The Script I Received Was Wrong - Chapter 2

The sheer impact of everything in that dream was so overwhelming that even though Xie Yunjin knew none of it had happened yet, he still found it difficult to face reality.

Who could remain composed when facing a best friend who had treated them like that in a dream?!

Especially when Liang Xuan was currently standing before him with a perfectly righteous expression, showering him with warmth and concern.

No, he needed a moment.

Xie Yunjin averted his gaze.

Noticing his poor state, Liang Xuan spoke considerately, “I have already requested a leave of absence from the Grand Tutor on your behalf. Focus on recovering first; other matters can wait until you are well.”

Since being chosen as the Crown Prince’s study companion at the age of nine, Xie Yunjin had spent over six years studying alongside Liang Xuan at the Imperial Academy.

Unlike Liang Xuan, who excelled in every field and had been praised by teachers since childhood, Xie Yunjin had been a headache for his instructors from day one. Aside from being somewhat decent at mathematics, he couldn’t absorb anything else especially political essays. The only reason he had made it this far was thanks to the Crown Prince giving him private tutoring after hours.

As it happened, the last assignment from Grand Tutor Lord Gu had been a political essay. During the three-day holiday, Xie Yunjin had been unconscious for the entire duration. Thinking of the stern, awe-inspiring Lord Gu, Xie Yunjin felt his head throb. “The coursework the Grand Tutor assigned… I haven’t finished it…”

The person Xie Yunjin feared most in the Academy was Grand Tutor Gu. It wasn’t because of his high rank, but because the man was utterly incorruptible and immune to charms. The acting cute and playing coy that worked on other teachers had zero effect on this Grand Tutor!

He calculated the time. Unfortunately, tomorrow morning was Lord Gu’s class.

“I might as well have stayed unconscious,” Xie Yunjin muttered, looking like he had lost all hope in life.

“What nonsense are you talking?” Liang Xuan flicked his forehead with a finger. “The Grand Tutor knows you were ill; he won’t be overly harsh.”

Xie Yunjin covered his forehead where he’d been flicked. “You definitely finished yours.”

“How about I teach you…” Seeing Xie Yunjin’s mournful expression, Liang Xuan’s voice trailed off.

Ultimately, unable to withstand that gaze, Liang Xuan changed his tune: “You’ve been ill, so it’s only natural that you couldn’t write it this time. I believe the Grand Tutor will understand.”

Xie Yunjin immediately perked up. “I think so too! It’s not like I didn’t write it on purpose.”

Having escaped an essay, Xie Yunjin’s mood improved significantly, and much of the awkwardness stemming from the dream dissipated.

This is more like it, he thought. Liang Xuan should be like this: a refined gentleman who is considerate of others, not that self-centered person in the dream who kept doing strange things to him.

Since Xie Yunjin had just woken up, Liang Xuan did not disturb him for long. Once he was sure his friend was fine, he took his leave. He had recently begun formally engaging with court affairs, and his younger brothers, now grown were watching him like hawks. He was extremely busy during this period.

Upon hearing the Crown Prince had visited, the Marquis of Changning rushed over.

“My Lord.”

Outside the room, the maidservants bowed.

Recognizing the maids as those serving the Dowager Marchioness and the Marchioness, the Marquis frowned. “Is there an honored guest inside?”

“Reporting to My Lord, only the Dowager and the Madam are in the Young Master’s room.”

Despite his haste, the Marquis was still a step too late. A flicker of displeasure crossed his face, though he kept his expression neutral.

The maid pushed the door open. Inside, Xie Yunjin had said something that prompted the Dowager and the Marchioness to burst into laughter.

Seeing the Marquis, the Marchioness stood up. “My Lord.”

“There is no need for such formality, Madam.”

The Marquis first greeted the Dowager before asking, “Is A-Jin feeling better?”

“Much better,” Xie Yunjin replied.

The Marchioness and the Dowager doted on him and hadn’t allowed him to get up, so Xie Yunjin remained leaning crookedly against the headboard. Seeing this, the Marquis’s brow furrowed slightly. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the Dowager interrupted him:

“A-Jin just woke up. I was the one who told him not to get out of bed.”

With the Dowager speaking up, the Marquis naturally couldn’t say anything more.

The Marquis had always been a strict father who frequently scolded Xie Yunjin, so their relationship was strained. The Marchioness, on the other hand, felt a cold bitterness toward her husband because he had shown no concern while their son was unconscious for three days.

After a moment of silence, the Marquis spoke, “The Crown Prince rarely visits; why didn’t you keep him a while longer?”

“I…” The smile on Xie Yunjin’s face instantly collapsed.

Even though he knew the Marquis didn’t particularly like him, he hadn’t expected that the first thing his biological father would care about upon his recovery was why he hadn’t made the Crown Prince stay.

“What do you mean by that?” The Marchioness finally lost her patience. “A-Jin has been sick for three days. You didn’t come to see him, yet the moment you heard the Crown Prince was here, you came running. Is A-Jin not important to you at all?”

“I didn’t mean it that way,” the Marquis instinctively defended himself. “The situation at court has been volatile lately…”

With several princes vying for power, the Emperor was happy to watch, but it was the ministers caught in the center of the storm who suffered. Recently, trouble had broken out in Yuzhou, and it was tied to the Marquis through a convoluted web of connections. The Marquis had been suffering from a massive headache over this matter for some time.

He knew his legitimate son was the study companion personally chosen by the Crown Prince and likely had some influence. He had intended for Xie Yunjin to put in a good word for him. Unfortunately, just as the matter exploded, Xie Yunjin fell ill, forcing the Marquis to scramble on his own.

Though he had inherited the title of Marquis, he had few personal achievements in court. His ability to maintain a foothold over the years was, to some extent, due to having a son who was the Crown Prince’s companion, though he refused to admit it.

The Marquis patiently offered a few words of comfort, but given the presence of his protective mother and wife, he did not pursue the topic further.

After the imperial physician’s examination confirmed that Xie Yunjin was merely a bit weak but otherwise fine, Xie Yunjin boarded a carriage the next day under his mother’s endless instructions and headed for the Academy.

“Yunjin, over here!”

Outside the palace gates, Xie Yunjin stepped off the carriage and looked up as someone called his name.

A youth dressed in lake-blue silk strode over, draping an arm over his shoulder. “I heard you were sick. Are you feeling better?”

“Much better.”

The two walked into the palace side-by-side.

The Imperial Academy was established within the palace. Initially, it only provided lessons for princes, but later, as a show of imperial favor, it opened enrollment to the sons of certain nobles. The youth in silk, Gu Chengze, was one such student. Others, like Xie Yunjin, were there as study companions.

“I might not be able to go to the spring outing at the end of the month.” Speaking of this, Gu Chengze looked depressed. “My father said my fourth uncle’s family is returning to the capital, so I have to stay home.”

Gu Chengze was a true scion of the nobility. His grandfather, Lord Gu, was a cabinet minister and the Crown Prince’s tutor, and his father also served in the court.

“Hasn’t your fourth uncle’s term not ended yet?”

The fourth uncle of the Gu family had been stationed away for many years. By calculation, his term wouldn’t end until next year.

“Yeah, but my father said my fourth uncle did something great over there, so the transfer order should be coming down in a few days.”

The two hadn’t arrived too early; when they reached the Academy, a few people were already scattered about the room. Xie Yunjin walked naturally to Liang Xuan’s side and sat down.

Liang Xuan put down his brush. “Why did you come today?”

He had told Xie Yunjin yesterday that he would request leave for him.

“I am such a lover of learning; how could I hide at home over a tiny bit of illness?” Xie Yunjin leaned on the desk, facing Liang Xuan. His almond-shaped eyes were round and bright.

Today, he wore a light blue robe covered by a pale blue gauze outer layer. His jet-black hair was simply tied back with a matching ribbon. His complexion was still slightly pale, and his delicate features carried a faint hint of fragility.

But Liang Xuan knew this was an illusion.

If one only looked at his appearance, they might think Xie Yunjin was a weak young master. After getting to know him, however, one would realize he was not weak at all—he was more like a sunflower: resilient and vibrant.

Reaching out to brush away a stray lock of hair from Xie Yunjin’s cheek, Liang Xuan smiled. “Truly? I think if the Grand Tutor knew you were this studious, he would be very gratified.”

Xie Yunjin nodded without any psychological burden, showing no sign of the person who had tried to dodge his essay the day before.

As his fingertips grazed the cheek, the smooth texture made Liang Xuan’s gaze darken slightly. “Since A-Jin is so studious, the coursework assigned by the Grand Tutor must be finished, right?”

Xie Yunjin suddenly bolted upright and grabbed Liang Xuan’s hand. “Your Highness, you promised me yesterday!”

Liang Xuan remained silent.

Xie Yunjin watched him for a long while, unsure if he was joking or serious. He eventually drooped like a little flower. “Fine, I’ll tell the truth. My father is at home today. You know what he’s like—nagging and lecturing. Rather than staying home to deal with his attitude, I’d rather come here.”

Grand Tutor Gu was definitely the teacher who gave Xie Yunjin the biggest headache. As the Crown Prince’s tutor, besides teaching at the Academy, he would also give private lectures to the Prince after hours. Xie Yunjin was often dragged along by the Prince to listen and had suffered plenty under his “tutelage.”

“Alright, I’m just teasing you. I have already spoken with the Grand Tutor; he won’t make things difficult for you today.”

The implication was that whether he would make things difficult later was another story.

Xie Yunjin stared at Liang Xuan for a long time before slumping back onto the table listlessly.

Just as Liang Xuan had said, Grand Tutor Gu only spared him a single glance when he entered and said nothing more. Xie Yunjin let out a massive sigh of relief.

After all, he had been ill, so his energy was somewhat lacking. After school, he followed the Crown Prince to the Eastern Palace in a daze. Gu Chengze shouted after him several times from behind, but he didn’t manage to get his attention.

Xie Yunjin had his own dedicated residence in the Eastern Palace—a side hall located closest to the Crown Prince’s bedchamber.

The head eunuch, Eunuch Gao, chuckled upon seeing him. “Why is the Young Master so sleepy today?”

Liang Xuan walked beside Xie Yunjin, partially supporting him by the waist. “He probably hasn’t fully recovered from his illness. Have the kitchen prepare everything he likes to eat.”

“Rest assured, Your Highness, it’s all being prepared. Should we call the imperial physician to take a look?”

“No… no need. I just need to sleep for a bit,” Xie Yunjin managed to mumble, struggling against his drowsiness.

The palace servants quickly laid out the meal, and Liang Xuan sat beside Xie Yunjin, personally attending to him as he ate. The servants in the room had long since grown accustomed to seeing the heir to the throne personally serving someone a meal.

Once he was eighty percent full, Xie Yunjin didn’t want to eat anymore. Liang Xuan didn’t force him; he washed his hands and led him to the inner chamber.

Eunuch Gao quietly drew the curtains of the bedchamber. In the dim environment, Xie Yunjin fell asleep almost the moment he touched the bed.

After finishing his official business, Liang Xuan walked slowly to the bedside. He leaned down gradually, but his movements paused when he was only an arm’s length away from Xie Yunjin.

If Xie Yunjin were awake, he would have discovered that Liang Xuan’s expression at this moment was exactly the same as the one he had encountered in his dream.

As the sky gradually darkened, there was no sign of Xie Yunjin waking up. Eunuch Gao walked in with light footsteps. “Your Highness…”

Mid-sentence, Eunuch Gao suddenly went silent.

The room was dim. The Crown Prince sat by the bed, staring unblinkingly at the sleeping youth like a massive predator lurking in the dark. The youth on the bed was the treasure he could never obtain.

Does the Crown Prince harbor such feelings for Young Master Xie?

Eunuch Gao was terrified. He had never seen the Crown Prince like this. Although it was the same person, the Crown Prince before him gave off a far more terrifying feeling. The difference between a cub and a grown beast was stark. An impenetrable shadow surrounded him, carrying an aura that shouldn’t belong to a youth of seventeen or eighteen.

“Don’t wake him.”

The Crown Prince’s voice was very soft, as if he feared disturbing something.

Eunuch Gao lowered his head, focusing solely on his own tasks. The master’s affairs were not for a servant like him to question.

“Mgh…”

As if sensing something, the youth on the bed flickered his eyelids.

The moment Xie Yunjin opened his eyes, he thought he had fallen back into the dream. The way Liang Xuan was looking at him was identical to what he had seen in that nightmare.

In just an instant, the Crown Prince’s aura vanished.

“A-Jin, you’re awake?”

Xie Yunjin blinked, staring at Liang Xuan uncertainly for a moment. The Prince allowed him to look.

Xie Yunjin then looked at Eunuch Gao.

Eunuch Gao glanced at his master before speaking, “Young Master, you’ve been asleep for nearly four hours. His Highness saw how soundly you were sleeping and specifically ordered us not to wake you.”

“Why did I sleep for so long?!” Xie Yunjin sat up slowly.

There were no chains on his body. Liang Xuan was perfectly normal—he was the Crown Prince he knew.

Just now… was it his imagination?

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