Chapter 22
King Jing didn’t take a fancy to any of the dancers. Even if it was Chu Yanyu, who the Third Prince was most confident in, King Jing was just a spectator. He didn’t pay much attention to this person.
Mu Tianming’s prepared words of praise were stuck just like that.
Chu Yanyu didn’t show any impatience. He lowered his eyes and seemed to be thinking about something.
The Sixth Prince gently nudged Mu Tianming. “Third Brother?”
Mu Tianming thought that since he had already embarrassed himself enough today, he wouldn’t mind embarrassing himself again. He gritted his teeth and squeezed out a smile, “Fifth Royal Brother thinks it’s alright, but I think it’s quite good. The man and woman leading the dance are carefully selected by me. Why don’t I give them to you to relieve your boredom?”
His words were so straightforward that no one didn’t understand what the Third Prince meant. Mu Tianming didn’t believe that King Jing would be indifferent to his offer.
King Jing casually rested his chin on his left hand and pushed Little Carp, who was about to poke his head out of the water, into the water with his right hand.
King Jing glanced at Wang Xi again. King Jing and Wang Xi had a telepathic connection and said,
“His Highness said ….. no.”
It was’ no’, not’ no ‘or’ no’.
‘No’ meant that he didn’t like them.
Mu Tianming, “…”
“Is His Highness King Jing dissatisfied with me?”
Chu Yanyu’s skinny back was straight as a pencil. His fingernails dug into his palms, and his eyes were burning with anger.
His heart already belonged to someone, but King Jing’s neglect was a great insult to him. Chu Yanyu had a high self-esteem and wanted to know the reason.
Li Yu, “…
Li Yu was surprised. Was this still the concubine who was cold and indifferent to King Jing in the original novel?
Why did it feel like the opposite?
Chu Yanyu regretted his rashness as soon as he said that.
King Jing smiled sarcastically and shook his head. He got up and held the teacup in his hand, asking Wang Xi to see him out.
Chu Yanyu: “…”
Chu Yanyu thought carefully. Since King Jing shook his head, did that mean that he was not displeased with him?
Wang Xi said, “Young Master Chu, please don’t misunderstand. His Highness didn’t mean anything else. What he meant was, what does your life have to do with him?”
The Third Prince, Chu Yanyu, and the Sixth Prince: “…”
Mu Tianming had a headache. King Jing didn’t even want to accept the gift that was delivered to his doorstep. What should he do?
Li Yu was trapped in the teacup by King Jing and couldn’t come out. King Jing didn’t seem to like Chu Yanyu. He was secretly pleased. After all, the one who had been chasing after Chu Yanyu in the novel was King Jing. King Jing had done too much for Chu Yanyu and had also been hurt countless times for Chu Yanyu. Now that he didn’t like Chu Yanyu, did that mean that he had avoided this torturous relationship?
But would the change in the plot cause a butterfly effect? Would it affect King Jing in the future?
Li Yu was conflicted for a while, but he didn’t think about it anymore.
Anyway, he existed to change King Jing’s temperament. Wasn’t this in itself a change in the original novel?
Li Yu finally returned to the backyard, to King Jing’s bedroom.
King Jing put him into the crystal fish tank. Li Yu saw that the fish bolster was gone. He guessed that King Jing had discovered the secret of the fish bolster.
Li Yu smiled. Could it be that King Jing found out that he was the one who put the bolster there?
However, this was basically impossible. King Jing didn’t even think that his real body was a fish.
How could he suddenly realize that he was the one who put the fish bolster there?
Li Yu was relieved and continued to follow King Jing. When King Jing walked in front of the fish tank, he also swam around.
Suddenly, King Jing stopped. He took something out of his sleeve and put it into the fish tank.
Li Yu looked up in a daze. He saw a black ball floating down slowly from the top of his head and landing beside him.
Li Yu looked and saw that it was another fish that looked exactly like him.
Li Yu:???
This was a fish bolster?
Li Yu didn’t know what King Jing meant. He secretly glanced at King Jing, then pretended that he didn’t know anything. He used the fish bolster as a toy and swam back and forth in the water a few times with the bolster on his head.
He didn’t dare to drag the fish bolster onto the white stone bed like he did before. He even covered the bolster with a seaweed quilt. This was tantamount to giving himself away!
King Jing saw that the little carp seemed to be playing happily with the fake fish. From afar, it looked like he was raising a pair of fish.
King Jing paused. He suddenly felt a little unhappy with the fake fish. He decided to ask Wang Xi to fish out the fake fish and dispose of it later.
King Jing still had something to do. He walked to the side of the table and sat down.
Li Yu thought of a new way to play with the bolster. He humped the bolster on his back as if he was carrying another fish. The bolster was very light, so he didn’t feel tired at all. After playing for a while, he realized that King Jing was busy. The little carp and the bolster stuck to the wall of the crystal tank and peeked at King Jing.
King Jing was painting again.
King Jing had previously painted a picture of the little carp in King Jing Palace. After he finished painting, he asked Wang Xi to frame it. This time, he brought it with him to King Jing’s residence and hung it on the wall diagonally opposite the crystal tank. Li Yu thought proudly, ‘Is King Jing painting fish again?’
He also wanted to go over and pose!
Li Yu let go of the bolster and jumped into the teacup on the floor. He had eaten a little too much in his human form, so his movements weren’t very nimble. He had to jump a few times to reach King Jing’s table.
There was a petal-shaped teacup on the table, which was also where he often squatted. King Jing seemed to know that this fish would come to watch him paint. He wasn’t surprised by the sudden appearance of the little carp.
Li Yu held his breath. King Jing’s painting was a little bigger this time. He wasn’t done yet…
Although he couldn’t see the full picture for now, he could see that the fish had hands, feet, and was wearing clothes. It shouldn’t be him, the fish, but a person.
Li Yu’s heart suddenly sank. Could it be Chu Yanyu?
King Jing rejected the Third Prince on the surface, but deep down, he was still thinking about Chu Yanyu?
… King Jing wasn’t like this at all. In the novel, once King Jing fell in love with someone, he would definitely keep that person by his side. Now that he had directly rejected the painting, it was impossible for him to think that it was Wang Xi. The possibility of it being Chu Yanyu was higher.
Li Yu waited quietly for King Jing to finish drawing and coloring. This painting was a little complicated, and it took him a full hour to finish.
King Jing finally picked up the painting and shook it.
Li Yu finally saw the whole painting clearly. King Jing was good at painting, and his painting was quite charming. He saw – in the painting, a young man in a jade-green robe was sitting on the windowsill with both hands supporting himself. He turned his head back with a smile.
Li Yu: “…”
Damn, why did he feel that the person in the painting looked strangely familiar?
Wasn’t this his human form? The painting was exactly the scene where he was almost caught!
He could understand King Jing drawing a fish, but why would King Jing draw a person he had never met?
Little Carp couldn’t figure it out.
King Jing put the painting aside, took out a jade bell, and shook it
This was King Jing’s way of calling for his attendants. Wang Xi quickly came in from outside.
King Jing solemnly handed the painting to Wang Xi. Wang Xi whispered a few words in King Jing’s ear, asking King Jing to confirm.
After King Jing confirmed, Wang Xi’s expression became a little serious.
Li Yu thought to himself, Could it be that he also asked Wang Xi to frame this painting and put his portrait and his fish portrait together?
Although it was both him and it felt a little strange.
Wang Xi quickly said, “Your Highness, please don’t worry. This old servant will instruct the guards to look for the person according to the painting.”
Li Yu:”…”
King Jing drew a circle on the paper with his pen again. Wang Xi nodded, ‘Let them search along the pond. They will definitely find this person.’
Li Yu: “…”
No way, after selling so many fish portraits, King Jing still wanted to catch him in person?
Whatever, even if there was a painting, they wouldn’t be able to find him. There was nothing in the pond. He was raised in King Jing’s fish tank.
After the banquet at King Jing’s residence, the Third Prince took Chu Yanyu and the others and left dejectedly.
Mu Tianming was still unwilling to let his meticulous preparation go to waste. After discussing with his confidant, he decided to send the lead dancer, Chu Yanyu, and another girl to King Jing’s residence. In order to prevent King Jing from refusing, Mu Tianming left them at the gate and slipped away faster than a thief.
Soon, the Emperor received news that the Third Prince had sent people to King Jing. The Emperor found it a little funny, but he was still quite satisfied with the Third Prince’s willingness to show goodwill to King Jing.
After all, this banquet was held for King Jing and the Second Prince. However, according to the spies, the Second Prince, Mu Tianzhao, went to King Jing’s room and the fish disappeared. The Emperor wondered if the Second Prince was looking for trouble with the fish again.
Now that he was still here, the Second Prince couldn’t even tolerate a fish. Would he make a move on King Jing in the future?
This wasn’t the first time that Mu Tianzhao had disappointed the Emperor. The Emperor wondered if it was a little too early for him to reveal the future Crown Prince’s candidate to Lady Chou.
The Emperor wanted to give the Second Prince a wake-up call. A few days after the banquet, he only rewarded the Third Prince with a tea set.
Although it was an inconspicuous item, the other princes, including the Second Prince, didn’t get a share. Mu Tianming felt that he was indeed on the right path to win over King Jing. Because the Emperor didn’t reward him earlier or later, he rewarded him right after he sent people to King Jing’s residence. This showed that the Emperor really did want him to have a good relationship with King Jing.
The Sixth Prince had guessed the Emperor’s heart for the Third Prince. The Emperor only rewarded the Third Prince, but not the Second Prince. This also showed that the Emperor was beginning to be dissatisfied with the Second Prince.
*This time, thanks to your recommendation, Chu Yanyu has entered King Jing’s residence. This is a good step.”
Mu Tianming smiled and patted Mu Tianxiao’s shoulder.
“Yanyu is smart. He definitely won’t disappoint Imperial Brother.”
The Sixth Prince smiled gently. He didn’t show a trace of resentment because his beloved had entered King Jing’s residence.
After King Jing learned about this from Wang Xi, his expression was indifferent. Eunuch Wang Xi was very experienced in dealing with this kind of people who were sent to King Jing’s residence.
The Emperor had sent many people to King Jing in the past. There were men and women of different sizes. Because of King Jing’s dislike, they were all detained in a courtyard in King Jing’s residence. Without permission, they weren’t allowed to come out and walk around. After a year, those who were willing to leave King Jing’s residence could leave by themselves. Those who were unwilling to leave could only be servants.
