TRM Chapter 7

The next morning, Qiao Guanxing woke up, promptly forgetting about the failed materialistic meteorology study plan he had tried to implement the night before. Instead, he eagerly anticipated heading out.

Since arriving in Hezhou, he hadn’t ventured out of the palace gates, and he was eager to see what life was like outside. Besides, this was a business trip sponsored by his superior—free meals, accommodations, and travel expenses paid for. Who wouldn’t be excited?

In the hall, their entourage had already laid out breakfast. Hezhou’s cuisine was slightly different from the capital’s, and Qiao Guanxing eagerly dug in. He enjoyed the novelty, and his appetite was excellent—finishing two bowls of sweet porridge and three pastries in one go. When he saw the Crown Prince, His Highness, walking out of the room, he quickly swallowed his mouthful and dutifully approached with his plate.

“Your Highness, have you had breakfast yet? This pastry is delicious. Would you like to try some?”

Zhou Jingyuan pressed his lips together, deliberately avoiding eye contact. “No, I don’t want any.”

Qiao Guanxing didn’t take offense. “What about some porridge?”

“No porridge.”

“…”

Qiao Guanxing finally began to feel something was off with his superior today. Every time their eyes met, Zhou Jingyuan would quickly turn his face away, and then just as swiftly turn back again.

Qiao Guanxing: ?

He hesitated before asking, “Did I do something wrong? Why won’t you look at me, Your Highness?”

As soon as he spoke, Zhou Jingyuan, as though startled, immediately glanced at him but quickly turned his head again, snorting softly. “Who said I’m embarrassed to look at you!”

…No one said that.

Qiao Guanxing was confused. Who said anything about embarrassment? He had simply asked why His Highness wasn’t looking at him.

The sun climbed higher, and the snow on the eaves began to drip. A messenger entered, announcing that today was the annual temple fair in Hezhou, and it was the perfect time to observe the local people’s lives.

Zhou Jingyuan nodded, and several of his attendants hurriedly began collecting various items for him. But the Crown Prince refused them. “No need to follow me. There will be secret guards protecting me. I don’t want too many people with me, it’ll be too much of a spectacle.”

The attendants froze. “Understood, Your Highness.”

They looked unperturbed, but Qiao Guanxing reacted strongly. He quickly moved up to Zhou Jingyuan’s side, his tone a little pitiful. “Your Highness, please, just take me along. I won’t be a burden!”

“Please, please take me!”

He really wanted to go to the temple fair!

Zhou Jingyuan glanced at him, then turned his face away, though there was an almost imperceptible hint of pride in his voice as he muttered, “How troublesome. If I don’t take you, you’ll probably end up secretly crying again.”

“Fine. I’ll allow it. Let’s go.”

Qiao Guanxing: …Huh?

Who’s crying? Him, crying? What does His Highness mean by that?

Ah, well. An employee can never fully understand the mind of their superior. There’s always a generation gap. At least, he was happy to go on a business-paid trip to the temple fair!

However, Qiao Guanxing’s excitement didn’t last long. The crowds outside were overwhelming.

The main road, wide enough to fit ten horses abreast, was so packed it seemed as if the city itself was being suffocated. People jostled and pushed, and he could barely see anything, let alone enjoy the fair. The heat and the humidity only added to the discomfort. He was just trying to keep up with the Crown Prince, being jostled in every direction.

Zhou Jingyuan, on this inspection trip, had come to observe the prices of everyday goods like grains and fabrics at the fair. He got so caught up in his task that he didn’t notice that Qiao Guanxing had been swept away by the crowd.

Unfamiliar with the area and fearing he’d get lost, Qiao Guanxing instinctively opened his mouth to call for His Highness—but then stopped himself.

He couldn’t call His Highness directly. In a feudal monarchy, calling your superior by their name might very well be the end of you.

What should he do? Call him Zhou Jingyuan?

That wouldn’t work either.

Just as he was contemplating this, fortune smiled upon him. At that exact moment, Zhou Jingyuan noticed his absence and turned around, their eyes meeting across the bustling crowd.

Qiao Guanxing’s mouth was still open, but instead of calling His Highness, he yelled, “Mianmian!”

Zhou Jingyuan froze for a moment, and his ears immediately turned red. He quickly moved over, grabbing Qiao Guanxing and pulling him to his side. After a long pause, he softly scolded him, “You’re bold.”

Qiao Guanxing peeked up at his superior. Oh no, Zhou Jingyuan’s face was flushed with anger. He clearly didn’t like the nickname.

Feeling entirely unprincipled, Qiao Guanxing quickly apologized. “Your Highness, I’m sorry! I won’t call you Mianmian again!”

“Good that you know,” Zhou Jingyuan said coldly.

Zhou Jingyuan’s gaze shifted to a stall selling small trinkets by the side of the road. He seemed to have entered work mode, but his words were anything but professional. “Since you know your mistake, I suppose I’ll reluctantly allow you to hold onto my sleeve.”

Let’s see if this little trickster dares to run off again.

Not far from the temple fair’s center, the crowds were thinner, and Qiao Guanxing spotted a stall selling ceramics. Each piece was delicate and charming.

He excitedly pulled out some money and bought a few, then quickly caught up with Zhou Jingyuan. Eagerly, he picked out one of the figures and presented it like a treasure.

“Your Highness, this one’s for you.”

It was a small ceramic figure dressed in a light-colored long robe with an icy expression. At first glance, Qiao Guanxing thought it resembled Zhou Jingyuan. He emphasized, “I specifically chose this one for you!”

The Crown Prince looked at the figurine, raised an eyebrow, and commented, “Shoddy craftsmanship.”

Before Qiao Guanxing could protest, Zhou Jingyuan swiftly tucked the figurine into his sleeve. Despite his dismissive words, he clearly valued the gesture—it was something Qiao Guanxing had taken such care to choose. If he hadn’t cared deeply, why would he have bothered?

It was clear to Zhou Jingyuan that the little trickster had feelings for him.

Despite his composed exterior, Zhou Jingyuan’s mood brightened, though he kept up the formal tone. “Since this is your earnest gift, I’ll accept it.”

Qiao Guanxing：…

Qiao Guanxing hesitated and asked, “Is it really poorly made?”

With a sigh, he pulled out the other figurines he had bought and displayed them, saying in a regretful tone, “I picked a few more. I was going to bring them back for the Third Princess and the Young Prince.”

Since meeting Zhou Mingse, the two had found they got along well, and their interactions had increased.

To Qiao Guanxing, Zhou Mingse was a good colleague on his work journey, so of course he had to bring back gifts!

“…The Third Princess?”

Zhou Jingyuan’s expression darkened. “She has one too?”

Qiao Guanxing nodded, pointing to the figurines in his hand as he began his introductions. “This one’s for the Third Princess, this one’s for the Young Prince, and this one’s for Lord Ning.”

Very well. Zhou Jingyuan pinched his own ceramic figurine. So, even Lord Ning, a cat, had one of these.

Was this little trickster actually interested in him, or not!

While Zhou Jingyuan’s heart was filled with a touch of bitterness, there was also a tinge of anger. “You…”

He had intended to ask for clarification, but as his gaze met Qiao Guanxing’s eyes, he suddenly deflated.

Forget it.

There was still plenty of time. There was no need to rush.

Over the course of their time together, Qiao Guanxing had become quite familiar with Zhou Jingyuan’s temper—his moods shifting between sunny and stormy. He leaned closer, nudging Zhou Jingyuan’s arm with a concerned expression.

“Your Highness, is something wrong?”

“Hmph.”

Zhou Jingyuan yanked his sleeve away from Qiao Guanxing’s hand, acting as though he were sulking. Coldly, he said, “Give gifts to whoever you like. I don’t care. Not the slightest bit concerned.”

Qiao Guanxing, “…Huh?”

The inspection trip didn’t last too long, just a little over a month.

During this time, Qiao Guanxing had traveled all over with the Crown Prince, and his mood was quite happy. He had bought all sorts of random things, which he quickly distributed among his friends once they returned to the palace. Even Lord Ning received some specialty dried fish.

Zhou Mingse, who had never left the palace, was curious about the outside world. She decided to spend the entire day in the Astrology Tower, listening to Qiao Guanxing’s stories about the trip.

When Zhou Jingyuan came in for lunch, she was there, and when he came back after finishing his state affairs in the evening, she was still there.

The Crown Prince fiddled with the little ceramic figure in his sleeve and left without a word.

The next day, he dragged Qiao Guanxing into his study, casually flipping through a book while speaking lazily.

“Didn’t you have a pleasant conversation with Mingse yesterday? Why is it that when you’re with me, you barely say a word?”

Qiao Guanxing tried to explain quietly. “Yesterday, I was talking to the Princess about the inspection.”

“Excuses.”

Zhou Jingyuan’s voice grew colder. “Then why didn’t you tell me?”

“……What was there to tell you?”

Qiao Guanxing was beginning to feel puzzled. “Your Highness, you were there during the inspection too.”

“And so what?”

The Crown Prince, barely able to suppress his irritation, thought about how the little trickster had bought so many things for Zhou Mingse but only one for him. He also remembered how Qiao Guanxing had been so absorbed in talking with Mingse yesterday, barely paying attention to him in the Astrology Tower.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He slammed the book down onto the table. “Qiao Guanxing, what’s there to explain? You’re fickle, unstable!”

Qiao Guanxing was stunned.

Was he being scolded just for not telling His Highness about the inspection?

This was….. completely unreasonable!

Once again, the heir to a feudal throne with his capricious moods. So unreasonable! Qiao Guanxing was beginning to feel that he needed to save up and escape soon. With the Crown Prince’s temper, he might not even make it to the coronation before he was done away with.

Trembling with fear, Qiao Guanxing swallowed nervously and mumbled, “I know I was wrong, Your Highness.”

“You…”

Zhou Jingyuan seemed about to say something, but then he noticed the clear fear in Qiao Guanxing’s expression and frowned.

“What are you afraid of?”

…Had he been too harsh just now?

Upon thinking it through, Zhou Jingyuan realized that Qiao Guanxing had simply talked more with Mingse, he shouldn’t have accused him of being fickle.

Besides, perhaps Qiao Guanxing did have feelings for him—if that was the case, being called fickle by someone you cared for would surely sting, and he might even be silently angry about it.

With this thought, the Crown Prince suddenly felt a pang of sympathy. He silently took a sip of tea and awkwardly changed the subject. “Well, the East Palace made some new pastries, they’re in the outer hall. You should go try them.”

Qiao Guanxing: ?

Capricious, truly capricious.

Qiao Guanxing had been a bit afraid at first, but the pastries were so delicious that he almost forgot all about his negative feelings while eating.

Having grown up in difficult circumstances, if he didn’t have some ability to heal himself, life would have been much harder.

Just as he was about to muster the courage to rebuild a peaceful working relationship with the Crown Prince, Zhou Jingyuan came out from the inner room and invited him to stay for dinner.

Quickly, Qiao Guanxing nodded eagerly—dinner sounded great, he’d get full, and it would help improve their relationship. He loved meals the most!

What he didn’t realize was that his eager nodding seemed to Zhou Jingyuan like the behavior of someone who was trying to please him out of fear and resentment.

The Crown Prince furrowed his brows and looked down, uncertain of how to explain that he hadn’t meant it.

Born as the Crown Prince, Zhou Jingyuan had never apologized to anyone. After thinking it over, and after a few sips of wine at dinner, he finally spoke.

He said, “How about I reward you with 100 taels of gold?”

Qiao Guanxing, not quite believing his ears, suppressed his excitement and confusion. “Your Highness, are you serious?”

Zhou Jingyuan, growing a bit impatient, replied, “Double it.”

Qiao Guanxing took a deep breath, his eyes wide with excitement. “Your Highness, you’re too kind!”

He declared Zhou Jingyuan the best boss in the world!

And his bad temper? That was just his personality!

Seeing Qiao Guanxing smile again, Zhou Jingyuan felt relieved. He knew the little trickster loved wealth, so this move would surely work.

After another sip of wine, he casually asked, “So, are you still upset?”

Qiao Guanxing, still floating on the happiness of receiving such a windfall, was confused. What was he supposed to be upset about?

Seeing that Qiao Guanxing remained silent, Zhou Jingyuan suddenly grew more serious and spoke softly.

“I shouldn’t have said such harsh things to you…”

Qiao Guanxing froze.

…What kind of extraordinary boss was this?

Zhou Jingyuan was actually apologizing for those two insignificant remarks!

Qiao Guanxing reflected on himself. He shouldn’t have secretly thought his boss was unreasonable and petty.

Seeing that Zhou Jingyuan was about to say more, he quickly patted his chest and explained, “Your Highness, I wasn’t angry. Really, I wasn’t!”

“Really?”

Zhou Jingyuan, his face now flushed slightly from the wine, spoke slowly, his words more deliberate.

“That’s good.”

The dining table fell silent for a moment. Just as Qiao Guanxing thought the topic had been put to rest, he saw Zhou Jingyuan glance at him again. His tone was soft and slow, as though he had been wronged.

“Then why don’t you call me ‘Mianmian’ now?”