In the following days, not much changed, and what surprised Jiang Ling was how unexpectedly calm the villain had become. Apart from not having seen Chu Wenyu’s true face and not being allowed to touch his leg, he seemed to be obedient in many other aspects, of course, due to being pampered obediently.
However, it’s still different from the violent and irritable character described in the book. This made Jiang Ling almost have no bias against Chu Wenyu anymore. Of course, it would be even better if Chu Wenyu could release him safely in the future, preventing him from becoming cannon fodder.
There were downsides too. Most of his time was squeezed by the villain, no different from dealing with a modern capitalist. Even when the villain didn’t need any help at all, he would still make him sit nearby with a stern face. This left Jiang Ling with little time to explore the mysteries of the spiritual power in this world during his nightly rest. He had found some introductory books on therapists from famous academies on the Star Network and spent several hours each night studying them. However, due to the lack of practice, he wasn’t sure how far he had progressed.
Just like now, Chu Wenyu was reading in the study, and Jiang Ling could only sit by and accompany him. Due to his identity as a hostage, he had to select some popular books to read in order not to arouse suspicion. Nonetheless, it was quite interesting, even more relaxing than his life in modern times.
Jiang Ling was engrossed in an exciting part of the book when suddenly, a white, transparent hand appeared in his line of sight, lightly tapping on the desk.
He looked up and saw Chu Wenyu propping his chin, requesting, “I’m thirsty,” while continuously gazing at Jiang Ling. His pitch-black eyes seemed devoid of emotion, but Jiang Ling, who had become familiar with the villain, could tell that something was bothering him.
Jiang Ling went to the water dispenser and poured some warm water, placing it on the desk in front of Chu Wenyu. He completed all these actions in less than a minute.
It was hard for Jiang Ling to feel any resentment toward the villain for his trivial requests because these things were effortless for him; he could easily do them for his friends. But for Chu Wenyu, it took considerable effort.
Instead, a sense of pity began to grow.
Having completed the task, Jiang Ling continued to pick up his book, unaware of the increasing dissatisfaction of the monarch sitting beside him.
Chu Wenyu glanced at the book in Jiang Ling’s hand, an uncomfortable emotion filling his chest. It made him want to rudely interrupt Jiang Ling. He didn’t like how seriously the hostage was treating anything other than himself.
He reached out and took the book, his voice cool as he asked, “What’s so interesting about this book?”
Jiang Ling: …
He was wrong; this villain was just as annoying as his relatives’ mischievous children.
However, the monarch didn’t have much time to torment Jiang Ling further as someone was requesting an audience outside the study.
Chu Wenyu’s demeanor shifted, and an aura of authority suddenly emanated from him. He gestured for the person to enter while remaining in his wheelchair.
After a moment, Jiang Ling recognized a familiar figure—it was Wilson, the villain’s chief guard. Wilson ignored Jiang Ling and first paid his respects to Chu Wenyu before mentioning the matter of the upcoming banquet.
“Your Majesty, do you wish to have unrelated persons removed?” Wilson shamelessly stated.
Maige was an issue Chu Wenyu had personally dealt with, but Wilson had blamed Jiang Ling for it. If it weren’t for this lowly hostage seducing Maige, such an incident would never have occurred. Moreover, he hadn’t expected that the other party would shamelessly hook up with the monarch.
Wilson knew that with his martial strength and family influence, it would be impossible for the monarch to blame him in any significant way, so his hostility toward Jiang Ling became quite obvious.
The arrangement of the banquet was naturally a matter of royal secrecy, and Chu Wenyu didn’t pamper Jiang Ling to that extent. He did find Wilson’s enthusiasm a bit excessive, but instead of saying anything, he gestured for Jiang Ling to leave first.
Sometimes, it was necessary not to spoil someone too much, or they might become arrogant, even daring to disregard him when they were by his side.
Chu Wenyu’s intention was to remind Jiang Ling that on this territory, the other party was no longer a lofty prince but had to rely on him for survival.
Jiang Ling furrowed his brow, finding this whole situation rather baffling. It was as if they were implying that he insisted on staying here. He indeed didn’t like Wilson’s overbearing ways, so he decided to play along with the villain for a short while, even if he understood the villain’s intentions were quite normal.
Nevertheless, this was an opportunity. He hadn’t had much chance to explore the palace, and this newfound freedom was rare.
As he passed by the garden filled with fragrant flowers and the clear water flowing from the fountain, he noticed what seemed to be a small creature nearby.
Curious, Jiang Ling approached and discovered it was a small cat, cream-colored and incredibly cute. He couldn’t tell if it had an owner, but judging by its frail appearance, things weren’t looking good.
Glancing around and not seeing any suspicious owners, Jiang Ling gently picked up the little cat. He had a soft spot for animals, having kept a small cat in his past life, so he found them particularly endearing, even making that rather unattractive robot from before seem cuter.
The cat didn’t have any visible injuries, but something was definitely amiss. Strangely, Jiang Ling sensed a kind of spiritual energy from the animal, though it seemed scattered and disorderly.
Could the healing methods he had been learning over the past few days work on animals too?
With this thought in mind and concerned that the cat might not withstand prolonged spiritual disorder, Jiang Ling tentatively began reciting a mantra in his mind. Slowly, he channeled his spiritual energy to his palm and then gently stroked the cat’s fur.
The cat’s eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting this human to make it feel comfortable. After a while, it closed its eyes and nestled in Jiang Ling’s arms, appearing to thoroughly enjoy the experience.
After this brief treatment, Jiang Ling felt warmth in his palm. He wasn’t sure if it had worked, as this was merely the most basic technique, and he hadn’t fully grasped it yet. However, judging by the cat’s blinking eyes, it seemed to be in better shape than before.
Leaving a stray cat to wander was out of the question. Jiang Ling decided to inquire among the palace staff to find out who owned it.
Sensing Jiang Ling was about to get up, the cat quickly hopped down and rubbed against his legs. Then, it darted off in a specific direction, showing remarkable intelligence. Jiang Ling wasn’t sure where it was leading him, but he had time to spare, and the villain’s conversation wasn’t going to end anytime soon. So, he followed the cat.
Before long, the cat led him to a small villa and started darting inside.
Jiang Ling had never been here, and it was quite a distance from Chu Wenyu’s main hall. Besides, he wasn’t familiar with the palace’s layout and didn’t know who lived here. But it was likely the cat’s owner, and now that the cat was safe, there was no need for him to go in.
As he was about to turn and leave, a young girl carrying the stuffed cat hurriedly emerged. She appeared frail.
“Did you find my Nao Nao by the fountain?” the girl asked.
“Yes, I found it by the fountain,” Jiang Ling replied.
She rubbed the lively kitten’s face, smiling as she said, “It hasn’t been feeling well these past few days, and I didn’t expect it to sneak out. Thank you.” She had consulted several therapists for Nao Nao, but they all seemed helpless, as if Nao Nao had some incurable illness. Yet, a short trip outside seemed to do the trick; it appeared those were all quacks.
In the following conversation, Jiang Ling learned that the girl was Princess Anna, the daughter of the Eldest Princess, who had moved in early because of an upcoming banquet. Although he didn’t understand why they were all called princesses, they were clearly members of the royal family, the opposite of his original identity.
Jiang Ling simply wanted the little cat to find its owner, so he politely declined Princess Anna’s invitation to come inside for a while. Besides, it was getting late, and he needed to return; otherwise, he might become cannon fodder tonight.
However, he was satisfied to discover that he had indeed picked up some basic healing skills, even if it was only effective on a small cat, and perhaps not that difficult after all.
He didn’t mention his act of healing the kitten, as his current identity was still that of a powerless hostage.
Upon his return, he saw a group of palace maids standing glumly outside the palace, casting a somewhat sympathetic glance his way.
A senior maid whispered, “Your Highness, His Majesty… is waiting for you inside.”
Jiang Ling pushed the door open as usual, only to find the monarch looking extremely displeased, which made his heart skip a beat.
Before he could take more than a few steps, Chu Wenyu asked in a low, angry voice, “Where did you go?” His voice was filled with fury.
“Just strolled around,” Jiang Ling replied, maintaining eye contact. There was no need to back down; if the other party didn’t need him, what was wrong with moving freely?
The monarch, who was still a little worried that the Alpha would lose his temper, quickly finished the conversation with Wilson, he had only intended to give Jiang Ling a warning, not to actually make him angry. However, when he rushed Wilson away, there was no sign of Jiang Ling outside the study.
So now Jiang Ling had returned, but the guards sent by Chu Wenyu were still on their way to find someone.
The monarch, sitting alone in the palace, went through a series of emotions, from anger to reflection. He felt that he might have hurt Jiang Ling’s feelings, but at the same time, he believed Jiang Ling had no right to throw a tantrum. Ultimately, he waited in silence for his attendants.
“I didn’t consider your feelings today. Don’t throw tantrums next time,” Chu Wenyu said, pursing his lips and looking somewhat annoyed.
“Your Majesty, there’s no issue. But if you’re worried about not finding me, you could inform me of when you need me to return before you send me away,” Jiang Ling suggested, offering him a schedule to manage his time more effectively.
Chu Wenyu, thinking the young Alpha was still sulking, found it extremely troublesome but had to coax him, so he grumpily motioned for him to come closer.
“Only you can serve me so close.”
No one can be closer to himself than he is.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
