Before dawn had even broken, Ning Xuan was already forced out of bed. With two dark circles hanging beneath his eyes, he could not escape Mo Qi and Qing Zhu’s inexplicably enthusiastic “concern,” each taking turns offering their warm inquiries and kind regards.
Yet this so-called concern was no different from a weasel paying New Year’s respects to a chicken. Knowing full well that Ning Xuan was utterly exhausted and listless, the two still put on solemn expressions and, under the pretense of “helping him refresh his spirits,” naturally dumped all the courtyard sweeping duties onto him. Their reasoning? Early autumn had brought a slight chill—moving about in such refreshing weather would surely help sharpen his focus.
Grinding his teeth, Ning Xuan swept at the fallen leaves—those delicate, sensitive things that had only just entered autumn and were already dropping in endless torrents. The more he swept, the more he wanted to snap the broom in half. Truly, the kind-hearted are easily bullied… It seemed he had been far too lenient with these so-called friends, allowing them to kick him while he was down without restraint.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar yet strikingly handsome face surfaced in his mind—sharp brows, bright eyes, a healthy complexion neither too pale nor too dark, and a tall, imposing figure that would stir envy in any man.
But damn it all—the image froze at the moment their faces had drawn dangerously close.
Ning Xuan jolted violently, goosebumps erupting across his entire body as though standing at attention for inspection.
Don’t tell me I’ve been possessed? Why do I keep thinking about being kissed by a man…?
…And fine, a kiss is just a kiss—like he said, it won’t cost me a piece of flesh—but then… why the hell am I blushing like this?!
He hurriedly slapped his cool hands against his cheeks, trying to bring down the heat. Yet the lingering warmth on his lips remained—he could still feel that soft, agile tongue, damp and alive…
“Ahhh!!” Ning Xuan let out a miserable cry. Though he usually cared about cleanliness, the work of servants was filthy and exhausting by nature—he no longer cared whether his clothes were clean or not. Grabbing his sleeve, he scrubbed furiously at his lips.
It was all that bastard’s fault—kissing him out of nowhere like some crazed beast! Because of that, the rare two hours he might have used for a nap had been completely ruined, leaving him sleepless and saddled with these ridiculous dark circles, only to be mocked for it!
Right—that guy’s name was Yi Hua. If he ever ran into him again, he would definitely ask for his birth date and eight characters, make a little effigy, and if he dared pull anything like that again—he’d cripple him for sure!
At that moment, Mo Qi and Qing Zhu came rushing over at the sound, staring at Ning Xuan with utter confusion.
“What’s wrong? Did you slaughter a pig, or did the pig slaughter you?”
Ning Xuan’s face darkened. If they wanted to show concern, couldn’t they at least try speaking like human beings?
When Ning Xuan didn’t answer, Mo Qi—thinking something serious had happened—stepped forward with a lantern, illuminating his face in the dim early light. Qing Zhu followed, eager to see the commotion. The moment they caught sight of Ning Xuan’s expression—half furious, half flustered, his fair cheeks flushed with an unnatural red, and his lips rubbed raw and reddened from his sleeve—they exchanged a knowing look.
A sly smile crept onto Qing Zhu’s face. He turned and patted Mo Qi’s shoulder reassuringly. “Relax, relax. He didn’t kill a pig, and the pig didn’t kill him either. Judging by that look, either he got forcefully kissed by a pig—or he forcefully kissed one.”
It was meant as a joke, yet Mo Qi immediately caught on, nodding along as he joined in the teasing.
But those two words—forcefully kissed—struck Ning Xuan like a bolt of lightning. After last night’s disastrous encounter with the Spring Palace Illustrations, the phrase had already been elevated to his second most forbidden term. As for the first? That would undoubtedly be “riding position.”
With a furious huff, Ning Xuan threw down his broom and stormed into the library, only to come charging back out moments later with an armful of books. Taking advantage of the dim moonlight and the faint glow of dawn… he began to “air the books.”
Watching his retreating figure—like a warrior cutting off his own arm and marching to certain doom—Mo Qi nudged Qing Zhu’s side with his elbow. “Did we go too far with the joke?”
“It’s fine,” Qing Zhu waved dismissively. “If it were someone else, maybe. But Ning Xuan? He’s all heat for three minutes—comes fast, goes fast, never takes anything to heart. Just watch—he’ll forget everything soon enough and come back to drag us to lunch.”
Ning Xuan, already far gone, did not hear Qing Zhu’s confident assessment of his character. Had he heard it, another explosive outburst would have been inevitable. After all, who told him to be both kind-hearted and born under the sign of the horse? If not him, then who else was there to bully—or “ride”?
But that was a matter for later.
For now, Ning Xuan began airing the books before dawn. This time, however, he was far more cautious—fingers delicately poised, touching only the blank edges of each page. He flipped them one by one with utmost care, placing each volume down as though handling fragile treasure.
At this point, to him, water was the greatest taboo in life.
As the sun gradually rose, the courtyard grew busier. Servants from various residences hurried back and forth to the kitchens, attending to their masters. Watching them pass by with trays of exquisite dishes and pastries—many of which he had never even seen before—Ning Xuan’s already empty stomach began to protest violently. The drifting aroma of food made him want nothing more than to dive headfirst into the dishes and never come out again.
The servants who passed by couldn’t help but pause and chuckle. It wasn’t that they were mocking his hunger—after all, every servant who had grown up in the Prince’s residence had endured this most difficult stage. Who hadn’t once counted the days, longing to grow up and hoping at least for a decent midday meal?
What amused them was simply the sight of Ning Xuan airing books at such an ungodly hour.
“Hey!”
Riiip—
Ning Xuan lowered his head stiffly. Between his delicate fingers was half a page—torn clean away from its “body,” the remaining half hanging precariously.
Slowly, rigidly, he turned his head.
There stood Yi Hua—handsome as ever, an amused look on his face, though he quickly forced it into composure the moment their eyes met.
Ning Xuan’s expression twisted. Grief turned to fury in an instant. With a leap that seemed to defy gravity, he grabbed Yi Hua by the collar. Though the difference in height forced him onto his toes, craning his neck to meet his gaze, the sheer force of his anger was undiminished.
“Damn it! I’ve realized something—every time I run into you, nothing good ever happens! You’re a jinx! A born jinx!!”
Yet what had Yi Hua done? He had merely called out upon seeing an acquaintance—only to find Ning Xuan so lost in thought that disaster ensued.
“Do you have any idea how serious it is to tear a book like this?!” Ning Xuan raged. “I have to copy it by hand! It’s exhausting! I barely get enough food as it is—don’t go adding unnecessary work that drains my precious energy! Yesterday you stepped on me and got me stuck copying all night—I’m still one book short! And now you call out to me for no reason—look at this! Another book to copy!”
Faced with Ning Xuan’s tirade, Yi Hua remained utterly unconcerned. Glancing at the torn page, he said mildly,
“This book—is it really that important? If you don’t want to copy it, then don’t.”
Futile Devices Scans 
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