The Second Prince frowned inwardly. This was not the Third Prince’s usual conduct. Under normal circumstances, he would never have relinquished Su Ying so easily. Today, even after being provoked into action, he had shown no anger—returning the child almost as though in concession.
He glanced down at the small figure in his arms.
As if waiting for that very moment, Su Ying burst into tears the instant their eyes met. He bit and scratched at the Second Prince’s chest, face, hair, and neck, sobbing uncontrollably.
The Second Prince’s face filled with tenderness. Su Ying might be mischievous, but he would not have offended the Third Prince gravely. It must be that the Third Prince harbored resentment with nowhere to vent it—so the child bore the brunt.
He gently patted Su Ying’s back. After some time, the boy tired himself out, resting his head against his father’s shoulder, sniffling softly before drifting into sleep.
Back at Yuanhui Palace, the Second Prince removed Su Ying’s clothing and examined him carefully.
Finding no wounds, his anger eased—until he noticed a faint red mark upon the boy’s shoulder. Though indistinct, it stood out upon skin as pale and luminous as a newborn’s.
Leaning close, he inhaled. The scent was unmistakable—ordinary Seven-Flower Powder, used to repel insects. It left no marks.
So where had this one come from?
Lost in thought, he did not forget to press gentle kisses upon the child, his expression of adoration unchanged since the day Su Ying was born.
⸻
Meanwhile, Mu Xueshi was frantic. The moment the Third Prince unsealed his acupoints, he shot out like an arrow. The Third Prince followed in silence, brows knit, assuming he meant to flee.
Instead, Mu Xueshi rushed to the roots of a tree and fumbled desperately with his many-layered garments. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he struggled with the complicated ties.
Finally, glancing around and seeing only the Third Prince, he relaxed. He shoved his trousers down to his ankles and, heedless of propriety, attended to his most urgent need.
The Third Prince was utterly stunned.
In this era—where male beauty was prized—a man’s body was considered precious. Publicly disrobing was deemed a humiliation severe enough to be listed among punishments for indecency.
Mu Xueshi knew none of this. And even if he had, bodily urgency would have taken precedence.
Thus his pale legs—and everything between them—were laid bare before the Third Prince’s eyes.
Had the act not been so crude, none could have resisted such temptation.
Even so, the Third Prince found himself unable to look away. His throat tightened; it had been long since such heat stirred within him. Yet he was accustomed to restraint—to keeping reason intact before Mu Xueshi.
Unless one day this man willingly sought him beneath his waist, the Third Prince would not touch him.
Mu Xueshi finished with a satisfied sigh and turned—only to meet the Third Prince’s faint, unreadable smile.
His scalp prickled.
Was it because he had polluted the courtyard air? Impossible—it could even serve as fertilizer for that great tree. Or because he had left the chamber without permission? That seemed excessive…
“You—who are you?”
The sudden demand startled birds into flight. Leaves shook loose, drifting down around Mu Xueshi.
Futile Devices Scans 
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