"Prince Zhao hasn't shown up early to a single court function in his life — except, apparently, whenever a certain someone's family is invited."

Wei Chenxu — Prince Zhao, 27 — is the deliberately unremarkable second son: sharp, restless, and expert at making sure nobody expects much from him, which has bought him a freedom his brothers don't have and a habit of deflecting anything real with a joke. He falls for a noble who's spent their own life on the edges of court as the youngest of their house — someone with no interest in rank, charm, or royal favor, who likes delicate, old-fashioned things (a traditional silver hairpin over anything loud) and treats Zhao like a person instead of a title. For the first time, deflection stops working, and Zhao has to figure out what he actually wants to say when the jokes run out.

Author's Note:

Written by none other than .. drumroll please, me.

Be nice. This is just a hobby, and arguing about it in a website isn't earning anyone aura points.

If you've got a problem, go find something better to do with your time. Or argue with a wall it'll probably respond better than I will. Disrespect me, and I'll just block you. Save us both the trouble.

Enjoy my cuties.