Dad is going home first. “Remember to take good care of yourself!” he instructed me while leaving the study. I waved goodbye, watching him walk away—like a reluctant child, turning back every few steps. Finally, I breathed a sigh of relief when he was gone.
Suddenly, Mo Ran popped out from behind me. “Dad~~~,” he said, his voice chilling. “Do you know what it means to scare someone to death? Where did you come from?”
Mo Ran mimicked my Sadako-style laugh, “Hehehe~~ Dad didn’t notice I’ve been following him…” His face came close to mine, trying to scare me. I pushed his face away. “Stop it! Now you come to recognize me? Too late!”
Mo Ran smiled brightly. “Not late! By the way, Dad, who was that old man just now?” I slapped his face in frustration. “That’s my dad! Your grandpa! Brat!”
“Wow~ That hurts! Grandpa is just grandpa! Why hit me? What father hits his son?” Mo Ran looked at me innocently.
“Are you blind?! I’m just using myself as an example!” I shouted, causing him to flee quickly. “Hmph! Trying to mess with me, there’s no chance!” I was distracted and didn’t notice Shang’s terrible expression in the distance.
Only then did I understand… the blind one wasn’t Mo Ran… it was me.
My face suddenly turned red, and that kid… I took off my shoe and threw it at him! “Damn it! You little brat, won’t let me have chest muscles, huh?! Understand?!” The shoe made contact with his face. I quickly picked up my shoe, put it on, and fled! Only Mo Ran was left lying on the ground, stunned – whatever, he won’t die; running away is the best strategy!
That night, I couldn’t sleep at all. What if that kid knows I’m a girl? If he tells the emperor, wouldn’t that be a serious crime of deceiving the monarch? What if I have to pay a fine?!
Miraculously, I wasn’t late in the morning. I ran to Shang’s palace before he even got up. Severely sleep-deprived, I ran over without putting on proper clothes, and it was so cold! I immediately climbed into a bed and burrowed under the covers.
But who would have thought this was actually Shang’s bed! “Han, you’re in the wrong bed,” Shang’s voice was icy cold, yet oddly shy. “Huh?!” I screamed and quickly propped myself up, seeing Shang’s charming face – it really made me want to… devour him in one bite.
A palace maid entered with a water basin, and we both turned to look. Seeing us in bed, with me looking disheveled and my chest binding clearly visible as a male, it was hard not to misunderstand!
“Ah!!! This servant deserves to die!!!” The maid exclaimed, turning and running away in shock, dropping the water basin. I screamed even louder, grabbed the blanket, and fled outside in a panic, leaving Shang frustrated on the bed, thinking about how to cover himself.
I ran wildly, wrapped in the blanket like a rice ball—no, I’m a beautiful woman! I ran with my eyes closed, not considering who might be around. My head hurt as I crashed into someone’s embrace.
“Papa?” I heard a familiar voice and looked up: “Mo Ran…” A flash of surprise crossed Mo Ran’s eyes as he asked anxiously: “Han, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” This form of address felt so special, making my heart race. I wiped my face, realizing tears were indeed there. Mo Ran’s concerned look only made me cry harder.
“Mo Ran, I don’t want to be misunderstood.”
.. wuwu…” Ah, I’m going crazy, why do I keep saying everything I’m thinking? Mo Ran gently embraced me, “It’s okay. As long as you don’t want something to happen, I won’t let it happen.” Does Mo Ran understand my meaning? Why can he speak so confidently?
For several days, I’ve been absent from work, buried under the covers thinking. I poked my head out and saw Shang’s blanket from that day, and I felt like I really missed him.
The rumors about me and Shang in the palace had died down. Since there’s no issue now, I might as well go to work so Shang won’t worry. I got out of bed, put on my work uniform, slung my bag, grabbed the dirty blanket, and headed to the royal study.
When I pushed the door open, Shang was startled. I saw his favorite smile and held out the blanket: “Shang, your blanket!” Shang took the dirty blanket, placing it beside him, “Mm, it’s a bit dirty, but it’s fine.” He smiled even more charmingly, but I was frustrated – is this really a ‘no problem’ attitude? -_-!
I didn’t say much, sat in my usual spot, and took out a handkerchief to wipe the silver. While wiping, I noticed the bananas on the table, “Shang, can I eat these bananas?”
“Seeing my greedy little expression, Shang smiled indulgently, ‘Of course, whatever you want can be yours!’ I didn’t catch the ambiguity in his tone, just happy he agreed. I peeled one and put it in my mouth.
‘Munch munch… Shang! Your bananas are so delicious!’ My eyes turned starry. Shang looked exasperated: ‘They’re not mine…’ I didn’t listen, just kept talking: ‘Shang, got more? Give me eight strings to take home and munch on!’ Shang didn’t think much, called out: ‘Jing’er!’
As soon as Shang’s words fell, the palace maid who saw us in bed that day entered, making me feel awkward. Jing’er bowed respectfully: ‘Jing’er is here, what are your orders, Your Majesty?’ Shang said, ‘Bring eight strings of bananas for me.’ How awkward that sounded. Jing’er politely curtsied: ‘Yes.’ Then she withdrew.
Not knowing why, I felt uneasy: ‘Shang, don’t arrange palace maids to serve you in the future.’ Shang was somewhat surprised: ‘Are you jealous?’ I turned my face away: ‘No! Who’s jealous? I’ve never been jealous. Vinegar is so unpleasant. If I were to eat something, wouldn’t I prefer a banana?’ After saying this, I peeled a banana and bit into it, ‘Crunch, crunch… this banana is so delicious!’
Shang looked at me and smiled, a charming smile, but I was too busy eating the banana to notice.
In the evening, I hugged the eight bunches of bananas Shang gave me, sitting under that big tree as usual.”
I looked up at the tree and muttered: “Alas, Mo Ran didn’t come today either! Where has he been these past few days?” I peeled a banana and ate it, carelessly tossing the peel away. The imperial garden is cleaned every day anyway!
Miraculously, my banana peel landed perfectly. A pig-headed ‘big shrimp’ leading the way stepped right on it and fell with a loud crash that shook the ground.
The smaller pig-heads behind stopped in their tracks, avoiding both the peel and their leader. The pig-head leader struggled to get up and pointed a finger at me: “You… you… you…” Stammering from anger, he added, “Me… me… me… what about me?” I mimicked his tone, “Hmph! I’m not afraid of the King of Hell, so why would I be afraid of you? Bring it on!”
His ears turned red with anger; his expression must have been hilarious under that black cloth. “You little brat, you did this on purpose!”
“Sorry, I’m not a little brat, and I didn’t do it on purpose. You didn’t tell me you were going to land here.”
What does it matter to you if I throw a banana peel? Is this place yours? Did you rent it? Is this your lair? I’ll be as arrogant as I want – what can you do to me? Come on, bite me! Pig-head!”
The pig-head leader was about to cough up blood from anger. The little pig-heads, seeing me insulting their leader, quickly drew their knives. Hmph! Playing with knives? Have you asked my grandfather’s… oh? I don’t seem to have a sword. Darn it! A wise man knows when to retreat – run!
Little did I know they were even faster, surrounding me! “Who dares to touch me?!” I roared, and everyone froze. The pig-head leader shouted: “Who wouldn’t dare touch you? Who do you think you are? Just a snot-nosed kid!” He actually dared to curse me? Even our godfathers wouldn’t dare curse me, yet he did? He must be tired of living! “Your grandma! I am your grandfather!”
