Chapter 20
There was a banquet after the ceremony, though it felt more like a family dinner than a formal feast.
Everyone surrounded Shi Xiaowang, chatting animatedly about plants and flowers. He took the opportunity to share his new idea with His Majesty — that he wanted to start cultivating food crops. Everyone supported it wholeheartedly. The third prince, who was about the same age as Shi Xiaowang, even declared excitedly that he would invest his own private allowance, just so he could be the first to taste foods no one had eaten in centuries.
The conversation flowed warmly, and before anyone realized it, evening had fallen.
On the ride home, Shi Xiaowang shared a car with Jian Mo. Exhausted from the long day, the young duke fell asleep not long after they set off.
Jian Mo quietly guided the boy’s head — which kept nodding like a pecking chick — onto his own shoulder, lowering his gaze to watch him in silence.
He had considered asking Shi Xiaowang to stay.
And he was certain that, if he did ask, Shi Xiaowang would probably agree — whether out of gratitude or for the sake of Jian Da Meow.
But in the end, he knew that the reason Shi Xiaowang had agreed to the marriage arrangement in the first place was self-preservation.
Now, Shi Xiaowang was admired by everyone, with dreams and goals of his own, backed by the entire Federation. He was no longer that lonely, defenseless boy.
He deserved independence and freedom. Jian Mo had no right to keep him tethered by his side.
A fledgling eagle’s wings had already grown strong — it was time for it to find its own sky.
When they reached home, Jian Mo gently woke him.
Shi Xiaowang rubbed his eyes, still half-dazed.
He walked a few steps toward the courtyard, then turned to see Jian Mo still standing by the car. That finally brought him fully back to his senses.
“You’re not coming in?”
“I still have some things to handle,” Jian Mo said softly. “Go ahead and rest.”
“Oh…”
Shi Xiaowang lingered for a few seconds, then looked up again.
“You haven’t come home for so long. Why don’t you stay till tomorrow? Uncle Ye and Jian Da Meow must miss you.”
Jian Mo smiled faintly.
“Jian Da Meow’s probably not home right now. Meng Zhan took him to the research institute. The equipment here isn’t as complete, so every so often, he brings him in for a full-body checkup. He’ll be back later tonight.”
“I see.”
Shi Xiaowang tugged at the hem of his formal coat.
“Then… would you like to come see the roses? I told you before — whichever one you like, I’ll give it to you. You could take it to your workplace tomorrow.”
He lifted his eyes to Jian Mo, bright and full of open expectation, just like every time he invited Jian Da Meow to play.
Jian Mo couldn’t help a quiet laugh.
“Alright.”
Shi Xiaowang instantly lit up again.
“Not tired? It’s been a long day.”
On their way to the greenhouse, Jian Mo couldn’t resist asking.
Shi Xiaowang shook his head.
“I took a nap in the car, so I’m not sleepy now. A bit of fresh air will keep me awake.”
Once inside, Shi Xiaowang led Jian Mo toward the roses, chatting as they walked.
“They’re all sisters from the same seed pod. I thought they’d look identical, but somehow each one’s color came out a little different — some even quite distinct. Which color do you like best?”
“They’re all beautiful.”
Jian Mo reached out and brushed a petal with his fingertips, then pointed to the red rose pinned on Shi Xiaowang’s coat.
“The red one’s the prettiest.”
Shi Xiaowang grinned.
“Right? I think so too!”
Jian Mo looked at him.
“There’s only one rose in this color. Are you sure you want to give it to me?”
Shi Xiaowang hesitated for two seconds, then nodded decisively.
“Of course! If you like it, it’s yours.”
Jian Mo smiled.
“I’m teasing. I don’t have much experience with plants — I’d probably kill it. You should keep it and take care of it properly.”
Then he reached out, unpinned the slightly wilted rose from Shi Xiaowang’s coat, and tucked it into his own uniform pocket.
“This one will do.”
The dark red bloom stood out vividly against his deep green military uniform. Jian Mo lowered his head, his long fingers tracing over the petals as a faint smile touched his lips.
Shi Xiaowang watched him, suddenly unsure what to say.
When he had first met Jian Mo, he thought the man was like ice beneath a lake’s surface.
But now, he seemed more like snow in spring — cool and crisp, yet melting with quiet warmth.
After all, he was a soldier who had been to war; a hint of cold steel lingered in his bearing no matter what. Yet beneath that, there was always gentleness — an unspoken kindness in his words and gaze.
He really was a remarkable person, Shi Xiaowang thought.
“What are you thinking about?”
Jian Mo snapped his fingers in front of his eyes, smiling as he asked.
“What, you didn’t really want to give me that flower?”
“I want to!” Shi Xiaowang retorted immediately.
“Wait here — I have another gift for you!”
Before Jian Mo could reply, Shi Xiaowang had already dashed off, leaving him shaking his head in amusement.
He returned not long after, breath slightly uneven but eyes shining.
“Here. I meant to give it to you last time I went to the research institute, but Professor Meng said you were out on a mission, so I brought it back.”
In his open palm sat a small wooden lion carving.
“I made it to look like Jian Da Meow. Do you like it?”
Jian Mo took the tiny lion, identical in size and style to the one he’d once given to M — equally adorable.
“I do.”
He smiled.
“The Little Duke really is multitalented. Such a fine carving, so lifelike — how could I not like it?”
“I’m glad you do.”
Shi Xiaowang rubbed his nose, grinning sheepishly at the praise.
“Speaking of gifts, today’s your investiture day, and I didn’t prepare anything for you.”
Jian Mo looked a little apologetic. He should have thought of that earlier.
“No need!”
Shi Xiaowang waved both hands quickly.
“I didn’t give you a gift expecting one in return! Besides, you’ve already given me so much — really, don’t worry about it!”
Seeing how flustered he was, Jian Mo didn’t insist.
“Then thank you for your gift, Little Duke.”
“Mm.”
Shi Xiaowang nodded earnestly.
The night sky shimmered with stars, and the soft chorus of insects rose again, composing their nightly symphony.
After putting away the wooden lion, Jian Mo said gently,
“Alright, it’s getting late. You should rest.”
Shi Xiaowang hesitated, glancing at him with faint discontent. Under his breath, he muttered,
“It’s late, but you still have to leave? It’s your house… You make it sound like you’re just a guest here…”
Jian Mo raised a brow, amused, and finally gave in with a helpless smile.
“Alright, I’ll walk you back.”
Shi Xiaowang looked up, his eyes sparkling with triumphant mischief.
“Okay!”
“You really don’t want me to leave?” Jian Mo asked, curious.
“Nope.”
Shi Xiaowang nodded firmly.
“Because I had such a happy day today. If you stay a little longer, it means this day lasts a little longer too — and I get to be happy a little longer. Besides, it’s late. What would you even go back for? Work overtime? That’s worse than not going.”
Such childish reasoning.
Jian Mo chuckled softly and nodded.
“Alright, that makes sense.”
“Of course it does,” Shi Xiaowang said, pleased.
But no matter how lovely a day was, it always had to end.
Later that night, they returned to their rooms. Jian Mo sent a message to Meng Zhan, asking how to best preserve a rose. Woken up by the late-night notification, Meng Zhan grumpily sent him a few links, then immediately blocked him and went back to sleep.
Who sends lovey-dovey nonsense at midnight? I’m not here for a midnight snack!
After properly storing the rose, Jian Mo shifted back into Jian Da Meow form.
He gazed at the tiny wooden lion for a long time before sighing deeply.
Forget it — it was time to have that conversation sooner or later anyway.
Meanwhile, perhaps relieved of all burdens, Shi Xiaowang slept soundly, not waking until nearly noon.
When he stepped out of his room, he glanced at the closed door next to his, then yawned as he went downstairs.
“Uncle Ye, where’s sir? Still sleeping?”
Uncle Ye looked at the lion coming down the stairs and smiled.
“The master left early this morning.”
Shi Xiaowang froze mid-stretch, then nodded slowly.
“Oh.”
He turned — and seeing Jian Da Meow in the doorway, his mood lifted instantly. He scooped the lion up into his arms and started rubbing his fur affectionately.
“Jian Da Meow! You’re back! Did you miss me?”
The lion flicked his tail but said nothing.
“If you don’t answer, I’ll take that as a yes.”
Shi Xiaowang grinned.
“I missed you too!”
After lunch, he went back to his room, planning to look through his seed box and choose the next batch of plants to cultivate.
Passing by Jian Mo’s room, he hesitated — then decided to send a message, just to say hello.
But when he opened his communicator, he froze. Jian Mo had already sent him a message earlier.
[Do you plan to move back to the Duke’s Mansion soon?]
Shi Xiaowang stared blankly for a long time before replying:
[What?]
The response came quickly.
[If you’re planning to return, I can have Uncle Ye arrange things in advance.]
Shi Xiaowang bit his lip, his nose stinging.
Was Jian Mo… telling him to leave?
Well — it made sense. After all, he was the one who’d asked for the engagement. If Jian Mo hadn’t agreed back then, these months of shared life wouldn’t even have existed. Their agreement had clearly stated that it would last only until Shi Xiaowang’s investiture and independence.
He had been living here all this time, always imposing on Jian Mo. Now that he’d finally inherited his title, and since the former family in the Duke’s Mansion had been dismissed, it was only right for him to move back.
Downstairs, the lion lay on the couch, tail twitching restlessly. Shi Xiaowang hadn’t replied for a long time, and an uneasy feeling stirred in Jian Mo’s chest.
Finally, he stood and padded upstairs.
Outside Shi Xiaowang’s door, he stopped — just as the boy took a deep breath and sent a reply:
[Alright. I’ll think about it.]
Three steps away, the lion froze. With a faint pulse of psychic energy, he read the message that had just been sent.
When he looked up again, Shi Xiaowang had already gone back into his room.
Silence. Not a sound came from inside.
Jian Mo hesitated, about to go knock — when Uncle Ye’s voice called from downstairs:
“Young master, Teacher Meng is here.”
“Got it, I’ll be right down.”
Shi Xiaowang’s answer came muffled through the door, tinged with a faint nasal tone.
He said “right down,” but it took a while before he actually emerged.
When he finally did, he saw the lion by the doorway. His hand moved instinctively to pat him — but stopped just short of touching.
Lowering his eyes, he walked past and headed downstairs.
In the lion’s golden eyes flickered a trace of shock and confusion.
It was the first time Shi Xiaowang had ever ignored him — ignored Jian Mo, even in his lion form.
Waaaah this feels like a cliffhanger :'(
I really hope they can continue living together…
Thanks for the translations!!