Chapter 5 

When a man and a woman share a room alone at night, what do people usually think about? 

Chen Linyao couldn’t help but entertain such thoughts. At 24, she was confident in her looks, so the idea of living with a man made her feel uneasy. 

She was afraid something inappropriate might happen if she accidentally fell asleep. 

Her anxiety kept her adrenaline pumping through the night. When the first rays of dawn streamed through the curtains, she realized that none of her fears had come true. 

The man hadn’t even gotten up to use the bathroom during the night. 

Am I really attractive?

Aren’t men supposed to secretly admire a woman’s sleeping face? 

Sleep-deprived and restless, Chen Linyao started worrying about these absurdities. Eventually, she forced herself out of bed to wash her face, brush her teeth, and idly scrolling on her phone before adopting the guise of an online troll to kill time by stirring up the internet.

In a live program featuring viewer comments, the host was reporting the weather, “This morning, the skies are bright and clear.” 

One of the comments below read: ‘I can’t even see my own hand right now. Bright skies, my foot!’

In a news segment about celebrity couples lately, they mentioned a pair where the woman is an actress and the man is a businessman outside the entertainment industry.

The female host excitedly pointed out, “Take a look at the diamond he used to propose to her. It's a pink diamond.” 

A comment under that one declared: ‘That guy’s totally gay. She’s going to regret it!’ 

Such comments were common on live streams, and people were mostly unfazed. The world was stressful enough; everyone dealt with it in their own way. 

As a saleswoman, Chen Linyao frequently encountered all sorts of people, which often left her stressed. A friend had once suggested she find a way to blow off steam to keep her mind clear. 

That friend probably didn’t anticipate that their advice would create another internet troll. 

Once she felt her tension subside, Chen Linyao noticed that the bedroom door remained firmly shut, with no sign of movement as if no one was inside.

The bedroom’s thin wooden partition didn’t block much sound, so Chen Linyao pressed her ear against the door to check if the man was still asleep. Yet, she couldn’t hear even the faintest breath. 

Is he awake? 

Tentatively, Chen Linyao pushed against the door. But as soon as she tried, she heard a slight noise—because the door didn’t budge. 

He had locked it from the inside. 

Chen Linyao stood there staring at the door. After a moment, it slid open, revealing the man standing tall, looking down at her. He raised one hand to his chest and, with a serious expression, said, 

“Good thing I was cautious and locked the door tightly. Otherwise, if someone came in during the night to assault me, I wouldn’t have known until it was too late.” 

Assault you, my foot! 

A wave of anger surged through her, reigniting the frustration she had barely managed to vent the previous day. The world really has too many self-centered people these days. 

The man, now dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, casually brushed past her, giving her a light nudge away from the door. He opened the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and then plopped down on the sofa, turning on the TV with the remote. 

Chen Linyao stood frozen for a long time, staring at him. Watching his nonchalant attitude made the heat rise to her head once again. 

He's getting way too comfortable. 

The man hadn’t done anything explicitly wrong, but his presence was increasingly irritating. Morning television was mostly filled with news programs, the young man casually sipping water with one hand and flipping through channels with the other. 

Then, Chen Linyao noticed something strange. 

“Wait!” 

Hearing her exclamation, the young man turned to look at Chen Linyao, raising an eyebrow in question.

“Weren’t you saying earlier that you came from the imperial palace?” 

“That’s correct.” 

“Then how do you know how to use a television?” 

Chen Linyao had finally spotted the inconsistency. She’d watched enough dramas to know that people suddenly appearing in modern times from different eras would usually be shocked upon seeing televisions. They’d be even more astonished at the sight of moving cars.

Yet, when he arrived, he didn’t seem fazed at all. 

“You... you’ve regained your memory, haven’t you?” Chen Linyao said quickly, her face flushing red with excitement. “Why do you seem so familiar with these things?” 

Chen Linyao’s triumphant tone seemed to annoy the young man. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he replied,

“I told you from the start that I remember almost everything. You were the one who refused to believe me. Yes, I lived in the imperial palace, and I’ll admit, the palace didn’t have things like this.” 

“Don’t lie. If you’d really been in the imperial palace, how could you not be surprised when you saw these things?” 

The young man’s expression shifted to one of disdain. “How many days do you think I’ve been here?” 

Chen Linyao paused to think. If she counted from the day he woke up after the accident, it had been about... 

“Today is the fifth day.” 

“The first night doesn’t count—I was unconscious. When I woke up, it was already morning. This is the fourth morning I’ve been here. Do you really think I’d let you see me acting pitiful or overwhelmed?” 

Chen Linyao froze. This wasn’t at all like the dramas she had watched. 

“Besides, in the imperial palace, people often brought in exotic objects from foreign lands to show off. Do you think an imperial prince like me, raised with proper etiquette, would react with anything more than a raised eyebrow and mild admiration? Only uncivilized mountain folk gawk and panic at unfamiliar things like fools.” 

Silence. 

Chen Linyao grudgingly admitted he had a point. But if that were true, didn’t it mean that all the princes in the dramas were just uncivilized mountain folk? 

“But you still shouldn’t look this familiar with everything.” 

The young man lifted his chin high, curled his lips into a sneer, and let out a disdainful scoff before speaking in a contemptuous tone. “What’s so complicated about these things? Most of them work with the press of a single button. Don’t judge others by your own limited capabilities.” 

Don’t judge others by your own abilities? 

Was he calling her dumb? 

Chen Linyao wanted to argue, but she knew she couldn’t win against his sharp tongue. Anything she said would likely just embarrass herself further. 

“And another thing, you keep calling me ‘you.’ As an imperial prince currently outside my kingdom, I’ll permit you to use my name as a special exception.” 

Turning back to the television, the young man added nonchalantly,

“I am Prince Xie Zhengjie.”