The Side Character Wants to Lie Flat-Chapter 128: You’re Not Human

「The next day.」

For once, Hua Manman woke up bright and early.

She was going to make sticky rice balls.

Si Yun hurriedly said, "How can you do such menial work? Just let me do it."

Hua Manman replied, "I promised the Prince I’d make him sticky rice balls. I have to do it myself."

Otherwise, with Prince Zhao’s petty nature, he would definitely use this to mock her and think she was just going through the motions.

Si Yun thought Lady Hua was trying to please the Prince with dessert. Delighted, she quickly changed her tune.

"Then let me be your assistant. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Hua Manman said, "Go and sort some soybeans."

"Yes!"

Si Yun brought over a small stool and began to meticulously sort the soybeans.

Hua Manman took out the red beans she had soaked the previous night and stewed them into a pot of thick, fragrant, and sweet red bean paste.

As she shaped the sticky rice balls, she stuffed some of the red bean paste into each one.

Si Yun showed her the sorted soybeans.

Hua Manman roasted the soybeans on the stove until they were dry and crisp, then ground them into a fine powder.

Once the water in the pot boiled, she dropped the plump, white sticky rice balls in one by one.

A moment later, she scooped out the cooked sticky rice balls, drizzled them with honey, and sprinkled a layer of soybean powder on top.

The advanced version of sticky rice balls was complete!

Hua Manman ran to find Prince Zhao, carrying the sticky rice balls.

Presenting them like a treasure, she said, "Your Highness, please try what I’ve made."

Li Ji picked up a sticky rice ball with his chopsticks and ate it slowly and deliberately.

Meeting Hua Manman’s expectant gaze, he commented languidly.

"The taste is alright, but it’s too sweet. A little cloying."

The anticipation in Hua Manman’s eyes quickly died, replaced by a look of disappointment, but she soon perked up again.

"I’ll work on it some more. I’m sure I can make sticky rice balls that suit Your Highness’s taste!"

Inside, however, she was complaining furiously—

’The Sixth Prince complained they weren’t sweet enough without red bean paste, and you complain they’re too sweet and cloying! You guys are harder to please than a Bodhisattva!’

Li Ji: "..."

Li Ji chuckled dryly. "Only children like to eat sweets."

Hua Manman heard the mockery in his laughter.

She thought he was mocking her and was instantly displeased, but she had to put on a wronged and pitiful expression.

"If Your Highness doesn’t like sweets, then I won’t make any more desserts in the future."

With that, she reached for the plate of sticky rice balls on the table and turned to leave.

Li Ji immediately stopped her. "What are you doing?"

Hua Manman muttered under her breath.

"You don’t like sweets, do you? So you probably don’t like these sticky rice balls either. It’s a waste to leave them here. I might as well give them to the Sixth Prince. He loves these red bean-filled sticky rice balls."

Li Ji’s expression instantly became a picture.

It was a mixture of anger and disgust, with an imperceptible hint of jealousy mixed in.

"All you do is think about the Sixth Prince. What? Do you find my temple too small and plan to find a higher branch to perch on?"

Hua Manman looked as if she had been gravely wronged, and her eyes immediately reddened.

"What is Your Highness saying? Ever since I married you, I have been completely devoted to you, yet you still doubt me?!"

Before Prince Zhao could say another word, she acted as if she couldn’t take it anymore, grabbed the sticky rice balls, and bolted out the door.

However, she hadn’t even made it out the door before Prince Zhao caught up to her from behind.

The man knew martial arts; he had appeared behind her in the blink of an eye.

Hua Manman pumped her slender little legs with all her might, huffing and puffing as she ran, only to find she was just running in place.

She turned her head and saw that Prince Zhao had grabbed her by the back of her collar.

Li Ji’s long arm shot out, and he snatched the plate of sticky rice balls from her hands.

Hua Manman tried to snatch them back.

But the man used his height advantage, deliberately holding the sticky rice balls high up. Even on her tiptoes with her arms stretched out, she couldn’t reach the plate.

Furious, she balled her small fists and pounded on his chest.

"SOB SOB SOB, Your Highness is bullying me!"

Ever since she started practicing her Swordsmanship, she had gotten much stronger.

If it were an ordinary person, they would have been howling in pain from her pounding.

Fortunately, Li Ji had practiced martial arts for years and was protected by his Inner Strength, so he didn’t feel much pain.

He stood perfectly still, looking down at her fake crying.

"Where are you going with my sticky rice balls? Are you taking them to the Sixth Prince?"

Hua Manman pounded him several times but couldn’t make him budge. Instead, the reactive force made her own fleshy little paws ache.

She resentfully pulled back her paws and whimpered softly.

"You don’t like sweets, do you? Since you don’t like them, I’ll take them to someone who does."

’In truth, I wanted to secretly eat the whole plate of sticky rice balls myself.

Both the Sixth Prince and Prince Zhao had found my sticky rice balls not good enough.

In that case, neither of them would ever get to eat my sticky rice balls again.

Hmph, I’m not going to spoil them!’

When Li Ji heard her thoughts and realized the "someone who does" she mentioned was herself, his expression softened a little.

’As long as it wasn’t for someone else, it was fine.’

Li Ji smiled faintly. "Though I don’t care for sweets, you made these especially for me. I should at least finish them."

Hua Manman pouted internally. ’He says it as if I begged him to eat them. What a hypocrite, trying to look good after getting his way.’

She pretended to be deeply moved, her eyes welling with tears as she said.

"Your Highness is too good to me! I must have done so many good deeds in my past life to have the honor of marrying you in this one!"

The smile on Li Ji’s face deepened. "Then you’d better do more good deeds in this life, so we can be together in the next one too."

Hua Manman nodded vigorously. "Mhm, mhm!"

’No, no, no! Let’s not bring this disaster upon each other again next life!’

Li Ji said he would finish the sticky rice balls, and he really did eat every last one.

He spoke while sipping his tea.

"Don’t put red bean paste in them next time."

Hua Manman asked, "How about black sesame filling?"

Li Ji said that would be acceptable.

Hua Manman tilted her head. "Then why don’t we just eat tangyuan?"

Li Ji: "..."

It was such a sharp question that it left Mr. Li speechless.

To preserve his dignity as a teacher, Li Ji decided to turn the tables and ask a soul-searching question.

"Have you finished today’s homework?"

Hua Manman: "..."

Hua Manman: "Well, f—"

Li Ji: "Hm?"

Hua Manman finished with difficulty, "—udge. I completely forgot."

Li Ji crossed his hands on his lap, watching her with a half-smile.

"Since you’re so fond of fudge, you can write a reflection on it today. No less than three hundred words." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Hua Manman pleaded pitifully.

"But I had a miscarriage. Shouldn’t I be resting?"

Li Ji retorted, "You’re supposed to drink medicine for the miscarriage too. Are you drinking it?"

Hua Manman: "..."

’Drink medicine or do homework.

It was a question worth considering.’

Hua Manman asked hopefully, "Can I neither drink the medicine nor do the homework?"

Li Ji gave a small smile. "My suggestion would be for you to drink your medicine while you do your homework."

Hua Manman: "..."

’You’re not human!’