Ge Nianlan felt that Ling Tong’s words were concealing the truth. However, when he looked at her expressionless face, he couldn’t find it in himself to argue. Well, if the two of them did dislike each other, then Ge Nianlan would surely find out the true story eventually, right?

“Is there anyone else I should be…cautious around?” Ge Nianlan asked.

Ling Tong silently observed Ge Nianlan for a moment.

In her memory, the boy before her had always been naïve and foolish. It wasn’t just because his intelligence did not match the children at his age—after all, it was more akin to that of a two-year-old—but also because he was the type to blindly follow anyone who was kind to him. Little did he know that many of his father’s trusted subordinates disliked him for being the way he was. Although the Saints knew to rein in their own feelings more than the others, there were quite a few who still disliked that Ge Jinsheng treated this useless son of his so dearly, even going as far as to put his own safety after this child.

But something had clearly changed. Suddenly, the child was more astute. He was clumsy in some ways, as if he hadn’t adjusted to human society yet, but he was treading carefully. He was seeking information and he was navigating around subjects that were meant to be avoided.

“Ling Tong?” Ge Nianlan cautiously prompted.

“Lord Guan, Lord Wen, and Nie Chenhui have reservations about you, Young Lord,” Ling Tong said. “As do the heads of the Three Great Clans and the lords of the Four Cardinal Directions.”

Ge Nianlan stiffened. That was a total of ten very important people who didn’t like him!

“And why is that?”

“Because they look down on those who do not reach their expectations,” Ling Tong honestly replied. “His Excellency is a great ruler and an even greater cultivator. They had high expectations for his offspring.”

“I…see.”

But it wasn’t Ge Nianlan’s fault that he couldn’t reach their expectations. For him to have recovered from his ailment was an unbelievable miracle. If this had never happened, he would have never even had a chance to win their approval!

The thought irritated him. He found a bud of resentment slowly growing in his heart.

Ling Tong watched Ge Nianlan’s expression cloud over. She let her gaze fall to the ground. “Young Lord need not worry about them.”

“…Huh?”

“Young Lord, you have His Excellency by your side,” Ling Tong explained. “Even if you spend your life in mediocrity, no one would dare say a word.”

Ge Nianlan stared at Ling Tong for a long time as understanding gnawed at him.

In this world, only the strong thrived. And if a weak person had someone strong to back them up, they would be able to survive. But was surviving all that Ge Nianlan wanted to do?

No. That was wishful thinking. Even if he had someone strong behind him, it wasn’t enough. There might be a time when that person leaves him or, even worse, is forcibly taken from him. So, he had to be strong in his own right. That was the only way that people would not look down on him.

“You’re nicer than I thought,” Ge Nianlan said.

Ling Tong looked at him steadily. “I haven’t said anything nice.”

Ge Nianlan smiled. “Ling Tong, I think I quite like you.”

Ling Tong’s expressionless face showed a flicker of discomfort. “Young Lord, you do not need to pander to me.”

“Is that what you think I’m doing?” Ge Nianlan asked. “I’m being sincere.”

Ling Tong and Ge Nianlan had a silent standoff.

At this moment, the puppet jing felt that this child, who seemed to have gone through a rebirth, was quite terrifying.

“Don’t hide when you guard me,” Ge Nianlan said. “Let’s be proper friends!”

…To be more specific, it was the enthusiastic glimmer in Ge Nianlan’s eyes that terrified Ling Tong.

“That is not allowed,” Ling Tong lied.

“Huh? Why not?” Ge Nianlan pouted. He shifted closer. “Luo-gege is allowed to be seen!”

“I just dislike humans,” Ling Tong said.

Ge Nianlan thought about it for a moment before he reached his own understanding. “Oh! So, that’s why you expressed an opinion on Lord Nie! Because he also isn’t human! So, you actually do get along with him.”

…The enthusiastic glimmer in the child’s eyes wasn’t the only thing that was terrifying. It turned out the boy’s power of association was also quite horrible.

“No.”

“No what?” Ge Nianlan asked.

“I…don’t…”

“You don’t like Lord Nie?” Ge Nianlan asked.

“No, I…” Ling Tong’s words fizzled out.

In her hundreds of years living among humans, she had met many types of people, but she was ashamed to say that they were all the sordid type. When faced with this kind of pure child, she couldn’t find any of the correct words. However, after observing him closely for another few seconds, Ling Tong finally sighed.

“Young Lord, you are teasing me,” Ling Tong said.

Ge Nianlan grinned. “I’m being sincere.”

“If the Young Lord has no more questions, then Ling Tong shall take her leave.”

Ge Nianlan didn’t try to keep her. He hummed casually and watched her leave.

When the doors closed, his smile faded slightly. He rested his head against the bedpost beside him. His fingers pinched at the sheets in front of him and his mind raced a mile a minute. He needed to learn more about how this world worked and fast. He had clearly been living in a greenhouse for a long time, carefully coddled and protected by Ge Jinsheng. But now, things are different. Even if it weren’t for the future that he saw, he shouldn’t spend the rest of his life this ignorant.

“Eight Saints, Three Great Clans, Lords of the Four Cardinal Directions,” Ge Nianlan murmured.

He had vague memories about the Saints, but only because they would sarcastically refer to each other by their titles when they were displeased with one another. The Three Great Clans were people he knew nothing about. As for the Lords of the Four Cardinal Directions, Ge Nianlan had never even heard of them.

If he wanted to do more than survive, then he had to stay informed.

A soft yawn left his lips. He rubbed his eyes and settled back down into his bed. He was still ill, so it would be better for him if he rested for now.

Although he had yet to experience the horrific future he saw, Ge Nianlan couldn’t help but think about how long it had been since he had gotten to lay in a nice soft bed. It had to have been about three to four years, right?

He took a deep breath under the sheets and squeezed his eyes shut. The loneliness and hurt that he was forced to experience in a flash of only a few seconds burrowed itself deeply in his memories, creating new fear and doubt. He had to try hard to keep a grasp on his sense of self. Otherwise, he might let the useless thoughts of a future that had yet to take place, ruin his mind.

As he clung to these conflicting anxieties and false relief, Ge Nianlan slowly drifted off to sleep.

And after a week of mandated bedrest, Ge Nianlan was fully recovered.

The moment his eyes opened, the day after this mandate was lifted, Ge Nianlan hopped from his bed and got washed up all by himself. By the time the maids came in to help him bathe and wash his face, Ge Nianlan had already put his hair up into a ponytail. He glanced at the shocked maids who came in and smiled brightly.

“Big sisters! Good morning!”

The maids looked like they had seen a ghost. One by one, they dropped to the ground and pressed their heads to the floor.

“Young Lord, it was our negligence! We came too late and were unable to he—”

Ge Nianlan jogged over and looked at them curiously. “What are you all doing?”

The maids fell silent, but they glanced at each other as they quivered in fear.

Ge Nianlan squatted down in front of them. “Do you think I’m angry?”

When he did not receive a response, he rested his cheek against his hand. “I’m not angry. Why would I be?”

“B-because we failed to do our duties to serve you, Young Lord,” the maid at the front said.

The innocent look in Ge Nianlan’s gaze faded slightly, but his tone of voice remained just as naïve. “Failed to serve me? But I just wanted to get ready on my own. Did I…do a bad job?”

“No! Not at all, Young Lord!” the maid quickly replied.

Ge Nianlan giggled. “That’s good! Um, I think you should all get up. It’s not good to stay on the floor.”

Saying that, Ge Nianlan stood as well. He looked at the maids curiously as they all stood one by one. He grinned. “I think I can dress myself in the mornings from now on.”

The maids glanced at each other in shock.

“B-but Young Lord, you are a person of high status. It is only fitting if we serve—”

“But I’m really okay,” Ge Nianlan said. He held out his arms. “See? I’m dressed!”

With the artificial memories he obtained from the cursed artifact, Ge Nianlan had learned a lot of things. In those recesses of knowledge, he had also learned simple life skills.

He looked up at the maids with a shining smile. “Didn’t I do well?”

Seeing such an adorable smile on an equally as adorable child, the maids could feel their own fear draining away. The maids giggled and nodded in unison.

“Yes, Young Lord. You did very well!”