Shen Baozhu adored the little golden dragon. After showing it to everyone one by one, she was eager to visit Concubine Yun at Yunmiao Courtyard.
Watching her act like a little wild animal about to dash out impatiently, Shen Haiyan quickly grabbed the corner of her clothes. "Baozhu, where are you going?"
"To find Concubine Yun and show her my new treasure!" Shen Baozhu maintained her posture, afraid that if she was too late, Concubine Yun would turn off the lights and go to sleep.
Shen Haiyan pulled her into his arms. "What treasure? Look outside first. It's already dark. Concubine Yun must have gone to bed."
"If it weren't for waiting for you, I would have gone to sleep long ago."
Looking at the twinkling stars outside, Shen Baozhu reluctantly said, "Fine. I'll show it to Concubine Yun tomorrow then."
Shen Haiyan patted Shen Baozhu on the head. "Stop thinking about showing off your gift. Hurry back to the main courtyard. Mother has been waiting for you for a long time. Be careful or you'll get spanked."
The last sentence was said so softly by Shen Haiyan that it made Shen Baozhu alert.
All the way back, she hugged the little golden dragon tightly, her eyebrows knitted as she pondered how to avoid getting spanked.
The candlelight flickered. Princess Jingning, dressed in a nightgown made of xiangyunsha silk, sat at the table, poring over a medical book.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and a small figure threw herself at Princess Jingning's legs. The little girl in ragged clothes looked up, her smile tinged with flattery. "Mother, I helped Sister Yutang and Uncle Emperor today!"
"Uncle Emperor even thanked me and introduced a kind uncle to me!"
"Mother, am I a good girl?"
"Mother, I love you the most. Do you love me?"
Dazzled by Shen Baozhu's smile, Princess Jingning subconsciously replied, "Of course you're a good girl, and Mother loves you the most."
Receiving Princess Jingning's approval, Shen Baozhu let out a sigh of relief. Since Mother said she was a good girl, she definitely wouldn't be punished!
Seeing through Shen Baozhu's intention, Princess Jingning pressed the medical book against her forehead. "Although you're a good girl, good girls who run around without permission still have to be punished."
Shen Baozhu widened her eyes and defended herself. "I didn't run around without permission. I was helping Sister Yutang."
"You're only five years old. You should learn to ask adults for help. You'll have to recite books for an hour tomorrow." Princess Jingning said the punishment without showing any mercy.
Just recite books for an hour? She could have pastries in a few days!
Shen Baozhu thought the punishment would be no pastries, but it turned out to be just reciting books. That was so easy!
She cheered, "Okay!"
...
The next day.
Almost as soon as dawn broke, Shen Baozhu dragged Baizhi to Yunmiao Courtyard.
Baizhi watched Shen Baozhu bouncing around and not walking properly. She smiled and said, "The little princess really loves the little golden dragon. How about asking the kitchen to make some pastries in the shape of the little golden dragon in a few days?"
Because the little golden dragon looked so much like the Dragon King, in Shen Baozhu's heart, she had already regarded the little golden dragon as a substitute for the Dragon King. Holding the little golden dragon now was like having the Dragon King by her side.
Therefore, her first reaction was, "Ah? Am I going to eat the Dragon King? That doesn't seem right."
The Dragon King, who was soaring through the clouds, stopped in mid-air. He stretched out his huge dragon claw and sent a subtitle: [It's the little golden dragon, not me.]
Shen Baozhu hugged the little golden dragon tightly. "But the little golden dragon looks so much like the Dragon King. I can't bear to eat the Dragon King..."
The Dragon King leaned closer to the screen and carefully examined the little golden dragon in Shen Baozhu's arms. He concluded: [It's not as big as me, not as dazzling as me, not as handsome as me... How does it look like me!]
"You're the Dragon King, a dragon. It's a little golden dragon, also a dragon. You're a golden dragon, and it's also a golden dragon. Isn't that exactly the same?" Shen Baozhu looked down at the little golden dragon and carefully examined it too. Finally, she affirmed her thought. They were exactly the same!
This made the Dragon King so angry that he almost fell from the clouds. How could this stupid and cute thing look like him? He would never play with a small ball!
The Dragon King exhaled a puff of dragon's breath and was about to explain the difference between himself and the little golden dragon to the little cutie.
"Moreover, when I hold the little golden dragon, I feel like the Dragon King is by my side, and I'm not afraid of anything." Shen Baozhu really loved the little golden dragon. Even the small wooden sword her third brother gave her had to take second place to the little golden dragon.
Hearing this, the dragon claw paused and began to tap.
The Dragon King: [I'm the most powerful. With me around, the little cutie doesn't have to be afraid of anything!]
The Dragon King suddenly thought that the little golden dragon did look a bit like him. They were both dragons and both golden. They were exactly the same!
The Dragon King: [This little golden dragon does look a bit like me. The little cutie can keep it as a toy for now.]
Lin Yu: [It's an honor for the little golden dragon to have a third of the Dragon King's heroic appearance.]
The Dragon King was so proud that his tail was about to stick up into the sky.
Seeing that Shen Baozhu didn't like the idea of pastries in the shape of the little golden dragon, Baizhi changed the topic to the flavor. "What flavor of pastries does the little princess like the most? I'll prepare them early."
Shen Baozhu thought carefully. "Very sweet. So sweet it's cloying!"
Most of the dishes in the capital were delicate and light. There were only a few sweet dishes. After being banned from having pastries for a month, Shen Baozhu missed the sweet taste very much. The sweeter, the better.
Baizhi agreed and started thinking about the accompanying drink. Mellow green tea would be a good choice to cut the sweetness.
The two chatted about food all the way and soon arrived at Yunmiao Courtyard.
The morning sun shone into the courtyard and fell on the dancing figure. The figure was light and the dance was graceful. Even without music, it was obvious that Concubine Yun was an excellent dancer.
Concubine Yun was concentrating on practicing her dance and didn't notice Shen Baozhu and Baizhi at the courtyard gate. It wasn't until the dance was over and she caught a glimpse of Baizhi's face from the corner of her eye that she stopped. Seeing Shen Baozhu with Baizhi, Concubine Yun was even more delighted.
Shen Baozhu rushed towards Concubine Yun. "Auntie, you're so beautiful!"
Concubine Yun caught Shen Baozhu steadily and led her into the house. "Your mouth is getting sweeter, Baozhu. Did you guess that Auntie finished embroidering the little dress and come to try it on?"
"Of course not! I love Auntie because everyone loves beauty!" Shen Baozhu couldn't wait to go into the house and introduce her little golden dragon to Concubine Yun.
The Dragon King: [Concubine Yun can dance too? She can embroider and dance. Why does she have to be Shen Yunfeng's concubine and be treated as a substitute?]
At first, because Concubine Yun often came to accompany Shen Baozhu and gave her beautiful clothes, the Dragon King thought Concubine Yun was Princess Jingning's sister. It was only after Lin Yu's explanation that he knew she was Shen Yunfeng's concubine.
Lin Yu: [She's a dancer. She doesn't have a choice.]
The Dragon King thought of Shen Yunfeng and was about to ask if Shen Yunfeng was dead when the subtitle was blocked by the system again.
It turned out that because the Dragon King talked too much inappropriately, the system paid special attention to him. The Dragon King had many blocked sentences. For example, Shen Yunfeng was the host's father. If the Dragon King asked about his death, it might have a bad influence on the underage host.
The Dragon King: [Little cutie, how is Shen Yunfeng?]
The Dragon King had to delete and modify his words several times before finally sending this sentence.
Shen Baozhu didn't know. She asked Concubine Yun, "Auntie, how is Father now?"
Concubine Yun was holding the clothes and comparing them to Shen Baozhu's body. She didn't even look up. "Dead, I guess."
"By the way, Baozhu, Auntie has to thank you. If it weren't for the ointment you brought, Auntie wouldn't have recovered so quickly."
Mentioning the ointment, Shen Baozhu forgot about her father. "Brother Lin Yu's ointment is really amazing. Sister Ruxia's scar is almost gone."