After Losing My Memory, I Became My Rival's Palm-Sized Chirper - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: First Night in Yujing

Fine, I will go with you.” Placing a hand on his belt, Yu Baixi looked down at the little bird clinging to his waist and sighed slightly before extending his hand.

“That’s more like it,” Qi Jia muttered as he released his grip, flapped his wings, and nimbly hopped onto the man’s long finger.

Sensing that the other was about to fly with him again, the chubby bird took the initiative. He immediately raised a wing and pointed toward the Heavenly Emperor’s bedchamber within the Hongmeng Palace, saying, “We aren’t going anywhere. We’re staying right here tonight.”

Qi Jia didn’t want to fly back and forth anymore. It was a waste of time.

He sat back directly, his round body turning into a complete ball of fluff.

The little fluffball tilted its head back, trying to look at Yu Baixi behind him, and said slyly, “Since Your Majesty promised to go with me, naturally, I get to decide where we go.”

“…Very well.”

Yu Baixi responded softly. His gray-blue eyes lowered, looking at the pale yellow, perfectly round bird. This bird was sitting in his palm without any defenses.

His palm felt warm, and Yu Baixi’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

A moment later, the man and the bird appeared inside the Heavenly Emperor’s bedchamber.

This bedchamber was much simpler than Qi Jia had imagined—it was even a bit sparse.

At the very least, after seeing the luxurious layout and furnishings of the Heavenly Empress’s palace, this place was somewhat beneath his notice.

“…Are you sure this is your bedchamber and not a guest room or something?”

Yu Baixi said, “If you find it distasteful, you can go back and sleep there.”

“No, I didn’t say that.” Qi Jia flapped his wings and flew up again, circling the room to take a look. Finally, he said, “Mmh, I just think the bed is too small. It might not fit both of us.”

His distaste grew as he spoke. Qi Jia added, “Even if a bed should be small to gather wind and accumulate energy, this bed is really too plain…”

Yu Baixi rubbed his now-empty fingertip and said, “I usually do not sleep here.”

“Oh right, I forgot. Your Majesty is a dragon; you all sleep in those pools.” As he spoke, Qi Jia had already landed on the Emperor’s bed.

“Anyway, I’ve already washed before coming over. Let’s just…”

“Then I will go wash up,” the Heavenly Emperor interrupted.

“Don’t go to all that trouble. Isn’t there a Cleansing Charm? I saw it in the Library; even those mortal cultivators trying to ascend to immortality know that spell…” Qi Jia added, “Oh right, I bathed not because I didn’t learn the spell, but because the bath in my palace was quite luxurious, and the water temperature Shuoling Immortal prepared was just right…”

“…She prepared the bathwater for you?”

His eyelids, which appeared colder because they were thin, twitched. A sharp light flashed in the Emperor’s eyes. “She served you while you bathed?”

“Of course not.” Qi Jia yawned, unceremoniously collapsing onto the Emperor’s bedding.

Even though Yu Baixi didn’t sleep here, the bedding was all freshly changed. Mingled with the faint incense from the room’s burner, Qi Jia smelled a light scent of white magnolia. He relaxed further, stretching out his bird feet. “I am a male bird, after all. How could I trouble an unmarried Immortal sister to bathe me?”

“…That is good.”

The Heavenly Emperor said in a low voice, “At least you have some common sense in that regard.”

“?” Qi Jia felt insulted, but the Emperor’s tone wasn’t sarcastic. Qi Jia actually felt a genuine sense of relief from him…

He blinked strangely and asked, “By the way, what was the name of that guard you found for me? Is he a male spirit?”

“…Yes.”

The Heavenly Emperor squeezed out a single word. Then, thinking of something, he added, “But you must not ask him to bathe you either.”

“Why?”

Qi Jia wanted to say that he actually never intended to let anyone bathe him; it’s not like he didn’t have wings.

But since Yu Baixi asked, he followed the lead and pressed: “Why can’t he bathe me either?”

“No one can,” the Heavenly Emperor said with a frown.

Qi Jia didn’t mind his attitude. He stretched out a small claw and glanced sideways at the tall, elegant Emperor. “Not even you?”

Yu Baixi: “…”

Realizing the bird wasn’t ignorant of the concept of physical boundaries but was instead teasing him maliciously, the Emperor fell silent.

Afterward, he told Qi Jia to rest first, saying he would be back shortly.

Qi Jia felt a bit smug after playing with him and let him leave without suspicion.

At first, the little bird felt quite comfortable. No matter how simple Yu Baixi’s bedchamber was, it was better than the thatched hut he slept in on Mount Budu.

And this was his first night in Yujing.

Everything was going more smoothly than he had imagined.

Moreover, it was very clean here, and the simple layout made the bird feel relaxed. Qi Jia instinctively stretched his feet, tucked his wings, and rolled around on the bed several times.

…Mmh, the bed was a bit hard, making it difficult for a bird to flip over.

But afterward, sinking into the soft quilt was much more comfortable. Though the bed was small—likely barely enough for two men to lie side-by-side—it was more than enough for a tiny bird to roll around in.

Thinking of this, Qi Jia began to ponder… Should he change back to human form during Dual Cultivation? …The book didn’t seem to mention that.

He simply pulled out Dual Cultivation and began flipping through it carefully again.

However, perhaps because the day had been too exhausting—barging through the Heavenly Gates and then becoming the Empress—while he hadn’t felt sleepy during the day due to excitement, the little bird was suddenly overcome with fatigue.

Thus, while flipping through the pages, Qi Jia lost consciousness.

When he opened his eyes again, the light outside was bright.

The bird sat up with a start. A moment later, he finally remembered last night…

Yu Baixi said he was going to wash up, but he never came back!

Furthermore, although he often felt sleepy, he had never slept until broad daylight like this!…

Yu Baixi had done something to him.

He never intended to practice Dual Cultivation with him at all!!

Outside the Hongmeng Palace.

Shuoling hurried over and saw Han Mo standing at the palace gates from a distance.

“General Han?”

“Immortal Shuoling.”

“Is General Han here for His Majesty? Shouldn’t His Majesty be at the morning court right now?”

“I am not here for His Majesty,” Han Mo said. “…Yesterday, His Majesty gave me a task: I am responsible for protecting our soon-to-be Empress Junshang. I hurried over early this morning, but I heard Junshang is still sleeping. I didn’t want to disturb him, so I’m waiting here…”

“So Junshang really is here!”

Shuoling Immortal’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. “…Junshang was originally staying in the Weiyang Palace, but when I went to check this morning, I found him gone. I searched everywhere and couldn’t find him. So he really is here!”

Han Mo nodded. “I searched for Junshang for a long time yesterday too. I thought he would stay in the Weiyang Palace at night and went looking for him there. Unexpectedly, I ran into His Majesty today, and he said Junshang was in the Hongmeng Palace…”

At this point, the two looked at each other and asked simultaneously: “So how/when did Junshang come to His Majesty’s place??”

Finding that they had discovered the same question, they both laughed. Shuoling Immortal said with excitement, “It must be that Junshang and His Majesty are in perfect harmony, like glue and lacquer, unable to be apart. That’s why Junshang suddenly ran over to sleep at His Majesty’s place in the middle of the night!”

Shuoling had a confident expression, as if she had seen through their hearts, but Han Mo didn’t agree immediately.

Mainly, he remembered that yesterday His Majesty was still emphasizing that “it was an act,” and that after three months when Junshang recovered his memory, they could act as if nothing happened…

Although he hoped His Majesty and Junshang were for real, given Han Mo’s understanding of the Emperor, things were likely not the “glue and lacquer” scenario Shuoling described… though he also didn’t know why Junshang was still sleeping now.

“I’ll go inside and take a look,” Shuoling Immortal said.

Junshang always appeared before Shuoling as a round bird. Since Shuoling was also of the bird tribe, she naturally felt a sense of kinship and didn’t think about avoiding suspicion.

“Besides, I was the one who served Junshang for his sleep yesterday… in the Weiyang Palace.” Mentioning this, a mischievous look suddenly appeared on Shuoling’s elegant face as she emphasized the fact that Junshang’s sleeping location had changed in the middle of the night!

Very well.”

Han Mo moved aside to let her pass, but in the next instant, his gaze suddenly fixed in one direction. Shuoling also stopped in her tracks.

A man in wide-sleeved robes appeared from the horizon, followed by several people, most of whom were elders with white hair and beards.

The group arrived in a grand fashion, their voices carrying from below: “You say that person named Qi Jia is inside? Still sleeping at this hour?!”…

Shuoling and Han Mo exchanged a glance, both seeing that the newcomers came with ill intent.

When the group landed outside the Hongmeng Palace, the two still bowed respectfully: “Greetings to the High Immortals.”

The man in the lead was not polite. He said directly, “Tell that Qi Jia to come out.”

Shuoling knew what kind of person he was. She wasn’t intimidated by the group. Instead, she performed a curtsy and said politely, “High Immortal Huaiji heard it just now; Junshang is still resting…”

To her surprise, High Immortal Huaiji let out a sneer and interrupted her: “Still resting at this hour?! Did you not see that I have come with several elders of the Immortal clan? Wake him up immediately!… No, you don’t need to go. We will go in ourselves to meet this ‘Empress’ who hasn’t even risen by the hour of Chen (7-9 AM).”

Hearing this, Shuoling immediately spread her arms to block them. “This is His Majesty’s Hongmeng Palace. How can High Immortal Huaiji trespass without a summons?!”

With a loud shout to suppress the other, Shuoling’s attitude softened again, her face showing a difficult expression: “Junshang was extremely exhausted yesterday, so it is inevitable that he rose a bit late today. Even if High Immortal Huaiji is His Majesty’s elder brother, it is inappropriate… Please wait, High Immortal and elders. Even General Han has been waiting here.”

“Yes, I am also waiting for the Empress’s summons,” Han Mo added cleverly.

In any case, he really was waiting there; he would go and pay his respects whenever Junshang woke up.

Although Han Mo usually talked a lot and seemed a bit informal, when facing these hostile people, he still carried the aura of a commander of the Heavenly Guard.

He gave a simple explanation and stood outside the Hongmeng Palace with his sword.

This caused even the arrogant High Immortal Huaiji to hesitate.

“…What Empress, what Junshang?” Huaiji glared at Han Mo with extreme dissatisfaction and said to Shuoling, “Then tell him to come out quickly. I and the clan elders want to see exactly who this future Empress Niangniang is. To think she has a dragon child without even moving His Majesty’s Red Phoenix Star (star of romance)!”

What did High Immortal Huaiji say about the Red Phoenix Star moving?” Shuoling didn’t move; she asked back, “Who said that?!”

“The Master of Fate (Siming) checked the stars three times; His Majesty’s Red Phoenix Star has never moved.”

A smug expression gradually appeared on High Immortal Huaiji’s face. “In that case, tell me, where did the child inside come from? Deceiving the Emperor, forging a dragon child! Does he even deserve to be the Empress?”

“Impudent!” Hearing this, the silent Han Mo could no longer hold back. “How can Siming investigate His Majesty’s stars at will! Furthermore, the universe is vast and full of wonders; how do you know what happened between the two of them? Junshang’s identity was personally recognized by His Majesty. Can that be wrong?!”

“What could have happened? Han Mo, I know you are loyal to His Majesty, but there are some things you don’t need to cover up…”

Huaiji’s expression was sorrowful, but his eyes were filled with triumph. “Everyone knows His Majesty was damaged in the war ten thousand years ago and simply cannot…”

Huaiji didn’t finish his sentence.

A loud roar came from inside the Hongmeng Palace: “Yu Baixi, you big jerk dragon! Look what you’ve done to me! You bastard!!!”

The voice was crisp and loud, and the anger within it was clearly not feigned. Even High Immortal Huaiji was startled.

In the last ten thousand years, within the Four Realms, people who dared to call His Majesty by his name… basically no longer existed.

Even Huaiji, as the Heavenly Emperor’s cousin, had never been so bold.

What’s more, what did the other person say? Jerk dragon? Bastard? …In this heaven and earth, a person who dared to curse the Heavenly Emperor with such earth-shattering momentum actually existed?…

Seeing the look of fear on Huaiji’s face, Shuoling felt immensely gratified.

Though she didn’t know the exact situation between Junshang and His Majesty last night, she couldn’t help but smile and say, “Oh dear, I told you Junshang was ‘exhausted’ yesterday. After all, he was originally staying in the Weiyang Palace but moved to His Majesty’s bedchamber in the middle of the night…”

The Elders: “…”

General Han: “…”

Shuoling, you are truly too good at summarizing.

Shuoling continued to smile. “Perhaps worn out by His Majesty, Junshang is in a bad mood right now. Please don’t take offense, elders, don’t take offense.”

The Elders: “…”

As they were speaking, a pale yellow little bird flapped its wings and flew directly out from inside the Hongmeng Palace, over the walls.