“Young Master Xue, have you suffered a high fever at any point during the past few days?”
Hearing Imperial Physician Li’s question from outside the curtain, Mu Xueshi looked at the Third Prince and honestly nodded.
The Third Prince said calmly to Imperial Physician Li, “He has.”
Imperial Physician Li paused, then asked Mu Xueshi again, “Then Young Master Xue must have suffered a serious injury in recent days, correct?”
Mu Xueshi looked at the Third Prince once more, using his eyes to very carefully indicate that he had indeed been seriously injured.
The Third Prince’s expression darkened somewhat, but he still answered calmly to Imperial Physician Li outside, “He has.”
Imperial Physician Li secretly wiped away a bead of sweat. Examining a patient like this was truly troublesome. Taking his pulse could only reveal a general idea. He could not inspect the wounds directly, and since the injury involved the throat, he could not even question the patient properly. Although the Third Prince was answering his questions with considerable patience, Imperial Physician Li still felt uneasy.
If anything went wrong and he failed to diagnose the illness correctly, he would probably die without even leaving a corpse behind.
After allowing his thoughts to run wild for a while, Imperial Physician Li gathered his courage and asked Mu Xueshi a few more questions. He soon gained a general understanding of Mu Xueshi’s condition. He prescribed several medicinal formulas and handed them to the servants to prepare, then carefully explained Mu Xueshi’s condition to the Third Prince.
Mu Xueshi’s constitution was already weak. During the tiger incident, he had suffered severe injuries, and because they had not been treated promptly, the wounds had become inflamed. The inflammation led to a high fever, and the fever affected his throat, causing his temporary inability to speak. Once the wounds had fully healed, the problem with his voice would likely resolve as well.
After completing the examination, Imperial Physician Li hurriedly withdrew from the Third Prince’s chambers. Since both Mu Xueshi and the Third Prince had returned to the courtyard, most of the palace had already learned of it, and the rumors immediately disappeared.
Having been away from the palace for several days, Mu Xueshi found everything in the Third Prince’s chambers exceptionally pleasing to the eye. He touched this and patted that, then finally lifted his face to look around before settling his gaze on the Third Prince.
Noticing the unusual expression on the Third Prince’s face, Mu Xueshi immediately flashed a dazzling smile capable of slaying countless hearts and enthusiastically threw himself into the Third Prince’s embrace.
“Let me see your wound.”
Hearing the Third Prince’s unquestionable words, Mu Xueshi’s shoulders instantly drooped halfway. After circling around the matter for so long, he still had not managed to avoid it.
Ignoring the Third Prince’s words, Mu Xueshi pressed his head firmly against the Third Prince’s shoulder and rubbed against it vigorously, feeling much more at ease.
The Third Prince had likely gone a very long time without holding Mu Xueshi. For a moment, he could not bear to let go. Combined with Mu Xueshi’s soft mannerisms, he found himself unable to refuse him, and so the two remained quietly locked in each other’s embrace for quite some time.
“You really can’t speak?” the Third Prince asked, almost to himself.
Mu Xueshi nodded and turned his face toward the Third Prince, wearing an equally helpless expression.
After hearing Imperial Physician Li’s explanation, the Third Prince could no longer summon the anger he had originally felt. Since Mu Xueshi could not speak, no matter how cruel he might be, he could not force him to explain what had happened with that bandit chief. What concerned him most was how much Mu Xueshi had suffered while away.
Meanwhile, Mu Xueshi took a jar of healing ointment from beside the pillow and carefully applied it to the scrape on the Third Prince’s palm left by the arrow. He even blew gently on it, then looked at the Third Prince with an inquiring expression, asking whether it felt any better.
The warm breath from Mu Xueshi’s mouth made the Third Prince’s heart itch. He lifted Mu Xueshi’s chin and said slowly, word by word, “Not at all.”
Mu Xueshi assumed the Third Prince was upset about the Mountain King’s arrow and the things he had said. He bit his lip guiltily and looked at the Third Prince with an expression begging forgiveness.
Having not seen Mu Xueshi for many days, and having been unable to be close to him during that time, the Third Prince’s desires instantly reignited at the sight of that incomparably handsome face and those pitifully lovable expressions.
Mu Xueshi’s fingers were still gently tracing circles on the Third Prince’s palm when he felt the Third Prince’s hand leave his back. Startled, he widened his eyes and looked at him.
The Third Prince tenderly kissed Mu Xueshi’s eyes, then slowly slipped his hand into the front of his robes, wandering and caressing the skin he so adored, trying to ease the torment of longing that had plagued him during their separation.
He truly ought to teach this little seductress who had worried him sick a proper lesson.
If the Third Prince was a starving tiger, then Mu Xueshi was a thirsty deer. After only a brief period of lingering touches upon Mu Xueshi’s body, Mu Xueshi’s breathing became increasingly unsteady, and he seemed even more excited than the Third Prince himself.
With trembling fingers, Mu Xueshi began undoing the Third Prince’s clothing. Halfway through, however, a thought suddenly struck him: if they did that, he would have to take off his own clothes as well. And if he took off his clothes, wouldn’t the Third Prince see the wounds on his back?
While he was still thinking about it, he suddenly felt himself lifted into the air. Clinging to the Third Prince, he looked around restlessly. The moment he realized where the Third Prince was carrying him, both arms immediately began flailing.
The Third Prince kicked open the bathing room door, and a wave of hot steam instantly blurred both of their vision.
I don’t want to bathe. I can’t bathe. Even if I bathe, I should bathe alone…
Like a boiled egg stripped of its shell, Mu Xueshi was soon naked inside a large wooden bathing tub. He pressed his back tightly against the side of the tub, afraid the Third Prince would see the scars there. He himself did not know exactly how terrible they looked, but judging from the Mountain King’s tone during the past few days, he knew they must be quite horrifying.
The Third Prince immediately saw through Mu Xueshi’s intentions. He had no interest in playing hide-and-seek with him. The matter had already been weighing heavily on his heart, and if Mu Xueshi had not repeatedly diverted his attention, he would have dealt with it long ago.
At a single command from the Third Prince, Mu Xueshi abandoned his resistance and obediently lay across the Third Prince’s crossed legs, allowing him to examine the wounds on his back.
When the Third Prince saw the obvious brown scar running down the center of Mu Xueshi’s back and the surrounding wounds that had not yet fully healed, it felt as though countless tiny needles were stabbing into his lungs, making it difficult even to breathe.
Who exactly was Heaven punishing? The injured person lying across his lap, or himself, the uninjured one who was suffering even more?
After thinking about it, the Third Prince ultimately said nothing. He quietly applied medicine to Mu Xueshi’s wounds. Throughout the process, he did not utter a single word of reproach. His expression barely differed from when he had first entered.
Mu Xueshi finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the wounds were healing quite well.
The Third Prince carefully washed Mu Xueshi’s body. With the warm water and such attentive care, Mu Xueshi became so comfortable that he could barely keep his eyes open, lounging on the Third Prince’s lap like a lazy cat.
While Mu Xueshi dozed, the Third Prince gently stroked his back again and again. Even though he knew touching it would only make his heart ache, he could not stop himself from wanting to understand exactly how much suffering Mu Xueshi had endured.
After sleeping deeply and comfortably, Mu Xueshi awoke to find it was already late at night. The Third Prince was still awake, sitting upright at the bedside and quietly watching him until he fully opened his eyes.
“Mmm… mm…” Mu Xueshi opened his mouth, wanting to ask why the Third Prince had not yet gone to sleep.
The Third Prince simply replied, “It’s still early.”
Seeing the tenderness and concern in the Third Prince’s eyes, Mu Xueshi felt his heart overflow with emotion. He leaned against the Third Prince’s shoulder and gently nibbled at the hard bone there with his teeth, allowing the Third Prince to stroke his long hair. Never before had he behaved so obediently at the Third Prince’s side.
Yet the Third Prince found Mu Xueshi’s quietness somewhat unfamiliar. He was accustomed to seeing him laughing and chatting. Now that he was so docile, it felt as though something was missing.
“Does your back still hurt?”
Hearing the question that the Third Prince had clearly been holding back for a long time, Mu Xueshi’s heart tightened. He turned toward him and shook his head lightly, making it appear effortless. In truth, he was screaming internally: It hurt like hell back then! It’s almost healed now, so of course I can forget about it!
The Third Prince did not believe him at all. If Mu Xueshi were not covered in injuries and unable to speak, he would already have forced him to explain how those wounds had been inflicted. Such severe injuries—how much pain had he endured? A person who cried after receiving only a few slaps—how had he survived something like that?
If Mu Xueshi had caused the injuries himself, the Third Prince would have done little more than scold him a few times. Looking at him now, he could not even bear to speak harshly. But if someone else had caused them, then no matter what price that person paid—even if it were ten times worse than what Mu Xueshi had suffered—it would still not extinguish the fire burning in the Third Prince’s heart.
While the Third Prince was lost in thought, Mu Xueshi had already stripped away most of his clothing. If the cool night breeze had not brushed against him, the Third Prince would not even have noticed that only a thin inner robe remained on his body.
Looking down, the Third Prince saw Mu Xueshi’s cheeks flushed pink, like a translucent fruit so fresh it seemed ready to drip with juice. Mu Xueshi shot him an ambiguous glance before impatiently pulling him down onto the bed.
“Be good and go to sleep. You’ve exhausted yourself these past few days. Rest properly tonight, all right?” the Third Prince caught the hand exploring his body.
The moment Mu Xueshi heard those words, he was obviously unhappy. The bright sparkle in his eyes vanished and was replaced entirely by disappointment.
The Third Prince laughed helplessly. He pecked Mu Xueshi’s rosy lips and asked teasingly, “How many days have you been starving?”
Mu Xueshi snorted indignantly and held up seven fingers. Then he thought about it and changed it to eight. In the end, he waved his fingers around chaotically, all of them expressing the emptiness he had suffered these past days.
Seeing that number, the Third Prince felt somewhat reassured. At least this little troublemaker had behaved himself while away.
“So you became someone else’s wife. You didn’t even consummate the marriage?”
Mu Xueshi immediately shook his head and blinked frantically, looking deeply anxious, terrified that the Third Prince would misunderstand him.
The Third Prince soothed him kindly, afraid he might work himself into a rage. “Forget it. Once you can speak again, I’ll ask you about all of these matters properly. For now, rest well. If you wear your body out any further, I’ll punish you.”
With that, the Third Prince wrapped an arm around Mu Xueshi and tucked him carefully beneath the blankets. Then he climbed beneath another blanket himself. As painful as it was to sleep separately after finally reuniting, if he wished to avoid bringing trouble upon himself and allow Mu Xueshi a proper night’s rest, he had no choice but to make this sacrifice.
Mu Xueshi bit his lip and huffed countless times. The blanket beneath him had already been twisted into a rope, yet the Third Prince obliviously tucked it back around him again and again.
Even with his eyes closed, the Third Prince could still hear Mu Xueshi’s dissatisfied huffing. The room was utterly quiet, and those faint breaths brought him an extraordinary sense of peace.
It had been a very long time since he had felt this settled.
Tonight, he too should have a good night’s rest.
Futile Devices Scans 
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