Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Gao Zhen couldn't recall when he had drifted off to sleep the previous night; he only vaguely remembered being carried back by the Ninth Prince. His clothes had been freshly changed, and Gao Zhen pulled the quilt over his head, feeling a blush creep across his face.

The system panel automatically materialized in his mind, and he noticed his data had updated once more:

Name: Gao Zhen

Life Energy: 100%

Karma Points: 3450

Favorability: 15,008

Note 1: [Complete Plot: First Encounter Night] Progress 99.9% | [Expand Plot: Warm His Heart] Progress 30%

Note 2: [Hidden... Mission] Progress 13% | Hint: Please collect clue character cards as soon as possible [Character Directory]

Note 3: (Saving a Life Is Worth More Than Building a Seven-Story Pagoda · Mu Zhong) Progress 70%

(Saving a Life Is Worth More Than Building a Seven-Story Pagoda · Qi You) Progress 10%

His favorability had shot up by ten thousand overnight?! Gao Zhen remembered it was 5008 when he returned last night. Such a massive increase in one night—it had to be from the Ninth Prince.

It seemed the Prince was truly delighted about the chicks hatching, and he must have credited Gao Zhen with the success, extending his affection to everything associated with him.

The warmth on his face slowly subsided.

Gao Zhen buried his face in the pillow, a faint ache in his chest. He replayed all the moments he had shared with the Ninth Prince since transmigrating into the book: the Prince had helped him bathe, applied medicine, changed his clothes, washed his feet, and even playfully pinched his waist… He often held his hand and frequently carried him… Yet, he had never shown any other intentions. Was this truly normal?

Was this love?

Gao Zhen couldn't fathom it. He tossed and turned in bed, agitated, then decided to stop overthinking. He was going to get up.

He got out of bed in a huff, dressed, and reached for the doorknob. His hand froze mid-air as an unbelievable thought struck him: Could it be that I’ve fallen for the Ninth Prince and am sulking because I’m not getting a response?

Gao Zhen stood there, stunned for a long while, until the heat crept up his cheeks again. He had no choice but to confront his true feelings: He had indeed fallen for the Ninth Prince!

He then gave his cheeks two light pats and told himself, "The Ninth Prince is so kind and wonderful—it’s only natural to like him."

He just wondered if the Ninth Prince felt the same way about him.

Gao Zhen found that he cared a great deal about this, especially since their relationship had become so intimately close without him even realizing it. If the Ninth Prince only saw him as Tutor Geer and didn’t actually like him, Gao Zhen knew he wouldn’t be able to accept it.

Having never been in a relationship, Gao Zhen lacked the experience to discern the true nature of the Ninth Prince’s kindness. So, he decided to test the waters and observe discreetly before making any conclusions.

…

With the newborn chicks to care for, both Gao Zhen and the Ninth Prince were preoccupied. Breakfast was once again a rushed affair, leaving He Shurong—who had prepared a wealth of information to share with the Ninth Prince—frustrated enough to claw at the walls.

On the way back, Little Chen noticed He Shurong’s poor complexion and asked, "Imperial Physician He, you don't look so well. Has preparing the medicinal food been exhausting lately?"

"Not at all, it’s nothing strenuous," He Shurong replied, composing his expression and finally suppressing his irritation.

Little Chen seemed oblivious to He Shurong’s mood, merely sighing, "I’ve noticed the Ninth Prince and Gao Geer looking healthier day by day. That’s all thanks to you, Imperial Physician He."

"Ah, it’s just part of my duties," He Shurong replied absentmindedly, brushing him off.

Little Chen continued, "Speaking of which, I heard from the eunuchs delivering meals to the cold palace that the people there are also looking better each day. Do you think it’s because Chief Steward Zhao took over the cold palace duties and brought good fortune?"

"Naturally. Eunuch Zhao’s blessings are boundless," He Shurong said curtly before falling silent. He was too annoyed to bother flattering Zhao Pu in front of Little Chen!

After that, no matter what Little Chen said, He Shurong only responded with noncommittal murmurs.

Meanwhile, Gao Zhen was in the west courtyard tending to the newly hatched chicks, unaware that his efforts to heal and save lives had already drawn attention. His eyes were full of the little chicks, and his mind was occupied with thoughts of the Ninth Prince—he had no time to care about what others were saying.

Newly hatched chicks don’t need to be fed for the first two days, as they still have unabsorbed yolk sacs. They only need clean water to aid digestion. Additionally, the temperature must be kept around 30 degrees Celsius to prevent them from catching a chill, gradually decreasing every three days until it matches room temperature.

Both the Ninth Prince and Gao Zhen were experienced with temperature control and seamlessly took turns adjusting the charcoal. To give the chicks more space, the Ninth Prince had even fetched a large wooden box from Golden Wheel, cleaned it thoroughly with herbal water in advance, and prepared it for use today.

He had also handmade the chicks’ water and feed troughs in small, medium, and large sizes. It was obvious how much he had been looking forward to their hatching.

Gao Zhen felt a twinge of something akin to jealousy. He squatted down, resting his chin in his hands, watching the Ninth Prince place the small trough into the large box and pour in water that had been boiled and cooled. Suddenly, he said, "Your Highness, can I ask you a question?"

"What does A Zhen wish to ask?" the Ninth Prince replied gently, glancing at Gao Zhen.

"It’s not difficult. Just answer honestly."

"Alright. Go ahead, A Zhen."

"Well, hypothetically," Gao Zhen felt the question was a bit childish, but he desperately wanted to know the Ninth Prince’s answer. So, mustering his courage, he asked, "If I and the chicks fell into a river at the same time, who would you save?"

The Ninth Prince chuckled, turning to look at Gao Zhen with a meaningful gaze. "Why does A Zhen ask this?"

"I want to know the answer," Gao Zhen said, trying to sound calm while his heart raced nervously.

The Ninth Prince reached out and ruffled his hair. "Of course, you. There’s no other possibility." His tone was firm and unwavering, making Gao Zhen feel as if he'd been given a giant reassurance pill. His heart pounded wildly, his head buzzed, and he stared at the Ninth Prince in a daze.

The Ninth Prince hadn’t expected this reaction from Gao Zhen. He wondered if his words had been too bold, frightening the young man.

For a moment, the two fell into an awkward, silent standoff, neither speaking.

After a long pause, Gao Zhen snapped out of his daze. Tentatively, he called out, "Your Highness?" When the Ninth Prince looked over, he quickly averted his gaze. Nervous, he grabbed a chick to ease the tension and held it up, asking, "Is it cute?"

"Not as cute as you," the Ninth Prince said with a light laugh.

Gao Zhen: "..."

What should he do? It felt like he had been confessed to—twice in a row!

Since when was the Ninth Prince so smooth with words?

He had only meant to test the waters.

"Why is your face so red?"

The Ninth Prince couldn’t resist reaching out to pinch his cheek. Then, both of them froze.

Because Gao Zhen said, "Your Highness, is it appropriate to pinch Tutor Geer’s face so casually?"

The smile vanished from Zhou Yunning’s face.

While Gao Zhen’s question was reasonable, hearing it made the Ninth Prince unhappy, as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on his head. Did A Zhen see him only as his Tutor Geer?

Gao Zhen, who had been watching the Ninth Prince closely, immediately noticed the shift in his mood—

The Ninth Prince was displeased.

Was he upset because Gao Zhen said Tutor Geer’s face shouldn’t be pinched so casually?

So, the Ninth Prince only saw him as Tutor Geer, which explained all the intimate gestures—patting his head, pinching his cheek, holding him, and even sharing a bed...

Was everything just because Tutor Geer was a cheap practice target?

Gao Zhen knew he couldn’t bear it, but the anger he expected never came. When the moment arrived, it was his tear glands that gave out first. The moment his vision blurred, he stood up and ran out. His heart felt as if it were being viciously kneaded, the pain so intense he could hardly breathe.

The instant Gao Zhen ran out, Zhou Yunning realized something was wrong.

He froze for a moment, then quickly chased after him.

Gao Zhen couldn’t remember how he scaled the wall or how he ran back to the north room. All he remembered was trembling the entire way, his hands shaking especially violently. He tried to slide the bolt of the north room door but couldn’t manage to latch it.

“A Zhen!”

The Ninth Prince’s hand pressed against the door.

Gao Zhen quickly turned his back to the door, leaving only the back of his head visible to Zhou Yunning, and hastily wiped his tears with his sleeve.

The door was left slightly ajar. Zhou Yunning didn’t dare push too hard, afraid of hurting Gao Zhen. He stood outside, his anxious voice betraying his unease. “Did I say something wrong? Did I upset you so much? Can you tell me? I can change.”

Gao Zhen stopped wiping his tears mid-motion, a whimper escaping his nostrils. “Your Highness, there’s no need to change. After all, I’m just Tutor Geer, just…” He couldn’t continue, tears gushing forth again. He hugged himself tightly, feeling as if his heart were shattering into eight pieces.

Zhou Yunning clenched his fists at his sides, took a deep breath, and said, “If you don’t want to be my Tutor Geer, I’ll find a way to strip you of that title.”

Gao Zhen was startled. He turned his tear-streaked face to look at him, hurt evident in his voice. “How would you do that?”

Zhou Yunning took another deep breath and said, “I will marry you.”

“…”

Huh?

Gao Zhen thought he must have misheard, standing there stunned and completely dumbfounded as if struck by lightning. He had no idea how the conversation had suddenly jumped to a marriage proposal.

“Did I scare you?”

Seeing that Gao Zhen seemed to have calmed down somewhat, Zhou Yunning pushed the door open and entered. Having failed twice before in declarations of affection, he tried to be more tactful this time. “Are you willing?”

Gao Zhen stood there in a daze. He heard himself say, “What if I’m not willing?”

Zhou Yunning wasn’t surprised. It seemed he had anticipated this possibility and was mentally prepared. His voice remained calm as he replied, “Then it means there are still many areas where I fall short. Because I like A Zhen very much, I’m willing to work on improving gradually for you. But A Zhen, you also need to give me some time. I can’t change overnight.”

Gao Zhen started crying again. This time, he finally understood clearly, as the Ninth Prince had made himself clear enough.

“So,” Gao Zhen sobbed as he pressed further, “you didn’t hold my hand, pat my head, hug me, or… um…” Some things, Gao Zhen found, were too shameful to speak aloud.

Zhou Yunning finally understood what was bothering Gao Zhen. He let out a long sigh and said, “I’m sorry, A Zhen, it’s all my fault. I couldn’t hold back and I—”

“Don’t say anymore!” Gao Zhen covered his mouth, certain that if he allowed him to go on, he would be mortified beyond recovery today.