Li Qian picked up one of the small bottles. Without opening the stopper, he merely lifted it beneath his nose and inhaled lightly.
“A mixture of Zhiluo flower pollen and the scent of earth,” he said calmly.
Mu Xueshi burst into laughter and clapped his hands.
“You guessed right! But do you know where it came from? I dug that dirt out of the soles of my own shoes!”
Seeing Mu Xueshi’s triumphant grin, Li Qian couldn’t help but smile helplessly.
In a gentle tone he replied,
“I already knew it was dirt scraped from the soles of your shoes—and dirt that has been there for roughly fifteen days.”
This time it was Mu Xueshi’s turn to look embarrassed.
He had been certain his prank would make Li Qian lose face. Truthfully, he had only wanted to see Li Qian blush.
But Li Qian had known all along. That must have been why he hadn’t opened the bottle.
“Hmph…”
Mu Xueshi curled his lip and deliberately challenged him.
“If your nose is so sharp, then tell me where this pollen was picked up.”
Li Qian answered without hesitation.
“This soil was collected when Young Master Xue visited Taixin Garden to admire the blossoms—on the night of the eighth day of the third month, during the hour of Xu.”
Mu Xueshi’s eyes widened in astonishment.
He immediately circled Li Qian several times, staring as if he had discovered some hidden master. Then he raised his thumb in admiration.
“I didn’t realize we had such an expert here!”
Seeing Mu Xueshi’s lively, adorable expression, Li Qian explained with a faint smile.
“Within ten li of here, only Taixin Garden grows this particular flower. And the Zhiluo flower blooms only at the hour of Xu on the eighth day of the third month.
“For someone who loves flowers as much as Young Master Xue does, surely such a small matter would not truly require testing me.
“You were merely teasing me, were you not?”
“Don’t say another word.”
Mu Xueshi’s expression suddenly changed.
He seized Li Qian’s sleeve, stopping him mid-sentence.
Seeing the shift in his face, Li Qian immediately fell silent. His playful tone vanished, replaced with quiet concern as he watched Mu Xueshi carefully.
Mu Xueshi muttered to himself under his breath.
“I should have realized earlier…”
“Yinglan flower… Zhiluo flower…”
“It’s the same principle. They both bloom only at specific times. The difference is that Zhiluo flowers require even stricter conditions of time and place.”
He suddenly raised his head.
“How far is Taixin Garden from the Grand Tutor’s mansion?”
Li Qian thought for a moment.
“On horseback, it would take less than the time needed to drink a cup of tea.”
“And on foot?”
“On foot… roughly one hour.”
The moment Li Qian finished speaking, Mu Xueshi slowly sank down onto the stool.
His expression became strangely complicated.
He did not know whether he should laugh—or cry.
So it had been this simple.
All this time, he could have solved everything simply by bringing this small bottle back as evidence.
After days upon days of searching, the truth came down to nothing more than the dirt on a pair of shoes—and with it, his name could finally be cleared.
But once his innocence was proven…
What would he do next?
Continue investigating the case?
Most likely that would no longer be necessary. Since he was not the culprit, there was little reason for him to keep exhausting himself over it.
Though he wished to uncover the real murderer and free the Third Prince from the knot in his heart…
Mu Xueshi knew he had something even more important to do.
Should he finally tell the Third Prince the truth about his real identity?
Ask him to help recover the silver coin that could return him to his own world?
No.
The moment that thought surfaced, Mu Xueshi felt a chill run through his entire body.
He was not afraid the Third Prince would refuse to let him return.
What he feared most…
was that the moment the prince heard the truth—
he would immediately cast him out.
And from that moment onward, they would become strangers who would never meet again.
Seeing Mu Xueshi’s strange reaction, Li Qian understood that he must have discovered something extremely important.
Not wanting to interrupt his thoughts, Li Qian quietly closed the door and stepped outside, leaving Mu Xueshi alone in the room.
Mu Xueshi stared at the small bottle on the table.
Yet his eyes seemed to see nothing at all.
Suddenly—
A heavy blow struck the back of his head.
His vision went dark, and he collapsed forward onto the table.
Through the haze of fading consciousness, Mu Xueshi vaguely saw a dark figure slip into the room.
The shadow fumbled around his face for a moment, tapping and touching him briefly before swiftly disappearing out the window.
“So hot…”
Mu Xueshi murmured faintly.
A fierce wave of heat surged upward from his lower abdomen, spreading through his body as if he were burning from within.
Staggering unsteadily, he stumbled to the table and seized a silver kettle. Without hesitation he poured the water down over himself.
But the water inside was warm—utterly useless against the raging heat inside him.
His eyes reddened with urgency as he searched frantically for another source of water.
At that moment—
someone entered the room.
The one thing Mu Xueshi feared most right now was a woman appearing before him—especially a beautiful one.
The moment he saw the alluring smile at the corner of her lips, he felt as though he were seeing the Third Prince’s cold, mocking smile instead.
When he had first come to this place, he had never intended anything improper. At most he had planned to drink some wine and listen to music.
But if something improper were to happen now…
Mu Xueshi did not know what kind of expression would greet him when he returned.
The woman approached him slowly.
Mu Xueshi retreated step by step, waving his hand weakly to signal that he did not need such service.
But the woman behaved as though she had heard nothing.
With graceful, seductive steps she walked directly toward him and pushed him down onto the bed.
Her voice was soft and enticing.
“Young master… allow this humble girl to serve you well.”
Futile Devices Scans 
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