[Wǎn Lù]: "[Exasperated anger] Hey, you brat! Why are you following me already?! Let me *live*! Give me five minutes—I’m not trying to escape! Ahh, for heaven’s sake, why are you so *clingy*? I know you’re practically a child, but this is too much!" Her voice was a low, furious hiss, her patience already frayed at the edges.
[Jian Zhi]: "[His expression was one of pure, unhurried logic] The protocol demands proximity for the seed’s growth. You did not communicate your immediate itinerary, so I inferred that the one-meter rule was in continuous effect." His voice was calm, a perfect counterpoint to her simmering frustration.
[Wǎn Lù]: "[A sharp, angry smile] Okay. Okay. So it’s *my* fault I didn’t announce, ‘Oh, Your Majesty, Great King of the Divine Land of Justice, I humbly request permission to bathe, eat, and then perform my duties as a healer’? Huh? [She levelled a fiery glare at him] You have the intellect to design world-altering weapons and societal systems, but you lack the basic data for a human’s daily functions? Is your intelligence that… *specific*?" Jian Zhi didn’t retort. He simply listened, his mind silently logging this as an error in his predictive modelling—he had failed to account for her preparatory phase. From the doorway, the couple observed, whispering between themselves.
[Xuè Lán]: "Bǎobèi, [whispering behind her hand] are we seeing this? The Dragon King is getting a scolding in complete silence? [A suppressed giggle] It’s too good. I want to pause time and savour it. He’s acting… innocent around her. Do you see it?"
[Lǐ Róng]: "I do. He’s not three steps ahead; he’s just… following. [A chuckle] Our boy is finally experiencing a very unique form of puberty." Wǎn Lù’s lecture concluded, and she noticed the couple’s poorly concealed amusement.
[Wǎn Lù]: "You two! Keep this guy contained until I return from my bath. And *you*—go get cleaned up. I refuse to spend the day next to a man who smells of… whatever you smell of."
[Jian Zhi]: "Me? Princess, verify your accusations. I codified personal hygiene into the kingdom’s legal code. If you doubt my adherence, you are welcome to inspect the evidence yourself. [He was referring to the publicly posted laws.]"
[Wǎn Lù]: "[Her face flushed a brilliant scarlet as her mind took a wild leap] You… you damn *pervert*! Get away from me! [She had assumed he was inviting her to watch him bathe.]" She fled the scene, heading straight for the baths, leaving Jian Zhi standing in confused silence.
[Jian Zhi]: "Sister Xuè Lán, how was my statement perverse? I merely directed her to review our legal statutes."
[Xuè Lán]: "It’s… a communication error. Don’t worry about it. Come, we have our own duties. [Her smile was wide and knowing]"
(Wǎn Lù in the Bathroom)
[Wǎn Lù]: "That infuriating, perverted brat! ‘Verify by yourself’? Who do you think you are, inviting a princess to your bath? The audacity! If he says something like that again, I’ll break his regal nose." She fumed, her anger fueled entirely by her own vivid and mistaken interpretation.
An hour later, Jian Zhi and Wǎn Lù reconvened in the sunlit dining hall for breakfast.
[Lián]: "Sister Wǎn Lù, come, you need your strength for the day." Wǎn Lù offered Lián a warm, morning smile that seemed to brighten the room and took her seat. Jian Zhi, moving with quiet inevitability, sat directly beside her. Both Wǎn Lù and Lián’s eyes widened in unison.
[Wǎn Lù]: "Why are you sitting *here*? Your usual place is in the middle, right?" Lián leaned forward, her gaze sharpening, eagerly awaiting his explanation.
[Jian Zhi]: "Must I reiterate the foundational premise of our arrangement every time, Princess? [His look was cool, but his tone held a new, faint gentleness]" Wǎn Lù understood the unspoken reminder and silently returned to her meal. Lián’s eyes, however, narrowed further, a detective on the scent of a mystery.
[Lián]: "Your Majesty, may I ask… what has changed between you two? You used to bicker like alley cats. Now there’s a… softening. Is there something… developing?"
[Jian Zhi]: "Yes.
"[Wǎn Lù]: "No!"
They spoke simultaneously, then turned to stare at each other.
[Wǎn Lù]: (Internal Monologue) "What the—?! Hey, brat! Are you trying to expose our entire secret?!"
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
[Jian Zhi]: "There is a confidential matter between us. It is not relevant to your concerns, Lián. Please do not trouble yourself over it. [He offered her a gentle, placating smile]"
[Lián]: (Internal Monologue) "But I want to be the one you share secrets with, Jian Zhi. Why does she, who arrived out of nowhere, get to be on the inside? Why her?"
After breakfast, Jian Zhi and Wǎn Lù stole a moment to plan their day in private.
[Jian Zhi]: "We will confer each morning to synchronise our schedules and make necessary adjustments. Today, I will accompany you to the healing ward. Do you object?"
[Wǎn Lù]: "[A resigned nod] Fine. But don’t loom intimidatingly and scare my patients. Let’s go." Their journey to the hospital was a spectacle. Maintaining the strict one-meter bubble, they walked through the bustling market streets, drawing every eye. Whispers and gossip bloomed in their wake like flowers turning toward the sun.
[Wǎn Lù]: (Internal Monologue) "Why is everyone staring at me so intensely today? It can’t be… No, it’s definitely him. You moron! Have you no consideration? You’re drawing parade-level attention while I’m just trying to go to work! Ahhh, what more must I endure for your sake?!"
Upon reaching the hospital, Wǎn Lù swiftly pulled Jian Zhi into a private room before the staff could swarm him with greetings. Lin Wei trailed after them, a delighted, knowing smile plastered on her face.
[Lin Wei]: (Internal Monologue) "Why is brother so fascinated with the Medicine Branch lately? Is it because of Sister Wǎn Lù? Is this a silent proclamation—sitting beside her like a consort? [A proud, dreamy smile] I understand, brother. I see your intention, and I wholeheartedly support this love story."
[Wǎn Lù]: "Lin Wei, let’s begin. Send the patients in one by one." Lin Wei jerked out of her romantic daydream, gave herself a little shake, and got to work.
The first patient entered, saw the King, and nearly stumbled in his haste to bow.
[Patient:]: "[A shocked, deep bow] Your Majesty! To be in your presence… what an honour!"
[Jian Zhi]: "[A gentle, warm, perfectly calibrated smile] Please, rise. I am merely here as an observer, to witness the skill of our healers and ensure my people receive the best care. Think of me as part of the furniture."
[Wǎn Lù]: (Internal Monologue) "Whoa. What stellar acting, Your Majesty. In my room, you’re a perverted brat; here, you’re the compassionate sovereign. The range on this guy…"
The patient, suffering from painful bloating and indigestion, took his seat. Jian Zhi and Wǎn Lù nodded in unison, though their internal processes were wildly different.
[Wǎn Lù]: "Don’t worry, the discomfort will be gone soon. [Her healer’s smile was instinctive and kind] Lin Wei, are you ready?"
[Jian Zhi]: "Sir, if I may inquire, what did you consume last evening?" Wǎn Lù shot him a look for interrupting her workflow.
[Patient]: "It was a wedding feast, Your Majesty. Potatoes, lamb, rice… a bit of everything."
[Jian Zhi]: "You ingested a combination of foods with extended digestion times. A tea of star anise, ginger, and cloves after your evening meal will prevent a recurrence. For now, please accept the treatment here." The patient received the King’s advice as a sacred edict, his faith absolute. Once he left, Wǎn Lù reached over and pinched Jian Zhi’s shoulder.
[Wǎn Lù]: "Your Majesty, [a smile plastered over gritted teeth] while your diagnostic contribution is… noted, I must work efficiently. If you interrupt, you delay the queue. Could you please… just… *observe*? And that was a good analysis. But let the healers heal." Jian Zhi acquiesced with a nod.
The morning wore on. Patient after patient was treated, each leaving with data for the King’s ledgers and a story about the kind princess. After the twelfth patient, a deep weariness settled into Wǎn Lù’s bones. Jian Zhi noticed the subtle signs—the slight droop of her shoulders, the frequent touching of her neck—before she uttered a word of complaint.
[Jian Zhi]: "Princess. [His voice was unexpectedly soft] Come. We’re returning to the palace. I will prepare a meal for you."
[Wǎn Lù]: "Huh? Oh… [She nodded, too tired to protest] Alright." On the walk back, her tired mind churned.
[Wǎn Lù]: (Internal Monologue) "Is this… feeling? Is he developing something? The clinginess, the care, cooking for me personally… Is it a tactic? A lure? Ah, no… he’s younger. I shouldn’t… but what is his real objective?"
[Jian Zhi]: (Internal Monologue) "Fatigue indicators: drooping eyelids, repetitive neck-touching. Exhaustion depletes aura potency, negatively impacting seed growth rate. Primary countermeasure: nutritional reinforcement via targeted caloric intake."
And so, the One-Meter Mandate defined their existence for an entire week. Mornings began with coordinated planning. They walked to and from work in their invisible bubble, their paired presence slowly shifting from shocking novelty to accepted fact in the eyes of the kingdom. Evenings were perfumed with the rich, savoury aromas of Jian Zhi’s cooking, a silent ritual of sustenance and, though neither would name it, care.
After seven days, in Jian Zhi’s chambers, Lǐ Róng arrived with a report, his face alight.
[Lǐ Róng]: "Your Majesty. The seed… it has sprouted. It has taken root in the soil of the Metal District. Congratulations. [His smile was one of pure, shared joy]"
Jian Zhi and Wǎn Lù looked at each other. A surge of hard-won triumph, a pride that belonged to them both, flashed between their gazes. In a spontaneous burst of shared joy, Wǎn Lù reached out and seized his hands. At the same moment, he tightened his grip on hers.
[Wǎn Lù/Jian Zhi]: "We did it!" The words left them in unison, and for a second, they were just two people who had overcome an impossible task together. They even gave a small, shared jump of pure, unfiltered happiness.
Then, reality reasserted itself. They simultaneously realised the intimacy of the gesture, the warmth of their joined hands. As if burned, they pulled apart, putting careful space between them once more. The air in the room grew thick with unspoken things, but in their chests, their hearts felt inexplicably, undeniably lighter. This was their first, tangible harvest—not just of a spiritual seed, but of a week spent in each other’s unwavering, mandated orbit.
The Pervert King?
Clarification: When Jian Zhi told her to "Inspect the evidence," he meant read the law book. Wǎn Lù thought he meant watch him bathe.
Current Status:
Misunderstandings: Critical Levels.
Seed Status: Sprouted.
Hand-Holding Incidents: 2 (and counting).
The Harvest: They survived the "One-Meter Week." Now that the seed has taken root, the real side effects begin. If you want to see what happens when a "Water Element" starts changing a "Fire Logic" personality...
Click FOLLOW. The experiment is evolving.