Chapter 57 – Promise

When Xuan Yuan Han Cheng returned to Ping Le Courtyard, Shu Ya stepped forward to report to His Royal Highness, “Your Royal Highness, Lin-xiaozhu has shut himself in the bedroom and will not let us in.”

After hearing this, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng walked quickly into the bedroom and found Lin Jia Bao on the bed, only to see him covered with a quilt.

“Jia Bao… Baby…”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng stretched out his hand to pull down the quilt, but helplessly, his baby was holding on to the quilt and refused to let go.

“Baby, let go of the quilt. What are we going to do if you suffocate under there? Talk to your husband. Don’t suppress it in your heart. Do you still remember what you promised your husband?”

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng continued to tug on the quilt covering Lin Jia Bao’s face. Having heard his words, Jia Bao’s grip loosened on the quilt. “Good baby…” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng pulled off the quilt.

What came into view was his darling’s tear-stained face, which made him feel very distressed.

“Baby, don’t cry…”

Lin Jia Bao was very heartbroken and sad.

Being pampered and cherished by His Royal Highness these days have gradually made him lose himself. He somewhat forgot that he was only the crown prince’s xiaoshi. But the crown prince already had a crown princess and other concubines before him.

Because Lin Jia Bao had not seen the crown prince’s other women, he chose to escape the truth by ignoring it. Hearing Xu Xue Ying’s words completely sobered him up. His Royal Highness was the crown prince. He wasn’t someone’s husband. He had to wake up from his sweet dream.

Just the thought of His Royal Highness treating other people the way he treated him made Lin Jia Bao feel so bad. It was like a stone was crushing his heart.

Lin Jia Bao felt like he’s become a bad person. Clearly he was the newest one [in the crown prince’s harem], but he wanted to dominate the crown prince alone and have the crown prince be his husband only. This was a breech of rules. He really mustn’t do this.

His Royal Highness was the future emperor. It was impossible for him to only have Lin Jia Bao [in his harem]. It looked like he was doomed to share a husband with other people.

Support the translator. Read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Lin Jia Bao was also a little worried. He was [untalented] like this. Would His Royal Highness really continue to like him in the future? He was really scared…

“Your Royal Highness, I will properly learn the four arts* and also poetry,” Lin Jia Bao promised Xuan Yuan Han Cheng while crying.

[*T/N: The four arts are the accomplishments of a well-educated person and they include guqin, Go, calligraphy, and painting.]

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng picked up his treasured one and had him lie against his chest. He gently helped him wiped away his tears, “Dear baby, you don’t have to learn these. Even without learning these things you are still my* darling.”

[*T/N: He uses the word “husband” here for the first person pronoun. Whenever he does that I translate it as “[your] husband” as long as it flows well in English. If it doesn’t flow very well, I try to add a little note so that you’ll know the nuance going on.]

Lin Jia Bao thought for a while and then said something that made Xuan Yuan Han Cheng not know whether to laugh or cry.

“Jia Bao is still young right now. I haven’t completely matured yet. I will definitely grow up well in the future and be better than I am now. So Your Royal Highness you can’t not want me. You haven’t seen how I will look when I grow up!”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng thought his words were both funny and pitiful. He didn’t know what Xu Xue Ying said to Jia Bao, which caused Jia Bao to have such an idea, fearing that he would not want him.

“Baby, you have to believe your husband. Your husband will definitely want you.” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng helped Lin Jia Bao up and had him sit on the edge of the bed.

Under Lin Jia Bao’s gaze, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng slowly knelt down on one knee, “I, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng, swear that in the future I will only have you. I will only be your husband.”

Lin Jia Bao was frightened by Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s actions. He immediately stood up and tried to help Xuan Yuan Han Cheng up while crying, “Wu wu*… Your Royal Highness, don’t kneel… wu wu wu… Husband, get up, ah… wu wu wu.”

[*T/N: 呜呜 wu wu – Chinese onomatopoeia for crying sounds]

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng didn’t get up. He only held on to Lin Jia Bao’s hand and stared at Lin Jia Bao with a steady gaze filled with love, “Baby, believe me*…”

[*T/N: Here XYHC is using the very neutral first person pronoun (我 wo) that everyone uses nowadays, but for a crown prince in ancient times, it implies that he is talking to LJB as just a simple man, without any titles.]

“Wu wu… but… I’m not good…” Seeing that His Royal Highness would not get up and continuing to kneel on one knee, Lin Jia Bao cried even harder.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng still knelt resolutely, and insisted: “Baby, believe me! Baby, don’t worry, don’t doubt. I will have you feel [and experience] it. You are the most important treasure of my life.”

“I… I believe you, husband, I believe you…”

Lin Jia Bao felt his heart being filled to the brim. Both his vision and his heart were filled with his husband’s loving gaze and the promise he made to him. Lin Jia Bao was so touched. Even if His Royal Highness really got tired of him in the future, he would not regret it.