LOT – Chapter 173 I Want the Yellow Stick, I Like Yellow!

When it came to finding a tool to “educate” herself, Lin Mo’s heart resisted deeply—but her actions were very honest.

In order to find a suitable tool, she even went outside to look for one.

Seeing the forearm‑thick wooden stick in Lin Mo’s hand, Bai Xiao asked her very seriously, “If you take that back, are you planning not to live anymore?”

Just one swing of that thing could send her straight into the ground!

Lin Mo said in distress, “I couldn’t find anything better. Everything else is either too brittle or too thin. The thinner it is, the itchier and more painful it is when it hits you. If I bring this back, maybe my mom won’t be able to bring herself to hit me with it. Then I might escape this calamity.”

It was a good idea… strictly as an idea.

Bai Xiao answered, “I think you should dream on. Your parents have been hitting you with perfect control for over ten years. They know exactly how to make it hurt without actually hurting you. Even if you bring that stick back, I bet your mom could still figure out how to use it to beat you.”

Lin Mo: …Why does that sound so reasonable?

Why was her beautiful mother so violent?! Couldn’t she just be a beautiful woman in peace?!

Seeing Lin Mo look increasingly conflicted, Bai Xiao came up with a plan.

“You just need something not too thick and not too thin—something that doesn’t hurt much when it hits, right? I know someone who has lots of those sticks. More than one, actually.”

Hearing this, Lin Mo instantly lit up with hope. “Who? Who!? Tell me quickly! This person is my savior! They actually have sticks that don’t hurt?!”

Bai Xiao laughed, and his pretty face even took on a slightly sleazy expression.

“Go find the Crown Prince. That couple has plenty of tools—sticks and all kinds of things. Those kinds of… toys.”

…WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?

Lin Mo rubbed her ears, thinking she misheard. “What did you say? Say it again?”

Bai Xiao repeated it word for word. Lin Mo’s eyes nearly fell out.

“So you want me to ask the Crown Prince for adult toys?! And then let my mother hit me with them?! What is wrong with your brain!”

Bai Xiao knew it sounded strange, but they were out of options.

“Every other household uses wooden slats or boards. Everything hurts more than the stick you gave away. If you don’t want to go, fine. It’s not me who’s getting beaten.”

Honestly, Bai Xiao felt his life right now was pretty great—eating, drinking, playing every day, receiving kindness from the Lin family, and occasionally watching Lin Mo perform as the leading star of the “public beating” show.

Was there anything more enjoyable? No, there really wasn’t.

Lin Mo was genuinely torn. She might be shameless, but she wasn’t that shameless!

Asking directly would be embarrassing. But if she didn’t ask directly, what if they didn’t understand? She absolutely could not ask the Crown Prince—asking him would make the whole thing sound wrong. What if he misunderstood?

(Crown Prince: Little Master Lin… you really are overthinking this.)

“Fine! I’ll go! It’s just a stick! I’ll go ask the Crown Princess!”

Heaven and earth could take a seat—she came first! To avoid future suffering, she was willing to throw away her dignity!

She had thought about asking the young lady from the Grand Commandant’s mansion to return the stick she had given away, but as the saying goes, gifts given are like water spilled. Asking for it back would slap her own face and someone else’s.

At least that was her niece—she couldn’t do that.

That afternoon, Lin Mo took Bai Xiao and headed to the Eastern Palace.

It wasn’t a place just anyone could enter, but the guards there were very kind. When they saw her, they immediately went to report.

“Master Lin is here! Quickly invite her in!”

“Bring out the pastries and tea! And put cushions and backrests on the chair!”

The Crown Princess was directing the attendants from her seat. She still hadn’t shown yet, so she remained slender and elegant.

When Lin Mo was brought in, her eyes darted everywhere.

To be fair, the Eastern Palace looked really nice—much nicer than her little courtyard.

But seriously… why hadn’t grass grown back in her courtyard yet?! Even the weeds were gone. Was the feng shui bad? That didn’t make sense.

“Your subject greets the Crown Princess.” Lin Mo bowed, nearly flinging Bai Xiao out of her sleeve.

【Be gentle! I almost flew into the Crown Princess’s face!】

Bai Xiao’s tiny heart nearly jumped out in fright. If she wanted to salute, could she at least let him prepare himself?!

The Crown Princess’s smile was brighter than when she looked at the Crown Prince.

“Master Lin, there’s no need for such formality. What brings you here today?”

Lin Mo thought for a moment, then scratched her cheek sheepishly. “Umm, Crown Princess, do you perhaps have a… thin stick? A small one… something that doesn’t hurt too much when used for hitting?”

The Crown Princess’s smile almost cracked. The attending maids and eunuchs all lowered their heads in panic.

What was this little ancestor here for?! Why was she asking the Crown Princess for that kind of item?!

The attendants who served the Crown Prince and Crown Princess all knew exactly what kind of couple they were. So they immediately understood what Lin Mo was describing.

The Crown Princess took a sip of tea to suppress her shock. “May I ask what you need a stick for? Aren’t sticks everywhere outside?”

Lin Mo immediately had plenty to complain about. Her face was full of grievances. “It’s my mom! I just gave her usual education stick to someone as a gift, and now she wants me to find a new one. Isn’t she cruel?”

“It’s bad enough she hits me, but she’s making me find the stick too! I’ve looked everywhere already. Everything is either too thin and painful, or too thick. I really have no choice left.”

Crown Princess & all attendants: …So that’s what this is about.

The Crown Princess quietly sighed in relief. Even though she knew rumors about her and the Crown Prince had spread, having someone say it to her face was still very awkward.

“Someone, bring the stick from my room.”

Bai Xiao: 【Ask for the yellow one! Yellow hurts the least!】

Lin Mo immediately asked, “Crown Princess, do you have a yellow stick? I like yellow.”

Yes, that was a perfect excuse. She purely liked yellow. Totally.

The Crown Princess’s lips twitched. She forced out a polite smile.

“Of—of course. Bring the yellow one.”