I Transmigrated as Cannon Fodder, Only to be Desired by the Dragon King - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Special Treatment — But looking back, the four of them were still standing…

Just as Feng Xiuyan was wondering how to explain himself, a sudden, brief commotion broke out outside the courtyard gate. He cast a fleeting glance at the four people outside, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

Shen Youqing’s attention was instantly diverted. He turned toward the sound and saw the four of them standing at the gate, carrying water buckets.

“You’re back!” Shen Youqing didn’t notice anything unusual; he simply assumed they were exhausted from the manual labor. He trotted over to welcome them enthusiastically. “Come in and rest a while!”

The four at the gate finally snapped out of their daze, their expressions varying wildly.

Yuan Yajun and Su Yao were a mix of nerves and excitement—after all, witnessing the Dragon King in human form was an immense honor. Li Beicheng looked awkward, struggling to maintain his princely dignity while not daring to act out of line in front of the Dragon King. Only Wen Shubai offered a subtle, hidden bow, a flash of realization in his eyes: The Dragon King’s treatment of Shen Youqing is truly special.

Shen Youqing leaned in toward Yuan Yajun, trying to take the bucket from her. “Sister Yajun, let me help you. You look exhausted.”

“No, no need!” Yuan Yajun scrambled back, gripping the handle tighter and speaking with forced cheer. “This weight is nothing! We can handle it. Just lead the way!”

Su Yao nodded in agreement, and even Li Beicheng—for once—didn’t argue. He simply huffed and strode inside with his bucket.

Are you kidding? they thought. If the Dragon King sees us letting Shen Youqing do the heavy lifting, it’ll look like we can’t even handle a bit of manual labor!

Shen Youqing scratched his head, feeling a bit helpless. He wanted to help the two girls; as a guy, he felt bad just standing there with his hands on his hips while the “guests” did the hard work. But since they were so adamant, he retreated to the front, slowing his pace and looking back frequently. “Walk slowly, the stones in the corner are a bit slippery!”

Feng Xiuyan stood by the pond, watching the scene. His fingers unconsciously traced his sleeve.

Shen Youqing’s back as he led the way was round and bundled up, his robe sweeping the ground like a cheerful little dumpling. Yuan Yajun and Su Yao followed, trading glances full of barely-hidden anxiety. Wen Shubai walked at the back, his gaze resting on Shen Youqing with a certain gentleness. Li Beicheng looked impatient, yet he deliberately slowed his steps to keep the water from splashing too much.

Feng Xiuyan felt a strange, sour taste in his heart. These people are swarming around him only because they know my identity and want to use him to curry favor with me. Yet this kid is so silly, he thinks they’re just genuinely helpful.

His gaze toward the group grew even colder.

…

The buckets tilted, and crisp mountain spring water rushed into the pond, creating fine ripples as it merged with the old water. The pebbles at the bottom became noticeably clearer.

Shen Youqing had already ladled out two-thirds of the old water while they were on the mountain. Seeing the pond full again, he let out a sigh of relief and turned to invite them: “Thank you, everyone! There’s warm tea in the pavilion. Come and have a seat!”

He called out twice, but no one moved.

He looked back to find the four of them frozen in place, staring straight toward the edge of the pond. They looked incredibly stiff, as if they had been nailed to the spot.

Following their gaze, it suddenly hit him: Feng Xiuyan was still standing there! He had been so focused on the water that he’d forgotten about the man.

Feng Xiuyan stood in his dark blue robes, hair draped over his shoulder, his eyes fixed on the four with a cold, scrutinizing gaze.

Shen Youqing’s heart skipped a beat. Why is he staring at them like that? If he hadn’t interacted with him before and known he was actually “cold face, warm heart,” he might have been intimidated by that icy expression too.

He hurried over to Feng Xiuyan, reached out, and lightly tapped the man’s arm. “What are you doing?” he whispered. “Stop staring at them like that, you’re making everyone uncomfortable.”

Then, he turned back to the four with an awkward smile to smooth things over. “Haha, don’t mind him! He just looks a bit aloof, but he’s actually a really good person!”

The reaction from the four was instantaneous.

If they were initially scared by the Dragon King’s icy scrutiny, they were now completely stunned by Shen Youqing’s actions and words!

Yuan Yajun’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. Shen Youqing actually dared to tap the Dragon King’s arm? And so casually?!

Su Yao instinctively covered her mouth to stop a gasp, her eyes full of disbelief.

Li Beicheng was paralyzed, his impatience replaced by shock. Even he, a Prince, had to follow strict etiquette before the Dragon King. Shen Youqing dared to touch him? And… the Dragon King didn’t get angry?

Only Wen Shubai remained relatively calm. He knew the Dragon King favored Shen Youqing, but he hadn’t realized the indulgence went this far.

As for Feng Xiuyan, his body stiffened for a split second when Shen Youqing tapped his arm. Upon hearing the boy say he was “a good person,” his heart felt as if it had been stuffed with cotton—soft, fluffy, and even a bit tingly.

“Why are you all still standing there?” Shen Youqing, oblivious to their shock, assumed they were still afraid of Feng Xiuyan. “The tea is going to get cold. Come and sit!”

The little yellow duckling, which had been left on the stone table, had somehow waddled over. Its fear was gone; it even dared to peck at the hem of Feng Xiuyan’s robes. Feng Xiuyan looked down at the fluffy thing, then back at Shen Youqing. Ultimately, he said nothing and took half a step toward the pavilion, signaling his silent consent.

The four finally snapped out of it and followed Shen Youqing, though their steps were cautious and their eyes kept darting between the two. One thought unified them all: The Dragon King is incredibly indulgent toward Shen Youqing!

…

They reached the pavilion, which housed a round, grey stone table surrounded by four polished stone stools.

“Sit and rest! I’ll go get the tea leaves,” Shen Youqing chirped, running over to the small stove in the corner where the kettle was bubbling. He pulled a paper packet from a bamboo basket and threw a pinch of leaves into the pot. The sweet scent of tea immediately filled the air.

But looking back, the four of them were still standing by the table, looking at each other, none of them daring to sit. Their eyes kept flickering toward the man outside the pavilion.

“What’s wrong?” Shen Youqing walked back with the pot. He’d felt things were weird lately. “Why so stiff today? You’re usually relaxed after fetching water. Sit! The stools have been in the sun; they aren’t cold.”

The four of them simultaneously looked at the Dragon King standing outside.

Shen Youqing turned his head and caught Feng Xiuyan’s gaze. He laughed and waved his hand. “You guys just sit. He doesn’t need a seat. He didn’t carry any water; he’s not tired.”

Feng Xiuyan: “?”

He looked at Shen Youqing with sheer disbelief in his dark eyes. In this kid’s eyes, he didn’t even have the “qualification” to sit on a stone stool? He had to wait for the water-carriers to sit first?

Before he could speak, Shen Youqing shot him a “Why are you being so difficult?” look and said matter-of-factly: “They just got back from the mountain with heavy buckets. They’re exhausted! Let them rest first. You, come over and help me with the tea. It needs to steep, and the cups need washing.”

Feng Xiuyan stared at the hot kettle in Shen Youqing’s hand, then at the four people trying to look composed. He pursed his lips almost imperceptibly. Fine. There’s no point arguing with this kid.

He stepped over to Shen Youqing, took four white porcelain cups from the basket, and gracefully rinsed them in a copper basin.

The four in the pavilion were wide-eyed. That is the Dragon King! He’s actually helping Shen Youqing wash teacups? No one would believe this if we told them!

Shen Youqing, oblivious to the drama, felt Feng Xiuyan was being a big help. He muttered about the tea: “Steep it for twenty seconds—too long and it’s bitter, too short and there’s no flavor…”

Feng Xiuyan finished drying the last cup and placed it on the table. He decided that this tea-making business wasn’t so bad after all.

A moment later, Shen Youqing lifted the pot and carefully poured the tea. He handed the cups to the four, smiling. “Try it!”

The four held their cups with both hands, feeling the warmth against their palms, overwhelmed by the favor. This is tea “personally” prepared by the Dragon King! Even imperial tea from the palace isn’t this precious!

Shen Youqing, seeing their stunned expressions, assumed his Longjing tea was just exceptionally delicious. He poured a cup for himself. As he took a small sip, the scalding liquid instantly enveloped his tongue. He gasped, slammed the cup down, and covered his mouth while stomping his feet. “Hot! Hot, hot!”

Before he could do anything else, his wrist was caught. “Why are you so careless?”

Feng Xiuyan’s tone was reproving, but his actions were full of urgency. He lifted Shen Youqing’s chin with his hand. “Open your mouth. Let me see where it’s burned.” Even Feng Xiuyan didn’t notice his own fingertips were trembling.

Shen Youqing was truly in pain—his tongue felt numb and stinging. When told to open his mouth, he didn’t overthink it and looked up obediently. “Ah…”

They stood extremely close. Shen Youqing was a full head shorter than Feng Xiuyan; as he looked up, the top of his head brushed Feng Xiuyan’s forearm like a fluffy little animal seeking comfort.

Feng Xiuyan leaned down, his gaze landing on the boy’s slightly parted lips. The moist lips were a pale pink, and the tiny tip of his tongue was visible, scorched a bright red like a ripe cherry. It looked pitiful. His Adam’s apple rolled once; he quickly shook off the ill-timed flutter in his heart and leaned in closer to check the damage. “It’s not too serious, just a bit red on the tip. Don’t eat anything hot for a while.”

Shen Youqing still had his tongue sticking out, speaking indistinctly and sounding aggrieved: “Why am I sho unlucky…”

Seeing the boy so upset, Feng Xiuyan felt a pang of tightness in his chest. With his spiritual power, he could heal this burn in an instant with a single breath of essence. But the other candidates were sitting right there. If they saw him use magic for Shen Youqing, it would look like blatant favoritism and bring unnecessary trouble to this silly kid.

As the Dragon King, he had to follow some rules. I’ll wait until night when everyone is gone, Feng Xiuyan planned secretly. Then I’ll come back and heal him.

The four in the pavilion were frozen, their teacups forgotten.

Li Beicheng’s nails dug deep into his palms, his eyes swirling with intense jealousy. This special treatment… it should have belonged to me! I am the Prince, the one with the highest status. How can Shen Youqing compare? Why does he get such favoritism?

Feng Xiuyan keenly sensed the malicious gaze. His brow twitched. He calmly released Shen Youqing’s chin, picked up a cup of cool water, and handed it over. “Drink some cool water first. It will ease the pain.”

Shen Youqing took the cup, finally feeling a bit embarrassed. He scratched his head. “Thank you.”

Feng Xiuyan didn’t reply. He simply picked up the tea Shen Youqing hadn’t finished and poured it into the nearby bushes. It was still hot; he wasn’t letting the kid touch it again.

Having done this, he looked at the four in the pavilion. His eyes were cold.

“Are you all not leaving yet?”