“The last dish is done!” Mu Xueshi clapped his hands and, surrounded by everyone, slowly walked to the table.
The table was filled with beautifully colored dishes, their aroma irresistible. With Mu Xueshi’s permission, the maids all picked up their chopsticks and eagerly began eating. As they ate, they couldn’t stop praising the food—such delicious dishes, made by someone so stunningly beautiful. To be lucky enough to taste it even once would make dying without regret.
Only Sun Ye remained standing at the doorway, completely unmoved, with no intention of coming over to eat.
Mu Xueshi lifted his head and looked at Sun Ye, revealing a breathtaking smile.
“Why aren’t you coming to eat? If you don’t, the food will get cold. Take a break first before guarding—no one’s coming anyway.”
“Yes, yes, Guard Sun, come eat! It’s unbelievably delicious!” Qingzhu said, even making an exaggerated expression of enjoyment.
Seeing Mu Xueshi’s smile made Sun Ye feel uneasy. He quickly looked away, afraid of falling into his trap. Under normal circumstances, being able to eat something made by Mu Xueshi would be a blessing. But something felt off today—Mu Xueshi had just been insisting on going out, and now he was happily cooking. Clearly, he had some kind of plan.
“Sun Ye, you’re not afraid I put something in the food, are you?” Mu Xueshi suddenly looked at him seriously.
Sun Ye had intended to say yes, but upon seeing the faintly hurt expression in Mu Xueshi’s eyes, the words changed. “No… I’m just not hungry.”
“How could there be anything in it? Young Master Xue is eating with us too,” Qingya said, placing some food into Mu Xueshi’s bowl.
Mu Xueshi indeed sat there eating with great relish. Sun Ye paid special attention—Mu Xueshi ate almost everything that others had picked up. Moreover, whenever Mu Xueshi played tricks in the past, there were always tells. Even if he didn’t say anything, his behavior would reveal it. But now, he seemed completely calm, with no sign of guilt at all.
Sun Ye was almost convinced. Especially since Mu Xueshi would glance at him from time to time, clearly looking somewhat disappointed. Sun Ye took a step forward—then stopped himself. He forced himself to stay composed. The Third Prince’s words echoed repeatedly in his mind: no matter what, always remain cautious—never careless.
Mu Xueshi put down his chopsticks, walked over to Sun Ye, and said gently, “Sun Ye, if you’re not hungry now, when you get hungry later, just go to the kitchen and make some soup. There are still ingredients left—I’ve put them in the bamboo basket. The vegetables are already cut.”
Those words, combined with the sincerity in Mu Xueshi’s clear eyes, made Sun Ye feel a bit guilty. But since he had already said he wasn’t hungry, it would be awkward to suddenly sit down and eat now.
“Oh, and the fire in the stove hasn’t gone out yet. You should go soon—if it dies, you’ll have to start it again, and it’s hard to control the heat.”
After saying that, Mu Xueshi returned to the table, chatting and laughing with everyone as if nothing had happened, completely unconcerned that Sun Ye didn’t trust him.
Not wanting to reject Mu Xueshi’s goodwill again, Sun Ye had no choice but to head to the kitchen. Along the way, he received many resentful and dissatisfied looks from the maids. Sun Ye felt helpless—cold-hearted or not, he had to act this way.
Sun Ye had never cooked before, so when he arrived at the kitchen, he felt lost and didn’t know what to do. Just then, a maid who had finished eating came in to clean up. Seeing Sun Ye standing there blankly, she coldly helped him make a simple pot of soup.
When the small basin of soup was brought out, Sun Ye still used a poison-testing needle to check it. Neither the soup nor the needle showed any change. The only thing that changed was Sun Ye’s expression—he ladled himself a small bowl, his face alternating between pale and dark.
He felt more embarrassed than ever before, sipping the soup in small mouthfuls as if it were plain water. Mu Xueshi even came over to ask if he wanted anything else to eat. Sun Ye shook his head and forced himself to finish the small bowl.
After the meal, everyone returned to their duties. Mu Xueshi said that he might have had a little wine and felt sleepy again, so under Qingya and Qingzhu’s care, he went back to his room to rest.
The others continued with their tasks. About half an hour passed, and everyone appeared normal—no sign of anything unusual.
Sun Ye felt slightly reassured, yet couldn’t relax. It was as if a weight pressed on his chest. The more he thought about Mu Xueshi’s disappointed yet sincere expression earlier, the more suffocating it felt.
Am I really someone who can be so easily swayed by beauty? Sun Ye couldn’t help but ask himself. In the past, he could have hardened his heart—no matter how Mu Xueshi acted, he would remain unmoved. But now, why had he become so hesitant?
Before he could find an answer, drowsiness surged over him. Alarmed, he realized something was wrong—but his limbs were growing weaker. His eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. He struggled briefly, then finally fell asleep.
“Haha… they’re all asleep…”
Mu Xueshi’s big eyes flickered with an unusual brilliance, his lips pressed tightly together—full of self-approval and satisfaction. He hadn’t put anything into the food itself. Instead, he had first applied the substance onto his hands, then touched every single bowl with his hands, leaving only his own untouched. After that, he washed his hands, began cooking, and later ate as if nothing had happened. In this way, even if someone had been cooking alongside him, nothing would seem out of the ordinary. He could also openly eat the dishes that others had picked for him.
Actually, this was a well-intentioned lie. My master told me not to tell others about going to pay respects, so I have my own reasons… Mu Xueshi muttered to himself as he looked at the people lying sprawled across the ground.
Even in his moment of triumph, Mu Xueshi did not forget to remain cautious. He didn’t dare take the risk of revealing his real face. What if there truly was some kind of taboo? Then he wouldn’t even have the chance to guard against danger.
But that mask only existed with the Third Prince…
After thinking for a while, Mu Xueshi rummaged through the room and eventually found the rouge and powder used by Qingya and Qingzhu. He smeared them all over his face until he looked like a stage performer, only then stopping.
Fortunately, recently there had been quite a few performers with exaggerated makeup passing through the courtyard, so Mu Xueshi’s appearance didn’t attract much attention. Seeing people constantly coming and going, he couldn’t suppress his excitement. Since when had this once quiet courtyard become so lively?
“Hey, big brother, why are there so many people in this courtyard now?” Mu Xueshi asked a patrolling guard.
The guard sized him up from head to toe and replied with a hint of disdain, “Aren’t you here to perform at the wedding of the Third Prince and Princess Wenyang?”
“The wedding day? When?” Mu Xueshi grabbed the guard and asked.
“You don’t even know anything—what are you doing here? Go do whatever you’re supposed to do!” the guard snapped.
With that, he shoved Mu Xueshi, causing him to stumble. Mu Xueshi barely managed to steady himself by grabbing onto a nearby tree.
“It should be soon…” Mu Xueshi murmured, looking at the lanterns, colorful banners, and red silk decorations everywhere, all radiating festivity.
“So fast…” Mu Xueshi didn’t even know what he was saying, numbly repeating those words as he walked toward Linhan Palace.
At first, Mu Xueshi thought he had gone the wrong way. Then he remembered that before he was injured, Linhan Palace had indeed been demolished. He hadn’t expected it to be rebuilt so quickly.
Just as he was about to enter, two strong guards stopped him at the gate.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to pay respects to my mother…”
The guard’s expression changed instantly, and he shouted angrily, “Are you out of your mind? This palace was built for the princess’s wedding, and you come here to pay respects to your mother? Get lost!”
With that, the two guards kicked Mu Xueshi away. He fell hard to the ground and slid several meters before stopping. When he lifted his head, he saw the plaque above the gate—it read Wenyang Palace.
Impossible… No matter how much the Third Prince valued this marriage, he wouldn’t have moved his mother’s grave, right? Mu Xueshi forced himself to calm down and think. I’m just here to pay respects. I’m only here to pay respects. Everything else has nothing to do with me…
As he was thinking, Mu Xueshi suddenly spotted a familiar figure. He shouted toward the courtyard, “Qingyun!”
Qingyun was carrying tea into Princess Wenyang’s room. Hearing the shout, she instinctively turned her head toward the entrance.
At that moment, Mu Xueshi was being dragged by two guards, about to be thrown farther away. Afraid Qingyun wouldn’t hear him, he shouted loudly, “It’s me, Mu Xueshi! I’m Young Master Xue! Qingyun! Qingyun—!”
The moment Qingyun heard his voice, the tray in her hands dropped to the ground. The teacups shattered, and the scalding tea spilled out, but she didn’t seem to feel it at all.
Princess Wenyang had been resting. The noise startled her awake, and she cursed angrily. She ordered her attendants to help her put on her shoes—she wanted to see which servant was so reckless.
Realizing the princess was coming out, Qingyun rushed toward the entrance like she had gone mad. By the time she reached the doorway, she was so anxious she could barely speak.
“Xue… quickly… leave… Young Master Xue… go… now…”
Mu Xueshi, however, still wore a cheerful expression and said with a smile, “Qingyun, what’s wrong with you? You don’t have to be this excited just because I came.”
Qingyun suddenly dropped to her knees in front of him, crying as she pleaded, “Young Master Xue, please go… I’m begging you…”
“What’s wrong with you?” Mu Xueshi finally noticed something was off. He crouched down to help her up, but the guards stopped him.
“You two—drag him away, quickly!” Qingyun shouted desperately at the guards when she saw Mu Xueshi still didn’t understand.
“No need.”
Suddenly, a soft and charming voice sounded from behind. Qingyun hadn’t even turned around before her face turned pale and she collapsed to the ground.
Mu Xueshi, on the other hand, showed little reaction. He finally understood why Qingyun had told him to leave—she was afraid Princess Wenyang would make things difficult for him.
He looked directly at Princess Wenyang. She seemed even more enchanting than before—her rosy cheeks looked as if they could be pinched to release water, her eyes shimmering with charm, softness, happiness, and a hint of pride.
“Well, well, who is this?” Princess Wenyang said mockingly. “Could it be that you’ve fallen out of favor and gone mad, even painting your face like this? Hahaha… how ridiculous…”
As she spoke, she covered her mouth and laughed, and the maids around her followed suit with foolish giggles. Only Qingyun lay on the ground, pale-faced, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Mu Xueshi showed no embarrassment at all. After she finished laughing, he said calmly, “Princess, since we’ve at least known each other, could you let me go in for a moment? Once I finish what I need to do, I’ll leave immediately.”
Princess Wenyang’s smile faded, and she looked him up and down with disdain. Noticing the basket in his hand, she sneered, “Oh? Young Master Xue is so considerate! I’m about to marry the Third Prince, and you even thought to bring a wedding gift.”
She deliberately emphasized the words “Third Prince,” clearly intending to provoke him.
Mu Xueshi, however, suppressed a smile and replied, “If you want it, I don’t mind.”
Princess Wenyang snorted and gestured for the guards to snatch the basket and see what was inside. When they opened it, they found incense, candles, some food offerings—and stacks upon stacks of pale funeral paper money…
Futile Devices Scans 
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