Outside the interrogation chamber, a sedan chair waited at the entrance. Mu Xueshi, the Third Prince, and Su Ruhan all stopped.
Mu Xueshi knew the Third Prince would take the sedan chair, so he naturally let go of the hand the prince had been holding and moved to Su Ruhan’s side, planning to return with him.
The Third Prince stopped walking. Mu Xueshi and Su Ruhan stopped as well. The prince turned his head and stared directly at Mu Xueshi for a long time without saying a word.
In the end, Mu Xueshi was the first to break the awkward silence. He laughed twice and said, “Thank you…”
The Third Prince’s chest tightened. Something about that “thank you” sounded wrong. Then he saw Mu Xueshi standing close to Su Ruhan and remembered things he had seen and heard over the past few days. A nameless fire slowly rose inside him.
“Get in the sedan,” the Third Prince ordered.
Mu Xueshi’s bright eyes flickered. Pretending to be relaxed, he said, “Thank you, Your Highness, but you don’t need to take care of me. I’m only a commoner. How could I share a sedan with the Third Prince? I’ll just walk back with my master…”
The Third Prince’s face darkened by the second. Su Ruhan tactfully left first. By the time Mu Xueshi looked around for him, he had vanished without a trace.
“What kind of friend does that…” Mu Xueshi muttered.
The Third Prince saw his displeasure and his expression grew even colder. When Mu Xueshi still showed no sign of entering the sedan, he said, “You may walk behind if you like, but you will still return to Qinyi Courtyard in the end.”
“Then I might as well ride. No point wasting a free seat… hehe…” Mu Xueshi quickly climbed inside.
The instant his backside touched the cushion, Mu Xueshi sprang up as though shocked, making the entire sedan sway. Eight servants were already struggling to carry two people, and Mu Xueshi’s sudden movement made their faces turn red with effort.
Seeing the Third Prince staring at him, Mu Xueshi became deeply embarrassed. To steady the sedan, he forced himself to sit again despite the pain. Before he could fully touch the cushion, the Third Prince lifted him sideways into his arms. Their chests pressed together, one arm wrapped around Mu Xueshi, his legs resting across the prince’s. His backside remained suspended, sparing him the pain of sitting.
Mu Xueshi lightly pushed at the prince’s arm, rolled his large eyes around, and said, “This doesn’t seem very proper. Being held like this feels awkward…”
The Third Prince ignored the complaint and gently stroked the injured area. “Does it hurt?”
A wave of grievance rose in Mu Xueshi. The Third Prince outside the window yesterday must have been real. He must have seen Su Ruhan beat him. Mu Xueshi had called and called, yet the prince ignored him. It had been like that for three days. Only after Mu Xueshi had almost given up did he finally show concern.
“Doesn’t hurt. My skin is thick!” Mu Xueshi said bitterly.
The lines of the Third Prince’s face softened, losing the chill from the hall. He deliberately pinched a sore spot, making Mu Xueshi cry out.
“Why did you pinch me? Aren’t I injured enough already?” Mu Xueshi demanded through gritted teeth.
The Third Prince rubbed the area gently and said almost teasingly, “You said it didn’t hurt.”
Mu Xueshi closed his eyes and grumbled, “Compared with what you did to me, this pain is nothing.”
The Third Prince knew exactly what he meant. Mu Xueshi was still resentful over the punishment. Thinking about it made the prince’s expression shift again, and his tone hardened. “You made a mistake. Should you not have been punished?”
Mu Xueshi’s face collapsed. Putting on a deliberately self-pitying expression, he said, “Of course. It was all my fault. I brought it on myself. You’re the Third Prince. Being beaten or scolded by you is an honor…”
Seeing the person he had thought about day and night now safe and whole in his arms finally loosened the tension in the Third Prince’s heart. Mu Xueshi had probably been exhausted by the past few days. He kept talking until his cheeks puffed slightly and then simply fell asleep. His face was still swollen from the slaps, his eyes red and puffy, making him look even more pitiful.
When they returned to the bedchamber, the Third Prince had barely placed Mu Xueshi on the bed when Mu Xueshi’s eyes flew open. He looked around in alarm and said, “I want to go back to Linhan Palace.”
“Why?” Danger entered the Third Prince’s eyes.
Mu Xueshi glanced at him several times and answered carefully, “Because I promised my master we would wander the jianghu together. We’re both people you drove away. We’re on the same side.”
“Delusion.” Without giving Mu Xueshi any room to argue, the Third Prince picked him up and carried him toward Lingzi Lake.
Mu Xueshi struggled and recklessly protested, “A person can’t break his word. Put me down. I want to find my master…”
The Third Prince suddenly stopped and stared motionlessly at Mu Xueshi’s face.
Mu Xueshi immediately became nervous. Suddenly he no longer wanted the Third Prince to let go, nor did he want to hear him agree. The conflicting feelings left his heart hanging in the air.
“Why do you want to leave me?” the Third Prince asked quietly.
Mu Xueshi answered without thinking, “I don’t want to leave you. I’m only afraid you’ll throw me out again…”
Only then did the Third Prince’s expression ease. He resumed walking and said calmly, “I will not drive you away.”
Mu Xueshi felt as though his heart were being kneaded in someone’s hands, comforted one moment and aching the next. Looking at the Third Prince’s face so close to his own, he said, “Actually, I have a small secret to tell you. You can decide whether I stay after you hear it.”
A faint smile appeared on the Third Prince’s lips, as though he did not care about Mu Xueshi’s “small secret” at all. The prince had always thought the things Mu Xueshi worried about were trivial, while the matters he tried so hard to hide were often things the prince already understood.
Mist drifted above the clear water of Lingzi Lake, where five-colored vines swayed beneath the surface. Mu Xueshi had not felt this comfortable in a long time. He had spent days in a damp room, sleeping under musty quilts and eating coarse grain and vegetables, and had almost forgotten what luxury felt like.
“I’m hungry. When we go back, I want a feast. Lots and lots of little pastries. I’m going to eat as much as I can over the next few days…”
“And I’m going to bed early. I want to sleep properly, on the most comfortable bed…”
Leaning against the Third Prince, Mu Xueshi rambled while scooping warm lake water over his body and hair.
“Why do you need to eat as much as possible over the next few days? What are you planning to do?” The Third Prince thought Mu Xueshi was still thinking about Su Ruhan, and his grip on Mu Xueshi’s arm tightened.
Mu Xueshi sighed and looked back at the Third Prince. The courage he had just gathered disappeared again.
“Nothing. I’m not going anywhere. I just… ai… Xi, don’t make my master live in that broken-down room anymore. It’s dirty and it stinks. My master is so capable. Why did you demote him?”
The Third Prince slowly washed away the thin disguise from Mu Xueshi’s face, revealing the breathtaking features beneath. He had seen that face countless times, yet this time something about it affected him differently.
Mu Xueshi’s cheeks were still slightly swollen from the beating, but the steam had colored them pink, giving him a delicate charm. The Third Prince leaned closer, intending to kiss those appealing lips.
“Wait!” Mu Xueshi suddenly placed two long fingers against the Third Prince’s mouth.
The Third Prince raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased. Mu Xueshi said stubbornly, “Promise me you’ll give my master somewhere better to live.”
“Su Ruhan does not normally live in Linhan Palace. He wanders wherever he pleases and naturally has his own place. He only stayed there these few days because I asked him to watch over you.”
Mu Xueshi still looked confused. Ignoring the fingers blocking him, the Third Prince kissed him anyway, while the hands hidden beneath the water became increasingly intimate.
“I do not like hearing you mention another man in front of me,” the Third Prince whispered against Mu Xueshi’s ear as he kissed the soft earlobe.
Mu Xueshi’s breathing immediately quickened. Dodging the prince’s hands, he panted, “He… is only… my master…”
Seeing Mu Xueshi’s flustered expression only made the Third Prince more affectionate. He kissed Mu Xueshi’s face gently, took out a bottle of medicine, and carefully applied it for him.
Mu Xueshi enjoyed the attentive treatment. He narrowed his eyes, yawned, and looked as lazy as a cat.
Then the Third Prince’s expression slowly changed. Spots began appearing across Mu Xueshi’s flawless face. Tiny red marks formed, darkened toward purple, and started spreading.
Poison.
The Third Prince’s heart jolted, and even his hands began to tremble. Mu Xueshi sensed something strange as well. His face itched terribly, and he instinctively scratched at it.
The discomfort grew worse. Mu Xueshi quickly opened his eyes and looked down at his reflection in the lake, only to discover that his entire face had swollen badly. He knew scratching could leave scars, but the itching was so intense that he could not control his hands.
The places he scratched quickly began oozing pale fluid, making his face look frightening. The Third Prince immediately caught his hands, but Mu Xueshi struggled almost wildly against the unbearable itch.
The Third Prince hurriedly grabbed several reeds from the shore. The reeds that grew beside the sacred water of Lingzi Lake were medicinal and could counter poisons. He crushed them and spread the paste over Mu Xueshi’s face, gradually easing the itching.
“What happened? Am I allergic to something? Or was I hit too badly?” Mu Xueshi muttered.
Whatever the cause, the damage to his face was now real. Seeing the Third Prince’s expression change so abruptly, Mu Xueshi felt a chill spread through him. The prince’s reaction was obvious enough: he cared deeply about Mu Xueshi’s appearance. If even a damaged face was unbearable to him, how could he ever accept the truly ugly face Mu Xueshi had once possessed?