Chapter 71 Restoration "It seems... the little prince has indeed returned..."
There are quite a few clouds today. The evening sunlight shines obliquely through the window, just the right amount.
The fox held Tinglan in its arms and gently patted his back. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I won't leave. I'll stay with you."
Tinglan's breathing gradually calmed down, and the terrifying sounds in his ears receded like the tide. His eyes were unfocused as he stared at the roof beam. After a moment, he turned his head and asked somewhat blankly, "Was I dreaming again?"
The fox tentatively pinched its thigh. "Ouch, it doesn't hurt. It's not a dream."
"Then Your Highness... is it true?"
"Of course it's true." The fox hugged Tinglan, looking silly and not knowing what to say, so he reached behind his back and said, "Here, play with my tail. Don't be sad."
So a tail was stuffed into Tinglan's arms.
The fox was truly terrified this time, and dared not hide anything from him. She immediately recounted the whole story in detail, "My sister said I might have the blood of a nine-tailed fox, so I have nine lives. I only used one to save you, so I didn't die at all."
Tinglan, bewildered, clutched the fox tail in her arms. "Is Your Highness really a fox spirit?"
The fox nodded with great difficulty. "You told me before that you wouldn't be afraid of me, right?"
Tears welled up in Tinglan's eyes. "Why would I be afraid of you?"
The fox breathed a sigh of relief and continued to explain, "After the accident, my sister took me away. As soon as I recovered, I rushed back to find you, but I hadn't fully recovered. My magic power was insufficient, and I couldn't transform properly. At first, I turned directly into a child."
The fox hugged Tinglan and said very seriously, "I really came back, I didn't lie to you."
"Besides, I still have eight lives left, so I'm not afraid of dying again..." Before the fox could finish speaking, Tinglan covered his mouth with her hand.
"No, Your Highness, don't die..." Tinglan's eyes were bloodshot, and his hands trembled.
The fox obediently shut his mouth, but he couldn't help looking at Tinglan's left hand. He carefully cupped the hand, leaned over, and blew on Tinglan's wound, tears streaming down his face. "How could this happen? Who bullied you?"
He's ready to duel that villain!
"Nobody."
The fox's eyes widened. What a strange name. It doesn't sound like a good person.
"Your Highness, please don't look. The scar is ugly." Tinglan turned her head away somewhat embarrassedly, but she couldn't bear to pull her hand away.
The fox held Tinglan's hand, thinking quickly, then looked up at Tinglan with a suspicious expression, staring at her, "Did you do this yourself?"
"Not Who" doesn't sound like a human name at all. Don't try to fool me; I'm a clever fox.
Tinglan lowered her head silently, offering no explanation.
"You really did this yourself?" The fox grabbed Tinglan's shoulder in disbelief, forcing him to look at her. "Why? Doesn't it hurt?"
"pain."
The fox didn't press the matter further. He simply turned around, hugged Tinglan tightly, and buried his head in his chest. "Don't be afraid, I brought medicine with me. Applying the medicine will make it stop hurting."
Tinglan felt the warmth of the person in his arms. He still couldn't believe it. His heart was pounding, his fingertips were numb, and he had no strength left in his body.
He didn't even want to blink, afraid that the person in his arms would disappear.
The fox picked Tinglan up and said, "I'll take you to lie down on the bed. The floor is cold, and you'll get sick if you lie there for too long."
"I think you've lost some weight. Have you not been eating properly lately?"
Tinglan remained silent, lowered her eyes, and nodded.
The fox was furious. He wouldn't eat properly and even messed up his hands like that. Luckily, I came back early. Now I'm here to supervise you, and you're not allowed to miss a single meal.
He bent down and gently placed Tinglan on the couch, then climbed on top of her himself, pulling the blanket over them both. "Alright, I'm with you now, don't be afraid."
Tinglan was really tired. Her mind and body were exhausted, but she still couldn't bear to close her eyes. Her eyes were fixed on the little prince beside her pillow.
He told himself that this little prince was alive and well, unlike any other.
"You are Ji Qing, right?" Tinglan asked, trembling.
The fox said very seriously, "Yes, I am Ji Qing, my sister is Guan Ning, and my favorite food is roast chicken."
He gently reached out and covered Tinglan's eyes. "Alright, alright, don't open your eyes. Go and rest."
The fox closed its eyes, held Tinglan's hand under the covers, and fell into a deep sleep.
Tinglan fell asleep quickly, but her sleep was not restful. Although she was not plagued by nightmares, she would wake up from time to time.
The bedside curtains were lowered, separating the bed into a separate space. The light was dim, but the profile of the person next to you could be clearly seen.
Tinglan slightly moved his hand, which was being held by the young prince, and the warm touch gave him a great sense of security.
Afraid of waking the little prince from his sleep, he leaned forward with great difficulty and touched the little prince's face with his lips.
A great sense of relief washed over her, and her heart calmed down. Tinglan let out a long sigh, lay back on her pillow, and closed her eyes.
It was mealtime, and the fox woke up from hunger right on time. He glanced at Tinglan, who was fast asleep beside him, then touched his stomach, made up his mind, and continued to lie straight.
I promised to stay with Tinglan, and I will stay with Tinglan. I absolutely cannot leave.
The fox stared intently at the ceiling, his mind wandering. He wished there were two roast chickens hanging from the ceiling so he could just lift his head and open his mouth to eat them.
Eating while lying down is just so comfortable.
Lying there like this is really boring. The fox turned around, took a strand of Tinglan's hair, and started braiding it into a small braid.
When Tinglan regained consciousness, he saw the person next to him making rustling noises.
"Your Highness?"
The fox hummed softly, "Wait a minute, I'll finish weaving it soon. How about we go eat later? I'm really a little hungry."
Tinglan instinctively reached out to poke his wound with his finger; he wanted to confirm whether the sight was real or not.
But the fox beat him to it.
The fox planted a kiss on Tinglan's cheek. "Alright, let's go eat."
Tinglan trembled and her eyes widened.
Seeing that he didn't react, the fox gently nudged him again, "Let's go eat together."
Tinglan nodded stiffly.
The fox jumped up happily, quickly put on its shoes, and then helped Tinglan up.
This was the largest meal Tinglan had ever eaten.
He watched the person in front of him devour the roast chicken and couldn't resist picking up his chopsticks as well.
Foods that once held no appeal for him now tasted delicious.
The fox was very pleased. "That's how it should be. Eating more will keep you healthy."
Tinglan couldn't help but smile.
That night, the fox and Tinglan stayed in the palace, just like always.
"I'm just going to wash my face, don't worry, I won't run away." The fox wiped the water off its face and turned to Tinglan.
Tinglan stood at the door, a hint of embarrassment on her face. "I'm sorry... I..."
Just as he turned to leave, the fox called out to him, saying smugly, "Wait a minute, I've thought of a good idea."
He didn't mind Tinglan staring at him, but he felt that it would be tiring for Tinglan, and he wanted to put Tinglan at ease.
So the fox rummaged through chests and cabinets, found a long red silk ribbon, tied one end to his own wrist, and the other end to Tinglan's hand.
Mission accomplished, the fox stood with his hands on his hips, very pleased, and said, "Alright, now you can rest assured, I can't run away."
Tinglan looked up at the fox, tears streaming down his face. He clutched the red rope tightly in his hand.
Tinglan slept soundly tonight without any dreams.
The soft, early morning sunlight shone into the room through the paper covering the windows.
A winding red rope was tied to the wrists of the two people on the couch, like a still blood vessel connecting them.
The fox was still sleeping in; he raised his hand and then rolled over.
Looking at the morning light outside, and then at the little prince beside her pillow, Tinglan finally felt a sense of reality.
It seems that the young prince has indeed returned?
He looked down at his hands and shook his head gently, saying, "Your Highness is really too indulgent towards me."
The fox grunted a few times, tilted its head back, and, too lazy to even open its eyes, said lazily with its eyes closed, "Don't be so smug. I haven't settled the score with you for biting your own hand yet."
"Then this servant will wait for Your Highness to punish me." Tinglan smiled and raised her hand to rub the fox's furry ears.
*
Pei Yue had wanted to find Tinglan yesterday, but couldn't find her, so he had to make another trip today.
The closer Pei Yue got to the Directorate of Ceremonial, the more uneasy and anxious he became. He knew that Tinglan had been in very poor condition recently and had not shown up for a single day. He wondered if something had happened to him.
With his thirteenth brother gone and no Tinglan left, he'd go mad.
Pei Yue had only taken a few steps into the Directorate of Ceremonial when he saw several eunuchs carrying food boxes into the room.
A row of people, they must be having a very lavish meal.
Curious, he stopped him, "With so many dishes, is the Master preparing to receive guests?"
"Your Highness, we were unaware of this."
Pei Yue waved his hand, dismissing the eunuch.
He thought that if Tinglan was receiving guests, it would be best not to disturb them.
Pei Yue sighed and was about to turn and leave when he heard laughter coming from inside the house.
This is even stranger. He knows Tinglan's current state all too well. It's already a struggle for him to be able to muster the energy to receive guests, so how could he possibly be able to smile?
Pei Yue looked up and around, confirming that the guards had gone on duty and wouldn't be back for a while. He then walked to the window, poked open the paper window, and peered inside.
Tinglan was seen behaving intimately with a young man, sitting together, sharing food and chatting.
The boy's hand was almost inside Tinglan's collar!
To indulge in lewdness in broad daylight! What kind of behavior is this!
At this moment, the guards on duty returned. Pei Yue only glanced at them briefly before turning away hastily, pretending to be oblivious to what had happened, but secretly clenching his fists.
You, Tinglan! I always thought you were a sentimental person. My brother's body is barely cold, and you're already looking for someone else? Ji Qing died saving you!
Pei Yue gritted his teeth, his eyes practically spitting fire.
He went back and burst into tears, burning a stack of paper money for Ji Qing as he burned it, crying, "Good brother, don't worry, I will get justice for you no matter what."
Another fox suddenly sneezed a few times for no apparent reason, and rubbed the tip of its nose.
"What's wrong?" Tinglan asked with concern.
"It's nothing, it's probably just the Sichuan peppercorn powder on the chicken leg, it's a bit pungent." The fox said, taking a big bite of the chicken leg.
Hehe, so much delicious food, Tinglan is so kind.
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