Chapter Sixty-Two: Sometimes, Only a Few More Heads Will Suffice!

Just as everyone was about to sit down to dinner, two young men arrived together.

One was tall and imposing, his expression stern. He wore a grey mandarin-collared suit, giving him a mature and dignified air.

The other was slender and handsome, bearing a slight resemblance to Zhong Yu and Xuexue. He was dressed in a simple, stylish white tracksuit, his black sneakers adorned with a phoenix motif. A red headband was tied across his forehead, and he carried a tennis racket in his arms, looking as though he had just returned from exercise.

The servants hurried forward and bowed respectfully to the older, burly man. “Greetings, Crown Prince,” they said.

They turned to the handsome man and bowed again. “Greetings, Second Prince.”

“Enough, enough! Must you bow and scrape all day? Don’t you get tired?” Zhong Tianyi said impatiently, waving them off.

“Tianyi…” Zhong Tianque admonished him, his voice stern. “Mind your manners.”

Zhong Tianyi shrank a little before his elder brother’s authority, but refused to apologize to the servants. “If they want to kneel, let them kneel. I’m just worried they’ll tire themselves out on my behalf…”

“Why are you two here?” Phoenix asked, looking at her brothers.

She cared deeply about tonight’s dinner; every dish had been personally selected according to Tang Fei and Little Fatty’s tastes. She had carefully dressed, aiming for a fresh and lovely look that felt natural rather than overly formal—a subtle, artful touch.

Amid the graceful, passionate strains of a classical piano, she hoped to share a little wine with Tang Fei, reminisce about the old homeland, and speak of dreams for the future. With Sheng Xinhui, always quick with wit and humor, nearby, she wanted the meal to be nostalgic and lively, avoiding awkward silences and ensuring Tang Fei and Little Fatty felt no distance between them.

Yet before the meal even began, two unwelcome “third wheels” had arrived…

What girl wants family members hovering when she’s with someone of the opposite sex?

“We heard our sister was entertaining guests tonight, so we came to see,” Zhong Tianque said succinctly.

Zhong Tianyi’s eyes brightened as he spotted Sheng Xinhui. “Oh, Teacher Sheng is here too?”

“Greetings, Crown Prince, greetings, Second Prince…” Sheng Xinhui bent and greeted Zhong Tianque and Zhong Tianyi.

“Hello, Teacher Sheng,” Zhong Tianque nodded.

“Teacher Sheng, let’s play tennis together sometime?” Zhong Tianyi invited enthusiastically.

“I’m busy with several research projects lately, afraid I can’t get away,” Sheng Xinhui replied, declining.

“That’s a shame. Well, when you’re less busy, I’ll invite you for a drink.”

“We’ll see when the time comes,” Sheng Xinhui smiled sweetly, though every word was a polite refusal.

Zhong Tianyi finally withdrew his intense gaze, turning to Phoenix. “And you dare ask why we’re here? Since you returned, neither I nor big brother have seen you once. We’ve come by your Phoenix Pavilion several times, but always been turned away.”

“You keep yourself locked in your room. We can’t just barge in, right? Just heard your old homeland friends were visiting, so we came to say hello…”

“Come to think of it, it’s as if we’ve only managed to get in thanks to them. If they hadn’t come, maybe we’d still be stuck outside Phoenix Pavilion.”

“Thank you both for your concern,” Phoenix said, looking at Zhong Tianque and Zhong Tianyi. “I’m fine, just returned from the old homeland and feeling exhausted, both body and mind. I haven’t been in the right state to see anyone.”

“No worries,” Zhong Tianyi stepped closer to Phoenix and comforted her. “After what happened, we completely understand your feelings. As long as you’re not physically hurt…”

His gaze shifted to Tang Fei and Little Fatty, sizing them up. “So you two are the ones who saved my sister?”

“Yes. We saw injustice and stepped in. We simply did what we could,” Tang Fei nodded, his face wearing a simple, honest smile much like Little Fatty’s.

Having seen Little Fatty smile so often, it had become second nature. When unable to assess someone’s intentions, the best course was always to smile.

An honest smile, so easy to fool, so easy to trust. Little Fatty relied on this trick to win over many, and everyone who saw him believed he wasn’t a bad person.

Of course, Little Fatty was genuinely simple-minded…

“Then I must properly thank you,” Zhong Tianyi said with a cheerful grin, looking at Tang Fei. “What would you like?”

“Isn’t that inappropriate? Princess has already given us so much.”

“She gives what’s hers, I give what’s mine. They’re not the same,” Zhong Tianyi said, towering over Tang Fei.

To him, these two were simply lucky, happening to save Phoenix after she fell from the old homeland. Otherwise, they’d have rotted in the ruins, never getting a chance to come to the New Star, let alone attach themselves to the royal family.

“Well… a flying car?” Tang Fei said shyly. “On our way here, we saw beautiful flying cars in the sky… My brother was so envious, said how wonderful it would be to own one…”

Zhong Tianyi stared wide-eyed at Tang Fei. This kid really dared to ask? And he asked for something big…

A brand-new flying car would cost at least several million star coins.

Seeing Zhong Tianyi’s stunned look, Tang Fei thought he was displeased and said anxiously, “Sorry, sorry, was I being too greedy? It’s fine if you don’t give it… I was just speaking casually, didn’t really want anything…”

“I just thought, your highness is so distinguished, and if we didn’t accept your gift, you’d be unhappy…”

Zhong Tianyi’s smile returned. “A gentleman never breaks his word. Since I said I’d give you something, I will. Otherwise, what’s left of my reputation as Second Prince? Where’s the dignity of our royal family?”

“Are you really going to give it?”

“I must. I happen to have a new car under my name—I’ll send it over.”

“Thank you, Second Prince,” Tang Fei said respectfully.

He turned to the Crown Prince. “Your Highness, please don’t trouble yourself with gifts. We’re just refugees from the old homeland, and though we were lucky enough to save the Princess, we’ve already received generous rewards…”

“We’re more than satisfied. If you give us more, it would shorten our lives, and we really can’t accept…”

Zhong Tianque frowned, hesitating before saying, “You saved Xuexue—this is all deserved. Tianyi and Xuexue both gave gifts; as their elder brother, how can I not show something?”

“I’ve just acquired a fine gun—I’ll have it delivered to your residence…”

“Your Highness, that’s really too much…”

“That settles it,” Zhong Tianque cut off further protest, looking at Phoenix. “We just came to check on you. If you’re alright, that’s enough. I have work to do, so I’ll leave now.”

“Leaving so soon?” Zhong Tianyi grumbled. “We’ve given out gifts, but won’t even stay for dinner?”

“You stay if you want. I don’t have time,” Zhong Tianque said, striding off.

“I came with big brother, so I’ll go with him,” Zhong Tianyi said, waving to Phoenix and making a phone gesture to Sheng Xinhui, then left with his tennis racket.

When their figures disappeared, Sheng Xinhui looked thoughtfully at Tang Fei, then at Phoenix. “Those two brothers… did they just come to give gifts?”

Phoenix laughed, giving Tang Fei a playful glare. “Zhong Tianyi is a miser. Getting a gift from him isn’t easy.”

“He won’t give it?” Tang Fei looked surprised. “It’s fine if he doesn’t. I was just saying.”

“He promised in front of everyone, so he must deliver. If not, what would happen to the Second Prince’s reputation? The dignity of the royal family? Besides, Teacher Sheng is a witness—he wouldn’t dare break his word before such a beauty.”

“I’m not interested in such sly men,” Sheng Xinhui said.

“My second brother is infatuated with you, though…”

“Infatuated?” Sheng Xinhui sneered. “The Second Prince is hardly a saint. In all of Phoenix City, how many girls haven’t suffered at his hands?”

“You exaggerate,” Phoenix protested.

She shook her head. “I agree he’s not a good match. He’s pleaded with me several times, but I’ve never spoken well of him in front of you.”

“Of course,” Sheng Xinhui said proudly. “I’m yours.”

“….”

“Let’s eat,” Phoenix said. “With their interruption, the food’s going cold.”

“What’s the harm in cold food?” Sheng Xinhui glanced at Tang Fei with a smile. “In just a short while, someone’s made quite a gain. A flying car! With my salary, I doubt I’ll ever own one.”

“If you save my life, I’ll give you one too.”

“I’d rather take your life.”

“…”

-------

“We rushed over, handed out gifts, and didn’t even eat—isn’t that rather foolish?” Zhong Tianyi said, swinging his tennis racket as if batting at electronic light balls.

“You wanted to stay and embarrass yourself? I could see Teacher Sheng was barely holding back laughter.”

“I didn’t expect that kid to be so greedy… Can you believe it? He actually dared ask the Second Prince for a gift?”

“If you’re offering, why shouldn’t he take it?”

“Heh, he really doesn’t understand me. What goes in will be repaid double. When have I ever done a losing deal?”

“So, what do you think?” Zhong Tianque walked ahead, not turning back. “You’ve seen him—is he truly simple or just pretending?”

“It doesn’t matter if he’s simple or not. What matters is whether our sister is.”

“Worried she’ll fall for a refugee from the old homeland?”

“Who knows?” Zhong Tianyi squinted and smiled. “Rumors never spring from nowhere. We don’t need to hurry—others are more anxious than us. Throw a stone and see what comes back; we’ll have answers soon enough.”

“Are you really going to give him a flying car?”

“Aren’t you sending him a fine gun? Ordinary guns hardly suit your status as the Crown Prince.”

“…”

“I heard the attempt on Phoenix was orchestrated by Tang Li’s old faction. That man’s been dead for years, and still his influence lingers?”

“Blame it all on a dead man, and the living stay safe,” Zhong Tianque said with a cold laugh.

“Heh… Daring to target royal family members, there’ll need to be heads rolling.”