The Script I Received Was Wrong - Chapter 5

Gu Chengze pulled Xie Yunjin toward himself, casting a provocative glance at Liang Xuan.

Xie Yunjin was young and perhaps hadn’t reacted yet, but Gu Chengze saw it clearly: the way the Crown Prince looked at Xie Yunjin was becoming less and less like the way one looks at a mere friend.

At first, Gu Chengze only felt a sense of dissonance. It wasn’t until he happened upon his brother-in-law watching the Chu daughter walk away that it clicked. His brother-in-law’s gaze and the Prince’s gaze toward Xie Yunjin were eerily similar. Gu Chengze was struck by a realization. The Crown Prince actually harbored those kinds of feelings for his best friend!

Suddenly, many things made sense: the unusual intimacy, the constant tracking of his friend with his eyes, being exceptionally easy-going only in his friend’s presence, and that subtle, wordless possessiveness… Every sign pointed to the Prince having ulterior motives.

When he first sensed this, Gu Chengze felt a chill in his heart. Who was the Crown Prince? He was the heir to the throne, the one who would eventually rule the empire. If he truly decided to do something to Xie Yunjin, the boy would have no way to resist. Status and the throne were a chasm standing between them.

Fortunately, after some observation, he saw that his friend was incredibly dense in this department. Yunjin hadn’t noticed at all that the Prince might feel differently about him, and the Prince showed no intention of making it public. Gu Chengze’s racing heart settled slightly. He would keep this secret buried deep; as long as the Prince didn’t break the silence, there was still room for a way out.

However, lately, Yunjin seemed to have sensed something and had begun avoiding the Prince, whether intentionally or not. Gu Chengze was more than happy to see this. He truly did not want his friend to be sucked into the whirlpool of the imperial family.

Unaware of Gu Chengze’s inner turmoil, Xie Yunjin pried the increasingly tight arm from around his neck, complaining, “Chengze, if you use any more strength, we won’t be going home together; you’ll be sending me straight to the Imperial Hospital.”

Realizing he had accidentally used too much force, Gu Chengze quickly let go.

Liang Xuan strode over, carefully checking Xie Yunjin. “Does it hurt? I’ll send someone for the physician.”

“No, no, it’s fine.” Xie Yunjin refused repeatedly. Gu Chengze was just being a bit rough; it didn’t actually hurt.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. Look for yourself if you don’t believe me.” Xie Yunjin tilted his head.

A patch of snow-white skin entered Liang Xuan’s vision, and for a moment, he forgot exactly what he was going to say.

Gu Chengze looked away, unable to bear the sight. He was starting to doubt whether Xie Yunjin was actually as oblivious as he seemed.

Xie Yunjin simply hadn’t thought that far. He was a magnet for insects, and with summer approaching, he was prone to being bitten. Sometimes the bites were in places he couldn’t reach to apply medicine, so Liang Xuan would help him.

In the end, Xie Yunjin did not stay in the palace. Gu Chengze accompanied him to apologize to the teacher, and the two shared a carriage back to their estates.

“Do you have something you want to say to me?” Xie Yunjin asked after finishing a pine nut candy.

“Why the sudden question?”

“From the moment we left the palace until now, you’ve looked at me at least five times, and every time you look like you’re hesitating to speak.” The candy was a bit sweet, so Xie Yunjin picked up the tea beside him and finished it in a few gulps.

Gu Chengze was reluctant to be the one to expose the relationship. The world was unpredictable; even if the Prince was sincere now, who could guarantee that heart would remain unchanged in a few years?

Picking up a delicate pastry, Gu Chengze asked, “Is this the ‘Condensed Fragrance Cake’ from Fanghua Pavilion? How do you have so many snacks on your carriage? Did the Marchioness prepare them?”

“No,” Xie Yunjin also took a piece. “His Highness had them prepared.”

******

As Xie Yunjin grew older, his appetite increased, yet he remained a picky eater. If he didn’t like something, he wouldn’t touch it. The second time he went hungry, Liang Xuan caught him.

At that time, Xie Yunjin was secretly eating a plain white bun he had hidden away. He had smuggled it into the palace because the cook for the Academy had changed, and Yunjin couldn’t stomach the new food. Having gone hungry the day before, he brought the bun to avoid a repeat.

A palm-sized bun was hardly enough for a growing child, but it was better than nothing. Nine-year-old Little Yunjin waited for everyone else to go to lunch, then hid in a corner to nibble on his dry bun. He looked quite pitiful.

When Liang Xuan saw him, he thought his little companion was being bullied. He walked over with a heavy heart and took the bun from his hand.

Eating dry bread was choking work. Although Xie Yunjin wasn’t favored by the Marquis, he was still raised in luxury. He had never eaten such a simple meal. Thinking of eating with his mother back home, his eyes inadvertently reddened. He was struggling to swallow a bite when the bun was snatched away.

Who is it? I’m just eating a bun, you have to steal that too?

Little Yunjin looked up indignantly, only to see Liang Xuan staring at him with a look of extreme displeasure. The spark of anger in his heart vanished instantly.

Ah, the Crown Prince caught me stealing food.

Will His Highness think I’m a bad child and send me back?

Even though the Prince was usually cold, Xie Yunjin really liked this handsome older brother. Staying at the Academy was much more comfortable than being at the Marquis’s estate; he wouldn’t be scolded by his father for every little thing. Not to mention, he had new friends here like Gu Chengze.

His large, grape-like eyes blinked, and a thin mist began to form. “I…”

Before he could finish, the young Prince knelt down on one knee and asked softly, “Why are you here alone? Is someone bullying you?”

“N-No.” Little Yunjin, confused by the situation, looked up at him.

The youth of ten or so years, though still somewhat immature, already showed the brilliance he would possess as an adult. Even knowing his companion was good-looking, Liang Xuan was momentarily stunned.

“Don’t be afraid. If someone is bullying you, tell me, and I will punish them.” Thinking the child was too scared to speak, Liang Xuan’s voice became even gentler.

Little Yunjin didn’t want anyone punished on his behalf, so he shook his head. “Truly, no one is.”

Liang Xuan didn’t believe him, waving the bun in his hand. “Then why are you hiding here? Eating this instead of going to lunch?”

The ragged, half-eaten white bun looked completely out of place with the boy’s silken robes. Little Yunjin tugged at his clothes and lowered his head, his voice like a mosquito’s buzz. “I’m hungry.”

“Come, I’ll take you to eat.” Liang Xuan pulled him up, but after two steps, he felt resistance. He turned back, confused by the child who refused to move.

“I’ll just eat this.” Little Yunjin quickly snatched his bun back from Liang Xuan and stuffed it into his mouth.

Caught off guard, Liang Xuan lost the bun. He sighed and patted the back of the boy, who was now choking because he ate too fast. “I’m not stealing it from you. Eat slowly.”

“Cough, cough, cough!”

Ahhh, how embarrassing!!!

His face heated up rapidly, turning bright red in seconds. Little Yunjin’s eyes grew redder, and the tears from his coughing fit were about to fall, making him look utterly aggrieved and lovable.

Liang Xuan had never dealt with such a situation. He wanted to touch him but didn’t dare, his hand frozen in mid-air. “Don’t cry, please don’t cry.”

“I-I’m not crying!” Little Yunjin hiccuped, loudly defending his pride. He couldn’t lose face in front of the handsome Prince-gege! He clenched his small fists. “I just got choked!”

“Yes, you aren’t crying. You just got choked. I’ll take you to get some water first.”

This time, Liang Xuan successfully led him away.

In his private resting room, servants brought water at his command. Liang Xuan took it personally and held it to Little Yunjin’s lips. “Drink some water. Slowly now, don’t choke again.”

After finishing the water in small sips, Little Yunjin held his remaining bun, head down, not daring to look at anyone. Once he calmed down, Liang Xuan spoke, “What exactly is going on? My study companion shouldn’t be reduced to gnawing on plain buns in the palace.”

He had already sent people to investigate. Regardless, the child was his choice, and there was no way he would allow him to be bullied under his nose.

“It has nothing to do with anyone else. I just… I don’t like the food here. But if I don’t eat, I get really hungry, so I… I ate the bun.” Enduring the shame, Little Yunjin blurted it out in one breath.

Liang Xuan, who had considered every possibility from bullying at school to abuse at home, was rarely stunned, but he was now. “That’s it?” He asked, incredulous.

Little Yunjin peeked at the Prince, trying to see if he was angry, and gave a small, careful nod. When the servant returned with the same report, Liang Xuan felt both exasperated and amused. He took the boy to the Eastern Palace and fed him a full meal.

For the next few days, the Prince used the excuse of having a “poor appetite” to bring meals from the Eastern Palace and had his companion “serve” him while he ate. Nominally it was service, but in reality, he was giving the boy a private feast.

“Your Highness, is this really okay?” Little Yunjin asked tentatively, clutching his chopsticks.

The other princes all ate at the Academy. After the founding of the dynasty, to avoid the tragedies of the previous era, the requirements for princes were strict. Regardless of their mother’s status, they were treated equally at the Academy. Even if Liang Xuan was the heir, doing this every day was a bit too conspicuous.

Little Yunjin knew that the Crown Prince’s actions were largely for his benefit. “I can handle it myself,” he insisted.

“And how exactly will you handle it? By gnawing on buns every day?” Liang Xuan teased. After spending a few days together, the initial awkwardness between them had begun to melt away.

“I could bring other things…” Little Yunjin’s voice trailed off, his resolve weakening. In truth, he didn’t want to eat plain buns every day either! He was a picky eater with a bit of a sweet tooth; every time Liang Xuan had the kitchen prepare a variety of delicacies just for him, his palate only grew more refined.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. Just eat well and grow up. You don’t need to stress over these matters.”

“Your Highness, you’re so kind.” Xie Yunjin’s eyes sparkled with admiration. Aside from his mother and grandmother, this was the first person he had met who treated him with such genuine care. Mmm, the food in the Eastern Palace is truly delicious!

A few days later, the Academy reinstated the original cook, and Little Yunjin no longer needed Liang Xuan’s extra feedings. However, the bond between them had become several times closer than before. From that point on, wherever Xie Yunjin went, an assortment of snacks was always within arm’s reach.

“The Crown Prince prepared all of this?!” Gu Chengze’s voice rose in disbelief.

Snapping back to the present, Xie Yunjin nodded. “His Highness said he can’t let me go hungry.”

Looking at the variety of snacks and tea in the carriage, some of which couldn’t even be found on the market. Gu Chengze felt a wave of complicated emotions. He had always liked hitching a ride in Xie Yunjin’s carriage, partly for these very treats. He had assumed the Marquis’s estate prepared them; knowing they came from the Crown Prince was a shock. Thinking back, Xie Yunjin had these snacks since they first met. How young was he then? Did the Crown Prince develop feelings that early? Gu Chengze was dazed.

“His Highness… isn’t he a bit too good to you?” Gu Chengze paused, his tone conflicted. Was it too late to worry for his friend? The water was already boiling, and the frog seemed quite content.

Liang Xuan’s kindness was indeed beyond reproach, and Xie Yunjin never doubted it. That was precisely why, after learning about that dark future, his first instinct wasn’t to run away. Perhaps he should be a little better to Liang Xuan in return? But then he remembered the future from the dream… The images made his face flush crimson. No, that’s way too intense.

“Young Master, I’ve found the information you requested.”

Guanqi entered, interrupting his thoughts. Xie Yunjin rubbed his face, trying to scrub the “trash” from his mind. Due to the short notice, Guanqi hadn’t found much; a deeper look would require sending people to Yuzhou.

Feng Xingwen was a native of Yuzhou. Just as Xie Yunjin had heard, he was known as a child prodigy. He had passed the entry-level exams at a young age and studied under the great scholar Xun Liu. At eighteen, he had already written several essays that earned him national fame. Since arriving in the capital less than ten days ago, several officials had already reached out to him.

“Representatives from the Second, Third, and Fourth Princes have all made contact.”

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince stood by the window. A secret guard, identifiable by the dark red cloud pattern on his shoulder, knelt respectfully to report.

“Based on current findings, Feng Xingwen is not involved in the Yuzhou incident.”

“Mhm,” the Prince replied calmly.

The guard hesitated a moment before continuing, “I also discovered that the Young Master’s people are looking into this matter.”

The Prince’s calm facade wavered. “A-Jin’s people?”

“Yes, Your Highness. It was Guanqi. I’m certain.”

The Prince turned, his eyes shrouded in shadow. “Continue the investigation, but do not alert A-Jin.”

“Understood!”

The guard vanished silently, leaving Liang Xuan alone. A-Jin is investigating Feng Xingwen. Does he know something? No, it’s not time yet.

Late at night, Xie Yunjin lay in bed. For the first time, he desperately wanted to dream of the future. He had too many questions that only the “future” Liang Xuan could answer. However, fate is fickle; the harder he tried to dream, the more soundly he slept. He woke up the next morning feeling refreshed but empty-handed. Fine, I’ll deal with the dreams whenever they decide to show up.

As spring progressed, the days grew warmer. On a sunny holiday, Xie Yunjin dressed in light robes and headed out to explore.

“Hey, watch where you’re going! Don’t run into my master!” Guanqi shouted, blocking someone who was about to collide with them.

“My apologies, I…”

“Zhang Ziming?” Xie Yunjin asked hesitantly.

He could hardly be blamed for the uncertainty. The man before him was a far cry from the “fancy peacock” he usually knew. His clothes were disheveled and stained, his hair was a mess without a pin, and he looked more like a beggar than a refined gentleman. Xie Yunjin wasn’t close to Zhang Ziming; they only knew each other through Gu Chengze. Zhang’s sister had married into the Gu family, making him Gu Chengze’s brother-in-law.

“Oh, it’s Heir Xie,” Zhang Ziming muttered, trying to pull himself together. “I have things to attend to, so I won’t disturb you.” He stumbled away, clearly reeking of alcohol.

Worried he’d come to harm, Xie Yunjin grabbed him. “How did you get like this? Where are you going? I’ll have Guanqi take you.”

“No, no need. I’m… just walking.”

He was definitely drunk, his speech slurred. Xie Yunjin looked around. He only had Guanqi with him and needed to send word to Gu Chengze. He couldn’t just leave a friend’s relative in this state. While he was brainstorming a solution, a graceful man approached them.

“Does the young master require assistance?” a gentle voice asked.

Xie Yunjin looked up to see a man in simple green robes standing nearby, his eyes full of polite concern.

“And you are?”

“I noticed you seemed to be in a difficult spot and thought I might lend a hand,” the man explained.

“If you could, please help me bring him to the shop across the street.”

Zhang Ziming struggled, making it hard for Xie Yunjin to hold him. The man in green stepped in, and together they managed to get the drunkard inside. Xie Yunjin sent Guanqi to find Gu Chengze. While they waited, Xie Yunjin kept glancing at the stranger. For some reason, the man looked incredibly familiar, yet he couldn’t place him in his memories. Despite his scholarly appearance, the man was quite strong and easily subdued the thrashing Zhang Ziming.

“Is there something on my face?” the man asked, snapping Xie Yunjin out of his thoughts.

“Ah!” Xie Yunjin blurted out, embarrassed to be caught staring. “I was just thinking… you look like a scholar, yet you’re surprisingly strong.”

“I did farm work and went hunting in the mountains when I was young. I’ve built up some strength.”

“I haven’t asked for your name yet. Thank you for your help today. Once my friend arrives, I must thank you properly.”

“It was no trouble at all. No thanks are necessary.”

Xie Yunjin liked the man’s temperament and thought it might be nice to make a friend. “Meeting is fate. Would you care to be friends?”

“I would be honored. I am Feng Xiuzhu. And you?”

“You can just call me Yunjin.”

The surname Feng… is it a coincidence? Before he could ponder further, Zhang Ziming began to wail. Xie Yunjin went over to pat his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Zhang Ziming burst into loud sobs. The more Xie Yunjin asked, the harder he cried, until Xie Yunjin was forced to give up. Finally, Gu Chengze arrived. Upon seeing a familiar face, Zhang Ziming lunged forward and hugged Gu Chengze’s waist, bawling. Alcohol and tears smeared across Gu Chengze’s light-colored robes. The clean-freak Gu Chengze turned green, desperately trying to pry the man off while backing away.

“Whatever it is, just talk! Don’t hug me! Don’t wipe that filth on my clothes!!!”

Realizing he couldn’t pull him off, Gu Chengze sought outside help. “Yunjin! Brother! Give me a hand! Get him off me or I’m going to start crying too!”

Together, they pried Zhang Ziming loose and eventually managed to calm his sobbing. Gu Chengze sat to the side, furiously chugging water. He had reached for wine first, but Xie Yunjin snatched the cup away. “If you get drunk too, I’m leaving you both here!”

Gu Chengze drank his water grumpily. “I shouldn’t have come. Yunjin, leave him be. Let him cry until the whole capital knows the young master of the Zhang family has no shame left.”

Xie Yunjin knew he was just venting. If he truly didn’t care, he wouldn’t have rushed over so quickly. “Alright, alright. I know you’re mad. When he sobers up, make him buy you a new robe.”

Seeing he was no longer needed, Feng Xiuzhu took his leave. Once Zhang Ziming finally sobered up after a bowl of hangover soup, he offered a timid apology.

“I’m sorry,” Zhang Ziming muttered, looking at Gu Chengze’s ruined clothes.

Having waited half an hour, Gu Chengze’s anger had cooled. He slapped Zhang’s shoulder. “Fine. Now tell us what happened to make you get this drunk and cause a scene in the street.”

Zhang Ziming looked ready to cry again, so Gu Chengze nudged him. “Act normal!”

Zhang Ziming choked out, “Chuchu… she doesn’t want me anymore.”

Gu Chengze was stunned. “What? Didn’t your family already go to offer the betrothal gifts?”

“Yes,” Zhang Ziming wiped his face. “But Chuchu said she wants to enter the palace. She said I have nothing and can’t give her what she wants.”

“Bullshit!” Gu Chengze snapped, grabbing Zhang by the collar. “Don’t tell me you believed that.”

“Of course I don’t! Chuchu isn’t like that. The Chu family must be forcing her.”

In Great Liang, the social barriers between men and women were relatively relaxed. Chuchu was a lost child of the Chu family who had only been recovered this year. Zhang Ziming had met and fallen for her while she was still a commoner. They had shared feelings, but as soon as she was brought back to the Chu family, Zhang had followed her to the capital. The Chu family’s attitude remained ambiguous, leaving the two in limbo.

“Alright, don’t panic. We’ll look into what the Chu family is planning first,” Gu Chengze said. He knew his brother-in-law was deeply in love and was curious about the family’s motives. Xinyue Palace undoubtedly had its eye on the eldest Chu daughter, who was groomed for the Third Prince. She was the one who could provide the most support.

The three discussed the situation, primarily focusing on calming Zhang Ziming down. Once he regained his composure, Zhang apologized profusely to Xie Yunjin. “I’ve truly inconvenienced you today, Yunjin. My family’s large trade ship will be arriving in the capital soon. You must come and visit when it does.” Since the Zhang family were famous wealthy merchants from Jiangnan, Zhang Ziming was always quite generous. Xie Yunjin accepted with a smile.

To make amends, Zhang Ziming treated Xie Yunjin to dinner for several days, inviting Feng Xiuzhu as well. As they were all of a similar age, they quickly became close friends. Since they were now friends, it only made sense to help. Xie Yunjin decided to ask Liang Xuan about the palace’s involvement, as Liang Xuan would know best.

After school that day, Xie Yunjin bid farewell to Gu Chengze and followed the Crown Prince like a little shadow.

“So, A-Jin is finally willing to leave his new friends to accompany me?”

Those words sounded rather melancholy. Xie Yunjin paused, rubbed his nose guiltily, and quickly scurried to Liang Xuan’s side.

“Wherever did Your Highness hear that? What new friends? We’ve only met a few times; how could they ever compare to Your Highness?” Xie Yunjin gave a flattering smile, his almond eyes sparkling like scattered starlight.

As Liang Xuan looked at his obedient behavior, most of that faint, indiscernible sourness in his heart vanished. He naturally took the book bag from Xie Yunjin’s hands and handed it to Eunuch Gao, his tone softening. “To have A-Jin leave the palace several days in a row to accompany them, they must be quite interesting people.”

“It’s Chengze’s brother-in-law, Zhang Ziming, and a gentleman named Feng Xiuzhu,” Xie Yunjin explained as they walked toward the Eastern Palace, spilling everything that had happened over the last few days.

At the mention of “Feng Xiuzhu,” Liang Xuan’s footsteps faltered for a fraction of a second before returning to normal.

“Feng Xiuzhu?” Liang Xuan murmured the name, his eyes deep and unreadable. “What does A-Jin think of him?”

“He seems quite nice. He’s refined and polite, yet he’s surprisingly strong.”

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