The prison guards were enjoying a quiet bowl of noodles when suddenly—
Xiaoxi marched in.
"Move aside, everyone! The Princess of Prison is back!"
The guards, now completely used to her antics, stared wide-eyed.
Guard 1 sighed: "What are you doing here again? What did you do this time?"
Xiaoxi puffed her cheeks dramatically.
"I don't even know! How can I tell you what crime I committed if even I don't know?"
Without waiting, she walked over to the handcuff rack, slipped her wrists in, clinked them shut, and sat down proudly.
"Ta-da! See? I even arrested myself. Now… what's for lunch?"
The guards were mid-bite into steaming noodles. Xiaoxi's eyes sparkled.
"Whaaaat! You're eating without me? Don't you know sharing is caring? Hand me a bowl right now!"
Before anyone could stop her, she unlocked herself, grabbed a bowl, and happily joined them. Soon, she was slurping noodles and chatting non-stop.
Guard 2 groaned.
"She's back for one hour and already the prison's noisier than the marketplace…"
Soon, Xiaoxi had organized a full card game. The guards, the cook girl, and even Liwei (the prince's trusted man) were all playing with her. Laughter and noise echoed through the prison.
---
Meanwhile, in the palace…
Haoran sat at his desk, brooding. He kept imagining Xiaoxi smiling at Liwei, feeding him food like before. His hand tightened on the brush.
"Unforgivable… she dares make Liwei her partner in nonsense? That's supposed to be me…"
His thoughts were interrupted by Lianhua storming in, followed by the Empress and Grandmother.
Lianhua: "Brother, what happened this time? Why is Xiaoxi in prison again?"
Grandmother: "The palace was peaceful for days. For once, there was no chaos. So why now?"
Empress: "Don't tell me she made another mistake. What did she do?"
Haoran, caught, turned his head away.
"She… she… she breathes too loudly!"
All three women exchanged looks.
Lianhua whispered to Grandma and Empress: "Did he just say breathing? Has he gone crazy too?"
Grandma smirked: "Maybe he misses her nonsense already."
Empress chuckled: "That explains why he put her in prison—to have an excuse to fetch her back."
Haoran slammed the table.
"Enough! Stop your nonsense!"
But the three of them refused to let him hide.
"This time, Xiaoxi did nothing wrong," Empress said firmly. "You can't punish her unfairly."
Grandmother added: "We're going to the prison to bring her back. If you want to scold someone, scold yourself for losing patience!"
---
At the prison…
The three women entered—only to find absolute chaos. Guards were laughing, cards scattered everywhere, noodles steaming on the table.
And right in the middle was Xiaoxi, happily grinning with cards in her hands.
"Three of a kind! Pay up, losers!"
The cook girl was giggling, Liwei was smiling politely, and the guards looked like they were in a gambling den instead of a prison.
Grandma, Empress, and Lianhua stood frozen.
"…She turned prison into a carnival…"
Just then, Haoran walked in behind them, guilt flickering in his eyes. At first, he was relieved—until his gaze fell on Liwei, sitting comfortably beside Xiaoxi, laughing.
That was it.
In two strides, Haoran stormed in, grabbed Xiaoxi's wrist, and yanked her up.
"Game over."
Xiaoxi blinked. "Wait! I was about to win again—"
Ignoring everyone, Haoran dragged her out, his jaw tight.
The others—Grandma, Empress, Lianhua, guards, and even Liwei—stared after them, stunned.
When Haoran slammed his chamber doors shut and locked them from inside, the Empress gasped.
"Oh dear, I just hope Xiaoxi will be alright…"
Lianhua smirked. "If you want to pray, pray for your son."
Grandmother folded her arms.
"My grandson knows right from wrong. He won't harm her… but whether he'll survive her—that's another matter."
Inside the locked room, Haoran stood glaring at Xiaoxi, who looked up at him innocently, as if she hadn't just turned his entire prison upside down.
---