Chapter 359 – The Sweet Princess Was Here – A Difficult Duty (04)
The tale of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress had always been praised as a romantic anecdote, and many touching stories were born this way.
Bai Fangxin had made her calculations well. Wu Chenyi was the closest to her, and in order to prevent the princess of the Huan Kingdom from embarrassing herself, he would surely catch her. And since men and women should keep their distance, if Wu Chenyi “touched” her in public, then of course the marriage alliance would naturally fall into place.
With her beauty and charm, she was certain she could crush Bai Tang beneath her feet.
However, what Bai Fangxin failed to consider was this: stories are stories because they are full of drama—meaning they are unpredictable.
Wu Chenyi had absolutely no intention of catching Bai Fangxin. In fact, he stepped back several paces as though avoiding a deadly plague, widening the distance between them.
He was only heartbroken about the crushed pinecone. He wondered whether, if he remade the plate and pretended he had simply brought it back from the banquet table, Tang Tang would recognize the difference. And would he still be able to enjoy the benefits of sharing a bed with Bai Tang?
Bai Fangxin let out a sharp “Ouch!” as she fell to the ground, twisting her ankle after stepping on the pinecone.
“San’er, someone—quickly, help the Third Princess!” the King of the Huan Kingdom called out anxiously.
Her dress was thin, and when she fell, the hem tore slightly. She could feel gazes from all directions falling on her. Although she was ashamed and angry, she didn’t dare stand up—if she did, she might inadvertently expose herself and make an even bigger fool of herself.
The beauty bit her lip lightly. How did things turn out completely different from what she imagined?
With glistening tears in her eyes, Bai Fangxin looked toward Wu Chenyi. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t believe he truly intended to ignore her—and had even backed away from her.
Afraid Bai Tang might grow impatient from waiting, Wu Chenyi cupped his hands toward Emperor Jude and said, “The Seventh Prince of the Huan Kingdom is currently in this minister’s residence. It would be improper to neglect such an honored guest. I beg Father Emperor’s permission to take my leave first.”
Dozens of eyes had witnessed what happened just now. He hadn’t even touched Bai Fangxin’s dress—whatever trouble followed could not possibly be blamed on him.
Everyone could see it clearly: the goddess was willing, but the king had no interest.
Wu Chenyi simply had no regard for Bai Fangxin.
It made sense, after all. She was a dignified princess, yet she willingly lowered herself to the level of a dancing girl, performing before the entire court of civil and military officials. Even if she were a celestial maiden descended from the heavens, such behavior would diminish her worth.
Bai Tang’s drunken behavior could also be considered improper, but men and women were never equal in ancient times. A man could still be excused—called young, impulsive, and ignorant, and as long as he corrected himself, it was fine. But the expectations placed on women were far harsher. At Bai Fangxin’s age, many girls her age were already married, some even had children. How could she still claim to be “young and ignorant”?
As expected of someone from a small, provincial place—completely ignorant of proper etiquette.
The Empress, who valued etiquette above all else, frowned when she saw Bai Fangxin’s disgraceful behavior.
From her elevated seat, she saw everything clearly. This Third Princess had calculation written all over her face—she had obviously been trying to “trap” the Crown Prince. Fortunately, her son was clever enough to dodge her. Otherwise, if Bai Fangxin became the Crown Princess or even a consort, it would only bring shame to the Crown Prince. After all, Bai Fangxin was now a woman who had been seen by all the men present.
“Your Majesty, this concubine believes the Third Princess seems injured. Why not summon the Imperial Physician to take a look?” the Empress suggested.
“Very well,” Emperor Jude agreed.
And so, Bai Fangxin was helped away by palace maids to have her injury examined. The farce finally came to an end. The banquet quickly returned to its previous liveliness—eating, drinking, chatting—as though nothing had happened at all.
Wu Chenyi ordered a fresh plate of stir-fried pinecones, and carrying the newly made dish, he hurried toward Guangyang Hall.
To cool the pinecones down—so it would look like he had simply brought them from the banquet—Wu Chenyi deliberately took a longer route.
Bai Fangxin was brought to the Palace of Nurtured Elegance to rest. After the palace physician’s assistant bandaged her injury, she left to prepare medicine.
Bai Fangxin pondered where exactly her plan had gone wrong—what step had slipped out of place.
She had a habit of pacing whenever she thought, and even though her foot was injured, it was still possible to walk slowly.
With the support of the palace attendants, she slowly made her way into the courtyard to enjoy the tranquility of the night.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside the hall. Bai Fangxin looked toward the noise and saw Wu Chenyi hurrying past, carrying a food box in his hand.
Bai Fangxin’s heart leaped with joy. Surely, because the Crown Prince had failed to save her during the banquet, he felt guilty and had brought gifts to visit her.
It was no wonder she misunderstood. Ever since she regained favor in the Huan Kingdom, most men around her had catered to her every whim—including Bai Tang, whom she had coaxed and manipulated. Having been flattered for so long, she had developed the belief that she stood “above” others.
Wu Chenyi walked quickly, so quickly that the young eunuch behind him could barely keep up.
“Your Highness, please slow down!” the eunuch called out anxiously. A heavy rain had fallen earlier in the evening, and the ground was still wet. If the Crown Prince were to slip and fall, those who served him would not escape punishment. The Empress would never spare them.
The eunuch chased after him, and just as they passed by the entrance of the Palace of Nurtured Elegance, Bai Fangxin called out to him.
“Little eunuch, come here for a moment.”
The young eunuch paused in his steps—just that brief pause was enough for him to lose track of Wu Chenyi entirely. He could only watch helplessly as the Crown Prince disappeared into the distance.
“This servant greets the Third Princess.”
The eunuch understood proper etiquette. The woman before him was the elder sister of the Huan Kingdom’s Seventh Prince, and since the Crown Prince valued the Seventh Prince highly—and rumors said the princess and the prince were close—she was definitely not someone he could afford to offend.
Because he had not returned to the banquet, the young eunuch had no idea what had happened earlier.
Bai Fangxin smiled. “Earlier at the banquet, I accidentally twisted my ankle. His Highness the Crown Prince was nearby at the time, but perhaps he didn’t have time to catch me… Tell me, why was His Highness in such a hurry just now?”
Her words gave the eunuch two impressions:
First, she and the Crown Prince were well acquainted.
Second, the Crown Prince must have been on his way to visit her but had gone the wrong way—so the eunuch should quickly bring him back.
Those who served noble masters were never fools.
The eunuch smiled and said, “His Highness the Crown Prince is currently on his way back to attend to the Seventh Prince. He will visit the Third Princess another day.”
It was the dead of night. Men and women should maintain their distance. If word spread that the Crown Prince and the princess had met alone, what would happen to His Highness’s reputation?
The young eunuch did not dare to casually agree to Bai Fangxin’s request.
If the mountain does not come to me, then I shall go to the mountain.
Bai Fangxin had already decided—she was going to create a connection with Wu Chenyi one way or another.
“My little brother has troubled the Crown Prince greatly. As his elder sister, I feel guilty for not caring for him myself. Why don’t I accompany you to visit Tang Tang together?”
The eunuch felt troubled. “But… it is already quite late…”
“Precisely because it’s late, I feel even more apologetic for troubling His Highness.”
No matter what, a eunuch was still a servant.
Unsure of the Crown Prince’s attitude toward the princess, he had no choice but to bring her along to Guangyang Hall.
…
Guangyang Hall
“This servant greets His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Wu Chenyi waved his hand, dismissing their formalities.
He strode into the inner chamber, where a young boy lay fast asleep on the bed, arms wrapped around a jade pillow, the blanket kicked to the floor.
Wu Chenyi set down the food box, picked up the blanket, and gently covered Bai Tang.
“How do you people do your jobs? I told you to take good care of the Seventh Prince—is this what you call taking care of him?”
Wu Chenyi’s expression showed displeasure. What if Tang Tang caught a cold?
The palace attendants knelt and begged for mercy.
“Your Highness, whenever we cover the Seventh Prince with a blanket, he kicks it off immediately.”
As if to prove their words were true, the moment Wu Chenyi covered him with the blanket, Bai Tang kicked it away at once and mumbled, “Hot…”
The boy blinked groggily, opening his eyes to the ornate, luxurious hall, still not fully awake.
“Where… am I?”
Wu Chenyi picked up the blanket again and gently covered him.
“This is Guangyang Hall. The night wind is strong—be careful not to catch a cold.”
Bai Tang pushed the blanket aside and stretched out his arms toward Wu Chenyi. He didn’t want a blanket—he wanted a hug.
Surprised yet delighted, Wu Chenyi lifted the boy into his arms. He opened the food box on the table and brought out a plate.
“Tang Tang, look—this is the pinecone snack you wanted.”
The little squirrel’s nose twitched. He could smell the rich aroma of roasted pinecones.
“I want it—I want to eat it…”
The boy leaned forward eagerly to grab the plate, but Wu Chenyi quickly caught his hands. Even though he had taken a long detour to let the pinecones cool, he still wasn’t sure whether they might be too hot.
A perceptive palace attendant immediately brought warm water and a cloth. After wringing out the cloth, he handed it to Wu Chenyi, who gently wiped Bai Tang’s hands.
“You must wash your hands before eating,” Wu Chenyi said softly, his voice warm enough to melt anyone.
Bai Tang nodded. Once his hands were clean, he asked, “Can I eat now?”
Wu Chenyi tested one of the pinecones. It was crisp, neither hot nor cold—the temperature was just right.
“You can.”
Pinecones were only a snack; he still needed proper food.
Wu Chenyi ordered a meal to be prepared. After the two of them finished the small plate of pinecones, the entire table was covered with dishes—all of them Bai Tang’s favorites.
“Wow~ there’s carrot, and pumpkin…” Bai Tang exclaimed in delight. Not a single dish contained meat—absolutely perfect for him.
“You’re so nice~” Bai Tang beamed at Wu Chenyi, his radiant smile making Wu Chenyi’s heart skip a beat.
“As long as you like it.”
He had never asked about the boy’s preferences, yet when ordering the dishes, he naturally listed everything Bai Tang liked.
“Drink a bowl of soup first to warm your stomach.” Bai Tang hadn’t eaten much that evening; drinking on an empty stomach was bound to make him drunk easily.
“Mhm. You eat too—don’t just watch me.”
Bai Tang picked vegetables for Wu Chenyi, and Wu Chenyi ladled soup for Bai Tang. Though it was their first time meeting, their interaction felt effortlessly natural.
The palace attendants thought: It’s the middle of the night—where are all these pink bubbles coming from?
“A-Yi, this doesn’t taste as good as the ones I make. Next time, I’ll cook for you~”
Tang Tang’s cooking skills weren’t exaggerated praise—they were forged through world after world. He had lived in modern eras, ancient eras, even in beastman worlds… Steaming, stir-frying, deep-frying—he excelled at everything.
“All right, I’ll be waiting for Tang Tang to make me something delicious.”
Just being with the boy had greatly improved Wu Chenyi’s mood.
“Your Highness, the Third Princess has arrived.”
The young eunuch who had followed Wu Chenyi to the imperial kitchen finally returned to Guangyang Hall. It had been painfully difficult—the Third Princess of the Huan Kingdom was not only hard to serve but also completely incapable of understanding human speech.
Master, it’s not that this servant is disloyal… it’s that this servant simply can’t take it anymore, the eunuch cried silently in his heart.
Author’s Note :
Young Eunuch: I would rather serve the Seventh Prince than the Third Princess, Q A Q…
Bai Tang: As you wish. Come to my side.
Wu Chenyi: Another “love rival”???