Futile Devices Scans

Su Ruhan (was the first to react. He stepped forward and bowed toward the Third Prince. “Your Highness.”

The Third Prince did not look at Su Ruhan; his gaze swept straight toward Mu Xueshi.

Mu Xueshi’s wide, round eyes darted around the room, scanning everything he could possibly look at. Only when there was nothing left to look at did he reluctantly return his gaze to the Third Prince. Like Su Ruhan, he stepped forward and bowed, greeting, “Your Highness.” Even the angle of his bow matched Su Ruhan’s exactly.

The room fell silent, leaving only the steady sound of the Third Prince’s breathing. Every other noise seemed to retreat in fear. Qingya and Qingzhu stood behind him. The Third Prince, having walked out of the kitchen, now stood in the center of the hall, expressionless—yet more terrifying than any expression.

“My personal guard…” the Third Prince suddenly spoke, his gaze shifting to Su Ruhan, “…has taken such meticulous care in protecting someone else.”

Su Ruhan’s eyes steadied. Though his face showed guilt, there was a trace of amusement in his heart. This wasn’t the first time. The Third Prince would inevitably settle accounts with him later—one offense or five made little difference.

“Your Highness, please don’t be angry,” Mu Xueshi suddenly said.

The moment Mu Xueshi spoke, every gaze in the room turned sharply toward him. Facing the Third Prince alone was already nerve-wracking—now, with so many eyes on him, Mu Xueshi felt like a clown pushed onto a stage, awkwardly scrambling through his lines.

“I asked my master to take me there. I can’t go anywhere by myself. I… I’m willing to bear the punishment in his place.”

The Third Prince stepped forward, forcefully lifting Mu Xueshi’s chin, and said mockingly, “You think you’re capable of taking his punishment?”

This time, Mu Xueshi did not avoid his gaze. His beautiful eyes met the Third Prince’s calmly.

“I never thought that. In front of Your Highness, I know exactly what I’m worth.”

Hearing this, the Third Prince felt as if he had been forced to swallow several sour plums—bitterness and sharpness lingering in his chest, impossible to spit out.

Whom had he ever valued more than Mu Xueshi? Yet that one contradictory sentence had been etched deeply into Mu Xueshi’s heart. When Mu Xueshi looked at others, he saw only their goodness. When he looked at himself, he remembered only his own coldness. The Third Prince had poured all his effort into him—yet when Mu Xueshi cooked for the first time, he had forgotten him entirely.

And still, this sourness remained—something the Third Prince both wanted Mu Xueshi to understand and not understand. He wanted him to see his sincerity, yet also wanted to neglect him, trample him—leave him with nothing but pain.

The Third Prince slowly walked to the doorway of Mu Xueshi’s sleeping chamber and said, “Come in.”

Mu Xueshi’s eyes instinctively turned toward Su Ruhan, filled with urgency and fear—like a silent plea, hoping Su Ruhan would tell him what to say and what not to say.

But Su Ruhan showed no intention of helping. Seeing Mu Xueshi’s helplessness, he remained completely indifferent. At this point, if Mu Xueshi still relied on him, then his path with the Third Prince would never reach its end.

Mu Xueshi let out a heavy breath, silently complaining that Su Ruhan was abandoning him. Just moments ago he had spoken up for him—and now he wouldn’t even give him a hint.

As the Third Prince watched Mu Xueshi, the latter walked inside resentfully, muttering under his breath, his expression clearly that of someone cursing.

The Third Prince’s gaze fell on Mu Xueshi’s forehead. A strip of white medicinal cloth was wrapped around it—dull in color, rough in texture, clearly an old, discarded piece from the courtyard. The medicine beneath it likely wasn’t anything valuable either. Thinking of the bloodstain on the wall earlier, his expression darkened further.

“How did you injure your forehead?” the Third Prince asked.

Mu Xueshi instinctively touched it and answered honestly, “I hit it.”

“Why did you hit the wall?” the Third Prince continued.

Of course, Mu Xueshi couldn’t say that he had been in despair and wanted to make himself foolish, so he casually made something up. “Just playing around… I accidentally hit it.”

“Playing? By yourself?”

Even Mu Xueshi felt that sounded foolish. After a moment’s thought, he added, “No… I was playing with my master.”

The Third Prince suddenly grabbed Mu Xueshi and pulled him onto his lap, his fierce eyes seeming ready to devour him.

“You were playing with him… on the bed?”

On the bed… Mu Xueshi’s mind spun. He glanced around—and froze. He had forgotten that he had hit his head on the wall right next to the bed. Now, even if he jumped into the Yellow River, he wouldn’t be able to clear himself.

The Third Prince could see through anyone’s thoughts, uncover any lie—yet when it came to Mu Xueshi, he lost all reason. Hearing that he had been “playing” with Su Ruhan, a surge of anger overwhelmed him. After hearing Qingyun’s report, he had even felt worry and pain. Yet upon returning, he found him “playing” on the bed with Su Ruhan?

Then again… what was so unreasonable about that? Just moments ago, he had seen them chatting and laughing together. If Mu Xueshi had truly been hurt by being called worthless, would he still have the mood to cook and entertain others?

“It seems… I’ve been too lenient with you.” The Third Prince’s face darkened. With one arm, he hoisted Mu Xueshi up, carried him to the bed, and threw him onto it.

Seeing the Third Prince’s anger, Mu Xueshi felt an unexpected hint of happiness. Thinking back to what Su Ruhan had said earlier, he even wondered if the Third Prince might be jealous. Completely ignoring the latter’s words, he rolled slightly on the bed after being thrown down, then lay still, breathing lightly, his clear eyes fixed on him.

The Third Prince was utterly enraged by Mu Xueshi’s calm, unbothered expression. Before he could even explode, Mu Xueshi suddenly asked, “Why is Your Highness angry?”

“Your Highness… Your Highness…” The Third Prince nearly wanted to tear him apart. Why did such a respectful form of address sound so hurtful coming from Mu Xueshi?

“I’m angry?” The Third Prince let out a cold laugh and slowly leaned over him.

“I’m angry… only because this body does not belong to you—what right do you have to harm it at will?”

Mu Xueshi’s heart instantly felt as though it had fallen into an icy abyss. In that moment, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall a single word Su Ruhan had said.

Seeing the hurt expression on his face, the Third Prince felt both pain and a strange sense of satisfaction. If the only way to see Mu Xueshi value him was through that wounded expression, then he would endlessly pursue that kind of sensation.

“I’m sorry…” Mu Xueshi turned his head away, unable to say another word.

The Third Prince grabbed his head again, a dark, cruel glint flashing in his bloodthirsty eyes.

“Tell me—if your master were to see with his own eyes how your body is being toyed with by me, wouldn’t that be interesting?”

“No!” Mu Xueshi shouted, panic written all over his face. “I lied just now—I didn’t hit myself because I was playing with him. I wanted to make myself stupid, so I wouldn’t know anything…”

“In front of me, you’d better not repeat yourself.”

“You can’t… you can’t let my master see… please… Your Highness, please…” With no other choice, Mu Xueshi burst into tears, reaching out blindly as if to cover the Third Prince’s mouth.

A sharp pain pierced the Third Prince’s heart. He tightened his grip around Mu Xueshi’s throat and demanded, “You care that much about what he thinks of you?”

“Yes…” Mu Xueshi cried.

The Third Prince’s grip tightened, the fury in his eyes almost enough to set the room ablaze.

“I really want to kill you right now!”

Mu Xueshi’s face flushed red from the pressure, yet his eyes remained fixed on the Third Prince as he forced out broken words, “Then… do it… Let me die… it’s better… than having to watch… you and Princess Wenyang… get married… thank… you…”

The Third Prince released him at once, staring intently. “Say that again.”

Gasping for air, Mu Xueshi wiped his eyes and said, “I can say it again—but you have to take back what you just demanded.”

“Heh…” The Third Prince let out a low laugh. “No one has ever dared to bargain with me.”

He sat upright, then in front of Mu Xueshi, forcefully pulled him closer, pressing him down and issuing a cold command.

“Do as I say.”

Mu Xueshi resisted, shaking his head repeatedly. His smooth cheek brushed against the Third Prince, causing the tension between them to intensify.

“Please me.”

At that moment, Mu Xueshi felt degraded, like nothing more than an object. Tears fell uncontrollably as he couldn’t understand why the Third Prince was being so cruel. Yet compared to letting Su Ruhan witness everything, obeying the Third Prince’s command seemed the lesser humiliation.

His lips trembled before he finally complied, closing his eyes as he followed the command.

The Third Prince felt a wave of sensation he had never experienced before. Mu Xueshi’s humiliation and unwillingness only heightened it further. Heat surged through him as he lost control, his actions growing rough and forceful.

Mu Xueshi struggled under the intensity, tears streaming down as discomfort and distress overwhelmed him. His muffled sounds filled the room, his expression one of undeniable pain.

“Use your tongue,” the Third Prince ordered coldly.

Mu Xueshi obeyed, his movements mechanical and strained. The atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive, the imbalance of power stark and suffocating.

“Swallow it,” the Third Prince said without mercy.

Before, in their intimacy, the Third Prince had also treated Mu Xueshi with tenderness. But now, everything was different—his expression was cold, commanding, distant. Each movement Mu Xueshi made felt like forced submission.

“Do you want to swallow it in front of your master?” the Third Prince asked icily.

Hearing this, Mu Xueshi quickly obeyed, his chest heaving violently, his face drained of all color.

Yet even after venting his anger, the Third Prince felt no satisfaction—no relief. Instead, the fury building in his chest only grew heavier and more suffocating.

Previous

Main

Next