Mu Xueshi awoke after a full day of unconsciousness.
The moment he opened his eyes, he discovered that three additional figures stood beside his bed—three maidens, each as lovely as blossoming flowers and carved jade.
He blinked.
Then, like a carp leaping from the water, he sprang upright. Circling the three women several times, he even reached out to pat one of them lightly on the shoulder.
“Where are you from?” he asked.
The maiden maintained a gentle, accommodating smile. Yet no matter how Mu Xueshi questioned her, she uttered not a single word.
He grew suspicious. How had three people suddenly appeared in his room? And why did they not so much as change expression? Could they be exquisitely crafted statues?
While he was still muddle-headed and pondering this mystery, the door creaked open.
The Third Prince stepped inside.
At the sight of him, Mu Xueshi jolted as if struck by lightning.
Only then did he recall his previous predicament. His eyes flew wide open. In a gust of wind, he darted behind the screen to the bronze mirror. Staring at his reflection, he carefully examined his face.
No monstrous, gaping maw of blood.
No grotesque distortion.
He thumped his chest in relief, exhaling deeply.
Though… he could not help but feel that he was not quite as handsome as before. It seemed that every time he looked at his own face, it changed slightly, making it impossible to grasp what he truly looked like. But he had no leisure to dwell on such matters now.
Just as he had guessed—the Third Prince had merely frightened him.
With a face full of gratitude, Mu Xueshi emerged from behind the screen and flung himself to his knees before the prince.
“This commoner committed wrongdoing before. Yet Your Highness bore no grudge and spared me. I—I—am endlessly grateful!”
“From this day forward,” the Third Prince replied calmly, “you are no longer a commoner.”
Mu Xueshi scratched at the stray strands of hair on his forehead with slender fingers, utterly puzzled.
“Then what am I? One of the people?”
A faint smile curved the Third Prince’s lips. Leaning close, he murmured by Mu Xueshi’s ear, “During the Eight Homage Festival, you are Mu Xueshi. After the festival, you are still Mu Xueshi.”
Mu Xueshi’s mouth twitched.
“May I ask, Your Highness… what difference is there?”
“You will know in time.”
Though the prince still wore his usual aloof expression, Mu Xueshi could clearly sense a shift in his attitude. Perhaps the words he had spoken before fainting had moved him.
Thinking this, Mu Xueshi even let out a few suppressed giggles. His bright, crystalline eyes curved into crescents like twin moons in the night sky, stirring faint ripples in the hearts of the three maids.
After laughing, he leaned close to the prince in return and whispered gleefully, “If you want to treat me well, there’s no need to hide it. I know you’re afraid of gossip. Don’t worry—I absolutely won’t tell anyone.”
The Third Prince inwardly scoffed at his smug expression.
Then Mu Xueshi added earnestly, “You truly are a good person!”
The prince stiffened.
There was no flattery in Mu Xueshi’s expression—only unguarded sincerity.
Seeing the prince’s lips lift slightly, Mu Xueshi seized the opportunity. Grabbing the prince’s cheeks with both hands, he tugged them upward into an arc and grinned foolishly.
“You’re just too serious. You need to smile sometimes! A slight smile moves over two hundred muscles. By pulling like this, I’ve helped improve the circulation in your face.”
The intimacy left the Third Prince momentarily dazed. He cast a cold, warning glance at Mu Xueshi—but it was thoroughly ignored.
Mu Xueshi, noticing the prince’s mood seemed lighter, laughed sheepishly, cheeks flushed red, his manner irresistibly endearing.
Then, rubbing his hands nervously and glancing around, he leaned closer and asked carefully:
“Your Highness… may I now be introduced to the three young ladies beside me?”
Futile Devices Scans 
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