The Crown Prince (Yuying)

"Oh, silly me," Mingyi replies calmly, "I must've been sleepwalking again."

Yuying blinks. She's pretty sure that Mingyi is being sarcastic, but he'd said it with such a straight face that she can't tell whether he's being serious or not.

"Sleepwalking?" Mingsan snorts as he casts a glance at Mingyi's legs, "Are you sure about that?"

"Oh, silly me," Mingyi repeats, "I meant sleepwheeling, of course. That's a thing, isn't it?"

"Sleepwheeling?" Mingsan furrows his brows, "What the fuck is that?"

"Sleepwheeling," Mingyi shrugs as he replies matter-of-factly in that ever soothing voice of his, "You know, like sleepwalking, but wheeling."

"Big Brother," Mingsan deadpans, "It's like, five or six o' clock in the evening."

"There's this thing called taking naps," Mingyi replies as he raises a brow at his younger brother, "You ever heard of them?"

Mingsan folds his arms and looks like he's about to say something when Mingyi interjects,

"Anyway, as I was saying," he hums as he leans back slightly against his wheelchair, "Sleepwheeling."

Mingyi pats the side of his wheelchair as though he's trying to prove a point.

"You see, sometimes, when Ma'er over here is feeling restless," he explains, "He'll become sentient, come to the side of my bed, pull me out of it, seat me down onto him, and then roll right out of my room."

Yuying tries her best to hide her snicker.

"Ma'er?" Yuying can't help but blurt out, "Are you talking about your wheelchair?"

"Of course," Mingyi nods with a chuckle, "What else could I possibly be talking about?"

"You named your wheelchair after a horse?" Yuying quips as she raises her brow, "Huh, that's new. I don't remember you mentioning that."

The words roll off Yuying's tongue naturally. She doesn't actually know whether or not the real Ming'er knows that his older brother names his wheelchair, of course, but she presumes he doesn't, especially given how he's been away at the academy for quite a while now.

"It's nothing new, really," Mingsan waves his hand, "Big Brother is always coming up with all sorts of weird things."

"It's not really weird, if you think about it," Mingyi insists, "Don't you think that my wheelchair is kind of like my personal horse? It takes me everywhere, and I can't go anywhere without it."

Mingyi then pets the side of his wheelchair as though he's stroking a horse's head.

"Besides, it's the only kind of horse that I can ride now," Mingyi murmurs softly.

Yuying doesn't know what to feel at his words.

Even though she'd only just met Mingyi a few minutes ago, she realizes that his words, as offhanded and carefree as they may sound, are actually pretty loaded with hidden meanings that she couldn't decipher.

"I don't think staying cooped up in your room is doing you any good," Mingsan mutters, "You've been saying quite a lot of strange things lately."

"I know," Mingyi states matter-of-factly, "That's exactly why I'm outside now."

Mingsan looks like he's about to say something when he stops himself.

He realizes that the conversation had just gone in one complete circle, that he'd contradicted himself by asking what Mingyi was doing outside, and then insinuating that Mingyi should spend more time outside.

"Doesn't seem to make a difference," Mingsan mutters under his breath, deliberately loud enough for Mingyi and Yuying to hear.

Mingyi purses his lips and doesn't say anything.

Yuying blinks.

/What did I just witness?/

/Mingyi and Mingsan's banter doesn't seem as good-natured and cheeky as that of Chen Jun and Ruofei's./

/It seems almost...strained? And kind of forced? Is that the right word?/

Yuying furrows internally.

/But they're brothers, right...?/

/We're all brothers.../

/Then again, we're in some sort of ancient Chinese universe, where tensions between siblings are normal, especially within the royal family.../

/But I've only just met them too, I can't jump into conclusions just like that.../

Ming'er looks between Mingyi and Mingsan uncertainly.

/Ugh, I don't know.../

/Am I reading too much into this...?/

Just then, Mingsan speaks up.

"Anyway, Ming'er," he states, "It's time for you head to the Main Hall. Father and Mother are waiting for you there."

"O-Oh, right," Yuying stutters slightly, "For the Choosing."

"Yup," Mingsan chuckles as he places a hand on Yuying's arm. "My, my, do you look dashing," he grins.

"You look all ready to knock some girls off their feet before they can do so to you."

/Before they can do so to me...?/

Yuying furrows internally.

/But why would the girls knock me off my feet...?/

/Does he mean by their beauty or something...?/

/I don't know why, but I feel like there's more to his words.../

"You head off first to Main Hall first, okay?" Mingsan says as he places his hands on the grips of Mingyi's wheelchair, "I'll take Big Brother back to his room so that he can get changed."

"Yes, Father," Mingyi jokes, causing Mingsan to crack a smile at the man in the wheelchair.

/Huh./

Yuying frowns internally.

/Maybe I was looking too much into it after all.../

"Guards," Mingsan calls out as he raises his hand. Just a few seconds later, a couple of Imperial Guards appear from the distant as though they'd magically spawned there as soon as they heard Mingsan's command.

"Some of you, escort Second Prince Zhao to the Main Hall for the banquet," Mingsan drawls, "The rest, follow me and the Crown Prince back to his room."

"Yes, Third Prince Zhao!" the Imperial Guards acknowledge in unison before stepping forward to escort the princes.

"Second Prince Zhao," one of the guards greet Yuying respectfully with a bow, "Please come with us."

Yuying nods and moves to follow them.

"I'll see the two of you later, Big Brother and Mingsan," she says to Mingyi and Mingsan.

The two of them nod and wave goodbye to Yuying, before heading back to Mingyi's room with some of the Imperial Guards.

Yuying watches them for a moment before she turns to leave for the Main Hall.

/This is actually happening.../

...

"Ming'er!"

Yuying hears her new name as soon as the Imperial Guards push the doors open for her.

It takes everything in Yuying to stop her jaws from dropping when she sees the interior of the Main Hall.

The ceiling is an intricately carved design of what looks like golden dragons hatching from a golden egg, which was situated right at the centre of the ceiling.

The carved dragons run down from the ceiling to the ground, coiling their long and powerful bodies around the pillars of the Main Hall and enhancing its grand and majestic aura.

The palace maids and the eunuchs are busy at work, setting up little tables and cutlery at the sides. Yuying presumes that's where all of the guests will be sitting, based on all the Chinese dramas that she's watched.

It was the kind of Main Hall that Yuying thought she would only ever see on TV and movie screens.

One that she'd always imagined having audiences with the Emperor or the Crown Prince with, or even sitting on the throne herself.

It was the kind of Main Hall that Yuying had never thought that she would get to see for herself in real life.

To say that it was surreal would be an understatement.

The Emperor is instructing some palace maids and eunuchs, advising them on where to place a few decorations here and there.

The Empress, on the other hand, is running towards Yuying as fast as her legs can carry her before finally capturing her in an embrace.

/Whoa...!/

She's so fast that it was only until her arms were wrapped around Yuying did she realize that it was the Empress who'd called her new name.

/When did she even get here...?/

/I didn't even see her coming...!/

"My dear, sweet, Ming'er," the Empress coos as she takes a good look at her son. "My, just look how handsome you are!"

"Thank you, Mother," Yuying smiles back at the Empress, "It's all thanks to the stylists. They did a good job."

"Tsk," the Empress clicks her tongue as she waves her hand dismissively, "I bet they didn't have to do much. After all, everyone knows that my dear, sweet Ming'er is naturally..."

"Handsome!"

The Emperor exclaims as he approaches Yuying and the Empress, unintentionally finishing the latter's sentence.

"My dear son," he beams as he pays Yuying on the back, "Look how handsome you are."

"You're all grown up now," the Empress adds. She sniffles a little as a tear forms at the corner of her eye. The Empress uses one of her sleeves to wipe it away swiftly.

The Emperor and the Empress were beaming at her like she'd just won them a million bucks.

Not that they needed the money, but you get the point.

Yuying is momentarily overwhelmed.

She'd never received such affection from her own parents, who seemed to only care about her older sister as though she was their only child.

"My dear," the Emperor suddenly says to the Empress, "Can you do me a favor and instruct a few of the palace staff about the decorations?"

He then looks at Ming'er and beams at him even more.

Yuying didn't think that it was possible for him to smile even wider at her.

"I want everything to be perfect for our beloved son," the Emperor says, "After all, it's his big night."

"Yes, yes," the Empress immediately answers, "Of course."

She then turns to leave, shouting at a palace maid for positioning a table slightly crooked.

It was just Yuying and the Emperor now.

Yuying gulps internally.

/Oh my God./

/I'm alone together with the Emperor, of all people!/

/What should I even say...?/

Thankfully for Yuying, she doesn't have to think of anything to talk about as the Emperor soon breaks the silence.

"So, my dear son," the Emperor grins, "Which young lady do you think will be walking away with your heart tonight?"

Yuying is momentarily thrown off-guard by the Emperor's words.

"Um, I don't know," she replies, "There's just so many of them to choose from..."

Yuying doesn't actually know how many girls will be at The Choosing, but she assumes that it'll be a considerable number.

"Hmm, that's true," the Emperor muses, "It's going to be a tough choice, that's for sure. After all, your mother had to beat extremely talented ladies before she was ultimately chosen by me."

Yuying freezes at this new information.

/Wait.../

Yuying thinks she's starting to realize what the Choosing is all about now.

/So that means.../

/Based on what the Emperor'd just said.../

/The Choosing is a competition whereby young ladies showcase their talents to fight for the title of the future Empress.../

However, there was just one thing that Yuying couldn't wrap her head around.

/But.../

/I don't get it.../

/I'm not the Crown Prince...!/