What’S Wrong With Just Eating His Majesty’S Soft Rice? Chapter 19
byChapter 19 Is There Something Wrong With Him
The idea of sending Zhou Yinli to work at a construction site lasted only a moment. Who knew if this pampered emperor could handle that kind of hardship? Even if he had the stamina, could he endure being ordered around? He was such a good fighter that if a conflict arose and he beat someone up, it wouldn’t be like the situation with Brother Zhen’s group where no one called the police and the matter was dropped.
If he hit a normal person, there would be serious trouble.
After their heart-to-heart, they inexplicably ran out of things to say.
In truth, they had both stayed within their own territories in Fang Cheng’s small apartment these past few days, each occupying a corner without really getting to know one another.
With a gap of who-knows-how-many centuries between them, they didn’t have much in common.
Yet, even without speaking, they seemed to have grown accustomed to each other’s presence. Walking side-by-side didn’t feel awkward; instead, there was a sense of relaxation and peace.
Knowing Zhou Yinli was a real emperor made Fang Cheng want to steal a few more glances at him. He wanted to see if an emperor who ate well as a child looked any different from himself. Ultimately, he found that aside from a more imposing gait, there wasn’t much difference.
He noticed Zhou Yinli’s pants were a bit short, exposing his ankles. Since Zhou Yinli was wearing Fang Cheng’s old clothes, the short pant legs meant…
Fang Cheng stealthily measured with his hand and discovered he was indeed a bit shorter than Zhou Yinli.
Fang Cheng chalked this up to the emperor having better nutrition as a kid.
As they walked, he would occasionally tip-toe, allowing him to see the top of Zhou Yinli’s head for a second. Each time he saw it, he felt a small sense of satisfaction.
Zhou Yinli noticed his little movements and the way his eyes crinkled when he was satisfied, but he just let it go.
After entertaining himself for a while, Fang Cheng noticed Zhou Yinli’s clothes were fraying. There were even small holes in the shirt. A memory suddenly flashed in his mind of the time he threw the man’s only set of clothes into the washing machine, turning them into a tangled mess.
It wasn’t that the quality was poor; it was a handmade imperial Dragon Robe.
No wonder it had shrunk and wrinkled into a ball after being tossed in with his own laundry.
The Dragon Robe simply wasn’t meant for his washing machine.
He felt a rare pang of guilt and regret, thinking that the garment must have been quite valuable. “Hey, since we’re here, let me buy you some new clothes.”
They were almost home, passing an alley next to a vegetable market. There were several clothing stalls in this alley where Fang Cheng had bought his clothes since he was a child. Although they were mostly knock-off brands, they were cheap and durable—some even better quality than the originals.
Zhou Yinli had gained some understanding of modern attire recently. Hearing this, he just looked down at what he was wearing and shook his head slightly. “No need. Your old clothes are fine.”
Was he addicted to wearing hand-me-downs? Or was he afraid of being scammed for money again? Fang Cheng waved his hand magnanimously. “Don’t worry. The clothes in these shops aren’t expensive. Pick whatever you want; I can afford it.”
Zhou Yinli was surprised to see him being so generous for once, but he nodded.
The clothes in the shop were not only cheap but also open to haggling. Fang Cheng had learned many bargaining tricks from his grandmother. He planned to show off his skills to Zhou Yinli.
Unfortunately, as they entered a few familiar shops, the owners recognized him. Seeing him with a man—especially one so striking—they immediately started gossiping. They asked who Zhou Yinli was, how they met, and if he had a partner.
Zhou Yinli’s face darkened.
Because they were old acquaintances, Fang Cheng feared Zhou Yinli might snap. He quickly explained with a smile that Zhou Yinli was a relative who had just come out of the mountains to find work. Then he dragged Zhou Yinli away.
Even then, enthusiastic aunties behind them shouted about finding Zhou Yinli a job.
After breaking through the crowd, Fang Cheng took Zhou Yinli to an auntie he knew well. He asked her to pick out a few outfits for Zhou Yinli to try.
Fang Cheng had warned her beforehand, so while she didn’t ask questions, her eyes kept darting toward Zhou Yinli as she plotted something.
Having run the shop for years, she had a good eye. She picked out a few items that Fang Cheng felt suited Zhou Yinli’s aura perfectly.
Zhou Yinli took them with a frown. When he came out after changing into the first set, the auntie couldn’t help but click her tongue. “He looks better than a model.”
She reached for her phone to take a photo.
Fang Cheng’s mind raced. He grinned at the owner. “If you take a photo, this outfit has to be free.”
The auntie cried out, “Xiao Cheng, you’re asking for the moon! Why should I give him the clothes for free just for a photo? How am I supposed to do business? Are you trying to swindle me?”
Fang Cheng shouted back even louder, “What do you mean swindle? You think I don’t know you’ll post those on Douyin and WeChat to advertise your shop? My brother looks so handsome in your clothes; you’ll get so many likes. People who hire models have to give the clothes for free and pay a modeling fee on top of that! I’m not even charging you for his time, so what’s wrong with asking for the clothes?”
The auntie actually paused to consider the feasibility.
Fang Cheng struck while the iron was hot. “If you don’t agree, delete the photos immediately! You’re not allowed to post them! Otherwise, it’s an infringement of portrait rights!”
The auntie quickly stopped him. “Fine, fine! Let him try a few more. I’ll take photos of all of them. I can’t give them for free—this is a small business—but I can give you a discount. How’s that?”
“How much?”
She gritted her teeth. “Don’t give me any nonsense. I’ll give you seventy percent off.”
Fang Cheng figured that thirty percent of the original price was basically her cost. It was a great deal, better than he could have bargained for normally. He nodded. “I need to pick a few for myself too. Give me the same discount.”
“Deal,” she said. “But you have to let me take photos of you too.”
Fang Cheng chuckled and told Zhou Yinli, “Cooperate and let her take the photos!”
With that, Zhou Yinli relaxed a bit and cooperated. Having some experience with cameras now, he was somewhat familiar with the process and struck a few expressionless poses.
It had to be said that because Zhou Yinli had been an emperor, living under the gaze of everyone, he wasn’t shy or afraid of being filmed. He seemed born for it.
After the fitting, the auntie was very satisfied with the photos. She clung to them, saying, “Come back next time! I’ll give you a discount again.”
Fang Cheng, returning with a full haul, smiled and agreed. “Definitely, definitely.”
You’d be a fool to turn down clothes that were practically free.
Fang Cheng truly realized that a handsome face could really put food on the table.
After buying the clothes, Fang Cheng wondered what else Zhou Yinli needed. He remembered the only thing Zhou Yinli had ever asked him for. He realized he should buy him a phone. Regardless of anything else, a smartphone was a necessity.
Besides, since he treated him like a younger brother, not buying him a phone seemed too stingy.
However, phones weren’t cheap. Fang Cheng felt a bit of heartache, but he took him to a phone mall anyway. They found a shop, and after learning about the features from a clerk, he decided to buy a cheap, functional one.
He couldn’t sell his looks for a half-off discount here, but with his bargaining skills, he got a small discount. He paid 799 yuan. They also got a bunch of freebies.
One-sixth of the money Zhou Yinli had given him was gone in an instant.
Once the phone was in Zhou Yinli’s hands, Fang Cheng immediately pointed at him. “Use this phone carefully. You are absolutely not allowed to drop it, get it wet, or break it. If you lose it or break it, you’re dead!”
Just then, a parent nearby was lecturing a high school student: “I bought this phone for your studies! If you dare use it for games, I’ll break your legs!”
Zhou Yinli’s expression shifted slightly.
But when he took the phone, he showed a rare flash of excitement. “I will.”
Previously, he had only played with Fang Cheng’s phone. Fang Cheng was always hogging it, so Zhou Yinli rarely got to touch it. Now that he had his own, it was impressive he didn’t shout for joy like the high schooler next to them. He couldn’t hide his smile. When he looked at Fang Cheng, his expression softened, and he thanked him quite seriously. “Thank you for buying me a phone.”
Fang Cheng blushed but quickly accepted it. “Since you know I’m so good to you, hurry up and find a way to repay me!”
After Zhou Yinli agreed, he immediately lowered his head to study how to use the device.
An ancient person was naturally unfamiliar with high technology, so Fang Cheng had to help him. They sat in the shop, heads together with the phone between them. Because he had been told to treat it well, Zhou Yinli was exceptionally cautious, touching the screen as if he were stroking a newborn baby.
With their heads pressed together, they looked like a young couple huddled over a newborn from the outside. They just didn’t realize it themselves.
Fang Cheng used the shop’s Wi-Fi to download various apps, explaining what each one did and how to use them. Once the registration processes were over, Zhou Yinli basically knew how to operate it. He became proficient quite quickly.
However, he wasn’t good at typing, so Fang Cheng changed the system language to Traditional Chinese and the input method to handwriting.
This way, Zhou Yinli managed to learn how to type, albeit slowly.
The guy was great at learning by analogy; teaching him to use a phone wasn’t difficult at all—much easier than when Fang Cheng taught his grandmother.
Since he didn’t know anyone else, Zhou Yinli only had Fang Cheng on WeChat. Once he learned how to use it, he couldn’t stop messaging him. Even though they were sitting face-to-face, he kept sending messages. Because he was slow at typing, he just sent emojis, going through them one by one. Fang Cheng was annoyed to death and threatened to block him.
Zhou Yinli, like a curious child, asked what “blocking” meant.
So, Fang Cheng let him experience the feeling of being deleted.
Zhou Yinli’s face changed when he saw the red exclamation mark. He forced Fang Cheng to add him back and didn’t dare spam emojis anymore.
Fang Cheng thought about it and realized he was the only one being harassed, so he pushed Lin Er’s WeChat contact to him.
Zhou Yinli didn’t want to harass Lin Er, so Fang Cheng told him to message the File Transfer Assistant instead.
Zhou Yinli spent a long time messaging it with great enthusiasm, making Fang Cheng laugh.
Once he was done with that, Fang Cheng taught him how to take photos. Zhou Yinli was clearly more interested in this. He took a ton of photos, many of them aimed at Fang Cheng, until Fang Cheng got annoyed again.
Fang Cheng snatched the phone, deleted all the photos he didn’t like, and kept the handsome ones. He decided to keep a memento, so he switched the phone to selfie mode and had Zhou Yinli lean in close. With their faces pressed together, they took a photo. Then, acting on his own, he posted it to Zhou Yinli’s Moments.
He then used his own phone to find the post and clicked the little heart in front of Zhou Yinli.
“What does this mean?” Zhou Yinli asked.
“A ‘like.’ It means you like it. This symbol is a heart; it represents liking something. Understand?”
“Yes.” Zhou Yinli turned to look at Fang Cheng with sparkling eyes. Just as he was about to say something, he saw that Lin Er had also liked the post.
Zhou Yinli: “…What does he mean by this?”
Fang Cheng: “?” “He’s giving you a like.”
Zhou Yinli: “Isn’t it only for you to click? Is there something wrong with him?”
Meanwhile, Lin Er, taking a break from editing, sneezed. He rubbed his nose and continued liking the next post on his feed.