Gao Qingxuan’s stare was like thousand piercing needles and Rong XingLi felt a burning sensation all over his body. He involuntarily got cold sweat. 

Not good, not good! My cover hasn’t blown up, right??

Rong XingLi felt distressed at the mere thought of being exposed.

“Ding— Gao Qingxuan has been watching the whole time,” Jing Yi added nonchalantly. 

“Wait, what do you mean with ‘the whole time’?” Rong XingLi asked frantically while pretending to fall asleep.  

“Ding— He has been watching since host began pondering.”

“Why didn’t you tell me??”

“Ding— The situation didn’t require host’s attention.”

“Didn’t require my attention? I acted totally out of character! Foxes don’t prop up their heads or massage their forehead!” 

“Ding— Host has always acted like a silly human and that behavior has been recognized by the male lead as normal.”

Rong XingLi: “...”

So he had been an unusual pet from the beginning ah.

While he seriously doubted, if he could still call himself Film Emperor, a warm palm patted his back. Gao Qingxuan carefully stroked his fur. 

“Kumquat ah, are you unhappy?”

Rong XingLi opened his eyes and blinked at Gao Qingxuan with a tilted head. 

“Rawr?” —What do you mean?

“Kumquat is not?” The little ancestor asked incredulously with pursed lips. “But you look sad ah.”

Rong XingLi was touched by the milkbun. The original plot was too cruel to such a good-natured child, it was unbelievable that his Qingxuan would ever become an infamous animal abusing emperor in the future. Not only for points, he truly wished for Gao Qingxuan to grow up safely. 

Upon coming to a conclusion, Rong XingLi decided to stop overthinking things he couldn’t solve at the moment and make Gao Qingxuan worry needlessly. The best way to achieve that was byselling meng. Hence, he rolled on his back and showed his white tummy. His eyes then sparkled at Gao Qingxuan, who dutifully crawled through the fluffy fur. Of course, the master of crawling showed his full prowess, which made the small fox squint his eyes in satisfaction.

“Wuuuu~” —I’m worried about you ah. But don’t mind me and be a good boy, okay?

“En,” Gao Qingxuan mumbled, but Rong XingLi didn’t notice his perfectly timed answer as he was assailed by feelings of happiness and satisfaction.

Even if he did, he would never have guessed that Gao Qingxuan responded to his request he had uttered in fox language…

Their pet-owner-bonding lasted for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, before the little ancestor took up the brush in his hand again. Rong XingLi watched him write clean yet energetic characters with just a few strokes. From the edge of the table, Gao Qingxuan looked very loveable with his unyielding dedication. The sight was very pleasing to the eye, but one thing stood out the more he shone.

—A lonely body with only a shadow for company.

...flashed through Rong XingLi’s mind in that moment. He was a pet that couldn’t accompany Gao Qingxuan his whole life. The next time he would meet Liu Nana, he somewhat had to convince her to hire a human companion for the lonely boy. It’s just too sad to only have a fox as a single friend ah.

Rong XingLi thought the next meeting was still far away, but the opportunity presented itself without him doing anything. 

Gao Qingxuan just put down the brush as he looked satisfied at his masterpiece. Everyone who saw those characters wouldn’t believe a mere five-year-old child wrote them. They were not perfect, but the strokes were smooth and steady. 

“Kumquat, Kumquat, don’t they look great?” the little boy asked with an eager face.

Rong XingLi didn’t know how to respond. They did look great and under normal circumstances, he would nod his head, but doing so was definitely too advanced in this situation. He finally realized how careless he was, just because he thought the boy wouldn’t look.

Continuing like before was out of question, he was just lucky that Qingxuan was oblivious and didn’t think that his behavior was abnormal. Hence, he used his hardly acquired knowledge about real silly pets and stared derpy like the doge dog.

“Kumquat?” Gao Qingxuan let go of the paper and squished Rong XingLi’s head between his hands. His round face faltered as he scrutinized Rong XingLi, “Do you feel sick ma? You make a weird face!”

Rong XingLi averted his gaze from the innocent eyes in front of him even more.

Great, I’m so peculiar that acting normal seems odd now ah!

Since the situation was already irredeemable, he could as well continue with his human mannerisms. Getting rid of his bizarre image would take time and had to wait for later as the little prince was playing doctor right now.

“Say ahhh,” Doctor Qingxuan requested with a solemn voice. The only thing he missed was a wooden spatula and stethoscope to imitate a modern doctor. 

Rong XingLi played along and showed utmost obedience as a patient. He opened his mouth without questioning 

“Awahhh.” —Huh, playing doctor in ancient times was this similar to modern times?

Of course not, a certain system thought.

But he wouldn’t tell Rong XingLi, at least not now. To divert his attention, Jing Yi promptly issued a mission and even leveled up the urgency.

“Ding— Emergency Mission! Please proceed with the male lead to the imperial study.”

“Awwr?” —What happened?

Rong XingLi was clearly stunned by the sudden system pop up. Nonetheless, he immediately freed himself from Gao Qingxuan’s little clutches, and instead, prodded his nose against them to appease the little ancestor. 

“Hehe, that tickles,” the boy giggled. The inconsistency with Gao Qingxuan’s behavior was directly shoved into the back of Rong XingLi’s mind, never to be remembered ever again. 

“Ding— Please interrupt Gao Tianlu and Liu Nana in their dispute at all costs.”

Rong XingLi inhaled sharply, there was no need for further instructions. His family’s system had always been serious and straightforward. That “at all costs” gave him a bad foreboding. 

The question now was just how to persuade Gao Qingxuan to go there with him. In all his brain wrecking, Rong XingLi didn’t realize that the boy was also dazing with unfocused eyes. It only lasted for the time it takes to blink, but Gao Qingxuan’s eyes narrowed grimly, very untypical for the naive and spoiled boy.

If he had seen it, then Rong XingLi had surely recognized it. But he was too immersed in his own thoughts, until he was lifted up from the floor.

Gao Qingxuan pointed to his calligraphy. “Let’s show it to Imperial Mother and Emperor Father ba.”

Yes!! Little boy, you’re my hero ah!!

Rong XingLi frantically nodded his head like a Maneki-neko would move its beckoning paw and the two dashed off towards the imperial study.

In front of the imposing door, two eunuchs blocked their way.

“Young Crown Prince, please return to your highness’ chamber,” an old steward said. Gao Qingxuan knew him since he was born. Therefore it was even stranger to him, that the old head steward would block him.

He was, after all, the only child of the current emperor and doted upon to every bit. Rather than being blocked, it was natural for him to be escorted in as soon as he arrived.

Being denied his special right, made the little ancestor even more determined to get in. But he was still only five years old, his argumentation would never persuade the old men in front of him.

“This prince wishes to have an audience with the emperor. There is something this prince has to show Emperor Father ba,” the little boy appealed with outstretched chest. 

The eunuch helplessly looked down on the little head that not even reached his chest, as he refuted, “Young Crown Prince, the emperor himself ordered to not be disturbed with his work—”

“Rawr!” —Liar!

Kumquat, who never had bared his fangs to humans before, was suddenly agitated. The other eunuch even jumped back in fright. But Gao Qingxuan was not one bit scared of the growling fox in his arms. Rather, he stroked his pet’s head calmly to appease his family’s Kumquat. 

“Grrr…” —Too suspicious, Liu Nana is in there, yet they won’t let in my family’s Qingxuan?

Rong XingLi didn’t stop his menacing staring, which gave Gao Qingxuan enough courage to even oppose the heavens. With pursed lips, he locked his red eyes on the steward. But even that didn’t work, the old eunuch stood firm and didn’t move an inch. 

Just as Rong XingLi planned on how to create an opportunity for Gao Qingxuan to sneak in, the little boy spoke, “Then tell this Prince where Imperial Mother is. This Prince wishes to see her instead ba.”

The old steward was caught off guard, however, he composed himself in an instant and replied perfunctorily, “The Empress must be enjoying tea in the Plum Pavilion.”

It was obviously a lie, but he couldn’t tell the little prince the truth ah. If the prince knew that the empress was with the emperor… he didn’t want to imagine the tantrum the young crown prince would make. 

“Imperial Mother can’t be in the Plum Pavilion,” Gao Qingxuan refuted. “Imperial Mother already made a walk through the Imperial Garden earlier today and had invited Qingxuan, but this Prince declined and practiced calligraphy instead.”

The steward helplessly gulped down a breath of air. Why was the little ancestor this persistent today ma?

“This old servant was careless. The Empress must have gone to rest in her highness’ chamber after the walk,” he made up an excuse on the spot. 

“Wrawr!” —Don’t tell us stories!

The steward flinched, those owner-pet-duo were extraordinary fierce today, but he couldn’t punish either of them so simply ah! Moreover, the stupidly cute fox behaved completely different from usual. He couldn’t help but feel danger radiate from the young cub, despite it being a little furball. 

Indeed, Rong XingLi would have already pounced on him if it hadn’t been for Gao Qingxuan’s hold restraining him. However, what other option did he have? Nobody would understand his barking. In that moment, he hoped that his family’s ancestor would stay persistent and not be told off...

“Young Crown Prince, it would be better to go back now. Eunuch Wang will escort his highness back,” the head steward said while pointing to the other eunuch who guarded the door to the imperial study with him the entire time.

Gao Qingxuan curled his lips at his suggestion. 

“But Imperial Mother wanted to overlook this Prince’s study when she comes back, but she hasn’t come yet.”

He obviously was reluctant to leave. But how could the old steward let him stay any longer? The emperor and the empress were discussing something that the sheltered prince shouldn’t hear…

Thus, he tried his best to send away the little child, “Young Crown Prince better hurry back or Young Crown Prince will miss the Empress. Old Wang, please escort the prince back this instant ba.”

“Yes, head steward.” The eunuch called Wang immediately reported back. He looked at Gao Qingxuan, but kept his distance because of the suddenly quiet fox cub in his arms. “Ai, ai, Young Crown Prince, this way please.”

Gao Qingxuan reluctantly followed suit and the door to the imperial study grew more distant with each taken step. Only when the two eunuchs let their guard down did Rong XingLi jump out of Gao Qingxuan’s embrace, and pushed open the door to the imperial study.

His movements were too fast, and the little prince already hushed in before they could react. With the exercise he was proud of in hand, Gao Qingxuan ran toward the two familiar figures in the room.

Imperial Mother was here, but the steward didn’t tell me ba!

The little prince already imagined the praise he would get from his parents, but the smile on his face waned as he got closer. 

Bam!

Gao Tianlu slammed down the scroll in his hand. The noise made Gao Qingxuan froze stiff. The atmosphere was taut-still from the tension to the point that a falling water drop could be heard. 

“Why your majesty?” A weak question came from Liu Nana’s side after a moment of silence. 

“Liu Nana there is no further discussion. Any other person would have been punished already for disobeying me.” 

The emperor’s eyes were cold, unlike the affectionate gaze he gave Liu Nana during the festival. It gave both, Rong XingLi and Gao Qingxuan, a cold shiver.