16 – The Little Highness’s Brain is a Mess – Is This One Not Planning to Get Up?
Since Wen Nian had said so, Shi Sui didn’t want to stand on ceremony with him either. To avoid the dog, she hopped and jumped around the courtyard holding up her goose-yellow skirt, looking like a fluffy little rabbit. Occasionally, when she managed to put some distance between herself and the big dog, she would stop triumphantly, hands on her hips, and mock the golden retriever a couple of times.
Today, Shi Sui was dressed in a goose-yellow outfit, looking playful and adorable with bright eyes and pearly white teeth. When she felt proud, two little dimples appeared as she smiled, lively as a soft, fluffy little dumpling. Wen Nian had never seen a girl like her—utterly lacking in restraint, without a trace of the demureness expected of a young lady from a respectable family.
“Hurry up and help me! Save me—” Shi Sui cried, taking two steps in one as she rushed toward Wen Nian. “Why is it chasing me like this!”
Wen Nian had been standing there watching Shi Sui in a daze and didn’t react in time when she suddenly lunged at him. Almost instinctively, he caught her, but Shi Sui had built up momentum from her run. Unable to steady themselves, Shi Sui ended up knocking him over.
Shi Sui: “…”
Wen Nian: “…”
The big dog behind them didn’t slow down in the slightest. Panting heavily with its tongue hanging out, it charged toward them. Shi Sui felt she was done for—today, she wouldn’t escape being bitten by the dog.
Just then, a dark figure descended from above. Before Shi Sui could even get a clear look at the person’s face, she heard the golden retriever let out a pitiful “yowl” as it was subdued to the ground by the man in green robes.
The man in green was tall and imposing, with a heroic air about him, yet his demeanor was gentle and refined. After subduing the dog, he raised an eyebrow and said, “See if you’ll scare people again?”
Wen Nian had actually shielded Shi Sui quite well. She had thrown herself entirely into his arms, using him as a cushion. Wen Nian was slender and thin, and only when Shi Sui held him did she truly realize just how thin he was.
Usually, he didn’t look particularly healthy either—a pitifully frail and sickly youth.
Wen Nian was dazed from the fall but still remembered to protect Shi Sui’s head. His vision went white, and he almost forgot the pain as he hit the ground. The last thing he saw was the lively little girl throwing herself into his arms.
Shi Sui: Why is there a rule in idol dramas that falling always leads to a kiss? As if the male and female leads’ lips are magnetically attracted—it’s all lies, obviously.
And only by experiencing it firsthand do you realize that lunging like this really can crush the other person. No wonder female leads are always so skinny—it must be to avoid crushing the male lead when they throw themselves at him.
Wen Nian frowned slightly as the pain slowly spread. He coughed uncomfortably and tapped Shi Sui’s head. “Are you planning to stay like this?”
“Getting up, getting up,” Shi Sui said, trying to push herself up with one hand, struggling to rise.
Only then did the youth in green notice the state the two were in. Standing where he was, he smiled faintly, handed the golden retriever over to Yuan Youdao to watch, and then grabbed Shi Sui by the collar, lifting her up like a little rabbit—not gently at all.
Shi Sui: Huh? Could you be a little gentler, handsome?
The youth in green asked, “Is this little sticky rice dumpling the new Crown Princess you married?”
By now, Wen Nian had also stood up. He reached out and pulled Shi Sui over, asking, “What are you doing here?”
Seeing how protective Wen Nian was, the youth in green let out an indifferent “tsk.” He was half a head taller than Shi Sui and leaned down slightly to pinch her cheek. “Huh? You got lucky—this little sticky rice dumpling is so cute.”
Wen Nian brushed aside the green-robed youth’s hand, which was rubbing Shi Sui’s face, and raised an eyebrow slightly. “Can’t you speak without using your hands?”
Shi Sui was completely bewildered. Were the customs here so open? Flirting with me right in front of this crazy little black flower? Aren’t you afraid of getting beaten up by him?
Unexpectedly, the green-robed youth was rebellious. As soon as Wen Nian pushed his hand away, he tried to reach out again. He wasn’t afraid, but Shi Sui certainly was—she genuinely feared that if he kept rubbing her face, her cheeks would become asymmetrical.
So Shi Sui took two steps back, retreating behind Wen Nian, and only poked her head out. Her large, watery eyes stared at the person with intense vigilance.
“Tsk.” The green-robed youth was clearly displeased. “Judging by your reaction, you must have misunderstood me.”
Shi Sui: Misunderstood my foot! Who goes around touching people the first time they meet?! And with the little black flower right here!
But the green-robed youth merely curved his lips into a smile, reached up to remove his hair ribbon, and let a cascade of black hair fall to his waist. The strands framing his forehead softened the contours of his face, leaving Shi Sui stunned and rooted to the spot.
Now she understood why, in period dramas, the female lead could disguise herself as a man just by tying up her hair—it was practically impossible to tell!
The green-robed youth… well, maiden, with her hair loose and the strands framing her forehead, it was as if a soft-focus filter had been applied to her features, making her look much more delicate. Her features were naturally somewhat bold and striking, so when tied up, it truly was hard to distinguish her gender.
“Can I touch you now?” The green-robed maiden reached out again to rub Shi Sui’s face. Shi Sui was already numb, still reeling from the shock, but Wen Nian was the first to object. He said bluntly, “No, sister, your hand just touched a dog.”
“She’s allergic to dog fur.”
For a moment, Shi Sui was stunned. Even she didn’t know she was allergic to dog fur, yet this little black flower did.
However, upon hearing the address “sister,” Shi Sui immediately connected the dots. In the original story, Wen Nian did have an elder sister named Wen Wan, though she didn’t appear often. Shi Sui had no idea that Wen Wan enjoyed disguising herself as a man or that she had such a lively and unconventional personality.
In Wen Wan’s eyes, Wen Nian was still an immature youth. Having long resided deep within the palace, she had heard rumors about Wen Nian’s Crown Princess—a figure of almost mythical status. The common folk outside were buzzing with gossip, claiming she had bewitched the young Crown Prince so thoroughly that he neglected court duties, a move befitting a ruler blinded by a seductive consort.
But after all, he was her own younger brother. Didn’t she know his temperament better than anyone? Thus, her curiosity about this nearly deified Crown Princess grew unbearable, and she finally seized the opportunity to meet her.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Shi Sui listened from behind, unable to interject. Wen Wan spoke candidly, “I’ve fallen for a gentleman, but I’m worried Father won’t approve. I’ve been fretting over this for a long time. Can you help me think of a solution?”
Wen Nian was puzzled. “Which gentleman?”
Wen Wan replied, “General Wang.”
Wen Nian: “That waste with the mind of a three-year-old?”
Shi Sui: Ah, so it wasn’t just a figure of speech—he really does have the mind of a three-year-old?
“What do you mean, the mind of a three-year-old?!” Wen Wan rapped Wen Nian’s head, exasperated. “It’s nine years old! Why are you exaggerating his condition for no reason?”
Wen Nian stated bluntly, “What’s the difference? He’s still a waste.”
Hearing this, Shi Sui knew Wen Nian and that person didn’t get along, though she wasn’t sure what grudge they held. But since he was General Wang’s son, it probably made sense.
“Ugh.” Wen Wan was so infuriated by Wen Nian that she lost track of priorities and said, “That’s not the point. It’s not that little good-for-nothing—it’s the new retainer at General Wang’s house. His name is… Mu He.”
Wen Nian: “Oh.”
Shi Sui: “…” Holy shit, save me. Is this the protagonist halo? Do all the women in the world love him??