Princess Xiaoyun — or Xiaoxi, finally reached the lakeside, following the children's directions. Her hair was messy, her robes dusty from hours of playing, and her face smudged with dirt. But as always, Xiaoxi didn't care one bit. A little dirt never hurt a princess, she thought proudly.
The day was still long, much longer than back in her kingdom of Lingyun, and the sun hadn't yet reached the horizon. Xiaoxi wandered along the lake's edge, lost in her own thoughts.
Where will I stay tonight? she pondered. I've never slept outside my palace… and I'm still hungry! I only ate once today! How will I survive the night if I can't find food?
Her imagination ran wild. She pictured shadowy figures sneaking through the trees, mysterious noises coming from the water, and tiny monsters hiding behind rocks. What if ghosts come? she shivered. Oh no… oh no… I'm not ready to fight ghosts!
Meanwhile, a very handsome man stood at the opposite side of the lake. Prince Haoran, the serious and vigilant prince of Auroria, had come with his elite guards. They had received word that an assassin from a rival kingdom had infiltrated the city and might be hiding near the lake.
Prince Haoran stood perfectly still, scanning the area while keeping his hands ready for action. Yet, even in this tense moment, his gaze drifted to the horizon. The golden-orange sunset reflected across the water, and for a brief instant, he thought: How beautiful… I will protect my kingdom, and my people will never know harm, no matter what it costs.
Lost in her imagination, Xiaoxi continued toward the lake, her eyes glued to the ground, thinking of nightfall, hunger, and imaginary dangers. She didn't notice the tall, serious figure of Prince Haoran standing silently nearby.
Step by step, Xiaoxi came closer… and closer…
Then, without warning, she bumped into him with all her strength.
Splash!
Prince Haoran toppled backward into the lake with a huge splash, water flying in every direction. Xiaoxi shrieked as cold water drenched her robes, sticking her messy hair to her face.
"AHHH! HELP! GHOSTS! THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!" she screamed, her voice echoing across the lake. Her legs left the ground as she flailed wildly, and the guards who grabbed her struggled to keep hold of her shaking arms and thrashing legs.
Nearby guards rushed to help Haoran. Some grabbed Xiaoxi to pull her back from the water, holding her tight as she kicked and waved, still shrieking about ghosts falling from the sky.
The guards froze for a second, trying to contain their laughter. The sight of this messy, drenched, dramatically screaming little princess was so ridiculous. But seeing Prince Haoran standing there, robes dripping, face dark with fury, they quickly hid their smiles.
Haoran wiped water from his face, his eyes narrowing like daggers. "Who… are you?" His voice was calm, yet cold, and Xiaoxi's heart skipped a beat.
"I-I-I'm… I'm Xiaoxi!" she stammered, still flailing. "I'm… I'm a princess! And… and… ghosts! There are ghosts everywhere!"
Haoran's jaw tightened. He glanced at the guards, who were doing their best to look serious, and then back at Xiaoxi, who looked like she had just survived a storm — and maybe a dragon attack.
Xiaoxi, still shivering from the cold water but trying to act dignified, fluffed her robes and wiped her hair from her face.
"I… I'm fine now! The ghosts are gone! Mostly… maybe…"
The guards exchanged nervous glances, trying not to giggle. Prince Haoran, however, simply folded his arms and gave her a deathly serious look that could melt mountains.
Xiaoxi gulped. Okay… maybe I pushed the wrong person into the lake this time.
And so began the first, very wet, very chaotic, and hilariously disastrous meeting of Princess Xiaoxi and Prince Haoran.
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✨ To be continued…