Futile Devices Scans

“What was that sound?” Feng Xuanyi’s voice drifted out from behind the bed curtains, tinged faintly with drowsiness.

“N-Nothing,” Ning Xuan stammered, suddenly so nervous he did not even know where to place his hands and feet. “A mosquito. There’s still a mosquito in the room, so I was helping Your Highness swat it, haha…”

The disjointed explanation, combined with that final laugh that sounded unbelievably foolish, made Ning Xuan wish the ground would split open so he could crawl inside. Yet for some reason, Feng Xuanyi did not seem to notice anything strange about it. He merely gave an “Mm” and continued sinking back into the sleepiness he had nearly drifted into.

Outside the curtains, Ning Xuan let out a long breath of relief. Almost instinctively, he raised a hand to wipe away the cold sweat from his forehead. Then he carefully shuffled over to the couch, lifted the fluffy fur blanket, and burrowed beneath it. The snow-white fur gleamed strand by strand, smooth and soft beyond belief. The natural snow fox pelt had no visible seams at all, as though it had been peeled whole from a single fox.

After an exhausting day, the moment his head touched the pillow, drowsiness immediately overtook him. Whether he was truly exhausted or whether it was the lingering faint scent of lemongrass, which still lingered in the room even after the incense had been extinguished, Ning Xuan could not tell.

Half asleep, he thought miserably about how he would have to wake before dawn tomorrow for no other reason than to wake someone else up. Worse still, this era had no alarm clocks or anything similar. If he overslept, there definitely would not be a good outcome waiting for him.

Fragrant sandalwood, elegant carved wood, jade masonry, and gold-inlaid carvings filled the surroundings. The estate was grand without appearing excessively luxurious. Rock formations resembled paintings, and winding corridors stretched endlessly out of sight.

Beside a pond beneath the sunlight crouched a tiny figure.

Long black hair hung freely all the way to the ground without a single pearl or jade ornament decorating it. The child sat there with head lowered, hands splashing in the water as though playing with something. Every so often, bright, pleasant laughter rang out.

“The women from those barbarian lands truly are different. Even the son they bear grows up with such a seductive little fox-spirit face. Tsk tsk… like mother, like son indeed.”

A woman’s mocking laughter drifted closer from afar.

Her features could not be seen clearly. Only the long trailing skirts and elegant silhouette were visible. Her black hair was arranged high atop her head, and her robes were made from luxurious Shu embroidery. Even from behind, she radiated nobility and grandeur.

Upon hearing her voice, the child instinctively shrank back and turned around. The woman’s face should have been familiar, yet for some reason it seemed hidden behind a hazy veil, simultaneously clear and unclear. The child hurriedly stood up and bowed respectfully toward her, unable to hide the fear on his face. Though his voice should have sounded crisp and pleasant, it trembled timidly.

“Auntie…”

Before the final syllable even fell, a vicious slap landed across the child’s face.

His tender skin looked as though it had nearly been torn open by the force. Five horrifyingly red finger marks instantly appeared across his cheek, thin blood vessels surfacing vividly beneath the skin.

A child barely four or five years old could hardly endure such treatment. His lips trembled violently at once. Those bright, watery black eyes immediately filled with tears that swirled helplessly within the rims. Whether from habit or sheer helplessness, despite the tears spilling wildly, he still dared not cry aloud and could only choke back muffled sobs.

“Auntie? A child born from some shameless woman dares call me that?” the woman sneered coldly from above, apparently taking pleasure in the child’s trembling attempts not to cry.

Suddenly, the woman crouched down.

The child startled violently and instinctively stepped backward. His footing slipped, and he nearly fell backward straight into the lake. Yet the woman only watched coldly, making no move whatsoever to help him. In panic, the child grabbed desperately onto a vine growing over a nearby rock, barely managing to steady himself. Still, one shoe had already fallen into the water, and his trouser leg was soaked through. The frightened child, however, had no attention left to spare for such things.

“How many times must I teach you this?” the woman said icily once the child finally stopped struggling. “Your mother was merely some shameless thing. She was not even worthy of a place in the family registry, much less a burial plot. And you—only because you carry the master’s blood are you allowed to remain in this manor. Young master? Hah. That title is only for outsiders to hear. You do not even possess the qualifications to call me Auntie!”

Though she never raised her voice, the oppressive force in the woman’s demeanor alone was enough to make a child not yet five years old tremble uncontrollably. Yet she behaved as though terrifying him like this was entirely natural, never once believing her actions to be cruel or excessive.

Satisfied, the woman finally let out a soft laugh. Her expression appeared almost kind and maternal, though it could not conceal the disgust in her heart.

“Remember this. I am the Madam of this household, the lawful wife your father married properly. You need only call me Madam. Try calling me anything else again.”

The child shivered violently. Pouting miserably, he avoided the woman’s frightening gaze and nodded to show he understood.

The blazing sun shone brightly overhead while flowers bloomed everywhere. Among the flowerbeds rang the clear voices of two children—a boy and a girl, both only seven or eight years old.

Both were exceptionally beautiful children rarely seen in the world. Yet compared to the girl, the boy’s appearance was even more stunning. His delicate features lacked femininity, while his handsome lines remained refined rather than rough. From every angle he appeared perfect and flawless, though somehow his face still seemed indistinct and difficult to fully see.

“…Big Brother, wait for me!”

The two children chased one another through the flowers, laughing joyfully. The girl ran behind while the boy laughed and darted ahead. She was panting heavily from running, cheeks flushed red beneath the sunlight, making her appear even more lovely and delicate.

Suddenly—

“Thump!”

The girl stepped on the hem of her overly long skirt and fell hard to the ground. The flowers around her bent beneath the impact while the boy’s figure continued farther ahead. After a moment, she finally struggled shakily back onto her feet. Her once fair, delicate face was now filthy with dirt, and patches of mud clung to both her cheeks and chin.

Spoiled and pampered since childhood, the girl stared at the boy who still remained some distance away. Her lips quivered as she sniffled, trying desperately to suppress her tears, yet they burst forth uncontrollably like pearls from a snapped string. She immediately began bawling loudly.

Her shrill childish cries echoed through the empty garden, sounding especially grating in the sweltering heat.

“If you keep crying, you’ll become ugly, you know.”

The boy, who had just been running ahead moments ago, had somehow silently appeared before her.

He crouched down gently, one hand stroking the top of her head again and again in comfort while the other held out a clean, simple white handkerchief.

The girl finally managed to stop crying, though she still hiccupped weakly between sobs. Staring blankly at the handkerchief before her, she slowly raised her head.

What met her eyes were a pair of phoenix eyes carrying a faintly mesmerizing charm.

The boy smiled gently.

It was the sort of smile that made all suffering seem insignificant. The sort of smile that made every fear and hardship in the world feel conquerable so long as it existed.

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