Chapter 39
The research institute had developed the purification chamber, which could completely cleanse mental contamination. The news quickly spread throughout the entire Federation.
Before long, the authorities also announced the live broadcast of the purification chamber’s unveiling ceremony.
Shock, joy, excitement, and exhilaration—almost no one didn’t cheer for it. Once again, Shi Xiaowang’s name was etched into the public’s pantheon.
Amid the cheers of the Federation citizens, Shi Xiaowang once again walked onto the ceremony stage in a magnificent suit.
But this time, Jian Mo accompanied him.
After walking a short distance, Jian Mo suddenly took his hand and whispered, a little helplessly, near his ear, “Watch your step. Don’t fall. Why are you staring at me?”
“Because you look good.”
Shi Xiaowang’s eyes sparkled as he whispered back.
“You look amazing in your military uniform suit!”
Jian Mo raised an eyebrow, a little surprised, and couldn’t help but smirk, deliberately asking:
“Do you like it?”
“Of course! Such a handsome Marshal!”
Shi Xiaowang wasn’t the slightest bit shy. Instead, he gripped Jian Mo’s hand tighter, looking both proud and triumphant.
“Mine!”
If Jian Da Meow had been there, he probably would have freaked out at such blunt words.
Jian Mo looked at him with helpless indulgence, unable to hide the smile in his eyes.
“Mm, yours.”
“Hey, hey, hey!”
Meng Zhan, following shortly behind them, looked thoroughly displeased.
“Why don’t you hold a wedding for them? A single ceremony isn’t enough for showing off…”
“Sure, you can be the best man.”
Jian Mo replied casually.
Meng Zhan rolled his eyes.
“…I’ll give you a hammer.”
Shi Xiaowang giggled beside them.
[What are those three talking about again? Why isn’t there a mute button for the red carpet?!]
[Hahaha, the little duke and Jian Mo are probably showing off again. Teacher Meng’s eye roll is going to the sky.]
[Poor Teacher Meng, all about work. Someone should assign him a partner; always being a third wheel is too sad.]
This time, Shi Xiaowang finally sat on the stage.
After some persistent pleading the night before, Meng Zhan had finally reluctantly agreed to let Shi Xiaowang attend the stage but not speak, taking over all speaking responsibilities himself.
Shi Xiaowang sat on the royal chair on the stage, sitting extremely upright, occupying only a third of the chair.
After all, he was just there as a mascot. Listening to Meng Zhan’s serious speech soon made him drowsy; his eyelids started to droop.
Even though his spirit was flying in the clouds, he still sat perfectly straight.
Jian Mo couldn’t bear to watch and quietly placed a cushion behind him.
“No need to be so stiff, relax a bit.”
“No…”
Shi Xiaowang paused mid-sentence, almost yawning, then remained silent for two seconds before continuing, “It would ruin my image!”
Jian Mo wanted to laugh—this little kid actually cared about his image.
“Don’t you have plenty of viewers when you stream? Everyone knows how you are privately. How would it ruin your image?”
Shi Xiaowang thought for two more seconds, then decided to give up and leaned back, letting out a comfortable sigh.
“You’re right.”
Meng Zhan, mid-speech, noticed their little antics and suddenly felt like the host on stage, endlessly rambling…
Truly a poor worker…
He shouldn’t have gone soft! The little duke should have spoken on his own!
Meng Zhan thought angrily.
However, after the ceremony, the poor Teacher Meng had to continue his miserable ordeal.
During the ceremony, even the audience noticed Shi Xiaowang was drowsy. The Emperor, of course, saw his little “pecking chicken” movements.
Originally planning to discuss the purification chamber with him and Meng Zhan, the Emperor decided it was better to let Shi Xiaowang rest in a room and appear at the evening banquet instead.
“Jian Mo should go with him too. He just went through the purification; it’s better not to overexert him.”
Before parting, the Emperor reminded them.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Jian Mo replied respectfully, glancing at Meng Zhan behind the Emperor, who was glaring at him with a dark expression.
A bit of a disaster, better not to watch.
The attendants led them into a room, closed the door, and bowed before leaving.
After taking off his suit jacket, Shi Xiaowang finally looked at Jian Mo, realizing that this was probably the first time they were alone together in a room, with only a large bed.
“What’s wrong? Are you hot?”
Jian Mo glanced at Shi Xiaowang’s flushed cheeks.
“Mm…”
Shi Xiaowang mumbled vaguely in response.
Jian Mo casually took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and went to open the window.
“This guest room isn’t used often, so the air is a bit stuffy. It’ll be fine in a moment.”
Turning around, he saw Shi Xiaowang still standing in place and smiled.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you sleepy? Go lie down for a bit.”
“What about you?”
Shi Xiaowang asked.
“I’m fine; I’ll watch the news for a while…”
Mid-sentence, Jian Mo suddenly noticed: there was only one bed in this room! No sofa, not even a chair. Was the palace really this frugal?
“Stop watching the news.”
Shi Xiaowang sat on the bed, casually patting the space beside him.
“Come lie down too; watching the news takes brainpower.”
Jian Mo hesitated, then walked over.
“…Alright.”
Although he had felt drowsy just moments ago, lying on the bed, he no longer felt sleepy.
Not only that, he went from sitting stiffly to lying stiffly.
After some time, Jian Mo suddenly chuckled.
“What’s wrong, little duke? No one’s watching you now—why are you still so stiff? Are you afraid I’ll laugh at your sleeping posture, or worried you might kick me off the bed?”
“I didn’t!”
Shi Xiaowang grumbled, turning his back and muttering softly:
“I just haven’t slept in the same bed with anyone before, so I’m a bit unaccustomed…”
“I see.”
Jian Mo replied.
“Then should I leave?”
“Hey!”
Feeling Jian Mo move, Shi Xiaowang immediately turned back and grabbed his sleeve.
“Where would you go? I just need to get used to it…”
Jian Mo laughed.
Thinking he was teasing him, Shi Xiaowang glared, then turned away.
Jian Mo reached behind and wrapped his arms around Shi Xiaowang’s waist, pulling him close, whispering:
“Sleep, don’t worry.”
Worry about what? He wasn’t worried at all!
Shi Xiaowang grumbled internally.
But for some reason, feeling Jian Mo’s warmth, he soon fell asleep.
The evening banquet was held in the royal dining hall, but this time, it was not simulated with nutritional supplements.
All ingredients were delivered from the research institute that morning—vegetables, as well as some chickens and ducks.
The royal chefs were also loyal fans of Shi Xiaowang’s livestream, and this banquet almost perfectly recreated every dish he had ever cooked on stream.
“How is it? Different from the dishes you usually make?”
During the meal, the Emperor asked with interest.
“Very different,” Shi Xiaowang replied matter-of-factly.
The chefs nearby were disheartened; if not for the Emperor, they would have rushed to ask for guidance.
“The royal chefs’ cooking tastes far better than mine. Not only is it delicious, but the presentation is exquisite. The difference is huge.”
Shi Xiaowang said seriously.
“And even back when it was just nutritional supplements, the chefs could make tasty pastries. How could I ever compare?”
The Emperor smiled, glancing at the elder chefs behind him.
“Listen, the little duke is praising you.”
The head chef bowed with a smile.
“The little duke’s praise is our highest reward.”
“Ah, no, no, no!”
Shi Xiaowang wanted to jump up and bow.
“Being able to eat such delicious dishes is my honor.”
The head chef’s smile deepened.
“Xiaowang! When will you take me on a picnic?”
The third prince, around Shi Xiaowang’s age, ran over, laughing as he spoke.
“I just heard Teacher Meng say that the night before last, you were at the institute roasting meat and having a picnic with everyone. Sounds so fun! Can I join next time?”
“Shi Yue, calm down. Once you hear about food, you lose control. Don’t think I don’t know how many times you’ve sneaked into the kitchens.”
The Emperor scolded seriously but with a tolerant smile.
“Father! It’s just a hobby. I can’t help it when I see good food!”
Shi Yue sighed helplessly, secretly nudging Shi Xiaowang with his elbow.
He leaned over to whisper to Shi Xiaowang, “Okay? I can pay! All my money goes to you, as long as you feed me!”
Shi Xiaowang chuckled and secretly asked, “But my cooking really isn’t as good as the palace chefs’. Are you sure you want to eat my food?”
“You don’t understand!”
Shi Yue, probably carried away, dragged a chair and wedged himself between Shi Xiaowang and Jian Mo.
“Shi Yue,” the eldest prince frowned, unable to watch, and warned him.
Shi Yue glanced at his elder brother, then the Emperor.
His father predictably spoke for him, “Forget it, Shi Zhang. Don’t interfere. It’s rare for Xiaowang to come. If they get along, let them be.”
Shi Zhang, a little exasperated, glared at Shi Yue but relented:
“Yes.”
Shi Yue immediately grinned triumphantly at his brother, looking cheeky.
The banquet wasn’t just the royal family—Meng Zhan’s lab team and other officials were present. As the eldest prince, Shi Zhang had to maintain composure.
His face darkened, but he could only glare at Shi Yue, clearly signaling: “Just you wait.”
Shi Xiaowang quickly took a sip of juice and grabbed a blanket to avoid laughing too obviously.
“See?”
Shi Yue sighed, shaking his head.
“Although the food is good, people aren’t relaxed here. With all these rituals and rules, meals—meant to be enjoyed—become a social performance. Who can handle that?”
He pointed at the perfectly presented roast duck.
“For example, this roast meat. Teacher Meng said you all shared a whole duck, everyone grabbing pieces together. That sounds so fun! Besides eating, I love the atmosphere. Honestly, if I could eat and drink with you every day, I wouldn’t even want to be a prince—I’d rather be a chef…”
Shi Xiaowang understood and empathized.
Every time he ate in the palace, he felt constrained and uncomfortable.
“Sure, but a meal or two is fine. Are you sure the Emperor and eldest prince would let you run out every day? You might go out twice and feel even worse when you come back.”
After thinking for a moment, Shi Yue secretly leaned over to Jian Mo.
“Brother Jian Mo, can you tell my father and elder brother that I don’t want to be a prince anymore, just that I want to come to your house to learn from Xiaowang? If you say it, they won’t object.”
Jian Mo glanced at him impassively and calmly ate a piece of roast duck.
“Fine, I’ll tell them that this prince doesn’t want to be a prince anymore and plans to go to my house to learn duck roasting from Xiaowang, and eventually become an independent chef.”
Shi Yue: …
He looked at Jian Mo sincerely.
“Brother? Are you trying to kill me?”
Jian Mo chuckled lightly, face still expressionless.
“Who knows?”
