I Don't Want to Be a Charmboy【Quick Wear】

Chapter 380 His Highness the Crown Prince is Outstandingly Talented (8)

Lin Shen teased the little dumpling in the cradle for a while, watching it babble and puff up like a bun because of his "harassment," but it was powerless to resist. He felt increasingly happy.

He was seized by a playful impulse and took off a small, exquisite, red-gold longevity lock engraved with auspicious cloud patterns from around his neck.

This gold lock was a gift from his father when he was one year old, and he always wore it close to his body.

He waved the little golden lock in front of the fourth prince, and its bright, sparkling light indeed attracted the little boy's attention. His big, dark eyes followed the golden lock.

Lin Shen smiled, bent down and carefully placed the gold lock around the Fourth Prince's slender neck. The gold lock rested on the soft swaddling clothes, making the little baby look even more adorable.

"Fourth brother, you must wear my golden lock," Lin Shen pointed at the golden lock with his chubby fingers, giving it a wise and old-fashioned instruction, as if entrusting it with some important mission, "Wear it and stay safe and sound."

The fourth prince was utterly devastated. Who wanted this annoying thing!

He wanted to tear off the damn gold lock and throw it away, but the baby's fingers wouldn't obey him. He could only wave his little fists in vain and make even more urgent "ah ah" sounds to protest.

Lin Shen took his reaction as "delight" and nodded in satisfaction.

Feeling that today's "inspection" had been quite fruitful, and that he had had his fill of fun and rewards, he stopped lingering, turned around, and, still with that same proud and arrogant demeanor, strode out of the inner palace, leaving behind only the fourth prince, who was practically fuming with anger, and that heavy, gleaming golden lock.

Seeing that the little devil had finally left, Lady Jin hurriedly went into the inner palace and immediately noticed the precious ornament that had appeared around her son's neck. Her feelings were complicated.

It was both anger at the Crown Prince's rudeness and a hint of... perhaps an expectation of currying favor with the Eastern Palace.

She touched the gold lock carefully, but ultimately didn't dare to take it off.

Lin Shen walked leisurely towards the East Palace with his hands behind his back. Just as he rounded a rockery in the Imperial Garden, he bumped into the First Prince Lin Zhi, who was looking around.

When Lin Zhiyi saw him, her eyes lit up at first, but then she awkwardly frowned and took a few steps to greet him, her tone carrying a hint of imperceptible anxiety and resentment.

"Where have you been? I went to the East Palace to look for you, but the palace servants said you weren't there."

He didn't know why he felt so uneasy. He had argued with him every day in his past life, and now that he couldn't find him, he felt a little empty.

Lin Shen blinked his clear, big eyes, somewhat confused by Lin Zhi's inexplicable "check-up" behavior, but still told him the truth.

"I went to see my fourth brother."

"Fourth brother?"

Lin Zhi's brows furrowed instantly, and her voice suddenly rose in pitch.

Upon hearing the words "Fourth Brother," Lin Zhi's mind went blank, and those unbearable images from his past life surged back.

The Crown Princess and the Fourth Prince were having an affair. How did the seemingly timid Fourth Prince have an affair with the Crown Princess after his death? And the child that Lin Shen cherished and eventually made the Crown Prince's grandson was actually the Fourth Prince's bloodline!

This bright green hat not only adorned Lin Shen's head, but also nailed Lin Shen and his Eastern Palace faction to the pillar of shame, making them a laughingstock of the world.

In his past life, Lin Zhi and Lin Shen were rivals who couldn't stand each other and fought for power and profit by their own means. However, he believed that he acted with integrity and that he used open and aboveboard tactics to fight for justice.

The behavior of the Fourth Prince, who hides in the shadows and uses such despicable means to scheme against his brothers and confuse the royal bloodline, is what he despises and hates the most!

In the end, the fourth brother was killed by Lin Shen in a fit of rage. In Lin Zhi's opinion, he died a worthy death and was not unjust at all!

Thinking about it this way, a nameless anger surged up. She was angry at her fourth brother's insidious and despicable behavior, and also annoyed at Lin Shen's oblivious and even "cute" appearance at this moment! Couldn't he see that the mother and son would be a disaster in the future?

He took a deep breath, suppressed his turbulent emotions, and with an unprecedented seriousness and urgency in his tone, grabbed Lin Shen's small arm.

"Why are you going to see him! Stay away from him from now on!" His voice carried a worry that he himself was unaware of.

Lin Shen was taken aback by his sudden and intense reaction. He tried to break free of his arm but couldn't, and he was quite puzzled.

"Why? He's just a baby..."

"Baby?"

Lin Zhi practically spat out those words through gritted teeth. He couldn't bring himself to talk about his past life directly, so he racked his brains to find reasons, and his tone became increasingly impatient.

"Consort Jin may not be of high birth, but she's got a lot on her mind! You, the Crown Prince, are always running to her palace, what kind of behavior is that? It'll only give people something to talk about! Besides, that child..."

He paused, racking his brains for a way to put his fourth brother in a bad light, "He seems like a scheming person to me, not someone who's easygoing! It won't hurt if you stay away from him!"

Looking at Lin Zhi's anxious and angry expression, as if he had done something terribly wrong, Lin Shen couldn't help but twitch his lips. How could he see through a child's deep thoughts?

He tilted his head, scrutinizing the undisguised irritation on Lin Zhi's face. Doubts arose in his mind, but he didn't show it on his face. He simply pulled his hand back forcefully and straightened his wrinkled cuffs.

“I know what I’m doing, so there’s no need for you to worry, brother. As the Crown Prince, I don’t need to explain to others where I want to go or who I want to see.”

Lin Shen's words, "I am the Crown Prince. I have no need to explain to others where I want to go or who I want to see," were like a small needle, pricking Lin Zhi not too hard but not too soft, and igniting the pent-up anger in his heart caused by his inability to express himself.

"What do you know!" Lin Zhi's face flushed red with anger, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her voice was urgent and sharp. "You don't know anything! Anyway... anyway, just listen to me, stay away from him!"

He clenched his small fists, his chest heaving violently.

Those sordid truths, concerning the future and destiny of their lives, were stuck in their throats, and they couldn't utter a single word.

His rebirth is his greatest secret and reliance; if it is exposed, the consequences will be unimaginable.

This feeling of powerlessness—knowing danger is approaching but being unable to warn others—almost made him explode.

Lin Shen was taken aback by his almost overbearing attitude, but looking into Lin Zhi's eyes, which were exceptionally bright with excitement, he saw anxiety, worry, and even a trace of... fear surging within them. It didn't seem fake.

His doubts deepened.

He was acting so strangely today; his hostility toward a baby seemed completely unfounded, yet it was so intense.

He squinted slightly, carefully examining Lin Zhi's flushed face, trying to find more clues.

Lin Zhi, besides being furious, refused to say another useful word.

That's it.

Lin Shen sighed inwardly.

Although I don't understand the specific reason, my brother's reaction might... have its reasons? At least, his anxiety didn't seem like he was faking it to deceive me.

It's perfectly acceptable to keep him away from the baby for a while and observe him.

Thinking of this, the aloofness on Lin Shen's face faded somewhat. He nodded and softened his tone: "I understand."

These three words fell softly, like a basin of warm water, instantly extinguishing most of Lin Zhi's anger.

He was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting Lin Shen to agree so easily.

His tense shoulders relaxed slightly, but the flush of excitement still lingered on his face, and his expression was somewhat embarrassed.

A subtle silence fell over the room.

Seeing his awkward expression, Lin Shen suddenly changed the subject and invited, "Brother, would you like to have dinner with me at the East Palace?"

The invitation came so suddenly that Lin Zhi's heart skipped a beat, and then a secret joy welled up uncontrollably.

But he immediately stiffened his neck, tried to put on an arrogant look, raised his small face, looked away, and said in a deliberately reluctant tone.

"Hmph, since the Crown Prince is so sincere in inviting me, then... then I, this prince, will reluctantly go."

But even though he said "reluctantly," the corners of his mouth that he tried so hard to suppress but couldn't help but curl up, and the eyes that brightened up for a moment, had already exposed his little thoughts.

He didn't want to admit it, but he was actually very happy to hear the invitation.

Lin Shen took in his insincere behavior and found it somewhat amusing, but he didn't expose him. He simply turned and led the way toward the East Palace, saying, "Then let's go."

"Oh," Lin Zhi responded, quickly taking short strides to catch up, almost stepping right beside Lin Shen, as if the tense standoff from before had never happened.

Upon arriving at the East Palace, the palace servants had already prepared dinner.

Just today, Emperor Qi sent someone to say that he had state affairs to attend to and would not be dining at the Eastern Palace.

At the large dining table, there were only the two children.

When Lin Zhi heard that his father wasn't coming, his eyes lit up even more, and his last bit of unease vanished, and he relaxed completely.

He felt much more at ease without his father present.

During the meal, Lin Zhi clearly had a big appetite.

He sat properly at first, and after Lin Shen started eating, he also buried himself in his food.

The palace servants could barely keep up with the speed at which he ate.

He ate with great relish, his little mouth stuffed full, and he would occasionally signal to the palace servants with his eyes to give him more rice.

One bowl, two bowls, three bowls...

Lin Shen ate slowly and deliberately, occasionally glancing at Lin Zhi across from him as he wolfed down his food, and couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.

Does his elder brother never get to eat in his palace? He looks like he's been starving for three days. But seeing how much he enjoys his food, Lin Shen felt that the food in front of him seemed even more delicious.

"Eat slowly, no one will compete with you."

Lin Shen finally couldn't help but speak up and remind him, while pushing a plate of osmanthus cake that Lin Zhi had picked up several times toward him.

Lin Zhi lifted her head from her rice bowl, her cheeks still puffed out, and mumbled an "Mmm." Her movements slowed down slightly, but the satisfied smile on her lips remained.

Being able to have a meal with my younger brother in peace and quiet, without any confrontation or fighting, just simply eating... this feeling seems pretty good.

He thought to himself, then shoveled another mouthful of rice into his mouth, feeling as if his heart was filled with something, warm and swollen.