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Chapter Text

Wei Ying lay sprawled out on a metal floor. He was barely lucid, but he could vaguely make out the sounds of two young men talking and porcelain dishes clinking together.

When Wei Ying realized he was not in his small twin bed, he shot awake. He was met with the sight of bars and quickly panicked at the thought that he’d been arrested. Did I pass out drunk in the street, and they took me in?! He attempted to reach out for the bars and call for an officer, yet his hands, no, fluffy paws couldn’t quite reach the bars. The only noise that escaped his mouth was a shrill shriek–that of a small rodent.

Had-…had Wei Ying turned into a rabbit?

There was no way! Such things only happen in fantasy novels. This all has to be some elaborate dream of his–all the guilt from eating rabbits must be catching up with him.

Wei Ying shuts his eyes tight in the hopes of waking up from whatever strange nightmare he has placed himself in; however, he doesn’t wake. Realizing the situation he's in, his panic increases. He transmigrated into some sort of historical fiction! Wei Ying begins involuntarily thumping his front paws against the hard metal floor.

Nie Mingjue glances at the antsy rabbit with a raised brow. “It’s making a whole lotta’ movement for the runt it is,” Nie Mingjue laughs, his gruff voice echoing in the large kitchen.

Nie Huaisang frowns. “I heard rabbits do that when they are overwhelmed or angry. Poor little thing knows what lies in its future.” Wei Ying halts his thumping. No, I don’t! Please, tell me!... Are there worse things to come?!

Nie Mingjue glares at Nie Huaisang. “It’s the Consort’s rabbit stew, not an imperial pet, you’d do well to remember that, A-Sang–don’t get attached.” Nie Huaisang lets out a dejected sigh. “Speaking of which, it’s about time we kill and bleed the thing; the party is due to begin soon.” Wei Ying suddenly felt faint. He was stew! Some rich ladies stew! He runs circles around the cage, bumping into the walls, seeking an escape. “A-Sang, you can wrangle the thing, right? Grab it by the scruff and bring it here. I expect you’ll have no problem doing it–we’re a family of butchers after all.”

Nie Huaisang pales. He stutters out, “I-I’ll do my best, Ge…” Nie Mingjue replies quietly, ‘You better’ as Nie Huaisang approaches the cage. Wei Ying is basically bouncing off the walls at this point. He feels like the cage is slowly inching toward the edge of the counter. If he can just get it close enough to the edge, the whole cage should come crashing down, giving him an ample opportunity to make a run for it.

Nie Huaisang fiddles with the cage lock for a while before finally getting it open with a clear click. The second Wei Ying heard that click, almost as if it was a natural instinct, he bolted out of the cage, resulting in it crashing to the ground.

“HUAISANG!” Nie Mingjue yells in frustration. “Go get the damn thing! I’ll follow! We don’t have another rabbit to serve.” Nie Huaisang flinches at the command but gets to work following the rabbit as swiftly as possible. However, Nie Huaisang is no match for the rabbit in speed. The little thing darts about, leaving the poor boy in the dust. Serves you right for trying to eat me-! Wei Ying abruptly slams into a creature much larger than himself. It had a sleek dark brown coat, wore a collar made of gold and fine leather, while its large thorn-like teeth poked out of its mouth. When its eyes landed on Wei Ying it let out a sharp and distinct ‘Bark!!’–It was a dog. The beast peered down at Wei Ying, bloodthirsty. It quickly snatches Wei Ying by the neck, holding him in its mouth and growling whenever Nie Mingjue or Nie Huaisang attempt to reach for the rabbit.

Once the dog notices that the Nie brothers had nearly given up on trying to retrieve the rabbit, it goes about its day, taking its newly found meal back to its owner with a sort of proud prance. 

“Well, it’s Noble Consort Yi’s dog that ran off with her food… If we take the rabbit from the dog, we’ll be in trouble, and if we let the dog run off with the singular rabbit in this kitchen, then we’ll be in trouble…” Nie Mingjue sighed as if he were the one about to be eaten alive by a dog. 

“Stuck between a rock and a hard place, huh, Da-ge?” Nie Mingjue shot Nie Huaisang a warning glare while his fingers twitched around nothing. He barely held back the urge to choke the lights out of his younger brother. 

“Shut it…” Nie Mingjue rasped. 

Wei Ying was close to accepting death at this point. He was either dog food or rich lady stew! 

That was until the dog let out a low growl from the back of its throat, its teeth tightening around the rabbit's neck, so much so that its teeth pierced Wei Ying’s skin, drawing a bit of blood. 

Wei Ying was confused till his gaze landed on a hulking figure in front of them. It was a young man leering over them with a blank face. Well, a handsome blank face… The young gentleman had perfect posture which complimented his expression and attitude. He was dressed in white and ultramarine robes, adorned with patterns made from gold thread and silk. Tied around his forehead was an elegant white ribbon. The ribbon reminded Wei Ying of something, but he couldn’t quite place his finger on what.

The man was not deterred by the dog's growls. His expression only hardened. The dog, offended by how unaffected the man was, pounced at him. Its sharp nails dug into the man’s shins.

Wei Ying was now being suffocated by how tight a grip the beast had on his neck. He let out a slight whimper before his hind legs shot out, slamming straight into the dog's chest. This sent the dog stumbling back a bit and allowed Wei Ying to make a slight escape. He would make another run for it if it weren’t for the fact that the dog had cut open his neck when it had been holding him earlier. The wound pulsed and ached. Wei Ying’s vision blurred around the edges and he couldn’t tell if it was because of blood loss or if he was crying! He flopped pathetically onto the floor, twitching in pain. 

 The man’s gaze flickered from the dog to the rabbit suffering on the tile floor. In that moment, Wei Ying saw a glint of something in the man’s eyes–pity or sympathy of some sort.

The dog regains its strength easily–unaffected by the rabbit–and pounces at its target for a second time. This time, the dog’s nails snagged the man’s robe and cut his thigh, evident by the red soaking into the man’s ultramarine and white robes. 

“P-Prince Wangji! His Highness needn’t mind the Noble Consort’s dog…he-…Master Dog is just hungry, spare him,” Nie Huaisang squeaked. Nie Mingjue seemed to disagree as he grumbled from where he stood behind his brother.

“No, that damned dog has offended and injured His Highness! Why should he spare the thing?”

Prince Wangji didn’t seem to care for either man’s input. Rather, he picks the foul beast up by its collar and sends the thing flying. After this, the dog let out a small cry before scattering off elsewhere, most likely back to its owner. Wei Ying would feel bad if the creature hadn’t almost killed and eaten him.

The two bickering brothers’ heads whip around in shock. 

“Y-Your Highness?” Nie Huaisang was completely baffled. Most feared Zhuliu, Noble Consort Yi’s pet dog, people even recognized him as an ‘imperial pet’ and referred to him as ‘Master Dog’, Prince Wangji, on the other hand, hardly cared. The man could barely tolerate the presence of the loud, brash, slobbering dog and wasn’t just going to let it attack him. Zhuliu wasn’t much of a fan of Prince Wangji either, and when the two happened to meet face to face, it’d be a stand-off. However, all those other times, Prince Wangji just ignored the dog and walked away. But this time, the air was much heavier. Prince Wangji seemed genuinely angry with Zhuliu–he even threw the dog! Nie Huaisang was scared to think what might become of Prince Wangji for this great offense against Master Dog because Consort Yi certainly wasn’t going to take this lying down!

Nie Mingjue recovered from the shock and began reprimanding his brother, “Master Dog is lucky! His Highness was attacked, and he merely defended himself! His Highness should be allowed to go to the emperor himself if he found this attack to be too much of an offense.” Prince Wangji didn’t seem to agree with that statement–it was only a dog–he looked confused but couldn’t verbally correct Nie Mingjue. 

Nie Huaisang reluctantly agreed, “Y-Yes…of course! This servant apologizes for questioning His Highness!” He kowtowed a few times to show his sincerity. Prince Wangji shook his head helplessly. 

With the dog gone, Wei Ying felt safe to beg for his life and hug some thighs! Prince Wangji had looked down upon him with sympathy. Would it be that much of a stretch to assume he may save the poor rabbit? Wei Ying whimpered in pain. He needed Prince Wangji to notice him now because at this rate, he’s going to choke on his own blood! Wei Ying was practically a fish out of water! 

Prince Wangji’s gaze landed on the rabbit again. A small pool of blood leaked from him, spilling onto the floor. Prince Wangji bent down, reaching for Wei Ying. 

“Your Highness, let this servant handle the rabbit. This servant and his brother will inform Noble Consort Yi of what has happened,” Nie Mingjue requested.“His Highness should return to his room. He should change; no need to dirty his robe further with this rabbit’s blood.” When Nie Mingjue attempted to also reach for the rabbit, Prince Wangji slapped his hand away, shaking his head. He cradled the injured rabbit in his arms with the utmost care. “H-His Highness intends to keep the rabbit?” Prince Wangji hurriedly hid his face, but his ears flushed a bright red, revealing that Nie Mingjue was correct. “Well then…let me-” Once again, Prince Wangji shook his head, cutting Nie Mingjue off. He stroked the rabbit's coat gently as he made his way back to his room.  

Wei Ying was overjoyed at the turn of the events. The handsome stranger intended to keep him as a pet! He was celebrating this victory before an electronic voice announced in his head, 

<Congrats, congrats! User ‘Wei Ying’ has completed part one of the ‘Moe Pet System’! ‘The Tyrant’s Priceless Pet Rabbit–First Meeting’ is officially completed in record speed! The system would clap if it had hands.> 

<*.☆⸜(⑉˙ᗜ˙⑉)⸝✩.*>

—

‘*❈❀❈*’

A/N: Hello, this is a “The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish” parody fic and crossover with MDZS! I do not own the characters in this story. Credit to my friend for coming up with the idea and helping me with creative decisions! She is also my beta reader; however, I am the sole writer. (*´ ˘ `*) 

Appendix: 

Wei Ying/Xiao Ying  = Li Yu/Xiao Yu

Prince Wangji/Lan Zhan = Prince Jing/Mu Tianchi

Nie Mingjue/Nie Gonggong = Wang Xi/Wang Gonggong 

Nie Huaisang = Xiaolinzi

Zhuliu/Master Dog = Piaoxue/Master Cat

Chapter Text

For a split second, Wei Ying thought he was going crazy. On top of being a rabbit, he’s also hearing voices in his head? Yep, crazy! Then a blue screen flashed before his eyes. The same voice speaks to him once again, 

<User, select a quest:>

   {Main Quest}

   {Side Quest}

Wei Ying had confirmed his earlier suspicions about being a transmigrator–not really, he could very well still just be losing his mind. 

Anyway, this ‘System’ knew Wei Ying by name and even referred to him as ‘User’, so it must be some sort of guide, possibly even a golden finger if Wei Ying was lucky! If he could figure out which story he was in, then being the tyrant’s pet rabbit should be easy. Appeal to the tyrant, hopefully return to his human form, then hug the tyrant's thighs and beg for his life like never before! Then Wei Ying can live out his Wuxia dream! 

The system didn’t seem to appreciate Wei Ying’s pre-planning and urged again, this time louder and somehow more monotone,

<User, select a quest!:>

 {Main Quest}

 {Side Quest}

Wei Ying decided it’s best not to test the slightly sentient omnipresent system that brought him here. He clicked ‘Main Quest’; it was a bit of a force of habit, but he also thought a main quest sounded far more adventurous than a side quest. Just because he was transmigrated against his will doesn’t mean he can’t have fun!

Under ‘Main Quest’, a small selection of quest titles popped up: ‘Tyrant’s Priceless Pet Rabbit', ‘Tyrant’s Pet Rabbit For Revitalizing Family’, ‘Postpartum Care For Rabbit’, etc . The titles were absurd and made Wei Ying burst out into giggles.

He was quite curious about ones such as ‘Postpartum Care For Rabbit’, though sadly, he couldn’t click on them. The only one Wei Ying could interact with was ‘Tyrant’s Priceless Pet Rabbit’. The quest title was lit, obviously indicating he was meant to click on this one. Wei Ying wondered if he would be allowed any sort of freedom in the future, since at that moment, why bother giving him options if the system didn’t give him a choice in the end? 

Wei Ying followed what his great overlord wanted him to do and clicked the bright glowing quest title. A progress bar as well as a description of the quest requirements popped up. It was simple, exactly what Wei Ying had planned on doing, regardless of the ‘Moe Pet System’ or whatever. He would act as the tyrant’s pet, charm the tyrant, become his beloved pet rabbit, and hopefully return to his human form. Wei Ying didn’t know what the whole ‘Priceless’ bullshit was about. Maybe just being the tyrant’s beloved pet rabbit made him priceless? Ah, no, that's far too simple…

Well, that didn’t matter to Wei Ying. Wei Ying hoped the system would exceed his expectations, an adventure to get his mind off of his now only 12 or so-year life span. Not that his lifespan should be a problem, Wei Ying thinks this shouldn’t take more than three years at most. Unless the tyrant was truly so closed off that it’d take him over 3 years to open up to a pet rabbit of all things! 

Now that Wei Ying thinks about it, this ‘tyrant’ has never been named. The only person that comes to Wei Ying’s mind is Prince Wangji–he was the one who intended to keep him. But that was the same man who looked down upon him with pity, even though he was nothing more than food. From what Wei Ying had seen, Prince Wangji was quite silent, never speaking a single word to anyone; he only shook or nodded his head. He was cold and stiff, but none of that was the behavior of a tyrant, more a socially awkward recluse.

Suddenly, a blue window with Prince Wangji’s face displayed on it popped up. Wei Ying remembers his face quite well–he mentioned earlier that despite his face being solemn, he was quite the beauty. His skin was pale but not sickly; it still had life to it. Prince Wangji had unique, bright yellow eyes and above that, slim black brows as sharp as swords. His thin lips were a faint rosy pink, and Wei Ying dearly wished to see them curve into a smile. Wei Ying simpered at the thought, a smile gracing the man's usually hardened face. 

<User, please save your thirsting for after you have learned the basic functions of the system and fully understand your quest…>

<(。ì _ í。)>

Wei Ying huffed. He clicked Prince Wangji’s photo. It brought up a short description of Prince Wangji, 

<Prince Wangji, also known as Lan Zhan, is the fifth son of Emperor Qingfeng-jun and the second of Empress Lijing. He was born with a speech impediment and is unable to speak.>

Wei Ying’s thoughts began to spiral at that instant. Prince Wangji was Lan Zhan?!  

He now remembers why the ribbon felt so familiar! Only the Lan family wears the ribbon, decorated with the royal cloud insignia. The ribbon was important to the Lans, representing restraint and mindfulness. It has a few rules surrounding it, but Wei Ying never cared to remember them. 

The description also explained why Prince Wangji never spoke; he was mute.

It suddenly dawned on Wei Ying what book he’d been transmigrated into. The name Prince Wangji might not be familiar to him, but Lan Zhan certainly was! Lan Zhan was the male lead of a danmei webnovel Wei Ying binge read the night prior to his transmigration: The Tyrant and His Ever-Refined Concubine. 

 Wei Ying had to wonder why this novel? He understands why he didn’t transmigrate into a person; everyone dies at the hands of Lan Zhan! Being a rabbit was a far better fate than what became of the human characters in this story…however, what was the point of him being here? Lan Zhan is destined to fall for his main love interest and move on. What would a pet rabbit add to the story? 

<User is here to bring out the tyrant's soft side and open up his heart. Having a pet can often have that effect.>

Wei Ying still didn't quite understand. 

The point of the story was for Prince Wangji to become emperor and win over his love interest. Canonically, Prince Wangji climbs the political tower to the very top. While the concubine is quite hesitant, in the end, Prince Wangji does successfully win him over. Yes, Prince Wangji kills lots and ruins lives in order to achieve this goal, and it's a cruel fate for everyone but the main two. However, in Wei Ying's eyes, it was all a means to an end, at least when it was a silly webnovel… now that it's real life, his opinion has shifted a bit . But would it serve Prince Wangji to soften up? Wouldn't that just make it 10x harder for him to reach his ultimate goal?

Wei Ying stared blankly at the system’s message, hoping for it to expand upon what it meant. The system responds, 

<User has no canonical role; he doesn't have to follow canon. Characters are incapable of OOC. The Tyrant will be emperor, no matter what the user does.> 

And the love interest?...

<( ˊᵕˋ； )...>

The system suddenly stops responding. Wei Ying realizes that this is hardly a golden finger–it's more like a curse. The system ignored him, gave him little to no free will, and turned him into a scrawny rabbit! The system is so cold and harsh to this rabbit! You’re the true tyrant! Sobsobsob.

<User is overdramatic. This system will not force the user to do anything.>

Really? Wei Ying raised a brow. There had to be a catch; nothing was that simple. If I do not complete the quests, what will be my consequence?

The system was quiet for a second as if it were loading an auto-response. 

<User will never return to his human form, nor will he return to his world. User will stay as a rabbit with a rabbit’s life span.>

His life was at stake? It is either I do the tasks you provide or die a fucking rabbit?! That’s hardly a choice! At least Lan Zhan had a slight reason to kill–you, on the other hand, have no reason to torture me like this! It's just sadistic! You’re a Tyrant, a Tyrant! Don’t say otherwise-!

Wait a minute. 

Wei Ying re-read the message. He was still angry with the system for its stubborn and unhelpful attitude, but knowing that he would, in fact, be able to return to his human form brought some relief, effectively calming him down enough to be civil. He stopped spewing various curses at the system and instead asked, How do I return to being human? 

<User must complete a certain number of the main quests in order to once again be human, even if it’s for a short period of time.>

The system was yet again being overly vague, though Wei Ying decided to think optimistically and hope that the ‘Certain number of main quests’ was not as many as it sounded. 

What about the side quests? If the main quests return my human form, what do the side quests do?

<The ultimate goal of the side quests is for the user to become a hare. Becoming a hare comes with a bigger, faster, and more agile body; these helpful traits will serve as rewards. But this system is not as cruel as the user claims and will reward the user with other things that will serve to help him in the near future.>

<◝(*'◡'*)◜>

This instantly lifted Wei Ying's mood. He didn’t care for being a hare, a rodent is a rodent at the end of the day–what was the difference between being a rabbit or a hare when he is meant to be human? Anyway, the rewards were what was so spirit-lifting. Maybe he was wrong about the system… Ah, on second thought, I’d rather not jinx myself. If the system takes advantage of my change in opinion that would suck. 

Wei Ying opens the side quests. If they are easy enough, he can accomplish them while trying to get on Prince Wangji’s good side. Then he gets the rewards, making his main quest much easier. 

The interface for the side quests looks no different than the one for the main quests, except for the fact that this time there is no quest he can click on–there is not a single lit quest! 

What's the meaning of this? Is there a reason I can’t access the side quests?

<If the main quest ‘The Priceless Pet Rabbit’ is not finished then the user cannot do the side quests.>

Did Wei Ying actually jinx himself? He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. 

Will-...Will I at least get a reward for finishing ‘The Priceless Pet Rabbit’?

<Yes, the user's legs will grow in length as well as strength. After the second step of the main quest, ‘The Priceless Pet Rabbit’, the user will have access to an inventory that will be with him at all times. The other rewards cannot be revealed at this moment in time.> 

Wei Ying sighed. Well, it’s better than nothing–plus the inventory was hardly a bad reward, it would certainly come in handy eventually. 

Wei Ying reopened the main quest. The second step was ‘Interact With The Tyrant’...

Interact? We’ve interacted, haven’t we? He picked me up. What counts as an interaction?! 

<User needs to think for himself.>

<(#￢_￢)>

Hah? You’re the one being vague! ‘Think for myself’...I do that plenty! Especially with you as my ‘golden finger’! 

<Is the user done looking at the system interface?>

{Yes}

{no}

Wei Ying clicked ‘yes’. The system clearly wasn’t going to give him more info, and judging by the pushy pop-up asking if he was ‘finished’ the system didn’t want to handle him any longer. Wei Ying would just have to work with what he’s been given, which isn’t a lot, but Wei Ying can do a lot with a little. 

Wei Ying’s eyes crack open. The scenery change was a bit of a shock. The room was just as fancy as the kitchen but it was very lived in and everything was coated in the smell of sandalwood. Wei Ying was resting on a white decorative pillow. He could tell the pillow was filled with fragrant herbs because the pillow emitted strong smells that differed from the usual sandalwood scent. 

Strangely, Wei Ying found that his wound had been patched up. The previously bleeding cut on his neck was now wrapped up in soft white gauze–Prince Wangji had patched him up! At first it felt out of character to Wei Ying, even though the system had told him that characters couldn’t be OOC. However, he reminded himself that this is before he was a cold-blooded tyrant, filled with apathy and resentment. This version of him may be capable–should be capable–of loving a pet. A soft giddy feeling bubbled up in Wei Ying, the same one that he had felt imagining Prince Wangji’s smile. 

The decorative pillow was layed out on a table meant for writing, a modern-day work desk was the best thing Wei Ying could compare it’s purpose to. So with how high up he was he could see a decent amount of the room. He attempted to crane his neck to get an even better look at the room but his neck ached terribly so he decided against it. 

After a short while of sitting aimlessly on this pillow and occasionally resting or daydreaming, Prince Wangji entered the room, behind Prince Wangji was Nie Mingjue following in tow. Both wore two different types of complicated faces. Prince Wangji seemed…worried–Wei ying would like to think it was over him but thats just the arrogant side of his brain being assumptuous. Nie Mingjue wore a similar expression of concern, however, he appeared pleased and confused all at the same time. His brows pressed together though he didn't seem angry and his gaze flickered between both Wei Ying and Prince Wangji. 

Wei Ying was a social butterfly; reading people was easy, so far only Prince Wangji gave Wei Ying a run for his money. Wei Ying had to give it to the man he was amazing at controlling his expression, only on an occasion did his true feelings slip, this was the first he displayed emotion for a long period of time. On top of that Wei Ying has a previous bias, knowing who he is as a person in the future and it affects the way he observes and sees Prince Wangji’s actions. 

Prince Wangji walked straight up to the pillow, and Wei Ying knew this was his opportunity to play the role of the perfect pet rabbit. Wei Ying rolled over onto his belly. A jolting pain shot through his neck, though this pose quickly became more comfortable than sitting up right since he no longer had to support his injured neck. His lively tail swished back and forth like a fish swimming against a rapid current . 

Over here, Mr.Tyrant! Your perfect pet rabbit is awaiting your attention! 

—

‘*❈❀❈*’

A/N: Hello, I know that I said it may take a while to update, but I’ve been having so much fun writing this, I just can’t stop writing… Anyway! I just wanted to let you all know, don’t have high expectations, this type of motivation is sudden and rare. I have diagnosed ADHD, and completing projects is my worst enemy. However, I do have extra motivation to finish this since it’s a gift for a friend.  

Also, on the Wattpad version of this there is some art. I suck at html/coding and it’s completely new to me so I probably won’t add any to the Ao3 version. If you want to see my less-than-amateur art, it’s “The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Rabbit” by Pen_Ink on Wattpad. 

Thank you for reading! 

Chapter Text

Wei Ying continued to lie on his back, his tail flipping so fast that Prince Wangji thought the rabbit would take flight. 

Prince Wangji sat in front of the low table and peered down at the rabbit. He watched the rabbit curiously as he fiddled with the hem of his sleeves. It wasn’t proper etiquette to fidget, but he couldn’t help the urge to. 

Nie Mingjue hesitantly asked, “Does His Highness think the rabbit is playing dead?” Wei Ying’s head shot up, nearly ripping his wound open. Playing dead? What do you think I am, an opossum? His tail suddenly halts, and he turns his back to Nie Mingjue. 

Prince Wangji's brows pressed closer together, and the frown on his face deepened. He wondered if the rabbit was scared of him, and that’s why it was playing dead. The thought caused him to wince, but he covered it up with a shake of his head. 

Seeing Prince Wangji’s disagreement, Nie Mingjue offered to get a second opinion, “How about this servant fetches Huaisang? He’s quite knowledgeable about lesser matters such as this.” With his head downturned, Prince Wangji reluctantly agreed to seek out Nie Huaisang's help, ignoring the slight jab at Nie Huaisang's interests. “Of course, Your Highness, this servant will return with Huaisang soon.” He gave a formal bow and was out of the room in the blink of an eye. 

“I just want His Highness to pet me! Why else would I present my belly?” Wei Ying complained, even though no one would hear his grievances. If I were scared, I would have run away a long time ago; there is a perfectly open door not too far from me!

Prince Wangji listened to the rabbit make small chattering noises, unsure why he was so talkative all of a sudden. He hesitantly reached a hand out to pet him, and the rabbit rolled onto his back once more; however, Prince Wangji quickly retracted his hand. 

Wei Ying sighed in defeat, “I just want you to pet me, you fuddy-duddy!” 

Nie Mingjue returned with Nie Huaisang not long after leaving. 

Nie Huaisang bowed and addressed Prince Wangji, “Greetings to Prince Wangji, it’s a pleasure to see His Highness!” Prince Wangji casts a glance toward Nie Huaisang before returning his gaze to the rabbit. Nie Huaisang scratches at the back of his neck with a slight laugh, hoping to relieve some of the awkward tension. He continues, “How may this lowly servant be of help? I-Is His Highness wanting a snack?...”  

Nie Mingjue explains, “The rabbit from earlier has been exhibiting some possibly…strange… behavior after waking. His Highness was wondering if A-Sang could identify the matter?” He pointed at the rabbit. “Ah, it’s less lively now… It was in this position, and its tail was whipping about!” Nie Huaisang stared at Wei Ying in his idle yet comfortable state. He just watched the rabbit, hoping to see some of this ‘odd behavior’, but nothing happened. 

“This is odd, how?” Nie Huaisang inquired with a sense of exhaustion in his voice, a tone Wei Ying could relate to, having endured the two men for a while himself. 

“It’s on its belly, being all fidgety and jumpy! I thought it was playing dead, or that we were scaring the little thing to death…” Nie Huaisang didn’t need to respond with a snide comment because his face alone expressed just how stupid he thought his brother was in that very instant. “Hey, what's with the look!?” Nie Huaisang pulled a paper fan out from only god knows where and used it to cover his face. He continued to judge his brother just a bit more discreetly. 

The Nie family were a family of hunters and butchers who became servants. The Nie ancestors, although they had little in terms of riches and nobility, made up for it in glory and achievements. They would use sabers passed down for generations to hunt down animals back in their glory days. In recent times, the Nie family had become low-ranking servants in the royal family, which was more stable and seen as a great honor, so Nie Huaisang couldn’t complain. However, Nie Mingjue was one of the few, if not the only, current Nie to still hunt. Because the emperor held annual hunts every year, and people of all classes were allowed, Nie Mingjue would hunt every year before he was assigned to care for Prince Wangji, since the prince never attended the hunts anymore. According to accounts, he was skilled at catching fast, small creatures like hares and rabbits, as well as impressive creatures like wolves or even bears. 

Nie Huaisang was beginning to wonder how his brother lived so much of his early life in the woods hunting, yet he thought this behavior was odd. At this point, Nie Huaisang wasn’t even angry anymore about being pulled aside over this idiotic misconception because the disappointment he felt trumped that. 

“While rabbits can be easily scared to death, their hearts are quite weak; this one is not scared–quite the opposite.” Prince Wangji finally turns his attention to Nie Huaisang, but Nie Huaisang can’t exactly tell what he’s thinking. “It’s um…common knowledge that animals view their stomach as a vulnerable part of their body; it’s all the important parts of your body hidden by a slight layer of skin. So when an animal, specifically a prey animal like a rabbit, presents its stomach, it means that it trusts you not to kill it.” 

While Nie Huaisang’s talking, Wei Ying realizes how poorly his actions are being interpreted, not that he can blame them, they don’t know he’s got a human consciousness and is capable of thoughts more complex than instincts. He sighed. Wei Ying’s so used to talking a mile a minute and being understood quite well, the system did a good job at giving him a challenge he would struggle with. 

Well, it was time for plan B. He decides to go for a different approach and begins jumping around playfully. It hurt like hell with his wound, but determined to complete this quest, Wei Ying ignores the painful sting in his neck.

What else could this mean other than I’m looking to play? I’m not much of a man for dignity, so I’m willing to act the role of a dumb pet and beg to play with His Highness. 

Prince Wangji raises a brow and gestures toward the rabbit. 

Nie Huaisang hesitantly responded, “It may be getting out pent-up energy, possibly enjoying all the attention being on it.” His answer was severely lacking in confidence, but Prince Wangji didn’t blame him since the action was sudden and it was harder to pin down what exactly the animal was thinking in the moment. 

Wei Ying found Nie Huaisang's suggestion funny. He would like to be basking in attention, but there was hardly any to bask in! He stops and flops over onto the pillow with an exhausted huff. It’s best if he saves his energy and thinks, he already took a risk and almost opened his wound, hopping around like that. Risking permanent injuries was a bit stupid on his part.

Suddenly, a system message popped up, 

<Hint: An interaction is a back-and-forth.>

After watching Wei Ying's sad attempts at interaction, the system decided to pity him and grace the pitiful rabbit with a hint. Not that the hint was entirely helpful, since he had picked up on that.

“The issue isn't me, it's him! It's not my fault he doesn't understand me.” 

Wei Ying continued to complain to the system while the three men aimlessly watched. 

 “It talks to itself like it’s having a back-and-forth conversation, quite interesting…” Nie Huaisang’s fan wafted back and forth as he observed the rabbit with the most curious glint in his eyes.

Prince Wangji, on the other hand, was partly lost in thought, thinking of ways to cautiously approach the rabbit. He did nod, acknowledging what Nie Huaisang was saying since he found the rabbit’s chatter also interesting, well, not exactly interesting, more like silly.

Nie Mingjue was barely watching the rabbit–his attention mainly on his brother and Prince Wangji. He pondered and mentally weighed the pros and cons of keeping the rabbit as a pet. 

Pets weren't common in the Lan family; Zhuliu was an exception. However, Prince Wangji seemed dead set on caring for and keeping the rabbit as… a pet . Nie Mingjue was… mildly pleased with the idea. Prince Wangji had always socially struggled due to his mutism and lack of experience around people, so a pet was a great idea. It inspired hope in Nie Mingjue that Prince Wangji may be able to bond with others, not just animals. Moreover, Nie Huaisang had always enjoyed caring for pets. At the moment, he was caring for a small bird that hung around the kitchen. A small, little yellow bird. Nie Mingjue never cared for the loud-mouthed creature, but his brother enjoyed its company. 

Nie Mingjue could only imagine how happy Lan Xichen would be once he told him about this new development with Prince Wangji. 

“With the wound on its neck, I’m surprised by how much it moves and speaks…I mean it must be painful,” Nie Huaisang pointed out, pulling Nie Mingjue out of his contemplation. 

“Hm, do you think all that sudden erratic behavior was to get our attention?” Wei Ying's motor-like tail started up again. “Maybe his bandages need to be changed.” Wei Ying’s tail stopped, and he turned his back to Nie Mingjue for the second time this day alone.

“He could also be hungry,” Nie Huaisang suggested. 

Prince Wangji took notice of the rabbit in his exhausted and injured state and nodded. Some food and clean bandages would do the rabbit some good. 

The two servants split off in two different directions. Nie Huaisang returned first with a medium-sized platter of vegetables: lettuce, turnips, radishes, and cucumbers. Nie Mingjue came in shortly after with a wrap of clean bandages and some natural remedy to rub on the wound that he had come upon in his search for bandages. 

Nie Huaisang set the platter beside the decorative pillow while Nie Mingjue began carefully changing the rabbit's bandages. The wound on Wei Ying’s neck was looking worse for wear with all the movement he’d been doing. Nie Mingjue was concerned Wei Ying was going to tear the wound open and bleed out to death, but hoped the rabbit had some self-preservation and would take things easy for now. 

Wei Ying was enticed by the food after he had wasted all his energy trying to get the tyrant's attention without success. He was upset that the only person not doting on him was Prince Wangji, the one person he needed to dote on him; however, the pampering was enjoyable–Wei Ying couldn’t deny that. He felt like royalty himself with the two servants by his side.   

Wei Ying ate the radishes and turnips, as well as a few bites of lettuce. His lack of interest in normal rabbit food was funny to both Nie Mingjue and Prince Wangji.  

“He’s got an interesting palate, doesn't he, Your Highness?” Prince Wangji’s lips curved into a smile that he covered with his sleeve. He nodded. 

Wei Ying, on the other hand, wasn’t sure how much rabbit food he would be able to put up with. As much as the veggies were filling, because he was now a rabbit, he dearly missed his actual palate of meat and spicy food. The whole time he was munching on the vegetables, he thought about how much he wanted something like braised pork paired with a can of cheap beer. But rabbits can't eat anything he enjoys; they physically can’t consume spicy food, alcohol, or meat. It was devastating, however, a great motivator to return to his human form. Once he could turn human again, he’d drink good and eat tons of spicy meat! 

“Da-ge, we should begin working on a snack for his highness,” Nie Huaisang reminded his brother.

Nie Mingjue chuckled, “Yes, yes, it wouldn’t be right to feed what was once food and starve His Highness.” He set the medical supplies down in Prince Wangji’s room so the rabbit's bandages could be changed in the future. “This servant needs to help his younger brother in the kitchen since his mother is busy at the moment. This servant will return shortly, Your Highness.” Nie Mingjue excused himself. Prince Wangji didn’t bother properly seeing Nie Mingjue off and settled on a simple wave goodbye. 

Now that Prince Wangji found himself alone with the rabbit, he pulled the platter closer and picked up a piece of lettuce, then offered it. Wei Ying had returned to his ‘playing dead’ position after all that pampering, deciding to get some rest in. He was quite full and couldn’t bear to eat more, so he ignored the piece of lettuce, much to Prince Wangji’s disappointment. 

Prince Wangji placed the piece of lettuce back onto the platter. His gaze settled on the rabbit’s exposed, furry, gray belly. He calmly brought a hand to it and began to caress the lower half of the rabbit’s stomach. 

“Hey! What do you think you're doing? That’s way too far down! You’re close to defiling this rabbit!” Wei Ying angrily chattered. 

Hearing the rabbit’s protests, Prince Wangji moved his hands and opted to rub the rabbit’s ears. Wei Ying didn’t have much to complain about this time around. Prince Wangji’s soft hands massaged Wei Ying’s ears ever so gently. Wei Ying sat up and drew closer to Prince Wangji, encouraging him to continue. It was a peaceful moment between the two before the system erupted into cheers, 

<User has completed part 2 of ‘Priceless Pet Rabbit’, ‘Interact with the tyrant’! The user now has access to an inventory! Confetti, confetti!>

This was good news, and it’s not as if the system had completely ruined the moment since Prince Wangji cannot hear it, so Wei Ying could hardly stay mad for the sudden loud noise. Prince Wangji continued to leisurely stroke the rabbit’s ears without a care in the world while Wei Ying silently celebrated his new inventory. 

However, much to Wei Ying’s surprise and dismay, the system continued, 

<Hint: The inventory can be accessed without the system. The user must tap the white tuft of fur on his left ear to access the inventory! As long as the desired item is within the user's line of sight, it may be picked up. To pick up an item, simply think about it; no physical labor required!>

…That’s actually quite helpful.

<User’s third task, ‘Get Along With The Tyrant’, has now begun! The user has a time limit of 3 days.>

Huh?! What happens if I don’t finish in time?!

<If the user doesn’t complete the task by the time limit, he’ll become bones and ash!>

The penalty is death?! 

<(●'◡'●)>

Wei Ying went to yell about the system’s tyrannical behavior for the second time, but the feeling of Prince Wangji’s hands leaving his body and the sound of Nie Mingjue’s muffled yelling caught his attention. 

“Your Highness! This servant apologizes for the sudden intrusion and improper greeting; however, this is quite an important matter.” Nie Mingjue stood in the doorway with Nie Huaisang lingering behind him, a plate of small desserts in his hand. Prince Wangji had stood up by now and waved his hand as if to say ‘go on’. “The Emperor has sent someone.”

 The look of shock on Prince Wangji’s face gave Wei Ying shivers. It was such a foreign expression on the man's face, the same as a smile would be, but unlike a smile, it brought only feelings of unease to Wei Ying. 

Prince Wangji solemnly nodded and followed Nie Mingjue, leaving Wei Ying alone with Nie Huaisang. 

Nie Huaisang set the plate down. His eyes land on the rabbit, and his expression changes. His eyes become sharp, aware. 

“After watching you earlier, I understand why His Highness took you in,” Nie Huaisang began. “You act nothing like a rabbit–more like a dog or a cat. There’s something almost human about you that I just can’t place my finger on.” Wei Ying tenses. Did Nie Huaisang suspect him? How?! Am I that poor of an actor?... “Aiya, I’ve hit a new low speaking to a rabbit,” Nie Huaisang chuckled to himself, his tone less joking and more teasing. The way he spoke made Wei Ying feel like Nie Huaisang was in on a joke that Wei Ying would never be a part of. Nie Huaisang patted Wei Ying’s head before leaving the room, a smirk on his face. The sound of a paper fan snapping open echoed through the empty halls of Prince Wangji’s home. 

What the hell was that…?

—

‘*❈❀❈*’

A/N: Sorry about the long paragraph explaining the Nie family background–I really just wanted to add some lore to this. I usually enjoy when fanfics get creative and add small details to their story, but I realized I may have dragged it out for too long… 

(╥﹏╥)

Anyway, thank you for reading! 

Chapter Text

Nie Huaisang never returned, much to Wei Ying's relief. The whole interaction had been beyond odd–the head shaker became a threat in a matter of seconds. Wei Ying wasn’t sure what he’d do if Nie Huaisang were ever to truly learn that he was human. Wei Ying determined that Nie Huaisang wasn’t a threat at the moment, and he should redirect his attention to the task with the three-day time limit.  

It was the first task that was really time sensitive and it contradicted the system's whole ‘I will not force you’ agenda. Wei Ying wasn’t sure if he had time to be worrying for his life or over the system's lies, it was best if he got on the task now and started conjuring up ideas to ‘get along with’ Prince Wangji. 

It was a vague quest without obvious requirements or steps. To Wei Ying, the system's quests felt more like riddles…or a super vague chore list, but he has a bomb strapped to his chest while he does them, and the bomb is set to go off if he doesn’t complete the chores or solve the riddle in three days. It’s not even like he can base this quest off his last since he completed it by happenstance because Prince Wangji spontaneously decided to pet him. On top of that, he was quite sure that he had been getting along with Prince Wangji just fine, what else could a rabbit do? 

Wei Ying moped about till Prince Wangji and Nie Mingjue returned. They were in the middle of a conversation with Nie Mingjue, inquiring, “Does His Highness have any ideas on why he was called to Qianqing Palace so unexpectedly?” Prince Wangji gave a thoughtful look to the question, but just sort of shrugged. “This servant heard the Emperor had visited Zhongcui Palace. It may be about the Noble Consort’s dog, Zhuliu.” Prince Wangji shot Nie Mingjue a warning glare, and Nie Mingjue quickly added, “This servant only spreads rumors with intentions to help His Highness! This one understands that His Highness is a virtuous man and believes rumors are harmful; however, it is something to keep in mind when His Highness visits the Emperor… He does plan on seeing the Emperor, correct?”

Prince Wangji nods, though he doesn’t bother hiding his bitterness about seeing his father as it seeps through his expression.   

“Good, good. It’s best if His Highness shows up to at least show his respect to the Emperor,” Nie Mingjue Sighs. “Well, if His Highness is going, this servant will appear by his side.” Prince Wangji carelessly waves his hand, which usually means ‘no’ or ‘don’t bother’. 

Nie Mingjue was thrown. With Prince Wangji’s mutism, he usually, if not always, had either Nie Mingjue or Lan Xichen by his side to translate his body language into words. Prince Wangji rarely requested to go alone to these types of summons because, despite his stubbornness, he understood the disadvantage of not having a translator. He could easily be misinterpreted, and his quiet personality already leads others to be distant or sometimes fearful of him. 

It was then clear to Nie Mingjue that this was not a request from Prince Wangji, but rather the emperor. 

He asked, “Did the Emperor request that you go alone?” to which Prince Wangji didn’t respond; instead, he awkwardly played with the ends of his sleeves. “Never mind, this servant already knows the answer to that.” Nie Mingjue sounded disappointed by the Emperor's actions, though not surprised. 

The tension in the air was suffocating and Wei Ying didn’t appreciate the total silence that filled the room. This was clearly something larger than a summons. Wei Ying suspected tension wasn’t even about this specific instance but the overall grudge that the two held for Prince Wangji’s father. Wei Ying understood, based on what he read in the novel and what’s happening now, he can tell the guy’s a bit of a douche. 

Nie Mingjue suddenly cut into the silence, declaring, “This servant will appear by His Highness’s side even if it means punishment, no, even if it means death!” Prince Wangji was swift to say no to that statement. He banged his fist against the wooden wall of his room, then firmly shook his head. Nie Mingjue was a tad startled by this, mainly because it was so out of character for the usually calm-mannered Prince Wangji. “His Highness truly wishes to go alone?... What does he plan to do, write out his defense?” Prince Wangji glances at the rabbit, who was watching the two go back and forth, arguing. “The rabbit?” Prince Wangji smiles.

Wei Ying yelps in shock as he’s randomly hoisted up into Prince Wangji’s arms. The man cradles him, and Wei Ying tries not to suffocate in Prince Wangji’s long silk sleeves. 

Nie Mingjue blankly stares at the smiling Prince Wangji and his little rabbit. “This servant doesn’t understand. May His Highness explain what he has planned?” 

 Prince Wangji sets Wei Ying back down on the decorative pillow, allowing the rabbit to catch a glimpse of the sweet smile on his face. Wei Ying felt his heart flutter. Ayia, warn me first, at least! Rabbits have weak hearts, and that smile is not for the weak! 

With the rabbit out of his hand, Prince Wangji grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote a few characters. He held the paper up for Nie Mingjue to read, 

‘I have no need to defend myself, but I wish not to leave the bunny behind.’

Despite the explanation, Nie Mingjue couldn’t comprehend why the rabbit needed to come, still he let out a defeat sigh and nodded.

“This servant understands, and if that is how His Highness wishes to proceed, this loyal servant will do nothing but abide; however, if His Highness is slandered in any right, he should come to me.” Prince Wangji picks up the brush and paper again, and the very bottom of the page writes,

‘Of course, many thanks.’ 

“It is my duty to serve, Your Highness, no need to thank this servant.” 

‘*❈❀❈*’

The ride in the palanquin to Qianqing palace was smoother than Wei Ying had expected–he’d experienced train rides bumpier than that. 

There was only one problem, he was drowning in Prince Wangji’s sleeves, nearly suffocating in the man’s affections. He was insistent on carrying Wei Ying all the way there, and most likely all the way back. On top of that the system didn’t chime not once. Wei Ying couldn’t possibly fathom how this wasn’t ‘Getting along’, the tyrant was treating him like a lap dog… 

Once they arrived at the palace the head eunuch, Nie Zonghui, led them to the emperor. However, Nie Mingjue wasn’t allowed beyond the entrance, as the emperor had instructed. 

Then unexpectedly, after absolute silence, the system spoke, 

<All requirements have been met! User is allowed to access the side quest, ‘Clear, Dazzling White Jade’, would user like to begin?>

Wei Ying was confused. He had yet to ‘Get along with’ Prince Wangji so why’d he have sudden access to the side quests? Wei Ying couldn’t understand the system at all. 

Without even looking at the details of the quest, Wei Ying could glean from the name that it must be a retrieval quest of sorts. How Wei Ying would get white jade in his rabbit form was beside him, but at least this one had a more obvious end goal… 

He clicked on the pop up and accepted the side quest. 

…And the system didn’t give him much to work with. The description of the quest was simply to ‘obtain one jewel of white jade’. 

His eyes fell to the reward bit and he was now on the hunt for white jade. 

At the bottom of the pop up it read, 

<Reward: Pill that will return users original form for two hours. There is no plenty for failing to complete the quest, outside of losing the reward.> 

Wei Ying couldn’t be more pleased. The side quests offered better rewards than the main quest! 

He didn’t even bother asking if the pill was able to be used more than once, knowing the system, it's unlikely–and he didn’t want to ruin his mood. He’d have to settle with the one time use. 

After closing out of the system’s pop up, Wei Ying found himself in the emperor's quarters. It was so bright, Wei Ying thought he might just go blind! Gold and silk every which way. The room was filled with the smell of sandalwood, similar to the scent that Prince Wangji had smothered all over him. The quarters were almost relaxing because of that. If not for the fact that the room was practically gold everything and it was hard to see, Wei Ying may have fallen asleep enveloped in Prince Wangji’s scent. 

Wei Ying still much preferred Prince Wangji’s ‘Jingshi’–as it was referred to in the novel. It was less of a home and more of a study but that made sense for a studious character such as Lan Zhan. It was quiet, well kept, and the only light was gentle streams of sunbeams from the windows or the occasional dim lantern. Wei Ying secretly hoped that they wouldn’t be staying the night and they’d return to Jingshi after speaking to the emperor. 

The only reason he may consider wanting otherwise was the fact that Prince Wangji didn’t appear to have any jewels of white jade, only decorative art pieces. If Wei Ying was going to find white jade it was going to be here, but so far he’d seen none.

He turned his attention to the sudden summons. 

Qingheng-Jun and Lan Zhan had a more than complicated relationship. The man was nearly absent from Prince Wangji’s life, only being there for his son when absolutely necessary. Other than when duty called or he was wooing a new wife, the emperor would lock himself away in his quarters. Before Prince Wangji was old enough to care for himself, since his mother had passed, Qingheng-Jun’s brother, Lan Qiren, cared for both Prince Wangji and Prince Xichen. The reason for the strained relationship was glaringly obvious, they didn’t have much of a relationship to even begin with! 

According to the OG novel, Qingheng-Jun wanted to love his sons, both Prince Wangji and Xichen. Empress Li Jing, better known as madam Lan, was Qingheng-Jun’s favorite wife and the only one he had any commitment to according to the original novel. If it weren’t for the fact that madam Lan had killed Qingheng-Jun’s old tutor during her pregnancy with Prince Xichen, she would have been the only wife. However, because of that incident she was locked up in her own respective manor, Hanshi, and everyone surrounding the emperor demanded he take a different wife since Li Jing was ‘no good’ and ‘lacked Lan qualities’. Under pressure from his subjects and nobles surrounding him–even his own brother thought it may do him some good to find a new empress–Qingheng-Jun married Consort Su, a young lady from the Moling Su, a prominent family. Yet, this went nowhere, and still Li Jing remains the one and only empress. 

Sadly, madam Lan passed after her pregnancy with Lan Zhan. She’d apparently been sick the entire pregnancy and even a bit before.

Qingheng-Jun was surprised she conceived in such a state and continued to birth a healthy baby. The only problem was that the baby was mute with no signs that he’d ever be able to speak. This disappointed Qingheng-Jun and he distanced himself even further from his Di children.

 If everything wasn’t horrible enough, the other sons bullied him relentlessly. Lan Huan, Prince Xichen, was the only brother who loved Lan Zhan. He cared for his little brother as if he were his own son, Lan Zhan was his pride and joy. 

Wei Ying couldn’t figure out what the emperor could possibly want from Prince Wangji. A punishment for what had happened on the noble consort's birthday like Nie Mingjue had said…?

Wei Ying shook off the thought, it was best he stayed positive. 

They’d reached the main halls of Qianqing palace. The emperor sat on a golden throne with dragons curling around it. The emperor was young looking and dressed similarly to his son, only Qingheng-Jun’s clothes looked extra expensive and formal. “A-Zhan,” The emperor called out. Prince Wangji bowed clumsily as he attempted to juggle Wei Ying in his arms. “Stand. What's that you’ve got there?” Prince Wangji held the rabbit up for Nie Zonghui and the Emperor to view. Seeing as there was no reason to assume that Prince Wangji would bring them a live rabbit, both the emperor and eunuch thought he had brought a rabbit from a hunt as an apology. The emperor cracked a smile for the first time since Prince Wangji had arrived. “How kind of you, A-Zhan.” Prince Wangji shot the emperor a puzzled look as Nie Zonghui approached the Prince to take the rabbit. 

Being stolen from Prince Wangji spooked Wei Ying and he began squirming. The eunuch jumped in shock and before he could react Prince Wangji had snatched Wei Ying back, cradling the rabbit in his arms. 

The emperor tilted his head at the scene playing out, his smile falling. “What exactly is going on over there? Enough nonsense.”

 The eunuch opened his mouth to speak but Prince Wangji had already begun to make his way over to the emperor. 

He held Wei Ying up and presented the rabbit before the emperor. 

Upon closer examination, Qingheng-Jun could see that the rabbit was very much still alive. Its pink little nose twitched in slight fear, its wide eyes blinked slowly, its furry chest rose and fell. Neck wrapped in clean bandages and well groomed, the emperor could tell this rabbit was not meant for eating. 

Prince Wangji pulled the rabbit back into his arms and in response, Wei Ying nestled further into the man's chest to lower the risks of being snatched away again. 

“You’ve obtained a pet, is that it?” Qingheng-Jun inquired. 

Prince Wangji nodded and smiled. 

Taken aback by not just the live rabbit in his son’s arms but the unlikely smile, Qingheng-Jun was rendered speechless. 

The emperor watched as his son gently cradled the rabbit and rubbed its ears, his smile never ending, if anything growing. A rabbit wasn’t exactly an uncommon pet, however, the Lans weren’t usually allowed pets, they were barely allowed meat until recently! It was strange, sure, but something warmed his heart seeing Lan Zhan that delighted. Plus he’d allowed consort Yi to keep that guard dog around, it’d look cruel if didn’t allow his son this one thing–he never does ask much of his father. 

Regaining his composure, he chuckled, “A pet rabbit?...A-Zhan seems to like it, this emperor is glad.” 

—

‘*❈❀❈*’

A/N: Sorry for being missing, the ao3 author curse might just be real…I've had a cold, the flu, and both an ear and sinus infection at the same time since I've been gone. However, I’m fine now, doing better than usual actually. (ᴖ◡ᴖ)