As soon as I entered the front hall, I saw a tall, slender, handsome young man in his twenties sitting upright on a soft couch, leisurely sipping tea. He wore a luxurious dark blue silk robe with subtle patterns, exuding an air of elegance. He looked like Takeshi Kaneshiro, with electrifying eyes and a flirtatious charm as he thanked the maid pouring his tea. Just as I expected, the maid immediately went weak in the knees, her face flushed, and she nearly dropped the kettle in her hand. If this were out on the street, she’d probably be clutching her chest and screaming by now. There was a hint of mischief beneath his refined demeanor—he was outrageously handsome, too handsome! And now he’s here in my house to flirt with the girls? This guy must be here just to make me feel bad. Damn it!

Stomping my feet in anger, the electric-eyed man finally shifted his gaze from the blushing maid to the doorway. The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up: “Ah… Chris, I’ve missed you so much, little brother! How’s your injury these past few days? I ran into Minister Fang the other day and heard what happened from him—it really made me worry. I made a special effort to come visit you today.”

The mischievous, electric-eyed man jumped off the couch and strode over, looking like he wanted to grab my hand, his face full of concern.

“Uh…” Are we really that close? All this ‘brother’ talk… “Your Highness… this humble official… I, um, little brother… uh, greetings, Your Highness.” Damn this ancient era! And Madam Foster too—why didn’t she tell me how I’m supposed to address myself?

Maybe my expression was a bit twisted, because Handsome Lincoln seemed at a loss. He didn’t know whether to grab my hand or not, his hand half-curled, but still looking handsome. The maid standing by had a strange look on her face, blushing and seemingly holding back laughter, her eyes darting everywhere.

“Your Highness, please forgive him. My son has a head injury and forgets many things from the past. For my sake…” My savior arrived. Well, I should say my mother, Madam Foster, walked in calmly from outside, a dignified and gracious smile on her face—she looked just like a spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stepping onto the stage.

“Edward greets Madam Fang. The Empress asked Edward to convey her regards to you.” Edward Lincoln took the opportunity to bow to Madam Foster, his movements so smooth that the earlier awkwardness seemed never to have happened.

“Your Highness flatters me.” Madam Foster smiled gently and nodded in return, patting my hand: “Chris, this is Prince Wu, Edward. Don’t tell me you don’t remember him either? Usually, you two ignore rank and call each other Brother William and Chris. I’ve scolded you many times, but you never listened. Now, after your memory loss, you’re suddenly acting distant.” Madam Foster’s gentle voice echoed in my ear. My formidable mother—her rescue was perfectly timed. Amnesia, what a flawless excuse.

“…As Brother William, little brother… I suffered a bit of an injury a few days ago, here…” I pointed to my head, looking helpless. “I can’t remember a lot of things…”

Edward Lincoln seemed to want to laugh, the corner of his mouth twitching: “No matter. I came today especially to see you, little brother. If you can’t remember something, it’s fine—I’ll remind you anytime. Today, I came to…” Something was off. Handsome Lincoln’s electric eyes were blinking rapidly, glancing toward the door, just like when classmates used to cover for each other. It was so familiar, I almost thought an old classmate had time-traveled with me.

Helpless, I supported Madam Foster: “Mother, I’ll accompany His Highness here. You should go rest. You’ve been working so hard these days, I really…”

“My son always knows how to care for his mother. Your Highness, please forgive my rudeness…” Madam Foster turned and called over a family servant, her tone suddenly stern: “William Brooks, remember, stay with the young master at all times. Don’t leave his side for a moment. If anything happens to him, I’ll hold you responsible.”

“Yes, ma’am…” Poor William Brooks, big and burly, but in front of the mistress he’s like a lamb. Looks like in the famous Fang household of the Tang dynasty, my mom is the real boss.

“I’ll be good, Mother, don’t worry.” Awesome! Looking at the nearly two-meter-tall, muscle-bound William Brooks whose uniform was stretched tight, I thought: what a great bodyguard! I can walk the streets with swagger, not afraid of fights or collecting protection fees.

“I’ll take my leave…”

“Take care, Mother.” “Take care, Madam Fang.” Edward Lincoln and I watched my mom leave.

“Little brother… truly impressive, I must say I admire you.” As soon as my mom disappeared into the back hall, Handsome Lincoln gave me a thumbs up. This guy is nothing like the polite and humble Edward Lincoln from TV dramas.

“Huh? Impressive? How?”

“All right, all right, stop pretending. Let’s go, Sister Emily is still waiting outside. To celebrate your escape from Minister Fang’s clutches, I’m treating you today at Yunwen Pavilion…” Edward Lincoln impatiently pulled me along.

Stumbling, I was dragged out of the Fang residence by Edward Lincoln, only to see a luxurious carriage parked outside. Through the lifted curtain, I saw a delicate, beautiful face, her hair in a cloud-like bun, lips pouting, and eyes more lively than green butterflies, anxiously looking out. By my estimate: fourteen or fifteen years old. Wow… another little loli. Are all the pretty girls in the Tang dynasty lolis?

“Third brother, you’re here! …Why did it take so long? Sister Emily was getting restless waiting.” Her voice was tender yet melodious, much better than many pop singers in later generations.