After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

She was very talkative, like a chatterbox. First, she asked him what he had dreamed about. Then she asked him who Xin Xin was and whether she was prettier than him. After that, she solemnly warned him that he must not move before his bones had fully healed.

She went to get the food, while he fell into deep thought.

In his dream, his mother's daughter was named Xinxin, and they lived a happy life together. Why was she named Xinxin? Because when he was young, his mother told him that if she gave birth to that daughter, she would name her Kaixin (meaning "happy"), so that she would be happy for the rest of her life.

It wasn't that his mother favored girls over boys or disliked him as her son; on the contrary, she felt guilty towards him.

If he were a woman, the royal family of Southern Chu might have been more lenient with his mother.

He closed his eyes, and Xin Xin's image floated into his mind, causing a smile to involuntarily creep onto his lips. Suddenly, his lips tightened, and he stared wide-eyed at Lu Zhiyuan. Her clothes were exactly the same as those worn by his sister in his dream. No, not exactly the same, but rather, he had brought Lu Zhiyuan's clothes into his dream.

As soon as Lu Zhiyuan entered, she saw Xiao Yebai turn his face away.

"Your Highness Xiao, is this how you treat your attending physician? I was so afraid you'd die that I stayed up all night watching over you without blinking. I was exhausted, cold, and hungry. And you, on the other hand, didn't even bother to give me a glance. Am I that unlikable to you? I even cooked for you."

Xiao Yebai's gaze fell on the food box.

"Did Miss Lu cook this?"

"That's right, even my mother doesn't get this treatment." He opened the food box and took out the food inside.

A plate of oddly shaped steamed buns, a porridge with meat and vegetables of unknown flavor, and a dish of red and green side dishes that looked rather pretty.

Lu Zhiyuan enthusiastically introduced him to the situation.

The steamed buns are made from a mixture of whole grains and refined grains. The black ones are made from whole wheat flour, the yellow ones from cornmeal, and the green ones from mung bean flour. Xiao Yebai and A Luo used to eat poorly, and suddenly switching to overly refined grains or rich, meaty foods would burden their digestive systems, leading to a series of illnesses. Mixing refined and whole grains together not only makes the steamed buns look better but also gives them a more unique flavor.

The porridge was a very ordinary vegetable and lean meat porridge with a little salt added. She tasted it and thought it tasted pretty good.

The side dishes are rinsed in water and then served cold, which is beneficial for patients to absorb and also preserves the original nutrients of the vegetables to the greatest extent.

“Miss Lu just said she kept watch over me all night.” Xiao Yebai raised his head, a hint of a smile in his eyes: “If you kept watch all night, where would you find the time to cook?”

"Xiao Yebai, you heartless bastard, how dare you doubt me!" Lu Zhiyuan, who was serving porridge, put down her spoon, put her hands on her hips, and glared angrily at Xiao Yebai: "I should have let the princess hang you to death."

Aro heard the sound and came in.

“The young lady wasn’t lying. She really did stay in the side hall all night, until dawn, before letting the servants stay by His Highness’s side. She went to the small kitchen to steam buns and cook porridge herself. Miss Liuying wanted to help, but the young lady chased her away. After the food was ready, the young lady told us to eat first, and then she came to stay by His Highness’s bedside. His Highness can’t be heartless and can’t say such things about Miss Lu.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yebai finally showed an expression, but the word "sorry" stuck in his throat, and he tried several times but could not say it.

Knowing his temperament, Lu Zhiyuan didn't argue with him and had A Luo help him up.

Aro hesitated and did not step forward.

"His Highness dislikes being touched!"

"It's his problem, he's spoiled. The first time I touched him, he looked like he'd been smeared with something dirty. But after I touched him a few times, he got used to it. Look, now when I hug him, he doesn't even react."

Looking at the young master's expression, A Luo pursed his lips and said insincerely, "Perhaps it's because the young lady is innocent, lively, and young."

“You’re not that old either, and you’re about the same size as my firefly.”

A Luo curtsied: "This servant is seventeen years old, four years older than Miss Liu Ying, and two years older than my young master. This servant is short, no wonder Miss can't tell."

I've heard my mother say that people from the Southern Chu region are short, but their fierce and unruly nature makes it easy to overlook their height disadvantage.

She looked down at Xiao Yebai, who was being held by her, and asked, "So, you inherited your father's height?"

Xiao Yebai coughed and asked Lu Zhiyuan if it was possible that he wasn't eating well, causing his growth rate to be slower than others. The Southern Chu royal family had a custom of intermarrying with other states; his grandfather and father were not of pure Southern Chu blood. Going further back, none of his ancestors were 100% Southern Chu blood, hence the difference in their pupil color.

His light brown complexion, like his father's, comes from his mother, a princess of the Yuezhi.

Compared to the commoners of Southern Chu, the royal family of Southern Chu had fairer skin, taller stature, and more robust physiques. Regardless of their lineage, they were not short. Their shortness stemmed from hunger, poor sleep, and frequent humiliation.

Lu Zhiyuan let out a long "Oh," and said, "Then isn't that the same as me?"

Xiao Yebai's eyes darkened.

Lu Zhiyuan had said that she had a hard time at the villa. Everyone from the steward to the nanny, from the wet nurse to the maids bullied her. Like him, she was always hungry and cold, and she was born with a disease that kept her on the brink of life and death several times.

A slight thought crossed her mind, and she softly called out, "Miss Lu, I can get up by myself."

Lu Zhiyuan gave a soft "oh," released her hand, and stood properly by the bed. She had always thought Xiao Yebai was only a few years older than her, at most eleven or twelve, but she hadn't expected him to be fifteen. Fifteen years old is still considered a young boy in modern times, no wonder he always reminded her of the differences between boys and girls.

People in ancient times matured early, and some even married at fifteen. He was probably thinking of her reputation.

The hostage prince is not as cold-hearted as the legends suggest; no wonder he treated Lu Jinyao, who was his confidante, so well in the original text.

She chewed on her fingers for a moment, then looked into his eyes and asked, "Could Your Highness fall in love at first sight with the person who saved your life, and then become fond of her?"

Xiao Yebai seemed to choke on his own saliva, his half-risen body freezing in place, his gaze slowly shifting to Lu Zhiyuan. Lu Zhiyuan quickly explained, "It wasn't me, I was talking about someone else. If you met someone when you were sixteen or seventeen, and she not only saved you from danger but also helped you leave the Northern Liang capital and return to Southern Chu to fight for the throne, wouldn't you fall in love with her?"

Xiao Yebai met Lu Zhiyuan's eyes.

He was thinking that she would help him leave?

In the entire world, besides Lu Zhiyuan, he couldn't think of anyone else who could help him leave this imperial city. What did she mean by asking that? What did she mean by "would you fall in love with me?" Did she want his affection?

“Miss Lu, I never answer hypothetical questions.”

"I know, I know, you're a pragmatist, just take it as me talking nonsense." Lu Zhiyuan picked up the bowl: "Your Highness, let me feed you."

Xiao Yebai extended his left hand, indicating that she could eat by herself.

Lu Zhiyuan said "oh" and placed the porridge in front of him.

"Your Highness, could you promise me something?" Lu Zhiyuan squatted by the bed, looking at him with a fawning expression: "Don't let that person named Lu Jinyao save you! No, she has changed her surname to Wei now. Don't let that person named Wei Jinyao save you! Her motives are impure, unlike me, who only cares about your good looks."

Xiao Yebai choked and forced the food down his throat.