An Wang's Melancholy

Watching her departing figure, she suddenly clicked her tongue. She squinted at him.
"What is it?" Zi Lin asked.
"I must say, Your Highness, you're quite cunning. To actually use me as a shield."
"A shield? Little Princess, what are you talking about?"
She shot him a sidelong glance, giving a faint laugh. "Hmph! Still trying to argue? Didn't you want her to retreat in the face of difficulty? It's obvious Han Rong likes you. Your Highness here wants to use me to extinguish the last glimmer of hope that young lady holds. I saw through your trick long ago..."
"Which eye of yours saw that?"
She pointed to her own eyes and replied, "Both my eyes saw it, and clearly at that!"
This bold declaration indeed pushed back Zi Lin's momentum, not giving him a chance to argue further. He laughed heartily, "Haha... Indeed, nothing escapes your eyes. However, This Prince holds a noble status; next time you speak, you should grant me some face. No one has ever dared to speak to me in such a manner."
"Hmph, putting on airs. I like it this way, what can you do about it?"

Then she quickly changed the subject:
"Oh, right! Why are you here? How are things at the An Wang Manor being handled?"
The reminder made her realize she had forgotten the main reason for her visit while chatting. Thankfully, he reminded her, otherwise, she might have completely forgotten. Her mind suddenly brightened:
"Ah, I forgot! My good sister opened a pastry shop this morning and wanted me to bring some over for you to taste."
With that, she took out a plate of flower-shaped pastries, peach-blossom pink, from a tray. Zi Lin happily took one and put it to his mouth to taste. The flavor was delicate, sweet, and melted instantly in his mouth, sweet but not cloying. A gentle fragrance wafted through the air. Her eyes eagerly watched for his reaction. Zi Lin paused for a few seconds. She worriedly asked, "What? Not good? Or does it not suit your taste?"
He shook his head and said, "No, it's excellent! The flavor is truly superb!"
He had only taken a small bite earlier, but now he popped the entire pastry into his mouth and chewed it with relish. Seeing his apparent satisfaction, she was elated. Now he had fallen into her trap. She leaned in and proposed, "How about it? Do you want to cooperate?"
The fish had taken the bait; why not catch it?
"Your Highness, these pastries are delicious, and Senior Sister Lin Ling's craftsmanship is truly top-notch. Such talent needs to be developed and expanded further. In this Imperial Capital, Your Highness has wide connections; why not host a tea party to promote our pastry shop? You could supply pastries to the imperial family and expand the branches of the Camellia Tea Shop to many places. This way, you could earn significant profits and get rich quickly! What are you waiting for with such a lucrative opportunity?"
"Little Princess, you truly know how to do business! Do your words mean you want to borrow my name to promote your products? And also that you want me to invest and provide an outlet for the shop? How cunning!"
Shi Yi continued to press, "It's a win-win cooperation, and no small matter. Moreover, this is a long-term benefit that will surely help you. It's just that I don't have enough capital right now; otherwise, I definitely wouldn't let you off so easily. If you don't want to, then I'll go find Crown Prince Brother; he'll help me anyway. Hmph!"
She huffed, feigning annoyance, and turned away abruptly. The reminder made him recall that Princess Tai Ping and Crown Prince Mu Rong Qing had a very good relationship, and he would certainly not refuse this offer. And the Eighth Prince would not want others to gain the upper hand. In an instant, he was convinced by her words. After careful consideration, he said, "Alright, let's decide on that. I will cooperate with your shops. However, I want to entrust this matter to my Second Brother to manage. He is idle anyway, so let him gain some experience. Moreover, This Prince does not have much time to manage such things."
"Good! Then… it's a deal!"
She extended her hand, and Zi Lin understood, shaking her hand. Thus, this cooperative relationship was established.

Outside, the brilliant golden sunlight pierced through layers of leaves, sparkling, appearing and disappearing. Master Bai's wooden room seemed to glow with dazzling golden light under the sun.
"Your Highness, you have been here for four hours! It's already past noon!" Master Bai subtly reminded him.
"Hmm… Is that so?" An Wang replied indifferently, not seeming to care much.
He sat on a long couch, leisurely engrossed in a book. Bai Hao Ran sat opposite, observing him intently. It must be said that a refined, ethereal, and learned person like Master Bai had no shortage of books in his room. Treatises, poetry, classics, history, geography… Nothing was missing; the bookshelves were thick, a spacious room filled entirely with books. It was even more extensive than the Xin Shu Ge in the Imperial Palace, no joke.
"Does Your Highness have something on your mind?"
"Simply put, you've been here all morning, seemingly reading, but when I converse with you, you are not very focused. I surmise you are troubled."
Knowing he couldn't hide it from Master Bai, he confessed a little, "Indeed, I am troubled!"
"Oh… And what might be the cause?"
Ding Lun leaned forward, putting on a mysterious air, "Master, do you know what love feels like?"
This question quite surprised Master Bai. Someone like An Wang also cared about "matters of the heart"? One would have thought that in his eyes, there were only affairs of state, the nation, and its people. After a moment's thought, Master Bai replied, "Love… love, you say? This humble one has also experienced such a feeling. It is something very difficult to describe in words. It is like every day, one wishes to see that person. Seeing that person smile, one unconsciously smiles along. When one sees that person being intimate with another man, one becomes unhappy. Or perhaps it is this longing, 'each hour stretches as long as a year.' One only wishes to be by that person's side, inseparable."
An Wang flinched upon hearing this. Spot on! Every sentence seemed to allude to him. These manifestations, this high and mighty Your Highness possessed them all.
"But… why does Your Highness ask about this?"
"I… I…"
Ding Lun stammered, unsure how to begin, his face flushing crimson. Someone should give him a mirror to see his current appearance. A cold general, a cold Your Highness, when did he become so shy? Could it be the reaction of love?
"It seems… I… have fallen for a woman…."