As they retraced their steps, Shen Xuefeng couldn’t help but glance at Ji Ling not far behind them, sobbing like a little ball of tears. “Your Highness, if we forced her to apologize like that, won’t she—”

Ji Wu spoke at just the right moment. “She invited you to the bamboo grove today and had quite a few people lying in ambush. What? You want to plead for her?”

“…” Shen Xuefeng choked, “No, no, that’s not what I meant. I just meant—won’t she go tattling on us?”

Even though he was sure that the male lead of this power-fantasy world had some way of keeping villains in check, he still felt a little timid.

After all, Ji Wu had only just begun building his position. Shen Xuefeng was terrified of some lunatic like Ji Ling clinging to Ji Wu like a persistent leech and dragging them both down.

He was really scared!

Ji Wu’s tone was calm. “If I had something on you, would you tattle?”

Shen Xuefeng answered without hesitation, “Of course not.” He wouldn’t dare report the male lead for anything.

So… that meant Ji Wu had something on Ji Ling?

The two said no more. Shen Xuefeng finally relaxed, and when they were nearly through the bamboo grove, he hesitated for a few moments before stepping in front of Ji Wu to stop him. “Your Highness.”

Then, taking a deep breath and shutting his eyes, he reached out and hugged Ji Wu.

Ji Wu was still holding an umbrella when he suddenly felt something soft lean into him. The faint scent of patchouli mixed with a light, bitter fragrance hit his nose, and his body stiffened instinctively.

He looked down at the top of the boy’s head and said slowly, “Only now do you remember to say thank you?”

Shen Xuefeng looked up from his arms, his damp eyes full of sincerity. He murmured, “I was just worried about Your Highness earlier. But now I’m not worried anymore, so of course I have to say thank you.”

This scene happened to be witnessed by Ji Changran, who had just arrived.

He merely caught a glimpse of the two hugging, but it made his steps falter. Ji Wu, not far away, immediately sensed something and swiftly turned his head in that direction.

Ji Changran quickly stepped aside and hid.

Oblivious to anyone eavesdropping, Shen Xuefeng lowered his head and said solemnly, “Your Highness is the first person who has ever done something like this for me. You’re truly kind.”

In this world of strict social hierarchies, there wasn’t really any such thing as fairness. Some people could be bullied their whole lives and never hear a single apology. Just this morning, at the gate of the Chongwen Hall, even the eldest princess and the Minister of Rites couldn’t do anything about Ji Ling.

But Ji Wu could stand up for him.

The top of Shen Xuefeng’s head barely reached Ji Wu’s chin, and he naturally rubbed his cheek against Ji Wu’s shoulder, thinking that since Ji Wu was so good to him, he had to give his all to repay him in kind.

When Ji Wu ascended the throne in the future, he would do everything in his power to ensure Ji Wu lived out his days peacefully on the dragon throne, without a single worry!

Ji Wu’s gaze drifted past Shen Xuefeng and landed on the corner of the side hall ahead. The corner of his lips curled into a wicked smile. “Is that so? Since you think I’m good, then from now on, don’t interact with the other princes.”

Shen Xuefeng nodded eagerly. “There’s only Your Highness in my heart, no one else. You can rest easy!”

Ji Wu, still holding the umbrella with one hand, gently pinched the boy’s chin with the other and said unhurriedly, “You’ve got such a sweet mouth. But if I ever catch you trying to deceive me…”

Shen Xuefeng beamed inwardly. Everything he was doing was for the sake of this world’s future emperor. Since Ji Wu was that male lead and he had so easily earned his affection, nothing else mattered. “If I ever dare hurt Your Highness in the future, I’ll let you do whatever you want with me.”

Only then was Ji Wu satisfied.

Watching all of this from the shadows, Ji Changran was shaken. In the end, he tightened his grip on the folding fan in his hand and left.

He simply couldn’t understand why Shen Xuefeng was so strongly drawn to Ji Wu.

It was as if reality was playing a cruel joke on him—everything had gone completely against what he’d seen in his dream.

Shen Xuefeng was already loyal to Ji Wu. He would probably follow him even when they grew up. But Ji Wu didn’t even have the qualifications to compete for the crown. What benefits could Shen Xuefeng gain by following him?

The best time to assassinate Ji Wu had already passed. After a long deliberation, Ji Changran decided to wait and watch.

So be it. He just had to follow the plan and ascend the throne. Once he claimed that position, the whole world would be his. At that point, Shen Xuefeng’s fate would be up to him anyway.

Besides, Shen Xuefeng wasn’t someone worth going mad over. It only stung because Shen Xuefeng didn’t obediently stay by his side as expected—that’s what made him jealous.

Ji Changran slowly regained his composure, though his eyes still carried a dark glint.

Even if he couldn’t touch Ji Wu for now, he definitely wouldn’t let him get too comfortable. A low-born little brother—what right did he have to compete with him?

After a while, all the students of the Chongwen Hall had left, and the bamboo grove returned to silence.

Back in the rear hall, Ji Ling shakily took the small bowl off her head and called out in a low voice, “Th-Third Royal Brother?”

No one answered.

“Third Royal Brother?”

Once she was certain the person had left, her eyes flashed with venom as she smashed the porcelain bowl onto the ground. Only then did she seem to be freed, unleashing her voice in a fit of near-madness, gnashing her teeth as she ranted, “Shen Xuefeng, Shen Xuefeng, you wretched bitch—how dare you ask that little bastard Ji Wu for help!”

Ji Ling paced back and forth, clutching her messy hair and muttering to herself, “But—but Ji Wu saw me kill someone… I killed the one Father loved the most… I can’t let him tell anyone… and I can’t be threatened by that bastard for the rest of my life…”

Talking to herself, swaying on unsteady feet, she stumbled out of the courtyard, through the bamboo grove, and all the way out of the Chongwen Hall.

Several palace attendants on patrol caught sight of her, and were shocked at her disheveled and agitated appearance. “Your Highness, what happened to you?”

Ji Ling’s vacant, wandering gaze snapped back into focus—as if she’d just remembered she was a princess. With a wounded cry, she shouted, “Take me back to my chambers! I want to see Father! I want to see Father!!”

A few days later, the continuous drizzle over the capital finally began to subside.

The Princess Royal was ordered to travel to Jiangnan to help manage flood relief. Emperor Gan Feng personally assigned troops to accompany her and even dispatched several military officers for her protection, including Shen Yuhuai.

On the day of departure, Shen Xuefeng rose early to join his parents in seeing his sister off at the estate gates.

Watching the valiant Shen Yuhuai mount her horse with practiced ease, he couldn’t help but feel a trace of admiration. “Sister, take care of yourself out there. If all goes smoothly, when will you be back?”

“At the earliest, a month or two. At the latest… who knows?” Shen Yuhuai nudged her horse closer and reached out to ruffle his hair. “While I’m away and not on duty in the inner court, I won’t be able to cover for you if anything happens. Behave at school—don’t get into trouble, understand?”

Everyone at the academy knew that Shen Xuefeng’s sister was close friends with the Princess Royal. Thanks to that connection, they all treated Shen Xuefeng with courtesy.

Recently, Ji Ling had been unusually quiet. Whenever she ran into Shen Xuefeng, she acted as though she didn’t even see him. Instead, she clung to Jiang Suliu. Shen Xuefeng, seeing this, felt somewhat reassured. “Don’t worry, Sister—I won’t cause trouble.”

As soon as the Princess Royal’s procession left the capital, the various foreign delegations also began preparing to depart.

Perhaps knowing his time was short, Yin Lan often came to the palace to play with Ji Wu and Shen Xuefeng. Whenever he had free time, he would swing by the Chongwen Hall. On one such visit, he happened to run into Li Shiliang—the same person who had insulted him on the street that day—and the encounter was painfully awkward.

It was said that after being injured, Li Shiliang spent three full days and nights at the Li estate clinging to life, sustained by his father’s treasured thousand-year-old ginseng. Who knew how many imperial physicians were summoned before they finally snatched the young master’s worthless life back from the hands of the King of Hell.

Now, he looked pallid and haggard, clutching his chest after just a few steps as if emulating a delicate beauty in distress. He seemed even more fragile than Shen Xuefeng.

Each day, he would visit the Court of Judicial Review (Dali Temple) to inquire about the progress of his case. But according to the presiding judge, there was no way to determine the real culprit, and the case had been effectively shelved.

Having suffered such a silent humiliation, Li Shiliang didn’t even dare get angry. His heart was too weak now—he couldn’t handle any further shocks.

It was another scorching afternoon. Several princes had arranged a horseback outing with the visiting envoys. Most of the royal companions were invited as well. Shen Xuefeng, cradling a scroll of policy essays, lounged in a shaded spot, basking lazily in the sun.

Dressed in riding attire, Fan Qinghe passed by and asked, “Xuefeng, not riding today?”

“Exams are coming up. I need to study more.” Shen Xuefeng shook his head.

“So studious! Why don’t you try persuading the Third Prince to study as well?”

Shen Xuefeng raised the scroll to block the sunlight from his eyes and let his gaze drift over the training field. It finally settled on the tall, silent figure beside Yin Lan. He replied softly, “He can do what he wants. It’s not my business.”

Fan Qinghe chuckled and went off to join a group of classmates galloping across the wide training ground.

Elsewhere, Ji Wu was riding with Yin Lan, the latter going on and on about how stubborn his little white horse was. Ji Wu’s gaze drifted toward the edge of the field, his expression unreadable—one couldn’t tell if he was actually listening.

Just then, not far behind, someone mentioned Shen Xuefeng’s name.

“Honestly, Xuefeng’s been sitting there forever. That’s not good for his health. Why didn’t Qinghe ask him to come along?”

“I did. He said he was reviewing for the exams. He’s so dedicated—I didn’t want to bother him.”

“He’s got it easy, being a royal companion. Unlike me—I have to constantly push the Fifth Prince to memorize essays. It’s driving me crazy.”

Another chimed in, “Same here! The Sixth Prince refuses to study no matter what I say. Maybe I should ask Xuefeng if he has any advice.”

Fan Qinghe laughed. “Ask Xuefeng? He’s the last person who cares whether the princes study or not. Think about it—how do the rest of us push the princes to study harder? We pray for any little improvement in their grades like it’s a gift from the heavens!”

“Yeah, and Xuefeng?”

That question drifted into Ji Wu’s ears.