Mu Xueshi’s large eyes rolled thoughtfully.
In the next instant he burst out laughing.
“I get it! I get it! Xi, you’re really smart. How did I miss that?”
He jumped up excitedly.
“What you mean is that my father was beaten to death before being burned! Someone must have attacked him first. In other words, his death wasn’t accidental—it was murder!”
The moment he finished speaking, a sharp knock landed on his forehead.
Thwack.
Stars exploded before his eyes.
Clutching his head, Mu Xueshi looked at the Third Prince in confusion, rubbing the sore spot.
Why had the prince suddenly struck him?
The Third Prince said nothing. Instead he crouched down again, carefully examining the floor and the surrounding tables and stools, completely ignoring Mu Xueshi.
Mu Xueshi dared not ask where he had gone wrong.
After thinking for a while, realization suddenly dawned upon him.
The prince had already explained this earlier—the possibility that the Grand Tutor had died before the fire had already been ruled out.
“Aiya… my memory!” Mu Xueshi slapped his own forehead, silently cursing himself.
He glanced at the prince again and noticed him examining something along the leg of a wooden stool.
Mu Xueshi leaned closer, peering around without much purpose.
“So, Xi… what are you looking at?” he asked ingratiatingly.
The Third Prince did not respond.
It was as though he had heard nothing.
Mu Xueshi asked several more times, yet the prince continued to ignore him.
Perhaps the prince thought him too foolish to discuss matters with… or perhaps he was simply concentrating on clearing Mu Xueshi’s name and had no time for his nonsense.
Mu Xueshi pouted and sighed heavily. He plopped down on the floor, silently watching the prince.
When the Third Prince focused on something, his expression became extremely serious.
And truthfully…
At times like this, he looked the most handsome of all—every feature flawless.
Mu Xueshi stared for quite some time before realizing what he was doing.
Ridiculous!
He pinched his own thigh hard, forcing himself to look away.
Yet for some reason lately, he found himself constantly wanting to look at the Third Prince. If he didn’t, an itch would stir inside his chest.
While cursing himself for being abnormal, he still couldn’t help sneaking another glance.
“Who’s there?”
The Third Prince suddenly frowned and spoke coldly.
Though he had not turned his head, he had clearly sensed movement by the window.
Mu Xueshi jumped in fright and hurriedly looked around.
Just then the door opened, and Wu Cai stepped inside.
With phoenix-shaped eyes slightly raised, he smiled charmingly at the two men within.
“I have come to inform you,” Wu Cai said gracefully. “The evening meal has been prepared. Your Highness and Young Master may now dine.”
After speaking, he allowed his gaze to linger on the Third Prince for quite some time. The meaning in his eyes was unmistakable.
But when he turned to Mu Xueshi, that admiration instantly vanished, replaced by cold disdain.
Mu Xueshi, however, noticed none of this hostility.
What he did notice was that Wu Cai was looking at the Third Prince with the same appreciative gaze he himself often wore.
For some inexplicable reason, the sight made him feel extremely uncomfortable.
So he deliberately stepped forward, placing himself between them—standing so close to Wu Cai that he blocked the man’s entire line of sight.
“Thanks!” Mu Xueshi forced a friendly smile.
Wu Cai recognized the voice immediately—it was still the same voice he remembered.
Yet the tone had completely changed.
The former Mu Xueshi had always spoken sparingly. Forget words of thanks—he would not even defend himself when falsely accused.
“Come, come, let’s go eat!” Mu Xueshi said loudly.
As he spoke, he deliberately stood on tiptoe and slung an arm over the Third Prince’s shoulders, proudly displaying how close they were.
Though the Third Prince maintained his usual indifferent expression, he did not reject the gesture.
He understood Mu Xueshi’s little scheme.
Seeing the youth’s tense yet possessive expression, a faint trace of amusement even touched the corners of his lips.
Futile Devices Scans 
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