After returning home, young Master Shen couldn’t stop sneezing.

That night, he developed a high fever.

Early the next morning, Ji Wu went to the academy as usual, but even when the bell was struck by the book attendant in the bamboo garden, the little figure with the scent of patchouli was nowhere to be seen.

Shen Xuefeng did not attend school all morning.

Their seats were always in a secluded corner, so at first no one noticed. At noon, when students strolled out in small groups, some passing by that corner began to wonder aloud, “Strange, why is young Master Shen from the Shen residence absent from school today?”

The voice reached Ji Wu’s ears.

Another replied, “Probably just slacking off and didn’t want to come. He’s really bold.”

“I don’t think so. Wasn’t he happily coming to the academy early just a couple of days ago?”

The other said, “Maybe he no longer wants to be the Third Prince’s companion reader. Once he grows out of that naive enthusiasm, he’ll see reality clearly.”

“That’s true. No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand what good comes from being the Third Prince’s companion reader.”

The two chatted as they walked out of the academy gate, even speaking openly as they passed Ji Wu.

After all, the current emperor had many children, many outstanding ones. What did it matter to them if Ji Wu heard it? Who cared about such an unfavored prince?

Ji Wu treated the gossip as meaningless noise, but before leaving, he glanced again at the two desks—

Shen Xuefeng had been in such a rush chasing after him the day before that he only half finished his punishment copying and left no more. This morning, the palace maid tidied it up simply, but the lesson text was still laid out openly, as if waiting for him to return.

Ji Wu stared for a long moment, seemingly deep in thought.

However, he originally didn’t need a companion reader.

On the day of the companion reader selection, all the imperial princes and princesses came to the Chongwen Pavilion, and Ji Wu was naturally among them.

That afternoon, the emperor arrived in a soft sedan chair at the pavilion’s entrance. As he stepped inside, he immediately heard the sound of people kneeling everywhere.

He had hurried here merely as a formality and had not yet spoken much to his children before the eunuchs rushed to report that the favored consort of Chengxiang Palace was unwell. He left soon after.

The empress dowager presided over the companion reader selection.

All the senior ministers of third rank and above wanted to secure the best companion readers for their own children and were openly and secretly courting the powerful eldest prince Ji Changran and the fourth prince Ji Xuanyan.

Ji Wu, naturally, was the type nobody cared about. He sat quietly in a corner, always maintaining his usual appearance: timid, taciturn, and unambitious.

During the empress dowager’s break, Shen Lan finally brought the late-rising young son into the hall.

The curious youth examining the surroundings behind him was Shen Xuefeng.

His arrival immediately sparked discussion. Because the Shen family’s loyalty at court was still unclear and their in-law family’s influence was growing stronger thanks to the empress dowager, no one dared force Shen Lan to take a side.

Was Shen Lan finally going to make a move today?

Everyone waited to see the show.

The young master of the Shen residence was truly handsome, loved to smile when speaking, and smelled pleasantly fragrant — very likable.

He first tugged on Shen Lan’s clothes and spoke with his father for a while, seemingly learning to recognize people.

In a flash, Shen Xuefeng and Ji Wu in the corner exchanged a glance, both a little stunned.

But soon after, Shen Xuefeng’s face immediately lit up with joy.

It was their first meeting, and it was hard to imagine why such an expression appeared on Shen Xuefeng’s pretty little face, as if they had known each other before.

Soon, Ji Wu heard Shen Xuefeng’s excited voice:

“Father, I want to be the Third Prince’s companion reader!”

“……”

Snapping back to his thoughts,

Ji Wu looked down from above at the neat and proper handwriting on Shen Xuefeng’s desk, feeling a rare flicker of interest.

Why did this little companion reader go to such lengths to get close to him?

The next day, Shen Xuefeng still didn’t come.

The third day was the same.

Three days in a row without attending school — the news spread throughout the entire classroom, and Ji Wu gained a new source of ridicule among his siblings.

“That he couldn’t even keep someone around just goes to show how useless the Third Prince really is. If Shen Xuefeng was my companion reader, I’d never let him run off.”

“Not sure about his temper, but young Master Shen is quite charming. Who wouldn’t want someone like that reading alongside them?”

“……”

Though Shen Xuefeng was absent every day, Ji Wu showed no obvious reaction. He did what he was supposed to do daily and didn’t concern himself with the whereabouts of his little companion reader.

In fact, Shen Xuefeng was simply sick.

They say illness fades like pulling silk thread — his recovery was especially slow. After the fever subsided, he caught a cold. These days at the Shen residence were nothing but medicine after medicine, with no time at all for school.

During this time, Shen Xuefeng’s father and mother, along with his sister Shen Yuhuai, all urged him to give up being a companion reader as soon as possible. After all, the whole family agreed, and his health simply wouldn’t allow it.

But even while sick, Shen Xuefeng was very stubborn. Grabbing the hand of the princess, he tearfully said, “Mother, if you don’t let me go to school, this illness will have been for nothing! I don’t care, I want to study!”

The princess was at a loss with him.

Shen Xuefeng didn’t worry about his own illness at all, but he worried a lot about Ji Wu.

That day, when they had stood together in the snowy wind, had Ji Wu not caught a cold? If he did, did he take the medicine on time? If he took it, was what he gave him enough?

Thinking all this made him feel a little like a sycophant, but after all, it was to get through the story and return home—to please the future crown prince, so no shame in that.

Ji Wu lived so far away in such a remote place and wore so little; if he got sick, no one would treat him. What if he froze to death one deep, cold night in this icy world?

This was someone destined to sit on the throne one day; he absolutely could not let a little antagonist like himself become a burden at such a critical moment. If something happened to Ji Wu, where would his mission be fulfilled?

Worrying and worrying, the more he fretted, the slower his own recovery became.

The Lantern Festival happened to arrive, and the palace held a grand banquet. The empress dowager sent an invitation to Shen’s mother, and the eldest princess invited Shen Yuhuai. Shen Xuefeng seized the opportunity to beg his sister to take him along to the palace.

Seeing that his illness had mostly improved, Shen Yuhuai thought, “This is a good chance for you to apologize to the empress dowager. Last time you rudely declined the eldest prince; this time you mustn’t be reckless. And you can redeem yourself by performing something entertaining for the elders at the banquet.”

“…Alright.” Under someone else’s roof, Shen Xuefeng lowered his head.

On the day of the banquet, Shen’s mother and sister specially dressed him in a deep scarlet cross-collared robe that looked both dignified and festive. After entering the palace, Shen Yuhuai, as usual, went ahead to the Eastern Palace to look for the eldest princess, while Shen Xuefeng followed his mother toward Cining Hall.

Shen Xuefeng knew he had displeased the empress dowager last time, so this time he acted very proactively, speaking sweetly and carefully choosing pleasant words. Halfway through the banquet, he seized the opportunity to slip away and hurried straight to Ji Wu’s residence.

Following the small path near the side hall, Shen Xuefeng deliberately half-covered his face, dodging and running. At one particular corner, he hurried so much that he suddenly collided with something. A soft cry came from the other side, and the two of them bumped heads and fell to the ground together.

“Who’s the blind fool daring to bump into this princess!”

Shen Xuefeng covered his forehead and looked up to see a little girl in a peach-colored embroidered dress sitting before him, baring her teeth in a grimace. The silk ribbons at her wrist fluttered in the wind, and from her clothing alone, it was clear she was either from a wealthy or noble family.

Though still very young, Shen Xuefeng immediately recognized her from her fresh, innocent face — the most troublesome female character in this game: Ji Ling, the tenth princess, the emperor’s most favored daughter. Whoever crossed her usually met bad luck.

As the girl on the ground began to cry and shout, Shen Xuefeng quickly rushed forward in three strides and covered her mouth, whispering, “Shh—Tenth Princess, don’t be upset.”

Ji Ling was about to throw a tantrum, but upon seeing Shen Xuefeng’s face clearly, she stopped.

She blinked her big eyes, turned her head away, and mumbled, “Who are you? How do you know who I am? I’ve never seen you before.”

“I’m a companion reader at Chongwen Hall. I’ve seen the princess at school, so I remember you.”

“You say you’re a companion reader?”

Ji Ling scrutinized him up and down: “Impossible. How come I don’t remember seeing you in class? Surely I would remember.”

“…I sit somewhat in the back, so the princess hasn’t seen me.”

Ji Ling was young and impulsive, acting on the spur of the moment. Suddenly, she grabbed Shen Xuefeng’s sleeve: “You bumped into me. You must apologize properly, or else—I’ll tell Father!”

Shen Xuefeng still wanted to find Ji Wu, but hearing this, he immediately apologized, “Sorry, Tenth Princess, I apologize. I shouldn’t have bumped into you.”

“Words aren’t enough,” Ji Ling flashed a little devilish smile, “The princess wants you to be her companion reader! If you don’t agree, I’ll send someone to deal with you right now!”

Shen Xuefeng’s head was spinning. He stammered, “But, but I’m already someone else’s companion reader, and besides, it’s not proper for a boy to be a girl’s companion reader.”

“That doesn’t matter. My father dotes on me; what I say goes,” Ji Ling grabbed his collar, “Whose companion reader are you? No prince or princess in the entire palace dares to oppose me. Tell me! I’ll go argue with them!”

Her aggressive tone made Shen Xuefeng even more reluctant to say Ji Wu’s name — he didn’t want to cause trouble or make an enemy for Ji Wu.

Sometimes inspiration just strikes in strange ways. Without knowing why, he suddenly said, “I… I’m the companion reader of the Eldest Prince!”

Ji Ling was momentarily stunned.

“Oh, so it’s the Eldest Prince, huh…”

The girl pouted, loosened Shen Xuefeng’s slightly wrinkled collar, patted her skirt, and stood up.

Shen Xuefeng watched her pacing back and forth, looking quite unwilling.

But before long, Ji Ling came over and grabbed his sleeve: “So what if you’re the Eldest Prince’s companion reader? The Eldest Prince has always treated me well. Come! I’m taking you to see the Eldest Prince right now!”

“Wait, Princess, don’t, don’t pull me—”

In his panic, his throat itched and he began coughing, but Ji Ling ignored him and tried to drag him along. Their commotion grew louder and louder.

At that moment, someone nearby seemed to notice them. Just as Shen Xuefeng was feeling anxious, he suddenly heard a scolding voice:

“Ling’er, what are you doing here?”

Ji Ling turned around, and upon seeing who it was, awkwardly said, “E-Eldest Prince.”

Shen Xuefeng trembled slightly behind her.

The person walked closer, his tone gentle yet commanding: “You said you wanted to find the Eldest Prince, so why is the prince here? Have you lost your voice again?”

“And who’s standing behind you? Aren’t you going to introduce him?”

Ji Ling immediately stepped aside like showing off a treasure, revealing Shen Xuefeng.

“……”

Shen Xuefeng smiled faintly, about to greet him, when the Eldest Prince emerged from the shadows, fanning himself with a folding fan and staring steadily at him.

“So it’s you, young Master Shen.”

Ji Ling’s eyes lit up, and she hurried forward: “Brother, you know him? Is he really your companion reader?”