Madness Across Time: Entangled with the Prince

“Dad, Mom, I’m home!” As soon as she stepped through the door, Zhang Xiaolan shouted energetically, picturing her mother rushing over to hug her and her father greeting her with a smile. Yet nothing of the sort happened. Her high spirits quickly faded as she stared at the empty room, awkwardly standing at the entrance. How could it be that she’d shouted so loudly and still no one came to greet her?

“Your darling daughter is back! Come out, quick! If you’re late, there’ll be no gifts for you!” she called out again, her tone playful and tempting, but the silence remained unbroken. Where on earth had those two “elders” gone? Thank goodness she’d brought her keys, or she wouldn’t have even been able to get inside.

Annoyed, she strode into the kitchen to look for something to eat, but even the refrigerator was bare. As she closed the fridge door, she noticed a sticky note affixed to the surface. Zhang Xiaolan leaned in to read:

“Lanlan, we’ve gone to Huangshan for a trip. It was a last-minute decision, so we didn’t tell you. If you come home, you’ll have to sort out your own meals. Love, your parents.”

“So this is what you call love? If you loved me, you wouldn’t just abandon me and go off traveling on your own!” Zhang Xiaolan yelled at the refrigerator, yanked the note down, and tossed it into the trash. Moments later, she fished it back out and declared with a huff, “I’ll keep you as evidence, hmph!”

It was rare for Zhang Xiaolan to get a day off and come home, but she’d managed to coincide perfectly with her unreliable parents’ vacation. Not o