CHAPTER 53: 53. HUAN’S FAVORITE MOUNTAIN PRINCESS

AT THE SAME TIME

EMPEROR LIANWEI POINT OF VIEW:

Huan finally plopped down on the carpet, still holding the wrapped box like it might vanish if he let go. Mei Shen and I sat beside him while Henry hovered just over my shoulder, clearly invested in whatever this mystery was.

"Go on, open it." Mei Shen suggested.

Huan untied the silver cord with the kind of care I rarely saw from him, peeling back the deep blue silk to reveal a small wooden box, polished smooth and smelling faintly of cedar. On top of it was a folded note, sealed with a dab of wax in the shape of a tiny flower. He handed the note to Mei Shen without a word. She cracked the seal, unfolded the paper, and scanned the few lines inside. Her eyebrows lifted.

"...It’s from a friend." She said slowly, handing it to me.

The handwriting was delicate, looping letters with little flourishes at the ends, the sort of careful script only taught to noble daughters. It wasn’t just legible, it was pretty. Henry caught sight of it over my shoulder.

"That’s a girl’s handwriting." He declared without hesitation.

"Definitely." Mei Shen agreed, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

Zeyrith, who had been pretending to lounge nearby, glanced over with a foxlike grin.

"Ohhh... so that’s why he’s been staring at the horizon like a tragic hero in a romance play."He grinned.

Huan ignored all of us, opening the wooden box. Inside was a small hand carved figurine. A little fox, painted with gold tipped ears and a mischievous expression. His eyes lit up.

"She remembered!." He said softly, hugging the figurine to his chest.

I glanced at Mei Shen.

"She?"I asked.

But Huan was already grinning like the happiest child alive, and whatever answer he had, he wasn’t giving it to us yet. Zeyrith didn’t waste a second. He crouched beside Huan, resting his chin on his hands like a gossiping aunt at market day.

"Well, well, well... a special gift from a mysterious girl with very elegant handwriting. I wonder..."He started.

Huan blinked at him, suspicious already.

"What?"He asked.

"Is this... your future wife?"Zeyrith smirked.

Huan’s face went red so fast it was like someone had lit a lantern behind his skin.

"Wha- NO! She’s just,she’s-" He sputtered, clutching the fox figurine tighter.

Mei Shen bit her lip to hide a laugh. Henry didn’t even bother, he just grinned outright.

"Oh, it’s definitely a girl." Henry said. "And clearly important, judging by the way you’re hugging that thing like it’s made of gold."

Huan turned his back to all of us, which only made Zeyrith’s lean over him even more dramatically.

"Come on, little emperor. Tell us her name. Or shall I start guessing?"Zeyrith said.

"No!" Huan burst out, and then, after a long pause, his voice softened. "...Her name is Bai He."

Mei Shen’s eyes warmed immediately.

"White Lotus."Mei muttered.

The name floated in the air like a dropped feather delicate, but it landed with weight. Zenith’s smirk shifted into something more thoughtful.

"A lotus, hm? Those only grow in the stillest waters... and yet they survive storms." He gave Huan a slow, knowing nod. "Interesting."

Huan ignored the tone, instead running his thumb over the fox figurine’s gold tipped ears, a tiny smile tugging at his mouth. Huan was still sitting cross legged on the rug, turning that fox figurine over like it held the secrets of the world. Every so often, he’d glance at the folded note beside him, then tuck it under his hand protectively if he caught anyone looking. Mei Shen drifted to my side, her expression caught somewhere between amusement and concern.

"You know." She murmured. "He’s never reacted like that to anything before. Not even the miniature sword your brother sent him."

"That sword could take an eye out." I muttered. "This is... different."

Her gaze lingered on Huan, soft and searching.

"Bai He... ’Lotus.’ Pretty name. And from her handwriting... she’s educated. Refined."She said.

I folded my arms, watching my son stroke the figurine’s ears like they were made of silk.

"And very far from here."I said.

Mei Shen glanced at me sharply.

"You’re thinking the same thing I am."Mei started.

I nodded slowly.

"The mountains. Years ago. You were with him when-"I suggested.

Before I could finish, the air shimmered faintly at the edge of the room. Zeyrith, sprawled in one of my armchairs like he owned the palace, was grinning like a cat who’d found a fish pond.

"Oh, now you’re starting to connect the dots." He drawled. "Took you long enough. You’re both forgetting something..."

Mei Shen sighed.

"And what’s that?"Mei asked.

Zeyrith’s grin widened.

"In the novel, Chapter 20 is the lotus Chapter. The moment the male lead starts realizing the girl he met wasn’t just a passing encounter." He tilted his head toward Huan. "Except in your case, the clock started ticking years earlier."He said.

Mei Shen and I exchanged a look, the kind that carried a dozen unspoken questions neither of us could answer yet. Before I could decide whether to press Huan for more, the sound of silken hems brushing against marble reached my ears. My mother entered first, poised, regal, and armed with that razor sharp gaze that missed nothing. Behind her came my grandmother, her presence quieter but no less commanding. The moment Huan’s soft murmur of "Bai He" carried across the room, both women froze mid step. Mother’s brows rose a fraction.

"Bai He?" She repeated, tasting the name like fine wine.

Grandmother’s eyes sharpened.

"White Lotus... fourth daughter of the Mountain Kingdom’s imperial house." She said with absolute certainty. "The youngest. Barely eight when I last saw her."

Huan’s head snapped up, eyes wide.

"You know her?"He asked.

"Know her?" Mother’s lips curved into a knowing smile. "Her father is the Mountain emperor. The kingdoms keep polite distance, but... that child was a favorite among the court whenever they visited. Sweet tempered. Sharp minded."

Grandmother’s gaze softened, but there was mischief in it too.

"And very, very protected. She has three older brothers who watch her like hawks over a pond. If they knew a boy was holding a gift from her..." She let the sentence trail off, clearly savoring the image.

Mei Shen bit back a laugh beside me.

"Oh, they’d have words." She said lightly, though her eyes flicked to me, knowing I was already calculating the political implications.

Mother didn’t bother hiding her amusement.

"Well. It seems our Huan has managed to charm a princess. And not just any princess the baby of the Mountain court. My, my..."Mother added.

Huan flushed scarlet, but he didn’t let go of the fox figurine. If anything, he held it tighter, like the idea of those three older brothers only made it more precious.

Zeyrith, of course, looked delighted.

"Aha... the plot thickens." He murmured, clearly enjoying every second of my son’s discomfort.

Grandmother gave me a pointed look.

"If the mountains are sending gifts already... perhaps we should prepare for a visit. Their court does not give lightly, Emperor Lianwei."She said.

I folded my arms, trying not to groan aloud. A visit meant protocol, negotiations, and, if those brothers came along a test of how well my patience held under thinly veiled threats. Huan, however, was oblivious to all of that. He was still staring at the figurine like the rest of us had faded into the background, a small, unshakable smile tugging at his mouth. And that, somehow, worried me more than anything. Mother tilted her head, the corners of her lips curling in that way that told me she was already enjoying herself far too much.

"Well, Huan." She said in that deceptively gentle tone she used right before dismantling opponents in court. "When did you become so... close to the little princess of the Mountain kingdom?"

Huan’s head jerked up.

"I, I’m not close close." His voice was too quick, too defensive. "We’re just... friends"

"Oh? Friends who send hand carved fox figurines and handwritten notes sealed with a lotus?" Mei Shen’s voice dripped with playful suspicion. She leaned forward slightly, eyes glinting. "That’s not just friendship, sweetheart, that’s thoughtful."

"That’s-" Huan stopped, searching for a comeback. Finding none, he ducked his head and stared at the figurine as though it might somehow open a hole in the floor and swallow him whole.

Grandmother’s laugh rolled out, low and warm.

"Careful, child. The last boy who tried to claim friendship with a Mountain princess ended up married to her in three years."She smirked.

That made Mei Shen perk up.

"Ohhh? Do tell that story"She asked.

Mother smirked at me before returning her attention to my son.

"It started just like this. A sweet letter. A small gift. And before anyone realized it... the wedding bells were ringing."Mother grinned.

Huan’s ears went crimson.

"It’s not like that!"He shouted.

Across the carpet, Bella clapped her tiny hands together and bounced.

"Hu-an get mar-ri-ed!" She announced proudly, her small voice ringing with excitement.

Huan spun to glare at her, horrified.

"Bella! No!"Huan shouted.

Bella giggled and pointed at the fox figurine in his hands. "Lot-us girl send pret-ty! Huan like pret-ty!"She said again.

Henry tried to cough into his fist but ended up laughing openly. Zeyrith didn’t even bother pretending to be subtle, he tipped back in his chair and smirked like he was watching a well rehearsed stage comedy.

"Ohhh, you like her." Zeyrith sing songed. "It’s written all over your face. Look at him, blushing, stammering like a little prince in love for the very first time."

"I’m not-!" Huan’s voice cracked, and that just made it worse. His blush deepened until he looked ready to combust. "She’s just... nice! And she remembers things!"

"Remembers you." Mother corrected smoothly, raising one elegant brow.

Grandmother nodded knowingly.

"And sends personal gifts to only you."Grandma added.

Bella leaned against Huan’s arm, peering up at him.

"Lo-tus girl, Bella like!"Bella said happily

"Of course you do." Mei Shen said warmly, brushing Bella’s hair back. "Seems like the whole family approves, Huan."

"Except maybe her brothers." I said under my breath.

That froze Huan.

"...Brothers?"Huan asked.

Grandmother’s smile was far too innocent.

"Oh yes. Protective ones. Three, if I recall."She said.

"Four." Mother corrected with the precision of someone who remembered every detail of a royal lineage. "The youngest of them is the most dangerous, very quiet until he decides someone has wronged his baby sister."

"Wronged her?!" Huan’s eyes went wide. "I wouldn’t-! I haven’t-!"

"Yet." Henry added with deliberate mischief.

Zeyrith leaned forward, propping his chin on his hands.

"Wouldn’t it be fun if they decided to pay a visit? Just to... evaluate their sister’s friend?"Henry asked.

"That’s not fun." Huan muttered, clutching the fox figurine like it could shield him from four armed brothers.

"Hmm." Mother hummed thoughtfully, pretending to ponder the idea. "As it happens, the Mountain kingdom isn’t far. A visit isn’t unreasonable."

"I-" Huan looked from face to face, growing paler by the second. "You wouldn’t..."

Grandmother’s lips twitched.

"Wouldn’t we?"Grandmother asked.

Bella giggled again.

"Lotus brothers come play!"Bella laughed.

"Play?!" Huan groaned, pressing his palm over his eyes. "They’ll kill me before we even start playing!"

"They won’t kill you, son." I said with a smirk. "They’ll just... assess you."

"Same thing!"Huan shouted.

The room dissolved into laughter, Mei Shen shaking her head with that ’I warned you’ smile, Henry grinning like he’d found a new favorite pastime, Bella humming happily to herself, and Zeyrith murmuring, Oh, this is going to be entertaining.