Chapter 5: Was I... Just Flirted With?

The man’s voice was not loud, yet even through the heavy curtain of rain, it carried with a certain weight and clarity that seemed to strike the ground.

Wu Tan’s skin prickled with goosebumps.

Her first thought was—

It’s over! Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince has come back?

She was still worrying, half dazed, when the man began to approach at an unhurried pace.

The first thing she saw was the hem of his blue-gray robe…

Thank goodness… it wasn’t Xiao Yun! The nerves that had been strung tight throughout her whole body instantly relaxed, and she lifted her head, neither hurried nor slow, to look at the newcomer.

He wore a brocade robe, the colors understated, yet exuding a restrained luxury. In this season, when everyone else had wrapped themselves in thick cloaks to go outside, he still wore only a light fur over his shoulders.

Wu Tan’s gaze traveled upward, landing on his face—

A young man, a stranger, but with such fine features that she instinctively knew she’d recognize him at a glance if they ever met again.

The rain made the day gloomy. He held a large umbrella, so Wu Tan couldn’t quite make out the expression on his face.

However, having just been tormented by Xiao Yun, she found herself, in a moment of rebellion, lingering over this man’s handsome appearance—just to satisfy her eyes.

On any other day, she would never have done so. But today, after being driven nearly mad by Xiao Yun and Huo Yunhua, she was ready to throw caution to the wind.

Wu Tan, at this moment, was just a twelve-year-old girl, her cheeks still rounded with the last traces of childhood. Her eyes were large and bright, framed with long, curling lashes now damp with rain, fluttering like butterfly wings brushed with dew. Her little nose was delicate, her lips soft and rosy… Her face was so full of vitality that, even though she was soaked to the bone, Xiao Yue could easily ignore her bedraggled state.

Xiao Yue hadn’t expected to run into her in the palace. In fact, before Xiao Yun arrived, he had already been standing on a nearby path. He had little fondness for that boy and couldn’t be bothered to deal with him, so he hadn’t revealed himself. He hadn’t intended to witness the two children’s petty squabble, but had ended up watching the scene unfold in full.

At first, he’d only meant to entertain himself with the spectacle, but he couldn’t help being drawn out by the little girl’s final words—

She actually dared to mock the Crown Prince behind his back for being naïve!

He’d approached on a whim, thinking she’d be flustered and lose her composure when caught in the act. Yet, to his surprise, the girl simply stared at him, unabashed, for quite some time.

At first, Xiao Yue thought she was in shock. But after a moment, he realized that he was, in a roundabout way, being flirted with. The instant annoyance gave way to an uncharacteristic moment of uncertainty—

Yes! Uncertainty!

Confronted with a girl barely into her teens—even though he had seen another side of her before—he was, as a grown man, truly at a loss for how to handle her.

The two of them locked eyes.

Wu Tan’s boldness was almost outrageous…

Xiao Yue had to steady himself, forcibly suppressing the slight discomfort that had crept into his heart. He sneered coldly, “What were you just saying? That His Highness the Crown Prince is naïve?”

His tone was far from friendly, the chill in his voice laced with a hint of mockery.

Of course, in such gloomy weather, Wu Tan could not perceive the subtle shifts in his mood. All she could see was the man’s perpetually cold face.

“Huh?” At his abrupt question, she blinked, then quickly composed herself and replied in all seriousness, “Oh! I said the weather is terribly cold!”

She sniffed, her expression the very picture of innocence, not a trace of falsehood in sight.

“What did you say? Say it again!” If Xiao Yue hadn’t been sure of his own hearing, he might have thought he’d misunderstood her entirely.

And besides—

That night in the courtyard of Changning Palace, he had seen for himself this girl’s insight and cunning.

Yes, he remembered everything that had happened that night in Changning Palace. He remembered much of what had happened since. Now, thinking back, it all felt like a vivid dream.

A month before, he had fought the hardest battle of his life on the northern frontier and suffered the gravest injury he’d ever endured. When he woke from unconsciousness, it felt as though he had been thrust into another cycle of existence. In his past life, he remembered in detail the path his life would take over the next ten years—every event, every detail, all clear and flawless. He didn’t know why this was so, but he was certain it hadn’t been just a dream. Rather, after a lifetime of rise and fall, he had died and been reborn, returning to the world ten years earlier.

For various reasons, he had been sent to the army at age fourteen. For eight years, he remained there. In his previous life, after suffering that particular wound in battle, he had harbored an ever-growing resentment for everything and everyone in the imperial capital, lying alone in an icy barracks as he recovered. To guard against opportunists, he had even strictly concealed news of his injury.

But this time, he chose to do the opposite. As soon as his condition stabilized, he requested leave to return to the capital, citing his injuries.

Such a request could not be refused by the emperor—his own elder brother.

So, dragging his wounded body across half the empire, he finally made his way back.

As a commander stationed abroad, his first duty upon returning to Yin Capital was, naturally, to enter the palace and seek audience with the emperor. Because the emperor was unwell, he was dealing with state affairs in his private quarters. While waiting at the inner palace gate for a summons, Xiao Yue never imagined that the first familiar face he’d encounter would be hers.

Twelve-year-old Wu Tan looked very different from the last time he had seen her…

At that moment, the little girl was kneeling before him, her eyes bright and clear. Even as he pressed her with a second, evidently forceful question, she looked around with that same innocent, lively expression, blinking and replying, “It’s raining—the weather is very cold!”

She even hunched her shoulders in perfect harmony with her words, as if to show—

She truly was cold!

Xiao Yue had seen many liars in his life, but none so brazen as this one—

She was the first!

She stared at him with wide, guileless eyes, meeting his gaze without a flicker of guilt.

After a moment of this silent confrontation, Xiao Yue was so exasperated that he actually laughed out loud.

“Heh—” The sound was gravelly, and as the wind caught him off guard, he doubled over in a fit of coughing, his stance faltering.

Though he had grown thinner since his injury, years of battle had left him with a strong body and a commanding presence. Wu Tan hadn’t noticed anything amiss. But now, seeing him cough so violently, she was startled.

Was this man gravely ill?

What rotten luck! Judging by his attire and his air of authority, he was clearly someone of high rank. If he collapsed right here, wouldn’t she be implicated?

Wu Tan was truly alarmed now, and forgot all about Xiao Yun’s punishment. In her haste, she tried to crawl over to support him, but she had barely moved when someone came running up behind her, rushing forward in great haste.