When Mu Xueshi saw the Third Prince leave in such a hurry, his heart sank. Two possibilities surfaced in his mind. One was that the Third Prince had stormed off because of him. The other was that something unusual had happened outside, and the Third Prince had gone to investigate.
No matter which possibility it was, Mu Xueshi could not feel at ease. So without even putting on his outer robe, he walked outside barefoot. Before he reached the doorway, he saw someone standing there.
Mu Xueshi pursed his lips and drooped his head as he walked back toward the stone bed. Yet the moment he sat down, he sprang back up again because he realized the person had not walked toward him.
The instant the Third Prince had rushed out earlier, Mu Xueshi realized he had gone a little too far with his words. Now that the man had returned, the anxious heart hanging in his chest finally settled down, and most of his anger disappeared with the fright he had just experienced.
Seeing that the Third Prince was unwilling to come over, Mu Xueshi knew he was trying to save face, so he awkwardly walked toward him himself.
After reaching him, Mu Xueshi grabbed his hand and grumbled while tugging him toward the stone bed. Yet before he could even pull him a step, Mu Xueshi suddenly realized the hand did not feel like the Third Prince’s.
“You’re not the Third Prince?” Mu Xueshi blurted out loudly.
The man said nothing and merely looked at Mu Xueshi with a smile on his face.
Mu Xueshi stood on tiptoe and widened his eyes to stare at him closely. Their faces were less than half a foot apart, their noses almost touching.
“Has Young Master Xue already forgotten this emperor?”
The familiar voice rang out, and Mu Xueshi felt as though he had heard it beside his ear only yesterday. His feet abruptly slammed back onto the ground, and he nearly lost his balance.
“Ah!!—”
Mu Xueshi’s scream was muffled by Hao Lin’s large hand. Hao Lin curved his lips into a smile and, without giving Mu Xueshi any chance to resist, scooped him into his arms and carried him toward the stone bed.
Mu Xueshi struggled nonstop in Hao Lin’s embrace. His body was already feverish, and now it felt even hotter.
“You’re still just as naughty.” Hao Lin lowered his head slightly and moved to kiss Mu Xueshi’s smooth cheek.
Yet just as Hao Lin lowered his head, Mu Xueshi suddenly rammed his own head upward. Since his limbs were too weak to fight properly, he could only use his head to smash into Hao Lin. The impact was so forceful that a loud bang echoed out. For several seconds afterward, Mu Xueshi saw stars filling his vision.
Even Hao Lin felt some pain, though to him it was no more than a scratch. Mu Xueshi, however, was completely different. After colliding with Hao Lin like that, a huge bump immediately swelled up on his forehead.
“Where’s the Third Prince? What did you do to him?” Mu Xueshi grabbed Hao Lin’s collar tightly.
Only then did Hao Lin properly admire the face that had haunted his dreams. Back then, he had only managed to look at it for less than half a day before the Third Prince’s poison had deprived him of the right to keep admiring it. Yet even that brief half day had left Hao Lin unable to forget the face for days afterward. Every night when he closed his eyes, this face would flash before him.
And the most tormenting part was that he could never clearly recall what the person looked like. No matter how hard he tried, something always felt missing. It was as if every time he saw this face, it felt like the very first time again. Such breathtaking beauty could never remain perfectly preserved in the memory of those who had seen it.
“You truly made this emperor miss you terribly, little thing.” Hao Lin lovingly pinched Mu Xueshi’s cheek.
Mu Xueshi’s eyes widened abruptly, for Hao Lin’s hand had already slipped inside his robe. Yet Mu Xueshi only repeated one question: “Where did the Third Prince go?”
Hao Lin pressed down Mu Xueshi’s upper body firmly while his agile fingertips teased between Mu Xueshi’s legs. In a gentle tone, he said, “Relax. Your Third Prince is perfectly safe, and he’ll be back soon.”
Goosebumps instantly spread across Mu Xueshi’s body. His long slender legs kicked about wildly instead, accidentally exposing the scenery hidden beneath.
“This emperor has always been someone who finishes what he starts. The things we failed to finish in the imperial palace last time have become a lingering obsession for me during this period. If I do not rid myself of this obsession, I cannot sleep peacefully at night…” Hao Lin’s gaze remained fixed between Mu Xueshi’s legs.
Mu Xueshi wore only a thin under-robe. He originally had white inner shorts beneath, but Mu Xueshi had cut them into what he called boxer shorts. The moment his legs parted slightly, everything underneath was exposed in full view.
“I’ll give you some sleeping powder. Next time you can’t sleep, just take medicine instead.” While speaking, Mu Xueshi seized the moment Hao Lin was distracted and viciously chopped at the back of Hao Lin’s neck with his palm.
The instant his hand struck, it recoiled as though shocked by electricity and continued trembling uncontrollably afterward. Mu Xueshi sucked in breaths through clenched teeth while muttering, “What kind of neck is this made of…”
Hao Lin laughed softly. As he gently rubbed Mu Xueshi’s hand, he said tenderly, “How could sleeping powder ever compare to Young Master Xue?”
Mu Xueshi noticed Hao Lin’s gaze remained fixed between his legs, so he instinctively clamped them shut. Yet this movement only intensified Hao Lin’s desire. Without allowing resistance, Hao Lin forced Mu Xueshi’s legs apart again, his burning gaze sweeping wantonly over him.
The skin exposed beneath the loose pant legs was so smooth and delicate it resembled cream. Just looking at it made one’s heart soften. As for the scenery hidden deeper within the shorts, half-concealed and half-revealed, shy and enticing, it left Hao Lin holding his breath.
With someone this beautiful, what kind of frenzy would that hidden place of his inspire…
Feeling his shorts being tugged slightly, Mu Xueshi immediately cried out again. This time he was not calling for the Third Prince, but for his master. At a moment like this, he wondered whether the stone bed’s sound-transmitting property could still be of any use.
Sparse strands of hair had already become visible below. Mu Xueshi tried pulling his shorts back up with his hands, but it was useless. Hao Lin tugged at the fabric a few more times and said in a seductive tone, “So smooth…”
Mu Xueshi flew into a rage from embarrassment and struggled with all the strength he could muster. Suddenly, with a ripping sound, his shorts were torn apart by his own frantic movements.
Hao Lin curled his lips into a smile. Yet before the smile could fully spread, it froze upon his face. His gaze lingered regretfully, but his movements did not hesitate in the slightest. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from before Mu Xueshi.
The Third Prince saw a figure disappear like a ghost near the cave entrance five meters away, his expression turning terrifyingly cold. The person just now had indeed been Sun Ye, and he knew perfectly well who this other person was too. He simply did not understand why both had appeared here at the same time. The Third Prince had no time to think about it further and immediately rushed toward the cave where Mu Xueshi was sleeping.
Mu Xueshi had collapsed limply onto the blankets, both his chest and back drenched in sweat, his body seeming completely drained. When the Third Prince entered the cave, this was the sight that greeted him. Pain twisted through his heart as he hurried over and gathered Mu Xueshi into his arms.
Yet Mu Xueshi suddenly threw a punch, striking the Third Prince hard in the left eye as he shouted, “You still dare come back!”
The Third Prince froze, his expression growing even uglier. Without saying a word, he first locked Mu Xueshi tightly in his embrace and thoroughly checked him over from head to toe.
One moment earlier, Mu Xueshi had still been celebrating finally landing a hit. The next moment, he recognized the Third Prince’s presence. As though he had recovered a priceless treasure, he hugged the Third Prince tightly, pressing his face against his chest and greedily breathing in his scent.
Finally, Mu Xueshi’s breathing gradually steadied.
“He… didn’t do anything to you, did he?” Anxiety and regret were evident in the Third Prince’s voice.
Mu Xueshi shook his head and lifted his face to say to the Third Prince, “No.”
But the Third Prince’s gaze landed precisely upon the torn boxer shorts between Mu Xueshi’s legs. It was like a sharp sword stabbing viciously into his heart.
“I tore these myself,” Mu Xueshi hurriedly explained.
Then, seeing the Third Prince’s expression darken even further, Mu Xueshi realized that explanation sounded even worse, so he quickly added, “No… I didn’t do it on purpose. It was accidental. I used too much force while trying to hit him…”
Yet the more the Third Prince listened, the more agonized he became. At that moment, he wished he could chop that man into minced meat.
Mu Xueshi stared blankly at the Third Prince for a moment before quietly saying, “He also did one more thing.”
A cold glint flashed through the Third Prince’s eyes.
Mu Xueshi took the Third Prince’s hand and placed it against his forehead, mumbling aggrievedly, “He gave me this huge bump.”
The Third Prince gently rubbed the swollen spot and coaxed softly, “Don’t worry. I’ll return it to him tenfold for you.”
“That’s not necessary. Two bumps are enough. If you give him ten, his whole head will be covered and you won’t even be able to tell where the bumps are anymore.” Even at a moment like this, Mu Xueshi could still smile so easily.
The Third Prince knew Mu Xueshi was smiling deliberately because he did not want him to worry, but his heart still felt somewhat lighter. He removed all of Mu Xueshi’s torn clothing and dressed him in fresh garments. Then he forcibly suppressed the rage in his heart, calmly stripped off his own clothes, lay down beside Mu Xueshi, and held him tightly in his arms.
“Tomorrow when I go to see Father Emperor, I will definitely bring you with me…”
The Third Prince whispered softly beside Mu Xueshi’s ear, though it was unclear whether he was speaking to Mu Xueshi or to himself.
“Mhm!” Mu Xueshi nodded and grinned brightly at the Third Prince.
The Third Prince’s heart ached. He kissed Mu Xueshi gently on the forehead and coaxed him back to sleep.
Futile Devices Scans 
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