“Ranran, have some vegetables.” Yan Yunning noticed Xuan Zhaohan eating only plain rice and added some dishes to her bowl.

“Thank you, Ningning.”

Xuan Zhaohan stared at the vegetables that had appeared in her bowl, on the verge of tears. She had been so close to finishing her rice and slipping away — now there were vegetables too.

Xuan Yanyu lounged against the wooden chair, the knuckle of one finger lazily pressed to his temple. His gaze swept seemingly without purpose over the back of Yan Yunning’s hand. The bandaging had been removed; the skin around the wound was mildly red, not particularly serious.

Yan Yunning set the vegetables she had picked up into Xuan Zhaohan’s bowl and without warning found herself locking eyes with the man who had tilted himself sideways to look at her. He met her gaze and slowly withdrew his eyes, lowering his head slightly.

Yan Yunning pursed her lips. Wasn’t he the one who slammed her door?

So why was he looking at her now!!

“Crown Prince Brother, why have you stopped eating?” Xuan Zhaohan noticed that Xuan Yanyu had moved his chopsticks only once and touched nothing since.

That single movement was probably just for her benefit — a token gesture so she could begin eating herself.

The man tapped his fingertips against the armrest of the wooden chair. The corners of his lips curved into something that was almost a smile but not quite. “She’s angry enough to die — what’s there to eat?”

Yan Yunning pressed her lips together. He was still angry?

Shouldn’t she be the one who was angry??

Xuan Zhaohan snuck a glance at Yan Yunning. She really shouldn’t have asked. How was she supposed to respond to what Crown Prince Brother just said???

“Little Ranran, don’t pick up bad habits from certain people — don’t go around giving people the silent treatment for no reason.” Xuan Yanyu’s words carried a pointed meaning.

“Understood, Crown Prince Brother.” Xuan Zhaohan murmured in reply.

“Ranran, don’t listen to a certain someone talking nonsense. When someone suddenly stops talking to you for no reason, it’s definitely because that person did something wrong — they just don’t know it yet, and still expect to be told.” Yan Yunning bit down hard on the food in her mouth.

If she were to tell him herself, it would be different from him realizing it on his own. Only when he recognized his own mistake could he truly remember it. If she pointed it out, he would offer an apology with his lips — but in his heart, he would not believe he had done anything wrong at all.

“Oh, I see.” Xuan Zhaohan murmured softly in reply once more.

Would someone please come and rescue her?

Xuan Yanyu’s throat shifted. “Is it because This Palace wasn’t with you when you got hurt? That This Palace went to see Ling Mianjian? Is that it?”

That, or the question she demanded he answer the other day about ordering the maid of Jiang Yan to withdraw. He truly could not think of anything else.

“Crown Prince, you are not Imperial Physician Wen — is it necessary to keep visiting her like that?” Yan Yunning set down her chopsticks and picked up her handkerchief to dab the corner of her lips.

From the moment Ling Mianjian ate the pastries, all the way until the next day when Yan Yunning came back injured — she had not seen him once throughout that entire time.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t go and check on Ling Mianjian. But did he really need to accompany her the whole time?

If he was that worried, he might as well have stayed by her side all along.

Xuan Yanyu’s eyes dropped slightly at the corners. He spoke unhurriedly. “I didn’t go to see her the entire time. She fainted at Garden View Manor, so I went to the inn to check on her once. The next day, when her coughing up blood wouldn’t stop, I went again.”

“In between, I came back to Garden View Manor when she woke up, looked in on her once more, and then did not go back after that.”

Yan Yunning smiled lightly. “So then, Crown Prince, during that whole time you also never came to find me — were you afraid I would ask you where you’d been?”

“That’s not it. The night she fainted at Garden View Manor, it was too late by the time I returned to the estate. I didn’t want to disturb you. The next day I came back and went looking for you straight away — and you drove me out.”

Xuan Yanyu rose from his seat and, stepping around Xuan Zhaohan, settled into the seat on Yan Yunning’s other side.

He fixed his gaze on the girl’s cross little face. The corners of his lips carried a faint smile, and his voice dropped low and unhurried. “Yan Yunning, This Palace knows it was wrong.”

He had been delighted to see her jealousy — but when she refused to acknowledge him and had gotten hurt on top of that, he was furious.

He should not have left her side.

“Too late, Crown Prince. I don’t accept it.” Yan Yunning smiled and rose to her feet.

What good was he? She nearly got beaten to death by Xiao Shi, and there he was tending to someone else!

Xuan Zhaohan quietly pushed back her chair and shuffled out with small, hurried steps. She had already heard far too much — Crown Prince Brother had been thrown out and was now apologizing, and still hadn’t been forgiven!!

“Then what does This Palace need to do for you to accept it?” The man closed his fingers around Yan Yunning’s wrist, lowering his gaze and his pride.

Before Yan Yunning could speak, Xuan Yanyu loosened his collar, leaned back halfway against the chair, and said, “This Palace won’t resist.”

Yan Yunning’s breath caught. The man tilted his head back, his throat shifting slowly above his collarbone, his collar fallen slightly open to reveal the pale line of his right collarbone.

Both hands rested on the chair’s armrests. His entire body was relaxed and at ease in the chair, carelessly drawing the eye in a way that made it impossible to look away.

“Come here.” He dragged the last syllable out deliberately.

Yan Yunning’s embroidered shoe kicked him square in the leg. “Xuan Yanyu! Too late!!”

Come where — this was a dining hall, of all places — just come here??

Something was very wrong with his head!!

Xuan Yanyu grabbed her arm, his large palm cradling the back of her neck. He tilted his head up, and his lips covered her soft ones, kissing her gently.

Only when she couldn’t breathe did he let her go. His voice came out low and unhurried. “Then shall This Palace come instead?”

“Xuan Yanyu, too late. Are you deaf??” Yan Yunning bent forward and leaned close to him, then wiped her mouth on his magnificent robe.

Xuan Yanyu looked down at the girl who was using his robe to wipe her lips, and was momentarily speechless.

She disdained him, and yet she wiped her mouth on his robe?

She didn’t disdain him, and yet she was still wiping her mouth?

“This Palace promises never to go see Ling Mianjian again. Will that do?” The man coaxed softly. “Stop ignoring This Palace.”

“I heard from Ranran that Ling Mianjian is the Imperial Princess your own Royal Father officially bestowed the title upon?” Yan Yunning reached up and pinched his ear. “Xuan Yanyu — do you plan to hand out the title of Imperial Princess to just anyone?”

“Not to just anyone. Only you and Ling Mianjian,” the man said, tilting his head back to look at her with a smile that was infuriatingly smug.

One was because he wanted to keep her by his side. The other was out of consideration for Ling Mianjian’s brother — to give her a title and make her life in the household a little easier.

“Ling Mianjian? And now you’re not calling her Mianjian?” Yan Yunning tugged hard on his ear.

The man circled his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace. His chin rested on her shoulder, his lips brushing close to her ear, his voice low and soft as he explained, “This Palace’s concern for her is entirely for her brother’s sake.”

“Her brother, Ling Cheng, was This Palace’s study companion. Their mother passed away not long after giving birth to them prematurely. Their father remarried, and both siblings were frail — they were not favored in the household. Ling Cheng was exceptionally diligent and studious from a young age.”

“He was chosen by Royal Father to be This Palace’s study companion. It was only then that the two of them had a slightly easier time at home. Later, Ling Cheng died of illness. He had wished that This Palace would look after Ling Mianjian.”

“So This Palace gave Ling Mianjian the title of Imperial Princess, so she wouldn’t be bullied by her stepmother in the household.”

“Is that so? So attentive that you even know what foods she’s allergic to. Crown Prince, you are so very thoughtful — when she fainted, you were nearly beside yourself with worry, and you even frightened little Yan Che into tears.” Yan Yunning pried forcefully at the large hand around her waist.

Xuan Yanyu let out a soft laugh. “Ningning, how jealous you are.”

Yan Yunning stamped down hard on the man’s boot. “Xuan Yanyu, let go of me. I don’t want to talk to you anymore. When I needed you, you were off keeping someone else company. Now I don’t need you.”

She didn’t believe for a single moment that it was purely for Ling Mianjian’s brother’s sake. First he defied Xuan Wang to bestow Ling Mianjian her title, then he was nearly frantic when she fainted.