No wonder Chang Le couldn't recognize him. The shortest boy from their childhood days had now grown tall and straight. Even when she strained on tiptoe, she could barely reach his shoulders.
"So you came to repay a kindness?" Chang Le suddenly understood, then frowned. "But if you're repaying kindness, why do you always bully me?"
"By heaven's mercy, who's bullying whom?" He Jianghe spread his hands. "In every sparring match, I held back from hurting you. Yet you, on the other hand, always fought me like your life depended on it."
Chang Le gave a dry laugh: "If you'd just said you came to repay kindness earlier, I wouldn't have—"
"I didn't come to repay kindness." He interrupted her, frowning. "That childhood favor was worth one sweet potato at most. I'm here now because I like you, because I want to marry you—not because of some ridiculous debt of gratitude. Don't misunderstand."
Chang Le found this absurd.
What kind of favor was only worth one sweet potato? Given how she'd stood up for him back then, it should've been worth at least five.
Wait.
She felt she might have missed something.
He... liked her?
Chang Le looked up at him in shock, eyes wide: "Have you gone mad?"
For power? His family was already influential enough—as a royal consort, he wouldn't even be allowed in court.
For wealth? His family wasn't poor to begin with; there was no need.
Then why like her?
Even Li Shaoling, with only Azure Meridians, considered being a royal consort a pity. He was born with Crimson Meridians—would he really throw that away for her?
"I would." As if reading her thoughts, he nodded lazily.
Chang Le hiccuped in fright.
Amusement sparkled in his eyes as he handed her a leather water pouch. "Li Shaoling has harmed you too deeply. If I didn't come save you now, your whole life would be ruined."
"Pre... preposterous!" Chang Le swallowed the water, glaring. "Teacher has always treated me well. How has he harmed me?"
"You're a daughter of heaven, born with Crimson Meridians. Your Essence Power is formidable—among the top in the entire academy." He Jianghe counted off. "Beyond status, you master Artifact Crafting, Combat Skills, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, even needlework—my princess, few women in this world possess more talents than you."
Chang Le blinked blankly. "Are these... impressive?"
He nodded emphatically. "These skills would let you thrive regardless of status. You need rely on no one—you could bring honor to an entire lineage by yourself. How is that not impressive?"
"But without my status, Teacher wouldn't have noticed me at all." Chang Le lowered her eyes.
He Jianghe rolled his. "That's precisely how he harmed you. At first glance, he only saw your status and appearance—none of your other virtues: gentleness, lack of greed, propriety, thoughtfulness. He saw none of it. And because you admire him, you adopted his perspective—only seeing your flaws, believing yourself unworthy of him."
"This path only leads you deeper into self-doubt, until you believe you have no redeeming qualities, and that his marrying you would be your great fortune."
Chang Le murmured, "Isn't it?""Bullshit! It's his ancestors' graves smoking with luck to have caught your eye!" He Jianghe flicked her forehead with a knuckle. "Wake up, Your Highness. There's more than one man in this world, especially one who's made you suffer so much. You have everything—why waste your affection on someone who only brings you tears? Hmm? Life too comfortable that you're seeking misery?"
"But—"
"Don't give me that 'true love' nonsense. You're not even sixteen yet—you've met too few people and are easily influenced. All the female scholars admire Li Shaoling, so you do too. Well, they all fancy me as well, why not consider me instead?"
Chang Le instinctively turned to look at him.
He Jianghe had sharp, sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, with strikingly defined facial contours that made him appear rather fierce when angry.
She shrunk her neck slightly.
The man before her softened his expression and heaved a long sigh. "This world is full of men who think their ambitions are priceless, believing that just because they aspire to the imperial court, you're somehow beneath them. They never stop to consider whether the place they yearn for is even within their reach."
A mere Green Vein, barely scraping into the Academicians' Court by teaching Combat Skills—without Chang Le's help, it would take him at least ten years to even step into the imperial court.
Chang Le pouted. "Don't speak ill of my teacher."
A vein throbbed at his temple. He Jianghe snorted and turned away, stewing in silence for a while before facing her again. "If he says he aspires to the court, then let him go. Securing him a sinecure isn't hard—why all the tears?"
"I..." Her eyes reddened again.
"Can't bear to let him go, huh? I know." He Jianghe clapped his hands. "Let me teach you a good trick."
"What?"
"Keep me by your side, and you won't have time to miss him." He Jianghe said earnestly.
Chang Le stared at him in shock. "Are you serious?"
"Every word I've said today is true. Don't take it as a joke." He Jianghe replied. "Your birthday is six months away. Think carefully—choose him and face mutual resentment, or choose me, and let me pull you out of this misery."
With that, he rose gracefully and strode out of the courtyard.
However, his carefree demeanor lasted only until he was out of sight. The moment He Jianghe disappeared from her view, he doubled back and pressed himself against the courtyard wall, peeking inside.
The conflicted Little Princess had started shedding tears again, drop by drop.
Sighing, He Jianghe pressed his lips together, reflecting on whether he'd been too harsh earlier.
But if he wasn't firm, and she remained stubbornly deluded, what then? He was already struggling under family pressure. If he couldn't win her over, he might truly end up alone for life.
Fortunately, the Little Princess soon stopped crying. Wiping her face, she stood up, took a deep breath, and her expression visibly lightened.
Had she figured it out?
He Jianghe raised an eyebrow, his heart itching with curiosity—what would her decision be?
In the following six months, she neither sent food nor clothes to Li Shaoling nor visited the Academicians' Court again. Yet she still dieted, trying to slim down.
He Jianghe's heart hung in midair—alternately grumbling as he stuffed food into her and tossing restlessly at night.
The Ministry of Rites had begun preparing for the princess's wedding, meaning she intended to request an imperial marriage decree at her birthday banquet. Which raised the question: would the decree be for him or Li Shaoling?The servant by his side comforted him, "Young Master, there's no need to be so nervous. You're such a good person, the princess won't refuse you."
But that was hard to say. He Jianghe frowned at his reflection in the mirror, suddenly understanding Chang Le's feelings a little.
When you like someone too much, it's easy to lower your head and search for your own flaws, afraid that you're not perfect enough.
But it was fine for him—he could afford to look. She, however, couldn't. She was prone to trapping herself in a dead end.
So, for the rest of their lives, it would be best if he was the only one doing the searching.
Heaven help him—tomorrow at the banquet, the name Chang Le spoke must be He Jianghe.
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