Passing through the garden path, Mu Xueshi glanced toward the grass again. There was still no sign of the Yinglan flower, and he let out a heavy sigh.
With the Third Prince’s abilities, the silver coin would surely be found as long as he agreed to search for it. But if the Yinglan flower did not bloom this month, they would have to wait until the next. If the Grand Tutor’s case were solved before then, Mu Xueshi would have no reason to remain. Even if he felt reluctant, he would have to tell the Third Prince the truth and ask for help returning home.
After brooding for a while, Mu Xueshi quickly pulled himself together and ran toward the sleeping palace with renewed determination. No matter how guilty he felt toward the Third Prince, he still had to get his revenge. The two matters were separate and had to be settled separately.
Moving too quickly, Mu Xueshi crashed straight into someone’s chest. He looked up and found himself facing Su Ruhan’s sharply chiseled features.
Mu Xueshi immediately straightened and bowed. “Greetings, Master! Your disciple pays his respects!”
Su Ruhan’s sword-like brows drew together, a complicated expression crossing his face. To Mu Xueshi, he had the air of someone prematurely weathered: he looked barely over twenty, yet carried the weariness of a middle-aged man.
“Thank you for taking care of me at Linhan Palace a few days ago.” Seeing Su Ruhan’s stern expression, Mu Xueshi bowed again with great respect and nervously waited for an answer.
He stayed bent over until his back began to ache. When he finally had no choice but to look up, Su Ruhan had already vanished.
Ignored yet again, Mu Xueshi grew even more depressed. Half the resentment he felt toward the Third Prince shifted onto Su Ruhan as well, leaving him frustrated with nowhere to vent. He stormed toward the sleeping palace, now planning not only to take revenge on the Third Prince but also to use him as an outlet for all his pent-up grievances.
Halfway there, Mu Xueshi noticed something strange. Normally the courtyard always had guards stationed by the entrances, with one or two maids occasionally hurrying through the corridors carrying pastries, clothes, and other things. Yet now it was eerily quiet. Aside from Su Ruhan’s brief appearance, not a single person could be seen.
Mu Xueshi pushed open the sleeping-palace door. The Third Prince sat upright beside a table, with a set of clothes laid on top and a pair of shoes beneath it. Mu Xueshi had meant to burst in and start cursing, but the moment he saw the deep furrow between the prince’s brows, the words caught in his throat and went back down.
All the harsh lines he had prepared along the way suddenly became impossible to say. Mu Xueshi stood awkwardly by the door for a moment, cleared his throat, and finally managed only a harmless question.
“Where are all the servants?”
The Third Prince did not want to explain that he had returned early and dismissed everyone because he did not want anyone else to see Mu Xueshi’s true face. Faced with Mu Xueshi’s questioning, he chose silence.
Mu Xueshi kicked a stool hard and shouted, “Why does no one ever want to talk to me? It was like this before, and it’s still the same now! Am I really that annoying?”
As soon as he finished, Mu Xueshi bit his lip tightly, found a stool, and sat down, clutching his pale foot in both hands. Pain showed plainly on his beautiful face.
The Third Prince noticed the change in his expression and felt his heart tighten. His gaze moved involuntarily toward Mu Xueshi’s foot.
The moment Mu Xueshi noticed him looking, he pretended nothing was wrong. After a few disdainful snorts, he turned away and sat with his back to the prince. He had made up his mind: if the Third Prince refused to speak to him, then he would never be the one to start a conversation again.