Yuan Wei had thought the morning's tea with Princess Ming was the pinnacle of chaos he'd face today. The palace had a way of proving him wrong.
As he approached the quiet corridor leading back to his chambers, he froze. There, illuminated by a sliver of sunlight filtering through the lattice window, stood Princess Lian. Arms folded neatly in front of her, eyes bright, lips curved in that infuriatingly polite smile that made him simultaneously nervous and irritated.
Yuan's stomach dropped. Not her. Not now. Anywhere but here.
He pivoted on his heel, moving quickly in the opposite direction. His footsteps echoed lightly as he darted down the hall, eyes scanning desperately for somewhere to hide, anywhere out of her attention. She didn't call out, but he wasn't taking chances.
Finally, he slipped into the corridor leading to Prince Jian's chambers. The polished stone floor reflected his flustered face, and he swore the walls themselves were watching him.
Jian's voice called softly before Yuan even reached the door. "Yuan Wei?"
Yuan froze, then forced a calmness into his voice. "Yes, Your Highness."
"Come in," Jian said, and Yuan obeyed, closing the door behind him and leaning against the frame for a moment, catching his breath.
Jian tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly but expression composed. "What happened?"
Yuan gestured vaguely toward the direction he had just come from, voice low and urgent. "I… I saw someone on the corridor. I didn't want to be disturbed. I thought it best to… spend more time with my friend tonight instead."
Jian's brows lifted, the corners of his mouth twitching as if suppressing a smile. "Your friend?"
"Yes," Yuan said quickly, stepping fully into the room. "I… I wanted to talk, spend time. For… companionship. Conversation. That sort of thing."
Jian's eyes darkened slightly, and Yuan felt a sudden, uncomfortable heat rise in his chest. There was something in that gaze—steady, close, and yet unreadable—that made his heart skip a beat.
"I see," Jian said, voice low. "And this friend… you would like to spend the evening with?"
"Yes," Yuan admitted, unable to stop the words from tumbling out. "I… I wanted to… I thought it might be… more enjoyable."
There was a long pause. Yuan wanted to disappear into the floorboards. The silence was deafening, yet electrified. Jian's steady gaze pressed down on him, patient but intense, making every nerve in Yuan's body feel as though it were on fire.
"You do realize," Jian finally said, voice calm, smooth as silk, "that being here alone with me might be… uncomfortable for you?"
Yuan blinked. "Uh… what? No! I mean… yes! Well… maybe! But not for the reason you think!"
Jian's lips quirked ever so slightly. "And the reason I think you're referring to is…?"
Yuan waved a hand helplessly, pacing a few steps. "It's… complicated. I'm younger than you, and… and I'm not accustomed to… I mean, the attention from women, the… interactions… it—it unnerves me!"
Jian remained silent, letting him ramble, dark eyes tracing every flustered movement, not a hint of judgment but… something else.
"And at this point," Yuan continued desperately, "I might… I might even prefer to avoid women entirely!"
Jian raised an eyebrow. "Entirely?"
"Yes!" Yuan shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "I just… I can't! First Princess Lian, then Princess Ming… I—oh—what if they notice something in my face? What if I say the wrong thing? What if—"
Jian's lips curved slowly into a faint smile. "You fear revealing too much of yourself?"
Yuan froze mid-step. Did he just see that? Did he read it in my face? He swallowed hard. "N-no! I just… I wanted to… spend the evening in calm conversation! With a friend!"
Jian's dark gaze lingered, and Yuan felt heat rising again, his ears burning. He shifted uncomfortably, trying to focus on the floor tiles instead of the intensity of the Crown Prince's eyes.
"Very well," Jian said finally, voice low but firm, "if your intention is companionship… then perhaps that is best."
Yuan blinked. "Yes! Exactly. That's what I meant!"
Jian stepped closer, subtly enough that Yuan felt the movement more than saw it. "Companionship," he repeated, voice smooth, teasing just slightly, "with a friend who fears being left alone with princesses."
Yuan flushed crimson, a strangled noise escaping his throat. "Yes! That! That's exactly it!"
Jian's lips twitched. "Hmm. I see."
Yuan wanted to sink into the floorboards. "I mean… not that I don't want to talk to you, Your Highness. It's just… complicated! Too many eyes. Too many… expectations. And I… I just—"
"You feel more comfortable here," Jian said softly, stepping just a bit closer, the room suddenly too warm. "With me than with them."
"Yes!" Yuan gasped, almost dropping his tea cup. "Exactly that!"
Jian's dark eyes glimmered faintly, unreadable, and Yuan realized with a jolt: This is different. This is… different than just friendship.
He tried to redirect his thoughts. "I mean, nothing else! Just… conversation. That's all!"
Jian said nothing, only let a long pause hang between them. The faint sound of palace wind rustling through the open window, the soft clatter of distant servants—every detail seemed magnified.
Yuan's chest tightened. He could feel the weight of Jian's gaze, patient and calm, close yet not overbearing, teasing without mockery.
And in that moment, a strange, unfamiliar tension settled between them.
A tension that had nothing to do with tea, with princes, or with princesses.
A tension that whispered of something more… something dangerous… something unspoken, and yet perfectly clear.
Yuan swallowed, trying to maintain his composure. "So… um… shall we… start our conversation, then?"
Jian's lips curved slightly, slow, controlled, almost imperceptibly amused. "Yes. Let us begin, friend."
Yuan clenched his fists internally, realizing he was no longer entirely sure who the friend was—or what this would become.
And yet… he couldn't bring himself to step back.