After the "bubble kingdom" fiasco in the laundry yard, Haoran rubbed his temples all night. He had fought assassins, led armies, and studied the laws of the land, but nothing… nothing… had prepared him for the natural disaster named Xiaoxi.
So the next morning, he declared:
"You're banned from touching soap. Forever. Today you'll do something safer. Washing utensils. How hard can it be to wash bowls?"
Xiaoxi grinned, puffing her cheeks.
"Hmph! Froggy, don't underestimate me. I'll polish those bowls so shiny you'll see your wrinkly face in them!"
The sister, Lianhua, whispered slyly to the grandmother:
"Wrinkly face… he's going to kill her."
The grandmother chuckled behind her sleeve.
---
Xiaoxi began confidently. One bowl, scrub, rinse, done! She whistled proudly.
But the second bowl slipped out of her soapy fingers.
The bowl soared through the air like a heroic bird.
BONK!
It landed directly on Haoran's head, who had just arrived to inspect her work.
Everyone froze.
Xiaoxi gasped dramatically.
"Oh no! The bowl sacrificed itself to express my love to you! It chose you, Froggy!"
The three brothers—peeking through the window—nearly fell over laughing.
"Careful, Crown Prince! Sister Xiaoxi invented a new weapon: Flying Utensil Strike!"
Haoran rubbed his forehead, glaring.
"Do you… plan to assassinate me with crockery?"
Xiaoxi wagged a finger innocently. "Nope. The bowls just like you better."
---
Determined, Xiaoxi stacked plates high. Too high. She tried to balance them, tongue sticking out in concentration.
The stack swayed left… swayed right…
CRASH–SMASH–BANG!
Plates shattered everywhere like cymbals crashing in a dramatic orchestra.
Xiaoxi clapped happily.
"Ta-da! Palace Symphony Number One, composed by me!"
Haoran pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Symphony? That was my soul shattering!"
Xiaoxi leaned close, eyes wide with fake innocence.
"So… do I pass?"
Haoran's eye twitched.
"If you break one more thing, you won't pass the palace gates—you'll pass straight into prison."
---
Thinking she'd redeem herself, Xiaoxi decided to dry the cups. She spun them on her finger like toys.
"Look, I can juggle!" she cheered.
Haoran shouted, "Put them down before—"
CLANG—THUNK—SMASH!
A cup flew across the courtyard, ricocheted off the pillar, and landed right in his tea cup. Splash. His robes were soaked.
The servants gasped.
"Perfect aim…"
Xiaoxi grinned, bowing.
"See? Even the cups want to serve you, Froggy Prince!"
Haoran's jaw dropped. "You—! That's not serving, that's sabotage!"
---
Finally, she decided to carry everything neatly back. She stacked bowls, plates, cups, and spoons all in her arms.
She wobbled like a walking mountain of dishes.
"Look at me! I'm responsible now!"
Two steps later—
CLANG–CLATTER–BANG!
The entire stack collapsed. A spoon spun into Haoran's hair and got stuck like a crown.
Xiaoxi gasped.
"Wow! The spoon likes you! Now you're officially crowned… Spoon Prince!"
The sister Lianhua clapped her hands, laughing uncontrollably.
"Brother! Forget Crown Prince, Spoon Prince suits you better!"
The grandmother had tears in her eyes from laughing, though she tried to stay dignified.
"Our future depends on a Spoon Prince and a Puffer Fish. The heavens truly have humor."
Haoran's face was red—half from embarrassment, half from fury.
"You… brainless… puffer fish!"
Xiaoxi puffed her cheeks.
"At least I'm a puffer fish. You're a spoon prince! Ribbit, spoon, ribbit!"
The hall roared with laughter while Haoran stormed off, vowing silently that if she made one more mistake, he'd really toss her in prison.
---