A report sounded from outside the door, startling Mu Xueshi and snapping him out of his thoughts. When he looked toward the Third Prince again, he found him standing before an ancient painting as though he had heard nothing, staring fixedly at the few sparse strokes upon it with a thoughtful frown.
There he goes again, pretending to be some great scholar. Mu Xueshi curled his lips high in disdain. Even with his back turned, the Third Prince could still sense exactly what sort of expression Mu Xueshi was making at him. At the thought, even the painting before his eyes seemed to come alive.
Mu Xueshi cautiously shuffled over to the Third Prince. He stretched out a hand several times, only to withdraw it in defeat each time. Finally, seeing that the Third Prince’s expression appeared relatively mild, Mu Xueshi gathered his courage and tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, Your Highness the Third Prince, someone’s calling for you outside. Why aren’t you answering them?”
The Third Prince showed absolutely no response to Mu Xueshi’s words. He did not even turn to glance at him. Mu Xueshi froze, circled the Third Prince several times, and finally muttered, “You haven’t stared yourself into qi deviation, have you? It shouldn’t be possible, but who can say with ancient people? People can even die while practicing martial arts!”
At last, Mu Xueshi drew in as much breath as he could and shouted at the Third Prince, “Someone is looking for you outside!”
The Third Prince abruptly turned his head, a cold gleam shooting from his eyes. Mu Xueshi retreated several steps, panic instantly appearing on his stunning face. His hands began waving wildly as he stammered incoherently, “Um… I was only… just… reminding you…”
Before he could finish, the Third Prince suddenly walked out without expression and closed the bedchamber door behind him. It took Mu Xueshi a long while to recover before he immediately tried to follow and see what was happening. Yet even after using every last ounce of strength he possessed, he could not pull the door open.
Mu Xueshi let out an exaggerated sigh. He had wanted to see what the people outside looked like, but when the Third Prince had gone out earlier, Mu Xueshi had been too busy pocketing things. Before he could leave, he had been caught. Now that he finally had an opportunity to go outside, he could not even open the door.
What Mu Xueshi hated most was having his freedom restricted. As a child, his teachers had always said he was hyperactive because even while seated, he had to sway from side to side before he could calm down. The thought of being trapped from now on inside this room, which did not possess the slightest trace of life, made Mu Xueshi feel that living had lost all meaning.
Suddenly, Mu Xueshi seemed to think of something, and an unusual light sparkled within his crystal-clear eyes. He ran toward the windows as quickly as possible, heading first to the front window. But the moment he pushed it open, he discovered that it faced directly toward the Third Prince.
Mu Xueshi believed his reactions were exceptionally quick. Before the Third Prince could notice him, he ducked beneath the window, then crawled toward another one. At last, he sprang upright, placed both hands on the windowsill, and prepared to lift one leg over it—only to feel his feet suddenly leave the floor.
“Heavens!” Mu Xueshi widened his eyes and watched himself “float” toward the bed with an expression of disbelief. Then pain came from the back of his collar, and Mu Xueshi abruptly realized that the Third Prince was carrying him by his clothes!
I’ve been caught again? Before Mu Xueshi could even sigh, he felt two fingers tap his chest, and his entire body became completely immobile. He widened his eyes and struggled with all his strength, but there was still no response.
“No way! Who taught you that?” Mu Xueshi looked at the Third Prince with delighted astonishment.
The Third Prince said nothing. He lifted Mu Xueshi into his arms, placed him directly on the bed, drew the gauze curtains closed, and turned to leave.
Futile Devices Scans 
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