Mu Xueshi stood there blankly, staring at the Third Prince, feeling as though the entire day had been a dream. He had gone through too many emotions. In the morning, he thought he and this person would be separated forever, with no ties left between them. By noon, he had desperately wanted to fly back here. And when he finally returned at night and saw the ground covered in corpses, he believed he had truly missed him for good.
Now… what expression should he use to greet this sudden stroke of fortune?
He was safe. And the Third Prince stood before him, unharmed. The misunderstandings between them had been cleared… Mu Xueshi’s mind was in chaos. He couldn’t tell what emotions were stirring within him—there was excitement, fear, gratitude, and even a trace of guilt…
In the Third Prince’s eyes, Mu Xueshi looked like he had just crawled out of the mud. His dark little face was smeared and messy, his bright eyes red from crying. His expression changed again and again—like a clown—yet strangely, he looked especially adorable.
The wound on the Third Prince’s body still throbbed faintly, but it had already healed considerably.
At last, Mu Xueshi slowly walked over to him. His small dark hand grabbed the Third Prince’s arm and squeezed it—it was real. Then he carefully checked him from head to toe. He was indeed unharmed.
Suddenly, loud sobbing filled the room again.
Without caring about appearances, Mu Xueshi wiped his tears as he tugged on the Third Prince’s arm. “My master… he told me… everything… I’m so… so sorry…”
After hearing this, the Third Prince immediately shifted his gaze toward Su Ruhan.
Having been ignored for so long, Su Ruhan finally noticed the Third Prince looking at him. He snorted inwardly, deliberately putting on an indifferent expression, and walked casually out of the cave.
The Third Prince’s feelings were complicated. At first, he felt that being exposed like this hurt his dignity. Then, seeing Mu Xueshi’s state, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. And as he listened to Mu Xueshi’s rambling regret… he suddenly felt that everything had been worth it.
He deliberately brushed away Mu Xueshi’s hand and said coldly, “Do I know you?”
Mu Xueshi froze. His crying stopped instantly. The moment he heard that, his mind immediately jumped to his pitch-black face. Without thinking about the cause, he hurriedly explained, “I’m Mu Xueshi! My face was poisoned—it’s really me! If you don’t believe me, touch it!”
As he spoke, he grabbed the Third Prince’s hand and pressed it to his face.
The Third Prince followed his motion and touched it. The texture was terrible—rough and stiff. He didn’t know whether to be angry or amused. Mu Xueshi’s appearance was somewhat funny, but if Hao Lin hadn’t touched him, how could his face have turned into this?
The Third Prince snorted and pulled his hand back. “Forget it. Would Xueshi look like this?”
“You can’t despise me just because my face is ruined!” Mu Xueshi anxiously searched for proof of his identity. Finally, he rolled up his sleeve and revealed his pale arm. “Look! This is my original skin color!”
His arm and hand were completely different colors—like a fake hand attached to his body, looking extremely strange. The more the Third Prince looked, the more irritated he became. Had they just reunited, and Mu Xueshi was already eager to show off that he had been close to Hao Lin?
“I didn’t lie, right?” Mu Xueshi, thinking the Third Prince had no rebuttal, suddenly smiled brightly after crying.
But the Third Prince remained expressionless and said mockingly, “I remember someone not long ago saying he wanted to attach himself to a ruler. And when his master asked whether he wanted to stay with me, he chose to leave without hesitation. If you were truly Xueshi, would you have done such things?”
Only then did Mu Xueshi understand. So he was holding a grudge. The tension in his heart finally eased. There was even a hint of amusement—who would have thought that even the Third Prince could be this petty?
“I was just confused at the time…” Mu Xueshi chuckled sheepishly.
“But you claimed you had seen through everything. You looked clearer than anyone else,” the Third Prince said, clearly aware of Mu Xueshi’s thoughts.
Knowing he was in the wrong—and that explaining would only make things worse—Mu Xueshi simply gathered his courage and hugged him. “I know I was wrong, alright? We haven’t seen each other for so long—talking about this is too hurtful.”
The Third Prince had only been teasing him. Seeing Mu Xueshi’s playful smile, whatever irritation he had was long gone. He hugged him back, then suddenly lifted him onto his shoulder and carried him toward another cave.
Mu Xueshi wasn’t used to being handled like this and kicked his legs, trying to get down. The Third Prince sat down by the bed and pulled him into his arms.
They hadn’t looked at each other like this for a long time. Mu Xueshi’s heart pounded wildly. Then he suddenly remembered his face and pleaded, “Help me remove the poison.”
“How do you know I was the one who poisoned you?” the Third Prince asked with a faint smile.
Mu Xueshi blushed, stammering, “Because… I’m smart. Just hurry and cure it—don’t you feel uncomfortable looking at me like this?”
The Third Prince didn’t answer. Instead, he looked at him a bit longer and asked, “You’re not originally from this body—what did you look like before?”
This was the first time the Third Prince had asked about his past. Mu Xueshi studied his expression—it seemed calm—so he finally relaxed. Before, he had always believed the Third Prince didn’t truly love him, so he never dared to mention those things. Now that the Third Prince asked on his own, the knot in Mu Xueshi’s heart finally loosened.
“Back then, I looked just like this—it was quite frightening,” Mu Xueshi said, a little embarrassed.
Instead, the Third Prince leaned in and kissed his face, teasing, “Not bad. Then there’s no need to remove the poison.”
A trace of warmth stirred in Mu Xueshi’s heart, but he still pleaded, “It’s better to remove it. I feel awkward like this.”
“And if it’s removed and others see it, what then?”
The Third Prince’s hand moved lightly across Mu Xueshi’s back. The familiar touch gave him a sense of comfort.
“So what if they see it? It’s just a face. Besides, my feelings for you are clear as heaven and earth—no one can shake them.” Mu Xueshi hurried to declare himself, looking quite earnest.
The Third Prince was deeply moved, yet his face remained dismissive. “If no one could shake it, would you have ended up with this poison?”
“It wasn’t my choice—it was him…” Mu Xueshi noticed the Third Prince’s expression darkening and quickly added in a softer voice, “And it was only my face and hands. Nowhere else was touched. My neck was probably just accidentally brushed—after all, it’s so close to my face, it’s impossible not to touch it at all.”
Seeing Mu Xueshi lower his gaze with a slightly aggrieved expression, the Third Prince softened his tone.
“Nowhere else, truly?”
Mu Xueshi shook his head vigorously. “Nowhere.”
The Third Prince narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at him with a dangerous gaze. “And if there was?”
“Then I’ll accept whatever punishment you give.”
Mu Xueshi looked completely confident. Since he rarely exposed it, he had completely forgotten about the handprint on his chest.
The Third Prince drew out a small dagger and made as if to cut his own hand.
Mu Xueshi hurriedly stopped him. Only then did he remember that the antidote required blood. He quickly said, “Don’t cut yourself. Next time you get injured and bleed, you can help me remove the poison then.”
The Third Prince only smiled faintly and said nothing. A flash of the blade passed through the air. Before Mu Xueshi could react, a cool, smooth sensation touched his face. The Third Prince used his injured finger to gently rub the poisoned areas on Mu Xueshi’s face and hands, moving with great care.
Mu Xueshi couldn’t help but feel light and dazed.
Soon, the hardened black layer on his face peeled away, revealing smooth, fair skin beneath. The Third Prince’s hand lingered there—it was soft and silky, like touching fine fabric, making it hard to let go.
Just as the Third Prince was beginning to lose himself in the moment, Mu Xueshi suddenly asked, “Did the Emperor make things difficult for you? And those people outside—are they all here to hunt you down? Are you hurt? I saw your sword fall to the ground…”
A hint of irritation flashed across the Third Prince’s face as he reminded him, “Right now, I don’t want to talk about that. And you’d better not ask about it for the time being.”
“Why can’t I ask? I can help you think of a solution too—otherwise, am I supposed to just rely on your protection to stay alive… mm…”
Before Mu Xueshi could finish speaking, the Third Prince sealed his lips.
Who, seeing such a beautiful face, would have the patience to listen to endless chatter? After so long apart, the Third Prince felt an overwhelming urge to pull him close and keep him there. All the suffering he had endured before seemed insignificant now. As long as Mu Xueshi could remain safe by his side, nothing else mattered.
Feeling the Third Prince’s lips, Mu Xueshi slowly closed his eyes and responded, their lips meeting and lingering. The Third Prince gently held his upper lip, savoring it before moving to the lower one, reluctant to part. His eyes opened slightly, watching Mu Xueshi before him.
Mu Xueshi’s long lashes rested softly against his cheeks, still damp with tears. His straight nose brushed against the Third Prince’s, their breaths warm and enticing. That small mouth—now being claimed—had turned a vivid red, yet still clumsily tried to respond.
The Third Prince’s breathing gradually deepened. His hand on Mu Xueshi’s back slowly moved forward, while his lips left Mu Xueshi’s mouth and began to trail downward.
Futile Devices Scans 
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