A skittish crown prince can’t be a good sign.

Fenhua was being unapologetically him.

That was a problem for Min Li.  

Min Li was still trying to be the good girl she had always been deep in her heart. Thus, she had decided to skip all Fenhua's various other injuries, and just zone in the one chronic injury that seemed to be bothering him the most, the one on his neck.  

Fenhua was ridiculously jumpy any time she walked up behind him and tried to massage the injury. 

There was no more concealment of the truth. Min Li had entered the bathhouse again when there was nowhere that Fenhua could run away from her and had told him the truth. She had told him that what she really wanted to do and had intended to do the day she had met him in his room was help heal him of his neck pain like he did her.  

Fenhua hadn't taken too kindly to the conversation. Fenhua didn't deny that he had a chronic injury on his neck, but he also didn't confirm as he listened to her. Then, he had told her to "GET OUT."

Min Li had thought that the problem was that he didn't want her to go into his bathhouse again. Thinking that his complaint was fair enough, Min Li had left his bathhouse quickly.  

But her prediction seemed to be incorrect.  

Even out of the bathhouse Fenhua didn't want to get too close to her.  

She had thought they had an understanding from their conversation but anytime Min Li approached Fenhua to massage his neck or use a product that she had bought from the market that promised to work wonders on anyone, Fenhua didn't seem receptive to it.  

Him not being receptive to it was something of an understatement. Forget letting her see his neck, he seemed to not want her to touch him at all.  

He was a frog, when she passed him, he would jump and ribbit, even if her purpose at that time wasn't anything to do with his neck. 

He was acting, Min Li was sorry to think it never mind say it, like a coward. On multiple occasions she had started a conversation with Fenhua which had seemed to be going well. But as soon as she turned her back to go and get some medicine for him, he would disappear never to be seen again.  

Fenhua dipped and dived behind bushes and trees when he saw her coming. He used his powers to create a shield of water and to float him up to the roof.  

It didn't matter who was around, whether it was a servant or the Queen, if Fenhua saw Min Li he was gone with a poof in the air.  

Min Li was sure that even if it was the always busy, ever elusive king, the crown prince would do the same thing, even if it meant his title getting taken away.  

A few times, Min Li had to stand back and wonder whether this was the prince that people dreamed of, the prince that the kingdom were going to be put in his hands. It was hard to imagine a cowardly frog as king.  

Min Li had decided to back off and leave him alone for the time being. It wasn't good for his image to jump and ribbit. It was also not good for her ego.  

She was worried that she had crossed boundaries and that was why he was running away from her. She didn't want to feel like a nuisance, and she was tired of acting like she was tone deaf just because she had made herself a promise to help him.  

Sometimes the best thing a person could do was leave the person they wanted to help alone.  

…. 

Min Li upheld her conviction not to bother the crown prince perfectly. She left her chambers extra early in the morning to avoid him and came back extra late at night.  

She spent the day working hard at the very back of the gardens where the crown prince almost never ventured, and she had lunch far away from where she knew that he would be. She even didn't go to the library to look for more clues as to what to do with her powers in fear that she would see him and annoy him all the more. 

One day, Min Li was executing the same routine as she had set for herself lately. She was cleaning as close as she could get around the big power tree when she had accidently gotten too close to it. 

Like it always did, the barrier of protection around the tree threw her up slightly and dropped her back towards the ground.  

Min Li landed with a groan and a moan looking around to see if anyone could help her.  

As if it was magic Fenhua appeared. One moment he was not there, the next moment he was running around the corner as if he was searching for her.

Fenhua looked at her and seemed to be able to discern what had happened to her just by taking in the environment around her.  

 Min Li had expected that he would run away as fast as his cowardice would take him or look around and call someone else to help. 

But even though Feng was right next to him, the crown prince had taken it upon himself to run to Min Li with a start.  

He had almost fell over himself trying to get to her, and when he got there, he fell to his knees besides her.   

Fenhua patted Min Li's whole body from head to toe looking for any sign of injury. He had a concerned frown on his face, and he didn't look relieved from his concern even when he had confirmed four times that she was alright. 

When they finally made eye contact, it was as if Fenhua couldn't hold in his smile anymore. A smile broke out and he stroked her hair subconsciously.  

"Are you ok? Do you want a drink?" Fenhua asked immediately forming a couple water bubbles in the air and holding them up to her mouth.  

Min Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She didn't even know whether the fall had hurt her or not. She was too taken by surprise with what the crown prince was doing. It was so out of character for him to act this way to her. Well, he used to act in a similar manner.  

The obvious concern had shocked her to the core. She had expected them to return to being friends but his smiling at her was a bit too unfamiliar that she was yet to decide whether she liked it or not.  

This was a bit too much too fast; she was about to get up and move away from him when the prince spoke up.  

"I haven't seen you around lately, have you been doing ok?"  

It was the first time in a long time that Min Li had heard Fenhua speak in such a kind, caring manner towards her. It was like after a small accident all his previous inhibitions had disappeared.  

"I thought you didn't want me around." 

"It's not that."  The crown prince looked up as if wondering whether he should continue on or not.  

Min Li copied him and looked up. She wondered whether he was going to get his answer from the clouds. 

"Let's just say I don't want you fussing around me talking about an injury. I am the crown prince, if I need a doctor, then you don't have to worry, I would definitely get one." 

Min Li nodded her head; she could definitely understand what he was saying. Some people like their friends to show visible worry for them and others took it as a sign of pity and weakness and absolutely hated it.  

This time Min Li smiled too as they looked at each other. He was still holding her upper body in his arms and Min Li felt a little rush of contentment flow down from the nape of her neck.

The crown prince also looked awfully happy, happier than he had seemed for a long time. The frown was finally off his face, and he looked less burdened by the worries of the world and the vagaries of life. 

Fenhua looked around taking in the beautiful sight and the offending tree.  

He nodded his head towards the tree.

"You shouldn't go near this tree. It isn't suitable for you."  

Min Li frowned and Fenhua looked down at her and smiled this time with all his teeth.  

"Don't worry I don't just mean it isn't suitable for you. No one should get close to this tree, not even any of the royals can break through it. I guess it protects our powers, and so it should also have its own protection." 

"Is it?" Min Li let out in awe after a pregnant pause.  

"You too apparently need protection. That much is definitely true." Fenhua muttered to himself lowly.  

Min Li's heart melted. She wanted to let the world know that yet again she had a crush. All her feeling from when they were fifteen before the power ceremony on her fifteenth year came rushing back.  

She looked at his face with interest and he seemed to catch it and redden slightly. 

"Is there something on my face?"

"No," Min Li said in wonder. 

"Are you sure? You have something on your face... At the corner of your mouth… It seems to be a little bit of drool." 

Min Li sat up from her stupor quickly wiping her mouth with a napkin. The man didn't know a thing about romance. In the midst of their romance journey that Lily would pay millions to get her hands on the experience of and Fenhua broke it just like that. The man doesn't have a romantic bone in his body.  

With Min Li up and the two no longer touching, Fenhua seemed to also be done with anything remotely amorous or passionate. They both seem booted out the bubble of love that they were previously in. It was quite a remarkable change.  

Fenhua stood up, brushed dirt and dust off him, looked at Min Li, frowned and practically ran away as skittish as can be.

Min Li observed the runaway prince and shook her head. The future king. This poor kingdom.