Sensing the warning in Wen Hemian's tone, Xie Lang touched his nose and finally shut up, obediently following behind her like a little tail all the way to the place where they ate.
Xie Lang is easy to feed and is hardly picky about food. He eats whatever is available when he comes to the Prince's Mansion. However, after a while, Wen Hemian can tell which foods he prefers. She has already given instructions, and the extra dishes added are also his favorites.
Xie Lang didn't say anything, but it was clear that the smile in his eyes deepened, and he no longer had the dignified demeanor he usually displayed in front of the court officials.
Seeing the young emperor's appearance, Qingyun secretly chuckled. No matter how many times he saw this scene, he still found it very magical.
I only hope that the relationship between the young master and His Majesty can continue to be this good.
"Grand Tutor, drink the soup."
Out of caution, Xie Lang didn't want food to pass through other people's hands, so he didn't have the habit of being served while eating. In front of Wen Hemian, he would often take the initiative to serve her.
At first, the servants were surprised, but now... they've become numb to it.
His Majesty is very respectful of teachers and elders.
They all thought the same thing.
"Alright, stop worrying about me, just eat by yourself."
Seeing that Xie Lang was about to put more food into his bowl, Wen Hemian quickly spoke up to stop him. The little brat always felt that she wasn't eating enough, and if she didn't stop him, his bowl would overflow.
But she happens to be someone who doesn't like to waste things.
"All right."
Xie Lang regretfully withdrew his hand and could only focus on eating his meal.
At an age when he is growing, Xie Lang has a good appetite and finished most of the dishes on the table. When he finished eating, Wen Hemian was already waiting for him with her chin propped up on her hand.
It was raining outside again, so their plan to take a walk in the yard to digest their food was abandoned. The two stood and chatted in the corridor for a while. When Xie Lang saw that Wen Hemian looked tired, he quickly urged her to go and rest.
Wen Hemian did not refuse the boy's kindness and turned back to her room. Unexpectedly, the system, which had left in the afternoon, was sitting on her bed licking its fur.
The system's gaze was different from the cat's bewildered laziness, making it easy to distinguish. Seeing Wen Hemian approach, it slowly licked its paws and said, "Oh, right, there's one more thing I forgot to tell you."
Wen Hemian raised an eyebrow: "Tell me."
Anything that can make the system return to normal is obviously very important.
System: "Due to the world's progress, all the protection the system provides for you is limited to the mission period, so prepare yourself as soon as possible. I will cover your escape when the time comes."
The system deliberately emphasized the word "all".
Wen Hemian keenly sensed something was wrong: "Including the fact that I was dressed as a man?"
There's no other reason than that even the most exquisite skills will inevitably reveal some small flaws. The reason Wen Hemian isn't worried about others discovering her identity is because the system has cast a spell on her, making others subtly rationalize the matter.
It sounds complicated, but it works.
"Hmm." The system licked its paw again. "It's not that I don't want to help you, but that's how the main system rules are, and I can't go against the rules."
"I understand."
The system is just a worker, and there's no point in making things difficult for it. Besides, the two are partners, so harmonious coexistence is the most important thing.
"But will this protection suddenly disappear?"
There are some things Wen Hemian needs to clarify. She doesn't mind doing it alone, but she's afraid that someone with ulterior motives might use it as an excuse to stir up trouble.
"It disappeared little by little." The system stopped there, glanced out the window, and, after seeing something, quickly added, "Don't worry too much, I'll come back to take you away after the mission is over. Goodbye!"
At this moment, it was quite agile, showing none of the timidity it had displayed in front of Xie Lang that afternoon. Wen Hemian chuckled and watched as it quickly slipped out through the window crack.
"This is really troublesome."
After a long while, Wen Hemian withdrew her gaze and sighed softly.
The system told her not to worry, but she couldn't help but worry.
The world in the book is essentially a patriarchal society, where it is too difficult for women to rise above their circumstances. The best way for her to help Xie Lang is to disguise herself as a man and take the imperial examination to enter the court. However, she has not really thought it through whether she should tell Xie Lang about this.
After all these years of getting to know each other, I wonder if Xie Lang will get used to the sudden change of gender.
Aside from that, she wasn't particularly worried about whether Xie Lang would pursue the matter of her deceiving him.
After raising them for so many years, they shouldn't lack even this much trust.
After hesitating for a long time, Wen Hemian considered the situation in the court and decided to take it one step at a time, since it was definitely not the right time to be honest.
With a plan in mind, the fatigue of the day finally overwhelmed her. Wen Hemian quickly washed up, took off her breast binder, changed into a soft nightgown, and soon drifted into a sweet dream.
...
On days when he did not attend court, Wen Hemian would usually sleep until he naturally woke up.
Therefore, when she got up, Xie Lang had already finished his morning exercise. Apart from the beads of sweat on his forehead, his breathing was almost normal, and his long hair was tied into a high ponytail, making him look extremely refreshed.
The more I look at the king I raised, the more satisfied I become.
Wen Hemian suggested with a smile, "Shall we go out for a stroll today?"
Judging from his leisurely appearance, it was clear that the memorials had been processed. Wen Hemian had intentionally faded from everyone's sight and hadn't bothered to inquire about them for a long time.
"Hmm." Xie Lang took the handkerchief handed to him by a servant and washed his face. His smile immediately dispelled the coldness around him. "I heard that the peach blossoms in the suburbs are in bloom. Shall I accompany the Grand Tutor to admire the peach blossoms?"
Xie Lang spends all his time in the palace and can't go out for walks at will. Wen Hemian made this suggestion for his sake, so naturally she didn't disagree. She gave Qingyun a look: "Go and bring the newly made pastries with you."
"Okay!"
Qingyun knew that the young emperor loved sweets, so she smiled and prepared to go.
Xie Lang's carriage was too ostentatious, so they changed to another one. It looked simple on the outside, but inside it was surprisingly comfortable, with soft cushions.
As soon as Wen Hemian settled down, the little emperor snuggled up to her, his eyes sparkling: "Grand Tutor, my birthday is in a month, have you prepared a birthday present for me?"
Wen Hemian raised her hand and tapped him on the forehead, signaling him to stay away from her: "When will you forget His Majesty? But I also need to talk to His Majesty about this. Let's hold a banquet on his birthday."
"Grand Tutor, please don't call me Your Majesty." Xie Lang frowned and emphasized this point very seriously. Regarding what Wen Hemian said, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned down. "I don't like it. I just want the Grand Tutor to be with me that day."
After becoming emperor, Xie Lang had to face the deceit and treachery of the outside world every day. He didn't want to wear a mask during these rare happy days.
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