Prince and His Fool

After a long cold bath, Wu Yange ultimately reappeared and found Rong Zian sitting on the table with a dreamy look all over his face while fiddling with a bunch of scented liquids. He was so engrossed on what he was doing that he didn't even know he was being watched. Wu Yange was still curious to know who Rong Zian planned to confess to and if whatever he was making was for her.

Bracing himself, he walked over and sat next to him placing a bowl of sliced fruit arranged in an artistic manner. Of course, Wu Yange didn't cut them himself, he had asked a maiden to arrange a bowl for him to serve as an ice breaker before interrogating Rong Zian.

"Here, have some," he said pushed the bowl in his direction as though coaxing a child. Rong Zian finally looked up after dropping a few drops of rose essential oil in the mixture.

"I can't, my hands have oil on them. I will eat later," replied Rong Zian his eyes downcast as though avoiding him. In all honesty, Rong Zian just didn't want to give anything away before he was ready thus couldn't look him straight in the eye.

That didn't seem to deter Wu Yange who confidently took a slice of pear and unexpectedly fed Rong Zian with a roguish grin on his face. "Good right?" he asked taking a bite of diced melon.

Rong Zian was stunned out of his mind with a 'what the fuck just happened' expression. He might look serene on the outside but internally, he was freaking out like a dog before a thunderstorm. "Mhm, it's good," he replied and went on fiddling with his work.

"Are you making these for someone special? It seems like you are putting a lot of effort in it," asked Wu Yange trying the roundabout way. All his life he barely cared to know other people's business and had no experience flattering information out of someone. He only knew one method and that was to burn the truth out of whomever he was interrogating but of course, this method wouldn't work with Rong Zian.

Showing a mobile face and shifty eyes, Rong Zian was mollified by his questions. 'Why the hell would he ask me that?' Wu Yange keenly observed the subtle changes in Rong Zian's behaviour and uttered, "Uh, so it's true. You are making it for someone," furrowing his brows as he painfully clenched his fists under the table.

"No," denied Rong Zian feeling exposed, "I want to sell it at the market tomorrow."

Wu Yange didn't say anything for a while just staring at him which made Rong Zian even more uncomfortable. The longer the prince stared at him, the more restless he was. Wu Yange raised his hand to feed him a piece of plum but Rong Zian was hesitant, 'Pies just don't fall from the sky, okay!' he wailed in his heart.

"Mm, take a bite. It's the only one left," he said in a soft and gentle voice that Rong Zian simply couldn't resist. He took a nibble before the rest of it went into Wu Yange's mouth. That was the final straw for Rong Zian, something was definitely going on.

The prince wasn't done with him, he kept at it like a stubborn mule.

"Is it for the girl you were talking to at the market?" asked an expressionless Wu Yange struggling to contain his frustration which was building up at light speed.

Rong Zian gazed at him wide-eyed in shock, 'Fuck! So he actually followed me for that long?' he thought in astonishment.

"So you were following me? It wasn't a coincidence that you ran into me at the market, right?" gazing at him intensely. 'Let's see if you fuckin' lie to me,' he pondered within as he anxiously waited for the answer.

Wu Yange didn't mince words either, he shamelessly admitted it with no regret. "Yes, l followed you. What if you got kidnapped right under my nose? I can't let that happen,"

Unexpectedly, Rong Zian laughed unrestrainedly at the idea of him being kidnapped. He couldn't believe Wu Yange had said such a thing, "A grown man like me? Who would want to kidnap me that badly?"

"Grown men get kidnapped too," replied the prince with a sullen expression. He couldn't comprehend why Rong Zian found it funny. The man was too cute, who wouldn't want to kidnap him. When Rong Zian finally quieted down with a teardrop flowing down his eye, Wu Yange asked him again, "You didn't answer the question. Is she the special person you are doing this for?" while wiping away the tear off his eye.

Rong Zian denied it with a beatific smile, "No seriously, I don't even know her. I was simply asking for directions and I am not making these for anyone special. It's all to sell at the market tomorrow."

"You don't have to do this. Whatever you want l will buy it for you. When we are done with this, you will have enough money to last you three lifetimes," he suggested after serious consideration. He absolutely hated it when girls surrounded Rong Zian while he was selling those products hence removing the need for money equals distancing him from women. He already had one woman to worry about which is the one Rong Zian was planning to confess to. The prince didn't need to deal with more fangirls.

"I need the money for something," he replied while packing the bottles away. Rong Zian was planning a memorable declaration of his undying love and he would never let Wu Yange pay for it.

"For what? Just tell me what it is and I will give it to you," asked Wu Yange in what almost sounded like a pleading tone.

Rong Zian suddenly realised he had seriously underestimated the prince's tenacity, he just wouldn't quit. "It's personal but I will tell you when the time is right, okay?"

"Fine, don't tell me," said Wu Yange with a dark expression as he stood up to leave. He just wanted to go burn something and relieve the pressure. Dealing with people was so difficult for him and never bothered but ever since he met Rong Zian, he had had to learn but it was so painfully hard. Thus he walked out to cool off otherwise with his kind of temper he might say something he would regret.

Yet again, Rong Zian had underestimated the prince, the guy was so angry he didn't even come back the entire night. Rong Zian tossed and turned the whole evening waiting for him to come back. Because of that, he woke up with panda eyes, dragging his feet all over the place. He had searched the entire mansion but neither Wu Yange nor Ying Tie was nowhere to be found.

Though depressingly lonely, he had a goal to achieve and hence left the mansion by early afternoon heading to the busy market. Easily setting up a stall, he let the customers come to him. Rong Zian was indeed a gorgeous man, even though his eyes were sunken in, he still managed to grasp so much attention. In a matter of minutes, a crowd of girls were already chatting him up curiously gazing at his perfumes.

In just under thirty minutes, his was surrounded by women of noble birth and the sale suddenly turned into an auction. If hadn't done that those ladies would have pulled each other's hair out in minutes bidding the high prices. Though he loved a good catfight, he really wasn't in the mood as he couldn't stop thinking about Wu Yange. 'AAAHHH! I fuckin' miss Baidu right now, even Google would do. At least I can search what to do,' screamed Rong Zian in his head unable to focus on the task at hand. Luckily for him, his perfumes were selling like hotcakes and were gone within two hours.

The crowd soon dispersed leaving only a group of five cute lolis staring at him while giggling. He couldn't care less as he packed up his things but while neatly sorting stuff, he saw something he hadn't looked at ever since the day he got it. In his hand, he had Wu Yange's handkerchief that he gave to him. Back then he had not appreciated it as much as he did now.

The noisy girls watched him rub the handkerchief with his thumb as the though reminiscing on long lost love and they couldn't resist prying into his business. "Young master, how beautiful is this girl that has got your spirits down when there are so many to fill up the position?"

"Huh?" Rong Zian asked unable to comprehend what these gossipy maidens were going on about. What girl?

Seeing his confused face they giggled now surrounding him. "The handkerchief," one of them said pointing at what he was holding, "Isn't it a love token?"

Rong Zian it placed back it in his bag unable to fathom how women's minds worked. How can they deduce love token from a guy simply holding a handkerchief, 'Fuck! Can't I just be a simple guy holding a handkerchief, Tsk… love token,' he thought ready to flee.

"Young master forgive us for prying but maybe we can help resolve your matters of the heart," requested one brazen girl blocking his path. He really wanted to leave but realised who better to ask ideas from than a group of girls who ate, drank love night and day.

His attitude towards them changed as they casually opened up to him about some of the most interesting love confessions of all time. From skipping steps going straight to the man's parents to confess to a girl sending a nude sketch with the caption 'wouldn't you love to have this all to yourself?' One girl in the city had gone as far as sleeping naked in the man's bed while he was drunk that he had to claim responsibility as soon as he woke up.

'These girls are fuckin' brutal,' he thought as he heard them list their experiences one by one. Only one good thing came out of this discussion, he had decided on an idea that Wu Yange would never refuse.

This discussion went on for a further one hour thus the scene Wu Yange walked into when he came looking for Rong Zian. He had felt extremely horrible for throwing a fuss last night so he came over at the market only to see his one fear slapping him in the face. A bunch of girls with their perky bosoms all up in Rong Zian's face. Feeling absolutely defeated, he flung his sleeve and walked away in a fit of rage.

Rong Zian spotted a disappearing figure from afar and instantly knew who it was. He had entangled with that man in bed in another alternate universe so of course, he could easily identify him. He apologised to the girls and picked up his bag running through the crowd calling for him but Wu Yange didn't stop. Rong Zian assumed he couldn't hear him so he kept on pushing through the crowd oblivious of his surroundings.

He didn't know that ever since he stepped foot out of the mansion he had been followed by a highly-skilled group of individuals associated with Wu Yinyou. Now that he was vulnerable surrounds by the crowd, it was easy for them to drug him with a prick on his skin. With absolutely no warning, Rong Zian suddenly felt heavy as though his limbs no longer belonged to him. Two strangers grasped his arms either side and dragged him into a dark alley.

His mind fuzzy, Rong Zian remembered seeing a woman dressed in a crimson dress with an ominous grin on her face before everything went black.