“Yun Xiu’s kid, even the cat he raises is so good-looking.” A young master with a white jade folding fan sat by the table, teasing the white cat lying on the table with the handle of the fan, muttering to himself.

The little white cat, pure white and adorable, seemed a bit impatient, swiping a paw at him in the air, meowing rather fiercely.

The dignified Crown Prince instantly laughed like a fool: “He likes Gu.”

Song Suiyuan sat on the left, watching coldly, and let out a light chuckle upon hearing this.

The Crown Prince glared at him, then lowered his head to look at the white cat with a loving gaze, confidently repeating: “He likes me.”

The Crown Prince undoubtedly liked cats, but growing up, whether it was the beloved cats of the palace concubines or stray cats on the street, they all scattered at the sight of him, seeing him as a natural enemy, leaving the Crown Prince extremely frustrated.

Right now, this was the only cat that could approach him and “talk” to him.

Song Suiyuan picked up a teacup and took a sip, hiding a second chuckle, leaving the Crown Prince with some dignity.

Unfortunately, the white cat didn’t care, jumping off the table and lightly leaping onto Song Suiyuan’s lap, where it sat obediently with its front paws tucked in, showing no signs of being unfamiliar.

Feeling the light weight on his leg, Song Suiyuan’s fingers paused slightly.

The Crown Prince was stunned, pointing a trembling finger at the man and the cat: “You, you guys…”

Song Suiyuan lowered his eyes, meeting the clear black pupils of the white cat, and with one hand, he picked up the cat, stroking its head with a voice hiding a hint of joy: “I’ll take the cat, you can leave now.”

The feel of the fur wasn’t bad.

There was no trace of the respect owed to the heir in Song Suiyuan’s words, yet no one present found it inappropriate. The Crown Prince Zhou Mingyan was already used to it, restraining his exaggerated performance, tapping the folding fan in his hand and laughing loudly: “Gu won’t leave, it’s rare to get out of the palace, today Gu will stay for a meal.”

The last sentence was directed at the little servant behind Song Suiyuan.

Sui Mo glanced at his young master, seeing no reaction from him, and then retreated.

At the end of last year, Song Suiyuan somehow found a famous chef from Qingzhou, whose dishes were sour, sweet, spicy, and numbing, with a unique flavor. Zhou Mingyan had tasted it once and couldn’t forget it to this day. After Sui Mo left, a hint of anticipation appeared on his face.

Taking a sip of tea, he took out a letter from his sleeve: “Here, a cat-raising manual.”

Song Suiyuan took it with the cat in his arms, leisurely opening it.

As summer just arrived, he wore a flowing gauze robe, sitting gracefully on the chair, his actions unable to hide his elegance. The stones were like jade, the pines like emeralds, and the young master Song was as famous as ever—Shengjing’s number one young talent, unparalleled in brilliance.

The white cat on his lap did not diminish his charm; the man was wise, the cat lively, as if it was meant to be.

Zhou Mingyan watched this scene, his lips faintly curling.

His father often praised him for his ability to recognize talent, but he couldn’t understand Song Suiyuan. This was the first time the proud and noble Crown Prince tasted defeat, in a friend of similar age.

For the first eighteen years, Song Suiyuan was diligent and upright, focused on learning, and was one of the core future ministers prepared by the emperor for the Crown Prince. However, this year he neglected his studies, refused to take office, lingered in taverns, indulged in hunting, and even the most popular gambling games in Shengjing were created by Song Suiyuan.

If he had completely changed, it would be fine, but his behavior and attitude remained unchanged.

He was still the young master Song of Shengjing, clear-headed and rational.

Song Suiyuan’s reputation for falling into the ranks of the idle and dissipated spread far and wide, and the young talents he once befriended gradually left, leaving only the Crown Prince Zhou Mingyan and the newly appointed third-place scholar Yang Zhi by his side. Yet, due to various concerns, their interactions were not as before.

Zhou Mingyan came today to deliver a cat, entrusted by the heir Yun Xiu of the Duke of the State in the northwest, to let the cat see the prosperity of Shengjing. At that moment, he thought of Song Suiyuan.

With the official matter done, Zhou Mingyan lightly tapped the folding fan in his hand, seemingly chatting idly: “Yang Weiqing ranked third in the recent exam, and a few days ago he returned to Yuanguang Temple to fulfill his vow, saying the temple’s scenery remains the same.”

In past years, it wasn’t just Yang Zhi who prayed for official positions at the temple, but also Song Suiyuan. Now, some have achieved their wishes, while others have changed beyond recognition.

Could Song Suiyuan truly let go?

Song Suiyuan seemed not to understand the underlying meaning of the Crown Prince’s words, smiling as he folded the letter: “Sanghua Mountain is at its best this time of year, and coincidentally, my newly acquired villa is at the foot of the mountain. I can stay there for a while and let Ah Yan see the scenery of the outskirts of the capital.”

Yuanguang Temple is on Sanghua Mountain.

This meant he didn’t want to discuss it further, and Zhou Mingyan didn’t press, changing the topic according to his wishes, though he didn’t understand: “Ah Yan?”

Song Suiyuan returned the letter, indicating for him to read it himself, his long, strong fingers playing with Ah Yan’s two front legs. The white cat Ah Yan was very docile on his lap, even rolling over, a picture of harmony.

The Crown Prince unfolded the letter, the first line in wild cursive “Ah Yan is a divine cat,” followed by “can eat anything, travel anywhere…” The brief letter was difficult to read, but a vivid image leapt from the paper, a wild youth repeatedly reminding the recipient to let his cat play well and eat well.

Zhou Mingyan: “…”

Few people nowadays disregard etiquette like this, and the content of the letter was unexpected for both of them.

Thinking of the unruly handwriting on the paper, Song Suiyuan sincerely lifted the corners of his mouth: “Yun Shizi… not bad.”

Childlike, simple, and pure.

Hearing this, Zhou Mingyan glanced at him, discerning that he wasn’t being sarcastic, his tone genuine. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince carefully folded the letter, agreeing: “Yun Xiu is indeed good, possessing a rare innocence and charm in Shengjing.”

See, Song Suiyuan is still the remarkably intelligent Song Suiyuan.

He can see a person’s character just from a cat-raising manual.

Song Suiyuan’s cleverness is undeniable, but the Crown Prince misunderstood this time.

In the previous life, after the Duke of the State and the General of the Cavalry and his wife disappeared, their only son Yun Xiu took over a cavalry unit and dealt a heavy blow to the enemy in one battle. Unfortunately, the new general was incompetent, and rumors spread in the army, causing the brave young man to disappear without a trace until Song Suiyuan’s death.

Now, Yun Shizi has not yet joined the army, and the Duke of the State and his husband probably have no intention of letting him follow in their footsteps, allowing the reputation of a weak and mischievous heir to spread across a thousand miles to Shengjing.

Song Suiyuan merely knew of that young general.

Zhou Mingyan spoke of his cousin with endless praise, and Song Suiyuan listened with unexpected patience. Neither of them noticed the proud expression in the round eyes of the pretty white cat in Song Suiyuan’s palm.

As the conversation heated up, Zhou Mingyan pulled Song Suiyuan to play chess, and Sui Mo, following orders, brought new tea for the two.

The aroma of the new tea was different from before, and Zhou Mingyan carefully tasted it, finally stopping his words of praise, pondering over his teacup: “The taste is rich and sweet, what tea is this?”

“Yinzhi.” Song Suiyuan leisurely placed a piece, saying, “The tea leaves are from Nanyuan. The batch I got at the tea market earlier this year was of poor quality, but the flavor was good. The cup contains new tea I had a caravan bring back.”

Nanyuan is in the southwest of the Great Chu, with high mountains and dense forests, hot and humid, making life difficult for people, but extremely suitable for the growth of herbs and tea leaves.

Yinzhi tea is a new type of tea, not listed as tribute tea like other famous teas, but its taste is clean and mellow, and in the previous life, its fame spread among the people.

In the previous life, the reigning Emperor Ruiwen did not research tea much, and under the manipulation of certain people, Yinzhi tea became a tool for their wealth, not only filling their pockets but also fueling Nanyuan’s ambitions, leading to the occupation of three southern towns during a time of internal and external troubles for the Great Chu.

The Crown Prince before him was very much like the current emperor, whether in his love for tea or his ambitions. After a few rounds of quiet moves, Zhou Mingyan suddenly said in an unclear tone: “Yinzhi is excellent, it should belong to Chu.”

Nanyuan has been affiliated with the Great Chu for forty years, supported by the court, with frequent trade among the people. Perhaps too much time has passed, and the new King of Nanyuan has forgotten the emperor’s past glory, thinking he has grown strong enough to declare independence, making small moves recently.

According to the laws of the Great Chu, Yinzhi tea should first be reported to the court by Nanyuan, evaluated by the Ministry of Revenue, and then decided whether it can be traded among the people and in what way. It might also be that the new tea is favored by the emperor, in which case it would only be used as imperial tea. In any case, it shouldn’t be something Song Suiyuan could buy at the tea market or have a caravan bring back.

Song Suiyuan didn’t respond, lowering his eyes to place another piece.

Enough said.

In the end, Zhou Mingyan frowned slightly, breaking away from the serious state, throwing the black piece in his hand back into the chess box, and getting up to leave, calling out: “Sui Mo, Gu is hungry.”

Song Suiyuan didn’t watch his back, steadily continuing to place pieces, determining the outcome.

On the chessboard, the young man’s spirit was high, completely different from his own style.

The Crown Prince is indeed the eldest son raised personally by the emperor and Empress Yun, full of hope. He may still be young, but he already has the posture of a ruler. Looking at history, no heir compares to Zhou Mingyan, as long as he doesn’t die unexpectedly, as long as someone who knows the major events of the next ten years occasionally reminds him, the prosperity of the Great Chu can continue for a hundred years, sparing the people from suffering.

He wouldn’t have lived this life in vain.

In the previous life, Song Suiyuan experienced the loss of loved ones and friends one by one, contending with imperial power and opposing powerful families, not knowing how exhausted he was. Death was both a regret and a relief.

In the previous life, he worked tirelessly, so in this second chance, he resolutely distanced himself from the court, acting as he pleased.

Though he never strayed from the Crown Prince, he avoided discussing state affairs, only occasionally offering subtle hints.

Like today’s Yinzhi tea.

Song Suiyuan closed his eyes briefly and opened them again. Alone in the room, he allowed himself to think about the Great Chu, Nanyuan, and the enemy, his once lazy and carefree peach blossom eyes gradually becoming unfathomable, his right hand unconsciously stroking the cat’s head.

The little white cat Ah Yan had fallen asleep on Song Suiyuan’s lap halfway through watching the chess game, but was disturbed by the slightly heavy movements on its head. Upon waking, it looked up unhappily with its round head.

Then… its fur bristled.

This person’s aura felt like, like its cunning old father, and the cat was most afraid.

When Zhou Mingyan returned with the meal, he only heard Ah Yan meow at him: “Meow!”

The meow seemed to carry anger and apprehension.

Song Suiyuan’s contemplation was interrupted, and he calmly took in the situation before him, knowingly lifting the small white cat with one hand, and as Zhou Mingyan paused, he turned his face gently saying: “Ah Yan, are you hungry?”

Zhou Mingyan turned around, and the maid behind him was carrying a fish dish.

After a moment, Zhou Mingyan, who had just been self-indulgent, thinking the cat was talking to him, smiled again, pretending nothing had happened, curiously asking the little white cat: “Is Ah Yan’s meow a northwest accent?”

Meowing like that, it’s clear it’s not an ordinary cat.

Ah Yan placed a paw on Song Suiyuan’s handsome face to keep some distance, still saying the same thing: “Meow~”

The cat wants to change people!

The cat was wrong, the cat shouldn’t have been bewitched by appearances, the cat just escaped its father’s clutches.

Song Suiyuan allowed the soft white paw to rest on his face, using two fingers to pinch Ah Yan’s cat face and turn it to meet his gaze, teasing with a smile: “Ah Yan likes me this much, it’s worth the effort His Highness put into bringing it.”

The soft little paw gently rested on his cheek, at first glance truly “liking.”

In reality, Song Suiyuan could sense the little thing straining its head, its paw exerting force, showing a posture of resistance.

He thought he was teasing the cat, but Ah Yan had no reaction, and Zhou Mingyan first let out a “tsk.”

A bit sour.

Song Suiyuan watched the Crown Prince take his seat, not noticing the sudden dazed expression of the little cat in his arms.

During their earlier eye contact, their faces had been very close, and this person named Song Suiyuan had an excellent appearance, especially his eyes, which were aloof like a clear moon when not smiling, and gentle like a spring breeze when he did. The little cat’s pupils quietly dilated to roundness, indicating excitement.

Ah Yan thought: So good-looking, he probably won’t bully a cat, right?