Chapter 84 – The Matter of the Crown Prince Taking Concubines

Nan Feng was stunned.

He didn’t expect the world to be so cruel, but he still pointed at Jian Mei in disbelief and said, “That, that he…”

Lu Xingwang explained with a blank expression, “My bed can’t fit three people.”

At first glance, this statement seemed fine, but upon careful consideration, there seemed to be a big problem.

Just as everyone thought it was going well, Xi Wu Heng, who had been mostly silent, gently called out, “Brother…”

Jian Mei quickly crouched down, “What’s wrong?”

Xi Wu Heng secretly glanced at Lu Xingwang, was silent for a moment, and then spoke, “Can I sleep with you?”

“…”

Jian Mei was silent for a moment.

The Crown Prince’s originally noble and aloof demeanor seemed to crumble instantly. He turned to look at Xi Wu Heng, his gaze profound, while the child he was looking at also stared back fearlessly. Their eyes met, and it seemed as though there was a spark between them.

Lu Xingwang said, “You’re not young anymore; you should sleep on your own.”

Xi Wu Heng tugged at Jian Mei’s clothes and softly said, “There was a fire, I’m scared.”

Jian Mei softened a bit, bent down, and patted the child. He was about to suggest sleeping with the child when Nan Feng, who was beside him, said, “That’s great, Your Highness. I think Mei-Mei wants to sleep with Xiao Heng; what about me…”

Jian Mei changed his tune, “Xiao Heng, how about having Brother Nan Feng sleep with you? That way, you two can stay together.”

…

The three of them fell silent at Jian Mei’s suggestion.

Xiao Heng silently withdrew his hand and said, “It’s okay, I can sleep by myself.”

Nan Feng, of course, was even more dismissive. He said, “I think the carpet in the living room is quite nice; I’ll sleep in the living room.”

Lu Xingwang looked down at Jian Mei and said, “Let’s go.”

Jian Mei nodded.

He didn’t know why, but when others suggested being with DaZhuang ge, he unconsciously chose to resist and reject the idea. He didn’t want DaZhuang ge to be so close to others, which made him feel a strange sense of possessiveness.

They walked up the stairs, heading up to the third floor.

Jian Mei said, “I’ve never been to the third floor before.”

Lu Xingwang led the way, saying, “This is where the upperclassmen live. Study for a couple more years, and you can move up to the third floor.”

“Okay,” Jian Mei, stepping onto the third floor for the first time, noticed that the facilities and furnishings were more luxurious here, even the carpets seemed much more expensive than those downstairs. Perhaps this is what they call the capitalist class, and it’s just a dormitory, yet it’s more luxurious than his own home.

Lu Xingwang stopped at the room at the far end.

A mechanical panel popped up, and after verifying his iris and fingerprint, the room door opened with a “click.”

Lu Xingwang entered, and Jian Mei heard the mechanical butler’s voice, “Welcome back, Mr. Lu. A new member has been detected entering your room. Would you like to register this member’s information and grant room access?”

Lu Xingwang casually responded, “Give level one access.”

Mechanical butler: “Registration successful.”

Jian Mei wanted to ask what level one access entailed, but was quickly distracted by more pressing matters. He looked at the slippers on the rack and asked, “Which pair should I wear?”

Lu Xingwang looked back, “They’re all mine; you can wear any.”

“Okay,” Jian Mei said.

He saw Lu Xingwang choose a pair of black cloth slippers, so he did the same. Once inside, he got a proper look at the Crown Prince’s room, which was styled in a somewhat vintage fashion. The wall color was gray, giving off a cold and elegant feeling, but every piece of furniture was neatly arranged.

On the opposite side of the bed, there was a wall with various books placed on it, all of which were in a language Jian Mei did not recognize. They looked very high-end.

Jian Mei exclaimed, “What are these books? They look so complicated.”

Lu Xingwang glanced at them and said nonchalantly, “Nothing complex, just something to flip through when I’m bored.”

Jian Mei could no longer take the words “when I’m bored” lightly.

If one day DaZhuang ge said he was bored and went off to conquer a country, Jian Mei probably wouldn’t be too surprised.

Lu Xingwang hung his coat on a chair back and turned to ask, “on the chair and turned to Jian Mei, asking, “Do you want to take a shower?”

Jian Mei only then realized that he was covered in dust. He nodded and agreed, but when he saw that Luo Xingwang also had some dust on his clothes, he said, “You go first. I’ll wait.”

Lu Xingwang didn’t fuss about the order.

After he left, while Jian Mei was thinking about how he would sleep tonight, he suddenly noticed a photograph in one corner of the table. It was a photo of a boy and a woman. The woman in the photo was very beautiful, with a kind and gentle appearance, and standing next to her was a handsome young boy in a school uniform. He had sharp features and a slightly cold expression, but it was clear that the relationship between the two was very close.

Was this a photo of DaZhuang ge and his mother?

This was the first time Jian Mei had seen Lu Xingwang as a young boy, and he suddenly understood why so many people were infatuated with the Crown Prince—because he really was very good-looking.

As he was staring at the photo, the bathroom door opened.

Jian Mei turned around to see Lu Xingwang in a bathrobe. Dressed in white and with the robe’s collar slightly open, water droplets slid down his sexy chin. He had shed his usual stern demeanor and appeared more relaxed and at home. Faced with such a tempting scene, Jian Mei said, “You should put on another layer so you don’t catch a cold.”

Lu Xingwang: “…Hmm.”

Jian Mei put down the photo and said, “I’ll go take a shower now.”

Lu Xingwang stepped aside: “Alright.”

Jian Mei walked past him into the bathroom, which still held some residual steam, and the air carried a faint fragrance of body wash. As he turned on the shower and lathered up the body wash, he suddenly thought that when he walked past Lu Xingwang earlier, the Crown Prince had the same scent—making them seem particularly close at that moment.

Wait…

What was he even thinking?

Jian Mei shook his head, deciding to dismiss the unusual thoughts running through his mind.

But then he noticed a gauze with bloodstains in a nearby trash bin, likely from treating a wound. Was he hurt?

This discovery weighed heavily on Jian Mei’s mind, so he quickly rinsed himself off and left the bathroom. He was wearing a bathrobe and saw Lu Xingwang sitting at the desk reading a book.

Jian Mei dried his hair and obediently stood at the doorway, saying, “I’m done.”

Lu Xingwang said, “Come here.”

Jian Mei walked over to him, and Lu Xingwang had him sit down. He took a towel and dried Jian Mei’s hair. Jian Mei felt warm, as though magic had been used, and in no time, the towel was removed, and his hair was dry.

Jian Mei’s eyes widened in amazement, and he smiled in surprise, “That’s amazing!”

Lu Xingwang said, “It’s nothing special, just a small trick.”

“Then I’ll have Ying try it on me next time,” Jian Mei said.

Lu Xingwang countered, “But not everyone can control the right amount of heat like I can.”

Jian Mei suddenly backed down; he didn’t want to end up as a bald child.

No one could have imagined that the renowned Crown Prince would be competing with others for the chance to dry someone else’s hair, and even trying to scare a child to dissuade them from letting others do it.

Lu Xingwang put down the towel and asked, “Did you see the old photo of me?”

Jian Mei nodded.

Lu Xingwang’s gaze darkened slightly as he walked over and sat down beside Jian Mei, asking, “What did you think?”

Jian Mei never hesitated to offer praise, so he smiled slightly and said, “I thought your mother was very beautiful, and you were very handsome. Really cool, no wonder so many people like you.”

Lu Xingwang looked down at him, his gaze intense, “What about you?”

Jian Mei didn’t expect this sudden question and stammered, “Ah?”

Lu Xingwang’s gaze darkened, the man sitting next to him is quite unrestrained when he’s not working, propping his chin up with one hand and observing Jian Mei leisurely. The Crown Prince didn’t know why he asked such a direct question, as it didn’t align with his usually cautious approach.

But today, upon learning that Jian Mei’s room had another girl in it, and their relationship might be more than casual, his reason told him it didn’t matter—it was probably just a classmate. However, his actions led him to rise and go to the school without making a clear decision.

His rational mind told him that if he wanted to protect Jian Mei, he could have trustworthy people take care of the boy and keep his distance as a means of protection. But in reality, when Jian Mei was busy with studies for several days and they didn’t see each other, he is the one who misses him the most and can’t stop thinking.

Even though he knew it was wrong, Lu Xingwang asked again, “And you? Do you like me too?”

Jian Mei blinked and then lowered his gaze, softly saying, “Yes, I like you.”

Lu Xingwang was taken aback.

Jian Mei’s eyes were clear and pure, as if there were no impurities. When he said these words, he spoke with sincerity and genuineness.

Lu Xingwang hesitated, “Really?”

“Really, really, don’t think there’s anything different now compared to before. Don’t overthink it, okay?” Jian Mei didn’t expect DaZhuang ge’s competitive spirit to be so strong that he’d compare himself to his past self, but he still tried his best to comfort him: “You’re super handsome, and even though you have scars now and wear a mask, there are still many people who like you, like Nan Feng, he’s your fan! And even with the mask, you’re still handsome, so don’t be sad, okay?”

“…”

The room fell into silence.

Lu Xingwang sighed inwardly. They were definitely not on the same wavelength, but oh well, life is long, they can take it slow.

However, seeing him lost in thought, Jian Mei thought of a more serious issue and asked, “Are you hurt? I saw blood in the bathroom.”

Lu Xingwang didn’t hide anything from him and replied, “I’m not hurt; it’s internal poison.”

Jian Mei already knew about Lu Xingwang’s poisoning, but then something happened and he stopped taking herbal remedies. Now he panicked, “The poison isn’t cleared yet?”

Lu Xingwang slowly shook his head.

Jian Mei tried to suggest, “Can I check your pulse?”

This is something only an imperial physician would typically do; ordinary people wouldn’t have the chance to check the pulse of someone from the royal family. But when it came to Jian Mei, Lu Xingwang didn’t hesitate to extend his hand.

Jian Mei might not have his grandfather’s medical expertise, but he had accumulated some experience. When he felt the pulse, he knew Lu Xingwang’s health was in a very bad state. Not only was there residual poison, but years of overwork had also taken a toll on his health, likely from not taking proper care of himself.

Jian Mei’s brow furrowed deeply. He looked up and said, “DaZhuang ge, do you usually work very hard and stay up late? You shouldn’t be overexerting yourself when you’re still recovering. Are you eating properly and on time?”

His string of questions sounded like an interrogation. Under normal circumstances, no one would dare speak to the Crown Prince like that.

Lu Xingwang withdrew his hand, about to say it wasn’t a big deal, but then he heard Jian Mei say, “Starting today, I’ll brew your medicine daily, and you have to take it on time and rest properly. I’ll be checking on you, and since I have opportunities to leave the school every day, you have to follow medical advice, okay? I’ll be inspecting you, so what do you think?”

Lu Xingwang’s rejection turned into agreement, and he calmly nodded, “Yes, I do need that.”

……….

On the other side—at the imperial palace.

The Emperor sat in his sleeping chambers, with Consort Xiyi beside him, massaging him according to the instructions of the priests.

The Emperor was reading a book when he suddenly thought of something and said, “I have heard that Xingwang’s trips outside the palace have become more frequent recently. Although on the surface it seems to be for official duties, how could I not see through it? His visits to the school have increased significantly.”

Consort Xiyi paused in her movements and asked, “Is Your Majesty worried about the Crown Prince and the principal…”

“No.” The Emperor smiled and shook his head. “Xingwang is skilled in political strategy, but he would never extend his influence to students. While it may be easier to gain leverage over the heirs of various factions, I know his character; he would not act in such a manner.”

Consort Xiyi hesitated, “Then what does Your Majesty think?”

The Emperor gave a mysterious smile and said, “He’s reached the age to consider marriage.”

Consort Xiyi immediately understood, and she seemed surprised. “Has the Crown Prince found someone he likes? A student still studying?”

This was quite unusual. There were many unmarried ladies and young men in the court, and the Crown Prince hadn’t shown interest in any of them. How had a student suddenly caught his eye?

The Emperor sighed, “That’s just my speculation. But if it’s true, I hope the person is from a powerful and influential family. If it were a commoner, the Crown Prince’s first official wife wouldn’t be very presentable.”

Consort Xiyi teased, “Perhaps it might be a concubine.”

The Emperor fell silent. He thought for a while before speaking, “I’m afraid that if he has feelings for someone, he won’t accept a concubine.”

This statement hit the nail on the head.

Consort Xiyi withdrew her hands and sat down beside the Emperor, saying, “Throughout history, Your Majesty has had the fewest concubines of all the emperors. If one day the Crown Prince ascends to the throne and refuses to take concubines, it would be unacceptable to the officials in court.”

The Emperor had thought about this issue and was helpless about it. “You know his temperament; he’s very stubborn. Let alone the court officials, even if I personally tried to persuade him, it would likely have no effect.”

Consort Xiyi was quick-witted. She said, “Then as long as the Crown Prince’s official wife is an understanding person, it shouldn’t be a problem. She can guide the Crown Prince to make the right decisions.”

The Emperor agreed with her. This highlighted the key role of the Crown Princess.

This piqued his interest. He wondered what kind of person could win the heart of his proud son. If he could meet this person, it would be great.

Translator’s Note-Guys don’t forget to support and comment your views(^-^)