“It’s inevitable for there to be unpleasant matters weighing on one’s mind.”
The Third Prince picked up a piece of wild rabbit meat and held it toward Mu Xueshi’s lips, signaling for him to open his mouth.
Mu Xueshi shook his head. “I don’t want to eat anymore.”
“Why?” The Third Prince’s brows furrowed.
“If you’re in a bad mood, I can’t eat either.” Mu Xueshi sighed.
The Third Prince teased, “I never realized you were such a sentimental person. In my eyes, even if the heavens collapsed, you’d still manage to eat your fill and sleep soundly.”
“That’s not true!” Mu Xueshi denied loudly, looking embarrassed. “That’s just on the surface. Actually, I often force myself to smile…”
The Third Prince’s face moved closer and closer to Mu Xueshi’s, causing Mu Xueshi to lose confidence little by little. Only when the Third Prince’s lips brushed against his own did Mu Xueshi finally stop talking.
The two of them did nothing, merely gazing quietly at one another for a moment. In the Third Prince’s eyes, Mu Xueshi saw emotions he rarely ever witnessed.
“Why are you unhappy?” Mu Xueshi asked.
The Third Prince did not even blink, clearly unwilling to answer.
Mu Xueshi huffed, bit his lip, and turned his head away, refusing to acknowledge the Third Prince anymore.
Seeing Mu Xueshi angry, the Third Prince said nothing. He simply sat there and continued eating calmly, his composure frighteningly steady.
With his back facing the Third Prince, Mu Xueshi soon found himself unable to sit still. Slowly, he turned around and secretly glanced at him. At that exact moment, the Third Prince lifted his head, and their gazes collided. Mu Xueshi looked utterly aggrieved.
“Come here,” the Third Prince ordered.
Mu Xueshi obediently turned around fully, his large eyes staring lifelessly at the Third Prince.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” the Third Prince asked.
Instead of answering, Mu Xueshi countered rather forcefully, “What were you and Deputy General Mo talking about earlier?”
“It wasn’t anything important. He was simply informing me that your true appearance has already been exposed.”
“What’s the big deal about that?” Mu Xueshi looked utterly bewildered.
The Third Prince replied calmly, “Nothing much. I’m only worried it may bring trouble in the future.”
Mu Xueshi had always been muddle-headed about the matter. He only knew that ever since arriving here, his appearance had always been concealed. Either he was smeared black or covered with a facial mask. As for why it needed to be hidden, Mu Xueshi had never truly understood.
“Hasn’t the Emperor already stopped pursuing my crimes? Besides, with you protecting me in the palace, no one would dare do anything to me. Even if my face stays hidden, trouble would still come anyway. What difference does it make whether it’s concealed or not?”
The Third Prince looked at Mu Xueshi’s troubled expression and secretly sighed. How was he supposed to explain this? Mu Xueshi had never cared much about his appearance, nor did he realize that the root of all his troubles originated from that very face.
“Why does it need to be hidden?” Mu Xueshi asked again.
At last, the Third Prince answered, “Because your appearance is too beautiful. Revealing your true face will inevitably attract countless people with ill intentions.”
Rather than becoming worried like the Third Prince expected, Mu Xueshi instead became visibly excited.
“You mean my face is so good-looking that people won’t be able to resist the temptation?”
The Third Prince thought the meaning was close enough and reluctantly nodded once.
Mu Xueshi burst into loud laughter. “That’s a good thing! If I reveal my face and stand beside you, wouldn’t that bring you even more glory? Besides, the greater my charm, the higher it proves your standards are!”
As he spoke, Mu Xueshi began searching around for a bronze mirror. Ever since arriving here, he had rarely looked into one because bronze mirrors reflected too vaguely. As a result, he still had only a vague idea of what he truly looked like.
Seeing Mu Xueshi react so frivolously, the Third Prince immediately felt irritated, and his expression darkened.
Unfortunately, Mu Xueshi failed to notice. After finding a bronze mirror, he ran over and examined himself from every angle before asking the Third Prince, “By the way, did you remove the mask from my face yet?”
The Third Prince remained silent.
Looking at the heroic, handsome face in the mirror, Mu Xueshi muttered to himself, “Truly a peerless handsome man. But it’s still not perfect. The mask definitely hasn’t been removed yet. Xi, come help me take it off. Xi?…”
When he turned around, he discovered the Third Prince’s expression had become extremely unpleasant.
“Do you enjoy being admired by the masses that much?” the Third Prince asked coldly, his tone at least ten degrees colder than before.
Mu Xueshi froze briefly before asking blankly, “What are you talking about? Be more specific…”
The Third Prince merely snorted and shot him a sideways glance without speaking.
Mu Xueshi scratched his head, secretly wondering what he had done wrong this time to anger the Third Prince again. Things had been perfectly fine moments ago, so why had his face suddenly darkened once more? Mu Xueshi carefully stole a few glances at him while remaining rooted before the bronze mirror.
The atmosphere in the room gradually froze solid. The dishes had long gone cold, yet the Third Prince had barely eaten a few bites.
After a while, Mu Xueshi suddenly opened his mouth with an enlightened expression and swaggered toward the Third Prince step by step. Once beside him, he grinned mischievously and asked,
“Are you afraid I’ll steal your title as the number one handsome man under heaven? What if people see my face and realize I’m more handsome than you? Wouldn’t that utterly ruin your reputation?”
Mu Xueshi had intended to lighten the mood with a joke and provoke the Third Prince into scolding him a little. But when he saw the disdain in the Third Prince’s eyes, he realized the man did not care about such things at all.
So Mu Xueshi huffed twice himself and strutted proudly around the Third Prince before asking gleefully,
“Or are you afraid I’m too charming, and too many people will pursue me, causing me to fall for someone else?”
Hearing this, the Third Prince’s emotions stirred slightly, though nothing showed on his face.
Mu Xueshi only pushed further. “That’s exactly what you’re thinking! You’re jealous! You’re afraid that once I become famous, I’ll gain too many admirers and slowly replace your place in my heart. Just admit it already. I won’t laugh at you.”
Originally, the Third Prince had not thought that way. Yet after hearing Mu Xueshi say it aloud, he truly did begin to feel somewhat jealous.
“Judging from your tone, are you actually planning to fall for someone else?”
Mu Xueshi burst into laughter, looking unbearably pleased with himself, as though the tides had finally turned.
“Not for now. But that depends on how you treat me in the future. If you treat me well, naturally I won’t consider anyone else. But if you treat me badly…” Mu Xueshi dragged out his tone dramatically. “Then I might just need to find a few beautiful maidens to comfort my wounded heart…”
“Have you already forgotten what you promised me a few days ago?” the Third Prince asked while advancing toward Mu Xueshi step by step.
The moment Mu Xueshi tilted his head and saw the Third Prince’s expression clearly, he nearly fainted from fright. Only then did he realize his joke had gone too far.
“I was joking! Really joking!” Mu Xueshi hurriedly explained. “Even if I had the heart for it, I wouldn’t have the courage. No—not even the courage for the courage, ah—!”
Before he could finish, Mu Xueshi suddenly felt himself lifted into the air, dangling face-down and swaying helplessly. He immediately made a miserable face and begged for mercy.
“I was really joking! Even if people admired someone, it’d only ever be you. I’m always the one getting bullied. Can’t I at least fantasize a little in my imagination?”
The Third Prince casually tossed Mu Xueshi onto the soft couch and pulled him into his arms.
Seeing no signs of punishment from the Third Prince, Mu Xueshi clutched his chest in lingering fear. Yet after another glance, the Third Prince’s expression still did not look good.
“I really wouldn’t be that heartless. After everything we’ve gone through, if I were the type to change, I would’ve changed long ago.” Saying such words to another man embarrassed Mu Xueshi somewhat, and after speaking, he lowered his head.
The Third Prince gently stroked Mu Xueshi’s hair and said softly, “I’m merely worried about your future. Once others see your face, I don’t know how much trouble it will bring you.”
Hearing that this was what worried the Third Prince, Mu Xueshi instantly felt embarrassed. So he really had been flattering himself just now…
“It’s fine. As long as I stay beside you, there won’t be any trouble.”
The Third Prince’s expression remained unchanged, but inside he was filled with worry. Mu Xueshi’s thoughts were simple, so naturally he did not understand what all this truly meant. But the Third Prince had grown up within the palace walls. No one understood the dangers and complexities there better than he did.
“Forget it. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Did you eat enough just now?”
Mu Xueshi laughed awkwardly. In truth, he wanted to say it had been nowhere near enough, but he was too embarrassed to let the Third Prince know how enormous his appetite really was. So he modestly answered,
“After all that excitement just now, I’m a little hungry again.”
“Then I’ll have the servants bring more dishes. Tonight, sleep well. Tomorrow we continue our journey.”
“Mhm!” Mu Xueshi nodded vigorously.
Just as the Third Prince prepared to stand, Mu Xueshi suddenly grabbed his arm and asked,
“Then… does that mean I won’t have to wear the face mask anymore in the future?”
The Third Prince immediately felt that his earlier explanation had backfired.
Seeing the suspicious look in the Third Prince’s eyes, Mu Xueshi hurriedly explained, “No, no—I just feel awkward wearing it. Don’t misunderstand…”
Truthfully, Mu Xueshi barely felt anything while wearing the mask. But the Third Prince’s words had stirred something restless inside him. Perhaps because he had suffered too much discrimination and humiliation in the past, he suddenly wanted to hold his head high for once. Besides, the greatest trouble had already passed. Having weathered such enormous storms already, Mu Xueshi no longer regarded those smaller troubles as anything serious.
“We’ll discuss it later. For now, go eat obediently.” Several traces of helplessness mixed into the Third Prince’s voice.
Mu Xueshi nodded and did not dare say anything further.
After dinner, the Third Prince accompanied Mu Xueshi on a short walk through the woods. When they returned, they bathed again before climbing into bed for a good night’s sleep. Early the next morning, they resumed their journey.
Three days later, Mu Xueshi and the Third Prince finally returned to the Yunxi capital city.
Futile Devices Scans 
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