Chapter 290 Busy

Jiang Huan quickly went behind Huo Lin, placed her small hands on his shoulders, and gently massaged them.

"His Majesty must be working too hard these days and hasn't had time to take care of himself. Shall I give His Majesty a massage?"

Her technique wasn't particularly professional, but the pressure was just right, and the warmth of her fingertips perfectly relieved Huo Lin's fatigue from the past few days.

Huo Lin squinted comfortably, his body unconsciously relaxing.

Hmm... it seems the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

[But a massage alone isn't enough. Do you think I'm that easy to please?]

Thinking about it, he snorted and said stubbornly, "Is that all the sincerity you have?"

Jiang Huan blinked, leaned down and whispered in his ear, her voice tinged with laughter.

"Not only that, I stayed by your side for a whole two hours, simmering soup for you."

A warm breath brushed past his ear, carrying a faint fragrance, and Huo Lin's ear tips turned slightly red.

She did it on purpose, absolutely on purpose!

[She knows perfectly well that I can't stand her like this.]

He coughed lightly, trying to remain calm: "Is there anything else?"

Jiang Huan looked at his slightly red ear tips and was overjoyed. She suddenly leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Is a sweet kiss from this little lady enough?"

"Hmm..." Huo Lin felt the burning sensation on his cheeks and finally couldn't hold back any longer. He smiled and said, "It's alright, I guess."

[Oh no, I can't suppress my smile.]

Jiang Huan knew that this was how she had been appeased, so she chuckled and massaged even more vigorously.

After about half an incense stick's time, Huo Lin grabbed her hand and stopped her from pressing it anymore.

[Alright, alright, I'm completely fed up. If you keep pressing it, your hand will get sore.]

He suppressed his heartache, raised his eyes and said, "I will go take a bath and change my clothes first, to wash away this worldly smell."

Jiang Huan had been craving this smell for a long time, so naturally she had no objections.

After Huo Lin went to take a bath, Jiang Huan instructed the palace servants to prepare hot water and a change of clothes, while she sat at the table waiting for him.

But recently, for some reason, I haven't had a good appetite, and I've also been feeling sleepy.

She had only intended to take a short nap, but as she waited, she unknowingly fell asleep on the table.

When Huo Lin finished bathing and changing, and returned to the inner palace feeling refreshed, he saw Jiang Huan sleeping soundly by the table.

She turned her face to the side, breathing evenly, her long eyelashes casting a shadow under her eyes, and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, as if she were having a sweet dream.

Huo Lin walked quietly to her side, looking at her peaceful sleeping face, his heart softened.

[You fell asleep so quickly?]

Yes, she's been worried sick these past few days.

[Never mind, I won't wake her up.]

He carefully bent down and picked her up horizontally.

Jiang Huan murmured unconsciously in her sleep, snuggled closer to him, found a comfortable position, and fell into a deep sleep again.

Huo Lin was amused by her unconscious act of dependence, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

Sleeping like a kitten, so cute.

He gently carried her to the bed, covered her with a blanket, and then lay down beside her, pulling her into his arms.

In her sleep, Jiang Huan seemed to sense a familiar presence and instinctively snuggled closer to him, one hand resting unconsciously on his waist.

Huo Lin's body stiffened slightly, then he relaxed and hugged her even tighter.

The fatigue of the past few days seemed to surge up at this moment, and Huo Lin closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

The candlelight flickered in the bedroom, illuminating the two sleeping in each other's arms, creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

The next day.

Before dawn, Huo Lin had already gotten up.

With the ancestral worship ceremony approaching, numerous tasks have piled up, leaving no room for complacency.

He gently tucked the blanket around Jiang Huan, placed a light kiss on her rosy cheeks, and then quietly left Weiyang Palace, heading straight for the Imperial Study.

In the days that followed, Huo Lin was almost overwhelmed by the elaborate rituals of ancestor worship.

He had to get up before dawn every day, either to go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple or to the Imperial Study to handle affairs, and often did not return to Weiyang Palace until late at night.

Jiang Huan felt sorry for him and would prepare warm and nourishing soups and easily digestible late-night snacks for him every day, but Huo Lin would often fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, sometimes without even having time to say a few words.

Seeing the faint dark circles under his eyes and the lingering weariness between his brows, Jiang Huan could only sigh softly, cover him with the blanket, and let him sleep a little longer.

Sigh, these rules and regulations for ancestor worship are simply suffocating.

She muttered to herself, but there was nothing she could do to help. She could only try not to disturb his rest.

While Huo Lin was busy with ancestral worship during the day, Jiang Huan and He Ling studied planting together in Weiyang Palace.

Several charcoal braziers were burning in the greenhouse in the backyard of Weiyang Palace, and floor heating was laid on the ground, making the temperature inside the greenhouse much higher than outside, warm as spring.

Jiang Huan rolled up her sleeves, tucked her skirt into her waist, revealing a section of her fair wrist, and was enthusiastically inspecting several thriving tomato seedlings.

The emerald green leaves are stretched out, and some have already bloomed with tender yellow flowers.

"He Ling, come quick!"

Jiang Huan's eyes sparkled as she pointed to a tomato seedling that had borne a few small, unripe fruits, her tone tinged with a hint of pride.

"Look! Our newly planted seedlings have already borne fruit. It seems that this greenhouse was worth the investment; the temperature and humidity are just right."

He Ling was carefully watering another row of chili seedlings when she heard this, so she quickly put down the watering can and walked over.

She looked at the unripe cherry tomatoes, a happy smile spreading across her face.

"Really! Your Majesty has such a good idea!"

Jiang Huan shook her head modestly, but a hint of joy flashed in her eyes: "Oh dear, this is a joint effort."

She then squatted down and examined the leaves closely. "But look at these leaves, aren't the edges a bit yellow? They look wilted and listless."

He Ling leaned closer to take a closer look, and then gently rubbed the soil around the roots with her fingers.

"Your Majesty, it seems we've watered the soil a bit too much. The soil is too wet, and the roots might be suffocating and struggling to breathe. Should we wait a couple of days before watering again?"

Jiang Huan nodded: "That makes sense. It's warm in the greenhouse, so the water evaporates slowly. We have to be careful with watering."

She picked up a small ceramic jar next to her, which contained fertilizer that He Ling had prepared based on the system's experience.

"Then...should we add some fertilizer? I always feel it's not growing strong enough."

He Ling cautiously suggested, "How about... we don't rush to fertilize it? Let the soil dry out a bit and see if it can recover on its own? If the fertilizer is applied and the roots are still suffocated, it might make things worse?"

"Yes, you're right."

Jiang Huan readily agreed, "Then let's control the water level first and observe for two days. You're so thoughtful!"

He Ling was a little embarrassed by the praise and smiled.

The two chatted and worked in the greenhouse, creating a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere.

They discussed trivial matters such as watering and loosening the soil, while sunlight streamed through the paper windows of the shed, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.