He took a step closer. Ji’an resisted the urge to step back.

"They said the Third Young Master of the Lin family, Lin Ji’an, was a waste," Xiao Yichen murmured, his eyes scanning her face with an intensity that made her skin prickle.

"They say you have a chaotic root, and you are a haughty, arrogant, and spoiled brat. But..."

He reached out.

Ji’an tensed, raising the rolling pin slightly.

Xiao Yichen stopped. He laughed softly. He reached past her and plucked a leaf from her shoulder.

"But a waste doesn’t face down a Princess with a spatula. A spoiled brat doesn’t clean a kitchen alone. And a chaotic root..."

He leaned in, his voice a whisper against her ear.

"...doesn’t smell like such pure, high-grade spiritual herbs."

Ji’an froze. ’He can smell the basil in my bag?’

"You are interesting, Little Uncle," Xiao Yichen pulled back, twirling the leaf in his fingers. "Very interesting. The rumors were wrong. I hate incorrect rumors."

His smile was back, the gentle, obedient mask, though Ji’an already saw the cracks. Behind that smile was a mind that dissected everything it saw. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

He was powerful, yet bored, and he had just found a new puzzle.

"I’m just a cook, Your Highness," Ji’an insisted, gripping her rolling pin. "I like food and hate politics. Don’t drag me into your royal drama."

"Drama?" Xiao Yichen tilted his head. "I wouldn’t dream of it, Royal Uncle. But..."

He looked at the kitchen.

"I hear your cooking is... unique. Brother Gu Zhiwei hasn’t stopped talking about your fried rice."

’Of course that stupid guy blabbed,’ Ji’an groaned internally.

"It’s just rice," Ji’an said defensively.

"I would like to try it," Xiao Yichen said. "As a nephew asking his uncle. Surely you won’t refuse?"

It was a trap. If she refused, she was being rude to the Prince, who was supposedly her "nephew". If she agreed, she was letting the Yandere into her territory.

Ji’an weighed her options.

Option A: Hit him with the rolling pin.

Result: Execution.

Option B: Feed him and hope he leaves.

Result: Peace and Survival.

"Fine," Ji’an sighed, defeated. "But I’m out of pork. It’s going to be vegetarian noodles. And you have to pay. Family discount is 0%."

Xiao Yichen’s eyes lit up. "Deal."

Ten minutes later, the Second Prince of the Empire was sitting on a wooden stool in the greasy kitchen, watching Lin Ji’an chop vegetables.

He watched her hands. He watched the way she moved, efficient, graceful, devoid of the stiff etiquette of the court.

"You know," Xiao Yichen said conversationally, "Ling’er also mentioned a guard. Was his name... Xie Wangchen?"

Ji’an’s knife didn’t pause. "What about him?"

"She said he was... fierce." Xiao Yichen rested his chin on his hand. "She said he threatened to freeze her mouth shut."

"He has a temper," Ji’an said, throwing noodles into boiling water. "He’s working on it."

"A servant threatening a Princess..." Xiao Yichen mused. "Usually, that’s a death sentence. But you protected him."

"He’s my person," Ji’an said simply. "I protect my people."

"Your person."

Xiao Yichen repeated the phrase. His smile faded slightly. His eyes darkened.

"That sounds nice," he whispered. "To be someone’s person. To have someone stand in front of an army for you."

He looked at Ji’an’s back.

He felt a strange, cold itch in his heart. It was the same feeling he got when he saw a rare bird he wanted to put in a golden cage. Or a butterfly he wanted to pin to a board.

’Why does the slave get to be your person?’ Xiao Yichen thought, his fingers tracing the grain of the wooden table. ’I am a Prince. I am your nephew. Shouldn’t you protect me too?’

"Here," Ji’an slammed a bowl of noodles in front of him. "Scallion Oil Noodles. Eat up and get out. I have work to do."

Xiao Yichen looked at the noodles. Simple. Fragrant.

He took a bite.

His eyes widened. The flavor was... pure. It wasn’t heavy like palace food. It tasted honest.

He ate quietly, watching Ji’an scrub a pot.

He finished the bowl. He placed his chopsticks down neatly.

"Delicious," he said. "Little Uncle."

He stood up and placed a heavy pouch of spirit stones on the table.

"I will be back," he promised.

"Don’t," Ji’an said without turning around.

"Oh, I will," Xiao Yichen laughed softly. He walked to the door.

Before he left, he paused.

"By the way, Little Uncle. If that guard of yours... if he ever becomes too much trouble... let me know."

He turned back, and for a second, the gentle mask dropped completely, revealing a glimpse of the terrifying, possessive madness beneath.

"I have a lot of empty cages in my palace. I can take him off your hands."

He winked, the gentle smile snapping back into place, and walked out into the sunlight.

***

Ji’an stood in the kitchen, staring at the door.

She shuddered.

"System," she whispered. "That guy is creepy. Like, ’puts lotion on the skin’ creepy."

[System: Affection Level of Xiao Yichen: +10.]

[Status: Intrigued.]

[Note: He viewed your defense of the Villain not as romantic, but as a challenge. He wonders if he can make you protect him instead.]

"Great," Ji’an groaned, banging her head against the cupboard. "I have a Tsundere stealing my herbs, a Saint singing my praises, a Villain wanting to lock me in an ice cave, and now a Yandere Nephew who wants to put my bodyguard in a cage."

She looked at the empty bowl.

"I just wanted to bake bread," she whimpered.

She grabbed her spatial bag.

"I need to see Wangchen. I need to see a normal, homicidal maniac face to cleanse my palate of that ’gentle’ smile."

She stormed out of the kitchen, heading for the Eternal Cloud Peak.

She didn’t know that by feeding the Prince, she had just invited a second wolf into the fold. And this one didn’t want to bite; he wanted to own.