The bustling market of Liang Yin was alive with activity, the vibrant colors and cacophony of sounds creating a sensory overload. Prince Cheng strolled through the market with a sense of entitlement, his entourage trailing behind him. He was immersed in the delights of the stalls, his attention captured by trinkets and exotic foods. To him, the market was a playground, a place where he could indulge his whims and desires.
As he walked, he noticed a figure sitting by the side of the road, hunched over and clad in tattered clothes. The man appeared to be homeless, his face weathered by hardship. Cheng paused for a moment, observing the scene with a flicker of curiosity. His gaze lingered on the man, but his thoughts quickly turned to the items at the next stall, and he moved on without a second thought.
Cheng's world was one of luxury and comfort. The plight of the less fortunate was a concept that seemed distant and irrelevant to him. He had heard of poverty and hardship, but it had always been an abstract notion, something he read about rather than experienced.
As he continued to peruse the market, a familiar figure caught his eye. Chen Ning, who was known to be as unyielding and aloof as he was enigmatic. Cheng's gaze followed him as Chen Ning approached the homeless man. To Cheng's surprise, his brother knelt beside the man, offering him a piece of bread and a few coins.
Cheng's heart skipped a beat as he watched the scene unfold. There was something about the way Chen Ning interacted with the homeless man—an unexpected tenderness and empathy that Cheng had never seen before. His mind raced with confusion. Why did Chen Ning care about someone like this? Why did it affect him so deeply?
He found himself rooted to the spot, his attention completely absorbed by the interaction. Chen Ning's demeanor was calm and genuine, a stark contrast to the aloof and distant figure Cheng was accustomed to. The simplicity and sincerity of the act seemed to pierce through the façade Cheng had built around himself.
The contrast between his own casual disregard and Chen Ning's compassionate gesture was striking. Cheng's thoughts swirled with a mix of emotions he couldn't quite place. He had always seen him as a cold and detached individual, but this new side of him was both surprising and intriguing.
As Chen Ning finished helping the homeless man and stood up, Cheng instinctively moved closer, hoping to catch his attention. The brief moment of vulnerability he had witnessed stirred something within him—an unfamiliar feeling that tugged at his heartstrings. But before he could approach, Chen Ning turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
Cheng stood there, staring at the spot where Chen Ning had been. The market continued its frenetic pace around him, but Cheng felt disconnected from it all. The encounter had left him unsettled, his thoughts fixated on the strange and powerful emotion that had surfaced.
He struggled to understand why Chen Ning's actions had such an impact on him. Was it guilt for his own indifference? Admiration for his unexpected kindness? Or was it something deeper, a realization of the disconnect between his own life of privilege and the harsh realities faced by others?
As Cheng walked away from the scene, his mind remained preoccupied with the image of Chen Ning helping the homeless man. The encounter had opened a door to feelings and thoughts he had long kept locked away. For the first time, he was forced to confront the disparity between his own life and the struggles of those outside his sheltered world.
As Prince Cheng and Chen Ning walked along the stall, they didn't notice how Price Feng was watching them behind a building. His eyes were cold unlike the mischievous eyes everyone was used to. "Interesting." he said in a cold voice not like the cheerful tone he used earlier.