Having been dragged out of bed early in the morning, tormented until late into the previous night, and then denied even a peaceful nap at noon, Ning Xuan finally found drowsiness overwhelming him. His eyelids kept fighting to stay open, and his head bobbed up and down like a chick pecking at grain. Though reason told him to endure a little longer and wait until he could return to the inner chamber and lie comfortably in bed, the truth was that he was so tired he could scarcely move a finger. In the end, all he could do was make do where he was, closing his eyes and letting his head droop for a moment.
He had no idea how long he slept. Ning Xuan was awakened by a chill creeping over him. Cold wind slipped down the back of his neck, making restful sleep impossible. Rubbing his bleary eyes, he discovered that one arm had been serving as his pillow for so long that it had gone completely numb. His hand was icy cold and entirely without feeling. Stretching his stiff body, Ning Xuan felt slightly dizzy. Damn it. Don’t tell me I caught a chill just because I made do and slept here. That would make my constitution far too weak.
He sniffed and rubbed his freezing hand to restore circulation, then stood up and stretched his cramped limbs. As soon as he pushed open the door, a blast of cold wind rushed inside. No matter how warmly dressed he was, no one could endure that kind of weather without flinching. The last traces of sleep vanished instantly. Chattering teeth immediately launched into mortal combat, and he shrank his neck into his shoulders, wishing he were some sort of soft-bodied creature that could curl itself into a ball. At a moment like this, who had time to worry about whether the snow rabbit fur would conjure up mental images of bloody lumps of flesh?
“My little ancestor, where in the world have you been all afternoon? I’ve searched for you so thoroughly I was ready to turn the entire residence upside down!” The moment Ning Xuan stepped over the threshold, he heard a familiar voice charging toward him from the distance. The frustration and helpless resentment hidden within it were unmistakable. Thinking of how often Qing Zhu had made life difficult for him and picked fights with him in the past, Ning Xuan immediately felt refreshed.
Rolling his neck and deliberately ignoring the bitter cold just to flaunt his victory, he raised an eyebrow and replied leisurely, “Is it really that serious? I only took a little nap. You’re acting as though the sky is falling.”
“A little nap?!” Qing Zhu exclaimed in a raised voice, staring at him as though he had just encountered a monster. He looked ready to faint. “Why didn’t you just sleep until tomorrow morning while you were at it?”
Only then did Ning Xuan realize that the sky had already gone dark. All he had done was doze off for a bit, yet somehow night had fallen. He rubbed his nose awkwardly. Admittedly, his “little nap” had lasted somewhat longer than intended.
“What time is it?” Ning Xuan asked with feigned composure.
“The hour of You,” Mo Qi answered. Compared to Qing Zhu’s dramatic gasping, he remained as calm as ever.
The moment those words were spoken, however, Mo Qi was the only calm person left.
“The hour of You?!” Ning Xuan was equally startled. No wonder it was already dark. His so-called nap had practically turned into hibernation.
Northern winters were no joke. The wind carried enough force that anyone who dressed too lightly was practically guaranteed to catch a chill. Pulling his collar tighter around himself, Ning Xuan headed toward the main bedchamber. Recalling the frantic way Qing Zhu had rushed over looking for him, he assumed Feng Xuanyi must have become worried after not seeing him for half a day and had sent people searching. The thought made the corners of his lips lift slightly. At last, he felt a little more balanced inside. When you suddenly disappeared from my side, it felt like something was missing. But when I suddenly disappeared from yours, you missed me too, didn’t you? Fair exchange. Worth it.
“Was the prince looking for me?” Ning Xuan asked. “Is he in the bedchamber or the study?”
“Th-The prince…” Qing Zhu stammered. It was such a normal question, yet he seemed to have something lodged in his throat that refused to come out.
“If you’ve got something to say, then say it. Why are you stuttering? Frozen by the cold?” Rarely did Ning Xuan get the chance to see the famously sharp-tongued Qing Zhu stumble over his words. Naturally, he was not about to miss such a perfect opportunity for revenge. He teased him mercilessly, one brow raised and a smile playing at his lips. The beautiful features on his face seemed especially enchanting beneath the flickering lantern light of the courtyard.
“Let’s go eat first. The meal’s been prepared for ages and everyone’s been waiting for you. If you get there any later, the food will be cold,” Qing Zhu replied, carefully avoiding the question. The forced smile on his face twitched every now and then. Ning Xuan smugly assumed it was because his teasing had struck home, and he felt immensely pleased with himself.
At the mention of food, his stomach immediately reminded him just how hungry he was. Although lunch had been delicious, dining with strangers—and important people at that—had prevented him from truly enjoying himself. Even though he had spent the entire afternoon hibernating instead of burning energy, his stomach was now loudly protesting. Speaking of food, the meals he shared with Feng Xuanyi were undoubtedly among the finest in the residence. They were not extravagant banquets filled with rare delicacies every day, but every dish was carefully prepared and exquisitely made. For someone as food-obsessed as Ning Xuan, life had become exceedingly comfortable. Though he had gained a little weight, it was so insignificant that it hardly counted. Any woman would probably be green with envy and eager to trade places with him. But Ning Xuan was a man through and through. Even if he happened to be the one underneath when it came to Feng Xuanyi, that only applied to Feng Xuanyi. It did nothing to extinguish his grand ambitions of one day turning the tables. Unfortunately, no matter how much he ate, his frame stubbornly refused to bulk up. When would he ever attain a physique comparable to Feng Xuanyi’s?
The thought filled Ning Xuan with endless misery, the sort he could never voice aloud. As a result, he attacked every meal with all the determination of a starving man. Feng Xuanyi often found himself at a loss. More than once, he had suspected Ning Xuan was the reincarnation of a hungry ghost, completely unaware of the secret calculations constantly running through Ning Xuan’s mind.
When he entered the central hall, a table full of food had already been prepared. Yet the familiar figure who should have been seated there was nowhere to be seen. Ning Xuan instinctively turned around and questioned Qing Zhu with his eyes, but Qing Zhu had apparently anticipated this and lowered his head in advance, avoiding his gaze entirely. Ning Xuan froze, unable to make sense of it. He turned toward Mo Qi instead, only to hear Mo Qi reply in his usual perfectly flat voice, as smooth and unwrinkled as fabric pressed beneath an iron, “Eat before the food gets cold.”
Somewhere deep inside, Ning Xuan felt that they were hiding something from him. Yet he could not think of a reason. What could possibly be happening in this residence that Qing Zhu and Mo Qi both knew about while he alone remained in the dark?
Walking over to the table, he glanced over the dishes prepared for dinner. They were fairly lavish, with a good variety and generous portions. For servants, this meal would have been paradise. Three months ago, Ning Xuan would never have thought twice about it. So long as there was enough food and plenty of choices, he would have thrown himself at the table without hesitation. But after spending so much time at Feng Xuanyi’s side, he knew perfectly well that this was not the sort of meal served to a prince. Even when Feng Xuanyi dined separately, the kitchen never dared slack off. This level of food was something any personal attendant of the prince could arrange simply by giving the cooks a few instructions.
He had merely slept through an afternoon, yet it felt as though the world had changed completely. He did not know what had happened, but he knew one thing for certain.
Qing Zhu and Mo Qi definitely knew.
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