“My status does not allow me to marry like an ordinary prince.” He stared at me and spoke faster than usual. “Why are you asking this?”
My heart skipped a beat.
Somewhat at a loss, I stood up and said, “I should go now. I have to go and learn from my master today.”
“Mi Jia, if you become an apprentice, will you stop coming to find me as often?”
I was taken aback and shook my head. “I won’t. I’ve thought it through. As soon as my classes are over, I’ll come up the mountain to find you.”
His expression shifted between dark and light, and after a moment of silence, he finally said, “Mi Jia, come and be my attendant. I will ask my mother for permission to invite a court painter. I will say it’s because I want to learn painting. If you stay by my side, you can learn from the court painter. Isn’t that better than becoming an apprentice in the countryside?”
“But… doesn’t your mother only care about forcing you to cultivate?” I said softly. “If you ask her and she disagrees, what will we do? I don’t want you to anger your mother because of me.”
His hands curled into fists on his knees, and he remained silent for a long while.
“I’ll come to accompany you every day. Don’t be upset, alright?”
“I’m not holding you back. You can stop coming whenever you want.” His voice lowered, as if my attempt to cheer him up had only made him more upset. The hand curled on his knees tightened, veins standing out.
“Nalin…” I covered his hand, but he quickly grabbed my wrist with his other hand.
He lifted his gaze, his dark lashes trembling slightly, and his eyelids even reddened a little, as if he were extremely annoyed. “If you don’t come in the future, at least let me know in advance. Don’t make me wait like this.”
My heart jolted as I realized, he only had me as a friend. Due to his status, he couldn’t cross the river boundary. If I didn’t come, he must have been waiting anxiously, thinking I had forgotten about him.
My wrist hurt from the way he held it, and I nodded, trying to appease him. “Alright, I’m sorry. If I don’t come in the future, I’ll make sure to ask for leave from the Saint Lord in advance. Is that alright?”
His fingers didn’t loosen; instead, they tightened suddenly. “Don’t call me that. It’s not like you’re on duty when you come to find me, so there’s no need to ask for leave. If you’re tired from running back and forth and don’t want to come…” He paused, took a deep breath, and then said, “It’s fine. You don’t have to come so often.”
“I want to come! I want to come every day!” I raised my voice. “What’s there to be afraid of if I get tired? I’ll just treat it as exercise. I’ve been used to wandering across mountains and fields. I’m not some delicate young master.”
He didn’t say anything for a long while. After a moment, he slowly loosened his grip on my wrist.
“Have you gathered all your mineral pigments? Before, weren’t you still missing the red agate?”
He actually still remembers it?
“I have collected them all.” I answered with my lips curled up unconsciously.
“I asked my servant last time. Red agate is rare in southern Jiangsu. Where did you get it from?”
I scratched my head: “It’s my mother. She gave me her bracelet.”
“Your mother loves you so much; can you bear to give away her bracelet?” His voice was already behind me. When I turned around, he grabbed my hand. I felt a chill on my index finger and looked down in surprise to see him slipping his red jade ring onto my thumb. “Keep your mother’s bracelet. Just think of it as… a return gift for letting me see the sea. When your painting skills improve, paint more for me to see.”
“You said this was a gift from your father. It’s too precious; how could I use it to replace that?” I shook my head, trying to take the ring off, but he held my hand down.
“When is your birthday?”
I was taken aback. I was born on the Ghost Festival, and my birthday was approaching soon.
“15th July…”
He raised an eyebrow. “So it’s just a few days away, isn’t it? Consider this ring an early birthday gift from me.”
On the way back to the royal city, I felt as if my soul were floating outside my body, holding the ring he had given me, touching it over and over, kissing it again and again. Of course, I couldn’t bear to part with my mother’s bracelet, but the ring he gave me… I couldn’t bear to part with it even more.
Maybe I could talk to my future master, and, considering I’ve already gathered nine kinds of mineral pigment, he might count that as passing the test. If it really doesn’t work, I’ll just use my mother’s bracelet to make up for it.
Lost in thought, I skipped happily to the street where the painting shop was located. As soon as I entered, I bumped into someone and fell straight to the ground. The red jade ring that Nalin gave me also rolled to the side. Just as I was about to pick it up, a hand reached down and grabbed it first.
“Hey, this ring…”
I looked up and first noticed the person’s finely made silver-gray satin robe. As my gaze moved upward, I saw a few thin braids, lips devoid of color, and a pair of light brown eyes. Wasn’t this one of the two boys I had met at this painting shop before? The one who was sick?
His gaze shifted from the ring to me, and his eyes widened. “How is it you?”
Remembering his prestigious status and the ring that Nalin gave me, I couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. “You remember me…? That ring, the ring is mine. Could you return it to me?”
I got up, only to be stopped by a tall, burly man beside him who pressed down on my shoulder. He glared at me, his voice harsh, “This ring is a possession of the royal family! Tell me, how did you come by it?”
I shuddered with fear: “Someone else gave it to me!”
“Let him go.” The young man angrily scolded the man, and my shoulder was loosened. The man was very strong, and my shoulder was still aching, so I couldn’t help but take a step back.
The young man immediately said, “Don’t be afraid, I have no ill intentions.” He stared at me and took a step closer. “I’m just curious, who gave you this ring? It’s very similar to the one my brother has.”
I felt that my personal relationship with Nalin should not be known to the other royal heirs, so I hesitated and said, “It belongs to my mother.” Then I took out the red agate bracelet and said, “Look, this is a set.”
“You’re lying! How could your mother’s ring have the royal seal on the inside!” The man behind me shouted angrily. “I think you’re just a little eunuch who stole palace goods and ran off to sell them!” I panicked, taking a step back, feeling like I wanted to run, but I couldn’t bear to leave Nalin’s ring behind. Just then, two large hands pressed down on my shoulders. Terrified, I hurriedly said, “It was given to me by the Ninth Prince! I know him!”
“You actually know Ninth Brother? And he gave this to you?” He looked at me in shock. “When he returns to the palace, he hardly even speaks to us, his brothers. I didn’t expect him to have a friend outside the palace.”
“What proof do you have to say such things? How could Ninth Prince be friends with someone like you, a lowly commoner?”
The man behind me spoke gruffly, and I shrank back in fear. I hurriedly argued, “It’s true! His real name is Nalin, and we’re very close. He doesn’t live in the palace, he lives on the hillside behind the royal city.”
“Alright, I believe you.” The young man smiled and glanced at the man behind me. “Don’t make things difficult for him.”
I nodded and stretched out my hand. “Could you return the ring to me?”
He gave a faint smile and curled his fingers. “Do you know who I am?”
I lowered my eyelids. “You called the Ninth Prince Ninth Brother. You must be his younger brother.”
“How dare you, lowly commoner! Since you know he is a prince, why don’t you kneel?” A voice shouted from behind.
I trembled, about to kneel, but a pair of hands steadied my shoulders. He looked down at me, his eyes soft with a smile. “Me and Ninth Brother share the same mother. Since we’re blood brothers, and you’re his friend, you’re also my friend. From now on, I’ll come to visit you often. Is that alright?”
“I… don’t live in the royal city.” I stood up, only to realize that this younger prince was actually a bit taller than me. He said he was blood-related to Nalin, but his eye color wasn’t the same blue as Nalin’s; instead, it was a light brown. His features were somewhat similar, though his nose wasn’t as high as Nalin’s.
Nalin was still the more handsome one.
I thought to myself with a sweet feeling, subtly smiling, but then I noticed the young prince staring at me again, looking a bit dazed, like a silly boy seeing a beautiful girl. I felt a little uncomfortable and asked, “Your Highness, could you return the ring to me now? The gift is too precious, and I plan to return it to him.”
“Where do you live?” He tilted his head and asked, “Is it in a nearby village or town?”
I nodded: “In the Kashag.”
“I haven’t heard of it,” He mumbled. “Last time, you mentioned wanting to be apprenticed to the master of this painting shop and learn painting here. Is that true?”
“En. I’m actually about to go and become his apprentice!”
“Then, in the future, I’ll come to the painting shop to find you and learn painting together. How about it?”
“Your Highness, weren’t there painters in the palace…”
“Shut up.” The Tenth Prince interrupted him. “I’m a neglected child, with neither king father nor consort mother having the time to care for me. If I want to come out, I can. Who gave you the right to talk so much?”
So, he’s an ignored prince? In a way, he’s a bit like me, a son born out of wedlock. A feeling of sympathy rose in my heart, and seeing his angry face, I quickly agreed, “Alright, once I become the apprentice here, feel free to come find me. I… am willing to be your friend.”
The Tenth Prince smiled widely, finally extending his hand and handing the ring back to me. “Don’t call me ‘Your Highness,’ I’m called Naluo. Just call me Ah Luo. What’s your name?”
“Mi Jia, my name is Mi Jia.”
“Mi Jia,” He murmured. “Your name really sounds good.”
Holding the ring, I watched as the Tenth Prince walked away and saw him turn back to wave at me. I smiled in return, still feeling incredulous. With my background, to have made two prince friends in just one month, what a stroke of luck! After finally composing myself, I knocked on the door of the painting shop.
