Xuan Yanyu said nothing. Prince Xuan was not annoyed. He casually picked up one of the memorials the man had finished reviewing and glanced at it — from the handwriting alone, one could tell the work had been done in haste.

In haste as it was, the writing was at least still legible.

He mimicked Xuan Yanyu and dropped the memorial he was holding heavily onto the table.

The hand gripping the brush handle paused for a moment.

“Come, follow Father Emperor out for a meal.” Prince Xuan noticed the dishes inside the food box had barely been touched and guessed that this wretched son had likely not eaten his midday meal.

“There is no need. Your son will not leave until he has finished reviewing all the memorials.” Xuan Yanyu said with dignity.

“Are you sulking with Father Emperor?” Prince Xuan gave a low snort. “You were the one who arrived late to morning court, and you were the one who said We could punish you however We saw fit. What do you mean by being passive-aggressive before Us right now?”

“You are overthinking it.” The man did not look up. The hand holding the vermilion brush did not stop moving. The ink had not even dried before he picked up another memorial.

Prince Xuan cleared his throat. He did not blame this wretched son for being angry. He had ordered all those trivial, inconsequential memorials — ones that should never have come before the Crown Prince — to be carried over by the guards.

At the time, had he not still been unclear about the situation?

Now that he understood it clearly, once he returned to the Imperial Study later, he would urgently summon the Imperial Advisor back, and have him find a way out — there was surely a way… With so many skilled Imperial Physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau, it would be all right. They could keep Ningning here…

Xuan Yanyu lifted his eyes and glanced sideways at Prince Xuan. “Please leave. You are blocking your son’s light.”

Prince Xuan pinched his fingers together. He looked at the window lattice, then turned back to glare at Xuan Yanyu. “When did We ever block your light?”

He had not even been standing in front of the window!

Xuan Yanyu set down his vermilion brush and leisurely took a sip of tea, then spoke plainly, “Your son means for you to step outside. Did you not understand?”

“You…” Something came to mind, and Prince Xuan curled the corner of his mouth. “You will not come back with Us? You intend to stay until all the memorials are reviewed?”

Xuan Yanyu said nothing, picked up his brush, and twirled it between his fingers — the meaning was clear enough.

“Very well. You had better stay unyielding.” Prince Xuan turned and looked through the crowd of maids and eunuchs to find Yan Yunning standing behind them, and said with a low laugh, “Ningning, let us go. Yueer will not dine with us.”

The man startled, then rose to his feet. He looked past the crowd and also caught sight of that figure in apricot-yellow. The displeasure in his chest suddenly deflated, and the corners of his lips curled upward, refusing to be suppressed.

“Very well.” Yan Yunning stepped forward and came to stand beside Prince Xuan. She swept her eyes over the stack of memorials on the imperial desk, pressed her lips together — there were so many of them. How long would it take to finish?

“Your son is also hungry…”

“No need.” Prince Xuan waved a hand to cut him off. He lifted his chin. “We can see there is still food left in the box. Make do with that.”

Xuan Yanyu: “It has gone cold.”

Prince Xuan: “We will have someone take it to the Imperial Kitchen to reheat. A ruler eating leftovers once is perfectly fine.”

The Imperial Kitchen sent fresh meals to the Crown Prince’s chambers every day with a different variety — since he was small, this wretched son had never once eaten leftovers. He rather wanted to see what excuse he could come up with to refuse.

Xuan Yanyu: “Those are Ye Chen’s and Ye’an’s leftovers. If anyone eats them, it should be them.”

Prince Xuan: “We will have a fresh meal sent to the ancestral hall for you.”

“There is no need for such trouble.” The man slowly shifted toward Yan Yunning.

“It is no trouble at all. After all, you will not leave the ancestral hall until you have finished the memorials, so We cannot let you go hungry — We can only have it sent here.”

Xuan Yanyu furrowed his brows and said evenly, “Your son cannot eat properly in the ancestral hall.”

“Then you can go hungry. Missing one meal is no great hardship.” Prince Xuan clasped his hands behind his back and smiled at Yan Yunning. “Let us go, Ningning. Your Imperial Mother must be waiting anxiously at the Taiyi Palace.”

“…” Xuan Yanyu’s eye twitched. “That would be two meals.”

“Two meals is two meals. Missing two meals is also perfectly fine.” Prince Xuan said without concern.

Xuan Yanyu reached out and hooked his hand around Yan Yunning’s. “Since the Crown Princess is here, have the Crown Princess stay and keep your son company.”

Yan Yunning was just about to say “Alright” —

Prince Xuan said with dissatisfaction, “You are being punished. On what grounds should Ningning be made to stay in the side chamber to keep you company? You are in the side chamber and cannot eat — does that mean Ningning cannot eat either? You going hungry is one thing, but do you want to starve Ningning too?”

Xuan Yanyu: “…?”

“She can, Father Emperor. I…”

“You cannot eat in the side chamber — Father Emperor is aware. Let us go.” Prince Xuan looked at Yan Yunning, his tone carrying an exasperated fondness. “Ningning, you are the Crown Princess — your status is noble. How can you dine in the side chamber with him? You will accompany Father Emperor and Imperial Mother to the Taiyi Palace.”

“Ah?” Yan Yunning’s eyelids twitched rapidly.

Prince Xuan — was he… was he possessed??

Speaking to her like this, and in that tone toward Xuan Yanyu?

Were the two of them not switched around?

Xuan Yanyu looked at Prince Xuan with a peculiar expression.

Prince Xuan laughed and said, “Do not look at Us. It is a fine thing that you have the backbone to refuse to leave the ancestral hall until the memorials are done.”

Then he looked at Yan Yunning and smiled. “Ningning, come with Father Emperor to dinner.”

Yan Yunning glanced at Xuan Yanyu and nodded at Prince Xuan.

She walked behind Prince Xuan, and as she stepped over the threshold, she put her hand behind her back and made a small heart gesture.

——

The hour of Hai.

Having finished bathing, Yan Yunning wore a light green sleeping robe embroidered with gold thread and a low-cut collar. She lay sprawled at the edge of the bed, swinging her legs, muttering to herself, “Why isn’t Xuan Xixi back yet?”

Qiuci crouched on the floor, skewering a piece of fruit on a bamboo pick and holding it to Yan Yunning’s lips. “Crown Princess, please wait a little longer.”

“Mm.” The girl took a bite of the sand pear, propped her chin on both hands, thoroughly bored.

“Ahem.” Qiuci looked away with some embarrassment.

The Crown Princess’s sleeping robe tonight had a collar that dipped slightly low, her pale skin faintly visible, difficult to look at directly.

Yan Yunning rolled over. The silk of the robe drifted with her movement, carrying a hazy and indescribable allure that paired with her beautiful face. Qiuci’s gaze froze — she was not the Crown Prince, and even she felt the Crown Princess was strikingly beautiful.

Snapping out of it a moment later, Qiuci pulled the brocade quilt over and draped it across Yan Yunning. “Crown Princess, the night has grown cool. Please do not catch a chill.”

Yan Yunning gave a languid, light smile. “I do not feel cold at all.”

“How can you not be cold? This servant feels a little cold.”

“Qiuci.” Yan Yunning kicked the quilt away, and said with complete seriousness, “If you are cold, go put on another layer of clothing. Covering me with the quilt does not warm you up either.”

Qiuci pressed her lips together. “…”

“Creak.” The door to the bedchamber was pushed open, and Xuan Yanyu, dressed in an ink-black sleeping robe, walked in and sat down at the edge of the bed.

Qiuci passed the fruit tray to Xuan Yanyu, performed a curtsy, and withdrew from the bedchamber.

Yan Yunning placed a soft pillow on the man’s lap and rested her head on it.

She sniffed lightly, caught a faint scent of fragrant herbs, and smiled warmly. “Your Highness the Crown Prince, have you eaten?”

“Mm.” Xuan Yanyu speared a piece of nectarine and brought it to her lips.

Yan Yunning curled her little finger around the ink-black hair falling before her eyes and shook her head. “I do not want to eat anymore.”

“Alright.” Xuan Yanyu set the fruit tray down. His gaze fell back to Yan Yunning, and his throat quietly tightened.

“Mm!!” A coolness suddenly settled over the silk of her sleeping robe, and Yan Yunning flinched.