Chapter 23: Chu Hengyang's "Little Sister Separation Anxiety"

Hastily changing the subject, he said, "Brother, it is getting late. We should head to the Imperial Academy with Her Royal Highness."

"Quite right." Chu Hengyang steadied himself, relieved to finally avoid facing these feelings for Xiao Yixi that had begun to "spoil" in ways he could not comprehend.

"Your Royal Highness," Chu Hengyang said, regaining his composure. His gentle, breeze-like face appeared as if nothing had happened at all. "Please, follow me."

Xiao Yixi’s clear, cold eyes flickered.

[Hengyang, I still preferred it when you were so flustered and breathless, your ears turning red, after being 'seduced' by me just moments ago.]

"Very well," Xiao Yixi replied with a slight nod.

Chu Hengyang walked on with the smile of a modest gentleman, with Xiao Yixi following closely behind.

Behind them, Chu Ying’s eyes widened instantly. She suppressed an urge to slap the wall and scream, wearing instead a beaming "shipping" smile that spoke volumes of her delight.

Ahhhhh!!!

It turned out that while she was away, her sister-in-law had done something that made her brother completely unable to maintain his facade of indifference.

This was wonderful!

Her sister-in-law was gradually forcing her brother to reveal his hidden feelings. The path to their romance was becoming smoother by the day! They would surely be together soon!

***

Chu Ying followed a short distance behind them, grinning with pure joy.

A-Yu was left bewildered. Her mistress was truly becoming more and more strange.

Chu Ying arrived at the carriage with a joyful glint in her eyes. Xiao Yixi had already boarded. Just as Chu Hengyang reached out to help Chu Ying up, she blinked and said, "Brother, I won’t be going to the poetry competition this afternoon. I want to talk to Mother about attending the Imperial Academy and start preparing the necessary items for my enrollment."

"What?" Chu Hengyang froze.

[Is my little sister planning to leave my side? To leave her dear brother?]

Chu Hengyang, who suffered from "Chu Ying separation anxiety," found his smile stiffening.

"Little sister," Chu Hengyang said, gently stroking her hair, his voice as soft as a still lake. "How about we wait until evening when we return, and then I shall speak to Father and Mother about this with you?"

[Little sister, I truly cannot function without you.]

The thought of Chu Ying leaving, which would leave him alone in the carriage with Xiao Yixi, made his already panicked heart race even faster.

[Little sister, I love you, and I do not want you to leave. With the Princess here, I want you to stay even more. I truly cannot be alone with Her Royal Highness. If I am, I will surely expose my true feelings for her.]

Chu Hengyang poured all his efforts into maintaining his "good brother" image, attempting to keep her from leaving by offering to help her handle the logistics of the Imperial Academy.

"Hmm? What do you think?" His hand lingered on her head with even greater tenderness.

***

Hehehe.

Chu Ying’s expression was full of wit. Although she was touched by her brother’s inner voice revealing his love for her, she wanted something else more—she wanted to feast on the sweet, delicious "couple's crumbs" between her brother and her sister-in-law! She wanted her sister-in-law to speed things up so her brother would completely lay his heart bare. She wanted to see them together, acting as a doting couple.

So, she would just have to apologize to her brother.

"Hmm..." Chu Ying looked up at him with a pitiful expression, using a reason he could not refuse. "Brother, I would love to go to the poetry competition with you this afternoon. But... I want to enter the Imperial Academy even sooner, so that I can always be with you there, wandering together in the vast ocean of knowledge."

Chu Hengyang: "!"

Inside, the little version of Chu Ying wore a foxy, cunning grin.