A soft-toned, quiet voice, like a slice of sweet cake.
The content of his words surprised him even more.
I want you to hug me.
How could Mu Zhan not hear that he was trying to comfort him. That fruity and sweet scent wafted in, invisibly soothing his emotions.
In fact, Mu Zhan didn’t feel bad. Those things of the past, he had long been accustomed to them. He would not go to ask for something that did not belong to him. Furthermore, that so-called maternal love was not exactly precious.
For him, today was no different from every other typical day. It was just that people in the palace overanalyzed and believed that he was like a beast licking his wounds alone, likely to suddenly get despondent and furious and take it out on them.
But he wasn’t despondent. He only felt a little hollow.
This kind of situation didn’t need comforting.
Though Mu Zhan thought so, his pulse raced when he looked down and saw Wen Mingyu lying beside his leg, reaching out towards him.
Mu Zhan silently pulled the young man up and straddled him on his lap, facing him. His hands firmly gripping his waist, as though he wanted to rub the person into his flesh and blood.
Wen Mingyu obediently sat in him and hugged him back in return, his chin resting on his shoulder. The two people’s chests were pressed together, and the shallow breathing and rapid heartbeat mingled as if they were one and the same.
As Wen Mingyu lay on his body, he was unable to see his expression, nor did he purposefully insist on looking. He only lifted his head and ran his fingers through his long, silky hair, like he was lulling a child to sleep.
Mu Zhan has never been comforted in this way before, so it felt unfamiliar and unnatural. He instinctively hugged Wen Mingyu’s waist and said in a low voice, “I’m not uncomfortable. I don’t need comfort.”
Wen Mingyu, however, leaned on his arms, playfully fiddling with his hair, saying, “But I want you to hug me.”
Mu Zhan then didn’t say anything. A peaceful silence flowed between them, but it wasn’t awkward in the slightest; rather, it was tinged with a sense of tranquility.
Wen Mingyu tilted his head back and rubbed against the side of his neck. Because his chin was resting on his shoulder, his voice sounded a bit muffled. “Do you want me to change?”
Mu Zhan paused for a moment, the corner of his lips forming into a shallow arc. “If you don’t want to, that’s fine.”
Wen Mingyu hummed softly and said yes.
This time last year, he had just crossed over not long ago and didn’t know what was so special about this day, let alone be concerned about whether or not Mu Zhan was having a hard time. Now, when he thought that Mu Zhan was by himself at that time, he felt uncomfortable in his heart.
When someone was feeling down, petting fluff would have a healing effect, and easing their mood greatly.
Wen Mingyu heard him say that he didn’t want him to change, and after thinking about it, he simply showed his rabbit ears, cocked his head to the side, sent the fluffiness over, and said, “Then, do you want to touch my ears?”
Just like a rabbit insistently drilling into the palm of the master’s hand, all kinds of nudging and rubbing and begging just to have him pet it.
Mu Zhan couldn’t help losing his smile, pinching his rabbit ears hanging down loosely on the side of his face. He gently caressed them, feeling the warm touch. It was indeed very good, so good that people couldn’t let go.
Although Mu Zhan didn’t think he needed comfort, Wen Mingyu tried his best to make him not feel sad, which made his heart soften uncontrollably. His chest felt warm, as if it were submerged in warm, spring water.
Mu Zhan hugged him firmly, with indescribable satisfaction in his heart.
Later, he carried Wen Mingyu into the inner hall, kneeled and sat on the bed as he lowered the bed curtain.
He asked Wen Mingyu if he could comfort him in another way.
Wen Mnigyu was slightly taken aback. He nodded and answered, even preparing himself for a very intense exercise. However, Mu Zhan was extremely careful, as if he were handling a fragile treasure, afraid of touching him wrongly.
On the following days, Mu Zhan seemed to have a skin thirst, always holding him. Wen Mingyu felt a little helpless at first, but when he met Mu Zhan’s gaze, he was unable to resist and indulged in his clingy actions.
It was alright a few days ago, but later on, Wen Mingyu started to become anxious.
Because Mu Zhan’s birthday was approaching.
Although Mu Zhan was indifferent to his birthdays, Wen Mingyu felt that since Mu Zhan celebrated his birthday the previous year, of course he ought to do the same for him. Mu Zhan was the emperor, and there was no shortage of anything, so after much thought—Wen Mingyu decided the most suitable gift was cooking longevity noodles.
Because he was only making a bowl of noodles, he felt that it was not enough, so he wanted to make it extra perfect and delicious. But Wen Mingyu had come from the interstellar era and used to consume nutrients, so naturally he didn’t know how to cook. In this way, it was necessary to learn properly from the Imperial Chef first.
He wanted to spend more time on this after school. Mu Zhan, however, was well aware of his dismissal time, so he could only come up with excuses such as going out to play with friends.
Once he voiced this, Mu Zhan stared at him for a long time making him feel guilty. When he was about to confess the truth, Mu Zhan nodded. He told him to enjoy himself and return sooner.
Wen Mingyu suddenly felt like a sleazy man who had abandoned his wife and gone out to drink all day. He covered his chest, his conscience a twinge of guilt.
But the gift must still be prepared.
And so, Wen Mingyu followed the Imperial Chef to learn intensely for a few days, finally managing to make a visually appealing and fragrant bowl of longevity noodles flavors.
On the day of Mu Zhan’s birthday, Wen Mingyu cooked the longevity noodles and served them before Mu Zhan. He stared at him with bated breath, expectant and uneasy.
“I made this, and it may not taste as good as what you made… Give it a try.”
Mu Zhan’s gaze was riveted on the noodles in front of him. Compared to the luxurious and elegant imperial meals, it was far simpler. However, one could clearly see the cook’s intention, who tried his best to make the best of everything. The hot mist rose up, blurring his line of sight, and the rick aroma kept wafting in.
Mu Zhan picked up his chopsticks, lowered his head, and begai\n to eat, savoring each noodle fully, finishing the entire bowl.
He looked at Wen Mingyu and smiled, saying, It’s delicious.”
Wen Mingyu heaved a sigh of relief then beamed, briskly saying, “Happy Birthday!”
Mu Zhan nodded. He was indeed very happy.
Wen Mingyu felt a sense of familial connection with him, a feeling of home, and he realized he was no exception.
Because Wen Mingyu was here, he would be very happy, and always so happy.
Spring passed, autumn arrived—three years went by.
Wen Mingyu was finally graduating from Imperial College. Along with his classmates, they took the spring examination and were successfully accepted as scholars. In a month, he would take the final palace examination.
The palace examination was a test of strategic questions. The emperor would choose the topics which would typically involve political issues related to governing the country and state affairs and the livelihood of the people. The candidates would think of countermeasures to the questions, and it was equivalent to writing a policy paper.
The examiness would enter at dawn and go through several formalities, including roll call, distribution of papers, bowing and worship before the examiners presented the topics. The palace examination only lasted one day, and the pacers were to be submitted at dusk. They were to be sealed and collected by the officials. Then, eight paper-reading officials would take turns approving the papers, selecting the remarkable ones to submit them to the emperor for his final approval.
When Wen Mingyu was in the interstellar era, he had never taken the entrance examination. He didn’t know how he should feel, but now that he was here, he became increasingly nervous. The closer the exam time approached, the more uneasy he became.
At the beginning of his studies, he only wanted to become a civil servant. Later, he was influenced by his smart and hardworking peers at school, and his mentality gradually changed. He couldn’t help but work hard and strive to do his best.
He passed the spring examination along with his friends. It goes without saying that Wei Chen, the child prodigy, not only was accepted but ranked first in the list. Chu Shuli and Shao Yan consistently performed well and were also ranked high when the rankings were released. Ye Xu, on the other hand, barely scraped through, and was very shocked to see his name on the list. His father was overjoyed and said that he, this stinky brat, was actually quite capable.
Ye Xu, however, was highly suspicious that this was the effect of his “carelessness in choosing friends”. He had originally planned to keep repeating a year until he was expelled from Imperial College, but the hard work of the people around him was too contagious, causing him to be infected and found himself studying hard without even realizing it. Nevertheless, passing the spring exam clearly made him happy and especially accomplished.
Wen Mingyu was so nervous about the exam that he almost wished he could stick to his desk and not leave. When Mu Zhan saw this, he consoled him, “The palace exam has no elimination and is merely for ranking. You have already passed the preliminary exam, so there is no need to worry.”
Despite what he said, how could he remain calm? This ranking had a significant influence on the candidates’ chances of getting promoted and advancing in their careers in the future. With the more than two hundred selected people being screened out after thousands of soldiers then having to cross a single wooden bridge—the competition was bound to be fierce.
Mu Zhan asked, “You are like this, is it because at the end of the final exam, you will be so nervous during the questioning that you fear you won’t be able to speak, right?”
Once the candidates had finished the exam and the examiners had gone over their papers since the emperor placed great importance on the imperial examination and had the time, he would choose the top ten candidates. This selection could also be referred to as an interview with the highest superior. After ascending the throne, Mu Zhan personally chose the exam questions and conducted the imperial questioning every year.
Wen Mingyu had heard of this before but wasn’t too worried. “I shouldn’t be able to get into the top ten, so I won’t have to face the emperor.”
But Mu Zhan didn’t think so. “I’ve seen your exam paper from the preliminary exam, and you answered very well. I’m familiar with your strategic thinking. There can’t be any problems getting into the top ten, and you should be in the top five.”
Wen Mingyu’s ears instantly reddened. “Isn’t the emperor not supposed to look at the preliminary exam papers?”
Mu Zhan laughed. “It depends on whether this one wants to or not.”
Wen Mingyu felt that awkward feeling of having his privacy invaded, remembering when his novel was discovered in the first place. But he couldn’t help asking, “Do you really think I can make it into the top ten?”
Mu Zhan nodded unreservedly, and that look of certainty gave Wen Mingyu a boost of confidence.
“If I really have to face the emperor, I won’t be so nervous at all, ah. It will probably be the most relaxing time since, after all, I see you every day,” Wen Mingyu said without thinking.
But Mu Zhan smiled mysteriously. “That’s different.”
Wen Mingyu’s heart skipped a beat. He had a not so good feeling.
Regardless, the palace examination came as scheduled. The candidates entered at dawn, and they didn’t finish until the sky dusk, with no breaks in between. If someone needed to use the restroom, they had to present their ceremonial tablet to be permitted to go out.
After a day of intense concentration, they were exhausted and half dead. Originally, they had planned to celebrate after the exam, but once they finished and stepped outside, all they wanted was to go home and fall asleep for three days and nights.
Wen Mingyu completely transformed after his exam. He turned into a salted fish as he flopped down to sleep, unconcerned of everything else.
Half a month later, the results of the palace exam were made public in the bustling streets of the capital. All the candidates were naturally anxious to see their exact rankings, and Wen Mingyu was no exception. Actually, he could know in advance as long as he asked Mu Zhan, though he didn’t dare for fear of a bad outcome.
Wen Mingyu hesitated, tucking himself under the pillow like an ostrich rabbit.
Mu Zhan asked him, “Do you want to…”
Before he could finish, he was immediately interrupted by Wen Mingyu.
“I refuse!”
Mu Zhan chuckled. “I only want to ask if you’d like some cherry pastries.”
Wen Mingyu blushed in shame, stiffening for two seconds before slowly climbing up and muttering in a small voice, “…I want to eat.”
While eating, Mu Zhan continued, “I won’t tell you the specific result, but you will indeed have to be summoned by me for questioning.”
Wen Mingyu’s head was lowered as he pretended not to hear. But in actuality, his ears were perked up. The moment this was said, it proved that he was ranked in the top ten.
It felt like a brilliant, small flower suddenly bloomed in his heart.
Mu Zhan added, “The rankings are just as I predicted.”
Wen Mingyu’s eyes were sparkling—he’s in the top five!
This was not just a small flower, but a mountain of blooming flowers with fireworks bursting into the sky. He was so excited hisjiojiocouldn’t sit still.
Mu Zhan could see that Wen Mingyu didn’t want to ignore the results, and just didn’t want to hear any negative news.
Given that the actual result was good, there was no excuse for keeping it to himself.
The examiners presented the best exam papers and reported them one by one. When it came to Wen Mingyu’s paper, they praised his superb calligraphy, his insights that were unique, and he had a certain knowledge of the country’s current situation. His countermeasures were well-thought-out and thoroughly considered, far more than his peers, and that it was a rare and outstanding piece of paper.
Mu Zhan listened, unable to suppress a smile. “It seems that my minister thinks highly of this scholar.”
The examiner bowed his head, respectfully stating that this was merely his humble personal opinion and that the final decision rested with His Majesty.
According to the regulations governing this dynasty’s imperial examinations, before announcing the results of the gold list, the top ten candidates shall go to the Taiji Hall to meet the emperor, who shall question them and determine their true rankings. This was also to select the top three scholars, first, second, and third.
ChiFu: Mu Zhan, this rascal LOL
I took three days editing this chapter, I’m so slow! Tired ~
The word count in every chapter is around 6-7k (average word count is 3-4k per chapter) since chapter 30, so it suffices to say that this novel is not actually just 85 chapters, but almost a hundred and fifty more!yiyiyiyiycan I really finish this before the new year? ChiFu wants to cry haha