Emperor Hao Lin walked energetically to the entrance of the bedchamber. Just as the servants outside were about to kneel in greeting, he raised a hand to silence them. Then, through the crack in the door, he secretly peeked inside.
The servant standing beside Emperor Hao Lin felt his heart skip beats repeatedly. Earlier, Mu Xueshi’s loud shout about being hungry had already frightened them badly enough. After all, aside from Emperor Hao Lin himself, who else had ever stayed inside this bedchamber during the daytime? And judging by that person’s tone, he had been outrageously arrogant, completely acting like someone spoiled by favor.
Just what kind of person could make their ruler drive every servant out of the bedchamber and forbid anyone from entering? And looking at Emperor Hao Lin’s every movement now, it was almost impossible to believe this was the same vicious and ruthless ruler they normally saw.
The servant was still lost in confusion when his breathing suddenly stopped.
Emperor Hao Lin withdrew his hand from the servant’s neck. The servant’s body immediately crumpled soundlessly at Emperor Hao Lin’s feet. From beginning to end, Emperor Hao Lin never even turned his head, as though he had not noticed what happened beside him at all. His gaze remained fixed inside the room, the corners of his lips curving upward proudly.
At that moment, Mu Xueshi was sneaking around the room suspiciously, twisting and fiddling with things everywhere he went, fantasizing about accidentally triggering some hidden mechanism that would mysteriously send him flying straight back to Yunxi. Preferably right into the Third Prince’s presence, where he could tell him it had all just been a joke.
Mu Xueshi remained completely absorbed in his ridiculous fantasy, utterly unaware that a pair of eyes had been watching him the entire time from outside.
Lifting the silk blanket from one of the beds, Mu Xueshi reached underneath and pulled out an object resembling a small oil lamp. It was only about the length of a palm, long and smooth all over, with an excellent feel to it. One glance was enough to tell it was valuable.
With lightning speed, Mu Xueshi stuffed the object into his sleeve. After all, it was just some kind of bedside lamp. Emperor Hao Lin would never notice it missing, otherwise it would not have been tossed carelessly beneath the blankets in the first place.
After completing this act, Mu Xueshi finally relaxed and let out a huge sigh of relief. He ran over to the table, grabbed some fruit he did not recognize, and stuffed it directly into his mouth.
Just as he was about to swallow it, he suddenly remembered that this was Emperor Hao Lin’s bedchamber. One must always guard against others. So he immediately ran over to a small bronze container and spat the fruit out several times.
At that exact moment, Emperor Hao Lin pushed open the door and walked in.
Mu Xueshi’s body froze instantly. He quickly turned around, his large eyes rolling wildly as he stared blankly at Emperor Hao Lin for several moments.
Step by step, Emperor Hao Lin approached him.
Step by step, Mu Xueshi retreated.
Eventually, he backed himself into a corner with nowhere left to go. Just as he tried to dodge sideways, Emperor Hao Lin had already arrived directly in front of him.
“Haha… Emperor Hao Lin, you’ve finally returned.” Mu Xueshi awkwardly patted Emperor Hao Lin on the shoulder as though they were familiar friends. Because of their height difference, the action looked rather strained.
Emperor Hao Lin merely smiled without speaking, though his eyes contained complicated emotions.
Mu Xueshi’s rosy lips twitched upward weakly before the smile finally collapsed altogether. Wearing a guilty expression, he hurriedly bowed deeply toward Emperor Hao Lin and said in an artificially solemn tone, “Greetings, Emperor Hao Lin.”
Seeing Mu Xueshi suddenly acting so attentive for no reason, Emperor Hao Lin naturally understood what he was scheming.
It seemed he had underestimated this person. He originally thought Mu Xueshi would remain depressed for several days after failing to see the Third Prince, yet he had recovered so quickly. And after previously teasing Emperor Hao Lin like that, not only had he not yet been punished for it, he actually dared to use the same tricks again.
Mu Xueshi secretly stole a few glances at Emperor Hao Lin while muttering internally:
Absolutely cannot argue with him. Small impatience ruins great plans. Endure. Endurance is victory.
Watching the endlessly expressive emotions flicker vividly across Mu Xueshi’s incomparably beautiful face, all of Emperor Hao Lin’s previous displeasure instantly vanished.
Since Mu Xueshi insisted on pretending, Emperor Hao Lin decided to indulge him and see just how long he could keep it up.
“Please rise, Young Master Xue. Young Master Xue is an honored guest of Lubei. There is no need for such formality.”
As he spoke, Emperor Hao Lin stepped forward and personally helped Mu Xueshi up.
Mu Xueshi instinctively jerked away as though electrocuted, but after remembering he could not afford to anger Emperor Hao Lin, he obediently allowed himself to be helped up.
Lowering his gaze, Emperor Hao Lin looked Mu Xueshi over several times. He raised a hand, intending to touch him—
Only for Mu Xueshi to abruptly stuff a honey pomelo into his hand.
“Emperor Hao Lin, please eat some. It’s very sweet.”
Emperor Hao Lin glanced at the two large fruit platters on the table. Nearly everything had already been devoured by Mu Xueshi in a whirlwind. The only fruit remaining was the honey pomelo in Emperor Hao Lin’s hand and the half-eaten remainder sitting nearby.
That half-finished pomelo had obviously been bitten a few times by Mu Xueshi before being discarded because he disliked it, only to then be shoved into Emperor Hao Lin’s hands instead.
Even so, Emperor Hao Lin still felt delighted.
Mu Xueshi then dragged Emperor Hao Lin over to sit down and personally began peeling the pomelo for him. His beautiful fingers danced skillfully across the fruit, making Emperor Hao Lin suddenly want to grab them and suck them into his mouth.
Still, it was rare for Mu Xueshi to serve him like this, so Emperor Hao Lin chose not to interrupt.
“Do you usually peel fruit for the Third Prince like this?” Emperor Hao Lin asked smilingly.
Mu Xueshi’s movements paused. Looking toward Emperor Hao Lin, he replied, “No. He’s always the one who peels them for me.”
“Then how about this emperor peels them for you as well?”
“No need, no need!” Mu Xueshi immediately leapt to his feet, waving his hands frantically while looking at Emperor Hao Lin with full vigilance.
Emperor Hao Lin merely smiled faintly and said nothing more, nor did he make any further move.
Mu Xueshi sat back down again, secretly wiping imaginary sweat from his heart.
Looks like Emperor Hao Lin responds better to softness than force. As long as I say a few nice things and go along with him a little, he won’t force me too badly. Maybe once we become familiar enough, he might even willingly let me return someday.
After peeling the pomelo, Mu Xueshi carefully separated a segment and offered it toward Emperor Hao Lin with a flattering smile.
“Emperor Hao Lin, please enjoy.”
Emperor Hao Lin did not take it with his hand.
Instead, he directly bit the pomelo segment from Mu Xueshi’s fingers. At the same time, he grabbed Mu Xueshi’s wrist and domineeringly pulled two of his fingers into his mouth as well, slowly sucking on them.
Mu Xueshi’s face immediately changed in horror.
“Emperor Hao Lin, you absolutely mustn’t! These are this commoner’s fingers—they don’t taste good!”
He desperately tried pulling backward, but failed to escape Emperor Hao Lin’s grip.
The pomelo itself was sweet, though faintly bitter beneath the sweetness. But Mu Xueshi’s fingers were entirely different. The moment they entered Emperor Hao Lin’s mouth, they tasted like pure honey.
“Has Young Master Xue ever served the Third Prince this way?”
Since his fingers were still trapped inside Emperor Hao Lin’s mouth, Mu Xueshi could only lie through his teeth.
“No. You’re the only one I’ve ever treated this way.”
Emperor Hao Lin suddenly pulled Mu Xueshi into his arms. One hand gently stroked his chin before abruptly tightening, causing a sharp ache.
“You’ve only peeled fruit for me alone, yet haven’t you only peeled yourself for the Third Prince?”
“Y-you…” Mu Xueshi’s face instantly turned bright red, nearly cursing aloud.
Emperor Hao Lin’s gaze darkened. Suddenly becoming serious, he stared directly at Mu Xueshi.
When Emperor Hao Lin quieted down, his presence became even more oppressive, causing Mu Xueshi’s heart to pound involuntarily.
“Then let this emperor ask you one more thing. If this emperor treated you several times better than the Third Prince does, would you be willing to leave him and stay by my side instead?”
Impossible!
Mu Xueshi screamed internally.
The Third Prince was the first person who had ever truly valued him. Even if countless others appeared afterward, none of them would matter to him. Besides, one look into Emperor Hao Lin’s eyes was enough to know he was not someone dependable. These words were merely a momentary whim—how could they possibly be trusted?
Seeing the unmistakable doubt in Mu Xueshi’s gaze, Emperor Hao Lin suddenly felt inexplicably stifled inside.
He had originally thought that no matter how Mu Xueshi responded during this conversation, he would only feel happiness. Yet upon seeing that obvious distrust, Emperor Hao Lin unexpectedly felt a chill spread through his heart.
In this world, had anyone ever truly trusted him? Had anyone ever been genuinely loyal to him?
At that precise moment, Mu Xueshi spoke.
“If you truly could do that… perhaps I might consider it.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Mu Xueshi suddenly felt chilled all over, as though the Third Prince were watching him from some hidden corner.
Not afraid of divine punishment at all for saying such things…
Mu Xueshi mentally slapped himself hard across the face.
Emperor Hao Lin cast aside his wandering thoughts and looked back at Mu Xueshi, a wicked smile curling across his lips.
“Whether you truly mean those words or not, this emperor will remember them. If one day this emperor accomplishes it, you had better not deny what you said.”
Suddenly, Mu Xueshi felt his cheek being pinched painfully hard, forcing a cry from his lips. Immediately afterward came a wet sensation as Emperor Hao Lin’s face moved closer.
Emperor Hao Lin lovingly kissed the spot he had pinched. Mu Xueshi’s fragrant softness intoxicated him completely. This was a body he had never encountered throughout all his years, the only person whose mere kisses could make his breathing unstable.
Having embraced him once was already the ultimate pleasure in the mortal world. After this, how could anyone else ever move him again?
Emperor Hao Lin suddenly lifted Mu Xueshi by the waist and strode directly toward the natural hot spring in the center of the room.
Like a piglet about to be tossed into a cooking pot, Mu Xueshi wailed miserably the entire way.
“Emperor Hao Lin, you can’t do this! You just said you’d treat me well! If you act like this, how could I ever possibly fall for you later?”
“I said I would treat you several times better than the Third Prince. This also counts as part of it. Love-making contains the word ‘love’ within it. I will certainly satisfy you even more.”
“No, Emperor Hao Lin, you really can’t do this! We need to take things slowly!”
Mu Xueshi made his final desperate struggle.
If Emperor Hao Lin still refused to stop, Mu Xueshi felt he might actually bite his tongue in suicide.
Of course, the suicide part was mostly for show. He would not truly let himself die. He only intended to frighten Emperor Hao Lin.
Yet with a sharp tearing sound, Emperor Hao Lin ripped Mu Xueshi’s clothes completely apart. Brutal lust already filled his face, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.
Mu Xueshi became so frightened his upper and lower teeth would barely meet together anymore. He likely did not even know where his tongue was now.
Suddenly, a loud bang rang out.
Both men simultaneously turned toward the doorway.
Emperor Hao Lin’s expression barely changed at all.
Meanwhile, Mu Xueshi directly fainted into the hot spring pool.
Futile Devices Scans 
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