Xiao Zai was woken up bright and early the next day by Chu Yun walking into his room with dark, midnight-blue robes in his arms.

“You’re wearing this today,” he said, throwing the robes onto the bed, almost hitting Xiao Zai in the face.

“Good morning to you too,” he grumbled, sitting up on the bed and rubbing his eyes.

Chu Yun waved him off. “Yes, yes, have a bath first, but don’t wash your hair. We don’t have time for that right now.”

Xiao Zai scowled. What was this? Why was Chu Yun micromanaging his morning routine.

“I’m aware of how hygiene works, and I’ve been dressing myself for a number of years.” He got up from the bed and wrapped his inner robe tighter around himself. “So, I don’t understand why you felt the need-”

Chu Yun turned around from the vanity, holding two jade hairpins in one hand and a jade crown in the other. He smiled cheerfully up at Xiao Zai. “I just want to make sure you look your best for the engagement ceremony, uh, dear.”

That word sounded awkward and stiff coming out of Chu Yun’s lips. There was definitely something going on, but Xiao Zai couldn’t put his finger on it.

Chu Yun’s smile didn’t falter in the face of Xiao Zai’s suspicion. “Don’t wear those light-coloured robes they made you wear at the palace. You don’t look good in bright colours, makes you look childish.” He shoved the crown and one the hairpins into Xiao Zai’s hands. “Wear that hairpin and crown. No extra accessories, you’re handsome, anything more would just detract from your good looks.”

The shock of receiving a compliment from Chu Yun left Xiao Zai speechless.

Chu Yun patted his cheek. “I’m glad we agree, uhm, dear.”

He left after that. That servant that followed him everywhere following in his wake, looking as if she could barely hold in her laughter.

—

Despite his many, many, mental complaints. Xiao Zai ended up doing as Chu Yun said — down to the haircrown and hairpin combination.

He had to admit, when he looked himself in the gold mirror, that he looked good. The man looking back at him didn’t smile, and the lines of his young face were sharp, almost cold, but there was an aura of authority about him that made him look as if that sharpness was a blade, instead of a jagged edge.

Credit where credit was due and all that. Growing up as a spoiled young master had its benefits, he supposed. Chu Yun knew a thing or two about dressing for the occasion.

Xiao Zai waited for him outside, near their carriage. He paced back and forth in front of it for some time until the doors to the pavilion where the private quarters were located opened and Chu Yun walked out.

Xiao Zai didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t this.

Unlike him, Chu Yun was wearing pale robes, almost white, just silver enough not to look like a mourning gown, something which would be tremendously inappropriate for the occasion.

While his robes were eye-catching, they weren’t ostentatious. Chu Yun matched his robes with a silver haircrown and two silver hairpins on each side of his head, from which a long white silk ribbon hanged, almost to the floor.

It was the only fashionable concession in his outfit. Other than that, he looked surprisingly understated. Even his white rabbit fur cloak didn’t have any embroidery or brocade.

“Shall we?” he asked, nodding towards the open carriage door, not sparing Xiao Zai a single glance before stepping inside.

—

There was already a line of carriages in front of the steps to the palace’s main hall when they arrived.

Chu Yun’s servant looked out the window and whistled. “We’re the last ones to arrive, it seems like.”

Chu Yun shrugged. “Good, let’s make a memorable entrance.”

Xiao Zai had noticed that this servant was oddly informal with Chu Yun, but the most surprising thing was that Chu Yun responded in kind.

How was such a pampered, arrogant, young master, on such good terms with one of his servants? Chu Yun was an exercise in contradictions.

It drove Xiao Zai mad that he never acted how he expected him to.

As if to drive that point home, Chu Yun took his arm as soon as they stepped out of the carriage. He couldn’t recall the last time Chu Yun had voluntarily touched him.

“Did my dam put you up to this?”

Chu Yun smiled. “I have no idea what you mean,” he said, and pulled Xiao Zai up the stairs towards the palace.

If any of the palace’s servants were surprised to see them they didn’t let it show. But when he and Chu Yun were announced some of the din inside the main hall quieted down significantly.

They both bowed towards the King, who was sitting on a table across from the doors overlooking all guests. He had no visible reaction.

Xiao Zai was uncomfortable by the amount of eyes turned on them, but before he could let any of that show, Chu Yun pulled him along, in the direction of the table where Gu Wei was sitting by himself.

“Ah, the guests of honour,” Gu Wei said, raising a glass to them.

As always, it pained Xiao Zai to see his dam-father so obviously singled out. If they hadn’t come, he would have spent the entirety of the engagement ceremony sitting by himself.

“Are we, though?” Chu Yun took a seat at the end of the table, leaving room for Xiao Zai to sit beside his dam.

“What have we missed?” Xiao Zai asked.

“Not much, just your father thanking his allies and friends for being present at this most joyous of occasions.” He rolled his eyes, and nodded towards the table on the right of the king, where the First Prince and a pretty girl wearing far too much jewellery sat. “Your brother is pleased as a pig in shit to be the centre of attention.”

Chu Yun let out a chuckle, covering his mouth with the back of his wrist right away.

Unlike Xiao Zai, he wasn’t used to how colourful Gu Wei’s vocabulary could be when he wasn’t trying to look like a dignified courtly gentleman.

Xiao Zai was about to point out that the King didn’t look like this was a very joyous occasion for him, judging by the bored look on his face, when the hall’s doors swung open.

A servant announced the newcomer, Her Highness, Princess Xiao Ziyi a tall woman with a long braid of hair pulled to the side of her neck, wearing military robes, as befitting her station as commander-general of the royal army.

Chu Yun observed the scene in silence for a moment, and then interjected. “Now, there’s the actual guest of honour.”

Xiao Zai followed his line of sight to where the king had stood up from his seat with his arms open to welcome his daughter.

Once again, Xiao Zai had to admire Chu Yun’s powers of deduction.

The only thing both Xiao Zai and Xiao Yuan had in common was how much neither of them could measure up to their oldest sister.