Chapter 275
Chapter 275
“Hahaha…”
After Eunuch Sun left, Jiang Yunsui and Nanshu burst into loud laughter.
“Come on. Let’s follow and watch.”
“Maybe not,” Jiang Yunsui said. “It smells awful. We can use the next poison after he stops farting.”
Nanshu agreed. After giving the restaurant manager some instructions, he returned with her.
“His farts really stink.”
Nanshu snorted. “He’s consumed so much wealth wrung from the common people. Of course he reeks.”
The emperor was no good ruler. Those serving beside him were either smooth and clever or skilled at flattery and currying favor.
Currying favor meant helping the emperor extort money or collect beautiful women.
Where did that money come from? Certainly not from honest work.
Nanshu’s tone made his loathing for men like Eunuch Sun perfectly clear.
Back home, Jiang Yunsui went to her courtyard to inspect the grape wine.
“It should be ready, right?”
She was uncertain.
Should she open a jar and see?
While she hesitated, a fiery-red “chick” with a bald bottom raced over, chirping angrily.
Its fierce yet adorable expression made it look as though it was scolding her.
No-it truly was scolding her!
Huohuo leaped onto her foot and pecked furiously.
Jiang Yunsui felt guilty. So this was what she had forgotten.
“It wasn’t my fault. It was Nanshu! He carried me away before I was fully awake, so I didn’t notice you.”
Little Mushroom decisively shifted the blame, picked Huohuo up, and apologized sincerely.
She even fed it a grape.
Some late-ripening grapes remained on the vines, and they were delicious too.
After eating the grape and receiving such a quick, sincere apology, Huohuo finally calmed down.
It would settle matters with Nanshu later!
Elsewhere, having finally sent the troublesome creature away, Ji Yan’an exhaled heavily.
“How can something so small cause so much chaos?”
Nanshu kept glancing at the new footprints on Ji Yan’an’s face.
He wanted to laugh…
Inky Huohuo tracks covered not only Ji Yan’an’s face but the desk and several books.
Nanmo had even more on him. Though expressionless, his eyes held utter despair.
Once Huohuo began making trouble, it was impossible to catch.
Its flight feathers had not grown in, but it ran extremely fast. Small and slippery, it could even flutter its little wings and lift briefly into the air.
Absurd as that sounded, it was worthy of a Phoenix-Mimic Bird, a creature called a phoenix of the mortal realm.
*
“Why are your feet black? This is ink, isn’t it?”
Jiang Yunsui examined Huohuo’s feet and reached her conclusion.
“Did you step in Ji Yan’an’s ink again?”
Huohuo chirped, utterly unrepentant.
“Never mind. I’ll wash your feet.”
After washing its claws, she took it to eat grapes.
“Oh, right, Huohuo. The Moonlight Flowers have buds now. Maybe they’ll bloom tonight. If they do, you’ll have something delicious to eat.”
She brought Huohuo to the pond, where the plump koi swam lazily.
Lotuses bloomed beautifully in deep purple, red, and gold.
Ji Yan’an occasionally enjoyed strolling here, and Uncle Li had even considered fishing in the pond.
The Moonlight Flowers grew beneath the bamboo. Their leaves resembled orchid leaves but were thicker. Fresh emerald-green buds hid among them, waiting to open under the moon.
“We’ll watch them tonight.”
“Chirp, chirp…”
With that agreed, they waited for night.
Jiang Yunsui brought Huohuo next door for dinner.
The moment Huohuo saw Nanshu, it charged. It leaped from Jiang Yunsui’s shoulder onto him and began pecking his face.
“Huh?” Nanshu cried.
“Wait! Huohuo, what are you doing?”
“Ow! Stop pecking! That hurts!”
Nanmo laughed.
Jiang Yunsui blinked innocently and ran to Ji Yan’an.
The footprints had been wiped from his face, leaving a clean and handsome young man.
By the time Jiang Yunsui and Ji Yan’an began eating, Huohuo had vented its anger.
It was carried to the table with its chest puffed proudly.
A bowl before it contained plump white bee pupae with a faint sweetness-Huohuo’s special meal.
Nanshu stared resentfully at Jiang Yunsui.
“Why did Huohuo peck me?”
Several red marks dotted his face.
Jiang Yunsui looked at him innocently. “I don’t know.”
Nanshu’s expression plainly asked whether she thought he believed that.
Belief made no difference. What could he do to her?
After dinner, Jiang Yunsui happily recounted what had happened at the restaurant.
Ji Yan’an sipped his tea, grateful she had waited until they finished eating.
They strolled to digest their meal. After returning, Jiang Yunsui practiced several characters and painted a portrait of Huohuo.
When the moon rose, she tugged Ji Yan’an along.
“Ji Yan’an, hurry! Let’s go next door. The Moonlight Flowers are going to bloom!”
The group crossed the courtyard by moonlight, carrying beautiful lanterns.
The flowers had not yet opened when they arrived.
But the buds that appeared ordinary by day now glowed faintly beneath the moon.
Huohuo, Milk Tea, Qianqian, and Houhou gathered around the plants in obvious anticipation.
Jiang Yunsui sat cross-legged and began cultivating.
Her movements stirred the energy fields of the stars and Moonlight Essence, drawing them toward the courtyard.
Pop, pop, pop…
Beautiful little mushrooms emerged around her.
The Moonlight Flower buds gradually swelled, then slowly unfurled.
Though the buds had been small, the open blossoms were as lush and magnificent as peonies, like peerless beauties in full splendor.
Their jade-white petals held a hint of blue-green in a seamless, beautiful gradient.
“Chirp, chirp, chirp!”
Delighted, Huohuo jumped up, seized a petal, and began eating.
Delicious!
Jiang Yunsui opened her eyes, the exquisite flowers reflected in her dark pupils.
“Quick, pick them before they wither!”
Shen Qingzhu shook his head with a smile. “They’re so beautiful that I can hardly bear to.”
Jiang Yunsui ruthlessly plucked one.
“Why are you being poetic? You’ll regret it when they wither.”
Huohuo’s appetite was still small, and it could not finish a single blossom.
Milk Tea ate one, while Qianqian and Houhou each ate one as well.
Twelve flowers remained.
“Zuozuo, Youyou, do you want some?”
“You can eat this instead.”
She offered them Beauty Mushrooms. “These are delicious too. I want to make flower cakes with the remaining blossoms.”