The Emperor was right before them. It wasn’t convenient for Jing-wang to ask Li Yu here; therefore, he temporarily placed this matter to the side.
The Emperor was extremely delighted to see Bao#1. Li Yu expected this. Crossing gaze with Jing-wang, he carried Bao#2 and Bao#3 over as well. The Emperor saw the other two little fatties and was ecstatic with joy.
Bao#2 and Bao#3 didn’t have a heavy baggage like Bao#1. Seeing their grandpa, they both opened their mouths and called out. Plenty of drool immediately flowed out of their mouths.
Bao#2 pointed at the dragon on the Emperor’s clothes and clapped his hands with a smile. He seemed to have seen this before!
Bao#2: “Ah!” Snake!
His voice was clear and loud. One can tell by listening that he was very healthy.
The Emperor rubbed the head of this little fatty, pleasantly surprised.
Not to be outdone, Bao#3 used an even louder voice to yell back: “Ahhhhh!” It’s a centipede!
The Emperor also rubbed the head of this fatty happily.
Bao#1 sulked by himself. Bao#2 and Bao#3 were both idiots. This was a dragon. Fish dad told him before that the long thing on grandpa’s clothes was a dragon.
Stop fighting and listen to me!
Bao#1 opened his mouth, drool scrambled outward.
Bao#1: “……”
Bao#1 thought, since he had already made an embarrassment of himself…… With a reddened, stifled face, he said softly: “Ya?”
When Bao#1 heard his own voice, even he wanted to cover his face. What’s going on? Before he… he was the first fish who managed to say daddy clearly. How come right now he couldn’t even say “Ye Ye” properly?!
Being a human was too hard. He really wished he were still a fish!
The Emperor: “……”
The Emperor already heard him and said teasingly: “Bao#1, what did you want to say?”
Bao#1 did his best, squeezing his soft claws and continued to say: “Ya, ya?”
The Emperor thought he heard wrong. Li Yu confirmed with a smile: “Father, he’s calling you. Please forgive me. Back at home…… in the West Frontier, I always referred to you as ‘Ye Ye’ to him.”
The Emperor has never been called “Ye Ye’ by any of his other grandsons before. They all properly and seriously referred to him as “Emperor Grandfather.” Hearing the little heir of Jing-wang suddenly calling him Ye Ye, although a bit stutteringly and not very articulately, the Emperor was still so happy his beard almost raised in delight.
This child was only about ten months old and he can already say grandpa. In the future, he will definitely be a smart child.
Not to mention, he was a grandson anyways. He should be calling grandpa! Wasn’t it like this in ordinary families?!
If you must know, although the Emperor had the highest status, internally, he also longed for the simplest delights of family life.
The royal family had a saying: Coddle the grandson, don’t coddle the son. The Emperor had missed Jing-wang for several months. Now that Jing-wang has finally returned, the Emperor at most gave him a few words of encouragement; he couldn’t be too affectionate.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Lbkfnfg, la kjrc’a atf rjwf obg atf ilaaif gbsji ugjcvrbc. Qlat j ufcfgjalbc ujq yfakffc atfw, atf Swqfgbg mjc tbiv atfw jr wemt jr tf kjcar. Ktf Swqfgbg, ktb lucbgfv tlr rbc lc ojnbg bo tlr ugjcvrbcr, gjlrfv tlr tjcvr jcv qlmxfv eq Djb#1.
Oeb EelVtfcu jcv Alcu-kjcu tjralis fzafcvfv j tjcv ab reqqbga atf Swqfgbg. Djb#1 kjr gjlrfv nfgs kfii. Llr ybvs tjv delaf atf kfluta. Ktf Swqfgbg erfv qifcas bo ragfcuat ab qlmx eq Djb#1 rafjvlis. Ujcalcu ojlcais, tf ibbxfv yjmx jcv rjlv ab Alcu-kjcu klat j rwlif: “Ktlr ilaaif ojaas regf lr tfjns.”
Jing-wang: “……”
The Emperor held Bao#1 in his arms. Bao#1 was well behaved, didn’t cry or fuss. His little chubby arms wrapped around the Emperor’s neck. The grandfather and grandson were very intimate together.
Afraid of making the Emperor tired, Li Yu wanted to take Bao#1 back. Yet the Emperor shook his head. Although Bao#1 was indeed somewhat heavy, the Emperor was very pleased that Bao#1 wasn’t afraid of him at all.
After all, when the other royal grandsons saw him, they were like mice in the presence of a cat. Which of them were as considerate and affectionate as Jing-wang’s kid?
Not only did the Emperor not allow people to take Bao#1 away, he even beckoned at Li Yu. Li Yu understood and carried Bao#2 and Bao#3 over as well.
The Emperor made Luo RuiSheng carry the kids and place them on his knees respectively.
“Father, this is too heavy.” Li Yu was a bit embarrassed.
Right now, the Emperor felt very playful. He shushed softly: “Let them sit for a while. I’m holding Bao#1, and not holding them. They’re about to be unhappy.”
Jing-wang, Li Yu: “…….”
Li Yu was speechless. How come he didn’t see any signs of unhappiness from the Baos. Was the Emperor forcibly adding drama here?
“Where’s Bao#4?” The Emperor counted the little butts in his arms and confirmed that there was one missing.
Bao#4 was currently sleeping soundly in Jing-wang’s arms. Traveling from the West Frontier to the Imperial City, Bao#4 was exhausted. This fish baby had a very good habit. When he slept, not even thunder could wake him. He didn’t even wake up to Jing-wang’s meeting with the Emperor.
Under the Emperor’s insistent urging, Jing-wang also carried this Bao over and placed him into the Emperor’s arms.
The soundly asleep Bao received his big brothers’ enthusiastic welcome. Bao#2 and Bao#3 waved their arms and legs and patted Bao#4 awake.
Bao#4 sat up, rubbed his eyes, and looked at the Emperor who was holding him.
Who is this?
Bao#4 nommed on his hand and recalled for a moment. Fish dad seemed to have said that he was going to bring them to see grandpa. Bao#4 got drowsy so he first took a nap.
…… So, was this grandpa?
“Ah ah!” Ye Ye!
In a rush, Bao#4’s saliva sprayed outward. He even choked himself briefly.
The Emperor suppressed his laugh so hard he almost gave himself internal injury.
As soon as this child opened his eyes, the Emperor could tell that he was very much like Li Yu. If the Emperor had even the slightest doubt about Li Yu bearing children before, it was all gone now that he saw these kids.
Children resemble their parents. This was a law unchanged throughout the ages.
The Emperor originally had a stomach full of words to say to Jing-wang. However, after they brought the children over, the Emperor got so happy he forgot about everything else and only concerned himself with playing with these four kids.
After Luo RuiSheng hinted several times, the Emperor finally remembered that Jing-wang and his family came to see him immediately after returning to the Imperial City. Both Jing-wang and Li Yu had a face of exhaustion under close examination.
The Emperor comforted them with a few words and let them return to rest. He wanted to keep the Baos behind for a bit, but there was no appropriate place to settle kids this small anywhere in his enormous grand palace. Plus, the kids also faced a bumpy journey with the adults and must be tired as well. The Emperor had no reason to keep them longer and said with a smile: “I’m giving you guys three days to rest. After three days, enter the palace and burn some incense for your mother. Let her spirit in heaven also take a look at the kids– I think… she definitely will be very happy.” As the Emperor spoke and looked over at Jing-wang’s entire family, he actually sounded somewhat choked up with emotions.
If Empress Xiao Hui were still here, if the 1st Prince and 4th Prince hadn’t died, then with the addition of Jing-wang…… if the 1st Prince and 4th Prince lived until today, they definitely would have had their own kids by now. How well would that have been……
“You can leave.” The Emperor’s smile dimmed somewhat.
Jing-wang nodded his head and brought Li Yu and the kids away.
After exiting the palace, Jing-wang patted Li Yu’s hand. In the end, the Emperor’s face color didn’t look very good. He was afraid Li Yu would misunderstand.
“I know…… I didn’t misunderstand.” Li Yu said softly.
The Emperor was clearly feeling sorrowful after mentioning Empress Xiao Hui.
“TianChi, don’t feel sad yourself.” Gentle dry hands clasped Jing-wang’s palm in return.
Jing-wang looked at Li Yu, feeling like a warm stream was washing clean his heart slowly.
Xiao Yu often asked him not to feel sad. In actuality, he had long been used to this. How could he feel sad? However, every time Xiao Yu coaxed him and cared for him, Jing-wang would feel incomparable happiness.
He lowered his head. The kids in his arms were all sleeping. Bao#4 flipped over and smeared drool all over daddy Jing-wang.
It was already very late when they returned to the Jing Estate. Wang Xi had already ordered people to get the room cleaned. The bed was all prepared.
The general state of the room was the same as when they left. There was a new painting of a group of Koi drawn by Jing-wang hanging on the wall, which indicated that the master of the house had returned.
Jing-wang just settled down with the kids and the ducks. In a blink of an eye, Li Yu already slumped over and fell asleep on the bed.
He had his head buried in a grass green blanket with gold trim. Breathing steadily, he didn’t even take off the shoes that he was wearing. It was clear how exhausted he was.
Jing-wang felt bad for him. Thinking for a moment, he exited briefly and then returned carrying a warm basin of water.
Gently and quietly, he helped Li Yu take off his shoes and socks and soaked his feet in the water.
On their way back from the West Frontier, other than living in taverns occasionally, the rest of the time wasn’t very relaxing. Xiao Yu must have been tired. For a demon fish to follow him and travel around all over on land, it must have been hard.
Jing-wang helped Li Yu wash his feet, gently rubbing the soles of his feet. Li Yu was so comfortable he hummed nonstop, but even like this, he still didn’t wake up.
Jing-wang helped him wipe his feet dry. Taking off his outer robe afterwards, he placed Li Yu into the blanket. Then, Jing-wang undressed and also climbed in.
Li Yu hasn’t slept peacefully in a bed for a long time, he completely lost sense of time.
Right now he can maintain his transformation for 24 hours. For the sake of convenience, he often changed exactly at midnight so that he could last until the midnight of the next day. He only needed to return to a fish for a mere moment before changing back to human again.
Although this was still a bit troublesome, normally he and Jing-wang would be together at midnight. Under Jing-wang’s protection, no slip-ups would occur. Therefore, normally he didn’t need to worry about suddenly exposing his secret.
When Li Yu woke up from his sleep, he subconsciously patted himself. He still had hands and feet, and didn’t change back into a fish. From this, he deduced that today wasn’t over yet.
Jing-wang was laying right next to him, eyes closed, as if sleeping, motionless.
Li Yu flipped over and kicked the blanket. Before he fell asleep, he had felt his feet hurting quite a bit. Now, they were no longer uncomfortable. Not only did they feel fine, if he had to visit the imperial palace a few times, it’d be okay. Did a nap also cure foot soreness?
Li Yu looked at his own feet, astutely discovering that his socks and shoes had been taken off. Then he got a glance of the bronze basin placed on the floor. Naturally he realized that his feet stopped hurting not because he had a nap. Instead, it was because someone had soaked his feet for him.
To be so thoughtful and considerate, other than Jing-wang, who else could it have been?
Li Yu laid back down, face pressing against the other’s sturdy back, smelling his familiar scent. Li Yu said probingly: “TianChi?”
He just called; Jing-wang immediately turned around and looked at him with deep, black pool-like eyes.
Li Yu patted himself on the chest: “You scared me. Still not sleeping?”
Jing-wang nodded his head.
Why he hasn’t slept, wasn’t it because of this fish?
— because of the little fatty.
Jing-wang heard from the honorable master Liao Kong before that Li Yu once saved him when he fell into the water in his youth. Jing-wang himself had a high fever after that incident and couldn’t remember much afterwards. However, he believed Liao Kong’s words wholeheartedly.
Xiao Yu came for his sake. Although Xiao Yu never mentioned it before and never admitted it. However, now, it can be said that he found the evidence.
Because Xiao Yu only mumbled about the little fatty accidentally in his dreams, Jing-wang had bitterly searched for this person and even drank a bunch of vinegar. However, he still didn’t manage to find them. Yet now he surprisingly learned from the Emperor that in his youth, the little fatty was actually his nickname. Jing-wang suddenly had a clear thought.
No wonder he couldn’t find the little fatty this entire time. So the little fatty was actually himself.
However, it was normal for the Emperor, Wang Xi, and even Ye QingHuan to know about the little fatty. Where did Xiao Yu learn of the nickname?
It was definitely because Xiao Yu once saw him in his youth. His life was saved by Xiao Yu.
Learning that the “love rival” fatty who he had searched bitterly for was actually himself, Jing-wang’s happy mood reached a peak.
If he had a tail, his highness would probably also be wagging it.
However, Xiao Yu was completely unaware that he had been searching for the little fatty this entire time. Therefore, there was no way Jing-wang could express this internal joy.
Xiao Yu once made him promise not to ask about his whereabouts. To refuse to admit that he had once saved Jing-wang, Xiao Yu must have some unspeakable trouble preventing him.
Then he will just keep Xiao Yu in the dark and not let him know that the little fatty already knows everything.
“TianChi.” Eyes bright and shiny, Li Yu called him again with a soft and sticky tone.
Jing-wang flipped around and kissed his lips, interlocking their fingers tightly together.
The next day, Li Yu even walked with a somewhat stiff posture. Different from the soreness of his feet yesterday, this time his legs were really sore.
So sweet in all directions…
Lolol Jing Wang simply couldn’t give up
Thank You for the chapter (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤
thanks for the chapter!
Jing-wang: eating vinegar hmph
Everyone: Jing-wang=Mu TianChi=Little Fatty
Jing-wang: ……This vinegar is a bit sweet
Oh i really love this couple..