Yin Wuzhi observed him. “Is it that hard?”
Jiang Wu thought it was difficult, but just as he opened his mouth to reply, Yin Wuzhi rattled off, “I take notes for you every day, extract the key points, carry you upstairs, feed you, do your homework, brush your teeth, shield you from the sun, cover for you with the teachers, and even grew my hair long for your silly little habit. Hard? Really?”
Jiang Wu: “.”
Not at all.
Lately, Yin Wuzhi had been holding back his frustrations.
He’d invite Jiang Wu out, only to be turned down. He’d deliver gifts, which Jiang Wu would casually set aside. He even bought a projector to watch movies at home, but Jiang Wu would fall asleep halfway through. Jiang Wu also started sleeping at his house, naturally curling up next to him. Despite this closeness, it didn’t feel like the romantic relationship Yin Wuzhi envisioned.
Fuming, he declared, “What we had before doesn’t count. Let’s start over.”
Jiang Wu: “.”
Yin Wuzhi hadn’t changed a bit.
Jiang Wu thought about it.
This really was his fault.
If it were anyone else, a mistake would be just a mistake. But this was Yin Wuzhi—he wasn’t supposed to make mistakes.
Yin Wuzhi and the former Empress Yin Wuzhi were no longer the same person. Though he retained some instincts from his previous self, he had lost his memories and was now an independent individual. If the Yin Wuzhi of the past had returned with his memories intact, he would have cared for Jiang Wu flawlessly. He would never have let things go wrong. Their first meeting, their first relationship—everything would have been done meticulously, just like in their previous lives.
The comparison made Jiang Wu feel even guiltier.
But…
Had he ever truly felt a spark in their past life?
Jiang Wu thought back carefully, only to realize, numbly, that he hadn’t.
It had all felt natural. At some unknown point, Yin Wuzhi had quietly taken over his life, becoming the very reason for his existence.
Natural, but not casual. Careful, but not deliberate.
As Jiang Wu drifted to sleep, he found himself wondering what that balance felt like.
The next morning, Yin Wuzhi received a text message: “Good morning.”
It was the first time Jiang Wu had ever sent him a morning greeting.
Normally, Jiang Wu was at his laziest at that hour—groggy and blank-minded upon waking. For him to remember to send a text meant he was genuinely thinking about Yin Wuzhi.
Yin Wuzhi, pleased, replied with a simple: “Morning.”
That night, around 9 p.m., another message arrived: “Good night.”
Yin Wuzhi immediately asked: “Going to bed so early?”
Jiang Wu didn’t respond.
For three days straight, Jiang Wu sent him morning greetings. Yin Wuzhi would have breakfast full of energy, then pick up a visibly drowsy Jiang Wu. It dawned on him that Jiang Wu fiddling with his phone first thing in the morning was probably an effort for him.
“You don’t have to wake up early to text me,” Yin Wuzhi said gently. “You can sleep in.”
Jiang Wu leaned against his chest, mumbling, “Okay.”
As Yin Wuzhi settled him into a seat, he asked quietly, “Are you pretending to have a crush so you can confess to me later?”
Jiang Wu obediently admitted, “Mm-hmm.”
Yin Wuzhi’s heart raced. He quickly declared, “Let’s pretend this conversation never happened.”
Let it be as if he had no idea Jiang Wu was preparing to confess.
During class, Jiang Wu suddenly called, “Yin Wuzhi.”
“Hmm?”
“Come closer.”
Yin Wuzhi, flipping through his book, leaned toward him. Jiang Wu said softly, “I like you. Let’s date.”
Yin Wuzhi leaned too far, tipping his chair back so much that one leg stuck up higher than the desk.
The teacher snapped, “Yin Wuzhi, sit properly!”
Struggling to straighten himself, Yin Wuzhi helped Jiang Wu sit upright too. After composing himself, he glanced at his watch: December 18th, 9:25 a.m.
The exact time Jiang Wu confessed.
After class, the two lounged together. Yin Wuzhi commented, “Why so sudden?”
“Because you already saw through my plan,” Jiang Wu explained. “I figured you wouldn’t have your guard up and might actually feel surprised.”
Yin Wuzhi had indeed been surprised.
He’d been waiting for this day, but still… “Why aren’t you even a little shy?”
Jiang Wu explained, “I’m just not obviously shy.”
Looking into his clear eyes and unbothered expression, Yin Wuzhi thought he couldn’t expect grand romantic gestures from him. “Fine, you pass.”
Jiang Wu seemed relieved, falling asleep almost immediately.
The next morning, Yin Wuzhi received another text: “Good morning.”
Jiang Wu wasn’t the type to do anything unnecessary. If Yin Wuzhi told him not to do something, he usually wouldn’t.
While it didn’t make logical sense, Yin Wuzhi thought, Maybe it’s because he likes me too much.
That Friday, after finishing Jiang Wu’s homework, Yin Wuzhi decided to stay the night at his house. It was their first time spending the night together as a couple.
Jiang Wu, who loved long baths, only indulged on Fridays. Yin Wuzhi entered the Jiang family’s spacious bathroom in a bathrobe, spotting Jiang Wu peacefully soaking in the water.
Clearing his throat, he called, “Jiang Wu.”
Jiang Wu opened his eyes, his expression a little dazed.
Yin Wuzhi sat by the edge of the tub, frowning. “You’re not even reacting. Aren’t you going to avoid me? We’re in a different kind of relationship now.”
Jiang Wu blinked. “What should I do?”
“When you see me come in, you should shout, grab something to throw at me, and chase me out, telling me not to look.”
Jiang Wu, unsure where he got these ideas, half-heartedly mumbled, “…Don’t look.”
“You have to shout first.”
“…Ah. Don’t look.”
“Not like that. Louder! Longer! You need to sound nervous, like you’re really scared of being seen, and drag it out.”
“Ahhh—don’t look.”
Satisfied, Yin Wuzhi turned his back.
He just doesn’t get it, Yin Wuzhi thought. Here I am, all anxious and nervous, while he acts like it’s no big deal for us to be together.
This doesn’t feel like dating at all.
Frustrated, Yin Wuzhi turned back again, blushing as he averted his gaze. “Why are you just shouting without covering yourself?”
Jiang Wu: “.”
Feeling along the edge of the tub, Jiang Wu grabbed two bath bombs his mom had left there and tossed them in. As foam rose to cover him, Jiang Wu immediately regretted it.
Now he’d have to rinse again after his bath.
It was all Yin Wuzhi’s fault.
When Yin Wuzhi turned back again, he found Jiang Wu submerged up to his neck, his little face pink from the heat and annoyance. In the frothy bathwater, Jiang Wu’s slightly pouting expression looked especially lively and endearing.
Jiang Wu grumbled, “Why haven’t you left yet?”
“Because you weren’t pushing hard enough,” Yin Wuzhi said matter-of-factly, snapping back to reality. “You can’t get rid of your boyfriend like that.”
Then, as if it were only natural, he added, “I want to sit in the bubble too.”
Jiang Wu was about to say, Suit yourself, but remembering Yin Wuzhi’s delight in seeing him flustered, he changed his mind. “You’re not allowed in.”
Yin Wuzhi promptly lifted his leg. “I’m coming in.”
Jiang Wu thought there might be something wrong with him.
If he ignored Yin Wuzhi, he’d sulk. If he paid attention to him, he’d get overly excited.
As the bubbles surged and overflowed from the tub due to the extra body, Yin Wuzhi kicked Jiang Wu lightly with his foot.
Jiang Wu, soft-tempered and soft-skinned, merely muttered, “Stop it,” every time Yin Wuzhi kicked him.
He was just that easy to bully.
Yin Wuzhi leaned back against the opposite side of the tub but soon shifted closer to sit right next to Jiang Wu. He picked up Jiang Wu’s little rubber duck and asked, “Do you feel anything special for me now?”
Jiang Wu thought for a moment. “I feel like hitting you.”
Yin Wuzhi laughed and leaned in closer, brushing his cheek against Jiang Wu’s. “Then hit me.”
Jiang Wu: “.”
He’d have to lift his hand to do that. Forget it.
“Move away,” he said instead.
Not only did Yin Wuzhi not move, but he draped an arm over Jiang Wu’s shoulder.
Jiang Wu frowned, then suddenly turned to him and asked, “Yin Wuzhi, are you trying to do something to me?”
“Don’t talk nonsense!” Yin Wuzhi quickly retorted, his voice raised. “Who—who’s trying to do something to you?”
He immediately scooted to the far side of the tub and said, “I think it’s you! Three palaces and six courtyards filled with concubines—you’re the one most likely to have ulterior motives.”
Jiang Wu didn’t argue with him.
Feeling drowsy from the soak, he said, “I’m getting out.”
Yin Wuzhi turned his face away, refusing to look at him. Jiang Wu called out, “Rinse me off.”
“Why should I rinse you off?”
“Yin Wuzhi.”
In the end, Yin Wuzhi helped him rinse off. Wrapped in a bathrobe, Jiang Wu wandered into his parents’ room.
“Mom,” he called out.
“Your mom’s downstairs,” Father Jiang said, coming over to open the door. “What’s up?”
Jiang Wu stood on tiptoe, indicating the towel on his head. “Dad.”
Father Jiang chuckled. “You want me to dry your hair?”
“Mm.”
“Alright, Dad will dry it for you.”
When Yin Wuzhi came out, Jiang Wu was seated on a small sofa on the balcony, with Father Jiang drying his hair. The blow dryer hummed softly, and Father Jiang worked slowly, leaving Jiang Wu’s hair only half-dry.
The two were chatting quietly.
Yin Wuzhi couldn’t help but marvel at Jiang Wu’s luck. His own dad had never treated him so kindly.
Walking over, Yin Wuzhi said, “Uncle Jiang, how about I take over?”
“It’s alright, almost done,” Father Jiang replied.
Jiang Wu was slumped face-down on the sofa armrest, his father’s gentle touch almost lulling him to sleep.
Yin Wuzhi sat on a nearby chair and asked, “I heard Aunt Wen mention you have a meeting tomorrow morning?”
“Adulthood,” Father Jiang sighed, his gaze never leaving Jiang Wu’s face. “There’s a meeting this weekend, and I might have to go abroad the day after tomorrow.”
“You and Aunt Wen have been really busy lately.”
“You kids are about to take exams soon, aren’t you? How’s Ah Wu’s performance lately?”
“Same as always,” Yin Wuzhi said. “Barely holding steady in his class, but he hasn’t fallen behind. It’s just the finals; he’ll be fine.”
“This kid’s just a bit lazy, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders,” Father Jiang said, almost offhandedly. “When you grow up, you’ll have to look out for each other.”
As he finished speaking, his phone rang. Father Jiang turned off the blow dryer. “I need to take this call.”
“Okay.” Yin Wuzhi took the blow dryer from him and continued the job. Perhaps to avoid disturbing Jiang Wu’s rest, Father Jiang closed the door after entering the room to take the call.
Yin Wuzhi asked, “Are you really asleep? Didn’t we agree to watch a movie tonight? I even brought my projector over.”
Jiang Wu made a vague sound. The bath had left him so drowsy that his entire body felt weightless. He didn’t want to move a single finger.
When the blow dryer finally stopped, Yin Wuzhi’s fingers brushed against Jiang Wu’s delicate ear. He leaned down and whispered in his ear, “If we don’t watch today, we can go to the cinema tomorrow instead, okay?”
Jiang Wu, now half-asleep, murmured his agreement and drifted off completely.
As if in playful punishment, Yin Wuzhi gently pinched his smooth ear before scooping him up.
On the staircase, Mother Jiang, carrying a plate of washed fruit, happened to come up.
Their eyes met.
Yin Wuzhi froze on the spot.
Jiang Wu’s parents didn’t know about their relationship. Would holding Jiang Wu like this raise suspicions? What if they found out they were dating? Would they interfere? Would they force them to break up or send them to different schools?
Would he never see Jiang Wu again?
“Ah Zhi,” Mother Jiang said.
“Aunt Wen,” Yin Wuzhi replied hastily.
“Ah Wu fell asleep again, huh?” Mother Jiang walked over and glanced at the person in his arms. “You can even carry him now.”
Yin Wuzhi stammered, “…Uh, he’s, he’s not heavy.”
“Right,” Mother Jiang mused. “You’re in high school now, almost as tall as your dad. Ah Wu’s growing so slowly.”
“…Yeah, he always skips proper meals and doesn’t exercise.”
“If you have the time, you should take him out more—PE classes or something. He can’t go on like this; it’ll ruin his health.”
“Got it.”
“Don’t just stand there—carry him inside. Holding him like that must be tiring.”
Mother Jiang opened the door, and Yin Wuzhi quickly stepped in, placing Jiang Wu on the bed.
Yin Wuzhi felt a little uneasy, but Mother Jiang acted naturally. “I’ve washed two plates of fruit for you. You can eat them later if you watch a movie or play games tonight.”
“Okay.”
“Alright, have fun. I’m heading out to take these over to Uncle Jiang.”
The door shut behind her.
Aside from marveling at how strong Yin Wuzhi had gotten, Chang Jinwen didn’t seem to notice anything unusual.
Yin Wuzhi calmly sat down on the bed, glancing at the little slacker sprawled out on it.
He realized clearly how silently Jiang Wu influenced everyone around him.
If it were anyone else, seeing such an intimate scene—a princess carry—would have sparked questions, but with Jiang Wu…
Yin Wuzhi thought back. Over the years, Jiang Wu was always either slumped on his shoulder, collapsed in his arms, or draped across his back.
Their positions were always so naturally close.
As a child, Jiang Wu used to cling to everyone: teachers, classmates, the family butler Qi, his parents, even Yin’s parents. There was even a time when Mother Jiang left him behind at the mall after getting distracted by a phone call. It was the police who brought him back.
And at that time, Jiang Wu was already eleven.
Why did the police carry him back?
Their reasoning was: “We couldn’t get him to stand.”
A simple trip to the mall with his mom had left him as limp as a puddle of jelly. When the police found him, he was still lying on the floor. Technically, they could’ve just lifted him up, but that didn’t seem humane. So, they carried him instead.
Mother Jiang had grown used to it. Everyone seemed to naturally transform into a human transport device, a human cushion, or a human crutch around Jiang Wu.
For a moment, Yin Wuzhi wasn’t sure what expression he should wear.
He placed the fruit on the bedside table, climbed into bed, and tucked the little slacker in. “Were you like this when you were an emperor too?”
He didn’t get a reply because Jiang Wu was already fast asleep.
Yin Wuzhi glanced at the projector he had already set up. Watching a movie alone wasn’t much fun. He hoped Jiang Wu would keep his promise and join him at the theater tomorrow.
The next morning, Yin Wuzhi woke up early, washed up, and ate breakfast.
He finished his weekend homework, solved a few practice sheets, and jotted down some interesting problems to share with Jiang Wu later.
At 9:30, he laid out clothes on the chair.
At 9:40, he climbed back onto the bed, propped his chin on his hands, and stared at Jiang Wu.
At exactly 10:00, Jiang Wu woke up.
Yin Wuzhi grinned at him. “Finally! Let’s go see a movie.”
Jiang Wu felt a wave of dizziness.
It was rare for him to get a day off, and now he had to leave the house?
But he had flaked on Yin Wuzhi yesterday and promised to properly start their relationship.
Jiang Wu sat up, and Yin Wuzhi immediately handed him a toothbrush and cup. “Open up.”
Jiang Wu obediently let him clean him up. Yin Wuzhi then opened the wardrobe. “What are you wearing today?”
“Anything’s fine.”
Yin Wuzhi looked at him blankly.
Jiang Wu added, “Whatever you like, I’ll wear.”
“What if I’m not here? What would you pick?”
Jiang Wu’s gaze wandered over the wardrobe. “Maybe the khaki sweater?”
“I’ve seen you wear that. You’re not putting any thought into this.”
“…How about the new white one my mom bought?”
Yin Wuzhi pulled it out and inspected it. “Fine, this one.”
He brought it over, started unbuttoning Jiang Wu’s pajamas, but then paused. “This doesn’t fit the vibe of a new relationship. You should do it yourself.”
Jiang Wu: “.”
He pulled off his pajamas and grabbed the sweater. He tried to put it on, but his head got stuck.
“Yin Wuzhi,” he muffled. “The neck is too tight.”
Yin Wuzhi turned to see Jiang Wu’s bare upper body peeking out from under the sweater.
Pressing his lips together, he squinted, feigning nonchalance as he tugged on the fabric to free him. Jiang Wu’s head finally emerged, and he shut his eyes solemnly. “I didn’t see anything.”
The sweater ordeal left Jiang Wu half-drained. He collapsed onto the bed. “I’m too tired to go out.”
Sensing danger, Yin Wuzhi stopped teasing. He quickly picked out pants, helped Jiang Wu into them, and coaxed, “Come on, we’ll eat something first.”
Jiang Wu’s slim figure and soft features made him look like a life-size doll. After tugging on the pants, Yin Wuzhi didn’t bother pulling down the sweater entirely, leaving Jiang Wu’s bellybutton exposed. He leaned in close, propping himself up on his elbows beside Jiang Wu.
“How about you rest a little more, and then we head out?”
“Okay.”
Once Jiang Wu had rested, Yin Wuzhi got him up and out the door.
At the mall, they went upstairs straight to eat.
“What do you want to eat?” Yin Wuzhi asked.
“Anything’s fine.”
“How about teppanyaki?”
“Okay.”
“Hotpot?”
“Okay.”
“Barbecue?”
Jiang Wu: “.”
Yin Wuzhi chuckled, wrapping an arm around Jiang Wu’s shoulders and pulling him into a playful hug. The soft little lump nearly got squished.
Jiang Wu, soft as dough, slumped in his arms. He remained still even as they approached the escalator. Yin Wuzhi scooped him up by the waist and carried him down.
“You didn’t even step onto the escalator,” Yin Wuzhi teased.
“My mom always uses the elevators,” Jiang Wu muttered, faintly accusatory.
“…I just wanted to take you around a bit.”
Jiang Wu perked up. “You want to wander?”
Yin Wuzhi had indeed planned to walk more, but seeing Jiang Wu’s reluctant expression, he let it go. “What do you feel like eating? Just decide, and we’ll go.”
“What do you want?”
“Maybe something light.” Yin Wuzhi leaned close, inhaling Jiang Wu’s scent.
The bath bomb from last night still lingered faintly on their skin. Yin Wuzhi’s own scent was similar, but Jiang Wu’s carried an inexplicable charm that drew him in.
“Let’s not spoil this scent of yours,” Yin Wuzhi said.
Jiang Wu gave him a sidelong glance. “Is it normal for a first love to sniff someone so intensely they almost pass out?”
He was starting to think his understanding of young love might be a little…off.
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