Chapter 108 – Preference
Jian Luo stood quietly outside, listening in silence.
Lu Shifeng, on the other hand, was quicker to react. The marshal took a step forward, ready to kick the door, his face icy and stern, resembling a grim reaper on a mission.
Jian Luo widened his eyes and quickly grabbed him, “Stop!”
Lu Shifeng halted.
Jian Luo’s gaze held a hint of pleading as he shook his head, “Don’t…”
Although they were stopped in time, their commotion still drew attention in the courtyard. A woman’s voice echoed, “Who’s there?”
Jian Luo felt a bit flustered just as he was about to pull Lu Shifeng away.
“Drip!”
A warning sound rang out, and Jian Luo opened his eyes, waking up.
He saw the familiar ceiling and sighed in relief, slowly sitting up, “Are we awake?”
Lu Shifeng, beside him, opened his eyes and glanced at him.
Jian Luo also recalled the events outside the courtyard. He felt he could explain, “I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I just thought…”
Lu Shifeng lifted an eyebrow, “Thought what?”
“I thought she wasn’t entirely wrong,” Jian Luo spoke calmly, “She’s not my biological mother, but she raised me, provided food and shelter. That’s already enough. As for the rest…”
Jian Luo pursed his lips, “Forget it, I’m not really fond of sweets anyway.”
Lu Shifeng watched him in silence.
Jian Luo wasn’t one to dwell in sadness for long. He quickly adjusted and said, “Fortunately, we woke up early. It would have been troublesome if we were discovered.”
Lu Shifeng’s voice was indifferent, “What if we’re discovered?”
“…I might be subjected to torture,” Jian Luo shuddered at the mere thought, “Anyway, it would be quite miserable.”
Lu Shifeng scoffed, “They dare lay a hand on you?”
Jian Luo hesitated.
But at the same time, he couldn’t deny a certain touch of gratitude. The feeling of being protected was quite novel. It wasn’t easy to express, but there was a profound emotional impact.
Jian Luo sighed, a smile returning to his face. “Well, they definitely won’t be able to hit me, especially with you around.”
Lu Shifeng glanced at him.
“After all this time, I don’t really care anymore,” Jian Luo nodded.
Lu Shifeng lightly pursed his lips, “Is that so?”
“Yeah,” Jian Luo confirmed.
Lu Shifeng looked away. What bothered him wasn’t the woman’s words; it was the injured look in Jian Luo’s eyes when he stood there. Perhaps even Jian Luo himself didn’t realize how much sadness filled his eyes at that moment.
He had seen many sides of Jian Luo—happy, sad, guilty, playful, triumphant—but never that particular expression. Standing there, silent, eyes flickering with sadness that seemed to envelop his entire being.
At that moment, a sense of unease inexplicably arose in Lu Shifeng’s heart. The Marshal didn’t think too much; it was an instinctive protective feeling. He wanted everyone inside to shut up, cradling Jian Luo carefully. He wouldn’t allow anyone to harm him.
“Drip.”
Another warning sound came from outside.
Jian Luo said, “It seems like it just rang. Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask, is someone outside?”
Lu Shifeng glanced outside and calmly said, “Come in.”
The door opened, revealing Secretary Jin standing outside.
There were curtains on the wooden bed, blocking the view from Secretary Jin. Jian Luo could see a silhouette through the curtains.
Secretary Jin said, “My Lord, an urgent message has arrived from His Majesty. He requests your immediate attention.”
Lu Shifeng frowned, displeased, “How urgent can it be? Is he in a hurry to die?”
“…”
I can’t respond to that.
Secretary Jin sighed, “I didn’t want to disturb you, but His Majesty has sent 30 urgent messages in the last half hour.”
Lu Shifeng, still displeased, was about to retort when Jian Luo quickly intervened, “Just take a look. What if it’s something important?”
As the words fell, Lu Shifeng’s expression improved, “Bring it here.”
Secretary Jin’s mouth twitched slightly, handing the messages to Lu Shifeng. Lu Shifeng opened the communication, and as soon as he did, the Emperor’s annoying voice echoed, “Uncle, it’s been a while! Missed you so much!”
Lu Shifeng couldn’t be bothered to respond.
“When you see this letter, I’ll be almost there!” The Emperor danced around on the video call, “Surprised, aren’t you?”
Lu Shifeng’s eyelid twitched, a foreboding feeling settling in his heart.
Sure enough, the Emperor continued, “Not only me, but the High Priest is also here. You must be thrilled to see him after so long. Don’t worry; we’ll be there soon!”
The video ended.
Lu Shifeng’s face turned as dark as ink.
Sensing something was wrong, Jian Luo asked, “What’s going on?”
Jian Luo blurted out, “No way!”
Lu Shifeng was quite satisfied; it seemed that Jian Luo understood that these two people shouldn’t have come in the first place.
Jian Luo covered his head, “Oh my, oh my, I haven’t finished my homework!”
Unable to sleep, Jian Luo said, “I’ll go study. Otherwise, my teacher will kill me. Help me stall for some time. If they ask, say I’m studying.”
“…”
The next day.
The Emperor and his entourage arrived. According to him, being immersed in administrative affairs on Dark Star made it easy to be misled. So, he wanted to make a disguised visit to deeply understand the sentiments of the people.
To this, Lu Shifeng remarked, “He’s just too free.”
As soon as the Emperor landed, he came to see Jian Luo. He opened his arms in a hugging gesture, “Luo Luo!”
The cute little child hadn’t changed at all, with round big eyes and an innocent chubby face that melted hearts.
Jian Luo also opened his arms, wanting to hug him. However, as the Emperor approached, Lu Shifeng stood between the two, his face stern like a guardian deity. The Emperor felt he might have been scared to death if he hadn’t reacted quickly.
Lu Shifeng said, “He’s older now, can’t be rushed at.”
The Emperor hurriedly said, “I can be gentle.”
“No, it might startle him.”
?
The Emperor was quite hurt. He looked at Jian Luo, but Jian Luo gazed at the back where Zhan Wentai was. The High Priest remained untainted, with an aloof demeanor. However, Jian Luo could always detect the teacher’s gaze from those eyes, which was quite troublesome.
Awkwardly, he smiled, “Hello, teacher.”
Zhan Wentai nodded and immediately said, “In these months, your studies haven’t fallen behind, have they?”
“…No.”
Zhan Wentai praised, “That’s good.”
Jian Luo felt guilty and secretly prepared to catch up on his studies in the next few days, trying to cover the progress he had missed before the High Priest’s exams.
Because the Emperor had come, the Elf King would surely come to welcome him. The Elf Kingdom might not excel in many things, but hosting feasts and dances was their specialty. Although the Emperor claimed it was a disguised visit, he had come looking for Lu Shifeng, making it a significant event. It wasn’t hidden from the Elf King. Therefore, on that night, the palace hosted a grand banquet.
Lu Shifeng looked at Jian Luo with confusion. He saw the marshal produce a crystal-clear, golden fruit from somewhere, saying, “The sacred fruit of the elf clan, try it.”
Jian Luo was pleasantly surprised, “Where did it come from?”
Lu Shifeng lightly parted his thin lips, “Gifted by the Elf King. The elf tree bears fruit only once every hundred years, and it’s for you.”
Jian Luo unconsciously opened his mouth wide, “Is it okay for me to have it?”
Just when he was filled with excitement, Lu Shifeng unexpectedly added, “His Majesty is the emperor. If he wants to eat, he can negotiate with the Elf King. Offering the fruit to you is already clever enough. Lord Nie is wealthy and doesn’t need it.”
“So,” Lu Shifeng picked up the fruit and put it in his mouth, “this is for you alone.”
The fruit melted in his mouth, sweet and delightful, as if sweetness had instantly traveled from his mouth to his heart.
There was a light drizzle falling from the sky. Jian Luo lowered his head, sniffed, and tiptoed, wrapping his hands around Lu Shifeng’s waist, giving him a hug, buzzing, “Thank you.”
Suddenly, he understood why the place he missed the most in his dreams was the one filled with childhood memories of pain.
What he longed for, yearned for, was not that place but a home.
He yearned for a lifetime to have a home, a place where someone would cherish him. He hoped to get a share of his own sweetness.
T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!
If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’
How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection
What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
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Thanks for the update 🤗 🤗
I don’t think MC will get that wholesome home he is dreaming about. 😥
Thanks for the chapter