Chapter 86

When Xiao Xixi ran out again, she found that White Concubine and Liu Xu were already gone.

She thought to herself that it was just as well, as she wouldn't have to share the roasted duck with White Concubine.

Xiao Xixi said happily, "Baoqin, I just checked, the roasted duck is ready. Can we eat it now?"

"Please wait a moment, this servant will prepare it."

Baoqin went to the small kitchen to get busy.

Soon, she brought out the sliced roasted duck, along with various side dishes, sauces, and thin pancakes to go with it.

This was something Xiao Xixi had specifically requested. She first picked up a small thin pancake, placed a piece of duck meat on it, added some side dishes, brushed on some sauce, and finally wrapped it up.

She opened her mouth to take a bite but noticed that the Crown Prince, sitting across the table, was quietly watching her.

Xiao Xixi had to close her mouth and reluctantly handed over the wrapped duck meat to him.

"Would Your Highness like to try it?"

Luo Qinghan reached out to take the duck meat roll.

This was the first time he had eaten duck in such a strange way.

He tried a small bite.

Xiao Xixi asked expectantly, "Is it good?"

Luo Qinghan slowly finished the duck meat roll in his hand and then said, "It's okay."

It seemed that every time she asked if it was good, he always gave the same answer.

Xiao Xixi couldn't tell if he really liked it or not.

She tentatively asked, "Would you like another one?"

Luo Qinghan nodded.

Xiao Xixi resignedly continued rolling the duck meat and handed it to him when it was ready.

After rolling three duck meat rolls for Luo Qinghan, he finally indicated that he didn't want any more.

Xiao Xixi happily picked up her chopsticks and rolled a super large duck meat roll for herself.

She held the duck meat roll with both hands, opened her mouth wide, and took a big bite.

Her cheeks puffed up as her mouth was filled with food.

As she chewed, her puffed cheeks moved up and down.

Luo Qinghan watched her and couldn't help but think of the squirrel he had kept as a child.

He waved away the attending palace maids and eunuchs.

The room was left with just the two of them.

Luo Qinghan said casually, "I once kept a squirrel. You look a lot like it."

Equally greedy and equally cute.

Xiao Xixi asked while eating, her voice a bit muffled, "Your Highness also keeps pets?"

Luo Qinghan had never told anyone about these things, not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't find anyone to talk to.

At this moment, he felt relaxed and thought it was fine to talk about it, so he said, "It was when I was six years old. I found a squirrel in the Imperial Garden. I don't know how it got into the palace, but it was injured. I felt sorry for it and took it back to raise it."

At that time, Luo Qinghan was still young and couldn't live independently. He lived with Empress Qin in the Pepper Room Palace.

Luo Qinghan slowly said, "Mother Empress didn't like small animals. I was afraid she would find the little squirrel and throw it away, so I hid it in my room. I had to go to the Imperial Academy for classes and couldn't stay in the room all the time, so I asked Changxi to help watch it and make sure it didn't run out and be discovered."

Xiao Xixi swallowed the food in her mouth and asked curiously, "Then what happened?"

"One day, when I came back from the Imperial Academy, I was told that the little squirrel had died. Mother Empress had it killed, and I was punished by her for it."

Xiao Xixi paused in her eating.

She asked cautiously, "Did you get hit?"

Luo Qinghan: "No, Mother Empress never hit me. She just made me kneel in the courtyard for a whole night."

Xiao Xixi was stunned.

So harsh?!