A report sounded from outside the door, startling Mu Xueshi out of his thoughts. When he looked back at the Third Prince, he found him standing before an ancient painting as though he had heard nothing, staring at a few sparse brushstrokes with a thoughtful frown.
There he goes again, pretending to be some great scholar. Mu Xueshi curled his lips. Even with his back turned, the Third Prince seemed able to sense exactly what expression Mu Xueshi was making behind him. At the thought, even the painting before his eyes seemed to come alive.
Mu Xueshi edged carefully toward him. He stretched out a hand several times, only to lose his nerve and pull it back. Finally, seeing that the Third Prince’s expression seemed relatively mild, he gathered his courage and tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, Your Highness, someone outside is calling for you. Why aren’t you answering?”
The Third Prince did not react at all. He did not even turn his head. Mu Xueshi froze, circled him several times, then muttered, “You haven’t stared at that thing so long you’ve fallen into qi deviation, have you? Probably not, but who knows with ancient people? People can even die practicing martial arts!”
At last, Mu Xueshi filled his lungs and shouted, “Someone outside is looking for you!”
The Third Prince snapped his head around, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes. Mu Xueshi backed away several steps. Panic immediately crossed his beautiful face as his hands flailed uselessly. “Um… I was just… trying to… remind you…”
Before he could finish, the Third Prince walked out without a word and shut the bedchamber door behind him. Mu Xueshi stood there stunned for quite a while, then hurried over to follow and see what was going on. He pulled with all his strength, but the door would not budge.
Mu Xueshi let out an exaggerated sigh. He had wanted to see what the people outside looked like. Earlier, when the Third Prince went out, Mu Xueshi had been too busy pocketing things to follow before he was caught. Now he finally had another chance, only to discover he could not even open the door.
What Mu Xueshi hated most was having his freedom restricted. When he was little, his teachers were always saying he had ADHD because even sitting in a chair, he had to sway from side to side before he could settle down. The thought of being trapped indefinitely in this lifeless room made him feel that life itself had lost all meaning.
Suddenly, an idea lit up his crystal-clear eyes. Mu Xueshi raced to the windows, starting with the one in front. The moment he pushed it open, he found himself looking directly at the Third Prince’s face.
Certain that his reflexes were lightning-fast, Mu Xueshi ducked below the window before the Third Prince could notice him, then crawled toward another one. He sprang up, planted his hands on the sill, and was just about to swing one leg over when his feet abruptly left the ground.
“My God!” Mu Xueshi stared in disbelief as he “floated” back toward the bed. Then pain tugged at his collar, and realization struck. The Third Prince was carrying him by the back of his clothes.
Caught again? Mu Xueshi had not even finished feeling sorry for himself when two fingers tapped his chest. His entire body instantly froze. He widened his eyes and struggled as hard as he could, but nothing moved.
“No way! Who taught you that?” Mu Xueshi stared at the Third Prince in delighted amazement.
The Third Prince said nothing. He picked Mu Xueshi up, placed him on the bed, drew the gauze curtain closed, and turned to leave.