Yan Shiyao’s mouth twitched. Her Ningning really was something else.

Ye Chen lurked in the shadows, chewing lazily on a blade of grass. He muttered, “Tsk — His Highness has turned himself into a little errand boy.”

Ye Jian draped an arm over Ye Chen’s shoulder and said in a low voice, “I’m curious — just what did Second Miss Yan say to coax His Highness into running stall to stall buying her food? That’s extraordinary.”

“Coax? All those noble ladies back in Xuanzhao — haven’t they all tried fawning over His Highness? When has His Highness ever given them so much as a pleasant look? If His Highness had ever taken a fancy to even one of them, our little master would have arrived by now.” Ye Chen curled his lips.

Ye Jian: “…”

“A’Jie, what would you like to eat?” Yan Yunning hugged her bundle of snacks and trotted over to Yan Shiyao.

Yan Shiyao smiled warmly and picked up a piece of pastry at random. “Where did Yanyu go?”

Yan Yunning still had half a peach blossom cake in her mouth, and answered indistinctly, “He… he went to buy me candied hawthorns.”

“Little lemon.”

At the sound of that familiar voice, Yan Yunning stopped chewing, her cheeks still puffed out.

“Why did you leave without me? I washed my face properly, I washed my hands properly, I did everything you told me to.” A young man stood there looking thoroughly aggrieved, a faint mist clouding his eyes, the very picture of a pitiable puppy.

Yan Shiyao looked the young man over. He wore a plain robe of ordinary fabric, washed so many times it had faded nearly white, his sleeves rolled up to the elbows. His features were clear and fine — but he had a somewhat simple air about him, his gaze soft and unguarded.

Yan Yunning shoved everything in her hands into Yan Shiyao’s arms and trotted over to meet the young man. “A’Ci, how did you find your way here?”

Shortly after she had first crossed over, she spent every day thinking about how to leave. Once, lost in thought, she had almost fallen into a river.

A’Ci had pulled her back. He’d looked at her carefully and said, “Cold. The river is cold. A’Ci has been in.”

That was how she found out — he had been taken in by her maternal grandfather after being found, and had suffered a head injury that left him with the mind of a child.

Out of boredom — and with no way to cross back home — she spent her days talking with A’Ci.

At first A’Ci was very afraid of her. Fafa said it was because the original owner of her body hadn’t treated him kindly. Later, A’Ci took to following her around every single day — until she was brought back to the Chancellor’s residence.

“Little lemon, I wanted to find you, so I came.” The young man blinked.

He had searched for a very long time!

He had heard it all — little lemon had gone to the Chancellor’s residence!

He found his way to the Chancellor’s residence, but little lemon wasn’t there. So he asked the people standing stiffly at the gate.

He was quite clever, after all — little lemon had said that when you didn’t understand something, you should ask someone. He had remembered that!

Yan Yunning’s eyelid twitched. “Don’t tell me you left when I left?!”

A’Ci smiled and nodded.

“Did Grandfather and Grandmother know you were leaving? And where have you been staying all this time?”

A’Ci tilted his head to one side, the look of someone waiting to be praised. “Little lemon said — when you go out, bring money, and leave a note so others know. A’Ci remembered all of it.”

“You took the money and stayed at an inn?”

A’Ci patted the pouch at his waist, beaming with pride. “A’Ci has money. Stayed at the inn.”

“Ningning, he’s so adorable.” Yan Shiyao’s eyes lit up. She nudged Yan Yunning aside and stepped right up to A’Ci’s side.

The Yan Yunning who had been nudged aside: “?”

Yan Shiyao patted Yan Yunning’s arm, barely able to contain the delight in her voice. “Ningning, introduce him to A’Jie.”

Yan Yunning couldn’t help a look of resignation. “His name is A’Ci. He’s twenty years old. Grandfather found him and took him in.” Then she turned to A’Ci. “A’Ci, this is A’Yao jiejie.”

A’Ci dutifully called out, “A’Yao jiejie.”

Yan Shiyao reached out a free hand and ruffled his hair gently. “A’Ci, what do you like to eat? Pick whatever you’d like.”

A’Ci looked over at Yan Yunning.

Little lemon had said — don’t eat food from strangers!

Yan Yunning understood what he meant and smiled. “A’Ci, A’Jie isn’t a stranger. You can eat.”

A’Ci picked out two pieces of pastry and handed one to Yan Yunning, his face bright with a pure, uncomplicated smile. “Little lemon, you have some too.”

Yan Yunning took it and had a bite.

A’Ci’s eyes shone as he watched her. “Little lemon, is it good?”

Yan Yunning smiled and nodded.

A’Ci swallowed, then without a moment’s hesitation, held out the piece still in his hand and offered it to Yan Yunning too. “This one goes to little lemon as well.”

His fingers still had crumbs clinging to them. A’Ci stared at the crumbs and swallowed again.

Yan Shiyao felt her heart melt watching them. She pushed all the snacks in her arms into A’Ci’s. “All of these are yours. You eat.”

A’Ci tilted his head back and smiled up at Yan Shiyao.

Yan Shiyao truly couldn’t help herself and pinched his cheek.

A’Ci frowned. She had given him pastries, so he’d let her pinch him once — but that was enough!

Yan Yunning nibbled on her pastry. Since A’Ci had followed her all the way here, did that mean she’d have to drag him along wherever she went from now on?

“Stop — stop pinching!” A’Ci ducked his head and scrambled hurriedly behind Yan Yunning.

“A’Jie, stop teasing him.” Yan Yunning laughed.

A’Ci peeked his head out from behind Yan Yunning and gave Yan Shiyao a very solemn nod.

Little lemon was right!

Yan Shiyao burst out laughing.

Yan Yunning was a little surprised. She had never seen her A’Jie laugh so freely and joyfully before.

“Who is he?” Xuan Yanyu walked over with a stick of candied hawthorns in hand, having spotted the newcomer from a distance just moments ago.

“A’Ci, this is Elder Brother Xuan.” Yan Yunning’s voice carried a smile.

A’Ci blinked those soft, unguarded eyes and studied Xuan Yanyu for a moment with his head tilted. “Elder Brother Xuan.”

After calling out to him, he shuffled further behind Yan Yunning.

A flicker passed through Xuan Yanyu’s eyes.

Yan Yunning took the candied hawthorns from Xuan Yanyu’s hand and bit into one lightly. The sugar shell cracked with a crisp snap, and a wave of sharp sourness spread across her tongue.

All at once, her fair, rosy little face scrunched up into a tight knot.

“Little lemon, if it’s not good, give it to A’Ci.” A’Ci scratched his head and gave a goofy grin.

Xuan Yanyu’s throat moved. If she dared give something he had bought for her to someone else, he would make sure she regretted it.

Yan Yunning caught sight of the look on Xuan Yanyu’s face from the corner of her eye and, setting A’Ci aside for the moment, stepped over to Xuan Yanyu and asked gently, “You don’t like A’Ci calling you brother?”

Understandable, she supposed — he was a crown prince, a man of lofty status. Having a stranger call him brother was probably not to his liking.

“Are you planning to keep him by your side from now on?” The man was displeased.

Yan Yunning glanced over at A’Ci, who was giggling merrily as Yan Shiyao teased him, and let out a sigh. “I can’t take him with me everywhere, but I can’t let him go back on his own either. I’d worry.”

Xuan Yanyu’s tongue moved against his lip. “What exactly is your relationship with him?”

“My grandfather found him and took him in. In a sense, he’s something like a younger brother to me.” Yan Yunning took another bite of her candied hawthorn and said with a petulant little pout, “Xuan Yanyu, it’s so sour.”

The man shifted, visibly uncomfortable, his voice a touch rough. “Where is it sour?”

“Sour all over. I’ve had two now and they’re both very sour.”

Xuan Yanyu gave a light cough, his voice slightly hoarse. “Next time I buy them, I’ll ask the stall owner first.”

Yan Yunning felt a mild sense of helplessness. The hills around the village were covered in hawthorn trees, some sour, some sweet — and the stall owner couldn’t very well taste each one individually. Asking would be completely pointless.

“Xuan Yanyu.” The girl gave a slow blink.

“Hmm?” His low, quiet voice set her ears tingling with warmth.