Chapter Twenty-Two: Saved by Him?

“Place your pieces carefully,” the Seventh Prince advised.

Yu Hualiang gripped his white stone and laid it down without much thought, but as soon as he did, Ye Fang picked it out. Yu Hualiang looked at Ye Fang with a mix of annoyance and mild anger.

Ye Fang ignored him, and the Seventh Prince explained, “Yu, you can hardly blame Ye Fang. Look, you placed your stone right in the center of my black ones… Ha.”

It dawned on Yu Hualiang—he’d walked straight into a trap. Scratching his head, he protested, “That doesn’t count! Let’s play another round!”

The Seventh Prince laughed at him and told Ye Fang to clear the board. Yu Hualiang clutched his stones, ready to play, then suddenly glanced at the Seventh Prince and said with a smile, “Please, Your Highness, you go first.”

“Very well, I shall,” the Seventh Prince responded, placing his stone. Yu Hualiang quickly played nearby.

Ye Fang, realizing Yu Hualiang was being clever, commented, “Master Yu… That’s quite a crafty move.”

Yu Hualiang, feeling accused of cheating, replied righteously, “I call it learning from the master…”

Before long, the Seventh Prince had surrounded Yu Hualiang again. He chuckled, “Yu, you still have much to learn.”

Yu Hualiang accepted his defeat, looking toward the door. The Seventh Prince asked, “What are you looking for, Yu?”

“Mo Cai is cooking noodles for me,” Yu replied.

The Seventh Prince sent Ye Fang to check, and Yu Hualiang cleared the board. “Your Highness, why don’t we play Five-in-a-Row instead?”

“Oh? Then I’ll trouble you to teach me,” the Seventh Prince said.

A mischievous smile crept across Yu Hualiang’s face. He might not be adept at Go, but he excelled at Five-in-a-Row! Yet, after only fifteen moves, he suffered another crushing defeat.

Staring at the board, Yu Hualiang lost all interest. This Seventh Prince was simply too clever.

“Yu, Five-in-a-Row is indeed interesting. Let’s play again.”

Yu Hualiang protested, “Your Highness, perhaps you should find someone more skilled for a proper challenge. Someone like me… You’re just bullying the weak.”

The Seventh Prince listened for a while, not understanding what ‘bullying the weak’ meant. Yu Hualiang explained, and after some effort, the Seventh Prince grasped it. Mo Cai, covered in soot, came in carrying a bowl of noodles.

Yu Hualiang felt moved, going to greet him. Mo Cai, unwilling to let his young master, whose fingers never touched household chores, carry the hot bowl, placed it down himself and tried to leave. Sensing something was wrong, Yu Hualiang grabbed his hand and saw a blister from the heat.

“Tsk, how could you be so careless!” Yu Hualiang said with concern.

With everyone in the room, Mo Cai, just a servant, dared not say much. He withdrew his hand from Yu Hualiang, saying, “It’s nothing, Young Master. I’m used to small injuries like this.”

Yu Hualiang knew boys weren’t overly sentimental, so he patted Mo Cai’s shoulder. “Alright, go cool it with some water.”

“Thank you, Young Master,” Mo Cai replied, quickly making his exit.

The Seventh Prince watched the scene, feeling a little uneasy. He touched the bowl and quickly withdrew his hand. “It’s very hot…”

Yu Hualiang looked at him, unsure what to say. After a moment, he asked, “Your Highness… Are you alright?”

The Seventh Prince extended his hand, sounding slightly aggrieved. “Yu, take a look.”

Yu Hualiang remained expressionless. Was the Seventh Prince a child? He took the Prince’s hand—slender, well-kept, but with calluses in the palm. The fingertips were a little red from the heat, though nowhere near as bad as Mo Cai. Yu Hualiang gently massaged the Prince’s hand. “Perhaps you should apply some medicine, Your Highness.”

The Seventh Prince was quite pleased to see Yu Hualiang worried about him, and Yu looked up to meet his appreciative gaze.

Realizing he looked just like a timid bride, Yu Hualiang felt annoyed. He said, “Would you like me to treat it, Your Highness?”

The Seventh Prince nodded, so Yu Hualiang went out and rolled a snowball, placing it in the Prince’s hand. “For burns, nothing works better than snow!”

The Seventh Prince saw Yu Hualiang’s playful intent and handed the snowball to Ye Fang, then caught Yu Hualiang’s hand. “Yu’s hand is much cooler than snow.”

Yu Hualiang’s hand, reddened by the snow, was warmed at the touch of the Prince’s hand. Time seemed to freeze. Yu Hualiang stood awkwardly, but the romantic moment was broken by the sound of his stomach growling.

The Seventh Prince stopped teasing him. “Yu, eat quickly.”

Yu Hualiang murmured assent and started eating, but after a couple of bites, he found it truly unpalatable. At times like this, he missed A Liu even more.

He managed half the bowl before biting his lip, unable to continue.

“Yu, your appetite is really small.”

Yu Hualiang blushed. Turns out the Seventh Prince had been watching him eat the whole time.

“No… It’s just that Mo Cai’s cooking isn’t very good…” Yu Hualiang explained awkwardly.

“Tell me what you’d like to eat. I’ll have the kitchens prepare it,” the Seventh Prince offered.

Yu Hualiang opened up. “A Liu’s cooking is the best… Especially his stewed old hen… Truly, Your Highness…”

The Seventh Prince’s smile froze. Yu Hualiang looked up, but the rest of his words were swallowed by fear. The Seventh Prince said, “Very well. Tomorrow, I’ll have someone bring A Liu here.”

Yu Hualiang replied cautiously, “Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Yu, would you call me Zicheng?”

Yu Hualiang saw his awkward expression and forced himself to say, “Zicheng.”

The Seventh Prince nodded. “It’s late, time to rest.”

Yu Hualiang secretly chuckled, thinking the Prince would finally leave. But instead, a parade of maids entered, carrying bath tubs and clothes, lining up in procession.

Yu Hualiang was dumbfounded. The Seventh Prince asked, “Yu, shall we bathe together?”

Together? Bathe together!

Yu Hualiang shook his head quickly, “No, no, Your Highness, please go ahead!”

The Seventh Prince didn’t press further. Yu Hualiang crawled into bed, half-squinting, half-brooding. Surely those assassins had been caught by now?

Why did he still have to sleep here? As he pondered, he glanced over at the screen where the Prince was bathing.

Just as the Prince dressed and emerged, Yu Hualiang’s eyes darted away as if pricked by needles, but the Seventh Prince noticed his reaction.

Like a girl awakening to love, though in truth, Yu Hualiang was nearly at his wit’s end.

The Seventh Prince climbed into bed gently. Yu Hualiang turned his back to him. The Prince didn’t rush to lie down but called out, “Yu, would you help me with my hair?”

Fine, fine, you’re the Prince, whatever you say!

Yu Hualiang reluctantly picked up the jade comb, studying the Prince’s long, dark locks, and recalled his girlfriend’s beautiful hair—he’d never combed hers…

The jade comb was slick and heavy, and Yu Hualiang accidentally snagged it in the Prince’s hair.

The Seventh Prince, unused to such rough handling, endured the pain and tried to ask Yu Hualiang to be gentler, but then he saw Yu’s expression.

Yu Hualiang’s face was blank, distracted, his gaze fixed on the Prince’s hair—a soul lost.

“Yu? What’s wrong?” asked the Seventh Prince.

Yu Hualiang snapped back, smiling, “The comb’s too heavy, haha, sorry, Your Highness.”

“No matter, are you tired, Yu?”

Yu Hualiang yawned. “Maybe.”

The Seventh Prince took the comb. “Then sleep, Yu.”

Yu Hualiang didn’t hesitate, pulling up the covers. “Good night.”

“Hm?” The Seventh Prince was puzzled… Good night? Who was that?

He turned and looked at Yu Hualiang, who explained, “It’s just wishing you a good sleep.”

By the soft candlelight, Yu Hualiang’s weary, dreamy gaze, face like jade, lips gently curved, looked at him. The Seventh Prince was mesmerized, his body instinctively leaning closer.

But Yu’s “Good night” brought him back to his senses. However much he wanted to draw near, he merely tucked Yu’s covers and lay beside him.

That night, the Seventh Prince lingered awake. When Yu Hualiang was deep asleep, he kissed his forehead gently and left the bed.

Remembering Yu’s injured hand, he unwrapped it, revealing several shocking wounds—not caused by weapons, but more like scratches from a woman…

Where had he been fighting? The Prince took out a medicine bottle and applied it gently.

Still, Yu Hualiang winced in pain, and the Seventh Prince did his best to be gentle, but it woke Yu.

Half-asleep, Yu thought he was dreaming, and mumbled a name that chilled the Prince.

“Qianqian, be gentle…”

Qianqian? The Seventh Prince knew—everyone in the world knew—but only a few knew her by that name: Princess Yongcheng.

The Prince couldn’t fathom how Yu Hualiang, who had only met her once at the plum blossom banquet, could have any connection to this princess secluded in the palace.

Watching Yu sleep defenseless, his collar loose, anger welled up. He leaned over and kissed Yu’s cheek.

The kiss was wild and invasive, making Yu Hualiang breathless. In his confusion, he thought Qianqian was kissing him.

The Seventh Prince meant to let him go, but Yu smiled and called out “Qianqian” again, souring the Prince’s mood. Did he look like a woman?

So he bit Yu’s lip in punishment, making him wince in pain, his tearful, blushing face alluring.

The Seventh Prince knew—if this continued, trouble would arise. He rushed out of the room, the cold wind bringing clarity.

Ye Fang was waiting, handing him a robe. “Your Highness, we’ve found out—he escaped wounded that night… Yu Hualiang saved him.”

The Seventh Prince’s expression darkened, anger simmering. “Who saved him?”

Ye Fang spoke quietly, “It was indeed Yu Hualiang. The shadow guards protecting him today said he visited a remote clinic.”

The Seventh Prince never imagined it would be Yu Hualiang. He returned, considering whether Yu had been coerced, or was simply kind-hearted and unaware. But he couldn’t understand why Yu hadn’t told him about Lin Tang.

Ye Fang fanned the flames, “Your Highness… Yu Hualiang lived his whole life in obscurity, but overnight became a genius, just when you were recruiting artists. Isn’t it all too coincidental?”

“Enough! Tomorrow, let me test him.” The Seventh Prince said angrily.

“Your Highness… Have you truly fallen for him?” Ye Fang’s words struck deep.

The Seventh Prince fell silent, dismissing Ye Fang, and gazed at his own portrait, sleepless all night.