Becoming Puppet Emperor of a Paranoid Eunuch - Chapter 134

Wu Jing’s eyes suddenly widened as he watched the doorknob turn. Realizing what was happening, he scrambled off Ning Qinghong and rushed to the door to block it.

His mind went blank as he tried to figure out how to explain to his mother that a person had suddenly appeared in his room out of nowhere.

The boy stammered, “Mom, wait a moment! I… I’m changing my clothes.”

Madam Wu paused, worried, and said, “Alright, I’ll wait.”

Wu Jing let out a sigh of relief, then turned to look at the person leaning against his chair. Panic set in again, and he had no idea what to do.

Ning Qinghong paused and lifted his eyes slightly.

Wu Jing saw that Ning Qinghong was about to say something and, like a little firecracker, he dashed into his arms, nervously covering Ning Qinghong’s lips with his palms. He whispered in a voice so soft it was almost just a breath, “Brother, please don’t speak right now.”

Ning Qinghong looked down at the boy in his arms.

Wu Jing’s eyes were overflowing with pleading; he was both guilty and terrified, his heart pounding so hard he thought it might burst. He was scared to death, but he couldn’t muster the courage to ask. After gathering his thoughts, he finally spoke, “The person outside is my family, but… Brother, you suddenly appeared in my room, and I don’t know how to explain this to my mom. I… you—”

Wu Jing laid out a long, hesitant explanation and then cautiously asked, “Could you possibly hide in the bathroom… the small room, just for a bit?”

Ning Qinghong squinted his eyes slightly and smiled, replying softly, “Wuwu earlier said you wanted Brother to meet your family and friends.”

Wu Jing climbed off Ning Qinghong, hugged his arm tightly, and desperately tried to pull him up. Afraid of being overheard, he whispered so quietly, “Please, please, I’m begging you.”

Not satisfied with just that, he leaned forward and kissed Ning Qinghong several times on the cheek, making little smooching sounds, “Brother?”

Finally, he clung to Ning Qinghong’s arm and tried to drag him towards the bathroom. But being too weak to move him, he ended up squatting on the floor, pleading, “Please, Brother.”

Ning Qinghong sighed half-heartedly, picked Wu Jing up, and said, “Wuwu, go open the door.”

Wu Jing’s eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly. He watched as Ning Qinghong slowly stood up, leaning on the chair for support, and walked to the bathroom unhurriedly. Wu Jing gave him another grateful kiss, “Thank you, Brother.”

After saying that, he quickly closed the bathroom door and ran to open his bedroom door.

“Mom? Last night… I was wearing headphones playing games, so I didn’t hear anything. I did go downstairs to eat, but the housekeeper must have gone home by then, so she didn’t see me.” Wu Jing lied through his teeth, feeling a bit guilty but pressing on, “I stayed up late last night, so I slept in today.”

Madam Wu asked, “Playing games?” It was clear that as a mother, she knew her child well. She asked suspiciously, “Since when did you get so hooked on games?”

Her tone had a hint of skepticism and was more serious than usual.

Madam Wu walked into Wu Jing’s room and looked around. “You used to get up early, and you didn’t play games much.” She muttered to herself, noticing the closed bathroom door and was about to say something but got distracted.

Wu Jing was so nervous his heart nearly jumped out of his chest. “It’s been a rare holiday, so I played a bit more.” He racked his brain for an excuse, “Mom, has the temperature dropped again? I’ve been feeling cold at night. Should we change to a thicker blanket?”

Madam Wu quickly walked to the bed and touched the thin blanket, commenting, “I told you not to get too cool before. Alright, I’ll have the housekeeper change it for you.”

Wu Jing nodded quickly, “Mom, you’re the best!” He smiled, trying to usher her out of the room. But before he could do anything, his mother said, “You didn’t eat lunch either. I’ve had the housekeeper keep the food warm for you. Go downstairs and eat.”

Wu Jing hesitated, glancing nervously at the bathroom, “I… Mom, I haven’t finished my game. Can I bring the food up here?”

Madam Wu frowned, “What do you think?”

Wu Jing pouted, “Fine.”

He pushed his mother out the door, turning back every few steps, his heart filled with guilt and fear for leaving Ning Qinghong behind. He forced himself to close the bedroom door.

Wu Jing followed her downstairs, eating while secretly watching his mother’s movements, trying to sound her out. “Mom, are you going out today?”

But it wasn’t exactly subtle; his thoughts were written all over his face.

Madam Wu replied, “Yes, I am. Why?”

Wu Jing’s eyes lit up. “When are you heading out, Mom?”

Madam Wu glanced at the time. “Soon, I’m heading to the office to work overtime. Your dad’s waiting for me there.”

Wu Jing’s pace of eating slowed down, and he breathed a sigh of relief. When his mom was finally about to leave, he quickly stood up, eager to send her out the door, terrified she might discover that he had hidden someone in his room.

Just as his mom was about to leave, Wu Jing said, “Goodbye, Mom,” but instinctively glanced back.

At the top of the winding black wooden staircase, Ning Qinghong stood tall and graceful, his snow-white robe trailing on the floor. The dark crane patterns embroidered in gold and silver on his long robe were illuminated clearly by the crystal chandelier that spanned three floors. He looked down calmly at the scene below.

He had clearly come out looking for Wu Jing.

Wu Jing’s eyes widened, and he swallowed nervously.

Madam Wu, who was ahead, smiled and said, “How considerate of you, Xiao Jing. Hmm? I think I forgot to take a file.”

She checked her bag and was about to turn back.

Wu Jing’s breath nearly stopped. “Mom!” He quickly rushed forward, blocking her path. “What file? I’ll get it for you.”

Madam Wu smiled, “It’s on the desk. I’ll wait here for you.”

Wu Jing responded with a couple of “Mm-hmm”s, left the door ajar, and dashed upstairs. “Brother, wait for me in the room. I’ll be back in a second!” He was so afraid of being found out that he didn’t dare to look at Ning Qinghong. He grabbed the file from the desk, hurried back downstairs, and handed it over to his mother at the front door.

After finally seeing his mom off and closing the door behind her, Wu Jing returned to find that Ning Qinghong had left the staircase. He was now calmly sitting in the living room on a sandalwood South Official’s Hat chair, silently playing with a cup he had picked up from the tea table.

The house had a traditional Chinese decor, and the living room followed this style.

Wu Jing cautiously inched closer. “Brother, are you hungry?”

Ning Qinghong smiled. “Not as hungry as you, Wuwu.”

Wu Jing tested the waters. “How about I take you to eat something delicious?”

He began imagining all sorts of foods—hot pot, barbecue, sukiyaki, Thai curry, Japanese sushi. Just thinking about it made Wu Jing’s mouth water, his eyes bright, his mind and heart full of Ning Qinghong.

He thought about making the most of these three days to show Ning Qinghong all the things he hadn’t seen before and to eat lots of delicious foods that weren’t available where he came from.

Wu Jing wanted to share all the best experiences and things with the person he liked.

Knowing that the housekeeper would be napping at this hour and no one else was home, and since his family didn’t have a habit of installing indoor surveillance cameras, Wu Jing felt secure enough to snuggle into Ning Qinghong’s arms. He knelt on Ning Qinghong’s lap, his bare legs—only covered by a pair of shorts—pressed together, soft and tender.

With a relaxed posture, his warm body leaned in, rubbing affectionately against Ning Qinghong. The first thing he said was, “I have lots and lots of money.”

It was pocket money his parents had given him over time, but Wu Jing rarely bought things for himself. He had saved up every penny for a long time, and now it had accumulated into a small fortune—his secret stash that finally had a purpose.

Ning Qinghong was silent for a moment before he softly replied, “Hmm?”

Wu Jing’s eyes were still sparkling, and there was even a hint of excitement in them. He was brimming with enthusiasm, nearly counting on his fingers as he spoke. “I can take Brother to eat all sorts of fancy meals, buy you the latest phones and computers, teach you how to use them, take you to the best doctors, and get the best medicine…”

His mouth kept going, non-stop.

Wu Jing was certain that since it was Ning Qinghong’s first time here, he wouldn’t know much about anything. So, he naturally took on the role of a tour guide. “Brother, don’t worry… but because you don’t have any identification here, I can’t take you to other places.”

Like other cities or countries.

“Brother, what do you think of the clothes here? How about we go shopping for some new outfits?”