"Sister Xiao He, what's wrong?" Ji Zhaoxi ran to her side with concern.
Why are you crying here so late at night?
Xiao He's body stiffened. She hurriedly wiped the tears from her face and turned around. Her voice was thick with crying, "Xiao Xizi, why are you here?"
She pulled a piece of candy from her pocket and handed it to Ji Zhaoxi. "Xiao Xizi, hurry back. It's so late, aren't you going to sleep?"
Xiao He crouched down in front of Ji Zhaoxi and forced a smile, just like she usually did.
"Who did you go bully this time?" Xiao He's eyes curved into a smile as she pinched her cheek.
Ji Zhaoxi didn't speak, clumsily holding a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. Xiao He's nose tingled, and she was on the verge of crying again.
She took a deep breath and rubbed Ji Zhaoxi's head. "Alright, alright, I'll take you back to Eunuch Liu's place now."
"I'm not going back, Sister Xiao He. I have something to do," Ji Zhaoxi refused earnestly.
Xiao He looked at the nearby Ruhui Palace, realized something, and took her hand to walk toward the back.
"Xiao Xizi, why are you so naughty, coming to bully the Seventh Prince so late at night."
She patted her head and laughed, "You might not get your way today. The Seventh Prince has been kept after class by the tutor these past few days, so he must still be in the library pavilion."
Ji Zhaoxi asked worriedly, "Then can I go inside the library pavilion?"
Xiao He said helplessly, "Of course not. The key is with the tutor."
Ji Zhaoxi frowned deeply. "Sister Xiao He, is the library pavilion cold?"
"It's definitely not cold. The library pavilion can't be too cold or too hot, otherwise what would happen to the books inside?"
"Then is there a place to sleep in the library pavilion?"
"You little Xiao Xizi, there's no place to sleep in the library pavilion. But if you wanted to sleep, you'd just have to sleep on the floor..."
When Xiao He escorted Ji Zhaoxi back, Eunuch Liu was standing guard at the door with a dark expression.
Xiao He glanced at the guilty-looking Ji Zhaoxi beside her, chuckled softly, and left.
In the dimly lit horse track, the imperial guards on duty kept yawning. A dark shadow silently vaulted over the towering red wall and landed precisely on the snow.
Looking at Xiao Yanchen, who was lying at death's door in the snow, Seventeen calmly hoisted him onto his shoulder with one arm.
Soldiers carrying lanterns were approaching from not far away. Seventeen's hand suddenly flicked up, and a grappling hook locked firmly onto the eaves of the watchtower.
A blur swept through midair, vaulting straight over the red wall.
Seventeen had originally thought Xiao Yanchen was unconscious, which was why he hadn't made a sound the whole way.
But upon arriving at Ruhui Palace, he realized Xiao Yanchen's eyes were open, which made him pause for a moment.
"Master."
"Thank you, Seventeen."
Xiao Yanchen whispered his thanks, then ran to the side of the bed. He carefully stroked the fox fur collar lying on it.
Seventeen watched him from the side. "Master, Xiao Xizi came by just now. She brought this ointment and the fox fur collar."
Perhaps because Xiao Yanchen's current reaction was too unusual, he even added, "This morning, Xiao Xizi also hit the Second Prince and the Third Prince with a slingshot."
Listening to Seventeen's words, Xiao Yanchen could even imagine her hiding in a corner, wrinkling her nose as she pulled back the slingshot.
The fur collar emitted a soft glow in the candlelight. Xiao Yanchen took a deep breath and buried his face directly into the fur. It still carried the scent of Xiao Xizi. He nuzzled against the fur collar with a look of complete dependence.
"Xiao Xizi... she cares about me a lot..."
Xiao Yanchen's voice was filled with satisfaction.
Seventeen looked at Xiao Yanchen's figure hesitantly. Was he not going to cry? He remembered that in the past, whenever Xiao Yanchen was bullied by those princes, he would often hide under the covers and cry secretly.
Yet now, he was surprisingly calm.
The next day was a rest day. Xiao Yanchen didn't have to go to the Imperial Study and could rest at Ruhui Palace for the day.
As soon as Ji Zhaoxi got the food box at noon, she ran toward Ruhui Palace. Xiao Yanchen was standing at the door just like before. Upon seeing Ji Zhaoxi, his face filled with unstoppable joy.
"Xiao Xizi!"
It felt like he hadn't spoken to her in a long time.
Ji Zhaoxi looked at Xiao Yanchen, who immediately ran to her side. She had just prepared to tease him a bit, but at a glance, she saw the wound on his brow ridge. She froze instantly.
"Xiao Xizi, I missed you so much. Did you get this fox fur collar for me? I love it." Xiao Yanchen took the things from her hands, gazing at her eagerly.
Ji Zhaoxi gave a muffled response and walked into the hall.
Xiao Yanchen peeked at Ji Zhaoxi and grabbed her sleeve. He followed her, chattering non-stop, "Xiao Xizi, last time I saw you go to the Department of Punishment with Eunuch Liu, you looked so imposing. You're amazing, Xiao Xizi!"
He knew exactly how to praise her to make her happy.
On the table was a piping hot meal. The two sat together, and Xiao Yanchen didn't want to be separated from Ji Zhaoxi for even a moment.
"Xiao Xizi, are you unhappy? Did Eunuch Liu scold you?" Xiao Yanchen looked at Ji Zhaoxi cautiously.
Ji Zhaoxi kept her head down, eating her food. A scalding teardrop fell into her rice without warning, followed closely by a second, and a third. She tried to hold it back, but the tears only fell harder.
Xiao Yanchen was terrified. He looked at her, at a loss for what to do, and clumsily wiped away her tears. "What's wrong, Xiao Xizi? Did someone bully you? I'll go beat them up for you!"
Ji Zhaoxi cried louder and louder. Xiao Yanchen frantically tried to comfort her, his own eyes suddenly turning red.
"Xiao Xizi, don't be sad. What exactly happened?"
He wiped her tears while coaxing her, becoming a bit incoherent: "Did someone steal your spot as the number one little eunuch? Or did someone say you were getting too close to the palace maids again? Tell me, I'll go hit them right now..."
With red eyes, Xiao Yanchen pulled Ji Zhaoxi into his arms, patting her back with stiff and clumsy movements. "Xiao Xizi, don't cry..."
Ji Zhaoxi sobbed until she was out of breath, wiping her tears on Xiao Yanchen's clothes. "Xiao Yanchen, does it hurt a lot right now?"
Xiao Yanchen's brow ridge had been forcefully ripped open. The wound was so deep that bone was visible, looking like a red centipede. The flesh at the edges of the wound was turned outward; any closer, and it would have reached his eye.
Hearing Ji Zhaoxi's words, Xiao Yanchen froze. His eyes shone brightly as he tilted his face up, cautiously rubbing against her. "Xiao Xizi, are you crying because you're worried about me?"
Xiao Yanchen was overjoyed. He was always happy just to see Xiao Xizi, but today he was exceptionally happy.
Ji Zhaoxi choked back sobs. Xiao Yanchen cupped her face and gently wiped away her tears bit by bit, his eyes full of contentment.
"So Xiao Xizi cares about me this much."
Ji Zhaoxi's voice still carried a hint of a sob. "Are you an idiot? Shouldn't your injury be the important thing right now?"
Why was he always thinking about whether she was worried or not?
Xiao Yanchen rubbed against her shoulder with a look of pure satisfaction. The fur collar brushed against her neck, tickling slightly.
If this was all it took to make Xiao Xizi cry for him, he was very happy.
