Shen Xuefeng was momentarily at a loss for words. He spoke awkwardly, “Not really… Actually, I didn’t come out today to hang out with His Highness the Third Prince.”

“Oh? You didn’t?” Ji Yingqiu gave a faint smile. “Then aren’t you afraid the Third Prince will be upset if he finds out?”

Would the Third Prince be upset? Shen Xuefeng froze. It took him a while to react before he quietly said, “Well… I don’t think he would be.”

Ji Wu had barely spoken to him these past few days. At first, Shen Xuefeng had wanted to take the initiative to invite him out, but after wandering around the palace trying and failing to find him, he gave up after two days.

Ji Wu probably wouldn’t know anyway. He usually didn’t have the leisure to leave the palace for outings, and he’d been busy lately. He most likely wasn’t keeping track of Shen Xuefeng’s activities.

Still, going out for a spring excursion without inviting him did feel a little… disloyal.

Shen Xuefeng’s thoughts drifted as he brooded, and he didn’t quite have the energy to keep up with Ji Yingqiu’s words. But he was still a young boy after all, at the age when fun and play came naturally. It didn’t take long before his attention was caught by the bright and breezy scenery outside the carriage window. A smile returned to his eyes, and all his worries faded away.

Ji Yingqiu observed his every reaction clearly. When the carriage rolled into the willow-lined paths of the countryside, and the attendants helped Shen Xuefeng down, she followed behind with her intricately carved sandalwood fan, turning to Shen Yuhuai and saying, “Your brother really has such a simple nature.”

“That’s just another way of saying he’s easy to fool,” Shen Yuhuai didn’t take it as a compliment. “Look at him—does he look the least bit mature to you?”

The two of them watched Shen Xuefeng’s cheerful figure as he walked toward the riverbank, holding his umbrella. The bridge was crowded with people coming and going.

“Bai Hua,” Shen Yuhuai called, “Follow the young master. If anything happens, report to me immediately.”

A figure at the back of the carriage vanished quickly upon hearing the command.

Today’s outing had been organized by Fan Qinghe, the heir to the Duke of England title. He was the first to arrive and was currently skipping stones with a few friends from the Chongwen Academy. From a distance, he spotted Shen Xuefeng’s familiar pale green umbrella and called out, “Xuefeng! Over here!”

It was spring break, and many young nobles and ladies were strolling in small groups along the river. When Fan Qinghe shouted, several people paused and turned to look in the direction of his voice.

They saw a fair-skinned, rosy-lipped boy walking briskly past with an umbrella. His hair fluttered in the breeze, the umbrella tilted to one side, revealing a pair of bright and pretty almond-shaped eyes.

Just as Shen Xuefeng stepped onto the bridge, a few of his classmates gathered around him. Fan Qinghe walked over with his arms crossed and asked, “We agreed to meet early to go boating—why are you so late?”

“I ran into the Eldest Princess on my way out. She brought me here,” Shen Xuefeng explained sheepishly. “Her carriage was a bit slow, so I arrived late.”

“The Eldest Princess came today too?”

The boys looked at each other. One of them suggested, “Where is she now? Why don’t we go say hello and join her for the outing?”

“Oh, please. You just want to catch a glimpse of her and need a fancy excuse.”

They laughed and joked as they walked toward the middle of the bridge. A soft breeze blew through, and Shen Xuefeng’s throat itched—he let out a few muffled coughs.

“You okay?” Fan Qinghe couldn’t help but ask. It was the first time he’d been this close to Shen Xuefeng, and under the sunlight, he couldn’t help but marvel, “Xuefeng, your skin is really white.”

It was like the rare warm jade he’d once seen in his father’s storeroom—flawless and creamy. Up close, he could even see the fine downy hairs on Shen Xuefeng’s cheeks. It was adorably delicate.

Shen Xuefeng glanced enviously at Fan Qinghe’s healthy, sun-kissed complexion. “If I went out to play every day like you, maybe I’d be just as tanned.”

As he looked past Fan Qinghe, he noticed several red carp swimming in the river in lively groups. He stopped by the bridge railing, peering down in curiosity.

Seeing that he was interested, Fan Qinghe sent someone off, saying, “Go get the fish food we prepared.”

Since they were standing at the center of the bridge watching the fish—and their appearances and attire were all refined and elegant—they naturally attracted quite a bit of attention. Gradually, more and more people gathered on the long bridge, with many subtly inching closer.

Shen Xuefeng leaned against the railing for a while. Seeing that the group of fish was swimming farther and farther away, he asked without turning his head, “Where’s the fish food? Has it been delivered yet?”

At that very moment, a pouch of fish food appeared in front of him.

A stranger’s voice came from behind: “Young Master Fan’s fish food hasn’t arrived yet. I hope Young Master Shen doesn’t mind using mine in the meantime.”

Shen Xuefeng was just about to say thank you when he suddenly turned his head—and saw Ji Changran standing behind him, fanning himself with a folding fan. Gone were his richly adorned clothes; now, he looked much gentler and more approachable than before.

“Your Highness, why are you—”

“—Shh.” Ji Changran swiftly closed his fan and made a gesture for silence, explaining, “I ditched my siblings to get away. If you draw attention to me, Ling’er and the others will come chasing after.”

At the mention of Ji Ling, Shen Xuefeng fell silent, as expected. He took a few steps back while holding his umbrella, widening the distance between himself and Ji Changran, and looked around curiously. “So… are the other princes nearby too?”

“They’re out boating on the lake right now,” Ji Changran said vaguely. His gaze landed on Shen Xuefeng’s face, and he smiled slightly. “Young Master Shen seems very interested in that?”

“No, no.” Shen Xuefeng tightened his grip on the umbrella, his fingertips turning red from the force. He suddenly didn’t know what to say.

Fan Qinghe and the others were not far away, cheerfully skipping stones, seemingly unaware of Ji Changran’s presence. Shen Xuefeng found it a bit difficult to deal with Ji Changran alone—after all, they barely knew each other and had no real common ground for conversation.

Ji Changran noticed his discomfort and smiled. “Would Young Master Shen take a walk with me?”

“I…” Shen Xuefeng began thinking of a polite way to decline.

“There’s no need to feel any pressure. Just treat me like any ordinary person.” Ji Changran reached out and took the umbrella from him. Their fingertips brushed—Shen Xuefeng’s were cool as they swept across the back of Ji Changran’s hand, light and fleeting, as if nothing had happened.

The two of them walked together, slowly making their way to the other end of the bridge.

As Ji Changran held the umbrella, he tilted it slightly toward Shen Xuefeng. When the breeze blew, the faint scent of the herbs Shen Xuefeng carried mixed with the sweet fragrance of flowers by the riverside, creating a soothing aroma that put one at ease.

He thought: If someday Shen Xuefeng regrets his decision and wants to distance himself from Ji Wu, I wouldn’t hold it against him. I’d still accept him.

With that thought, Ji Changran lowered his gaze to study Shen Xuefeng’s profile. “May I ask—who invited Young Master Shen out today?”

“It was Young Master Fan,” Shen Xuefeng replied, his eyes darting around restlessly. “We planned to go boating together. He should be coming to find me soon.”

Ji Changran nodded. “As it happens, I have a painted pleasure boat. If you don’t mind, we can head there now.”

“…” Shen Xuefeng stopped walking.

At that moment, the two of them stood together under a single umbrella by the riverbank. From a short distance away, the scene looked surprisingly harmonious.