The sky grew dark. The cold wind outside kept howling, desperately trying to drill in through the windows. There were no candles in the room, making it extremely dim.
Portraits of ancient sages hung on the wall, and Xiao Yanchen knelt down before them.
The eunuch beside them poked Ji Zhaoxi with a disciplinary ruler, and Ji Zhaoxi knelt down as well.
Xiao Yanchen glanced at her and slipped his own homework under Ji Zhaoxi's knees as a cushion.
"Xiao Xizi, it won't hurt like this."
The eunuch beside them: ...
After the eunuch went out, the room plunged into darkness once again.
Ji Zhaoxi looked out the window, then looked at the portraits of the sages in front of her.
Xiao Yanchen knelt earnestly. Although his impression of his imperial mother was not very deep, a concept had been implanted in his mind since childhood: he must respect these ancient sages.
He had been punished to face the wall and reflect on his mistakes several times. Even though he didn't like the tutor, he reflected seriously every time.
People always make mistakes, and he had to constantly correct his faults to become a virtuous and capable person... What was Xiao Xizi doing right now? Would she feel bored?
Xiao Yanchen couldn't help but open his eyes and look at Ji Zhaoxi beside him.
Ji Zhaoxi was boredly playing with the fur collar on her hands. Xiao Yanchen didn't dare to speak to her; one was not allowed to speak while facing the wall to reflect.
He carefully touched Ji Zhaoxi's hand. It was cold. He put his hands down to warm hers.
Ji Zhaoxi naturally slipped her other hand in as well.
Xiao Yanchen warmed her hands while closing his eyes to continue his reflection.
He had done many bad things. He had hurt a horse and caused his third brother to fall into the icy water. He really wanted Xiao Xizi to pat his head; he would feel very happy if Xiao Xizi patted his head...
Xiao Yanchen suddenly snapped back to reality. He looked guiltily at the portraits of the sages in front of him. He had gotten distracted again.
Just as Ji Zhaoxi was about to speak, a coughing sound suddenly came from the doorway.
Ji Zhaoxi: ...
She looked at Xiao Yanchen beside her, who had his eyes closed and looked completely serious, not knowing what he was reflecting on.
So boring. She hugged Xiao Yanchen's arm and leaned on his shoulder.
After a short while, she poked Xiao Yanchen's face again. Xiao Yanchen's eyelashes fluttered as he opened his eyes, looking at her eagerly.
"Play with me," Ji Zhaoxi whispered, looking a little wronged.
She didn't want to stay here in silence the whole time.
Xiao Yanchen glanced at the sages on the wall. Well, he would just reflect next time. He could reflect on today's matters next time; right now, he had to play with Xiao Xizi first.
Not long after, the drowsy eunuch outside suddenly heard a rustling sound of laughter, which woke him up instantly.
The eunuch: ...
"Ahem!!"
He coughed loudly a few times, and it finally went quiet inside.
There was a ground beetle in the corner, clumsily trying to squeeze into a crack in the wall. It couldn't get in and kept bumping its head.
The two children leaned their heads together, snickering softly. But afraid of being discovered by the eunuch outside, they could only cover their mouths to muffle their laughter.
Ji Zhaoxi's eyes were filled with fragmented amusement. Xiao Yanchen looked at her and suddenly, as if possessed, gently poked her cheek.
Ji Zhaoxi immediately glared at him angrily and whispered, "Only I can poke you!"
Xiao Yanchen lowered his head guiltily. Ji Zhaoxi snorted and tried to push him away, but Xiao Yanchen kept sticking to her again and again, gently nuzzling against her.
He spoke in a breathy whisper, "I won't poke you anymore, Xiao Xizi."
But Xiao Xizi always poked him.
Xiao Xizi was getting more and more bossy.
Ji Zhaoxi was finally satisfied.
The eunuch guarding outside waited until he started snoring. It wasn't until midnight that he finally opened the door for them.
To be honest, he didn't know why the tutor insisted on making the Seventh Prince face the wall to reflect.
The Seventh Prince was kneeling quite comfortably inside, while he had to bear the cold wind outside, freezing and sleepy...
The eunuch stood aside and watched the two of them. The Seventh Prince was carrying his little study companion on his back. The little companion was sleeping soundly, breathing evenly.
He frowned. Was the Seventh Prince really that strong?
Xiao Yanchen felt the warm weight on his back. Previously, he had cried because Xiao Xizi was coming to be his study companion, thinking it wasn't a good thing.
But now he was so happy.
Xiao Yanchen carried her, his cheek pressed against her head. His nose was red from the cold, but his heart was burning hot.
Along the way, the red lanterns on the palace walls kept swaying. Xiao Yanchen followed his memory to head toward Eunuch Liu's courtyard.
Eunuch Liu was already waiting at the door. His gaze sized up Xiao Yanchen, making Xiao Yanchen a little nervous under his scrutiny. "Eunuch Liu."
Eunuch Liu glanced at the person on his back and still gave a shallow bow to Xiao Yanchen. "Greetings to the Seventh Prince."
Seeing that Xiao Yanchen seemed to have no intention of putting Ji Zhaoxi down, Eunuch Liu fell silent for a moment.
"Seventh Prince, please put Xiao Xizi down."
Xiao Yanchen's voice was dry. "Eunuch Liu, Xiao Xizi is asleep. Let me carry her into the courtyard."
Eunuch Liu sneered. "Xiao Xizi, how long are you going to pretend to be asleep?"
Xiao Yanchen felt Ji Zhaoxi stiffen on his back.
Ji Zhaoxi listlessly climbed down from Xiao Yanchen's back.
Eunuch Liu laughed out of anger. Pretending to be asleep so someone else would carry her back—only she could do such a thing.
He looked down at the two children reluctantly saying goodbye.
"Xiao Xizi, I will come to pick you up tomorrow."
Xiao Yanchen peeked at Eunuch Liu. If Eunuch Liu weren't here, he definitely would have let Xiao Xizi pat him.
Ji Zhaoxi was also a bit reluctant to part. She nodded. "I can't get up in the morning. You have to come early to wake me up."
Xiao Yanchen nodded seriously.
Then Eunuch Liu watched as the two children kept looking back at each other with every step they took.
Eunuch Liu: ...
He decisively closed the door.
Bullying, this was how she bullied others. What kind of nonsense was this!
A little eunuch and a prince?!
So every day after that, Xiao Yanchen went to the Imperial Study together with Ji Zhaoxi and returned together after school.
The princes in the Imperial Study no longer bullied Xiao Yanchen as they did before; their topics of conversation mainly focused on his relationship with Ji Zhaoxi.
Whenever Ji Zhaoxi and Xiao Yanchen got close, a wave of disgust would wash over the others' faces.
The Fourth Prince really couldn't take it anymore, his face full of disdain. "Seventh Brother, it's one thing that you don't interact with anyone else all day, but you're always hanging around a castrate. Is this proper?"
Xiao Yanchen furrowed his brows tightly. "So what?"
The matter between the two had spread all over the Imperial Study. Even the tutor looked at them with a somewhat strange expression.
The Second Prince originally thought Ji Zhaoxi was somewhat interesting, but now that rumors were everywhere, his slight curiosity about Ji Zhaoxi vanished as well.
"Seventh Brother, you don't actually like a castrate, do you?"
Faced with such questions, Xiao Yanchen always remained silent. It was only when it directly implicated Ji Zhaoxi that he would retort.
Ji Zhaoxi saw all of this. She was actually quite sensitive too. She was depressed all day and ignored Xiao Yanchen, who kept trying to coax her.
Xiao Yanchen just looked down on her status.
Finally, on the way back from school.
"Do you hate me?" Ji Zhaoxi's eyes grew red.
Xiao Yanchen was terribly anxious. "How could I possibly hate Xiao Xizi?!"
Ji Zhaoxi wiped her tears. "Then when the others asked if you liked playing with a little eunuch, why didn't you say anything?"
He simply looked down on her.
Xiao Yanchen's face flushed bright red. He clumsily tried to wipe her tears away and whispered, "I like playing with Xiao Xizi."
Ji Zhaoxi sniffled and looked at him with red eyes. "Then do you like little eunuchs or not?"
Xiao Yanchen's ears burned a deep red. He gazed at her helplessly, struggling for a long time without saying a word.
"I only like Xiao Xizi."
"Xiao Xizi is a little eunuch. Do you like little eunuchs?"
"..."
"Xiao Yanchen, I'm not playing with you anymore..."
"Xiao Xizi..."
