Yan Yunning glanced up at him. “Are you serious?”

Ye Chen answered without a moment’s hesitation. “Second Miss Yan, would I joke about something like this?”

Yan Yunning: “……”

……

At the wooden table, there was one extra person today. Leng Yuqian was resting her chin in her hands, watching Ye Chen.

Ye Chen wasn’t reaching for any dishes. He sat with his head down, uncomfortably shoveling rice into his bowl.

Yan Yunning ate for a while, then lowered her head and gathered herself. She looked toward Ye Chen with a feigned shyness, her voice softening. “A’Chen~”

After all, Ye Chen had told her quite a few things about Xuan Yanyu — she owed it to him to at least put on a performance.

The inside of Ye Chen’s head exploded. She wasn’t supposed to perform in front of His Highness!!!

Yan Yunning blinked. What was that expression?

Was he saying she was putting on a bad show?

Ye Jian quietly set down his chopsticks. It seemed he would not be finishing his meal today.

Yan Yunning curved her lips into a sweet smile. “A’Chen, after we’re done eating, come with me to……”

Before she could finish, she felt a chill spread across her back. She turned sideways and glanced at Xuan Yanyu.

His expression was rigid and dark. Meeting the man’s deep, penetrating gaze, Yan Yunning shivered.

Wait — hadn’t she told him before the meal?

How was he angry again?

The wooden chopsticks in his hand snapped in two. Xuan Yanyu stood, his face like iron. Ye Jian hastily rose as well, falling into step behind Xuan Yanyu. The two of them left the table one after the other.

Ye Chen rubbed his face. He was going to have to go and apologize shortly.

Leng Yuqian pursed her red lips, glaring at Yan Yunning with displeasure. “Why must you fight over Ye Chen with me?”

She had clearly been with that stony-faced young master the day before, and now here she was stealing Ye Chen from her.

“……” Yan Yunning had lost all interest in acting out a scene with Ye Chen. She set down her chopsticks, rose from her seat, and went to find Xuan Yanyu.

……

Inside the room.

A vein flickered at Xuan Yanyu’s temple. The moment he thought of her calling out “A’Chen,” he was reminded of how she used to call Qi Qingchen by his intimate name, and even said she would marry no one but him.

Even though she had explained afterward that she had never had feelings for Qi Qingchen, it was better not to think about it at all — the more he thought, the more it irritated him. Why hadn’t she ever said she would marry no one but him?

“Your Highness.” Ye Jian carefully explained, “Ye Chen’s mind isn’t the sharpest. I hope Your Highness will deal with him leniently.”

If he’d had even a little more sense, he would never have asked Second Miss Yan to… Never mind, he didn’t even want to talk about him. What a fool!

Outside the room, Yan Yunning pressed a handkerchief to her nose to wipe away the nosebleed she had gotten. The sheer force of Xuan Yanyu’s mercurial temper had driven her to a nosebleed.

Once she was sure the bleeding had stopped, Yan Yunning pushed open the door and entered.

“Second Miss Yan.” Ye Jian spotted Yan Yunning coming in and tactfully withdrew from the room.

Xuan Yanyu lay on the daybed, his long, slender fingers with prominent knuckles folded together over his abdomen. His eyes were closed, and he showed no intention of acknowledging her.

“Xuan Yanyu, why are you angry? Didn’t I already explain things to you?” Yan Yunning walked to his side, bent her knees, and crouched down beside him, reaching out to poke his cheek.

Xuan Yanyu gritted his teeth inwardly. She had told him — only that Ye Chen had asked her for a favor. She had not told him what kind of favor Ye Chen had asked for.

Never mind Ye Chen acting recklessly — how could she have agreed to it?

Xuan Yanyu rolled over, too annoyed to speak.

Yan Yunning touched the tip of her nose and coaxed him gently. “Xuan Yanyu, don’t be angry anymore.”

The man lying with his back to her let out a faint, cold scoff.

She called him Xuan Yanyu, Xuan Yanyu — always his full name.

But she called someone else “A’Chen.”

Yan Yunning pressed her lips together. Why did he get angry so easily?

Fine, let him be angry then.

But the inn they were staying at and the meals they were eating were all paid for by Xuan Yanyu. If she just walked away, wouldn’t that make her terribly ungrateful?

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, noble and exalted Crown Prince — could you possibly stop making things difficult for me?” Yan Yunning took the initiative and reached for the hand resting at his side, speaking in a soft, coaxing voice.

The severity in Xuan Yanyu’s brow and eyes eased by a fraction.

“Xuan Xixi.” Yan Yunning pressed close to his ear, her voice laced with a smile.

Xuan Yanyu clenched his fist. That fool Ye Chen — he had been planning to let him off, but now he had truly been provoked beyond forgiveness.

Yan Yunning clicked her tongue. How did that make him even more angry?

She released his hand again.

Was it her holding his hand that made him angry, or was it her calling him Xuan Xixi?

When Ye Chen told her, she had been rather surprised — she never imagined that Xuan Yanyu would have such an adorable little name.

After a stretch of quiet, Yan Yunning watched Xuan Yanyu show absolutely no sign of wanting to talk to her, and her tone grew somewhat impatient. “Xuan Yanyu, what exactly would it take for you not to be angry.”

Xuan Yanyu rolled over and met her eyes, letting out a single cold, dismissive sound through his nose.

Yan Yunning: “……?”

Was he truly this difficult to appease?

She had better make fewer attempts to provoke him in the future — otherwise she would keep having to coax him back to good humor.

And what made it worse was that she couldn’t even coax him properly!!!

Yan Yunning bit her lip. Xuan Yanyu had better not provoke her either, otherwise she was going to stop caring whether he was appeased or not.

“What else did Ye Chen tell you?” The man finally deigned to open his mouth.

Yan Yunning’s eyes shifted evasively. “Nothing else.”

“Nothing else?” Xuan Yanyu narrowed his eyes, his voice unhurried and languid.

Meeting his deep, piercing gaze, Yan Yunning surrendered. “He also said you dislike it when people cry.”

Ye Chen had told her not to cry in front of Xuan Yanyu in the future, lest she earn his contempt.

She thought about it — she seemed to have cried in front of him more than once already.

Xuan Yanyu said carelessly, “Yes, I dislike people who cry and whimper.”

Yan Yunning’s eyes flickered. She ventured tentatively, “Xuan Xixi?”

She would call him by that name from now on instead of Xuan Yanyu — she liked Xuan Xixi better. It felt more intimate.

Xuan Yanyu let out a quiet laugh. Ye Chen!!!

“Xuan Xixi, why aren’t you responding to me?” When Xuan Yanyu said nothing, Yan Yunning grew even more delighted.

“Xuan Xixi. Xuan Xixi.”

“Xuan Xixi.”

Xuan Yanyu’s long, slender fingers stroked the jade pendant at his waist. He glanced at the girl gazing at him with a bright, beaming smile and felt a helpless sort of resignation.

Fine. It was just a name — he would let her call him that.

“Xuan Xixi, are you still angry?” Yan Yunning made a funny face to tease him.

Xuan Yanyu felt a slight urge to laugh.

“Xuan Xixi, stop being angry.” Yan Yunning watched the man smooth down his pale purple robe, the trace of a smile showing itself on his handsome face.

He wasn’t angry anymore.

“Yan Yunning, if you are ever this intimate with someone else again……”

“What if I am?” The girl cupped her cheeks in her hands, her eyes curved as she looked at him.

Xuan Yanyu curved the corner of his mouth. He pinched the tip of her nose and repeated with a low laugh, “What if you are?”

“Are you trying to suffocate me?” Yan Yunning grabbed his wrist, feeling as if she could no longer breathe.

“How could I?” The smile on Xuan Yanyu’s face carried a hint of exasperation.

Yan Yunning: “……”

He was still pinching her nose even as he said that!

Xuan Yanyu watched her, a sense of helplessness washing over him. What if she did? What could he do about it?

At most he would be angry with her. It wasn’t as though he could beat her.

“Xuan Xixi.” The corner of Yan Yunning’s mouth tilted up playfully.

Xuan Yanyu: “……”

The girl’s eyes crinkled as she laughed. Xuan Yanyu stared at her small face and steadied his breathing, pressing down the restless stirrings in his heart.