Ch78 - Your Highness, That’s Enough

“……”

Lu Xingwang paused for a moment, his jet-black eyes locking onto Jian Mei. The intensity of his gaze made Jian Mei feel slightly uneasy.

Jian Mei murmured, “Maybe I should try again on my own.”

“Focus.”

Lu Xingwang lowered his head and continued to guide Jian Mei’s hand as they traced the character. It should have been difficult to write, yet with someone leading him, it suddenly didn’t feel as hard. When the character finally took shape on the paper, Jian Mei sighed softly. “It looks nice.”

Lu Xingwang replied, “Don’t worry about making it look good right now. Just focus on getting it down first.”

Jian Mei nodded lightly. “Mm.”

He bowed his head again, carefully following Lu Xingwang’s guidance, recreating each stroke from memory. Soon, he had copied the character—crooked and uneven, but still complete.

Jian Mei held it up with a smile. “Look, how is it?”

Lu Xingwang gave a slight nod. “Not bad.”

Jian Mei smiled. Though Dazhuang-ge often seemed strict and stern, and his status sometimes made Jian Mei feel reserved and distant, Lu Xingwang was almost always patient when they were together. He never went out of his way to offer comforting words, but no matter how clumsy Jian Mei was, he never showed the slightest impatience.

Rumors claimed that the Crown Prince was ruthless and cold-hearted, but Jian Mei never saw him that way. To Jian Mei, Lu Xingwang was still his Dazhuang-ge—just as he had always been.

Lost in his thoughts, Jian Mei was interrupted by a voice from outside. “Your Highness, Lord Shangguan requests an audience.”

Lu Xingwang responded, “Let him in.”

Lu Xingwang cast a sidelong glance at Jian Mei, about to tell him to hide in the back. But to his surprise, the little trickster was quicker than he was. Without needing any instructions, Jian Mei swiftly cleared the table, then, right in front of Lu Xingwang, squeezed under it and sat down. He even raised a hand and made a small gesture, signaling that he would stay quiet.

Forget it.

A faint smile flickered in Lu Xingwang’s eyes, and he let him be.

The sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the distance. It was already evening, and no one was expected to visit at this hour. Yet Shangguan Yue still mustered the courage to come. With great respect, he said, “I pay my respects to Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“Mn.” Lu Xingwang responded, “Lord Shangguan, making a trip at this hour is quite considerate of you.”

“Your Highness, you’re too kind,” Shangguan Yue replied, his heart heavy with unease. “The error in the accounts is my negligence. When I received the documents you sent, I couldn’t rest easy. I came at once to take responsibility.”

Several thick account books rested on the table beside Lu Xingwang.

These were records the Ministry of Revenue had submitted directly to the Crown Prince for approval years ago, bypassing both the Emperor and himself. On the surface, everything appeared in order, but beneath the facade, the books had been doctored—nearly ten million in funds had vanished without a trace.

“Lord Shangguan, you’re a senior official of the court,” Lu Xingwang looked up at him. “I never expected such a mistake from you.”

Shangguan Yue’s heart clenched. He hurriedly said, “Your Highness, please rest assured. I will investigate thoroughly and give you a proper explanation. However, so much time has passed that even if we recover the funds, it may only be a fraction. Fortunately, the shortfall isn’t too severe…”

Lu Xingwang’s lips curled coldly. “Not too severe?”

Bang!

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The statement seemed neutral and harmless, but its implication was crystal clear.

Either you expose every remnant of the former crown prince’s faction in the Ministry of Revenue, or you take responsibility for the missing 70 million yourself.

Shangguan Yue felt his stomach twist. If he didn’t handle this matter properly today, the Crown Prince would never let him off. He bowed deeply, his steps heavy as he took his leave.

Once he was gone, the room fell into silence again.

Lu Xingwang cast a glance to the side before standing up. Taking a few steps toward the desk, he asked, “Your legs numb?”

Jian Mei lightly shook his head.

“Come out.”

Lu Xingwang reached out and pulled Jian Mei out. Jian Mei slowly crawled out, letting out a soft sigh as he stretched his stiff limbs. After staying curled up for so long, his legs had gone numb, and he winced slightly at the tingling sensation.

Lu Xingwang’s gaze darkened as he pressed Jian Mei onto the chair. The once-imposing Crown Prince half-knelt before him, his long fingers resting on Jian Mei’s leg. He spoke in a low voice, “Does it hurt?”

Jian Mei’s legs still felt numb. He nodded slightly. “A little.”

Lu Xingwang began to massage his leg with practiced skill, his touch carrying a faint trace of internal energy that helped improve circulation. His movements were careful and gentle. If someone were to walk in right now, their jaw would likely drop. But the Crown Prince remained entirely focused. “Better?”

Jian Mei nodded softly. “Mm!”

He was actually a little shy.

Seated in the chair, his earlobes had turned red. It was strange—he had been close to both his young classmate and the young master before, but he had never felt this kind of shyness.

Lu Xingwang noticed Jian Mei avoiding his gaze and asked, “Did I scare you just now?”

“Huh?” Jian Mei snapped out of it and quickly shook his head. “No.”

Lu Xingwang was slightly surprised.

Jian Mei hesitated under his gaze before speaking softly, “At first… maybe a little. But you only did it because he was in the wrong. If you weren’t strict with him…”

Lu Xingwang suddenly wanted to hear more. “Hmm?”

“If you weren’t strict with him…” Jian Mei lowered his eyes, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m afraid he’d take advantage of you instead.”

I’m afraid he’d take advantage of you.

A seemingly casual remark landed on Lu Xingwang’s heart with the weight of a thousand pounds. It had been a long time since anyone had worried about whether he might be bullied or if he was struggling. To everyone else, he was either feared or schemed against.

Perhaps the world saw him as invincible, but only Jian Mei cared whether he was being treated unfairly.

Should he explain to this child that he wasn’t so fragile?

Lu Xingwang hesitated, watching Jian Mei quietly bend over his desk and resume his homework. In the end, he said nothing. Let it be, he thought. This wasn’t so bad.

……

The next day.

A week had passed since Jian Mei began learning to read and write.

When he returned from outside, he found that the SA class had no evening lessons, so everyone had gathered together.

The Xiwu family’s child sat on the sofa, quietly reading a book. Meanwhile, Yunshi—no one knew where he got it from—was tending to an injured little rabbit, carefully changing its bandages with meticulous care.

Jian Mei asked, “Why haven’t you guys gone back to your dorms?”

“Isn’t it because we’re waiting for you?” Nanfeng hopped off the sofa and said, “Must be nice, getting to go out and have fun every day.”

Jian Mei was confused. “You guys can’t leave?”

Ying shrugged. “Nope, we’re completely stuck here. But you, since you have tutoring classes, you get to go out every single day.”

Jian Mei hadn’t expected to receive such special treatment.

Nanfeng scooted closer and said, “Meimei, can you bring in a few things for us?”

Jian Mei was caught off guard. “Huh?”

“Just pick up a few things we want, do us a favor,” Ying also leaned in. “We only get to go out once a week, waiting is torture.”

Jian Mei wasn’t the type to refuse a favor, so he asked, “What do you need me to buy?”

The moment he said that, the group, who hadn’t shown much interest earlier, instantly swarmed around him:

“The newest Barbie Magic Essence Toner.”

“Some plant fertilizer—my vines are looking a little dry.”

“Can you grab some rabbit toys for me?”

……

Jian Mei glanced over at Xiwu, who was reading quietly nearby. He leaned over and asked patiently, “Xiaoheng, what do you want?”

The child had been silent this whole time. No one rushed him, and as they waited, a hush fell over the room. After a moment, the child finally spoke, his voice soft and deliberate. “I want the latest manhua.”

Jian Mei sighed inwardly and nodded. “Alright.”

The group erupted in excitement.

Nanfeng grinned. “Meimei, you’re a lifesaver! Hey, you’ve been learning to write lately, right? If you come back a little earlier after school, we can help teach you too.”

Ying chimed in, “Yeah! You can ask us anything, we’ll all help.”

Jian Mei hesitated, feeling a little self-conscious. “Wouldn’t that be a hassle for you guys?”

“Hassle? What hassle?” Nanfeng smirked. “Are you questioning a genius?”

“……”

Ying kicked him lightly, then turned to Jian Mei with a smile. “Ignore him—his brain’s a little defective.”

Jian Mei couldn’t help but laugh at Nanfeng’s dejected expression. After thinking it over, he decided there was no need to dwell on it. Since he was already helping them by bringing things in, it felt like a fair exchange. It shouldn’t be… too much trouble.

With that settled, the next day after school, Jian Mei no longer refused the driver sent by the palace. He also informed them that he would be returning to the dorm to do his homework.

Meanwhile, in the palace, a civil official was reviewing recent schedules and arrangements with Lu Xingwang.

“The Panhua Festival is in a few days,” the official read aloud. “As per the agreement, representatives from XX Star will be visiting, and Your Highness may need to receive them. Also, the personnel records from various local governments over the past few months have arrived, along with…”

Lu Xingwang was listening when he received a message.

It was from the servant sent to pick up Jian Mei. The crown prince skimmed through the message, his brows furrowing slightly. He gestured to the servant before making a call—dialing Jian Mei.

Jian Mei’s clear voice answered on the other end. “Hello?”

“You’re not coming over?” Lu Xingwang asked.

Jian Mei’s voice was soft as he replied, “My classmates offered to teach me. Besides, I know you’re busy with work, and I didn’t want to take up your time with my studies. So I decided to go back to school instead—my classmates can help too.”

The official hadn’t paid much attention at first, but then he noticed a shift in His Highness’s mood. His aura became more solemn. Feeling curious, the official couldn’t help but listen in—what could have possibly upset the usually tireless Crown Prince? Had something unexpected happened in the court?

Then, the next second…

The official heard Lu Xingwang say with utter seriousness, “I’m not busy.”

The person on the other end of the call seemed to respond, prompting Lu Xingwang to add, “Mm, I haven’t been very busy lately.”

…?

The official’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at the crown prince, who was now blatantly lying without batting an eye.