Chapter 10 – Jealousy – His Highness’s Uneasiness

The messages kept flashing, all filled with incessant chatter about another person.

Lu Xingwang used to find such ambiguous talk boring, but it paled in comparison to the annoyance it brought him today. Although he believed making friends was a normal thing and indeed a good thing, seeing how excited and exuberant Jian Mei looked after making a friend, he inexplicably felt a sense of discomfort.

However, foolish as Jian Mei was, he didn’t notice at all and continued blabbering:

“He said he had a good impression of me when I first transferred here.”

“He’s quite willing to be friends with me.”

“He even said we could hang out together in the future.”

“What do you think?”

Lu Xingwang leaned back in his chair with a hint of elegance in his youthful posture. The black satin collar draped around him was slightly open. As he looked at the words on the screen, a trace of coldness flickered in his eyes. He raised an eyebrow and typed a question: [How long have you been at school?]

Jian Mei was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Lu Xingwang to ask that, but he still honestly replied, “It’s been half a month.”

Lu Xingwang chuckled coldly: [And he ask you about it today?]

Jian Mei choked up.

It felt as if his heart and lungs had been struck by a heavy blow, the shock reverberating within him, unable to settle for a long time. It was like a sudden downpour in what was once a clear sky, catching him off guard with no preparation, leaving him somewhat at a loss.

“Maybe…” Jian Mei said softly, “Maybe he didn’t find a suitable opportunity before?”

Lu Xingwang moved his gaze away disdainfully, even too lazy to bother with Jian Mei anymore.

He was born in the royal family, a place where people engaged in cutthroat politics and fought to the death. These people were skilled at speaking beautiful words but engaged in all sorts of shady activities. Although he hadn’t met Jian Mei in person, even through the screen, he could sense that he was a child brimming with innocence and simplicity. Perhaps what he said was true, that person simply hadn’t found the right opportunity, and it wasn’t as dark as he had imagined.

He could have just let it go, but even if it was just a one-in-a-million chance, he still spoke up and reminded Jian Mei. Maybe it was because of that soft and gentle voice that lingered in his ears, or perhaps it was because of that foolish act of seeking Buddha in the temple, or maybe… maybe there were many reasons, but Lu Xingwang still voiced it out. It didn’t align with his character, but Jian Mei once again made him break the norm.

[Pay more attention to yourself], he finally said, [If it’s a true friend, then cherish the relationship].

Jian Mei was still obedient. “Okay, got it.”

When he made friends, he was very happy and excited. But Lu Xingwang’s words seemed to sober him up. Perhaps Cheng Yu’s words were just polite remarks. Cheng Yu had a good relationship with many people and was friendly to everyone. So, it was just ordinary politeness towards him. He shouldn’t take it to heart and truly believe in being good friends. It would be better to be more sensible.

With these thoughts, Jian Mei prepared to put down his phone and continue with his homework.

“Ding.”

Just as he was thinking that, he received a new message.

Jian Mei paused and noticed that it was his friend Cheng Yu messaging him. He opened the message and was surprised to see Cheng Yu’s text: “Are you there?”

Due to Lu Xingwang’s influence, Jian Mei was no longer as enthusiastic. He replied politely and reservedly, “Yes, class monitor, is there something you need?”

Cheng Yu was taken aback.

When they left school, Jian Mei didn’t appear this cold. How did he change so drastically in such a short period of time?

“Just call me Cheng Yu, no need to be so formal,” he typed. “Are you working on your homework? How is it going? Today’s math exercises seem a bit challenging in the main section. Are you managing fine?”

Jian Mei replied, “I haven’t started yet.”

Cheng Yu was enthusiastic. “If you have any difficulties, you can ask me. Don’t hesitate.”

“It’s alright. My parents will check my homework later,” Jian Mei replied somewhat distant. “Thank you, though.”

Cheng Yu unconsciously furrowed his brows. Jian Mei definitely wasn’t like this earlier in the day. Where did things go wrong?

No matter how Cheng Yu tried to steer the conversation, Jian Mei remained polite and proper, as if there was a barrier between them. It seemed like he wasn’t putting much trust in Cheng Yu.

“In a couple of days, there’s a self-organized autumn outing in our class. Will you come?” Cheng Yu took the opportunity to entice him. “It’s a collective outing. We don’t have much time for leisure during regular studies, so on the weekends, we can go out together and have some fun. Almost all the classmates will be there.”

Collective activity.

Upon reading that, Jian Mei hesitated. “Should I go too? But this is a collective activity, and I…”

Cheng Yu quickly said, “There will also be some interactive games and such. It’s an opportunity to make friends and blend into the group. Don’t worry, I’ll be there too.”

Blending into the group.

That was something Jian Mei had been thinking about all along. It had to be said that Cheng Yu’s words were quite enticing to him. After some contemplation, he finally agreed, “Okay, sure.”

Cheng Yu’s mouth curved into a triumphant smile. “Then I’ll send you the address. See you this weekend.”

“Okay.”

After finishing the vague conversation, he closed the chat box. For some reason, he felt exhausted. It was really difficult to blend into a group. Actually, being alone sometimes wasn’t bad either. But inevitably, his mother would always ask if he was doing well at school and if he had made new friends. If things weren’t going well, she would worry. He had already caused his family too much worry from childhood to now. At least in these matters, he should try his best.

…

Weekend

Today was a sunny day, with the big sun covering the sky. They called it an autumn outing, but it was still hot. The place for the group building activity was on a mountain, and everyone had agreed to go hiking.

“Oh! You’re also here for the hike?”

A voice came from behind him.

Jian Mei turned around and saw that it was Wang Can, who always followed behind Cheng Yu. He politely greeted him, “Hello.”

Wang Can smiled, “Hello, hello.”

The two of them weren’t familiar, so there wasn’t much to talk about. After a while, Cheng Yu also arrived. There were about ten people in groups of two or three, including four or five girls and seven or eight boys. The more they gathered as a group, the more it emphasized who the center was. The people who were originally scattered came together when Cheng Yu arrived.

“There are several scenic routes on this mountain. You can choose the one you like, but we’ll gather for lunch at the foot of the mountain at noon,” Cheng Yu instructed. “Form groups of two or three, and don’t get left behind.”

Everyone responded together.

Cheng Yu had a natural leadership quality. When he spoke, everyone listened. After finishing his instructions, he looked at Jian Mei, “So let’s form teams freely.”

Jian Mei was wearing a yellow sun hat with a duck pattern, dressed in light sports attire. His fair skin made him look like a delicate white porcelain doll under the sun. He carried a light-colored backpack on his back and had a twist-cap water bottle hanging from his waist. Even though he was in his second year of junior high, he looked as cute as an elementary school student.

Noticing Cheng Yu’s gaze, Jian Mei hesitated whether to approach him. He took a step forward and said softly, “Then, should I…”

A girl preemptively exclaimed, “I’ll team up with the class representative!”

“I’ll go with Yu-ge as well.”

“Take me along.”

“Hey hey, I also brought homemade sandwiches from home. Let’s eat together later, Yu-ge.”

In no time, three or four people gathered around Cheng Yu, and the crowd became lively and noisy. Jian Mei, who had originally intended to approach, hesitated and stopped in his tracks. Cheng Yu seemed oblivious to his dilemma and continued talking to the girl in front of him without looking over.

Jian Mei hesitated for a moment and finally chose to join a smaller group with fewer people. Unaware that Jian Mei had just turned around, Cheng Yu’s gaze seemed to have calculated and then turned towards him. Upon seeing the somewhat forlorn figure of the boy, Cheng Yu’s eyes flickered with an unidentified emotion. He lowered his head and resumed talking to the person beside him.

…

Mountain climbing is a physically demanding activity.

Especially for the group Jian Mei joined, each one of them was energetic boys who seemed tireless, eager to run up the mountain without a care. This made it difficult for Jian Mei, who already had little patience. Beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks, his face turned rosy, and he gasped lightly for air, his legs growing sore and making it hard for him to continue.

One of his classmates in front said, “Jian Mei, why don’t you rest here for a while? We’ll play in that forest ahead, and you can join us once you’ve rested.”

Jian Mei nodded obediently. Even though he was tired, he still managed to put on a faint smile and said, “Alright, thank you.”

The group of students quickly disappeared into the forest, relieved to be free of the burden. Jian Mei, on the other hand, rested on a rock and planned to catch up with them once he felt better. However, every tree in this forest seemed to look the same. He walked along the path, feeling like he was going in circles and returning to the same spot. This mountain was not a well-developed tourist attraction, and on ordinary days, there were hardly any people around. The boys in this group were mischievous, always choosing unconventional places to go, which led Jian Mei to wander around without finding anyone.

“This can’t be…”

Jian Mei sat on the rock, feeling somewhat hopeless. He had no sense of direction since birth and thought that as long as he followed his classmates, nothing would go wrong. But unexpectedly, he got lost. It was already 11:40 in the morning, and they had agreed to have lunch at the mountainside by noon. However, Jian Mei didn’t even know where he was at the moment. Thinking about this, he felt a bit teary-eyed.

He took out his phone, intending to ask in the class group chat, but when he turned on the data, there was no signal. This mountain wasn’t particularly remote, so who knew there would be no signal here! He wondered if his teammates would notice that he hadn’t caught up and come back to find him. Bird songs occasionally echoed in this silent forest, making him feel nervous. The deserted path led to the unknown, and as the sun slowly moved, he waited for an unknown period of time, but no one came. His hope dwindled.

Jian Mei finally became afraid.

The water in the bottle was running out quickly, and the contents of the backpack would last until the afternoon at most. What should he do if nobody noticed that he had lost them? His phone had no signal, so he couldn’t send any messages…

He felt extremely anxious, sitting curled up with his arms wrapped around his legs. He held the phone tightly in his hand, considering various possibilities that frightened him. If Lu Xingwang found out, he might even make fun of him…

Wait!

Jian Mei suddenly looked up and tentatively opened WeChat on his phone. Even though there was no signal and he couldn’t send messages, for some reason, at this moment, he pinned his hopes on this mysterious and peculiar account. Perhaps… just maybe?

…

On the other side, Stan Star.

There had been consecutive heavy rains recently, and the palace was quiet. The rain beat against the branches outside the window, accompanied by a cold wind blowing in. The person sitting by the window, reading a book, only had a thin shirt on. His handsome features were cold and stern, but his complexion was noticeably pale, indicating signs of illness.

Aro entered the room holding documents and said, “Your Majesty is scheduled to visit the B star system. In the past, the Your highness used to assist the Crown Prince in handling some domestic affairs and official documents. Now that the Your Highness is ill, all the documents have been sent to the Crown Prince’s office. However In past , the Crown Prince only takes care of the simple ones, leaving the difficult matters for the Your highness to resolve. Now, It seems that he’s overwhelmed with the pile of documents, and he has been punishing several attendants out of frustration.”

Lu Xingwang didn’t react much and replied, “Don’t worry about it.”

When the master gave an order, the attendants dared not say anything. A ruo came over and closed the window partially, saying, “I’m just worried that the Crown Prince might cause trouble…”

Lu Xingwang, flipping through the pages of a book with his long, pale fingers, interrupted, “The Empress is here. The Crown Prince won’t cause chaos.”

That was the advantage of having a mother as an escort. Even if the Crown Prince was incapable and couldn’t handle things properly, the Empress wouldn’t just stand by. Over the years, she had cultivated some forces that wouldn’t let the Crown Prince be embarrassed. A Ruo also clearly thought of this, looking at Lu Xingwang, who seemed a bit frail sitting in the chair, and couldn’t help but feel pity. These past few days, something seemed off, even though the his Highness didn’t show it. His mood didn’t seem quite right, but unfortunately, he always kept things to himself. If he didn’t speak up, others would naturally be unaware.

The only difference was that these days, the Highness hadn’t asked about the time anymore. Everything seemed to have returned to how it was before, as if nothing had changed. But there was something different.

While tidying up the desk, Aro noticed a stack of math materials that seemed to have fallen into a corner. “Should I help the Highness put these away?”

Lu Xingwang looked up, gazed for a moment, and then returned his attention to the book, saying calmly, “Just throw them away.”

“…Alright.”

A Ruo was tidying up, while Lu Xingwang, who was sitting by the window, was interrupted by the sound of his messaging terminal. Unlike the previous text message notification, this time it was a ringing sound indicating a voice call, and it was from Jian Mei.

They hadn’t been in contact much these past few days, especially after Jian Mei mentioned making friends. Lu Xingwang was even less inclined to check the messages sent to him. After all, he already had someone to accompany him, and he was also busy. He didn’t have time to listen to a child’s troubles and waste the little time he had. The wrong things had to end at the right time.

The phone rang, but Lu Xingwang didn’t answer.

He lowered his head to continue reading, but it seemed urgent on the other end. Since he didn’t pick up the first call, another one followed immediately. The flashing phone symbol silently conveyed to him the urgency of the caller.

…

Had something happened?

Lu Xingwang put down his book and stared at the call symbol with his unwavering dark eyes. His intuition told him that if he answered this call, everything might change again.

“Boom!”

A bolt of lightning flashed outside the window, followed by a heavy downpour. The phone symbol continued to blink.

He wasn’t planning to answer, but in this somewhat noisy environment, for the first time ever, he recalled every word that Jian Mei had said to him, spoken with sincerity:

“No one has ever treated me like this.”

“I’m so happy.”

“I used to think you didn’t like me.”

“I prayed for your blessings, and I’ll help you from now on…”

Finally,

Just as the call was about to be automatically disconnected, he pressed the answer button. In an instant, a tinge of regret crossed his mind, but before he could fully grasp his emotions, he heard Jian Mei’s voice on the other end, sounding somewhat puzzled. Upon confirming that the call had truly connected, the child’s emotional defenses seemed to crumble all at once, and with a teary voice, he pitifully wailed, “You finally answered the phone. Why did you take so long? Sob, I was scared to death.”

Lu Xingwang: …