chapter 3 Zan in Yibo’s Residence

After arriving at the palace, Yibo suddenly pulls Zan close by the waist and whispers teasingly in his ear that he thinks Zan has fallen for him.

Zan’s whole body shivers. Flustered and scared, he quickly steps back and apologizes, trying to keep his distance.

When Zan sees the massive royal residence, he blurts out loudly that this is not a house but a palace. His behavior is simple and village-like, which makes the servants and guards struggle to hold back their laughter. Aunt Ling nearly faints from embarrassment.

Yibo, however, does not get angry. Instead, he calmly reaches out his hand and asks Zan to come with him.

Zan grabs Yibo’s hand awkwardly and too roughly, making Yibo flinch. Aunt Ling silently prays for survival.

Inside the palace, Yibo observes Zan carefully:

His round, expressive eyes

His nonstop talking

His lack of noble manners

His rough hands

Instead of feeling annoyed, Yibo seems amused and curious.

He asks if Zan likes the palace. Zan loudly praises it again without elegance, causing Aunt Ling more stress.

Yibo then informs Zan that he will pick him up at 7 PM for dinner and introduce him properly to palace life.

Aunt Ling’s Training

In Zan’s room, Aunt Ling scolds him for embarrassing the Noble family. She reminds him he is no longer a gardener — he must act like a refined noble lady.

She begins teaching him:

How to walk gracefully

How to speak softly

How to behave with etiquette

But Zan gets bored and accidentally falls asleep standing up.

Aunt Ling sighs in frustration yet gently puts him to bed, realizing how innocent and clueless he truly is.

Dinner Invitation

Later that evening, Yibo comes personally to fetch Zan. After some chaotic knocking and confusion at the door, Zan finally appears — beautifully dressed and properly styled.

Yibo is visibly stunned.

He compliments Zan’s beauty, but Zan almost blurts out that he is “handsome,” not beautiful. Aunt Ling quickly covers his mouth, causing Yibo to scold her for being disrespectful.

Yibo surprisingly defends Zan and even apologizes when he raises his voice by accident. This shows a softer side of him that surprises both Zan and Aunt Ling.

Zan begins to realize that Yibo may not be as cold as people say.

The Dinner Scene

At the dining table, Zan panics.

He has never used multiple spoons, forks, and knives before. Nervously, he copies Yibo’s actions while Aunt Ling watches anxiously.

When Zan cuts a piece of meat, he takes too big of a bite and stuffs it into his mouth. The meat gets stuck in his throat.

He starts choking.

Yibo immediately rushes to him in panic, asking if he is okay. He tries to help but doesn’t know what to do properly.

Finally, Aunt Ling hits Zan’s back hard, and the food comes out. Zan gasps for air and drinks water, finally breathing normally again.

Yibo looks at Zan with a strange, unreadable expression — part worry, part relief, part fascination.

Meanwhile, Zan innocently tells Yibo to sit down and continue eating as if nothing dramatic just happened.

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