With a splitting headache, ChengSangJY slowly regained consciousness. She reached up to touch her head and realized she was seated in a chair, surrounded by a faint floral scent in the room.
"Is LinHuaichu there?" she called out tentatively, feeling around her. She touched someone's foot and kicked it lightly.
LinHuaichu also began to stir. He shifted his body slightly, sensing that something was different about their surroundings.
"Awake?" a voice asked.
Hearing the voice, ChengSangJY felt a strange sense of familiarity but couldn't place it immediately.
Waking up, LinHuaichu assumed they were still in the hands of their captors. Regardless, he launched into a tirade, shouting angrily, "You bunch of bastards! What have you done to that man just now! You better release me quickly. Do you know who he is? Do you know who I am? Do you know who the person you took out just now is? Let me tell you, even if you had a hundred heads, you couldn't afford to harm him. Whether you know LiSan or LiSi, they are both under my protection. I'm telling you, don't you dare touch him. If anything happens to him, I'll make you pay..."
LinHuaichu didn't know what these people planned to do next, but all he could do was provoke them as much as possible. Perhaps it would buy more time for ChengSangJY. So, he began to curse loudly, trying to anger the group.
As LinHuaichu continued his tirade, someone removed the cloth bag from ChengSangJY's head. Gradually adjusting to the darkness, ChengSangJY finally saw the people in front of her and quickly gestured to LinHuaichu, who was still shouting.
"You idiots! Let me tell you... JY, why are you pulling me? I'm just trying to piss off these bastards. Let me tell you, I'm a man of my word. If you dare to come at me, I'll show you what I'm made of. Ah! JY! Why did you step on me?" LinHuaichu complained after ChengSangJY gave him a hard kick.
At that moment, someone approached and removed LinHuaichu's head covering. Seeing the people clearly, LinHuaichu wished he could take back everything he had just said.
Seated calmly, ShangGuanCY fanned himself gracefully. Beside him, MuJinling smoked a pipe by the crescent window, enjoying the night view. Further back, a grim-faced LinMuchuan stood.
ChengSangJY scrutinized ShangGuanCY several times before asking,
"Are you alright, CY?"
"What does the Crown Prince think I should do?" ShangGuanCY raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips as he spoke.
Hearing ShangGuanCY address him this way, ChengSangJY, who was always sensitive, felt a pang of anxiety. She thought to herself, "Oh no, CY is using that tone... he's angry."
ChengSangJY knew that whenever ShangGuanCY called him "the Crown Prince," it was his gentle way of warning. If he used that term, ChengSangJY knew that the usually smiling CY was now upset.
The first thing LinHuaichu noticed was the grim expression on his brother's face. He swallowed nervously and called out softly, "Big... Brother...?"
LinMuchuan stood at a distance, afraid he couldn't control his temper and would end up hurting LinHuaichu. But the anger that he had managed to suppress was slowly ignited by LinHuaichu's mindless ranting. Hearing LinHuaichu's timid plea, LinMuchuan snapped and grabbed a slender copper rod nearby, charging forward.
LinHuaichu, bound as he was, had no way to escape and could only close his eyes tightly, saying, "Brother, I was wrong! I'm sorry."
"General Lin!" MuJinling, by the window, suddenly spoke up, "This is a place of business. If you intend to discipline your brother, take him home yourself. Someone, untie them."
"No, don't untie him!" LinHuaichu interjected sternly. He knew that if they untied LinHuaichu, he might try to escape.
ChengSangJY, flexing her sore arms, found MuJinling familiar and asked, "And who might you be...?"
"I am MuJinling. His Royal Highness was just startled," MuJinling nodded slightly toward ChengSangJY.
"Oh! You're the legendary headliner of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion! You're even prettier than a woman. No wonder so many people in the city are lining up to see you." LinHuaichu exclaimed in amazement.
"Lin! Hua! Chu!"
LinMuchuan stormed forward, lifted LinHuaichu from his chair, and bowed to MuJinling, "Thank you for your help today. I'll take this kid back first and come to thank you properly another day."
MuJinling understood LinMuchuan's temper and waved his hand, "It's nothing. It's common for kids to get into trouble occasionally. I'm sure they've learned their lesson today."
"Yes, yes, yes, MuJin brother is right, brother, I know I was wrong, really... Oh, brother, don't pull my collar. We're outside, give me some face." LinHuaichu pleaded as he was dragged away by LinMuchuan.
Watching LinHuaichu being dragged away, ChengSangJY sighed and murmured, "Huaichu is in for it this time."
"You still have the heart to worry about others?" ShangGuanCY said coldly from the side.
ChengSangJY suddenly remembered that ShangGuanCY was still there. Belatedly, she stood up from her chair, keeping her head down and saying nothing.
ShangGuanCY was naturally angry. If he hadn't happened to see what was going on, who knows what might have happened.
"CY, I'm sorry," ChengSangJY said timidly.
ShangGuanCY raised an eyebrow. Was this a matter for apologies? Then he asked, "So, Your Highness, tell me, what went wrong today?"
ChengSangJY's heart pounded anxiously. In all her life, she could count on one hand the number of times she had made CY angry. Now, she didn't know what to say. Perhaps it was because she had been hit on the back of the neck earlier, but her brain didn't seem to be working properly. She took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry for putting you in danger with those people."
"I—" ShangGuanCY almost choked. Was that the point of this whole thing? Was ChengSangJY so clueless?
"Ha~" MuJinling couldn't help but laugh at the scene. He hadn't expected the little royal prince to be quite endearing. After all the danger he had just been in, the first thing he did was apologize to ShangGuanCY. No wonder ShangGuanCY cherished him so much. With such a gentle and innocent nature, and such a simple mind, he needed to be protected.
"I say, lad! Have you not memorized the books you've read? Hasn't your teacher taught you to anticipate danger and prevent it? To act cautiously, for a gentleman does not stand under a collapsing wall, how can you overlook such a thing? LinHuaichu made a scene, and you followed suit. As the Crown Prince, acting so recklessly, even daring to easily dismiss the royal guards, have you thought about the consequences?" ShangGuanCY scolded, tapping the table with his folding fan.
ChengSangJY understood all of what ShangGuanCY said. But he was still just a child, and occasionally behaving recklessly with LinHuaichu was inevitable. Sometimes he just wanted to forget about being part of the royal family and the heir to the throne, and do things ordinary people would do.
ChengSangJY felt a bit wronged, her eyes reddening as she kept her head down, not knowing what to say.
"I'm sorry."
"Ai~" ShangGuanCY sighed, turning his head away. He was still angry and didn't want to deal with this silly kid right now. He was afraid he might say something foolish again, and he'd just jump up and hit him. So, he ignored ChengSangJY and left him hanging.
After waiting for a while and seeing ShangGuanCY not saying anything, ChengSangJY tentatively approached him, taking small steps. With some hesitation, he slowly raised his hand, palm facing up, and reached out to ShangGuanCY, saying, "I really know I was wrong. Please don't be angry anymore. Otherwise, you can hit me to vent your anger."
After saying this, he extended his hand closer to ShangGuanCY's face and turned his head away.
ShangGuanCY had just raised his folding fan when he noticed the clear slap mark on ChengSangJY's cheek. His fan fell lightly as he asked, "Does your cheek still hurt?"
ShangGuanCY hadn't expected ChengSangJY to go so far for him back then. He should have removed the man's arm at that moment!
"It doesn't hurt." ChengSangJY remembered the injury on his cheek and gently touched it before replying.
ShangGuanCY's gaze softened gradually, and he reached out to pinch ChengSangJY's chin, turning it left and right to examine the injury, his tone serious. "With the swelling like this, how could it not hurt?"
Then he stood up and walked to MuJinling, who was still watching the night scenery, and extended his hand, beckoning him to shake hands.
"What's up?" MuJinling asked knowingly.
"Golden sore medicine!" ShangGuanCY said matter-of-factly.
MuJinling seemed to be deliberately challenging, replying, "Why would I have that? Go find it yourself, for your own brother."
"Tsk, how would I know where you've hidden it? Go find it yourself." ShangGuanCY couldn't be bothered to argue with him and turned to search the inner room.
MuJinling didn't mind. He took a puff of his pipe and leaned against the window, watching the moon.
"Hey, CY, I really don't need the medicine anymore, you don't have to look for it," ChengSangJY followed, trying to stop him. Although he didn't know the relationship between ShangGuanCY and MuJinling, barging into someone else's room and rummaging around was not appropriate, so he wanted to intervene.
Just as ChengSangJY rounded the screen into MuJinling's inner room, his gaze was drawn to a painting, thinking to himself, "Why does the woman in this painting seem so familiar?"
The woman in the painting wore a light-colored dress embroidered with kapok flowers. Her face was beautiful and captivating, her eyes lively and clear. She seemed approachable yet unattainable, her beauty captivating. Around her waist was a white jade pendant in the shape of a cloud.
"After searching for so long, are you looking for the golden sore medicine or stealing something from my room?" MuJinling finally walked in slowly, leaning against the screen and observing the two people inside.
"How would I know you've run out? Find it yourself," ShangGuanCY responded.
"I don't have much in my room. Is it that hard to find?" MuJinling picked up a bottle from the dressing table and handed it to ShangGuanCY.
ShangGuanCY snorted and took the bottle, then walked over to ChengSangJY and asked, "What are you looking at so intently?" With his fingers, he carefully applied the ointment to ChengSangJY's face.
"Master MuJin, who is the person in this painting?" ChengSangJY asked.
"My mother before she passed away," MuJinling replied softly.
ChengSangJY looked at the person in the painting and thought, "No wonder MuJinling is so beautiful. Compared to his mother, he must have inherited at least half of her charm."
"And what about the jade pendant in the painting?" ChengSangJY asked.
MuJinling took a puff of his pipe, glanced sideways, and replied indifferently, "That was my mother's jade pendant, but I sold it off in my early years."
ChengSangJY quickly took off the jade pendant around his waist and handed it to MuJinling, asking, "Is this the jade pendant you mentioned, Master MuJin?"
MuJinling didn't take the jade pendant but leaned in slightly to take a closer look. He smiled and said, "Yes, that's it. I didn't expect it to end up in the hands of the Crown Prince after all these years."
ChengSangJY extended the jade pendant closer, feeling a bit nervous, and said, "Since it belongs to Master MuJin, it should be returned to its rightful owner."
MuJinling couldn't help but laugh again. He didn't know if it was because of the pampered life of the royal family or because the little prince in front of him was naturally kind-hearted, but this piece of Han white jade was extremely rare, and there probably wasn't a second one like it in the whole world. Yet, he readily gave it away with just a few words from others.
At this moment, ShangGuanCY finished applying the medicine and took the jade pendant from ChengSangJY's hand, asking, "Where did you get this jade pendant from?"
ChengSangJY felt as if he had accidentally taken something very precious from someone else. He felt a bit embarrassed and said, "It was given to me by Huaichu. He said he bought it from a pawnshop in the city."
ShangGuanCY played with the jade pendant in his hand, nodded, and said, "Hmm, it's a nice jade pendant. It looks quite similar to the mark on your body. Keep it."
When he heard the word "mark," a slight flicker of emotion flashed in MuJinling's eyes, but the two people in front of him didn't notice at all.
ChengSangJY quickly declined, "This thing is a keepsake, so please take it back, Master MuJin."
MuJinling smiled gently and shook his head. Although this jade pendant was a keepsake left by his mother, keeping it with him now would only cause trouble. It was better to just let it go with the flow.
MuJinling gently pushed the jade pendant back to ChengSangJY and comforted him, "Since this jade pendant has found its way to the Crown Prince's hands, it could be considered fate. I've always believed in fate. Since that's the case, Your Highness, please keep it."
Cheng SangJY still felt something was amiss and insisted that Mu Jinling take back the jade pendant, trying hard to explain, "This jade pendant belonged to your mother. It's better for you to keep it as a memento, Master MuJin."
This jade pendant was originally sent out by Mu Jinling's orders, specifically intended to fall into Lin HuaiChu's hands. How could it be easily taken back now? Moreover, keeping this jade pendant with Cheng SangJY would prove useful in the future.
Seeing Cheng SangJY's sincere and serious expression, unwilling to back down, Mu Jinling approached and picked up the jade pendant, then placed it back into Cheng SangJY's hand, clasping it firmly. He softly said, "I don't know why, but I feel a sense of familiarity since the first time I met His Highness. If you don't mind, you can call me brother. Consider this jade pendant a gift for our meeting, what do you think?"
Mu Jinling deliberately glanced at Crown Prince Shen, giving him a meaningful look. Crown Prince Shen felt a bit uncomfortable and pursed his lips, though he had a hundred reasons not to be pleased.
"Not hiding anything from you, I also feel a sense of familiarity with you," replied Cheng SangJY happily. "Since you're acquainted with my brother, I should call you brother as well."
*Cough!* Crown Prince Shen cleared his throat, feeling a twinge of jealousy.
Cheng SangJY didn't understand and turned to Crown Prince Shen, asking, "Brother Jun, what's wrong? Did you catch a cold from those buckets of cold water earlier?"
"I..." Crown Prince Shen didn't know whether to think that Cheng SangJY was being silly or pretending to be, and impatiently waved his hand to indicate that he was fine.
Mu Jinling's lips curled up slightly, and he gently said, "Alright, then it's settled. Next time when Brother Jiyun leaves the palace, let's celebrate properly. It's getting late, Your Highness should go back now."
Only then did Cheng SangJY realize that he had unwittingly stayed outside the palace for a long time. Looking at the sky, he thought, "Oh no, after all this, the palace gate is probably closed by now. If the guards find out that I'm returning so late, the news will surely reach Mother's ears tomorrow, and then the incident at the tavern won't be kept secret."
Mu Jinling noticed Cheng SangJY's concern and asked, "Is there anything else, Brother Jiyun?"
"Brother Mu, at this hour, the palace gate must have been closed... If I go back now, I'm afraid..." Cheng SangJY looked troubled.
Mu Jinling understood Cheng SangJY's worries and glanced at Crown Prince Shen with a meaningful look.
Cheng SangJY still seemed a bit confused and asked, "So, tonight... am I going to stay at Brother Jun's?"
Mu Jinling walked back to his half-moon window leisurely, blowing a smoke ring gently. As the smoke ring ascended, he extended a slender finger, guiding its path in the air, and said, "Jiyun, what kind of person do you think Lord Shangguan is?"
Cheng SangJY turned to look at Crown Prince Shen, not quite understanding Mu Jinling's meaning.
"But feel free to speak," Mu Jinling reassured.
"Brother Jun, you're elegant and refined, with extraordinary talents in poetry, calligraphy, painting, and music, as well as in commerce. You should be the most outstanding person in the entire capital. I bet there are many young ladies in the city who want to marry you..." Cheng SangJY's flattering words poured out endlessly. At first, Crown Prince Shen nodded in agreement, but when he heard the last sentence, he quickly stepped forward and covered Cheng SangJY's mouth, saying, "Okay, okay, that's enough."
Mu Jinling couldn't help but cover his face and laugh. He had known Crown Prince Shen since childhood, and the Crown Prince Shen he knew was completely different from the one Cheng SangJY described. He jokingly remarked, "Who would've thought that our Crown Prince Shen, in Jiyun's eyes, is such a noble and gentle gentleman? Oh dear, why couldn't I see that normally?"
Cheng SangJY, whose mouth was still covered, blinked his eyes in confusion and looked at the two people in front of him, pushing away Crown Prince Shen's hand and asking, "Weren't we just discussing my return to the palace? Why are we suddenly talking about Brother Jun? Brother Jun, how do I explain this overnight absence to Mother tomorrow morning?"
Crown Prince Shen had long understood Mu Jinling's meaning and gave him a glare.
"Who said His Highness Crown Prince didn't return all night?" Mu Jinling retorted.
Cheng SangJY became even more puzzled and asked, "But the palace gate is closed now. If I don't return until tomorrow morning, do I have to climb over the wall?"
Mu Jinling looked at Cheng SangJY, then glanced at Crown Prince Shen with a teasing expression, saying mysteriously, "As long as His Highness wakes up in the morning, who will know he didn't return all night?"
Cheng SangJY was still puzzled, watching the two people in front of him playfully. Crown Prince Shen coughed lightly, feeling uncomfortable, and touched his nose awkwardly.
After a stick of incense burned, a figure leaped and moved along the palace wall, with someone hanging over their shoulder. "Ah, Brother Jun, slow down a bit, I feel like I'm going to throw up."
Under the moonlight, Crown Prince Shen wore night clothes, carrying Cheng SangJY on his shoulder, silently traversing the palace wall.
"Shh, keep quiet if you don't want to be discovered," Crown Prince Shen warned.
"But, but this posture is really uncomfortable. Brother Jun, why didn't I notice before that you're so thin? Your shoulder is making my stomach ache," Cheng SangJY complained as he hung on Crown Prince Shen's shoulder, unsure if it was because this posture allowed them to run faster or if Crown Prince Shen was intentionally making it difficult for him. It wasn't a dignified posture at all; it felt more like carrying half a pig on his shoulder.
Crown Prince Shen lightly tapped Cheng SangJY, warning, "If you keep complaining, I'll drop you right now!"
Cheng SangJY finally kept quiet, slumping his upper body over Crown Prince Shen's shoulder, trying to imagine himself as a sack.
The two of them safely arrived at the Crown Prince's residence.
Finally back on solid ground, Cheng SangJY adjusted his weight and, seeing no one around, whispered, "Brother Jun, can I go in now?"
Crown Prince Shen nodded slightly, gesturing for him to hurry inside, then turned to leave.
Cheng SangJY pushed the door open, and the faint creaking sound of the wooden door was particularly clear in the deep night of the palace.
"Who goes there, daring to trespass in the Crown Prince's residence at night!"
As soon as the voice fell, a cold arrow shot from the darkness. Crown Prince Shen instinctively dodged to the side, and a bright red arrow flew past him, embedding itself directly in the door frame to the left of Cheng SangJY's hand.
Crown Prince Shen couldn't help but be shocked and quickly turned back to Cheng SangJY, pulling him into the room and closing the door behind them.