Shut Up and Go to Sleep

"What else could it be?"

"Don’t tell me Samuel Summers still hasn’t given up and sent you here to talk me into something?" Maya Summers looked ready to kick her off the bed at any moment.

"What are you thinking? Ever since you got engaged to Prince Cheng, he hasn’t even set foot in our house! He’s been nursing his broken heart all alone, quietly licking his wounds—how tragic is that! How could you think so poorly of him?" Chloe Zhu spoke up for Samuel Summers.

"Then why do you keep bringing him up?"

"Samuel Summers has liked you since you were kids, hasn’t he? Every time I see Prince Cheng, I can’t help but think of him—and I always end up comparing the two in my head."

"Oh really? And what’s the result of your comparison?"

"No result," Chloe Zhu replied. "I know Samuel Summers well, but I don’t know Prince Cheng at all. There’s just no way to compare them…"

Maya Summers shook her head with a smile. "Those two… are nothing alike."

"Why not?" Chloe Zhu asked. "Samuel Summers is handsome, talented, comes from a good family—he’s got it all!"

"Samuel Summers is just a kid. Prince Cheng is a grown man, you know?" Maya Summers said, dramatic and teasing.

Grace: "They're the same age, right?"

"What I mean is... is... Oh, forget it! You're still a kid, you wouldn't get it!" Maya Summers sputtered, unable to explain herself.

"Oh, I get what you're saying. Ethan Shen grew up with you, always did whatever you wanted, and you know him inside out. You totally have him wrapped around your finger, so he doesn't excite you anymore. But Prince Cheng? He's got that mysterious, dreamy vibe, endless possibilities, am I right?"

Maya Summers blinked, then replied, "...Honestly, you kind of nailed it..."

"Exactly!" Grace continued. "If you really got to know Prince Cheng inside and out, you might realize he's not half as good as Ethan Shen!"

"What are you even saying?" Maya Summers protested. "I already know him super well!"

"Oh yeah? Then do you know if Prince Cheng has any concubines or chamber maids?"

"He doesn't! He promised me, once we're married, he'll never take another woman!"

"What about outside the palace? Any secret flings at those brothels or clubs?"

"He's a prince! Why would he ever go to places like that?" Maya Summers snapped, sounding a bit offended.