazy look and dark eyes, to wash.
Zhen Puyang sat up silently and asked He Lang to tie his hair.
The maid with the jade comb looked at her master, the Imperial Tutor, and hurried to serve him (ZPY), but he scattered the comb on the ground.
Originally when he got up, he was in a bad mood. Now that his words were not taken seriously, Zhen Puyang became even more angry.
The lowly servant had swallowed back under He Lang’s gaze and retreated, but he did not diminish his scolding. “This Highness said he wants Teacher to tie up his hair. Could it be that all of you are deaf? Hurry up and get lost. So early in the morning and you’re already being this irksome!”
Several people fled in a hurry from the crossfire of two at war.
Although he wanted to remind this Highness that it was not early morning, He Lang obeyed his wishes and dispersed the people and picked up the jade comb.
With his usual simple hairstyle and poor craftsmanship, he tried to help His Highness comb his hair but ended up pulling out several beautiful hair after a while.
He Lang’s heart leaped, and he quickly retracted his hands.
He remembered that Zhen Puyang nearly hanged a maidservant once because of his hair before, which shows just how much he loves his hair.
After much hesitation, He Lang put down the comb and gave up trying. “This courtier’s hands are clumsy. Let’s call a maidservant.”
His Highness was angry to be refused such a small request. Zhen Puyang, with a straight face, grabbed the jade comb from his hand and threw it away. It landed on the ground, shattered.
“There’s no comb!”
He Lang had a headache because of the roar, so he had to look for another comb, a wooden one, to hold up his hair.
Unexpectedly, Zhen Puyang was still angry, twisted his body and pulled back his hair with great force with a look of unwillingness to cooperate.
He Lang grinded his teeth and felt that his patience was being worn down. He tried to persuade himself not to care about it and combed his hair carefully and tirelessly.
In order not to damage His Highness’s hair, he made his movements as gentle as possible.
Obviously, this made Zhen Puyang feel very comfortable. After his scalp was lightly scratched, strands of his hair in Teacher’s hands, then meticulously tied up, his initially frowning face had relaxed.
After appeasing this venerable Buddha, He Lang helplessly helped him change his clothes. Zhen Puyang was finally satisfied and went back to the palace.
It was on this day that His Highness gave his teacher the precious horses rewarded by the emperor.
Such treatment was not common and it proved Imperial Tutor’s weight in the hearts of the Seven Princes.
Others all thought that He Lang was a good teacher and that His Highness was generous, but they didn’t know how they got along with each other.
In ordinary lectures, for example, when He Lang talked about the emperors, Zhen Puyang would be puzzled.
“Study ‘Emperor’s Way’, then ‘A Study in Political-“
He would interrupted He Lang impatiently. He had never thought about competing for that position, so why did Teacher want to instill this knowledge in advance?
“This Royal Highness does not have the least bit of chance of becoming the emperor.”
If Teacher wanted to teach an emperor so much, wouldn’t it be more effective to go directly to the crown prince?
He Lang looked at his stiff face and stopped talking. Perhaps he was too eager and showing his obvious intentions had annoyed His Highness.
Seeing the situation was not right, He Lang immediately closed his mouth and changed his speech. He took Zhen Puyang out that night to drink.
Considering that he had not drunk alcohol for a long time, Zhen Puyang readily agreed.
After the evening, the luminescence of the moon had risen up to the willow branches, and the sky had darkened, dyeing into a deep color.
The moon was cold and beautiful, but with the silver light arisen and the fall of temperature, it inevitably gave people a sense of loneliness.
During this time, people who drink with each other are their only companions.
He Lang was supposed to bring a jar of plum wine, but Zhen Puyang thought it was dull to the taste, and so he finally brought a jar of aged wine.
The wine was heavy at first. He Lang could only feel that his mouth was overwhelmed by the wine and he wished to smash his mouth so hard that the stimulating taste would be numb.
Looking at Zhen Puyang again, he looked at him with a smile as if nothing had happened.
He Lang calmly lifted his glass, took a sip, and watched the moon carefully.
Zhen Puyang, who was not paid any attention to, was like a neglected child and felt slightly annoyed: “Is the moon so good-looking? Does it even have half the elegance than This Highness has?”
It was obviously him who invited him, so he had thought that he had something else planned. Why did it turn out to him being so indifferent to him and letting him drink alone?
Looking at Imperial Tutor illuminated by the moonlight, his figure vague, tracing him like a silver border, He seemed to be without desires or demands.
(T/N: HL seems like an immortal cultivator without desires (Daoism) and vast and hazy. I think the author wants to compare him to the moon which is far away, blurry and unattainable (which is also why there’s there immortal cultivation comparison). )
Looking at him, Zhen Puyang’s heart gradually calmed down and looked slightly sideways. “What is Teacher’s purpose?”
Why did he treat him so well, as if he were a treasure, at one time, and act dissociative with him another time? Why does he always seem place him in consideration everywhere but ignore his wishes, seeming to want to find a way for him to seize power?
Such an imperial tutor is strange to him and he wants to push him far away, but his heart resisted. Nevertheless, he fears this unprecedented danger.
Why was it that even though he knew that the man wanted him to sit in a position that was uncomfortable to him, even if he disliked it, he couldn’t help but feel like he was under a spell and wanted to get close to him.
Every time he (ZPY) talked back and made trouble, he would inadvertently look forward to his scolding as well as his angry eyes, which be focused only on him.
He was unwilling to admit to himself that he enjoyed the warmth of Imperial Tutor’s spoiling and his intolerant indulgence. He was always afraid that he would get addicted to this poison, but willingly drink it to quench his thirst, as if it was medicine.
。。。
The author has something to say: Why does it feel that the little gong is very Tsundere……?
一个小蘑菇的世界 