AMLFS Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Little Simpleton is Quite Hard to Raise

Chapter 5: The Little Simpleton is Quite Hard to Raise

Just as they stepped out of the palace gate, a heavy snow began to fall without warning.

Song Huaixi was wearing his court attire, a circle of fluff around his neck. His radiant little face was actually three shades whiter than the snowflakes dancing in the air.

Large, goose-feather-like snowflakes gently landed on the tip of his nose, making Song Huaixi’s nose itch.

“Ah-choo!!”

He raised the hand that had been wrapped around Zhao Fangye’s neck and rubbed his reddened nose.

Then he reached out again to catch snowflakes: “It’s snowing! Such big snowflakes.”

The crystal snowflakes fell into his palm, melted by the warmth of his hand into a small puddle of water.

There was still some distance to the carriage, and Zhao Fangye steadily walked through the snow with him on his back. Song Huaixi wriggled on his back, trying to catch snowflakes to play with.

“Behave yourself!” Zhao Fangye, carrying him, smacked his bottom: “Careful you fall off.”

The smack instantly made Song Huaixi behave, and he obediently continued to hug his neck.

But his ears quietly turned red.

It had been many years since he had been spanked; spanking was something from his childhood.

And he rarely got spanked anyway.

Song Huaixi had nothing to do, so he leaned against the side of his neck, his nose surrounded by a pleasant fragrance.

The heavy snow fell fiercely, and in a short while, the ground was covered in silver.

Snowflakes landed on Zhao Fangye’s hair, not melting immediately, but accumulating in a thin layer.

“Ah! Your hair is white. You’ve turned into a white-haired old man.”

Song Huaixi noticed this small change and immediately shouted happily.

Zhao Fangye carried him without saying anything. Just a moment ago, he had been feeling wronged, but now he was full of energy again.

He also admired his memory somewhat; they hadn’t walked far from the palace, and he had already forgotten everything that had just happened.

Seeing that he was ignoring him, Song Huaixi continued to mutter on his back: “I’ve also turned into a white-haired old man. We’re both white-haired old men.”

His muttering fell into Zhao Fangye’s ears, and inexplicably, he imagined the scene of himself and this little simpleton growing old together.

Shaking his head, Zhao Fangye chuckled. But on closer thought, it didn’t seem bad.

Reaching the carriage, the adjutant standing beside it stared wide-eyed at the person on his master’s back.

It was truly unbelievable; he never thought he would see this scene in his lifetime.

Wouldn’t he be silenced by the Prince?

He quickly lowered his eyes, not daring to look too much, and deftly placed the footstool in front of the carriage.

Song Huaixi slid down from Zhao Fangye’s back, lifted his skirt, stepped on the footstool, and quickly ducked into the carriage.

Walking in the wind and snow for so long, his face was frozen. As soon as he entered the carriage, he hugged the hand warmer prepared by the nanny and curled up on the soft blanket.

He was most afraid of the cold; he hated winter the most. It froze his bones, causing a stabbing pain.

Watching him disappear in a puff of smoke like a loach entering its hole, Zhao Fangye’s face turned cold outside the carriage.

He carried him all the way, and didn’t even get a thank you.

Ungrateful little thing.

Carrying his crown, Zhao Fangye lifted the thick curtain of the carriage and bent down to enter.

Seeing him come in, Song Huaixi quickly moved closer to him. He placed his hands, warmed on the heater, on his face.

Zhao Fangye subconsciously recoiled, but he stubbornly stuck to him.

“Warm, right?” Song Huaixi looked at him with a smile.

The cold skin touched the soft, warm palms, and Song Huaixi’s fair face was close at hand.

A pair of large, clear eyes stared at him unblinkingly. His eyes were as pure as a clear spring on a snow mountain, without a trace of impurity.

His previously cold expression softened under his warmth.

Zhao Fangye pulled away his hands, his tone indifferent: “I don’t need it.”

“Why not?” Song Huaixi withdrew his hands and placed them on the hand warmer: “Aren’t you cold? It’s so warm.”

“I’m not.”

Zhao Fangye’s thin lips concisely uttered two words, and he leaned against the soft pillow, closed his eyes to rest, and no longer looked at him.

Song Huaixi sat for a while, and a wave of sleepiness came over him. The carriage was still cold.

He crawled towards Zhao Fangye, sat down beside him, and leaned against him.

Zhao Fangye’s body was warm, unlike his, whose limbs were always cold.

When Zhao Fangye carried him, he was like a big heater.

Zhao Fangye, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and looked at him nestled beside him. His light-colored eyes were mixed with unknown emotions.

It was only the second day they had met, and this person was already so bold and intimate. He didn’t know if he was really stupid, or something else.

He was like an unweaned puppy, and after giving him a few bites to eat, he immediately became clingy.

He slept soundly, and when Song Huaixi woke up, the spot beside him was already empty. Zhao Fangye had left the carriage at some point.

Nanny Zhang stood by the carriage, lifting the curtain and calling to him: “Your Highness, it’s time to get out of the carriage.”

Song Huaixi crawled out of the carriage, his eyebrows drooping, looking somewhat unhappy.

Zhao Fangye left without waiting for him.

Nanny Zhang draped the heavy white fox fur coat over his shoulders: “Your Highness, hurry along, lunch is ready.”

Walking to the main hall, a table of dishes had already been laid out. Zhao Fangye was sitting at the table, and servants were serving him food.

Seeing that he didn’t wait for him to eat, Song Huaixi pouted his lips high. He walked to the opposite side of Zhao Fangye and sat down.

Glancing at him, Zhao Fangye ate his meal as if nothing had happened. He didn’t want to ask about Song Huaixi’s mood at all.

He originally didn’t have any thoughts about Song Huaixi. Moreover, seeing that he was only just coming of age.

He would just take him back to the mansion to take care of him; the Prince’s Mansion didn’t lack an extra pair of chopsticks.

Song Huaixi didn’t understand anything, and being too clingy to him might not be a good thing.

Holding his bowl, Song Huaixi ate the dishes on the table. He occasionally stole glances at Zhao Fangye, who was eating with elegant posture.

People who were good-looking were pleasing to the eye even when they were eating. Song Huaixi also held his bowl and imitated his manner of eating.

Nanny Zhang, watching his comical appearance from the side, couldn’t help but laugh.

The meal was eaten quietly, but Zhao Fangye saw that he only took a few bites before putting down his bowl.

“You only ate that much?” His stomach was like a cat’s.

“I’m not eating anymore.” Song Huaixi put down his chopsticks, looked at the full table of food and said, “I don’t like it.”

“You don’t like it?” Zhao Fangye raised his head to look at him, frowning slightly: “There’s nothing you like to eat? Or does the Prince’s Mansion’s cook not suit your taste?”

Song Huaixi was about to answer when Nanny Zhang interrupted him. She was afraid he would say something disrespectful again.

Song Huaixi had always been pampered in the Song Mansion, and his actions had always been straightforward. They had just arrived at the Prince’s Mansion, and the cook didn’t know his preferences yet.

By the time Nanny Zhang remembered, lunch had already been prepared. After all, they were on the Prince’s territory; how could she dare say anything?

But unexpectedly, Song Huaixi said it out loud so carelessly.

Seeing that Song Huaixi was interrupted, Zhao Fangye looked at the nanny beside him and frowned unhappily.

“What are you stammering about?”

Seeing his unpleasant expression, Nanny Zhang hurriedly said, “Please don’t be offended, Your Highness. The Prince Consort… is a bit picky… If he doesn’t like something, he won’t touch it at all.”

Zhao Fangye’s expression didn’t change much when he heard this, and he wasn’t impatient either. He said to the servants, “Call the head chef over.”

He couldn’t give him anything else, but he could still take care of his basic needs.

The chef in the kitchen, upon hearing that the Prince was looking for him, immediately began to sweat.

He was new to the Prince’s Mansion, but he had heard of the Ning Wang’s reputation on the border.

He was known as the Jade-Faced Rakshasa.

If he made a mistake and was punished, how would his family survive?

He walked to the main hall with trepidation, knelt on the ground to pay his respects, and asked worriedly, “Did Your Highness call this servant here because there’s something wrong?”

Looking at him, Zhao Fangye said to Nanny Zhang, “Tell him clearly what he likes to eat. Have the chef prepare another table.”

“Yes.” Nanny Zhang was stunned for a moment before she reacted, and then she began to rattle off to the chef.

“Please remember this well. The Prince Consort doesn’t eat things that are too sweet, the best is sour with a hint of sweetness. He doesn’t like to eat meat, and meat dishes shouldn’t be too greasy. He likes to eat fresh vegetables and fruits, likes to eat noodles, doesn’t like to eat fish, doesn’t like ginger and garlic. They can be used when cooking, but they must be taken out. Furthermore……..”

After listening to the nanny finish, Zhao Fangye simply raised an eyebrow and looked at Song Huaixi. The little thing was quite hard to raise.

But he didn’t say anything, and turned to the chef beside him: “Did you remember it? Just do as she says.”