“Xiao-Ji, you brought food for me again?” Tai Long asked while tying his hair back.

The little black cat deposited the package of leaf-wrapped food beside the young man and meowed as if seeking praise.

Tai Long bent to scratch it under the chin with a smile. “Thank you, Xiao-Ji. Though I hope you’re not going through too much trouble for this each time.”

“Where does it even get it from? It smells really delicious,” the man dressing himself beside Tai Long in the dorm hall asked, sniffing in their direction.

Tai Long shrugged. “It must be from some wealthy household.”

The other man frowned. “Thieving’s no good.”

“Well, I can’t exactly return it now, can I?” Tai Long pointed out wryly. “Plus, the fact that Xiao-Ji has been able to get similarly packaged food so many times tells me that the household might actually be allowing him in. Or else, wouldn’t they have taken measures against letting him enter and steal early on?”

The other man studied the cat. The fluffy ball of black fur looked back at him with its huge golden eyes. The man smiled and observed, “Well, it certainly is adorable enough to have charmed its way in.”

“Mn,” Tai Long nodded in agreement, his hands already in the process of undoing the wrapping to see what food the package held this time.

Having finished dressing, the other man looked over with envy, then frowned. “While all of it looks delicious, I think some of these snacks are bad for cats. Aren’t those people afraid it’ll get sick?”

Tai Long paused in the midst of reaching for something that smelled strongly of garlic. “Maybe they don’t know what foods cats can’t eat.”

The other man nodded. “I suppose not everyone knows to be careful.” Straightening his robes, he gave one last longing glance at the food in Tai Long’s hands and left for the day.

After he was done eating, Tai Long headed off to work as well. Outside the smithy, Xiao-Ji climbed up to the tree branch it had reserved for itself and curled up with a yawn.

Lin Changyuan had already readied the forge and prepared the materials they would need for the day. While he had apprentices of his own that he guided, they were fewer than the other weaponsmiths’ and had grown capable enough to start practicing on their own. Except for the occasional question, they didn’t approach Lin Changyuan. Lin Changyuan had arranged for it to be this way after he accepted the role of Tai Long’s mentor and overseer. He had guessed that looking after the former prince would demand most of his attention, and he hadn’t been wrong.

After Tai Long arrived, he and Lin Changyuan got started with familiar efficiency. The air in the smithy grew hotter as the fires burned, and the sounds of hammers pounding, metal sliding against metal, firewood crackling, and flames roaring filled the space.

As morning transitioned to afternoon, the vigorous energy in the smithy dampened. The men chattered leisurely as work slowed. They were all looking forward to taking a break soon and having lunch.

After having hammered a piece of metal for the past dozens of minutes, Lin Changyuan stopped, panting. Wiping away a droplet of sweat that was about to drip into his eyes, he rested the hammerhead on the ground and supported himself on the butt of its long handle. Like most men working in the sweltering heat of the smithy, his outer robes were taken off while his inner robe lay open, exposing his sweat-slicked chest. Some of the others worked in nothing but a pair of pants.

Tai Long was one of the very few who stubbornly kept all layers of clothes on. He wiped his dripping face with a cloth and tucked it into his belt before asking, “Should I keep feeding the fire? It’s going to be lunchtime soon.”

Lin Changyuan waved a hand tiredly. “Leave it. We’ll stoke it again later.”

Tai Long nodded and stepped away from the forge.

After taking a few more moments to let his breathing even out, Lin Changyuan peered at the younger man. “Xiao-Tai, you should take off at least the top  layers of your robes or you might faint from the heat.”

Tai Long frowned. “I don’t want to. Removing one’s clothing during work in front of others is unseemly.” If such a thing were permitted when he was at the palace, morning court would have been much more…interesting, to say the least.

Lin Changyuan chuckled. “I didn’t expect you to pay so much attention to modesty.” He lifted the hammer up and looked around for a safe place to temporarily rest it on.

Tai Long huffed. “Modesty? Can such a word even be applied to someone who has seen plenty of bared bodies in various evocative positions and spent more than their fair share of time having fun while naked?”

The older man raised an eyebrow, barely fazed. “Sleeping with two or three, or even a dozen people, doesn’t mean you can’t be modest outside the bedroom,” he said as he cleared some space on a table.

Just as he was putting the hammer down, Tai Long folded his arms and said casually, “I’m not talking about having sex just a handful of times. I’m talking about the kind of debauchery where I attended orgies with my siblings because our father invited us.”

“What the―!” Lin Changyuan startled so badly that the heavy hammer almost slipped out of his hands and caused him to stagger. He quickly tried to regain his balance without dropping the hammer, but ended up banging his foot on one of the table legs.

Tai Long quickly took the hammer out of his hands and placed it to the side while Lin Changyuan clutched his foot and hissed in pain. He looked at the young man and gritted out, “What the hell kind of family did you have?!”

Tai Long blinked. Wait, could it be that this man…didn’t know how he was before? Well, no wonder he had reached out to help him from the beginning. Did it mean that if he came to know how he used to behave back in the palace, he wouldn’t be as good to him? Tai Long pressed his lips together. In that case, it was better to leave the past where it was and let this man only see his present self.

Tai Long wrapped an arm around Lin Changyuan and helped him straighten up. Taking support from him, Lin Changyuan rotated his injured foot and grunted. “It’s alright. Now that the initial pain is gone, nothing seems sprained or broken.”

“Is that for you to decide?” Tai Long scoffed. “Come, we’ll go and see what that rude medic has to say about it.”

“We don’t have to―”

“Just shut up and come along,” Tai Long snarled at him.

With all his protests ignored, the helpless Lin Changyuan could only hobble along as the young man supported him by the waist and dragged him towards the medical hall.

On the way, Tai Long’s paranoid imagination painted all the different things that could go wrong with Lin Changyuan’s foot injury and he grew increasingly anxious. Maybe the older man had shattered some bones but the damage was so severe that the pain hadn’t hit yet, or maybe there was some internal injury that wasn’t obvious now but might cause complications later on, perhaps even ending with the foot being amputated.

Scaring himself with the worst possibilities, Tai Long pulled Lin Changyuan along faster. But there was only so much speed the older man could muster when the pain in his foot was still fresh. With a growl of frustration, Tai Long simply picked up the older man in his arms and hastened forward.

Lin Changyuan, “……”

Many a strange gaze was cast their way as the others beheld the sight of the young apprentice carrying his older master as if he was a newlywed bride and striding forward with determined purpose as if heading to their wedding chamber.

Lin Changyuan rubbed his face with embarrassment. “Xiao-Tai, put me down, will you? Why do you have to carry me in this position of all things?”

Tai Long didn’t even slow his pace as he answered, “This is the only way I know how to carry people.” After all, his only experience came from carrying lovers to bed.

The older man tried to convince him, “It’s really not that bad. I can walk the rest of the way.”

Tai Long frowned fiercely. “How can you say it’s not bad when it’s possible that your foot might need to be amputated if we don’t see the medic fast enough?”

Lin Changyuan, “……” He knew that this former prince was paranoid, but he didn’t know it would be to this extent. Ah, whatever. Wasn’t it just losing some dignity? He could put up with it for the sake of his apprentice’s peace of mind.

As they sped onward, Lin Changyuan tried to converse with the young man to distract him from his unreasonable worries. “Xiao-Tai, what you said earlier couldn’t be true, could it?”

Tai Long blinked, thrown off-stride. “Huh?”

“I mean about how you said that your father used to invite you and your siblings to…orgies,” Lin Changyuan reminded uneasily. There were so many problematic things in that one sentence; he couldn’t believe it wasn’t a joke.

But the young man nodded and said, “Ah, that. It’s true. Our father would invite the sons and daughters he most favored, and we’d go without fail. Of course, none of us would meet each other’s eyes during the orgy; that would just be weird. But we’d pay attention to our father’s most recent preferences so we could find him appropriate lovers. Those who chose right and pleased him would receive more favor.” With a small, proud smile, he continued, “Of course, I always had the most successes out of all my siblings.”

Lin Changyuan didn’t know what expression to make. He finally choked out, “That’s…fucked up in too many ways. Your father is a terrible parent.”

Tai Long’s pace had slowed without his realization. He asked curiously, “Is it that strange?”

Lin Changyuan nodded, his face twisting in staunch disapproval. “Yes, it’s unthinkable to raise your children in such an environment and expect them to choose your lovers like that!”

“We weren’t raised among orgies from childhood,” Tai Long informed amusedly. “And we were all consenting adults when we were invited.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you are his children, and apparently, were conditioned to think that there’s nothing wrong with what he was doing!” Lin Changyuan replied heatedly. “A child, even an adult one, shouldn’t have to vie for their parent’s favor! They shouldn’t feel pressured to accept invitations to such events and have to face their own siblings in such an uncomfortable manner! They shouldn’t have to compete amongst each other in observing their own father as he sleeps with others! It’s just not done. All of it is beyond fucked up!”

Unknowingly, Tai Long had slowed to a walk, intrigued by Lin Changyuan’s anger on his and his siblings’ behalf. “Then how would you treat your children?” he asked.

Lin Changyuan frowned. “I’d like to think that I’m a good father who loves, protects, provides for, teaches, supports, and cherishes his daughter as much as possible. But I can only know for sure after my daughter grows up and base my parenting success on how well-rounded, kind, and happy she turns out to be.”

Tai Long stopped unconsciously and considered the older man’s words in silence. Having such a parent would have been…too wonderful. He couldn’t imagine living with someone who treated him with that much care.

Pushing aside his wistfulness, the young man joked, “Then I take it you’re not interested in sending out invites for orgies?”

Lin Changyuan was just about to grimace at that when a soft female voice asked, “Who’s sending out invites for what again?”

Tai Long turned to see a woman who seemed to have appeared behind them at some time. A cloth wrapped box dangled from one of her hands. Further in the distance, a little girl was cheerfully chasing Xiao-Ji around. Since the cat hadn’t run to Tai Long, it mustn’t be feeling threatened or annoyed.

As Yan Yiwen studied Lin Changyuan’s state of undress, the sweat drying on his exposed skin, and the romantic way he was being carried in another man’s arms, her smile turned wider and sharper. She narrowed her eyes at Tai Long. “May I ask who you are and just what you’re doing with my husband?”

Tai Long felt a chill skitter down his back. This was Lin Changyuan’s wife? But why was she looking at him like that?!

The young man gulped and answered with as much composure as he could manage, “He hurt his foot so I’m taking him to the medic.” Facing scary women was one of the most difficult things! Why couldn’t this woman be as amiable and soft as her husband?!

Yan Yiwen slowly strode towards the nervous young man. “Oh? How helpful. Then may I ask what you were talking about just now? Why would my husband need to send invites for orgies?”

Tai Long took a step back, then another, trying to put some distance between himself and Lin Changyuan’s wife. He didn’t want to be within her clawing or hair-pulling range. “I-It’s just a misunderstanding. I was just joking about something else.”

Lin Changyuan didn’t sense the young man’s anxiousness and sighed. “Put me down, Xiao-Tai. My foot feels fine enough to hold my weight now.”

Tai Long’s limbs were so stiff that it took conscious effort for him to lower the older man to the ground. Lin Changyuan tested his foot and was satisfied to find that except for some pain, he was indeed able to stand on his own now.

Just as the young man straightened, he saw Yan Yiwen advance towards him with a furious glint in her eyes. “You’re called Xiao-Tai? You’re that perverted First Prince Tai Long from Sui?!”

Tai Long smothered a yelp and quickly retreated from her in alarm until his back hit a tree.

Yan Yiwen stopped in front of him, hand in her sleeve and hard anger in her eyes. “You’re the bastard who harassed my younger brother? What are you plotting with my husband now?!”

With rounded eyes, the young man hurried to say, “I really wasn’t―”

Yan Yiwen whipped out a dagger and stabbed it into the tree trunk, right between Tai Long’s legs. Tai Long felt the fabric between his upper thighs being pinned to the tree, the blade a bare finger’s width from his privates. The young man froze, cold sweat drenching his back in an instant. Fuck! What was with this woman?!

“Don’t you dare have any designs on my husband,” Yan Yiwen declared in a frigid whisper.

To her, this handsome and harmless looking young man overlapped with the image of her late brother who had tormented Yan Yixuan so much. She already hated this prince to the bone for that. Now, seeing how close he was acting with her husband while planning who knew what, she couldn’t stay passive! If her dear clueless husband wasn’t here and her little daughter wasn’t playing within earshot, she might have just killed this despicable man!

Knowing how frighteningly ruthless his wife could be, Lin Changyuan hurried forward and pulled her away from the pale-faced young man. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he gently chided his wife, “Ah-Wen, stop scaring the poor boy. He really hasn’t done anything untoward with me. I took off my robes while working. You know how hot it gets in the smithy. I really did hurt my foot and Xiao-Tai was kind enough to worry for me and offered to carry me to the medic. He was truly just joking with the orgy comment. Don’t be mad at him.”

Yan Yiwen looked at her husband’s earnest expression, then turned to Tai Long. The younger man’s face had gone taut as he looked at her as if she was a ferocious demon.

Yan Yiwen smiled. “Oh, so that’s how it was. You should have told me earlier.” She walked back to the tree and yanked out the dagger before smoothly slipping it into her sleeve. As a weaponsmith’s wife with Yan Yixuan for a brother, she naturally had a whole set of weaponry on her person for self-defense.

Tai Long slumped back against the tree, trying to hold together the last shreds of his composure. He was scared of tough women as it was due to his traumatic childhood with his abusive mother. Now, added with Yan Yiwen’s display, it was all he could do to not throw all politeness and dignity aside and flee for his life.

Lin Changyuan came over to pat him on the shoulder in consolation. “I’m sorry, Xiao-Tai. Ah-Wen was just concerned for me. She’s usually much more gentle and kind. Don’t hold it against her, alright?”

The young man looked at Yan Yiwen disbelievingly. Her expression left no doubt that unlike Lin Changyuan, she knew exactly what all Tai Long had done in the palace and firmly held him accountable.

Meeting his gaze, Yan Yiwen smirked at him and stroked the sleeve where she’d secreted away her dagger.

Gulping, Tai Long turned to Lin Changyuan and stated sincerely, “I can’t believe you had the courage to marry such a tigress.”

Lin Changyuan smiled wryly. He supposed such a first impression would be difficult to undo. At least the young man wasn’t wide-eyed and ashen-faced anymore.

The remaining tension was swept away when an adorable squeal sounded from the distance, followed by quiet giggles.

Lin Changyuan and Yan Yiwen looked over. Xiao-Ji had finally allowed their little daughter to catch it and was now sniffing and nosing her offered palm contemplatively, causing her no small amounts of tickling.

Smiling, Lin Changyuan said, “I’ll go get Hui-er.”

Yan Yiwen’s smile gentled as she nodded. “Mn. She was the one who insisted we visit you today.”

As Lin Changyuan happily walked away, Tai Long almost wanted to leap onto his back and refuse to let the older man leave him alone with this tigress.

“You seem to be getting along well with my husband,” Yan Yiwen noted, smile pleasant.

Tai Long looked at her warily and shifted a few inconspicuous steps backward. “I suppose so.”

Yan Yiwen’s smile grew wider. “If you target anyone from my family again, I’ll aim my dagger higher next time.”

Tai Long gulped and fought against the impulse to clamp his thighs together. He apprehensively looked in the direction Lin Changyuan had gone. Why was that damned surname Lin taking so long to return?! He had no doubt that if he was alone with this woman any longer, she’d cut off his balls and burn his body at one of the forges, then innocently pretend nothing happened! The frightening thing was that she looked honest and refined enough to pull it off without arousing suspicion! What a deceptive woman.

Thankfully, Lin Changyuan returned before Tai Long could languish in his paranoid fears for too long.

When the father and daughter pair neared, Tai Long watched Lin Changyuan’s indulgent gaze towards the little girl, his large hand holding hers, and his warm smile as he seriously listened to her chatter, “…found all the ingredients, so I made it just like Teacher taught us. Mother said it came out very tasty so I wanted to bring some for Father too. Mother said alright and that it’ll be lunchtime soon anyway. We could come and bring the food with us.”

Yan Yiwen’s intimidating aura was nowhere to be found as she smiled at her husband and held up the cloth wrapped box dangling from her hand. “And so, here’s your lunch made with plenty of love by your daughter.”

Lin Meihui jumped with excitement shining in her eyes. “Father, try it, try it!”

Lin Changyuan chuckled affectionately and rubbed her head. “Of course I will, just wait a bit.”

Tai Long felt a pinch of envy. His father had never been like that with him. He looked at the little girl critically. Did she even know how lucky she was?

But he was unable to stay critical towards the child for long. For some inexplicable reason that he refused to look too deep into, Tai Long felt that children were all too effortless to relate to. He found their simple personalities and honest company much easier to accept.

“Is there a reason you keep looking at my daughter?” Yan Yiwen asked with a friendly smile.

Tai Long immediately averted his gaze and suppressed the urge to step further away from her. Now that the misunderstanding about Lin Changyuan was solved and Yan Yiwen wasn’t acting openly hostile, it would look suspicious if he reacted too strongly to her. He didn’t want to explain his fear of hostile women to others.

Even if he put the dignity of an adult aside and went to complain to Lin Changyuan about his wife’s sneakily threatening behavior, it would only prompt Lin Changyuan to ask his wife the reason for her hostility, and that would open up the topic of all the things Tai Long did before or attempted to do to Yan Yixuan in Sui. He really didn’t want that.

Sensing his unease, Xiao-Ji came over to rub at his legs comfortingly and meowed. Tai Long’s heart unclenched and he bent to take his beloved cat into his arms.

Lin Meihui’s attention fell on him and she hurried over. Her big, round eyes were full of nervous hope. “Big Brother, is that cat yours?”

Tai Long nodded. “His name is Xiao-Ji,” he informed.

The little girl bounced on her feet. “Can I hold him?”

Tai Long hesitated, then carefully handed the cat over. Xiao-Ji didn’t seem to mind as it settled itself in the little girl’s arms, its paws kneading her shoulder.

“He’s so soft!” Lin Meihui said wonderingly as Xiao-Ji wriggled in her arms with feline vigor.

“Yes, yes, be careful now…” the young man cautioned as his hands hovered over her worriedly.

Lin Changyuan good-naturedly reassured, “Don’t fret, Xiao-Tai. Your Xiao-Ji might have claws but it’s very sweet-tempered. It wouldn’t hurt Hui-er.”

Tai Long blinked in stupefaction as if that line of thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. “I know that. I’m worrying for Xiao-Ji.”

Lin Changyuan, “……” That’s right, this former prince was a genuine cat slave. Why did he even think otherwise?

Yan Yiwen snickered. “He’s as jittery as a mother letting someone else hold her newborn for the first time.”

Tai Long, “……” Eyebrow twitching, he realized he couldn’t really refute that.

Pretending to not have heard her, he crouched before the little girl and patiently explained how to hold the cat, where it liked to be patted, stroked, or scratched, and where to avoid touching it. After repeating these instructions numerous times before to the others at the dorm hall after they insisted on playing with the cat, the words came smoothly now.

Lin Meihui listened to him very seriously, not wanting to hurt or scare her new fluffy friend.

At the side, Lin Changyuan quietly commented to his wife, “I didn’t expect someone with his temper to be so good with children.”

Yan Yiwen chuckled. “He probably gets along with them well because of his own childish immaturity. Why else would he have thrown so many tantrums before when things didn’t go his way and made trouble for you?”

Lin Changyuan laughed. “That’s true as well. But he hasn’t thrown a big tantrum like that for quite a while. Does that mean he’s growing up now?”

“Who knows,” Yan Yiwen shrugged. She didn’t really care about this prince’s development. She just wanted to make sure he paid for what he did and never had the chance to hurt anyone from her family again.

Meanwhile, Lin Meihui and Xiao-Ji had begun playing chase again, with the little girl running around in circles after the nimble cat.

“Be careful,” Lin Changyuan called out to her. “There are a lot of stones here and the ground is uneven.”

Lin Meihui waved at him. “Okay!”

Tai Long leaned against a tree nearby and watched his cat happily play around with the child. Snatches of conversation between Lin Changyuan and Yan Yiwen floated towards him but he ignored it.

Lin Meihui suddenly stumbled on something and came to a halt. She sank to the ground and cradled her foot, her expression struggling not to show her pain. “My toe hurts…”

Her parents hurried to her side.

“Take off your shoe so Father can see,” Lin Changyuan said, a hand rubbing her knee soothingly.

Yan Yiwen stood behind him, bent to stroke her daughter’s hair. “My poor little Hui-er.”

Lin Meihui bit her lip so she wouldn’t cry and tearfully removed her shoe and sock to show her parents her swollen toe. Her parents made sympathetic noises and showered her with more words of affection and comfort.

Tai Long watched the family of three with folded arms. He frowned as something occurred to him. From his understanding, shouldn’t the girl be crying by now? That stubbed toe looked quite painful. However, thinking back on it, he didn’t cry when he was hurt as a child either. But that was because…

“Long-er, this is our secret, just ours. You won’t let others find out, will you? If you do, Mother won’t love you anymore.”

Holding back his sniffles and tears of pain, the little Tai Long nodded. He focused on the warmth of her hand cupping his face and her seemingly affectionate smile, ignoring his blood staining her fingertips or the madness in her dark, dark eyes.

Tai Long’s fingers dug into his arms as the memory flitted past. His toes curled in his boots. As he looked at the little girl now stoically holding back her tears, he couldn’t help but wonder. Had she learned not to cry for a similar reason? Had her mother too…

Before he realized what he was doing, Tai Long had already begun walking towards the girl. His throat felt too tight. He needed to know. He had to know… Tai Long extended a hand towards Lin Meihui, then stopped and drew it back. He turned to Lin Changyuan instead and asked, “Have you checked between her toes?”

Lin Changyuan blinked, not understanding. “Ah? No… Why would I?”

Tai Long snuck a peek at Yan Yiwen and hastily looked away when he realized she was looking at him with suspicion.

“It’s nothing, just… just see if she’s hurt there,” Tai Long urged Lin Changyuan adamantly. He chided himself for being stupid and stubborn. It was unlikely this would amount to anything. Why was he even bothering with this? But he couldn’t bring himself to ignore the niggling doubt until he’d confirmed.

The older man was puzzled by his insistence, but did as he was asked.

Lin Meihui squirmed and giggled, “Father, it tickles!”

Lin Changyuan smiled at her. “This big brother is worried you hurt your foot anywhere else, so we’re just doing a quick check, alright?”

“Alright,” Lin Meihui agreed cutely, her pain from before put aside.

Tai Long watched Lin Changyuan inspect his daughter’s feet intently. When he saw that there were no other injuries, he relaxed. He took another peek at Yan Yiwen and found that he didn’t feel as cautious of her as before. It seemed she wasn’t the same as his mother after all. He turned away. Why did he even care? It was ridiculous.

Lin Changyuan was just about to ask Tai Long about his strange behavior when Lin Meihui tugged at his sleeve and demanded, “Father, you said you’ll eat lunch soon! You have to eat my first cooking!”

Lin Changyuan’s expression melted into a smile. “Fine, fine, it’s about time for lunch anyway. I’ll eat now.”

“Can I feed Xiao-Ji too?” the little girl asked excitedly.

The older man turned to look at Tai Long askance.

Tai Long nodded. “Just remember not to give him anything that’s bad for him.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Lin Changyuan assured. “Can I trouble you with getting some water to wash our hands? My foot doesn’t feel up to walking while carrying something heavy.”

Tai Long sighed and headed towards the well, muttering under his breath about how hurting their feet must be a hereditary quirk of everyone surnamed Lin.

After returning with a bucket of water, Tai Long went to lean against the tree again. His gaze remained on his cat, making sure that it really wasn’t uncomfortable or eating anything it shouldn’t.

Yan Yiwen’s voice sounded from beside him, “You’re really like a mother hen to your cat.”

Tai Long stiffened, but didn’t step away from her.

Yan Yiwen hummed thoughtfully and leaned back on the tree trunk next to him. “What was all the fuss regarding Hui-er’s toes about?”

The young man maintained his silence.

The older woman guessed, “By your sneaky glances, you seemed to think I had done something to my daughter’s toes? Ah, no, it wasn't exactly her toes… you asked Changyuan to specifically check between her toes, didn’t you? Did you think I injured her there? Hmm, I suppose that’s one place where people wouldn’t look for wounds. Did you think I abused my child there because of that? But that’s a giant leap of logic that doesn’t make sense. Unless…”

Tai Long looked away from her inquisitive gaze, saying nothing.

“…You yourself experienced that with your mother?” Yan Yiwen said.

When the young man remained quiet, she prodded further, “What made you worry that I might be abusing my child?”

Tai Long hesitated, but still answered in the end, “She didn’t cry.”

Yan Yiwen blinked. “Hm?”

“She hurt her toe and looked pained, but she didn’t cry. Children don’t tend to hold back tears like that. At least, none of my siblings did,” he explained.

“Ah, I suppose that makes sense, in a way,” Yan Yiwen said. “Before we came to the capital, Changyuan’s three older brothers would terrorize us with violence for money. Hui-er was also abused by them. After we came to the capital as a family, my brother took care of those parasites. Hui-er’s mind is healing well now.”

Tai Long frowned. That did explain her behavior.

“It seems you’ve had it hard too,” Yan Yiwen noted, her gaze inscrutable.

Tai Long spoke without looking at her, “I don’t need your pity. It’s worthless to me.”

Yan Yiwen burst into laughter. “Don’t worry, I still hate you.” Her expression was sharp as she looked at him. “Your circumstances and past don’t change the choices you made to hurt others, especially my beloved brother. I won’t forgive you this easily.”

Tai Long remained unperturbed. “I never asked you to.” The emotion he was most used to seeing directed towards him was hostility, after all.

Yan Yiwen tilted her head. “Is that because you don’t care about earning forgiveness? Or because you don’t think you deserve to be forgiven in the first place?”

Tai Long wanted to say, of course it was the first. But after everything, he wasn’t quite sure which direction he was changing in or who he was becoming. If he ever sank into deep introspection, how would his past self seem to him?

Fortunate? Discontented? Volatile? Powerful? Or…misguided and repulsive?

Would he regret how he had been? Would he…hate himself?

Tai Long wasn’t ready to find out yet. After spending everything he had on adapting to this new life, he had nothing more left to deal with that additional burden. For now, it was enough to put one foot in front of the other and take it a day at a time. There was no hurry.

“It seems you yourself don’t know,” Yan Yiwen observed.

Tai Long didn’t refute her. “Why do you care?”

Yan Yiwen shrugged. “I’m just curious. Just what does my brother see in you that he spared you after everything you did? It’s been almost a year since I reunited with him and I still don’t understand him fully.”

Tai Long huffed. “You call reducing a prince to a commoner sparing him?”

“It could’ve been much, much worse, little prince,” Yan Yiwen said with a smile. “It should’ve been.”

Looking away from her false friendly smile, Tai Long spoke his most heartfelt words today, “You’re creepy.”

Yan Yiwen laughed. “And yet my husband loves me so much,” she replied proudly.

Shaking his head, Tai Long turned to walk away. “I’m not eating your damned dog food. I’d rather go and have human food for lunch now.”

Wrinkling her nose, Yan Yiwen said, “Are you sure the food from the dorm kitchen even counts as human food?”

Tai Long’s lips twitched and he hurried away, pretending to not hear. He didn’t want to agree with this woman of all people.

As he neared the dorm kitchen, Tai Long’s steps slowed with hesitation. The more delicious food he tasted due to Xiao-Ji’s thieving, the more he detested the dorm’s meals. He was sorely tempted to take out some of the money he was saving for future emergencies and Xiao-Ji’s impending old age just so he wouldn’t have to taste that slop again.

Using just a little for a meal or two shouldn’t hurt, should it? Just enough to buy something that didn’t taste of boiled flour and mushy vegetable paste. Something like…

Tai Long’s mind jumped to the first normal food he’d eaten after he became a commoner: pork buns.

During the assignment of delivering weapons, his partner, another new apprentice called Shang Jin, had given him two pork buns after noticing his hunger. In return, he had asked Tai Long to take the first watch. Shang Jin had said that he had been saving up his salary to send to his family along with a letter, and writing that letter had taken up his night and caused him to feel drowsy now.

Tai Long had accepted, but only thought of the task as inconsequential and failed to hold up his end of the bargain. He didn’t tell Shang Jin that he was sleepy and tired as well, afraid that it would lose him the two pork buns.

In the end, the weapons were stolen due to his carelessness. Tai Long was still paying for it with his wages while Shang Jin had to give up the money he had meant to send his family.

Back then, all Tai Long cared about was how he was going to be impacted by it and had kicked up a fuss. But thinking on it now, he was surprised at how much integrity Shang Jin had shown despite Tai Long’s mistake having lost him so much of his hard-earned money. Shang Jin didn’t shout at him or do anything except cast a single glance filled with aggrievance at this person who had betrayed his trust.

Now that Tai Long had come to know of the value of money and how hard it was to earn and keep, he couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable at Shang Jin’s fate.

His appetite affected, he couldn’t think of buying food anymore and ate the slop served at the kitchen. As he drank some water to wash down the vile taste, Tai Long pondered. How many days had Shang Jin had to eat at the dorms to make up for the lost money? Did his family have a child like Lin Changyuan’s daughter or a pet like Xiao-Ji they needed that money to raise? If Shang Jin became sick like he had, he probably didn’t have anything to sell to pay for medicine, did he?

All these attempts at understanding the difficulties of someone other than himself for the first time felt strange to Tai Long. A queer emotion twisted within, and after long contemplation, he identified it as guilt.

Tai Long hated it.

He disliked that little bit of guilt so much that he tried to get rid of it by getting his coin purse, then furiously marching towards the smithy where Shang Jin worked. Within minutes, he stood before the other man, silent and fuming.

Suddenly faced with this irascible person’s intense expression, Shang Jin’s eyes widened with unease. The others preparing to work after lunch directed their attentions here vigilantly. They’d heard how troublesome Tai Long’s personality could be, and except for the few weaponsmiths here who shared Tai Long’s dorm hall, the others fully expected him to have come to make trouble.

Shang Jin’s voice wavered with nervousness as he inquired, “Apprentice Tai? Do you…need something?”

The furrow between Tai Long’s brows deepened when he truly didn’t detect any hostility from this man, only caution. With displeasure stamped deeply into his face, he asked, “How much do I owe you?”

Shang Jin blinked uncomprehendingly. “Ah?”

Tai Long sighed. “Last time, how much money did you lose due to failing that assignment?”

Shang Jin grew confused, but answered honestly, “A week’s worth wages.”

Tai Long had never even seen a day’s worth of his own wages, much less a week’s. Feeling annoyed at his lack of knowledge, he brusquely took out a silver piece from his money pouch and shoved it into Shang Jin’s lax hands. “Will this cover it?”

Shang Jin was once again at a loss. When he studied what was thrust into his hands, he jolted. His voice squeaked a bit as he asked, “Is this silver? Real silver?!”

Tai Long shifted awkwardly. “Is it not enough?”

“Enough!” Shang Jin stated enthusiastically. “It’s more than enough!”

Relaxing, Tai Long waved a hand graciously. “Keep the extra money. Just think of it as interest.”

Shang Jin’s eyes were as round and shining as two full moons. “You want to give this to me?! Even including interest, this is way too much!”

Tai Long refused to back down lest he expose how less he actually knew of money. He instead pretended to be generous, which came all too easily to this former prince who was used to casually squandering gold by the handful. “Are you an idiot to keep squabbling about someone giving you money? Just think of it as payment for your buns back then and keep it.”

Shang Jin grinned so brightly that his full moon eyes turned to crescents. “If you’re sure, then I won’t refuse anymore.” Unable to help himself, he lunged forward and hugged a startled Tai Long. “Apprentice…no, Brother Tai, thank you! As I thought, you really have a soft heart under all that prickliness!”

Tai Long was too embarrassed and irate at being hugged to care about his words. His face flamed a bright red as he freed himself from Shang Jin’s enthusiastic octopus-like grip and declared, “What are you acting so close and intimate for! It’s not like the money I gave you was to hire you to sleep with me!”

Shang Jin froze, then burst out laughing. Suppressed chuckles sounded from the others who were pretending not to eavesdrop.

Tai Long scowled. “What’s so funny?” He didn’t yet know if these were mocking laughter or good humored ones, so he refrained from letting his anger burst into flames.

Shang Jin wiped away tears of mirth and patted Tai Long’s shoulder. “Brother Tai, you do look very pretty in a sharp sort of way, so I don’t mind sleeping with you. But that’s hardly why I hugged you. How can you be so innocent that even a hug seems intimate enough to count as an act of propositioning to you?”

The former prince who had indulged in various kinds of lustful debauchery and was now called innocent, “……”

Is there some misunderstanding here?!

Seeing Tai Long’s stiff expression, Shang Jin curbed his teasing and executed a ninety-degree bow. “Again, thank you for your generosity, Brother Tai. It will really help me and my family out.”

Tai Long felt uncomfortable. Once, he had taken such deep and respectful bows for granted. Now, being subjected to it didn’t seem to fit in well with his current life of hard work. No matter how much help he received, he himself had never bent his back to anyone. Looking at how Shang Jin now bowed with such sincerity for a little piece of silver, Tai Long began to feel inadequate in his own expressions of gratitude. It was annoying.

“Enough. Get up,” Tai Long said and pulled him upright by his head. “Since you’re satisfied with the money, I’m going back to work.”

As Tai Long turned and began walking away, Shang Jin couldn’t help but tease, “What, you aren’t going to take me to bed after paying me so much?”

Tai Long almost stumbled.

As a new round of laughter rang around the smithy, Tai Long pressed his lips together and fled faster. This damn man…

Shang Jin chuckled and waved at his back while calling, “Brother Tai, when you have time, I’ll treat you to more pork buns!”

Since offers of food were mentioned, Tai Long’s temper was mollified. He waved to show his acceptance without looking back.

With this, he had finally finished taking responsibility for everything pertaining to that failed delivery task.

As Tai Long returned to the dorm hall to tuck away the money pouch, he wondered if Lin Changyuan would praise him for being good to someone. Thinking of Lin Changyuan, he supposed he should also ask him about hugging. It wouldn’t do to lack basic knowledge of acceptable empire etiquette that could trip him up.

On his way to the smithy, Tai Long took special note of others on the way to confirm that indeed, there was no indiscriminate hugging going on in public. Just to be sure, he asked to confirm it with Lin Changyuan as soon as he returned to the smithy, “Do people in the empire even hug those that aren’t their lovers?”

Lin Changyuan paused what he was doing to look at the young man strangely. “Of course we do. And I doubt it’s restricted to the empire. Even people in Sui must do it. For example, don’t you like hugging your Xiao-Ji?”

Tai Long looked horrified. “What are you implying?! Xiao-Ji is a cat!”

Even more confused, Lin Changyuan replied, “Yes, I know. I’m not implying anything.”

Sputtering, the young man asked, “Wait, does this mean…you hug people other than your wife? Aren’t you afraid to be intimate with others while married to that tigress?! Is such a thing really acceptable here?!”

Lin Changyuan chuckled. It was so rare to see this former prince genuinely at a loss like this. “Of course she doesn’t mind as long as it isn’t something romantic or sexual. Hugs are just a form of expressing affection, and it can be done in a platonic way. It was my impression that it’s acceptable in most places.”

As Tai Long struggled with processing this, Lin Changyuan finally understood why the young man was so surprised. Could it be that he had never been hugged by his family or anyone out of bed before? With how self-absorbed he could be and how his experiences seemed mostly limited to the palace, Lin Changyuan had no doubt that this former prince was oblivious to the small and simple ways people showed affection in their daily lives. He couldn’t help but feel a bit of heartache.

“How about this?” the older man proposed. “We’ll try out a hug so you can see that there doesn’t have to be anything sexual about it.”

Before Tai Long could wonder what he meant, he found Lin Changyuan’s arms enclosing him. As he was embraced, Tai Long stood stiffly, not knowing where to put his hands or feet. Lin Changyuan pulled his head down to his shoulder and Tai Long rested it there, eyes open and blinking dumbly. He was stumped for what to do at first, but sensations slowly filled his blank mind.

Wrapped in the warmth of another person, Tai Long felt a heretofore unknown security and peace. This was completely unlike what he related hugs to: intertwined bodies pushing and pulling, greedy expectations of pleasure, and a messy mix of lust, wariness in the face of vulnerability, and the primal need to conquer.

On the other hand, being embraced by Lin Changyuan felt simple and pure. It was like the physical manifestation of a person’s care, a soft and gentle thing, a promise of warmth and safety.

Tai Long gradually relaxed. He lifted an arm and hesitated, then clumsily wound it around Lin Changyuan’s waist to hug him back. He would promise those things in return too.

The older man smiled and patted his back. “Hugging feels nice, doesn’t it?”

Tai Long nodded as his face flushed. But he knew that it was not due to desire, anger, or embarrassment, just a sort of…shy pleasure.

Lin Changyuan felt that this young man was a bit cute when he was being so obedient. He rubbed his head and said, “Whenever you want a hug in the future, come and ask me. No need to feel embarrassed about it.”

Tai Long nodded again, not daring to say anything. It turned out that having his head rubbed felt this good. Being close to another person like this could feel so healing. He smiled quietly. No wonder Xiao-Ji liked being petted and hugged so much.

↢∘●∘↣

Once his reservations about adjusting to the lifestyle of a commoner gradually dissolved, Tai Long found that he didn’t actually mind living like this.

As he settled into his life, many things began to improve. For example, the more Tai Long made himself talk to others carefully and pleasantly as if the conversations impacted diplomatic relations, the easier it grew. Eventually, talking more politely became normal. Now, there was hardly anyone looking at him with an antagonistic gaze or making things difficult for him.

Since he had to use up some of the money he had put aside for Xiao-Ji’s future, Tai Long felt guilty and worked harder to make up for it. But for that to happen, he had to first clear his debt and start receiving his pay. As he dedicatedly worked under Lin Changyuan’s tutelage for that reason, his skills naturally improved. The tasks he was entrusted with also increased in complexity and grew more specialized, causing his salary to grow. The months passed busily and before he knew it, more than half of his debt was already paid.

Seeing his efforts thus rewarded, Tai Long felt quite satisfied and labored harder.

Oftentimes he reflected on his past actions as his hands continued their monotonous work on the forge. He thought of his behavior before that now seemed like someone else’s. He thought of all the little things he could have done that would’ve changed the course of events drastically. He thought of how if he’d only opened his eyes a bit wider and taken a deeper look at the people around him, he could have prevented his ignorant mistakes.

When he contemplated on how he lost his own people’s loyalty, Tai Long felt both an unwillingness to accept their betrayal and a small sense of hurt. It wasn’t a good feeling to trust someone and then have it slap him back in the face. He promised to himself that he would never do that to another person.

He knew how much his Xiao-Ji trusted him and breaking that would make him feel the worst sort of evil. He saw a similarly pure trust in Lin Meihui’s gaze every time she visited. Tai Long refused to hurt the child by shattering it. He would treasure and cherish all trust, because he knew how it felt when it wasn’t.

As he thus contemplated on improving himself for a better future, Tai Long also thought of the present that was starting to feel comfortable and familiar, then of the past that was gradually growing distant and ill-fitting. He had to fully face the fact that he truly could no longer go back to that life.

He could probably never be that First Prince of Sui again.

The thought hurt him deeply, deeper than he expected. He thought he had already come to terms with his reality.

But trying to uproot and set aside his expectations of someday going back to the palace, of stepping onto his home soil, of reclaiming his identity, was painful. It left him with a gaping hole he didn’t yet know how to fill. But he had to admit that the part of him that he had kept tense for as long as he remembered, the part of him that was always at the ready to deal with the treacherous waters of the court, the part of him that fed his caution and paranoia, had relaxed.

It was alright. His life hadn’t ended, it had just changed. He was realizing that he could just find his footing anew. His circumstances weren’t as terrible, humiliating, or frighteningly unknown as he had thought at the beginning.

And so, Tai Long finally immersed himself into his new life, accepting it as his own.

With such poignant thoughts and epiphanies carrying him through his days, Tai Long progressed in his weaponsmithing skills. Soon enough, Lin Changyuan deemed that his newest apprentice was finally ready to create something of his own. Tai Long’s eyes shone with determination as he pushed up his sleeves and seriously went to work at the forge for days.

When Tai Long finally came to Lin Changyuan with his first creation, the older man could only stare at it in puzzlement.

“Xiao-Tai…this is?” he asked hesitantly. He could guess what it was by its shape… but that couldn’t be it, could it? Why would his apprentice even create something so bizarre?! No, no, he must be misunderstanding something…

To his shock, the former prince of Sui proudly declared, “This is armor to protect one’s buttocks.”

“……” Lin Changyuan struggled to say something. “H-How wonderful. You…shaped it quite well. I could immediately guess what it was meant for. It’s just that…I’ve rarely come across anyone who selected this for their first task, so I just had to confirm.”

Tai Long just took it as his choice being praised as unique and nodded majestically. Of course, he would never admit aloud the reason for picking such a thing to make.

Till now, he had spent so much time gnashing his teeth and cursing Ning Wei and his subordinates for the incident that brought about his downfall―that needle-filled seat cushion in his sedan!

It had not only hurt his posterior, it was also the tipping point that caused his pride and anger to overtake reason. That incident created such a big shadow in the former prince’s heart that he had chosen to use this opportunity to create protection for his vulnerable backside so he would never have to go through such a dastardly, ruinous thing again!

Seeing Tai Long’s passionate expression as he gazed at the butt armor, Lin Changyuan felt quite confused. Were all youngsters these days this weird? He only hoped his daughter wouldn’t be so difficult to understand after she grew up...

Speaking of Lin Meihui, she often visited the smithy. At first it was to play with Xiao-Ji. But she naturally dug her way deeper into Tai Long’s heart as he accompanied her to look out for his cat, and the two grew relatively close.

The first time the little girl cutely tugged at the young man’s sleeve and asked shyly if she could call him big brother, Tai Long’s barriers had just about melted into a pleased little puddle. When Lin Meihui once recounted the terror her three uncles used to visit on her and her family, Tai Long was filled with fury on her behalf. He promised staunchly that he would never let anyone hurt her on his watch, earning the girl’s starry eyed adoration. The fact that they were fellow Xiao-Ji enthusiasts only endeared them to each other more.

Lin Changyuan was glad that his daughter had another playmate and that his apprentice made his first full friend. While Yan Yiwen still looked at Tai Long critically, she chose not to get in the way of something that made both her husband and child happy.

Of course, she still made sure to keep a firm eye on Tai Long in case he behaved badly and acted in small ways just to make her dislike of him known. But she never threatened or intimidated him as she did at their first meeting. Used to facing more severe hostility than this before, Tai Long was unbothered by her shows of pettiness.

In the meanwhile the young man managed to get a few free meals of meat buns from Shang Jin. On occasional mornings, Xiao-Ji also continued bringing him delicious food wrapped in leaves that it had obtained through mysterious means.

Seeing his cat working so hard to steal food for him whenever it could, Tai Long felt that he was wronging his Xiao-Ji and vowed to work harder. He wanted to make up for the money he took from the pouch set aside for Xiao-Ji’s future and also pay off his debt to the smithy soon so he could eat normal food and stop worrying his little cat.

Due to his perseverance and some sneaky, behind-the-scenes help in increasing his wages from Lin Changyuan, Tai Long finally managed to earn enough to accomplish both objectives.

After his debt was fully paid and the savings for Xiao-Ji were topped up again, Tai Long stared blankly at the remaining copper coins in his palms. He might have handled precious stones and treasures casually with these hands before, but the dull copper coins resting in them now felt more precious than them all.

As night rolled over the world, Tai Long decided to buy his own food for the first time ever.

Feeling surreal, he walked out of the weaponsmithing compound and to the street stalls selling various types of food, drinks, and snacks. A variety of fragrant scents and spices perfumed the air while steam billowed up in clouds from the stoves. The sound of oil sizzling and vendors calling out loudly filled his ears. People milled around, most of them from the compound, and ate while laughing and chatting with each other casually. Some took up space on either side of the streets crowding around the stalls, while some sat on low border walls, errant boulders, or under trees by the wayside.

Tai Long hugged his cat tighter, his eyes wide. “Xiao-Ji, there’s so many types of food. What do you think we should get? I…I can’t decide it so suddenly.” As much as he had fantasized about all the different kinds of food he’d get once he had some money, now that that time had actually come, he found himself overwhelmed.

In the end, he chose to get a bowl of chicken noodles without any onion, garlic, and other ingredients that could hurt his cat. Tai Long settled down on one of the few empty spots on the benches arranged before the shop, then carefully dug out all the chicken pieces and fed them to Xiao-Ji. Due to Lin Meihui’s pampering all these weeks, Xiao-Ji had grown quite used to being fed by hand. Tai Long reckoned that his cat was served and treated more like a prince than he himself ever was.

Once Xiao-Ji was full, Tai Long eagerly dove into the bowl for his own dinner. The first mouthful sent a burst of strong flavors over his tongue, causing him to pause to appreciate it. Though Tai Long knew intellectually that his meals back at the palace must have been of better quality and much more delicious, his taste buds didn’t give a whit and sang together in blissful harmony.

Tai Long hugged the bowl to him with one arm and Xiao-Ji with the other. He couldn’t believe that from now on, he could get his daily wages and just come over to get this wonderful food to eat every day. He didn’t have to suffer through that travesty from the dorm kitchens. He could feed his Xiao-Ji whatever struck its fancy and live together with the luxury of choosing among tasty food.

It was such a small, simple thing and yet…Tai Long felt disbelieving at his good fortune at being able to afford this much.

Had he always been so easy to satisfy? Tai Long sighed in ecstasy as another bite of food entered his mouth. Did it really matter? For now, he would focus on enjoying what he could and leave the contemplations for later.

While Tai Long was busy indulging his greedy taste buds, a carriage made its way through the street and slowed unobtrusively by the noodle shop.

“Ah-Xuan, why did your brother-in-law ask you to pass by this street at this time on our way back?” Ning Wei asked within the carriage.

Having shifted a curtain to peek out the window, Yan Yixuan tilted his chin in a certain direction and said, “Probably to show me that.”

Ning Wei leaned up to peer out the window from above Yan Yixuan. It took him a while to spot what his husband meant. In front of one of the shops, the former prince of Sui sat while hugging a black cat and eating from a bowl of noodles, looking lost yet a little hopeful. He appeared tired from a day of hard work and more down-to-earth, not as high-strung, arrogant, or volatile as before.

“What do you think?” Yan Yixuan asked with a smile. “He’s improved visibly, hasn’t he?”

Ning Wei didn’t want to express any pity or commendation towards Tai Long, so he praised his beloved instead, “As expected of my Ah-Xuan, your choice to make him work made such a notable difference within just a few months. Your decision was truly very insightful.”

Yan Yixuan beamed happily and wrapped his arms around Ning Wei. “So you agree that he has improved?”

The general sighed and unwillingly nodded.

Yan Yixuan narrowed his eyes, smile widening. “Maybe it’s time we check his progress and reward him a bit.”

Ning Wei frowned. “I hope you’re not going to let him get away with just this much.”

“I doubt even that prince himself would want me to free him from his current life,” Yan Yixuan said with a chuckle. “No, I’m not planning on anything drastic. I figured we could just have a chat on neutral ground and observe him for a bit.”

Ning Wei smiled wryly and rubbed his husband’s head. “No matter what you’re planning, I’ll support you.”

Yan Yixuan grinned. “It’s alright, don’t worry about me. You should go do that quarterly inspection of the border army with your lieutenants as you planned. I can handle this on my own. That prince will also be more at ease without you.”

Ning Wei blinked innocently. “Now, why would anyone feel uneasy in my presence? I’m so harmless.”

Laughing, Yan Yixuan kissed his jaw. “Yes, yes, you’re the very epitome of a harmless, fragile flower. A man-eating one, that is. You can bully that prince the next time you see him.”

“Well, since my husband says so, I’ll listen,” Ning Wei agreed, hilarity dancing in his eyes.

“You’re so good to me,” Yan Yixuan said, rubbing his cheek on his beloved’s shoulder.

Ning Wei kissed him on the forehead and sat back in his seat. “You’re sure you want to meet him again so soon? He seems different but he might still be the same at his core.”

“That depends on whether he is truly bad down to his very core, doesn’t it?” Yan Yixuan asked.

Brows rising, Ning Wei noted, “You seem to have a lot of faith in someone who is known to be a rapist and murderer, and an accomplice to similar crimes by his father.”

Yan Yixuan grew serious. “I know. I suppose my leniency comes from certain things I learned recently.”

“What things?” Ning Wei asked curiously. If it was about some new weakness of that prince that he could use to scold him the next time he went against his beloved, Ning Wei was all in for learning about it.

Not realizing the direction of his husband’s thoughts, the young man answered, “Since we put him under Brother-in-law’s charge, I naturally took the time to learn about the prince in more depth. Sui’s king was all too happy to assist my agents with the investigation to make up for the offense his son caused me.

“After learning of the circumstances that prince grew up in and the way he was recklessly indulged by the people around him, I wasn’t that surprised to realize that he probably doesn’t know the full extent of how wrong it is to force someone into one’s bed or callously take lives. He was raised to think that due to his royal status, he was allowed to do everything he wanted, whether by using money or force. He simply never had the opportunity to learn otherwise. He also most likely never had anyone he treasured enough to realize the value another person’s life can have.

“To put it simply, he was ignorant and enabled in his misdeeds due to his status. But now that he’s here, I’ll make sure he never has the chance to commit such crimes again.”

Ning Wei frowned thoughtfully. He’d never really thought there would be a reason behind that prince’s behavior that wasn’t intentionally malicious. Of course, understanding this didn’t suddenly make him feel forgiving. “No matter his circumstances or…immaturity, the fact remains that he committed those crimes.”

Yan Yixuan nodded gravely. “I’m aware. He won’t be absolved of all sins just because he didn’t think of them that way. But it does mean that he has room for growth. When he eventually realizes the full extent of his wrongs in the future, he might seek to make amends and correct his behavior on his own.”

Ning Wei couldn’t imagine how that would play out, but he didn’t refute the young man. “Either way, it won’t be happening anytime soon. We’ll just have to wait and see how he handles it.”

“Yes. As it is now, he’s already developing well in the right track,” Yan Yixuan said and looked back out the window.

On the bench, Tai Long was slurping down the noodles as fast as his manners would allow. He fanned his mouth at the hotness and spiciness of the noodles and seriously talked to his cat in between bites of food. His expression was more animated than Yan Yixuan had ever seen.

Smiling quietly, the young duke closed the curtain, and the carriage soon continued on its way.

Two days later, Lin Changyuan invited Tai Long to bring along Xiao-Ji and have lunch with his family at the Lin residence.