Yu Jun forced herself to remain calm as she asked this question.
She made up her mind: if this boy lunged at her again, this time she would be smarter. Glancing at the rosewood desk behind her, she had already calculated how to turn and run.
Zhou Zhi cupped his hands and bowed deeply towards her: “I have come to apologize to Fifth Elder Sister.”
Yu Jun was very surprised: “Apologize?”
Zhou Zhi stood still, eyes downcast: “Last time, due to my illness, I lost my senses and offended Fifth Elder Sister. It truly was not intentional. Please forgive me.”
The guarded look in Yu Jun’s eyes instantly dissolved, replaced by a surprised and pleased smile. “So it’s to apologize! That’s good.”
She quickly stepped out from behind the door, folding her hands as she smiled at him: “I wondered what this was about… it’s just that. Rest assured, I didn’t blame you. Besides…” She was about to mention the words she’d spoken back then, but suddenly thought: The little prince said he lost his senses—so perhaps he didn’t hear what I said at the time? If so, why bring it up again? It wasn’t anything glorious anyway.
Yu Jun probed cautiously: “So… you truly don’t remember what happened back then?”
Zhou Zhi shook his head, his face full of bewildered innocence.
Yu Jun felt relieved. Seeing his confused, naive expression, standing there all skin and bones, not daring to take a step closer—it stirred a feeling of pity.
And in this cold weather, he wasn’t even wearing a fur cloak. His clothes didn’t look very thick either. Probably from the cold, the tip of his nose was slightly red.
“Why are you just standing there? It’s cold outside. Come in and talk,” Yu Jun stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter.
Zhou Zhi watched her smiling face, his throat moving: “Thank you, Fifth Elder Sister. I… I’m afraid of offending you. I won’t come in.”
He reached out, somewhat awkwardly tugging at the corner of his clothes.
Yu Jun’s gaze shifted, noticing his hands, ruined by frostbite. Several frostbite sores had burst, starkly visible.
She recalled her own words from that day, and guilt surged through her. Seeing him cowering and hesitant, she couldn’t care less anymore.
Stepping out the door, Yu Jun grabbed Zhou Zhi by the sleeve: “You call me ‘Fifth Elder Sister,’ so why are you being so distant? Come in quickly. Look at your hands—they’re frostbitten all over. I have excellent frostbite ointment here…” As she spoke, she pulled Zhou Zhi towards the inner room.
Zhou Zhi was panic-stricken: “Fifth Elder Sister, I… I’m dirty… You… don’t touch me…”
Hearing this, Yu Jun’s heart actually felt a pang of pain. He was also of golden branches and jade leaves, yet so utterly humble! And she herself had bullied him.
Initially, she’d been somewhat restrained, only holding the edge of his sleeve. But hearing Zhou Zhi speak like this, she simply grasped his wrist.
“Who says you’re dirty? I’ll smash their mouth to bits for you!” Yu Jun frowned.
Zhou Zhi shuddered, as if frightened by her outburst.
“Don’t be afraid, I won’t bully you…” Yu Jun led Zhou Zhi to the inner room and seated him on the heated kang. This was a privilege even Zhou Jin rarely enjoyed—when he’d come earlier for the steam pot chicken, he’d only been offered the Arhat couch in the outer room.
But Zhou Zhi was different. His hands were frostbitten and festering. How could she let him endure more cold and hardship? Besides, Yu Jun very much wanted to make amends for her earlier harsh words. Though spoken for his own good, how could Zhou Zhi possibly know that?
Zhou Zhi only smelled a faint, subtly sweet fragrance, wafting towards him, sinking into his very organs.
His whole body couldn’t help but tremble. Perhaps it was because he’d been in the ice and snow too long, and now, suddenly entering such a warm, spring-like place, the extreme contrast made his teeth want to chatter. But this reaction, in Yu Jun’s eyes, made her think she’d frightened him, and she became even more careful and attentive.
Without allowing any refusal, she made him sit on the heated kang and prepared to find the frostbite ointment. At that moment, Ru Ning finally returned. Seeing an extra person, she was stunned, and recognizing Zhou Zhi, she immediately became alert: “Your Highness!”
Yu Jun, fearing she might say something inappropriate, pushed her urgently: “That frostbite ointment—where is it? Go and get it.”
Ru Ning was bewildered, glancing again at Zhou Zhi sitting with his head down on the heated kang: “But Princess…”
“I told you to go, so go.” Yu Jun glared at her.
Turning back, she saw that Zhou Zhi had already gotten down and was carefully smoothing out the spot where he had just sat.
Yu Jun froze: “Why did you get down?”
Zhou Zhi kept his head lowered and said quietly: “Fifth Elder Sister, I often hear people say you’re a good person, but we’ve never interacted before… Today, seeing you, I realize you truly are good. But I… I am an unlucky person. I originally shouldn’t have come to disturb you. It’s just that I heard the other day you were thrown down by me and frightened. I truly couldn’t bear it and wanted to personally apologize to you… It’s not that I deliberately came to cause trouble. I’ll leave now…”
Yu Jun watched him heading out with his head down and rushed over, spreading her arms to block him: “You’re not allowed to leave. At least hear one thing I have to say. Why are you so stubborn?”
Zhou Zhi was forced to stop. He glanced at her, looking utterly panicked, then lowered his head again. He rubbed his hands together as if completely at a loss.
Watching that fleeting, panicked, astonished look, Yu Jun suddenly had the odd sensation that she was a villainous bully forcing herself on an innocent maiden.
Fortunately, Ru Ning brought the frostbite ointment. Yu Jun led Zhou Zhi and had him sit directly on the Arhat couch in the outer room. “You don’t look it, but you’ve got quite an impatient nature? Won’t even let me say a few words before you’re set on leaving…”
Zhou Zhi whispered: “I just didn’t want Elder Sister to be put in a difficult position.”
“How do you know I’m in a difficult position?” Yu Jun humphed. “Who in the entire palace doesn’t know that His Majesty and the Empress dote on me most? Who would dare make things difficult for me? It’s you… barely able to look after yourself, yet always worrying about others.”
Ru Ning, nearby, didn’t dare leave their side. Seeing this, she couldn’t help but say: “Your Highness, perhaps it would be better for this servant to apply the medicine for the… little Highness.”
Before Yu Jun could speak, Zhou Zhi quickly said: “It truly isn’t fitting for Fifth Elder Sister to apply the medicine for me personally. Actually, it’s just a little frostbite, nothing serious. I’m used to it.” He tried to hide his hands, but perhaps from the rubbing, the frostbite sores had become even more red, swollen, and translucent.
Yu Jun shot Ru Ning a glance: “You’re getting more and more out of line. The little Highness is here, and you haven’t even poured him a cup of hot tea—what are you babbling about?”
Ru Ning was helpless, forced to agree and go pour tea. As she turned, she glanced again at Zhou Zhi. He sat there, head bowed, appearing obedient and gentle.
But Ru Ning remembered clearly: in the snow, he’d thrown himself at Yu Jun, pouncing like a wolf cub on prey… She’d nearly been scared to death. How could he seem like a completely different person now?
Could it really have been because of the high fever and delirium at the time? Was his true nature actually this gentle?
Yu Jun chose the ointment and carefully applied it to Zhou Zhi. Watching his hands tremble lightly from time to time, she sighed: “Don’t think I don’t know what frostbite feels like. It’s truly awful. Especially when it meets warmth, the itching is unbearable. You almost want to scratch your skin off. Just remember, absolutely do not scratch or pick, or else it will leave scars and take even longer to heal. Do you hear me?”
Zhou Zhi sat there numbly, not answering. Yu Jun raised her eyes and saw him staring intently at her. His originally distinct black-and-white eyes had turned as dark as ink.
Yu Jun’s hands paused.
Zhou Zhi quickly dropped his eyelids: “I… no one has ever been this kind to me before…”
His voice was hoarse. His long lashes trembled wildly, as if he was about to cry. He even sniffled.
Yu Jun silently scolded herself for being paranoid. She smiled: “We hadn’t met before. Now we know each other. From now on, come visit often. I have good things to eat here.”
She looked at his gaunt frame, especially his hands—almost fleshless, extremely rough, dotted with frostbite sores, a completely miserable sight. His fingers were clearly as straight and long as jade pipes, yet utterly ruined. What a waste of heavenly gifts.
Yu Jun remembered Little Shunzi saying he’d been collecting dead branches in the Imperial Garden. Her heart sank.
“Do you still have charcoal over there? Your hands have gotten this damaged?”
Zhou Zhi was silent for a moment, then said: “Yes, we have some. Earlier, they said the Third Prince sent quite a lot…”
Yu Jun’s lips pressed together slightly: “Then why are your hands still frostbitten? Oh… it must be because you’re outside, and you don’t have a hand warmer or anything. I’ll have someone bring you one later.”
Zhou Zhi breathed in that warm, sweet fragrance, listening to her gentle, soft voice. Before his eyes, everything gradually grew hazy.
Just then, Ru Ning’s voice rang out: “Aunt is back!”
The head matron, Aunt Baohua, had previously been sent to the various palaces to deliver return gifts. She had just returned. Before even entering, she saw Ru Ning gesturing urgently with her eyes.
When she entered and saw a strange young man inside, sitting extremely close face-to-face with Yu Jun, she was also startled.
Seeing someone enter, Zhou Zhi abruptly pulled his hand back and stood up, head lowered.
Yu Jun knew he probably wasn’t comfortable. She was about to speak when Baohua looked at Zhou Zhi: “This is…?”
It was said that the currently youngest prince openly acknowledged, the Fourth Prince Zhou Xiang, and Zhou Zhi were born around the same time. But the Emperor paid Zhou Zhi no attention, so everyone tacitly ignored him, referring only to Zhou Xiang as the Fourth Prince.
Therefore, Zhou Zhi’s status was somewhat awkward.
Baohua ought to know who he was, yet she deliberately asked.
Ru Ning immediately stepped forward and quietly whispered a few sentences in Baohua’s ear.
Aunt Baohua walked to Yu Jun’s side, took the ointment from her hand, and smiled: “So that’s how it is. Only… these rough tasks should be left to us servants. The Empress has also ordered that you must concentrate on rest and recovery. Tiring the Princess only makes us seem useless and lacking in perception.”
Yu Jun’s heart sank. How could she miss the veiled thorns in Aunt’s words?
Just as she was about to stop her, Zhou Zhi said: “It was my impertinence… I… I take my leave.”
Yu Jun stamped her foot: “Zhou Zhi!”
Zhou Zhi had just stepped outside the door when he slowly stopped: “Fifth Highness… better not… be so good to me.”
He abruptly looked back, a tearful yet smiling expression freezing Yu Jun in place.
“I’m already accustomed to cold stares, doubt, contempt, being bullied…” He shook his head with a faint smile and strode quickly away.
Baohua and Ru Ning watched this scene, each astonished.
“You two… hasn’t he been bullied enough already?” Yu Jun threw down these words and chased after him.
Ru Ning cried out anxiously: “Your Highness, you’re not wearing your cape!”
Before reaching the palace gate, Yu Jun suddenly heard someone outside say: “It’s you? What are you doing at the Jade Splendor Palace…”
It was Zhou Jin.
How could he be so coincidental… Yu Jun’s steps faltered.
Zhou Jin’s voice rang out again: “You little brat, are you itching for a beating?”
Hearing the threatening tone, Yu Jun hurriedly rushed out the door: “Third Brother…”
She saw Zhou Jin grab Zhou Zhi by the collar and shove him violently, causing Zhou Zhi to stumble and fall, hitting the ground hard.