The Fallen, Stubborn Prince - Chapter 2

“Squad leader, you usually ignore me. Why are you lecturing me now—over some idiot?”
Ling Huanchen tilted his head and grinned, his voice dripping with mockery. Leaning slightly toward Fang Xian, who stood a few centimeters shorter than him, he teased, “What’s this? Are you jealous?”

Fang Xian wanted nothing more than to shut that arrogant mouth of his. Honestly, she’d never met anyone more foolish—how dare he call someone else an idiot?

But she forced herself to hold back. There was still half a semester left in senior year, and she didn’t want to start a war with him over a boy she barely knew. All she wanted was to finish her last summer of high school peacefully.

*If I can endure it, I can stay at peace,* she reminded herself. That had always been her rule.

She ignored Ling Huanchen’s words like air and turned toward the quiet boy he’d been mocking. Her voice softened as she greeted him, “Hey.”

The boy looked up briefly, his gaze meeting hers, then quickly lowered his head, avoiding her sharp and confident eyes.

“Don’t be afraid,” Fang Xian said gently. “It’s always crowded here during lunch. If you just give up your seat next time, no one will bother you again.”

Her words were kind, but her glare toward Ling Huanchen made it clear who “no one” referred to.

The boy stayed silent, staring blankly at the table. Fang Xian thought maybe he was scared. She didn’t know what kind of “special” person he was, so she spoke carefully, afraid of crossing some unseen line.

Then, suddenly, the boy spoke. “I… I want to tidy this up before I leave.”

Relieved, Fang Xian smiled. “Then can I help? Or do you have a certain way you like things done?”

The boy shook his head, declining her help, but started cleaning faster. He gathered all the receipts, slid them neatly into a small plastic bag, then turned to her shyly. “I… I’m done.”

Ling Huanchen smirked from the side, clearly amused. “Guess he’s not completely dumb after all. Knows how to look at a pretty girl.” He glanced at Fang Xian. “Right? Our squad leader’s pretty enough, isn’t she?”

If this had been any other situation, Fang Xian might’ve brushed it off as a compliment. But now, she only wanted to roll her eyes and tell him off. From the moment he’d called the boy an idiot, her patience for him had vanished completely.

The boy stood quietly beside her. When he straightened up, Fang Xian realized just how tall he was—she had to tilt her head slightly to look at him. Somehow, that contrast made her heart ache even more.

“Are you heading home? Is someone coming to pick you up?” she asked. Though they seemed around the same age, she couldn’t help but speak to him gently, almost like he was younger.

The boy looked toward the door, but seeing no one familiar, he shook his head.

“Hey, you can’t go yet!” Ling Huanchen stepped in front of him. “You haven’t told us your name.”

Of course, he wasn’t asking out of kindness. He’d found someone new to toy with and wasn’t planning to let his “target” slip away that easily.

“It’s none of your business,” Fang Xian snapped, glaring at him. “What, are you planning to flirt with him too?”

A few students nearby gasped, then stifled their laughs. The school’s top student—usually calm, polite, and untouchable—had just cursed! Maybe she wasn’t as cold and perfect as they thought. Maybe she was actually… kind of cool.

Ling Huanchen’s face turned from red to white. The students around him tried not to laugh out loud; they knew better than to provoke him.

“My name is Su Qian,” the boy said suddenly, looking straight at Fang Xian. His voice was soft, a little shaky, but his gaze was steady.

Fang Xian blinked. “Su Qian? Just Qian?”

“It’s not the ‘swamp’ Qian!” he said quickly, frowning. “Everyone always thinks that.”

“Then… ‘responsibility’?” Ling Huanchen guessed again, pretending to think hard.

“No! Not that either. It’s the one for ‘person living in a room’—that Qian!” Su Qian grew anxious, stumbling over his words. He hated explaining his name; people rarely understood, and it always made him flustered.

Fang Xian’s eyes lit up. “Oh—you mean the *flat* Qian, right?”

Su Qian’s face brightened instantly, as if someone had just turned on the lights in his world. “Yes! That one!”

To him, Fang Xian seemed incredible—smart, patient, and easy to understand. The best person he’d met, maybe even as kind as the uncle who had raised him.

Ling Huanchen frowned. “Wait—what flat? What Qian? What character is that supposed to be?”

Fang Xian shot him a cold look. “Go home and reread your middle school Chinese textbooks.”

She turned back to Su Qian, her tone softening again. “Are you heading out? I can walk with you.”

Ling Huanchen reached out, grabbing her arm lightly. “Hey, you don’t have to go that far, right? He’s a big boy—he doesn’t need a babysitter.”

Fang Xian immediately pulled her arm free. “Who knows what you’ll try to pull once he’s alone?”

Ling Huanchen froze, caught off guard. She had seen right through him—his plan to find out where Su Qian lived.

“Didn’t you say you wanted braised pork?” Fang Xian said sharply. “The whole table’s yours now. Enjoy it. I’m leaving with Su Qian so you can eat in peace.”

Her eyes shone, her features delicate but firm, her tone impossible to argue with. Ling Huanchen could only watch as she walked away—this girl he had always thought of as distant and quiet now seemed braver and sharper than he’d ever realized.

Once Fang Xian decided to step in, she gave it her all. Whether it was leading her class, striving for perfection in school, or standing up for a boy like Su Qian—she always followed through.

Just as they turned to leave, Lan Qian rushed over with two dark green schoolbags. “Fang Xian! You forgot these—your bag and mine!”

“Thanks,” Fang Xian said, smiling. “Let’s go together.”

Lan Qian nodded, barely glancing at Su Qian. But before they left the braised pork shop, she turned back toward Ling Huanchen and made a face—tongue out, grin wide—mocking him openly.

Outside, she leaned close to Fang Xian and whispered, “You’re not the type to seek attention. So what’s the deal? Why’d you step in?”

Fang Xian shot her a look. “Don’t you think he’s… kind of cute?”

Lan Qian wrinkled her nose. “Handsome, maybe. Cute, sure. But too timid. Not my type.”

“Don’t tease him,” Fang Xian warned softly.

Lan Qian laughed. “Wow, protective much? Fine, fine. You’re acting like you’ve known him for years. What’s gotten into you, Fang Xian?”

Ling Huanchen stood frozen in the restaurant, watching their figures fade down the street, so angry he couldn’t speak.

If only they’d known that from this moment on, Su Qian’s appearance would change their fates—twisting them together for years to come.