Chapter 38 The fox hid under the bed and said goodbye to his intact butt...

Night fell, and a sudden thick fog made it too dangerous to continue the journey, so we couldn't reach the inn and had to rest where we were.

During the day, the fox, with its little bundle as a pillow and its tail covering its head, finds a comfortable spot among a pile of boxes and cages and sleeps soundly. But at night, it opens its eyes, becomes energetic, and rubs its hands together, ready to go out and cause trouble.

The nights outside Beijing were extremely cold, and a thick layer of mist rose between the mountains, making the campfires in the camp flicker.

Tinglan sat in the carriage, draped in a cloak, and read through local gazetteers by candlelight.

Chen Yu lifted the heavy curtain, holding a bowl of chicken soup in his hand. "Drink it while it's hot, Master. You haven't eaten much today. You need to take care of yourself while you're on your journey."

"I can't drink it, you can have it."

Chen Yu sighed, then suddenly an idea came to him, and he said quietly, "If His Highness knew this, he would definitely be angry."

Tinglan stopped turning the pages, looked up, and said helplessly, "Alright, you've learned to be talkative too. Put it down."

Chen Yu placed the chicken soup on the small table beside him with satisfaction. Just as he was about to leave, Tinglan called him back.

"Has the young prince been found?"

"The news from the palace hasn't come over yet, but don't worry, the young prince will just hide away for a while and sulk with you. He'll come out on his own when he gets hungry."

Chen Yu was absolutely right; the fox would come out on its own as soon as it got hungry.

A fluffy, round head peeked out from under the carriage curtain. The dog looked around furtively, and when it saw that no one was paying attention to it, it jumped down, carried its little bundle, and trotted away.

The bundle cannot be left on the carriage; what if it gets lost?

The Imperial Guards gathered around the campfire, cooking meat soup and eating dry rations. The fox sniffed the food but wasn't particularly interested; he still preferred chicken.

The fox silently crossed the withered grass and low trees, raised its head and took a deep breath; it could already smell the chicken.

Just as it was about to lift its paw and walk over there, it thought that stealing food might be a bit wrong.

The fox was discouraged. He rubbed his slightly flattened belly. His cheeks ached from eating so much dried meat strips, and he really couldn't chew anymore. The dried meat was also too salty, so he needed to drink more water.

He'll pay for it; it's not stealing.

The fox gripped the footrest of the carriage with its two paws, and with a burst of strength, it jumped inside, tiptoeing and looking around cautiously.

The chicken soup is on the table, but now there's a serious problem.

The person inside the carriage, draped in a cloak and with their head bowed, looked very familiar.

Oh no, this is Tinglan's carriage.

Right now, the fox has no intention of speaking to Tinglan; he simply means he won't talk to him.

Unless he immediately tries to appease the fox with roast chicken, roast lamb chops, and grape juice.

The fox, full of ambition, jumped down again and left without looking back. He went back to the carriage, lay down, stared at the roof with a bitter and resentful look, and devoured the jerky.

That very night, the ambitious fox woke up hungry, his stomach rumbling loudly. He had no choice but to sneak back into Tinglan's carriage.

The Ninth Prince slept fully clothed, covered with a thick, soft blanket.

The chicken soup was gone, but there was a half-serving plate of pastries on the table—that was the fox's target.

With its two paws gripping the table, the fox had just opened its mouth when it heard some noises behind it.

It was the Ninth Prince on the bed who suddenly turned over.

The fox darted out with a start, then shrank under the table, covering its head. Only after a long while did it cautiously peek out towards the bed.

There was no light inside the carriage, only the fox's eyes glowing with a faint blue light. The person on the couch lay quietly, showing no sign of waking up.

The fox chewed on a snack, then jumped onto the bed. Its four little paws, which had been cold from walking outside, felt very comfortable stepping onto the warm, soft blanket.

The mischievous fox poked its best friend's face with its muzzle, stretched out its four legs, and lay down comfortably. Just as it was about to close its eyes and take a nap, it heard the person next to it whispering something.

The fox drooped its ears, covered its head with its paws, tucked its tail under its belly, and lay obediently, too afraid to move.

After waiting for a long time, there was still no other movement.

Suddenly, the fox became wicked and started tugging at Tinglan's sleeve with its little paws and nudging Tinglan's wrist with its snout.

Without warning, Tinglan's hand moved and grasped the soft fox paw. He seemed to be dreaming, and softly called out, "Your Highness."

This time, the fox was smarter. It first checked Tinglan's eyelids, and they were still closed; he hadn't woken up at all.

He stuck his tongue out at Tinglan, lowered his head, and quietly tried to pull his claws out.

But as soon as he pulled it out, Tinglan's hand began to grope around on the couch.

The fox froze, sighed, and had no choice but to place its paw on Tinglan's wrist again.

Tonight, Tinglan slept very restlessly, tossing and turning.

The fox finally got fed up with him and lunged forward, landing squarely on Tinglan's chest as if Mount Tai were pressing down on him.

Alright, Tinglan stopped turning over, and now the fox was satisfied, nuzzling its head against Tinglan's neck.

The next morning, as the faint light of dawn shone into the carriage, Tinglan opened her eyes and immediately felt discomfort in her chest and lower back. She couldn't help but frown and rub her waist.

Is it really that hard to sleep on the couch in this carriage...?

For some reason, my whole body aches, and I feel like I'm experiencing sleep paralysis.

At that moment, the culprit was squatting under his bed, leaning against his small bundle, with his legs crossed.

The convoy had left the capital, and the scenes on the road gradually changed from bustling to desolate.

The fox lay in the carriage, listlessly counting the fur on its tail. "This isn't fun," it thought, "it's not exciting at all."

He was just about to stick his head out for some fresh air when he heard Tinglan speak, his tone unusually serious, "The young prince is missing?"

"Yes, Changqiu Palace has replied. They haven't seen the young prince since you left. Our people have gone to look for him, but... we still haven't found him."

"Has the Prince of Wei investigated? Or... has the Emperor investigated as well?"

The fox had never heard his good friend speak in such a tone, cold and tinged with murderous intent.

He blinked and hugged his tail tightly.

Did I... cause trouble?

Chen Yu left the carriage. The Grand Prince's decision was still undecided, but once it was made, it would likely be time for the executioner's blade to fall.

The fox hesitated for a moment, then instinctively felt that he couldn't keep it a secret any longer; something bad would happen.

He reached out from under the couch and poked Tinglan's calf.

Why didn't he just come out? Because he got stuck after transforming into human form... and couldn't get out.

The next second, a cold glint flashed from the Ninth Prince's sleeve.

The short sword has been sharpened.

His tone was cold and emotionless as he stood upright inside the carriage. "Since you have no intention of assassinating me, you should come out yourself. If you call the Embroidered Uniform Guard, things won't end so well."

The fox's voice was pitiful, "I can't get out, I'm stuck."

The murderous aura emanating from the Ninth Prince outside suddenly vanished.

A moment later, he bent down and met the eyes of the young prince under the bed, still holding the short knife in his hand.

The carriage of the Ninth Prince was extremely luxurious, with a soft couch inside for lying down. Although the space was enormous, it was still very difficult to hide a person under the couch...

"How did Your Highness get in?"

"That's how you get in... first you put your head in, then your hands, and then your feet in." The fox started muttering some nonsense.

Tinglan didn't answer. He sighed and simply sat cross-legged inside the carriage. "Why is Your Highness like this..."

"It's all your fault."

The wicked fox was very good at playing the victim, so she reached out a hand and tugged at Tinglan's clothes, "Why don't you just let me do it? Then I wouldn't have to sneak around like that, hmph."

The fox turned its head away and refused to look at him.

"This journey is truly dangerous."

"I'm in danger now too, and I'm hungry."

This mountain area is a desolate wilderness; there isn't a single pheasant, let alone one. The fox was really frustrated.

Unable to catch any prey or even pick any fruit, the fox ate a whole basket of dried meat from the convoy, as well as Tinglan's pastries...

Tinglan sighed, finally giving in, "This servant sent someone to prepare a meal for Your Highness, but why did Your Highness insist on coming along..."

"Didn't I tell you I'd protect you? What if you get bullied again while I'm not around?"

Tinglan was both amused and exasperated. "No one will bully this servant."

The fact that these words came from the powerful and influential Ninth Prince had a strange sense of humor.

"You're lying. I know you have a scar on your chest. You must have been bullied." The fox's voice was small and muffled.

Tinglan's face turned pale instantly, and he lowered his head sharply, but he heard the little prince continue speaking.

"Don't worry, with me here, no one will bully you. If anyone dares to bully you again, they'll have to say goodbye to their perfectly intact backside!"

"How did Your Highness know about the scars on my body?"

When asked this, the fox started to stammer, "Uh... well, I touched you while you were sleeping."

The Ninth Prince was somewhat speechless, but some color finally returned to his pale face.

After much effort, the young prince finally crawled out from under the collapse, carrying his small bundle in his hand.

He sat on the couch, untied the small bundle, and carefully took out the contents one by one.

A small ball, a storybook, dried fruit and snacks, and a change of clothes.

Upon seeing this, Tinglan couldn't help but rub his temples. The young prince actually dared to follow them all the way here with such a small amount of stuff...

Just as he was thinking about it, the storybook, dried fruit, and snacks were neatly stacked and placed on his lap.

"These are some treats I brought for you, and some stories to keep you entertained." The fox was satisfied, and carefully put the ball and clothes back into the floral little bundle, tying a knot neatly.

Tinglan was completely stunned. "This is for me?"

The fox nodded.

The Ninth Prince suddenly raised his head and looked at the top of the carriage. The things in front of him seemed a little blurry. He lowered his head and hugged the fox tightly, trembling.

After a life full of hardships, he was able to meet His Highness in the end.

Gods and Buddhas have not failed me.

Your Highness, Your Highness, where did you come from...? What kind of world could nurture such a heart?