Prince and His Fool

Zhao Huang raised his cup to toast the prince for having taken the time to visit his restaurant which he considered the greatest honour. Wu Yange looked down at the cup on the table and his heart sank, he had always refused the Prime Minister's offer to drink using his age as an excuse whenever he visited Tebei but now he was of age and didn't know what excuse to concoct this time.

The Prime Minister like his family was unaware of his reasons for his aversion to alcohol and refusing him once more will be deemed disrespectful. His interaction with his family had been to a minimum so they also weren't aware of his preferences otherwise his father would have informed Zhao Huang that he didn't drink. He was about to request to swap for some tea instead when Rong Zian suddenly took his cup and downed both his and Wu Yange's one after the other.

"You! What did you do that for? Such an ill-mannered servant shouldn't be serving the prince?" yelled the angry Prime Minister glaring at Rong Zian who was just wiping his mouth after chucking down all wine in a split second. Rong Zian almost vomited blood when he heard himself being addressed as a servant but chose to ignore it.

"I apologise to this venerable one but the prince has decided to partake in the five precepts of Taoism so he won't be toasting with wine but a lovely cup of jasmine will do just fine," he said to Zhao Huang before asking the maiden to pour more wine into his cup, "But I must say, your wine is truly legendary. I personally am a fan."

No one spoke for what Rong Zian would consider the longest minute of his life. He had only done what came natural, the need to protect Wu Yange. Through-out the conversation between Wu Yange and Zhao Huang, he had kept silent just admiring his male god's face with great indulgence. But when that cup of wine was offered to Wu Yange he noticed subtle signs of distress. It seemed as though the prince was caught in a dilemma struggling to reject the Prime Minister's offer. So he rudely jumped in gladly relieving Wu Yange's burden with the most ridiculous reason he could come up with. Five precepts of Taoism, yeah right? Like Wu Yange would stop killing monsters.

The Prime Minister was so angry and didn't believe a word of what that young man had said but couldn't voice his concern, at least not at this moment. "I understand Your Highness, will toast with any tea of your choice when you grace us with your presence, my wife has a range of exquisite collections you would love."

Wu Yange nodded in agreement and bid Zhao Huang farewell but he couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. He didn't understand how Rong Zian could see through him and quickly take initiative on his behalf but before he could ask him, food was served. He watched an excited Rong Zian settle down preparing to eat to his heart's content.

The prince barely touched his own food watching Rong Zian stuff himself like a little squirrel that had been fasting for weeks. He found this version of Rong Zian irresistibly cute and wanted to kiss away all the grease off his lips in self-indulgence. With his cup of wine running dry, the maiden approached Rong Zian to fill it up for him but Wu Yange stopped her, "I will do it, you can go," he said with a possessive smile on his face his eyes neither shifting from Rong Zian who currently had his head down distracted by braised pork belly noodles.

Hearing Wu Yange's make such a weird suggestion, Ying Tie almost exploded in anger. Rong Zian had managed to do the impossible, making his royal highness serve him for no reason and this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. The last time Wu Yange placed food into Rong Zian's bowl as if it was natural but he wasn't about to say anything except elbow an oblivious Rong Zian.

Feeling the painful nudge from Ying Tie, Rong Zian raised his head with his chopsticks frozen in his mouth as he watched the prince pour out some wine for him. The two were stuck in a stalemate gazing at each other thinking who knows what but the stimulation was too much for Rong Zian. His heart thumping hard against his chest, he averted his gaze from Wu Yange and drank the whole cup in one gulp. One could only be grateful that Rong Zian had a high alcohol tolerance otherwise he would have passed out drunk already.

"Thank you," he said placing the cup on the table before standing up and saying, "I have to go." Though abrupt, the guy really had to go and get the ingredients he needed to make his confession gift well besides the fact that Wu Yange was being a flirt.

Wu Yange wore a quizzical expression pondering on what he possibly could have done wrong. Rong Zian was obviously avoiding him again. 'Did he overdo it just now and scared him off?' he asked himself swallowing his disappointment.

"I want to buy something so I have to go now before it gets dark," he clarified himself standing stiff as a pole.

Wu Yange with a meaningful expression, finally responded, "I can accompany you just in case you get lost."

Rong Zian couldn't contain himself, he wanted to laugh so hard. How can a city boy like him get lost in a tiny city like this? Compared to a metropolitan he grew up in, this city was a drop in the ocean. "I will be fine, you don't need to accompany but you can give back my money," he said all straight-faced. The look in Rong Zian was absolutely resolute with no room for negotiation but how could the Wu Yange trust that he would come back to him?