A door was suddenly kicked open. Mu Xueshi looked up on reflex and met the Third Prince’s bloodthirsty gaze. He could not remember the last time he had seen the prince wear such an expression. Ever since they had grown close, the Third Prince had stopped looking at him that way.
The moment Imperial Physician Li saw the Third Prince standing in the doorway with an icy expression, he dropped to his knees. His whole body stiffened. His lips opened and closed without producing a word, and he simply knocked his forehead heavily against the floor without lifting it again.
Mu Xueshi became frightened for no reason he could explain. He did not know why he was afraid or what he had done wrong. He only felt that the Third Prince’s expression made him want to find a box, crawl inside it, lock it with a key, and put himself somewhere the prince could not see.
The Third Prince did not spare Imperial Physician Li a glance. He walked straight over, threw Mu Xueshi over his shoulder, and carried him toward the bedchamber. Mu Xueshi hung there like a dead fish, too afraid to move, only whispering repeatedly into the prince’s ear, “Xi, what’s wrong with you…?”
The Third Prince tossed him onto the bed. Mu Xueshi cried out and turned to look at him pitifully. The prince’s eyes were full of anger, and the instant Mu Xueshi met them, he quickly turned his head away.
The Third Prince first smacked Mu Xueshi’s backside more than ten times. He did not even use a tenth of his strength, yet Mu Xueshi still cried and howled as though the world were ending.
Even afterward, the Third Prince did not seem satisfied. He yanked down Mu Xueshi’s trousers, exposing his bare backside.
Mu Xueshi paled with alarm and begged, “Don’t hit me anymore! If you keep hitting me, I won’t be able to get up. How am I supposed to wait for the Yinglan flower tonight? Do it tomorrow, all right? Please… whatever I did wrong, however you want to punish me, wait until morning. Don’t let my mistake delay the treatment for your Gu poison… please, Xi…”
In his panic, Mu Xueshi hurriedly pulled his trousers back on and actually knelt before the Third Prince. He could not remember the last time he had knelt to him. This time he was genuinely afraid, afraid the prince would have to suffer for another month. Mu Xueshi had experienced that agony himself and knew how unbearable it was. Even though the Third Prince had shown no discomfort this month, Mu Xueshi assumed he was simply enduring it without letting anyone see.
What frightened Mu Xueshi even more was the thought that next month he might no longer be here to see the Third Prince recover.
The Third Prince looked expressionlessly at Mu Xueshi’s reddened eyes and realized most of his anger had already faded. Mu Xueshi kept pleading and even promised that if the prince gave him just one night’s grace, he would obey him at any time afterward.
The Third Prince temporarily abandoned the idea of punishing him. Since Mu Xueshi insisted on doing this for him, he would not refuse. Besides, only after Mu Xueshi had truly put this matter to rest would any lesson the prince gave him have an effect.
Holding a bottle of medicinal ointment, the Third Prince told Mu Xueshi to lie down properly. Mu Xueshi immediately waved his hands in panic. “No need, no need. It was only a few slaps. I’m fine, hehe…”
The Third Prince looked at him with a faint, knowing smile. “You know perfectly well that the place I’m applying medicine is not where I struck you.”
Mu Xueshi stared at him in shock. Once the Third Prince’s gaze confirmed what he meant, Mu Xueshi fell into complete despair. The thing he feared most was the prince learning about this humiliating little problem. He could have endured a stranger knowing and looking at him strangely, but why did it have to be the one person he cared about?
Mu Xueshi assumed the secret had been exposed while he was arguing with Imperial Physician Li and the Third Prince happened to be outside. The prince must have overheard everything and become angry because Mu Xueshi had hidden it from him.
*And Imperial Physician Li is unbelievable,* Mu Xueshi complained inwardly. *If he had just agreed quickly, the Third Prince would never have found out. He’s even more prudish than the Third Prince. What kind of doctor acts like that?* While he was thinking, a cool sensation spread behind him. Mu Xueshi let out a comfortable sound and silently marveled at how effective the medicine was.
Mu Xueshi tried to act natural, but his face still burned red. He did not dare look back at the Third Prince. When the prince’s fingers moved inside to apply the medicine more thoroughly, Mu Xueshi endured the discomfort without complaint. The thought that a prince of imperial blood would personally do something so humble for him moved Mu Xueshi until tears filled his eyes, and he secretly resolved to repay him properly someday.
Mu Xueshi found himself a light outer garment, draped it over his shoulders, and headed toward the grass in the courtyard. He would have to stay awake all night and absolutely could not fall asleep. Remembering the old saying about suspending one’s hair and pricking one’s thigh to stay awake while studying, he even borrowed an embroidery needle from the sewing room. It was thin, but more than enough to jab himself awake.
Sun Ye stood watch not far away. Unlike the imperial guards who remained rigidly upright, Sun Ye wandered around the courtyard with an almost leisurely air. Mu Xueshi remembered that Su Ruhan had once been responsible for the same duty, though Su Ruhan belonged to the mysterious type: Mu Xueshi rarely saw him, yet the moment anything happened in the courtyard, Su Ruhan was always the first to appear.
Mu Xueshi smiled and greeted Sun Ye. Sun Ye returned the salute, then stood solemnly a short distance away.