Ji Lin reached out and grabbed Jiang Yunshu’s arm, lifting her up effortlessly.
Jiang Yunshu’s feet dangled in the air, unable to touch the ground, and she kicked frantically. “Put me down!”
Only then did Ji Lin realize Jiang Yunshu couldn’t reach the ground. He slowly lowered her and muttered, “Why are your little legs so short…”
Jiang Yunshu was stunned. In her past life, she had been a dance student, praised countless times for her long legs. Never in either lifetime had anyone called her legs short!
“My legs aren’t short!”
She gestured to her height and leg length—her proportions were excellent. She just hadn’t grown taller yet.
“I’m only five!” Jiang Yunshu emphasized.
Ji Lin looked at her with surprise, as if realizing for the first time that she was indeed just five years old.
A hint of confusion flickered in his eyes, as if wondering why he was playing with a child so young.
Jiang Yunshu’s clothes were mostly soaked. She frowned and said, “I need to change.”
The maids waiting by the lake immediately escorted her back to her courtyard to change.
The Marquess Xiping and Lady Hou had been observing the scene closely. With Jiang Yunshu gone to change, only the Crown Prince remained by the lake—no one dared leave him unattended.
The Marquess was about to step forward to entertain the Crown Prince himself when Lady Hou had a sudden idea and stopped him.
“How could someone of your age play with the Crown Prince? Let Zhaohua accompany him instead.”
The Marquess nodded. “Very well.”
Jiang Zhaohua had known the Crown Prince was visiting her younger sister today. She had been sulking in her room, unable to understand why he preferred Jiang Yunshu over her.
Back when their mother took them out together, everyone had praised her, while Jiang Yunshu was nothing but an unnoticed shadow trailing behind.
Jiang Zhaohua kept pacing to the window, straining to hear what was happening outside—but she caught nothing.
The maids in her room moved with extra caution, sensing her foul mood and fearing her temper.
Suddenly, a maid from Lady Hou’s quarters arrived with a message: “The Marquess and Lady Hou request the young mistress to accompany the Crown Prince.”
Jiang Zhaohua shot to her feet. “What?”
Her wish had come true.
She urged her maids, “Quick, help me change and fix my hair!”
She had imagined this moment a thousand times—what she would wear, which jewels to adorn herself with, how she would greet the Crown Prince if he had come for her.
“The xiangfei-colored dress!”
“The eight-treasure hairpins, with the red agate earrings.”
Dressed in her most exquisite attire, Jiang Zhaohua hurried to find the Crown Prince.
By the lake, the Crown Prince heard footsteps and turned eagerly, expecting Jiang Yunshu—only to see Jiang Zhaohua.
He frowned. “What are you doing here?”
Jiang Zhaohua shivered under his icy gaze. “I… Father and Mother asked me to accompany you…”
The Crown Prince’s eyes swept over her from head to toe. He said nothing, but his cold expression spoke volumes—dressed like that to catch fish in the lake?
Jiang Zhaohua was mortified. No one had told her the Crown Prince was fishing!
Why would someone so noble wade into the water?
Clenching her teeth, she stepped into the lake in her favorite dress—one she usually treasured too much to wear.
“Your Highness, let me help you catch fish—”
Before she could finish, the Crown Prince smiled warmly.
“Little Jiang, still want to fish?” he asked.
Jiang Zhaohua was about to answer when she realized he wasn’t looking at her—but behind her.
She turned and saw Jiang Yunshu had returned!
Jiang Yunshu blinked in confusion at Jiang Zhaohua standing in the water and Ji Lin climbing ashore. “Uh… sure?”
Ji Lin stepped onto the bank. “Then let’s not fish. I’ll change, and we’ll do that pottery thing you mentioned.”
He took Jiang Yunshu’s hand and led her away.
Jiang Zhaohua stood frozen, watching them go.
She had ruined her favorite dress and shoes—yet the Crown Prince hadn’t spared her a single moment or word.
With a loud sob, she burst into tears.
Pottery had been Jiang Yunshu’s idea—a child-friendly activity. Unsurprisingly, the Crown Prince had never played with clay before and watched in fascination as she shaped it effortlessly.
Jiang Yunshu pitied him. To have never played with mud in his life!
As she molded a small bowl, she asked curiously, “Your Highness, do you dislike my elder sister?”
She couldn’t help but chuckle, remembering Jiang Zhaohua wailing behind them while the Crown Prince walked away without a glance.
Ji Lin nodded. “Yes.”
Jiang Yunshu was taken aback by his bluntness. “Why?”
Ji Lin shrugged. “I dislike most people. The ones I like are few.”
Jiang Yunshu: “……” Is the young Crown Prince hitting his rebellious phase?
Ji Lin idly kneaded a lump of clay, his long, elegant fingers working deftly. Jiang Yunshu couldn’t tell what he was making but admired his skill.
At first, Ji Lin hadn’t planned anything. He shaped the clay absentmindedly, pondering Jiang Yunshu’s question.
To him, it was odd. He never questioned why he disliked someone—he disliked nearly everyone, with only rare exceptions.
Hating Jiang Zhaohua needed no explanation.
But if he had to give one, he glanced at Jiang Yunshu—it was because Jiang Zhaohua hated her.
How could anyone dislike someone as adorable as Jiang Yunshu?
Especially the way she had fallen on her bottom earlier—utterly endearing.
Lost in thought, Ji Lin kept molding the clay. When he snapped back to reality, he found he had shaped a tiny figure—its pose identical to Jiang Yunshu’s tumble into the lake.
He pushed it toward her. “Here.”
Jiang Yunshu recognized it instantly!
Though featureless, the clay figure’s pose was unmistakable. Just looking at it made her bottom ache again.
She scowled. “Why did you make that?!”
Determined to retaliate, she decided to sculpt a figure of the Crown Prince.
But no matter how she tried, she couldn’t capture his likeness. Pottery was harder than she thought—she usually stuck to bowls and plates.
After several failed attempts, her creation barely resembled a human.
Frustrated, she rolled the clay into a lump and finally shaped it into… a pile of dung.
She plopped it onto Ji Lin’s head.
"Ha ha ha ha!" Jiang Yunshu burst into laughter at the sight of Ji Lin with a clump of clay resembling excrement perched on his head. She desperately wished the Great Qi Dynasty had cameras so she could capture this priceless moment.
Ji Lin froze, his initial reaction one of irritation—his fastidious nature made the thought of clay clinging to his hair unbearable.
But as he watched Jiang Yunshu double over with laughter, her mirth infectious, his annoyance melted away.
And then, he laughed too.
