A little pink pig?
Ling Shan was stunned.
Doubts welled up in her mind. Was it her own mind that had gone awry?
Or was it Jun Wuyuan's?
She had been imagining all the way what a wonderful and extraordinary gift it would be, but the result...
[Shanshan must be extremely surprised and happy. I didn't expect to find such a little thing in a litter of wild boars. It looks like a real little pig with its pink color.]
Raising it might not be a bad idea.
Ling Shan rolled her eyes mentally.
She was indeed surprised.
The kind of surprise that left her stunned!
She never thought that Jun Wuyuan was so obsessed with good looks that he even had to pick the prettiest wild piglet as a gift for her.
But...
No matter how pretty it was, it was still a pig!
Who in their right mind would want to raise it?
Ling Shan simply couldn't understand Jun Wuyuan's strange thought process.
When other proper boyfriends give gifts to their girlfriends, don't they usually give flowers and jewelry?
Even if they want to give a small pet, it's usually a puppy or a kitten.
How come it became a little pink pig in her case?
If she couldn't hear Jun Wuyuan's inner thoughts, Ling Shan would really suspect that he was deliberately trying to make fun of her.
But he wasn't!
Worse still, he was being completely sincere!
Ling Shan felt as if she had swallowed a fly. It was stuck in her throat, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.
If she accepted it, she would be unhappy.
If she didn't accept it, Jun Wuyuan would be unhappy.
Wouldn't all the time and effort she had spent these days go to waste?
Regardless of whether she liked the gift or not, at least Jun Wuyuan's intention was to make her happy.
She couldn't let him down when it came to emotional support, could she?
"Your Majesty, where did you find it? It's so cute!"
Ling Shan put on a surprised look on her face and complimented it against her will.
Jun Wuyuan stepped forward and carried Ling Shan off the horse with one hand. His eyes were soft, and his tone was extremely gentle.
"Does Shanshan like it?"
He had gone through so much trouble and spent a great deal of effort to finally find this good - looking little piglet from a group of wild boars.
Compared to that ugly black wild boar, Shanshan should have no difficulty making a choice.
Ling Shan: "..."
Well, even though it was pretty, it was still a pig, wasn't it?
Ling Shan felt really pained.
If it weren't for Jun Wuyuan...
She really didn't want to raise it!
What would people think of her if word got out?
"I like it." I like it so much I could die!
Ling Shan reluctantly shifted her gaze from the little pink pig to Jun Wuyuan's handsome face. Her mood finally eased a bit.
She regretted ever mentioning hunting wild boars. In the end, she was the one who suffered.
"I'm glad Shanshan likes it. I'll have someone take it back. We'll raise it in Jiuzhou Qingyan. What do you think?"
[What was that saying? A living token of love. Who can match that?]
Ling Shan: "..."
Are you even listening to what you're saying?
Who wants to compete with you on this kind of token of love!
She was really speechless.
"That's great."
Ling Shan forced a smile. "As long as I see the little piggy, I'll think of Your Majesty."
Jun Wuyuan nodded in satisfaction and reached out to ruffle Ling Shan's hair.
The smile on Ling Shan's face was almost frozen. Her initial excitement had faded away bit by bit.
She chatted with Jun Wuyuan for a while, covering everything from naming the piglet to its diet and habits.
Ling Shan began to doubt her own judgment. Was this really right?
Thankfully, the little pink pig was soon taken away.
Ling Shan let out a sigh of relief. Then she found herself being carried onto the horse again, but it was clearly not in the direction of the imperial tent.
"Your Majesty, where are we going?"
Ling Shan's heart skipped a beat, and a glimmer of joy welled up inside her.
"I'm taking you out to have fun. Aren't you even happier now?"
Ling Shan's eyes lit up. She turned around and stared at Jun Wuyuan with bright eyes, nodding repeatedly.
Jun Wuyuan's lips curled up slightly. He ruffled her hair and rode away on the horse.
[It's the perfect time to watch a good show!]
Ling Shan's eyes flashed.
They galloped through the mountains and forests, then took a country road and headed towards the nearest town. The sounds of hustle and bustle gradually grew louder.
They stopped outside the city gate. Jun Wuyuan carried Ling Shan down from the horse, straightened his clothes, and led her by the hand into the city.
"Your Majesty, is this the good thing you mentioned before?"
Ling Shan's mind started to work. If her guess was right, wouldn't the Queen Mother and the Grand Tutor of the King be extremely angry?
"Shanshan is really smart."
[I've been setting up this situation for so long. It's time to reap the rewards regarding the Jiangzhou incident.]
"It's all because Your Majesty has great foresight and wisdom."
Ling Shan's praise was sincere. Looking back on what had happened in the past two months, the Wang family and the Queen Mother had been steadily losing ground and giving up their interests little by little.
They had fallen into Jun Wuyuan's trap step by step without even realizing it.
Ling Shan's eyes were so bright as she stared at him that Jun Wuyuan's lips couldn't help but curl up.
"It's thanks to Shanshan's good cooperation. I'll treat you to a good show later."
Jun Wuyuan's eyes curved into a smile, and he reached out to touch Ling Shan's head.
—
The streets in the city were lined with various stalls. The East Market was extremely lively. There were people guessing lantern riddles, playing arrow - throwing games, archery, and selling all kinds of small and curious ornaments...
The West Market was filled with delicious smells. There were roasted and marinated meats, steamed and fried snacks, cold drinks, and noodles. Everything was available.
On both sides of the wide bluestone streets were shops and peddlers. The crowd was bustling, carriages and horses came and went, and the cries of peddlers never stopped.
In the Central Market area, there were continuous applause. There were acrobats performing, animal trainers making animals jump through hoops of fire, and even Huji dancers. There was also a young girl selling herself to bury her father...
Since Ling Shan came to this world, it was the first time she had seen such a lively and down - to - earth bustling market.
Her eyes, which had been used to the magnificent palace for so long, were now full of wonder. Everywhere she looked seemed amazing, and her eyes were filled with joy.
Jun Wuyuan followed behind her, looking at her with a doting smile in his eyes. Whenever Ling Shan's gaze stopped on something, he would just wave his hand.
The guiding principle was just one word: buy!
When passers - by saw this grand gentleman's behavior and then looked at their celestial - like appearance and demeanor, they couldn't help but be envious and amazed.
Ling Shan didn't pay attention to anything else. Her eyes were now attracted by a pair of hands that could be called magical.
Those hands were not fair and beautiful. They were even covered with wrinkles, indicating that their owner was an elderly person.
However, those hands seemed to have magic. In just a short moment, they had molded a lifelike little figure.
"Do you like it?"