Xie Lang shook his head: "I'm not saying all this to make the Grand Tutor sad, but just to tell you that I care about you."
As he spoke, His Majesty the Emperor's expression was gentle, and his ears were faintly flushed. He seemed awkward yet wanted to show his feelings, which was rather endearing.
Wen Hemian didn't eat much in the afternoon. She listened to him talk while eating the noodles in her bowl. The noodles were light and suitable for her taste.
She wasn't exaggerating; the noodles Xie Lang made were indeed better than many she had ever tasted—it was different when His Majesty the Emperor made them himself.
Xie Lang accurately judged her appetite; a bowl of noodles was just right for her, and nothing was wasted.
Perhaps having started, things went smoothly afterward. Xie Lang was unusually talkative, watching her eat while chattering away, telling her interesting little stories.
Wen Hemian never expected that he would be so observant, noting many things that even she hadn't noticed.
She put the bowl aside and suddenly said with a smile, "I never noticed before, Your Majesty, that you have quite a talent for storytelling."
If the original book hadn't defined him as a villain, and if he didn't actually have some villainous traits, Wen Hemian felt he could have been the protagonist.
But ultimately, that's just a definition in the book. Many of the people she met couldn't be described in a single word; in their own lives, they were the protagonists.
Xie Lang smiled, not angry at the description: "It's not that I can't just tell you."
He's used to being shameless in front of Wen Heming, so what's wrong with changing his identity?
Seeing that she had almost finished the noodles in her bowl, Xie Lang quietly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a little more confident in his cooking skills. A small smile appeared on his lips: "However, this bowl of noodles is not a birthday gift."
Wen Hemian looked surprised: "Isn't that so?"
Over the years, birthday gifts have become neither rare nor necessary for her. The sentiment is what matters. The noodles made by the emperor himself are more than enough to express his feelings.
Unexpectedly, it was something else entirely.
"Han Shuang, you underestimate my feelings."
Xie Lang muttered accusatoryly, but ultimately decided not to hold a grudge against her today. He clapped his hands, and someone pushed the door open and came in, holding something that was rather large and covered by a black cloth, so its full appearance could not be seen.
"What's this?"
Wen Hemian was genuinely curious, but being used to composure, she didn't immediately get up and go over to take a look.
Xie Lang smiled: "Why doesn't the Grand Tutor lift it up and take a look himself?"
The gifts on either side were for her birthday. Without hesitation, Wen Hemian stepped forward and lifted the black cloth—it turned out to be a cage.
Inside the cage was another bird that looked familiar and had sharp eyes.
"A hawk!" Wen Hemian's voice rose a little as he carefully observed the bird.
Unlike the falcon her parents raised, this slightly younger falcon was pure white, with what appeared to be an injured wing. Its feathers were surprisingly glossy and smooth, but its eyes were wary, and the whole bird seemed defensive.
"I bought this from a traveling merchant, thinking that the Grand Tutor might like it, so I bought it for him."
Xie Lang made no mention of how difficult it was to find this kind of bird.
First of all, they definitely don't exist within the territory of Dazhao. But even in the areas where hawks live, it is very difficult to catch them. These birds are fierce and, unless they are trained as young birds, they are mostly not friendly to humans. Adult birds often die during the process of training the hawks.
In short, it's a rare find.
Wen Hemian wouldn't like to hunt specifically for her. He originally just wanted to try his luck; if he got something, great, if not, so be it. But fate smiled upon him, and he actually got something.
As for this one...
Xie Lang coughed and said, "This eagle is wild and difficult to tame, but it eats a lot. It's quite... interesting."
After thinking for a long time, Xie Lang came up with this adjective.
Wen Hemian asked with great interest, "Tell me exactly how it's interesting?"
The falconer who brought the falcon was respectful and honest, saying, "My lord, this falcon is disobedient, but it has a huge appetite, eating five meals a day. It has a fierce temperament, but it never shortchanges itself."
"How did it get the wound on its wing?"
Judging from its appearance, the hawk had never been mistreated, yet it was still injured. Wen Hemian couldn't understand it.
The falconer lowered his head: "...He fell down on his own."
The falconer certainly didn't have the guts to deceive the two in front of him. Wen Hemian blinked, and after confirming that he hadn't misheard, he smiled: "This bird is indeed very interesting."
It's rare to see the qualities of a wise person who knows when to yield in a bird.
Xie Lang followed up: "Grand Tutor, how about giving it a name?"
Wen Hemian: "This coat color is also rare, let's call it Zaixue (meaning 'Snowy')."
The two birds, one black and one white, were perfectly matched with the colors of the feathers. Wen Hemian thought that if there was a chance, the two big birds could meet and get to know each other.
"As for training the eagle, don't bother. If it's wild and difficult to tame, so be it. Just keep it like this for now."
This hawk doesn't look like it's an adult yet. It was probably captured when it was very young. If it were released, it probably wouldn't even be able to hunt.
“We haven’t been training the hawk,” Xie Lang said. “It’s being well cared for, so Han Shuang doesn’t need to worry about it.”
Knowing that Wen Hemian would say that, Xie Lang felt that they truly had a telepathic connection.
"That's good."
Wen Hemian glanced at the bird a few more times, and Zai Xue, who had just been named, also tilted her head to look at her, her dark eyes filled with curiosity about a stranger.
"Take them away first," Xie Lang said. "The eagle house is close by, you can go see it whenever you want."
At least for now, he didn't want to be disturbed by a bird.
Wen Hemian glanced at him with a half-smile, but didn't expose him: "I'll listen to Your Majesty."
The falconer, having been instructed by someone, remained motionless after Xie Lang spoke, only picking up the cage and heading outside after she confirmed it.
Xie Lang must have noticed something amiss, but he remained silent, only smiling as he stared at Wen Hemian.
Wen Heming stood there, feeling uneasy under his gaze: "Your Majesty, speak plainly. I don't understand riddles."
After a long pause, he finally spoke: "Hanshuang, do you still remember the letter you wrote to me?"
"Which one?" Wen Hemian frowned, wanting to ask something else, but her mind subconsciously locked onto the letter she gave Xie Lang the courtesy name. "You mean..."
Xie Lang knew she had guessed, and nodded: "It's that letter."
Why bring this up?
Xie Lang smiled: "Because I remembered that you gave me a message inside."
May you live a long and healthy life, and may every year bring you spring.
Even if he lived for millions of years, after she left, every day was a harsh winter for him, cold to the bone.
Wen Heming's expression changed slightly, belatedly realizing how inappropriate that statement was at the time.
Xie Lang seemed oblivious to her odd behavior, gently brushing aside a stray strand of hair that had fallen behind her ear and kissing it.
"That is indeed a very meaningful saying. It's no fun for a person to live for a thousand or ten thousand years. I want you to be with me."
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