Chen Jiao had always been intelligent, and from her words and actions now, it was clear she had guessed the situation in the palace. Her teasing and joking for so long had probably just been to cheer him up.
He let out a soft sigh in his heart and spoke quietly, “It’s alright.” Even though he was the one who had been schemed against at the palace banquet by his own family, he found himself comforting Chen Jiao instead.
Chen Jiao’s expression remained calm, but inside she once again admired the Crown Prince’s demeanor. The longer she spent with him, the more she understood that he was a true gentleman of honor and integrity.
Though it seemed today his reputation had suffered a slight blemish, in truth he did not let such trivial matters trouble him. The Crown Prince was a man whose heart cared for the people; his battlefield was the court and the frontlines, and only one capable of strategizing and steering the state could be the ultimate victor.
Chen Jiao was grateful once more that she had chosen to align with the Crown Prince. Had she followed one of the other princes, she would likely have been furious beyond measure by now.
She laughed, lifting her head to meet the Crown Prince’s gaze, deliberately saying, “How can this be? We can do without it, but we can’t go without having it! I have four strands of Changming thread; I’ll give you two, and now we each have one more than them—let’s make them furious!”
Such petty tactics to exclude others were something Chen Jiao had long scorned since elementary school. That the other princes wielded them so eagerly explained why the Crown Prince did not regard them seriously; such people were hardly worthy opponents.
The young man’s eyes were clear and bright, a playful note in his voice, and Xie Xianqing couldn’t help but smile, saying, “Let’s go.”
Chen Jiao hurried to follow him. “Where are we going?”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to visit the lantern festival?”
…
During the Dragon Boat Festival, Chang’an was exceptionally lively. The moon rose above the treetops, casting light over streets aglow with lanterns. Along the roads stretched endless stalls, and guests came and went in a constant stream.
Xie Xianqing, Chen Jiao, and Eunuch Zhang walked among the crowds, weaving past pedestrians.
Chen Jiao’s attention was caught by the food at a nearby stall. Distracted, she was nearly knocked over by a passerby, but luckily Xie Xianqing grabbed her wrist in time. “Watch where you’re going.”
Chen Jiao straightened and said, relieved, “Good thing I didn’t fall.” The crowd was so dense that a fall could have led to a stampede.
The surge of people nearly separated them, and Chen Jiao, being slight, remained firmly held by Xie Xianqing’s hand. Drawn in by the festival’s lively sights and the variety of street performances and snacks, she barely noticed anything amiss.
Only when they reached a stall selling decorative lanterns did she excitedly pick one up and turn around to show him. “Your Highness, look at this…”
Xie Xianqing lowered his gaze to her, his eyes warm and lingering. “Hmm?”
Countless lanterns hung overhead, their soft light illuminating the night sky and falling on the passersby.
Chen Jiao froze, holding the lantern, suddenly realizing she might be a bit too close to the Crown Prince. Her wrist tingled from his firm grip, and she instinctively tried to pull back but found she couldn’t.
Her face reddened slightly as she murmured, “Your Highness, I won’t get lost, so you can let go now.”
Xie Xianqing glanced at her and said gently, “It’s fine.”
Chen Jiao was stupefied: …No, you’re fine, but I’m not!
He seemed to sense her inner complaint and raised an eyebrow. “We are both men. What are you afraid of?”
His tone carried a subtle shift of emotion. Though Chen Jiao did not grasp the deeper meaning, she instinctively swallowed the words she had wanted to say in refusal.
She didn’t understand how men were supposed to behave with one another. She and Wang Shijing never held hands, though girls often did.
While she pondered whether it was normal for men to hold hands, Xie Xianqing said lightly, “Are you worried about your reputation, Chen Jiao?”
Chen Jiao had already decided to follow the Crown Prince’s lead and had expected to satisfy his wishes, yet his words suggested she might be reconsidering. Her hesitation caused his mood to cool instantly.
His eyes darkened, and even Eunuch Zhang behind him wiped sweat from his brow, while Chen Jiao remained oblivious, distracted by his earlier words.
As everyone knows, a man cannot admit weakness!
Having disguised herself as a man for many years, Chen Jiao hated being told she didn’t resemble one. Provoked by the Crown Prince, she boldly declared, “Of course I don’t mind! We are both men, so what’s there to fear?”
If girls could hold hands as a sign of friendship, then boys could rise to the occasion too!
Besides, she wasn’t merely holding hands—it was a symbol of trust from her leader, a glimpse of her future success!
By blending seamlessly with the Crown Prince as close as brothers, when he eventually ascended the throne, she would rise with him. Then, standing just beneath him and above all others, who would dare accuse her of wrongdoing?
Chen Jiao still remembered how the Crown Prince’s tutors had once secretly reported on her, and she had been indignant.
Realizing this, she held Xie Xianqing’s hand with purpose and strode forward with feigned calm.
Xie Xianqing, expression unreadable, curved his lips slightly. “That’s better.”
In the future, gossip would inevitably follow them. If Chen Jiao could not handle it now, he would doubt her sincerity. Fortunately, she did not disappoint.
Eunuch Zhang, trailing behind them, kept his head bowed as low as possible, striving not to notice the Crown Prince and Chen Jiao’s joined hands.
His lord was a paragon of virtue and beauty, having preserved his purity for years, yet in the end, he was undone by the shameless Chen Jiao.
Tsk tsk, truly one thing triumphs over another.
The next morning, at the Imperial Academy.
Since the incident with water management, Chen Jiao realized the importance of knowledge. Had she been ignorant at the time, others’ impressions of her would have been poor, possibly affecting the Crown Prince’s view as well. Thus, even after aligning with him, she could not neglect her studies.
As the instructors lectured, Chen Jiao, bored, flipped through her books while her mind wandered to the previous evening, walking beneath the endless lanterns with the Crown Prince.
Some events seemed unremarkable at the time but felt strange upon reflection.
Chen Jiao wasn’t a fool. The Crown Prince had embraced her a few days ago, and yesterday he had suddenly taken her hand… was this normal?
She couldn’t exactly ask other Crown Prince supporters, “Has the Crown Prince ever embraced you or held your hand?”
Then she realized someone nearby could answer her question!
She nudged the drowsy Wang Shijing. “Don’t sleep, don’t sleep, I have to ask you something.”
Yawning, he replied, “What is it?”
Chen Jiao put her hands in her pockets, frowning. “Is it normal for boys to hold hands with other boys?”
Wang Shijing was shocked. “Of course not! It’s not like… you know.”
Chen Jiao hesitated. “Really? It shouldn’t be?”
The Crown Prince was known for his noble reputation and had never been rumored to be involved romantically with men. If he were, Chang’an would surely have buzzed with gossip.
Seeing her struggle, Wang Shijing added, “Well, it depends. When I was younger, my brother once held my hand because he was worried I’d be taken by a beggar.”
That had been long ago, when they were both very small.
Chen Jiao thought it through. The crowds at the festival had been large, and it made sense that the Crown Prince held her hand to prevent her from getting lost. Being small and young, it wasn’t impossible that he treated her like a younger brother.
Seeing her troubled expression, Wang Shijing suddenly asked, “Chen Jiao, have you held hands with other men?”
Wang Shijing, towering and loud, spoke in a way that everyone could hear. The instructor and other students all turned in shock to look at her.
Chen Jiao’s face flushed crimson.
What did he mean by “held hands”? Why did a man’s words have to be so easily misunderstood? If she didn’t explain, soon all of Chang’an would think she was involved in something scandalous.
She decided to laugh loudly, using humor to defuse the tension. Amid her awkward laughter, she said calmly, “Impossible. I’m a proper man. I was just asking if it’s normal.”
Wang Shijing, oblivious to the gravity, looked doubtful. “If you haven’t held hands with a man, why ask me this?”
The topic had become scandalous, and even the instructor had stopped lecturing. Nearby students hushed, all ears pricked.
Chen Jiao began to panic. After a pause, she feigned calm. “Actually, I’m asking for a friend. He has… certain inclinations.”
Wang Shijing hesitated, then in a voice he thought was low but was clearly audible, asked, “This friend you’re talking about… isn’t it you?”
Chen Jiao’s eyes widened in shock, unable to believe it.
She hadn’t done anything wrong in her previous life, why did she end up with Wang Shijing as a friend in this one?
She placed her hand on her chest, closed her eyes, and leaned back in despair.
Wang Shijing hurried to support her, panicked. “Chen Jiao, what’s wrong? Why do you look so defeated?”
She opened her eyes slowly, struggling to speak. “Shijing, have I ever treated you badly?”
He looked confused. “Not at all. You tirelessly supervise me, make me do homework and memorize lessons, wake me up when I nap in class, and when we go out for roasted chicken, you know I don’t like drumsticks or wings, and you eat them for me…”
Then he remembered something, smiling. “And you’ve got loyalty—promising that whenever you have a meal, I’ll have a bowl to wash.”