You and I Have a Long Future Ahead

Bright sunlight streamed through the window. Xiao Hanye stood before the desk, staring blankly at the ghost-scratch handwriting on the xuan paper for a long while. When he looked up, he met Shen Tingjue's big eyes, brimming with a plea for praise.

Xiao Hanye was expressionless. "What did you write?"

"My name." Shen Tingjue was glowing with pride, feeling exceedingly pleased with himself. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Xiao Hanye gave a derisive snort, showing no mercy whatsoever. "Ugly. Even a pig writes better than you do."

Shen Tingjue drew out an "Oh," raised his brows, and showed no sign of being discouraged. Rubbing his hands together, he smiled ambiguously. "Your Highness, teach me how to write, like in those storybooks."

He cleared his throat and recited with dramatic feeling, "He embraced him from behind, held his hand, their breaths intertwin—"

Xiao Hanye instinctively knew that whatever came next would definitely be improper. He promptly pinched Shen Tingjue's mouth shut and gritted his teeth. "Shut up."

Just then, two young servants entered carrying food boxes. Seeing the scene, they immediately assumed the Crown Prince was bullying their young master. Their bodies shook, and they cried out, "Your Highness, you mustn't! Our young master is very delicate!"

The last few words dragged on so long that their voices nearly cracked.

Wu Dequan covered his ears.

The moment Xiao Hanye released his hand, he nearly wondered whether he had been pinching Shen Tingjue's mouth just now, rather than strangling him.

The two servants were beside themselves with worry. They hurried to Shen Tingjue's side, supported him from either side, and asked anxiously, "Young Master, are you all right?"

"..." Shen Tingjue looked at them with a complicated expression, unable to understand why they were making such a fuss. "I couldn't be better. Ah, what did Steward Feng send to eat?"

The taller servant was called Shan Liang. At once, he busied himself clearing the desk and taking out the dishes from the food boxes one by one. "Eight-Treasure Duck, shrimp dumplings, lion's head meatballs, steamed egg custard, candied yam, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, West Lake vinegar fish, and your favorite plum blossom noodle soup, Young Master."

Xiao Hanye's mouth twitched.

Was this raising a pig?

After arranging the food, Shan Liang finally brought over a bowl of soup and steadily placed it before Shen Tingjue. "This is calming soup to protect your heart and soothe your spleen. Steward Feng repeatedly instructed us that we must watch you drink every last drop."

Wu Dequan stood to one side with his hands tucked into his sleeves, truly unable to understand. "The Imperial College has a dining hall. Why not eat there?"

Shan Liang answered in a precise, serious manner, "Steward Feng said that although the Imperial College's food is certainly not bad, no one knows whether it is fresh or safe. What if our young master upsets his stomach, or even gets poisoned? That would be a great deal of trouble. Besides, if the food does not suit our young master's tastes, he surely will not eat much."

Wu Dequan choked on his words.

This Steward Feng truly thought of everything.

Shen Tingjue tugged Xiao Hanye's sleeve and said generously, "Your Highness, don't stand on ceremony. Sit and eat with me."

Xiao Hanye tugged at the corner of his mouth. "There is only one set of bowls and chopsticks. Do you expect me to eat with my hands?"

Shen Tingjue flashed a clever smile, pushed the bowls and chopsticks over to him, and sat with obedient, proper posture. "Your Highness can feed me."

One bite for you, one bite for me—how tender and sweet that would be.

"..." Xiao Hanye rolled his eyes at him. Dream on. He pulled over a chair and sat beside Shen Tingjue, folding his arms. "Eat. I'm not hungry."

Feeding him was absolutely out of the question.

Shen Tingjue gave a regretful "Oh," picked up his spoon, and drank the entire bowl of calming soup. Then, like a gale sweeping away fallen leaves, he devoured every dish on the table. Leaning back in his chair afterward, he licked his lips in satisfaction, held his belly, and let out a full belch.

The two servants swiftly cleared the table and laid out fresh brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone.

It was the first time Xiao Hanye had learned that his own hidden guard had such an astonishing appetite. He stared in surprise for a while, then watched Shen Tingjue wash his hands in the basin and spread himself out to continue practicing calligraphy. He was filled with such diligent intensity that he looked almost possessed, and Xiao Hanye could not help finding it amusing.

Xiao Hanye truly could not bear to look at his handwriting. He bent a finger and tapped the desk. "Why do you want to enter the Imperial College?"

Without even raising his head, Shen Tingjue answered with resounding conviction, "I want to win the top scholar title for Your Highness."

Xiao Hanye: "?"

Shen Tingjue blinked and nodded with utter certainty.

Yes, he had heard correctly.

He wanted to win the top scholar title for him.

Xiao Hanye's feelings were complicated. Considering that Shen Tingjue's mind was not quite right, he barely held back the laughter that nearly escaped and tried his best to phrase it tactfully. "I think the military top scholar title may suit you better."

With handwriting like ghost scratches, he wanted to become the civil top scholar? What a joke.

"The military top scholar title..."

Shen Tingjue stroked his chin and pondered for a moment, arriving at an interpretation that pleased him. "Oh~ Does Your Highness think I am accomplished in both literature and martial arts, capable of taking both titles?"

He smiled modestly, looking deeply embarrassed. "So, in Your Highness's heart, I am actually this impressive. Fine, for Your Highness, I will do my best and give it a try."

Xiao Hanye wore a blank expression and had nothing to say. Silently, he raised a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. For the first time in his life, he felt that he had met his match.

Suppressing the urge to knock Shen Tingjue on the head, Xiao Hanye asked calmly, "Has the Eldest Princess had an imperial physician treat your amnesia?"

"Yes. The imperial physician said my amnesia is caused by congealed stagnant blood, and that it will naturally dissipate in time." Shen Tingjue shook his head as he spoke in an affectedly literary tone. "One must follow the will of Heaven and not act in undue haste."

Xiao Hanye frowned. "Which quack said that?"

"Physician Zhang." Shen Tingjue blinked. "They say Your Highness only calls for him when something happens. He shouldn't be a quack, should he?"

Xiao Hanye stared at him without answering.

"Actually, it does not matter if it cannot be cured. As long as I remember Your Highness, that is enough." Shen Tingjue set down his brush, leaned closer, and took Xiao Hanye's hand.

He had recently read quite a few romantic storybooks and learned a bellyful of sweet nothings. Just as he was about to gather his emotions and deliver a few lines, Xiao Hanye struck first. "Shut up. I do not want to hear you speak right now."

Shen Tingjue smacked his lips, his brows and eyes curving into a smile. "It's all right. You and I have a long future ahead."

"..."

Xiao Hanye felt that the words carried a faint note of provocation. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out, then rose to his feet. If he stayed any longer, he might have to visit Physician Zhang for pills to clear his heart and quell his inner fire.

"Is Your Highness leaving?" Shen Tingjue caught hold of him. Lies rolled from his mouth without so much as a blush or a racing heartbeat. "You just promised to teach me calligraphy. You cannot go back on your word."

Xiao Hanye: "?"

Well, well!

Shen Tingjue opened his eyes wide, looking pitiful and aggrieved, as though he were ready to throw a tantrum. Seizing the initiative, he began acting shamelessly. "You are not going to say you never promised, are you?"

Wu Dequan swallowed and secretly glanced at his own master, feeling as though green smoke were faintly rising from above the Crown Prince's head.

Xiao Hanye and Shen Tingjue looked at each other coolly for a long while. Then Xiao Hanye suddenly chuckled.

Wu Dequan could practically hear the killing intent in that laugh. Trembling a little, he hesitated before cautiously stepping forward and offering quiet advice from the sidelines. "Your Highness, endure for a moment, and the wind will calm and the waves will settle."

After saying that, Wu Dequan resolutely refused to look at the Crown Prince's expression. Hugging his head, he swiftly retreated to the window, tucked his hands into his sleeves, and gazed up at the sky.