The Young Man's Beloved

In an instant, the ambitious and high-minded young man turned beet red, so embarrassed he wished he could disappear into the ground.

Princess Jade Hayes had seen it all before. Watching Leonard Yuan’s reaction, she instantly understood what was going on!

Ah, young love! No wonder he’s been so distracted lately—it’s all because of a certain girl who’s caught his eye!

“Hahaha, well done! Ryan, you’re growing up!” Princess Jade Hayes patted her brother’s shoulder with pride. “Not bad, not bad—have you mentioned this to Mom and Dad?”

Ryan’s ears were burning, but he was close to his sister, so he answered honestly, shaking his head, "No, I haven’t told them."

“Hmm, so you like this girl, but does she like you?” Princess Jade Hayes stroked her chin, eyeing her brother who suddenly looked like a quail.

Ryan buried his head even deeper and shook it again.

“Oh wow, kid, don’t tell me it’s just a crush!” Princess Jade Hayes found this more and more amusing, teasing him, “Have you confessed? Does she even know you like her?”

Ryan covered his face. “Sis, please, don’t ask! She doesn’t know anything. It’s just me… I’m the only one who likes her.”

“So it’s a secret crush,” Princess Jade Hayes nodded knowingly.

The boy’s face was burning up, but every time Princess Jade Hayes mentioned that girl, Leonard Yuan’s eyes would light up.

First taste of longing—his feelings were as pure as spring water, so clear and innocent you could see straight to the bottom.

Princess Jade Hayes circled Leonard Yuan several times, thinking hard—just which family’s girl could charm her brother this much and spout such astonishing ideas?

Those weren’t words any ordinary girl could say. You needed real experience and vision to speak like that.

Suddenly, Princess Jade Hayes had a flash of inspiration. She figured out who Leonard Yuan’s secret crush was!

“Well, Ryan, you’ve got good taste!” Princess Jade Hayes teased, bursting out laughing.

Ryan’s face was as red as a monkey’s bottom. He tugged at Princess Jade Hayes’s sleeve, blurting out, “Sis, you—you know who she is? Do you really think I have good taste?”

“Of course! Who do you think your sister is? Do you really think I can’t guess your little secret?” Princess Jade Hayes grinned, leaning closer. “Your secret crush is Cecilia from my foreign languages academy, right? Tsk, I should’ve guessed! Remember when Cecilia sailed to Ningport with the fleet? You and Aunt Charlotte were headed south for the imperial exams, and you two shared a boat. I remember you two even had a spat at the port.”

Ryan’s eyes lit up like a puppy’s, nodding enthusiastically. “Yes, yes, Sis, you have such a good memory! We spent almost a month together on that boat—she told me so much about what she’d read, and I realized how little I knew, how small my world was. She’s so bold and capable, always keeping the other girls at the academy organized. They all respect her and listen to her. When I look at her, she’s just so dazzling, so bright—like the sun in the sky. And me? I’m just the ant on the ground, small and insignificant. Sis, if I could study abroad, maybe I could become someone knowledgeable and capable too.”