Chapter 4: Entering the Palace as a Study Companion

Chapter 4: Entering the Palace as a Study Companion

The morning air was fresh, with crisp and cheerful birdsong.

Chen Jingxian woke up and went to the courtyard to stretch his legs, feeling that the yard was unusually spacious today, which made him feel much better.

He glanced around, clicking his tongue, feeling like something was off.

However, he didn't dwell on it and began to enjoy this rare moment of leisure.

Today was the first day his son was away from home. He missed him.

Chen Jingxian kicked his legs as he walked, saying to Chen Fu, "I often hear my friends talk about their kids, saying that when it's time to go to the academy, they feel empty inside. I never bought it. Shuo'an doesn't usually leave home, but after he left yesterday, I really do feel that emptiness."

Chen Fu lowered his head and chimed in, "Ain't that the truth, Master? The young master nearly emptied the whole house. If I hadn't talked him out of it, the dog that guards the yard would be guarding the palace gates now. If you ask me, Master, it ain't your heart that's empty—it's the house."

"......" Chen Jingxian was silent for a long time, standing still in the morning sunlight like he was about to fall apart.

Chen Fu, not noticing a thing, poured more fuel on the fire: "The young master hauled three carriage-loads into the palace yesterday."

Chen Jingxian looked like he'd aged twenty years in a second. He waved a hand and said, "If the young master likes it, let him have it."

Chen Fu, seeing that his master's wave seemed to dismiss everything, added in a small voice, "He also took the hand warmer from your study."

"My rose quartz lion hand warmer?!" Chen Jingxian turned around in disbelief, his voice like a strangled old rooster.

"That's right." Chen Fu closed his eyes, pained.

Enough. He couldn't bear to watch his master suffer.

"That little brat! When he gets back, I'll skin him alive!"

————

"Ah-choo—" Chen Shuoan, sitting across from Yuan Rang, turned his head and let out a loud sneeze.

"You cold?" Yuan Rang looked up at him, lifting his lips from the edge of his porridge bowl as he spoke.

Chen Shuoan wasn't cold at all.

But he had received the first show of concern of the morning, and was a little excited. He wasn't about to let Yuan Rang's words go unanswered.

So he said with confidence, "Nope. Maybe someone's thinking of me."

Yuan Rang didn't seem all that interested in whether he was cold or not. He just hummed and went back to his porridge.

Seeing how lukewarm that response was, Chen Shuoan asked cautiously, "Does Your Highness know about that?"

"What?" Yuan Rang was interrupted again, his thick brows furrowing as he motioned for him to spit it out.

"There's a saying—one sneeze means someone's thinking of you, two means someone's cursing you, three means you're catching a cold. So one sneeze means someone's missing you." Chen Shuoan explained, feeling a bit sorry for the Sixth Prince for not knowing this.

Yuan Rang stirred his porridge lazily, speaking leisurely, "Oh, really?"

Chen Shuoan chuckled slyly and said, "There's another version—one sneeze means someone's cursing you, two means someone's missing you, three means someone's talking about you. So if you want, you can take it as someone always thinking of you."

Yuan Rang looked at the pure idiocy in Chen Shuoan's eyes, and for a moment, he couldn't tell if it was the words or the person that was funnier.

Still, he didn't hold back—he let out a low laugh and went quiet again.

————

After breakfast, they went to the study hall together.

Chen Shuoan trailed behind Yuan Rang, dragging himself to what was basically an ancient 6 AM class.

He secretly thought the princes had no human rights whatsoever. If this were college, waking up this early would get you extra credit.

Go ahead and study, then—who could possibly out-study you guys?

Chen Shuoan felt disheartened at the thought that, unless there were holidays or major events, he'd have to attend class at this hour regardless of heat or cold. It felt hopeless.

Much to his surprise, the academy of the Great Rong Dynasty actually used a rotating classroom system. Basically, after finishing one class, you moved to another study room to continue with the next tutor.

You know what? It actually felt kind of like being in college.

Yuan Rang took a seat nearby, while Chen Shuoan stood stiffly beside him, not knowing where to put his hands, standing at attention like a soldier.

Yuan Rang's brow twitched. He said flatly, "Go find a seat. You don't have to stick with me."

Chen Shuoan beamed at that. "Got it, Your Highness. Study hard."

With that, he bolted to the back row, determined to fully embrace the "college students do everything but study" lifestyle.

No sooner had his butt hit the seat than he felt a sharp glare from his left.

Was he imagining things?

Chen Shuoan slowly turned his head and caught sight of Qin Zhonglian's stern face. Upon closer inspection, he could discern the barely concealed disgust in his eyes, almost tangible.

Chen Shuoan reasonably suspected that Qin Zhonglian wished he could turn into Squidward and spin around, slapping him until he spun like a top for three lifetimes.

"Hmph." Qin Zhonglian let out a cold laugh, like he couldn't be bothered to say a single word to him.

"You're here too." Just then, the young man in the front row turned around to chat with Chen Shuoan. "Didn't you say you'd rather be beaten to death by your dad than step one foot in here? What, did you die and come back?"

Chen Shuoan was thoroughly impressed and silently cheered for him: Nice catch, you found the key point.

"Long story short—it's a long story. The situation is what it is. The details? Depends on the situation." Chen Shuoan spoke vaguely, since he couldn't exactly explain.

"......Say something I can actually understand." Zheng Yuanzhi stared at him blankly.

"I was forced into it." Chen Shuoan said flatly.

"Heh heh," Zheng Yuanzhi grinned sheepishly at that. "What a coincidence. Me too."