Bookworm Do you see if it might be one of your own kind?

Afternoon, on the bamboo mountain of Zhuxin Village.

They jogged all the way into the bamboo grove. Zhao Chengxian looked at Yue’er, puzzled, and asked, “Didn’t you say you don’t know how to do this? Don’t go cutting down all the bamboo in Zhuxin Village, or the villagers will come after you!” He trusted that Yue’er wouldn’t be so thoughtless—if she didn’t know how to choose the right bamboo, she shouldn’t try it at all. After all, the bamboo was the villagers’ livelihood, and they couldn’t destroy it just for a bit of fun. Zhao Chengxian was, at his core, a conscientious prince.

Huì Yue’er laughed loudly. “Do you take me for a fool? Of course I’m not the one doing it!” She pointed to Huì Qinghui, who was walking over slowly with Sixiu. “It’s my brother—he’s going to collect some to honor you, his dear brother-in-law!” Truly odd, using grubs to curry favor with his wife’s family. But since bamboo grubs were the local specialty, it made sense to serve them to distinguished guests.

Zhao Chengxian eyed Huì Qinghui skeptically. “Do you even know how?” He didn’t believe in Huì Qinghui’s abilities. In his mind, Huì Qinghui was a man who relied on his sister at home, so his initial impression had been quite poor.

Huì Qinghui glanced at Sixiu, then looked Zhao Chengxian in the eye and said firmly, “It’s true I didn’t know how to choose bamboo with grubs before—I even cut the wrong ones. But when I heard bamboo grubs could nourish Sixiu, I earnestly learned from my uncle how to pick the right bamboo. Now he says I’ve mastered it. For Sixiu’s sake, I’m willing to do anything!” Huì Qinghui understood that, even though Zhao Chengxian had agreed to the marriage, he still didn’t think much of him. So he wanted to prove, through effort, that he could give Sixiu happiness—only then would Zhao Chengxian be willing to entrust his sister to him.

Yue’er chimed in for her brother, “Bookworm, look how well my brother treats the princess! He used to be terrified of bugs—just seeing one would give him goosebumps. But now, for the princess, he’s personally out searching for bamboo grubs. I have to admit, the power of love is something amazing!” Sixiu was deeply moved, and Huì Qinghui smiled gently at her.

Zhao Chengxian remained unconvinced. “Let’s see if you can actually find any!” Sometimes, when the first impression is poor, one must work doubly hard.

Yue’er quickly urged Huì Qinghui to start searching in their uncle’s bamboo grove. Bamboo with grubs usually grows poorly, with some small holes eaten by the insects. Huì Qinghui carefully examined each stalk, spotting a few that were stunted and yellowing, looking almost sickly. He closely inspected the culms and saw many tiny holes. Channeling his inner strength, he split the bamboo in two; the stalk split cleanly, revealing many small grubs clinging to the inner wall. After breaking open several, satisfied with his haul, he worried that Sixiu might be afraid to look, so he hurried over to shield her and whispered, “Let’s go back now, leave this part to Yue’er!” Sixiu nodded. Seeing how considerate Huì Qinghui was with his sister, Zhao Chengxian was reassured—he wasn’t an inflexible man after all.

Huì Qinghui and Sixiu headed back. Yue’er took out a prepared pouch and gathered the grubs. Remembering how she used to imagine Zhao Chengxian as a bookworm, she couldn’t help but laugh. Zhao Chengxian noticed and asked, “Little Crescent, what’s so funny? Are you possessed?” He didn’t believe in such things—he was only joking with her.

Yue’er shot him a look. “You’re the one who’s possessed!” Then, mischievously, she brought over a bamboo grub and teased, “Bookworm, isn’t this one of your kin?” Zhao Chengxian tried to dodge, but Yue’er insisted on giving him the grub. The two of them darted through the bamboo grove, flitting from stalk to stalk with lightness skills. At one point, they landed atop the bamboo tips, and Yue’er shouted, “Hey!” Her voice echoed, as if many people were calling out together.

Seeing how much fun Yue’er was having, Zhao Chengxian also shouted, “Ah!” Shouting like this was a wonderful way to relax both body and mind. The two stood face-to-face, and after their shouts, exchanged a light, easy smile.

Ladies and gentlemen, young and old, and those neither young nor old—hurry and shower me with gold medals, red envelopes, and gifts! Don’t hold back; let the wild storm rage even fiercer!