Chapter 288 Stealing Pastries
Huo Yuan's face flushed red and then turned pale. In the end, he could only reluctantly pick up his chopsticks again and poke at the food in the imperial kitchen.
Hmph, fine, I won't eat it then!
But after comparison, those bland vegetables and boiled radishes tasted like sand in every bite.
Huo Yuan! You can do it!
The hardships and mental fortitude I endured for my studies will now come into play!
We must not be seduced by the wicked concubine, and we must not make the same mistake as Huo Lin!
Huo Yuan frantically tried to brainwash himself, attempting to suppress his burgeoning cravings with the words of sages.
Huo Lin rested his chin on his hand and glanced at him sideways, a strong sneer on his lips.
[That's fine. I was worried that Wang Degui would nag me about leaving too much food uneaten. Let him enjoy it.]
Eat up, eat well, and nourish your body.
[My braised pork smells so good! Tsk tsk tsk...]
He deliberately picked up a piece of braised pork and waved it in front of Huo Yuan before slowly putting it into his mouth.
Huo Yuan: ...
He abruptly stopped chewing, staring at Huo Lin's deliberately boastful actions, and almost choked on the vegetables in his mouth.
The awkward atmosphere and everyone's own thoughts during lunch finally came to an end.
Jiang Huan not only prepared the meal, but also many after-dinner snacks.
She smiled and said, "Your Majesty, Uncle, there are some tea and snacks left. I had them placed in the outer room when I arrived. Please move over and have some tea to cleanse your palate."
Upon hearing this, Huo Lin nodded with delight: "Very good, you've put your heart into it."
Huo Qingcang smiled and agreed, "Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness."
Huo Yuan wanted to refuse, but his grandfather grabbed him and he could only follow with a sullen face.
In the outer side room, there were indeed several dishes of tea and snacks on a small table.
There were crystal-clear osmanthus cakes, soft and cute mung bean cakes, and several kinds of small and exquisite pastries, accompanied by a pot of fragrant tea.
Huo Qingcang and Huo Lin took their seats, and Jiang Huan personally poured tea for them.
Huo Yuan sat with a stern face, furthest from the snacks, his eyes fixed straight ahead, as if the snacks were some kind of monster.
Huo Lin and Huo Qingcang sipped tea and chatted casually about trivial matters of the court; the atmosphere was fairly harmonious.
Jiang Huan sat quietly to the side, occasionally interjecting with a word or two.
Huo Yuan sat upright, trying his best not to look at the pastries, but the faint aroma of the desserts kept tempting him like a hook.
Especially the osmanthus crystal cake, which was crystal clear and studded with golden osmanthus flowers, looked so tempting.
Do not look at what is improper! Do not listen to what is improper!
He frantically warned himself, forcing himself to fix his gaze on the teacup in front of him.
However, as Huo Lin and Huo Qingcang chatted and savored the snacks, the subtle chewing sounds were like a demonic whisper, constantly assaulting Huo Yuan's willpower.
This mung bean cake looks so soft and powdery, and those pastries smell so good...
No! I can't think about it!
His Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably. He quickly picked up his teacup, took a big gulp, and tried to suppress the inappropriate thought with the slightly bitter taste of the tea.
Just then, Huo Lin and Huo Qingcang seemed to be talking about something interesting, and they both laughed, their attention temporarily diverted.
Chance!
Huo Yuan glanced at the plate of osmanthus crystal cake closest to him; the translucent cake gleamed enticingly in the light.
Just...just one piece.
Anyway, no one saw it, and even if they did, he would say it was to test the poison for the emperor.
Having come up with an excuse, Huo Yuan took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, quickly picked up a piece of osmanthus crystal cake, and stuffed it into his mouth under the cover of the teacup.
The movement was so fluid and seamless, it was truly the work of a master of food theft!
However, what he thought was a secret was actually seen through by Jiang Huan.
Jiang Huan didn't want to look at him, but his posture and expression made it hard to avoid being noticed.
She almost burst out laughing, then quickly covered her mouth with a handkerchief, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Pfft, caught you! You're such a good actor, stealing food too.
But this move is so practiced! I bet he's rehearsed it in his head countless times, hahaha!
Seeing Jiang Huan's pained expression as she tried to suppress a laugh, Huo Lin became suspicious and followed her gaze.
Upon seeing Huo Yuan's slightly puffed-out cheeks, they instantly understood what was going on.
I told him he wouldn't be able to endure it for long.
[Stop pretending to be high and mighty; in the end, everyone will have to bow down to her culinary skills.]
[Hmph, if only they had known this would happen, they wouldn't have done it in the first place.]
The little voice inside him was laughing wildly, hands on his hips, smug and triumphant, as if he had won a great battle.
Huo Yuan completely forgot about the others and ate the crystal cake by himself. The sweet and soft texture mixed with the fragrance of osmanthus filled his mouth. It was sweet but not greasy, and refreshing.
tasty!
He subconsciously pursed his lips, savoring the wonderful taste, before suddenly waking up with a start.
Oh no, I got so engrossed in eating that I completely lost my composure.
He quickly lowered his head deeply, pretending to be intently studying the tea leaves in the teacup.
My heart was pounding wildly, as if I hadn't just stolen a snack, but committed some heinous crime.
After sitting for a short while, Huo Qingcang rose to take his leave: "Your Majesty, it is getting late, so this old minister and Yuan'er will not disturb Your Majesty's rest any longer."
Huo Lin nodded, stood up, and said in a good mood, "Take care, Uncle."
He personally escorted Huo Qingcang and Huo Yuan to the palace gate.
Just as Huo Yuan was about to step out of the palace gate, Huo Lin suddenly stopped and his gaze fell on Huo Yuan.
"Huo Yuan," Huo Lin's voice was calm yet meaningful, "I have a message for you regarding today's events."
Huo Yuan froze, stopped in his tracks, and looked at Huo Lin.
Huo Lin continued, "Hearing is unreliable, and seeing is not necessarily believing. Don't just listen to one side of the story about some people and some things, and don't be deceived by appearances."
"I know what I'm doing, and I know what I want. I've never neglected the affairs of the country and its people, and as for matters of the harem..."
He paused, glanced in Jiang Huan's direction, his eyes softening with affection.
"I know what I'm doing, and I don't need anyone else's opinion. After you go back, think it over carefully and don't be easily misled by others again."
These words were both a warning and a reminder.
Huo Yuan felt a flush of embarrassment at Huo Lin's words. Although he was still unconvinced, the emperor's authority and his guilty conscience about having stolen food earlier combined to force him to lower his head.
"……yes."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com