Yu Jingchen arrived a little late today. Nan Zhiyun spent the entire afternoon playing with a new pet, which chased away all her boredom.
When Yu Jingchen arrived, Nan Zhiyun was still enthusiastically playing with the blue cat on the bed.
"It seems Yun'er likes it very much?" Yu Jingchen's voice was laced with amusement.
"Your Majesty?" Seeing Yu Jingchen, Nan Zhiyun immediately wanted to sit up, as lying down... was not very elegant.
Compared to before, when she would be startled into a state of panic and always observed strict etiquette upon seeing Yu Jingchen, she had improved by more than a little. Looking at these changes in Nan Zhiyun, Yu Jingchen felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
"This cat is covered in fur; what if it gets all over you and the bed? It's fine if you just pet it normally, but why bring it onto the bed?" Yu Jingchen said with a hint of helplessness.
"Your concubine didn't consider that, and besides, it's not shedding!" Nan Zhiyun sat up. Yu Jingchen also walked over and sat down.
"Does your foot still hurt today?" Yu Jingchen asked.
"I just bumped it accidentally, and it hurt a little, but it stopped hurting when I saw this cat," Nan Zhiyun replied.
"I thought you might be bored, so I had someone bring it. Do you like it?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
"I like it, I like it very much. Thank you, Your Majesty," Nan Zhiyun said, hugging the cat.
"As long as you like it. Have you named it yet?" Yu Jingchen wasn't truly concerned about the cat; he just wanted to talk more with Nan Zhiyun.
"Yes, I have. Its name is Lingdang," Nan Zhiyun said, then pointed to a small bell she had just tied around the cat's neck.
"Your Majesty, is Lingdang a good name? Lingdang sounds very pleasant," Nan Zhiyun looked at Yu Jingchen.
"Then it shall be Lingdang," Yu Jingchen had no intention of arguing with her over a pet's name.
"Oh, Your Majesty, Your concubine has never raised a cat before and has no experience. Furthermore, all the flowers, plants, and rabbits Your concubine kept in the past have died, so could you find someone to help me take care of Lingdang?" Nan Zhiyun immediately brought up the main point.
Hearing her mention that all her flowers, plants, and rabbits had died, Yu Jingchen found it somewhat amusing. He had initially thought Nan Zhiyun might be quite adept at such things.
"That certainly wasn't your fault, Yun'er. I suspect your rabbits ate your flowers and plants, and then the rabbits choked to death," Yu Jingchen teased her.
He did recall such an incident. When Nan Zhiyun was young, she liked rabbits, so the Empress Dowager found one for her. However, Nan Zhiyun felt a single little rabbit was too lonely and that pairs were better, so the Empress Dowager eventually gave her a male and female rabbit.
Well, rabbits, as you know, reproduce quite quickly. Before long, they had a litter. Nan Zhiyun was initially very curious. But when she went to play with the baby rabbits, she accidentally killed one. She was reportedly very remorseful and cried for a long time, to the point that the Empress Dowager couldn't comfort her.
After that, Nan Zhiyun stopped playing with the baby rabbits. Instead, she had someone build a separate enclosure for them. Then, somehow, the rabbits escaped and ate all the flowers and plants she had meticulously cared for.
She cried and went to the Empress Dowager, who immediately ordered all the rabbits to be caught, leaving only one for her. At dinner, all the captured rabbits were braised, with the Empress Dowager claiming it was for revenge. Nan Zhiyun ate it with great relish.
That night, she held the remaining rabbit and kept feeding it. It's unclear what, if anything, it ate that it shouldn't have, but it passed away the next day...