Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Fearing an emergency, Zhou Yunning, still dripping wet, hastily threw on his robe and hurried over.

Turning the corner of the wall, he immediately spotted a slender, pale arm reaching out from the slightly ajar window, like a small piece of carved jade, tempting one to reach out and caress it. He quickly averted his gaze, his hand unconsciously clenching into a fist at his side, fingertips curling into his palm.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Through the window crack, Gao Zhen could only see someone approaching. The warm, yellow lamplight streamed through the gap, illuminating the newcomer’s chest, allowing Gao Zhen to clearly see the water droplets clinging to the slightly open lapels of his robe. He quickly looked away and whispered, “All my clothes are soaked.”

The Ninth Prince raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise on his face, as if he hadn't expected Gao Zhen to be so cautious. He pondered the words for a moment, then immediately grasped Gao Zhen’s meaning: “Do you need me to get you some clothes?”

“Mm,” Gao Zhen replied, a touch of embarrassment in his voice.

The Ninth Prince patiently explained, “Actually, if the clothes aren’t stained with blood, they won’t carry the Gu miasma.” As he spoke, he re-entered the north room, retrieved a fresh set of clothes, and handed them to Gao Zhen.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Gao Zhen took the clothes. The window gap was too small, so he quickly pushed the window open, grabbed them, and pulled them inside.

It should have been a fleeting moment, but whether it was the brightness of the lamplight that night or the sheer quality of the cloth wrapped around Gao Zhen, the window had already closed, yet the Ninth Prince remained frozen, still lost in thought.

In that warm, yellow light, he had vaguely glimpsed two pink ‘petals’ beneath the damp cloth.

When he had changed Gao Zhen’s clothes that day, he had kept his eyes closed—had they been this color then…?

By the time Gao Zhen had finished dressing and emerged, the Ninth Prince had already sprinkled talisman-ash water into every nook and cranny of the courtyard. Whether influenced by Gao Zhen or not, the Ninth Prince had also changed into a fresh robe, and his discarded clothes were soaking in a wooden basin of talisman-ash water.

“What about your soaked clothes?” he asked Gao Zhen. “Bring them here; I’ll wash them with mine.”

As it happened, the fire-washed wool robe Gao Zhen had been wearing had become as stiff as iron after being soaked, and he couldn't wash it himself. Hearing the Ninth Prince’s offer, he immediately handed over the bucket of soaking clothes. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

While the Ninth Prince washed the clothes, Gao Zhen kept busy, collecting the charcoal from the east room and storing it in the storage room in the southeast corner for winter use. The entire task took only a few minutes. But as he passed the water vat, he saw the Ninth Prince lifting a pair of undergarments, preparing to scrub them—and he immediately recognized them as his own.

“Your Highness!”

Gao Zhen rushed over like a gust of wind, snatching the undergarments from the Ninth Prince’s hands, stammering, “I—I’ll do it myself!”

The Ninth Prince gave Gao Zhen a puzzled look, clearly not understanding what was bothering him.

There weren’t many clothes, and they were soon washed. While hanging them to dry, the Ninth Prince said, “You should sleep first. I’ll finish the remaining work in the west courtyard tonight.”

Gao Zhen, still mortified by the near-incident of the Ninth Prince washing his underwear, nodded distractedly. Only after lying down in bed did he remember that he had originally planned to make amends with the Ninth Prince upon returning—not only had he failed to give the promised massage, but he had been looked after by the Ninth Prince yet again.

His plan to reconcile had completely fallen through, and he had no idea if the Ninth Prince was still angry.

He pulled up the system panel, looking at the favorability points that had barely budged all day, and knew the situation was not promising.

Gao Zhen didn’t remember when he fell asleep; he only knew he was woken by a cold breeze.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the Ninth Prince walking in through the open door, the faint light of dawn behind him in the courtyard. Gao Zhen bolted upright and asked, “Your Highness, you didn’t work all through the night, did you?”

The Ninth Prince’s eyes were red, his face haggard. If not for the smile on his lips, which clearly indicated his good mood, Gao Zhen would have felt a pang of heartache for him again.

Even so, Gao Zhen still felt a twinge of concern. He quickly got out of bed, guided the Ninth Prince to sit down, and said sternly, “Your Highness, catch up on sleep. I’ll make breakfast today. I’ll wake you later.”

But the Ninth Prince took his hand, saying with evident excitement, “Everything’s ready. We can start today.”

Gao Zhen was taken aback, not immediately understanding what he meant by “start today.” But seeing the Ninth Prince so eager, it took him only seconds to guess: “Your Highness, do you mean we can start hatching the chicks?”

The Ninth Prince nodded happily. “I’ve thought it over. A Zhen can take care of it during the day, and I’ll take over at night. What do you think?” As he spoke, he pointed toward the west courtyard, his gaze questioning and expectant.

Gao Zhen shot him an amused look. You’ve already got it all planned out so clearly—if I refused, wouldn’t that be a letdown? So he said, “As you wish, Your Highness.”

“Mm.” The Ninth Prince’s eyes burned with an intense, almost captivating light as he stared at Gao Zhen. “Then, before it gets fully light, how about A Zhen teaches me first?”

The expectation in his gaze was so overwhelming that Gao Zhen found it impossible to refuse. In a daze, he got up and followed him to climb the wall.

A ladder was already set up against the wall. Gao Zhen could tell at a glance how eager the Ninth Prince was—after all, the Ninth Prince didn’t need a ladder to scale the wall; this was clearly prepared for him.

As Gao Zhen climbed, the Ninth Prince considerately supported him, afraid he might fall. Finally, he said, “It’s not safe to keep the ladder in our courtyard. Let’s leave it in the west courtyard from now on. It’ll be convenient for you to use during the day.”

Gao Zhen had no objections and nodded immediately. “Whatever you say, Your Highness.”

Having not visited for a full day and two nights, the west courtyard was completely transformed. Not only had the fallen leaves in the yard been cleared, but three bamboo mats had been laid out in the open space, covered with washed cotton padding. Gao Zhen bent down to touch it—it was already dry.

The three buildings in the courtyard also showed signs of having been thoroughly cleaned, especially the east room, which was to be used as the incubation room. Not only had a new door been installed, but the windows were also covered with cloth to maximize heat retention. Inside, a pile of firewood was neatly stacked against the wall. The previously empty room now had a bamboo mat spread across the floor, along with a set of tables and chairs and a low couch.

The couch was already made up with a straw mattress wrapped in a clean sheet. There were also two small quilts that looked newly made.

On the table were writing brushes, ink, cloth, inkstones, and the previously roasted rice, which had been repacked into tightly tied cloth bags.

Although everything was worn and old, gathering all these items in such a short time within the cold palace must have taken the Ninth Prince considerable effort.

Moreover, Gao Zhen was amazed to discover that the Ninth Prince knew how to make quilts, leaving him momentarily speechless.

The Ninth Prince said, “Starting today, it’ll be hard work for A Zhen. If you get tired, rest on the couch. If you’re bored, you can write or draw. Or, if you need anything, just tell me, and I’ll try to get it for you.”

“This is already more than enough.”

Gao Zhen couldn’t bear to trouble him further, seeing the red veins in the Ninth Prince’s eyes.

“Really?”

The Ninth Prince’s scrutinizing gaze fell on Gao Zhen’s face, searching his eyes as if trying to read his thoughts.

“If you want anything, don’t hesitate to say so,” the Ninth Prince emphasized again.

Gao Zhen, feeling uncomfortable under his stare, blurted out, “How about giving me the set of tools from the east room in our courtyard? Since I’ll have free time anyway, I might as well try growing some vegetables.”

The Ninth Prince seemed surprised. “Just that?”

“Mm.” Gao Zhen lowered his head slightly, appearing very obedient. “I saw there were many seeds in the large food box earlier. I’d like to try planting some.” In the future, besides feeding themselves, they would also need to feed the chickens, so having more food would be beneficial.

The Ninth Prince thought for a moment and said, “Alright. Then, A Zhen can also teach me how to grow vegetables. It’s always good to learn more skills. I’ll trouble you, little master.”

Gao Zhen: …

Why did he feel that the Ninth Prince simply didn’t want him to shoulder the burden alone? Was it just his imagination?

“Unwilling?”

Because Gao Zhen had been keeping his head down without speaking, the Ninth Prince leaned in slightly to look into his eyes.

As warm breath brushed against his face, Gao Zhen was genuinely startled—especially since the Ninth Prince had tilted his head as if about to kiss him.

Gao Zhen: ?!

He stumbled backward in shock, the back of his knees hitting the chair, and his legs gave way, sending him tumbling down.

"Did I scare you?"

The Ninth Prince, thinking his face had frightened the young man, instinctively took a step back, sighed quietly to himself, and said, "My apologies."

Gao Zhen wanted to say something, but the Ninth Prince had already turned and walked toward the corner of the room.

Silence lingered for several breaths.

The Ninth Prince crouched down and began tinkering with the wooden box beside the fire pit in the corner.

He asked, "A Zhen, is this arrangement acceptable?"

Gao Zhen clenched his fist slightly and walked over, acting casual. The wooden box was lined with wood shavings and cotton, just as he had suggested earlier. The cotton was laid thickly, and looked about ten centimeters thick.

Although more cotton meant better insulation, too much was not ideal. Hatching is all about temperature and humidity control—if either gets too high or too low, it won't work.

"There's a bit too much cotton."

As he spoke, Gao Zhen reached in and removed half of it. Noticing the box was on the ground, he suggested, "It should be raised, with some space left at the bottom for charcoal and water."

"We need water too?" the Ninth Prince asked, surprised.

"Yes. Both temperature and humidity need to be controlled," Gao Zhen explained. "Place a bowl of water next to the charcoal and half a cup inside the box. Just keep them topped up regularly so they don’t dry out. Also, turn the eggs once a day, candle them after seven days, and make sure there's airflow the last three days."

As soon as Gao Zhen finished speaking, the Ninth Prince pulled two eggs from his pocket and placed them in his hands.

"What's this?"

Gao Zhen was confused.

The Ninth Prince, while propping up the box with a few pieces of wood, said, "Is there any particular technique to turning the eggs?"

So these were props prepared in advance for him to demonstrate. The Ninth Prince, really...

Gao Zhen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Ah well, whatever makes you happy.

He placed the eggs inside the wooden box and said, "Actually, there’s no special technique. Turning eggs means just what it sounds like—to ensure even heating."

The Ninth Prince paid close attention and nodded. "I see."

The box was raised, and charcoal was placed in the space beneath. Gao Zhen felt the temperature at the bottom with his hand. Ten centimeters up was too hot; twenty was just right.

"This height isn’t fixed—it needs to be adjusted based on the daily temperature. We'll play it by ear."

"Alright."

The Ninth Prince stood up and walked out, saying, "I’ll fetch a few more eggs. A Zhen, wait here for me."

"Your Highness, bring some more charcoal too. It’s not a good place for fires during the day," Gao Zhen reminded him.

The Ninth Prince acknowledged and quickly disappeared through the door.

Gao Zhen watched his retreating figure, noticing that his steps were unexpectedly lively today. After spending so many days together, this was the first time Gao Zhen had seen the Ninth Prince display such clear happiness. He couldn’t help but be affected by it and found himself smiling too.

Poking one of the eggs in the box with a finger, Gao Zhen whispered, "Alright little chicks, do your best. My lord’s happiness for the next month is in your hands~"

The Ninth Prince returned quickly. In addition to the hatching supplies, he brought Gao Zhen a bowl of meat.

"Keep it warm by the charcoal fire for now," he said.

Gao Zhen acknowledged, and had to admire again how thoughtful the Ninth Prince was.

Soon, ten eggs were neatly arranged in the box.

The charcoal was lit, and the water bowl and bamboo cup were set in place. The Ninth Prince also brought over a small quilt from the bed and draped it over the wooden box.

"That should do it," Gao Zhen said as he stood up. When he looked up, he noticed the red streaks in the Ninth Prince’s eyes again and immediately frowned.

"Your Highness?" he called.

"Hmm?"

The Ninth Prince was staring absently at the wooden box when Gao Zhen said, "Why hasn’t Your Highness returned yet? Didn’t we agree that I would take care of things during the day?"

The Ninth Prince raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised by Gao Zhen’s words.

Seeing that he still hadn’t moved, Gao Zhen said helplessly, "Your Highness should go back and catch up on sleep. Have you forgotten what you promised me earlier?"

Of course, he hadn’t forgotten—that day, Gao Zhen had hugged his waist and urged him to take care of himself.

A warm feeling swept through Zhou Yunning’s heart. He took the advice well, nodded, and under Gao Zhen’s watchful gaze, obediently went back to sleep.