The next day, mid-morning!

Ning Chen had just woken up. He stretched. That had been a really good sleep.

Still, he couldn't have slept very long, could he? It wasn't even dark yet.

But suddenly he froze mid-stretch.

Because there was a whole row of people standing beside his bed.

Ning Chen nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Ning, dear, you're awake?"

"My lord prince, do you feel unwell anywhere?"

Faced with all this concern, Ning Chen was completely lost.

He pulled his little quilt tight around himself and said irritably, "What are you, a bunch of perverts? What are you all doing crowded around my bed?"

Xiao Yanxi and the others exchanged looks.

"Ning, dear, do you know how long you've been asleep?"

Ning Chen paused. "It's not dark yet, but I must have slept at least two hours?"

Xiao Yanxi said, "You've been asleep since the hour of the Monkey yesterday. That's nearly twenty hours."

Ning Chen was stunned!

"Twenty hours? You're joking, right?"

Ning Chen didn't believe it. As far as he could remember, he'd never slept that long in his life.

Feng Qizheng said, "You really did sleep nearly twenty hours. Like you were dead to the world. No matter how hard we shouted, you wouldn't wake up... We thought something had happened to you. Her Majesty the woman emperor sent over several imperial physicians from the palace.

But after they examined you, they all said nothing was wrong. You were probably just exhausted!

I mean, what's with the woman emperor? Doesn't she know how to take pity on a pretty face? Won't stop until she's worked you to death? Even the donkey that turns the millstone in the village doesn't get driven that hard."

Ning Chen felt a headache coming on. "Shut up!"

This lummox. Even when he was saying something kind, it came out sounding like an insult.

Ning Chen sat up.

Xiao Yanxi looked worried. "Ning, dear, do you feel unwell anywhere?"

Ning Chen moved around a little and smiled. "No. I feel great. Fit as a fiddle. Just a little hungry!"

Prince…