The next morning, Prince Haoran stood with arms crossed in front of Xiaoxi, who was happily nibbling a bun like nothing had happened the last few days.
Haoran (serious tone):
"Today, you will cook. If you mess this up, prison will welcome you warmly."
Xiaoxi (confidently patting her chest):
"Cooking? Easy! I've seen grandma cook once. How hard can it be?"
The whole palace staff exchanged terrified glances. They still hadn't recovered from the Flying Utensil Incident.
---
🌶️ Trial 1: Cutting Vegetables
Xiaoxi grabbed a knife like a warrior wielding a sword. Instead of cutting the vegetables, she somehow managed to send carrot slices flying across the room. One landed on the head of a guard standing outside. Another plopped straight into Haoran's teacup.
Haoran (glaring):
"Are you preparing dinner… or assassinating everyone with carrots?"
Xiaoxi (innocently):
"Accidents happen in the line of duty, Your Highness!"
---
🍚 Trial 2: Washing Rice
She poured rice into a pot, but forgot to drain the water. Within minutes, the kitchen looked like a rice swamp. She slipped, grabbed the prince's robe for balance, and dragged him down with her. Both ended up sitting in the watery mess.
Xiaoxi (laughing while dripping wet):
"See, cooking is teamwork!"
Haoran (fuming, soaked head to toe):
"I'll drown you in this rice swamp if you laugh one more time!"
Secretly though, his heart skipped at how close she was, water dripping from her hair onto his face. He quickly stood up and brushed himself off to hide it.
---
🍳 Trial 3: Frying
She tossed oil into the pan like she was throwing petals into the wind. The oil popped, hissed, and the poor prince had to pull her back before her sleeve caught fire.
Haoran (snapping):
"Do you want to burn the palace down?!"
Xiaoxi (blinking innocently):
"Eh? Fire makes food tasty, no?"
At this point, even the guards were sneaking peeks through the door, whispering bets on whether the kitchen or the princess would explode first.
---
🔥 The Final Disaster: The Fire
Finally, Xiaoxi tried to cook soup. She forgot to add water and left the pot on fire. Smoke filled the kitchen like a battlefield cloud. The alarmed servants rushed with buckets of water. In the chaos, she tripped, bumped into Haoran, and—of course—splashed flour all over both of them.
When the smoke cleared, there stood the Crown Prince and Xiaoxi, completely covered in white flour like two angry ghosts. Everyone outside tried not to laugh, but one little maid couldn't hold it in and snorted.
Haoran (voice trembling with rage and embarrassment):
"This… THIS is the last straw! I said if you mess up one more time, you're going to prison!"
Xiaoxi (dusting flour off her nose, smiling cheekily):
"Fine, but if I go to prison, I'll take you with me. After all, you've been with me in every disaster. Isn't that called… accomplice?"
Haoran froze. The audacity of this girl!
---
đź’• The Hidden Softness
As the servants cleaned the smoky mess, Haoran glanced at Xiaoxi, who was pouting and rubbing flour off her cheeks. She looked like a mischievous cat caught in trouble, but somehow… adorable.
He sighed deeply.
"You're impossible. Truly impossible."
Xiaoxi (grinning):
"Impossible? No, I'm unforgettable!"
Haoran turned away quickly to hide the tiny smile tugging at his lips. But his ears turned red, and Xiaoxi noticed.
Xiaoxi (teasing):
"Prince, your ears are burning~ Is it because you're secretly falling for me?"
Haoran almost choked on thin air.
"GUARDS, take her awa— no, actually… never mind. Just… get her out of my sight before I lose my sanity!"
The guards laughed silently, thinking, The Crown Prince may complain, but he never really sends her away.
And so, the kitchen became the most dangerous place in the palace—and the funniest.