The palace road was deserted, and heavy snow was falling.
The ancient, somber chimes rang out, instantly carried by the wind, echoing throughout the entire capital city.
It is a death knell.
When the emperor died, the entire palace was in chaos, with palace servants running around busily preparing for the burial.
Amidst the commotion, no one noticed a little thief sneaking into the imperial kitchen. With his thin little hands, he lifted the steamer basket, quickly grabbed a few buns, and then, just as he had come, quietly braved the wind and snow to return to his palace.
The palace was deserted, but the child remained vigilant. He closed the door, huddled in a corner, and then took out the steamed bun from his pocket and began to slowly nibble on it.
It was too cold outside, and the buns had long since gone cold, but he didn't care. At this critical moment, no one would remember to bring food to an unfavored little prince. If he was picky, he would just have to wait to starve to death.
I had only eaten half of it when I heard a noise coming from outside.
Are you sure this is the place?
The child suddenly stopped moving. He pricked up his ears and heard someone push open the door and walk step by step toward him.
After a while, a snow-white hem appeared before his eyes.
When Wen Hemian saw Xie Lang, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
She had thought Xie Lang would be pitiful, but she never imagined he would be this pitiful.
By calculation, the child should be ten years old this year, but he is very thin. His cheeks are not fleshy, and there are bruises around his eyes and mouth. He is wrapped in ill-fitting thick clothes, and his dark eyes are wide open, staring at her warily and coldly.
There was still half a cold bun in my hand that I hadn't finished eating.
No wonder he turned evil.
Wen Hemian thought to himself.
How can you expect a child who didn't receive love in childhood to love others when they grow up?
Xie Lang looked up at the person in front of him.
This man was undoubtedly extremely handsome. His white brocade robe accentuated his jade-like face, and it was clear at a glance that he was a noble young master from the capital. His eyes shone like stars, and he gazed at him with a gentle smile.
But who would appear in the palace at this time? Xie Lang's gaze swept over the waist token hanging at her waist, and his hands tightened their grip.
"Who are you?"
Xie Lang asked his first question since they met, his voice dry and a little hoarse.
"Poor little thing."
The next moment, Xie Lang heard the person chuckle softly, then wipe his lips with a handkerchief carrying a faint fragrance, and the voice that fell into his ear was gentle and warm.
"Your subject's name is Wen Hemian, the heir of the Prince of Huailing, and the tutor appointed by His Majesty for Your Highness. From now on, I will be the one to teach Your Highness."
At this point, Wen Hemian paused for a moment: "Oh no, perhaps I should call you Your Majesty."
Emperor Shun had few children, and the few princes who finally grew up suffered heavy casualties in the struggle for the throne. In the end, by a twist of fate, only the young prince in the cold palace survived and was forced to be made crown prince.
Not long after, Emperor Shun died, and the young prince was naturally made a puppet. He suffered all kinds of humiliation on his way to seize power, and his personality became more and more extreme. In the end, he killed the male and female protagonists, causing the world in the book to completely collapse.
Yes, the world within the book.
Wen Hemian was in poor health before transmigrating into the book. Before she could even be happy about it, the system informed her of this terrible news.
Having no ties in the modern world, she just wanted to live a good life. To prevent the world from collapsing, she agreed to the system's mission—to raise the young emperor Xie Lang and guide him onto the right path to become a wise ruler.
This is the little guy right in front of me.
Wen Hemian withdrew her hand and looked at Xie Lang thoughtfully: "What, don't you believe me?"
The faint fragrance faded away. Xie Lang bit his lip, remaining silent. The other person waited patiently, so he hesitated, "...Can you feed me?"
Is that all you aspire to?
Wen Hemian chuckled, feeling a pang of pity for the little brat as she looked at him. She squatted down to pat his head, but he dodged away.
The skinny little cub said seriously, "You haven't answered my question yet."
"Yes, of course."
Wen Hemian was both amused and exasperated by his persistence. She said earnestly, "Not only can His Majesty be fed, but all the people in the world can be fed."
Xie Lang wondered what the common people of the world had to do with him, but before he could say it, Wen Hemian picked him up and stared at him in astonishment with wide eyes.
"Put me down!"
Xie Lang grew up under the cold gaze of the palace servants and had never been so close to anyone before, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.
But after struggling for a moment, he was patted on the butt without batting an eye.
Xie Lang: !
Wen Hemian gave a half-smile: "Don't push yourself. Can you even walk?"
Xie Lang's silence gave Wen Hemian enough time to observe him thoroughly. Besides his chapped fingers, the little boy's shoes were also worn out, with his toes sticking out and bleeding from the cold. When he was nervous, he would curl up a couple of times, looking both pitiful and adorable.
If Wen Hemian initially accepted the mission simply to prevent the world from collapsing and to ensure her own survival, she unexpectedly developed a more genuine affection for the little boy after meeting him.
The poor child deserves to be well cared for.
"Then I don't want you to hug me."
The child's face held a mixture of anger and shame, looking rather awkward.
"Okay." Wen Hemian replied verbally, but continued doing what she was doing. She carried the little boy around for a while, finally finding a place to stay before putting him down and taking the unfinished bun from the little boy's hand.
Everything that followed felt like a dream to Xie Lang.
Wen Hemian sent someone to help him wash up, his frizzy hair was tidied up, his wounds were carefully treated, and he even had a sumptuous meal.
The temporary palace had been rearranged, with soft blankets and quilts laid out. The underfloor heating was on, making the room warm. The guards were still repairing the windows, so Wen Hemian decided to turn around and see what the little brat was doing.
Xie Lang changed into new clothes and was drowsy wrapped in the quilt, but even at this time he was not very restful. When Wen Hemian reached out to touch his forehead, he subconsciously curled up and avoided her movement.
This is a sign of extreme insecurity.
The book's brief description of just two or three sentences actually depicts the entirety of the little boy's childhood.
"The plot is really cruel." Wen Hemian sighed softly, patted the little one's back, and said gently, "Sleep well, no one will be able to bully you anymore."
After all, he was the child she decided to protect.
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Reading Tips:
1. Warning: The synopsis should make it clear that there will be a fake death and forced elements later on. If you are not comfortable with this, please do not read. However, it is a steadfast two-way journey, and the two protagonists need time to change.
2. Regarding the age difference, the female lead is six years older than the male lead, making it a younger-older-older-female relationship! The male lead will grow up around chapter 30,000, which should be around chapter 15.
3. Updates will follow the recommendations, with a fixed update time of 8 PM every night. I have plenty of drafts to spare, so please follow along! PK (player kill) is very important for the book, so I hope everyone will actively follow along instead of hoarding drafts. Love you all!
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