Accidentally Having a Baby with the Future Emperor - Chapter 10

Gu Rong quickly brought in a bowl of medicine.

Xi Rong thought it might be scalding, but the temperature was just right, not too hot or too cold, perfect for drinking.

“Don’t worry. I blew on it, so it’s not too hot for you.” Gu Rong stood with his arms crossed, smiling warmly.

Xi Rong paused, surprised by his consideration, and tasted the bitter liquid in silence. “Is this your home?”

Gu Rong nodded. “Yes. It’s a bit poor, but I hope you won’t mind.”

Xi Rong shook his head. “You jest, young master. Where are your other family members?”

“Other family members?” Gu Rong shook his head. “There’s no one else here. It’s just me here.”

Xi Rong paused in surprise. “Just you? Where are your parents?”

Gu Rong cleared his throat. “I was separated from them when I was very young. Just think of them as gone.”

Xi Rong nodded. “I misspoke.”

“It’s fine.” Gu Rong seemed unconcerned. “I’m not sensitive about these things. And there’s a freedom in being alone. I can do whatever I want and sleep as much as I wish. Many people would be envious. But you, brother, what kind of enemies did you make to suffer such heavy injuries?”

Xi Rong lowered his gaze, a cold light glimmering at the corner of his eye as he said, “I have too many enemies. I can’t be sure which is responsible, but it’s most likely the one with the greatest grudge against me. I made preparations, yet I still fell into their trap.

“Did I scare you? You didn’t even ask why I was injured. Aren’t you afraid you’ll get into trouble yourself?” He raised his gaze, the icy glimmer fading and turning gentle.

Gu Rong listened quietly, his eyebrows lifting in a gentle arc. “I’m not that cowardly. Besides, I’m all alone. What’s there to be afraid of? Brother, you paid for my food and room, how could I abandon you when you’re in danger? That would be heartless.”

Xi Rong raised an eyebrow. “Such courage, I think I underestimated you, little brother.”

Gu Rong held up his finger, adding playfully, “It’s just a tiny bit, not much.” He noticed Xi Rong had finished his medicine and promptly took the empty bowl back, saying, “This medicine may make you sleepy. You should rest. I’ll go prepare something to eat. You must be hungry.”

“You know how to cook?”

“Of course!”

He made a show of confidence and ease, but after he left the cave and entered the small wooden hut, Gu Rong fell into distress. He honestly didn’t know much about cooking. Usually, at home, he made do by casually grabbing something to eat, or when he was really lazy, he’d gnaw on wild fruit. For instance, from yesterday until today, he’d been living on the two boxes of osmanthus cakes that Xi Rong had gifted him.

However, he couldn’t serve osmanthus cakes or raw fruit to a patient. It would be impolite.

The two slabs of dried meat he normally kept for emergency food had been stolen by wild boars, adding to his worries. Gu Rong scratched his head, turned things over, and eventually found a small clay pot in a corner with some nearly-finished aged rice at the bottom. While there wasn’t much, it was just enough to cook a pot of porridge.

He decided he would leave tomorrow’s matter for tomorrow.

He used the stove outside, a leftover from the previous occupants which he hadn’t used much before. After a quick clean-up, he successfully got a fire going. The cat scampered around with its tail up, following its master, adding to the bustling scene.

Gu Rong made a pot of porridge. He originally wanted to steam the rest of the rice as a main meal, but he messed up the cooking and it turned into a hard, scorched mess at the bottom of the pot.

The sheltered young master, whose hands had barely gotten wet with chores, fell silent. The cat circled the stove, meowing as if laughing at him.

Gu Rong sighed. How could he serve something like that to a patient?

But there was simply no other food. So he reluctantly scraped the crispy rice into a bowl and then thickened the rest of the porridge, turning it into a rich meal. Finally, he carried it back into the cave.

Xi Rong was sitting on the stone bed with his eyes closed, resting and recuperating. His long sword was placed at his side. When he fell silent, without his voice to soften his aura, his jawline appeared sharp and defined in the dimly glowing room, while his eyebrows and face naturally revealed a coldness that seemed to seep into his very bones.

Gu Rong placed the bowl of porridge down on the nearby stone table and said quietly, a bit nervous, “Brother, please eat something.”

Xi Rong slowly opened his eyes, piercing and sharp, but when his gaze fell upon the bowl of porridge, the icy expression in his eyes dissipated, turning into a faint softness. “Did you make this yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Why is there only one bowl? Aren’t you going to eat?”

Gu Rong kept his expression impassive. “I don’t like porridge. I made something else for myself. Please go ahead; I won’t disturb you.”

Xi Rong said, “You’re not going to eat here?”

“Cough… no, I’ll go outside.”

“A’Li, let’s go,” Gu Rong called out and the big civet cat darted after him.

Xi Rong kept his gaze on their retreating forms until they disappeared. Then he turned back to the bowl of porridge. The stone table was close by, so he could reach it with ease. The porridge was thick and rich, it must have taken a lot of time to prepare.

He was used to danger and conflict; as a prince, his food, clothing, and accommodations were normally much more refined. It had been a long time since he tasted something so simple and homely.

Xi Rong raised the bowl and was just about to take a sip when he paused and raised an eyebrow.

Hmm.

The smell…

It seemed a bit burnt.

Gu Rong hadn’t expected something to go awry even while cooking porridge.

He quietly slipped back into the small wooden hut, tossed a piece of osmanthus cake to the civet cat, and sighed at the plate of blackened crispy rice at his side. He hoped that the injured brother’s nose was less sensitive and hopefully, he wouldn’t smell the burn. He hadn’t yet learned that cooking porridge also depends on control of the fire.

Fortunately, as time passed, there was no unusual activity from within.

The civet cat gracefully gnawed on its osmanthus cake. Gu Rong reluctantly chewed his own blackened crispy rice. After a couple of bites, he couldn’t take it anymore and downed half a bowl of plain water.

Glancing at the clock and noting that a significant amount of time had passed, he quietly got up and walked toward the cave entrance. The cat pressed close to the wall, following him, but Gu Rong raised a finger in a silent command for it to stay back. Looking in, he saw that the young man had already gone back into a state of deep rest. The bowl of porridge on the stone table was completely empty.

Gu Rong let out a small sigh of relief and slipped away.

Safe! He hadn’t been caught!

It would have been embarrassing otherwise. He felt much happier, pinched up a piece of blackened crispy rice, and tossed it toward the civet cat.

The cat glanced at it, turned up its nose, and walked away in disdain.

Gu Rong: “…………”

Where’s the spirit of sharing hardships together?

***

It seemed that the medicine really had a sedative effect. Xi Rong fell asleep soon after completing his recovery routines. When he opened his eyes again, it was already the following morning.

The cave was still dim, but, connected to the wooden hut, there was enough light to distinguish day from night.

Xi Rong, after resting and healing, was able to get up and walk. He turned his gaze toward the Shan’a sword resting quietly at his side and then got up from the stone bed.

The wooden hut was much brighter.

Xi Rong’s gaze fell upon the small dining table near the window. There, a young man in a blue robe was resting his upper body upon the table, his form draped in the softness of the morning light, his outer robe casually slipping down to reveal a patch of smooth, white skin at his nape. His face was resting peacefully in slumber, with a big civet cat resting at his feet.

When it noticed Xi Rong’s movement, the cat slowly stood up, raised its tail, and kept its piercing stare upon him in a vigilant, protective manner. When the man made no move to withdraw, the civet cat boldly stepped forward, bared its fangs, and let out a threatening growl.

Xi Rong chuckled quietly. “It certainly knows how to protect its master.”

The confrontation between the man and the cat roused Gu Rong. “A’Li, be respectful.” He hurriedly shooed the civet cat away, drew his robe tighter, stood up, and said to Xi Rong, “Sorry for the rudeness. I fell asleep by accident. Brother, why are you up? Please be careful not to strain your injuries.”

“It’s much better now. I must thank you for your careful care.” Xi Rong fell silent briefly and then a shadow of guilt crossed his face. “It’s my fault for taking your bed and forcing you to sleep here.”

Gu Rong reassured, “It’s fine. I’m not particular about where I sleep.”

Xi Rong’s gaze fell upon the plate of blackened food still sitting on the table. “What’s that?”

Gu Rong coughed a few times. “It’s… nothing. Some dry food… for the cat.”

The civet cat seemed to understand and directly swiped its paw, knocking over the bowl of its last bit of food in a dramatic protest.

Gu Rong fell silent.

Xi Rong was perceptive and thoughtful. He quickly put two and two together. His eyebrows rose in disbelief. “Don’t tell me this is the ‘something else’ you made for yourself yesterday?”

Gu Rong wished he could find a crack in the ground to hide in. His face remained calm and indifferent as he nodded. “Yes. I originally meant to share some with it, but it didn’t appreciate it. It really is a bit ungrateful.”

Xi Rong walked over casually and picked up a piece.

Gu Rong: “…”

“Brother, what are you…?”

Xi Rong said, “I want to taste what’s even better than rice porridge.”

Gu Rong: “…………”

“Don’t.” Gu Rong’s pupils trembled. “Brother, you’re still injured. It’s not appropriate to eat this—”

It was too late.

Gu Rong heard a crisp crack. Xi Rong had already put that charred piece into his mouth and was tasting it carefully, as if it were some kind of delicacy.

Help! Gu Rong wished to be swallowed by the earth.

He raised a hand, thinking he should cover his eyes. How was he going to explain to Xi Rong that he originally meant to steam rice balls? How could a normal person steam them into something like this?

But instead of shock or disbelief, Gu Rong heard a slow, deliberate voice. “Mm, crispy and rich in flavor. Not bad.”

“………”

Gu Rong stared at the man, a full head taller than him, as if he were a monster. Was it possible that his injury hadn’t affected his sense of smell, but instead his sense of taste?

The civet cat was also dumbfounded. Its furry body trembled in disbelief as it tilted its head and stupidly watched Xi Rong casually reach for a second piece and taste it with the grace of someone sampling a rare delicacy.

The author has something to say:

Baby Rongrong: In just one short chapter, I got to show off the best cooking skills of my life to my future husband.
Xi the Dog (smiling and swallowing without blinking): Emotional value maxed out.
Catcat (spreading paws, watching like an idiot): I don’t get it, but I’m shaking.
Author: No wonder the cat lady won’t go home with you.
Thanks, everyone, enjoy reading!