The next morning, San woke up early, determined to "accidentally" bump into Zhan.
But when he stepped outside… Zhan was nowhere in sight.
He asked a passing Wu Clan guard, "Where's the tall, scary-faced guy who looks like he hasn't laughed in ten years?"
The guard blinked. "…Prince Yun Zhan left at sunrise for training."
San clenched his fists. Training?! Without me?!
So he hatched a plan.
By midday, Zhan returned to the courtyard, only to see… San lying face-down in the grass, motionless.
Zhan froze, eyes narrowing. "Wang San…"
No answer.
He stepped closer. "If this is a joke, I'll—"
Suddenly, San sprang up and wrapped both arms around him. "CAUGHT YOU!"
Zhan staggered back in shock. "What in—"
"You ignored me the whole day," San accused, pointing a dramatic finger. "So I pretended to be dead! And guess what? It worked! You do care!"
Zhan's face stayed completely blank. "Next time you do that, I'll make sure it's not pretend."
San grinned, unfazed. "Aw, you're shy. It's okay, I like the cold type."
A passing Wu Clan elder stopped mid-step, stared at the scene, then slowly turned away. "…I've seen enough for today."