Ch81 - What Did You Think?

When Jian Mei returned, he found Lu Xingwang holding two small ice cream cones.

Eyes lighting up with excitement, Jian Mei rushed over, his manhua still in hand. “Wow, what’s this?”

“Snacks,” Lu Xingwang replied, offering him one. “Try it.”

Not bothering to put down his things, Jian Mei naturally leaned in and took a bite from the ice cream Lu Xingwang was holding. As soon as it touched his tongue, it melted away in a burst of sweetness—it was delicious.

“Mmm…” Jian Mei sighed in contentment. “So good.”

Lu Xingwang’s gaze darkened ever so slightly.

He briefly considered whether he should hire a palace chef who specialized in desserts—this child seemed to have a real fondness for them.

After putting his comic book away, Jian Mei finally took the ice cream cone from Lu Xingwang. His round eyes were filled with amusement as he asked, “Dazhuang-ge, aren’t you going to eat?”

Lu Xingwang wasn’t particularly fond of sweets.

He had only bought them because the vendor had been pushing the buy-one-get-one-free deal. Yet now, with Jian Mei’s expectant gaze on him, he found himself inexplicably taking a bite.

Jian Mei looked up eagerly. “Is it good?”

Lu Xingwang barely noticed the taste, but with the child standing before him, his bright smile and fair face seemed to shine with a warmth that was far sweeter than the dessert itself.

“Mhm.” The crown prince gave a soft reply. “Not bad.”

Jian Mei smiled brightly. After all, good food was even more enjoyable when shared.

Since Dazhuang-ge had treated him, he thought he should return the favor. As he strolled along, eating, he passed by several shops and occasionally stepped inside to pick up small items his friends had asked him to bring back. When he walked past a stationery store, he suddenly remembered he needed to restock his supplies and headed inside.

The store manager greeted them enthusiastically. “Hello! Our shop specializes in brand-new stationery, all fresh on the market. This pen here is our latest best-seller—it won’t clog, glides smoothly, and feels incredibly light to hold…”

Jian Mei’s gaze swept over the shelves, which displayed a dazzling array of pens, neatly arranged by price. He did need a new one, but after a year in the small town, he had grown used to being frugal. Rather than looking at the newest models, he always checked the price first—only if it was reasonable would he consider buying it.

“This one.” Jian Mei pointed at a pen in the corner marked 1 gold coin. “I’ll take it.”

The store manager’s smile faltered slightly. He hadn’t expected the boy to choose something so cheap. Though he kept his displeasure to himself, his attitude grew noticeably colder as he fetched the pen.

What she hadn’t expected was that Jian Mei would suddenly return to the shelf with the new arrivals, point at a black ink pen, and say, “I’ll take this one too.”

This pen was twenty times the price of the one he had chosen earlier.

The store manager’s expression subtly shifted, a trace of disdain and skepticism creeping onto his face. “This pen costs 20 gold coins.”

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After receiving the neatly packed bag, Jian Mei handed the one with the expensive pen to Lu Xingwang. “Here.”

Lu Xingwang looked down at the bag pushed toward him, and for the first time, he found himself at a loss. His voice softened slightly. “What is this?”

“I bought it for you,” Jian Mei said, his eyes full of anticipation. “Now you’ll have a nice pen for writing. I noticed that when we were in the shop, you kept looking at these pens.”

I was helping you choose one.

Lu Xingwang glanced at the shopping bag beside Jian Mei and asked, “Why this one?”

Jian Mei picked up the cheaper pen and said, “Because I’m keeping this one for myself. I just need it for homework. But you—you have real work to do, important things, so you should use something better. I know the pens you usually use are top-quality, so I tried to get a good one. I’m not sure if you’ll like it, though.”

Lu Xingwang didn’t respond right away.

The pens he typically used weren’t priceless, but they were custom-made by an imperial pen maker—far beyond the worth of a 20-gold-coin pen.

But seeing how Jian Mei, usually so frugal, would rather use a cheap pen himself while spending almost everything to buy a better one for him, Lu Xingwang felt something unfamiliar stir in his chest. It was warm, almost searing, yet not unpleasant.

As Jian Mei spoke, he suddenly second-guessed himself. He hesitated, pulling his hand back slightly, and murmured, “Maybe this is still too cheap… You might not be used to it.”

Lu Xingwang reached out, took the items from Jian Mei’s hand, and said simply, “I can use it.”

“Wait.” He stopped Jian Mei.

After stepping back into the store, Lu Xingwang emerged a short while later with another shopping bag. He handed the white pen to Jian Mei, who looked at him in surprise and instinctively asked, “Why did you buy another one? And how can you use such a cheap pen?”

“If you can use it, why can’t I?” Lu Xingwang replied indifferently. “It’s just a pen for writing, isn’t it?”

If word got out that the crown prince was using such a cheap pen, people would probably laugh until their sides hurt.

Jian Mei pressed his lips together and looked at Lu Xingwang, his disapproval clear in his eyes. In a soft voice, he said, “But I… but I… you and I aren’t the same. It’s fine if I use something cheaper.”

The streets buzzed with activity, filled with the hum of countless conversations, but Lu Xingwang only looked down at Jian Mei, his gaze calm and unwavering.

“There’s no difference,” he said, his voice steady.

Jian Mei was momentarily stunned.

The noble crown prince bent slightly toward him and said, “To me, you and I are the same.”

Jian Mei’s eyes widened. The streets around them were lively and full of noise, yet in that moment, amid the clamor of the bustling city, it was as if all he could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat.

“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Lu Xingwang’s voice was low and gentle. “You’re important.”

……

That day, Jian Mei could hardly remember what else he had bought.

That night, back in his dorm, only one sentence kept echoing in his mind. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he hugged his pen case, staring into space. His thoughts were tangled, but gradually, it felt like something was stirring—something he had long forgotten.

When he first arrived in this world, its unfamiliar rules and rigid hierarchies had shaken him. With no family and no one to turn to, he had learned to survive on his own—to adapt, to blend in. Over time, he saw how the world was divided, how relationships were often driven by interests. And so, he focused on the one thing that mattered most: understanding his place in it all.

But today, the person standing at the very peak of this world had lowered himself to say, “You’re important too.”

……

It was as if someone had flipped a switch inside him. Jian Mei felt an unfamiliar sense of ease wash over him.

He wasn’t alone. He had someone he could rely on. Even if he never intended to lean on the crown prince’s status for anything, from this moment on, he had something solid to hold on to.

However…

A glint of determination flashed in Jian Mei’s eyes.

Dazhuang-ge had said he was important too. And to Jian Mei, Dazhuang-ge was just as important. But he didn’t want Dazhuang-ge to stay by his side, always using a cheap, one-gold-coin pen.

From now on, he would study hard, work hard, and one day, he would buy Dazhuang-ge an even better pen.

That was a promise!

……

The next day, brimming with determination, Jian Mei arrived at the SA class—only to discover that the lessons were unbelievably difficult!

At the front of the classroom, Professor Hu Kan was explaining how to refine one’s ability control. He placed a wooden block on the table. “Each of you will use your ability on this piece of wood, but without causing any damage,” he instructed.

Then, Professor Hu Kan handed the wood to Nanfeng. “You try,” he said.

Nanfeng extended his hand, and almost instantly, delicate vines and branches sprouted from the wood, forming a strikingly beautiful pattern.

Professor Hu Kan shook his head. “You’ve still damaged the wood.”

Nanfeng scratched his head. “Professor, then how am I supposed to do it?”

“Back in the day, I was one of the people who taught His Highness, the Crown Prince!” Professor Hu Kan declared with pride.

“Even with His Highness’s immense divine power, he chose to train with wood, never damaging it even once. It was through such meticulous and disciplined training that he became as strong as he is today—an exceptional heir to the throne. And that’s where the gap between you and him lies. You lack foresight, awareness, and ambition!”

The students sat in silence, absorbing his words.

Lu Xingwang was a legend, his strength unquestionable. Since childhood, he had been the unattainable benchmark, the “perfect child” every parent admired. No one could refute the praise he received.

Professor Hu Kan’s tone sharpened as he turned to Jian Mei. “Some people still haven’t figured out their divine power. They drift through life aimlessly and don’t even feel the slightest bit ashamed!”

Jian Mei was speechless.

Feeling aggrieved, he bit his lip and stayed silent.

Professor Hu Kan assigned their homework: “Find a piece of wood, practice controlling your abilities on it, and write down your reflections. I expect your reports tomorrow.”

After class, each student received a block of wood.

Jian Mei felt utterly frustrated about the reflection assignment. Without divine power, he had no way to practice—so what could he possibly write about? But if he didn’t submit his homework, Professor Hu Kan would definitely punish him tomorrow. After thinking it over, Jian Mei came up with a clever solution.

He dialed Lu Xingwang using the call function on his communication terminal.

Soon, the crown prince’s deep, magnetic voice came through. “Hello.”

“Mhm! It’s me,” Jian Mei replied.

Jian Mei quickly recounted what the professor had said, then asked cautiously, “Can you tell me why you used the wood back then? What was going through your mind? This is for an assignment—Professor Hu Kan wants us to analyze your thought process and turn in a report.”

“……”

There was a brief silence on the other end.

Jian Mei hesitated, “Hello?”

“Mn.” Lu Xingwang paused before replying, “I didn’t really think much about it.”

Jian Mei asked, “Huh?”

“I never put that much thought into it,” the crown prince said indifferently. “His class was boring, so I just messed around to kill time.”

“……”