It wasn’t until dawn that Lin Xie finally, reluctantly, fastened his clothes. He propped himself up on the edge of the bed and leaned down to plant a kiss on Shen Que’s forehead.

“I’ll come back in a few days,” Lin Xie’s voice was low and deep, with a hint of playful amusement, “Don’t miss me too much.”

Shen Que didn’t even want to roll his eyes at him. He turned his head away, burying his face into the pillow, refusing to acknowledge him.

How could he possibly miss him? He wished he could skin him alive, wished him dead. Shen Que had never hated anyone so much in his life.

Even his detestable father, Aye, had become a blurred figure in the passage of time.

But Lin Xie had trampled on the last shred of his dignity right in front of him. He compared him to an actor, treated him like a small singer, using the lowest and most despicable means to threaten him, forcing him to comply.

If it weren’t for the Little Prince holding onto that string in his heart, Shen Que would have fought to the death to take Lin Xie down with him.

Hearing the door close and the footsteps fade away, Shen Que gritted his teeth and got up. He washed himself with a bucket of cold water and then lay back down on the bed, fully clothed.

The bed was a mess from the two of them, and Shen Que really didn’t have the energy to get up and tidy it, so he just let it be.

Afraid of missing the time to report for duty, Shen Que kept his eyes open, not daring to sleep. But in the end, he was so muddled that he didn’t know if he had fainted or just couldn’t hold on and fell asleep.

Shen Que had several nightmares in a row. In his dreams, he was either being bitten on the neck by a vicious wolf or trampled underfoot by a black bear. No matter how he struggled, he couldn’t escape.

Finally, he fell into the deep, dark sea. Shen Que had never seen the sea, only knew that it was deathly silent all around. When he opened his eyes, all he saw was the bottomless dark blue. He couldn’t move anymore, and a sense of despair and despondency welled up in his heart.

He kept sinking, deeper and deeper, until he could no longer see a trace of light. The suffocating feeling and the icy seawater overwhelmed him.

“Sir,” someone seemed to be calling from above the sea, “Sir?”

The voice was muffled, as if coming from a thousand miles away.

It wasn’t until he heard the sound of someone entering the room that Shen Que’s heart skipped a beat. The next moment, he half-sat up from the bed.

It hurt… He couldn’t help but frown. His whole body hurt, as if the black bear’s claws had rolled over him again and again, even the gaps in his bones ached.

Yuanzhi came in carrying hot water, looking at him with some concern, “Sir, are you alright? I called out several times outside, but you didn’t respond.”

Shen Que frowned and quickly signed to him, “What time is it now?”

“One quarter past the hour of the dragon.”

Shen Que’s heart jolted. In their Prince’s Mansion, the guards usually went to the training ground to practice before dawn, rain or shine. Even if he had a slight headache or fever, he never dared to miss it.

Seeing his face turn even worse, Yuanzhi quickly placed the basin on the table, “Sir, don’t rush to get up. Today, the Little Prince has given all the guards a day off. The Prince is considerate of the guards having families, and on the second day of the new year, most of them need to accompany their wives and children to visit their in-laws.”

Shen Que’s expression finally improved a bit. Now fully awake, he realized his throat was parched. He moved his hand, intending to ask Yuanzhi to pour him a cup of tea.

But suddenly, he caught sight of the mess on the bed. In his drowsiness, the thin garment he wore was loosely draped over him, faintly revealing the dense bite marks on his neck and collarbone.

Shen Que hurriedly tightened his clothes, but the collar was too low, and no matter how tight he pulled it, he couldn’t cover the marks on his neck.

He looked at Yuanzhi, who showed no curiosity, as if he had seen something quite ordinary.

Right, Shen Que remembered, Yuanzhi used to follow that little actor. Xu Sixian took him everywhere, so he was naturally used to such scenes.

“Sir, there’s something…” Yuanzhi seemed hesitant, cautiously asking, “Can I talk to you about it?”

Shen Que’s heart was still racing. He seemed to have a vague idea of what Yuanzhi wanted to say, but in the end, he nodded and signed, “There’s no one else here, you can say anything.”

Yuanzhi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

“This morning, I got up early, before dawn, and saw a man in black coming out of your room,” Yuanzhi’s eyes held a bit of confusion. He had seen such things often, but didn’t expect it to happen in the Prince’s Mansion, “Sir, does the Prince’s Mansion… also do this kind of business?”

His eyes were pure and innocent, his words childlike and naive, yet they lightly pierced Shen Que’s heart.

“Sir,” Yuanzhi saw him lower his eyes, feeling inexplicably afraid, “Did I say something wrong?”

Shen Que shook his head, then reached out and slowly signed to him, “This matter, you must not tell anyone.”

Yuanzhi obediently nodded, though his eyes still held confusion. After a pause, he asked in a small voice, “If I tell someone, what will happen to you, sir?”

“Death,” Shen Que’s gesture was heavy and firm, “I will die.”

*

The sky was not yet fully dark, and the spring chill was biting. Once the sun set, even with the stove burning inside, it was still cold.

Shen Que spent the whole day in a daze, barely eating anything. When it was time to eat, Yuanzhi went to the kitchen to get him a bowl of porridge, adding a packet of rock sugar to it.

Shen Que couldn’t bear to refuse the child’s kindness, so he slowly drank the porridge, finishing it all.

Just as he put down the bowl, Shiyi suddenly rushed into the courtyard, quickly pulling open the door to his room.

“Something big has happened,” Shiyi’s face was cold, bringing in the smell of snow, blurting out, “Shen Luo, he…”

He suddenly paused.

Shen Que’s heart felt like it was being tightly squeezed, making it hard for him to breathe, his hands fumbling, “Senior brother, what happened to him?”

He looked at Shiyi with a pleading expression, while Shiyi seemed hesitant.

Earlier, Shen Xiangzhi had sternly instructed him to keep it from Shen Que, but he was an impatient person, and he had a close relationship with Shen Luo. How could he keep it to himself?

After a brief hesitation, he looked at Shen Que again, deciding not to hide it, “Three days ago, on New Year’s Eve, the common people in Western Sichuan started a commotion. It began when a soldier was hit on the head by two civilians. There was already resentment, and this spark ignited the fuse, leading to a conflict between the two sides.”

“Going back a bit further, a dozen or so civilians, driven by hunger, kidnapped the wives and daughters of some soldiers. Although they were exchanged for grain, it ruined their reputations. Unmarried girls, taken by several men for a whole night, even if they were innocent, no one would believe it.”

“The soldiers, whose wives and daughters’ reputations were tarnished, and who lost a lot of grain, couldn’t swallow their anger. They demanded the execution of these troublemakers. But the civilians, if not driven to desperation, wouldn’t have taken such a path. If they wanted a way out, they had to make a fuss, enough for the court to take notice.”

“The civilians picked up bricks and knives, becoming bandits. The soldiers wouldn’t sit idly by, and swords were drawn against the civilians. Your senior brother was caught in the middle, trying to persuade the civilians and stop the soldiers from taking action. In such chaos, someone stabbed him. Whether it was friend or foe, it’s unclear. The person dropped the knife and disappeared into the crowd, and the culprit hasn’t been found yet.”

Shen Que was stunned, his hands trembling as he signed, “How is his injury?”

“Just half an inch,” Shiyi said, still shaken, “If it had been half an inch more, it would have pierced his heart.”

Seeing Shen Que on the verge of tears, Shiyi felt a bit sorry for him and tried to comfort him, “The master has already sent people over. He’s just unconscious, still breathing. Shen Luo is a good person, he’ll be fine.”

Shen Que nodded, but his face remained pale.

If something really happened to Shen Luo, he would hate himself. If it weren’t for saving him, Shen Luo wouldn’t have been sent to Western Sichuan, wouldn’t have to suffer like this.

*

In the afternoon, it snowed, falling thick and fast.

Many people in the mansion had taken leave to visit their families, leaving them short-handed. The snow on the roads couldn’t be cleared in time, so Shen Que had to trudge through the snow, one step at a time.

His back hurt, and his front hurt too. As he walked, the fabric of his clothes rubbed against his wounds, making him uncomfortable and embarrassed.

The front was too small, and Xie Shiguan couldn’t get in, so he held him and rubbed hard, making that place red and swollen. Even relieving himself hurt, so today, even though he was very thirsty, he only dared to sip a little water.

Afraid of others noticing, Shen Que straightened his back, trying to make his gait appear normal.

When he reached the outside of the sleeping hall, a maid suddenly stepped forward to stop him, “Sir, the Little Prince is currently entertaining guests and cannot be disturbed.”

Shen Que stood under the eaves, looking inside. He could only see the flickering candlelight and occasionally hear laughter. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.

He hesitated for a moment, and a name suddenly came to mind—

Yu Kongqing.

The maid saw his dazed expression and quickly whispered, “Sir, please go back.”

A sense of bitterness welled up in his heart, a mix of confusion, grievance, sadness, and worry… a myriad of emotions, like a swarm of bloodthirsty ants biting at his heart.

Shen Que refused to leave, standing like a piece of wood in front of the door. Before the maid could speak to dissuade him, he raised his hand and knocked on the door.

The room fell silent, deathly quiet.

“Come in.” It was the Prince’s voice.

Shen Que pushed the door open and went in, seeing several people inside, all guests of the Prince’s Mansion, dressed in fine clothes and long robes, all young and handsome.

And in the Prince’s arms was a man, lazily leaning against Xie Shiguan. When he saw someone enter, he didn’t move, like a delicate and luxurious porcelain.

It was Yu Kongqing.

“Didn’t I give you all a day off today?” Xie Shiguan played with an ice-blue glass wine cup in his hand, speaking indifferently, “Why aren’t you resting in your courtyard, what are you doing here?”

Yu Kongqing smiled, leaning over to pour wine for Xie Shiguan, making a playful remark, “Perhaps Shen Que is born to toil and can’t sit still in his room.”

After all, he didn’t dare to speak too harshly in front of the Prince. Though he said “born to toil,” in his heart, he was calling him “cheap.”

Xie Shiguan poured the wine into Yu Kongqing’s mouth, then glanced at Shen Que, “Since you’re here, why not sit down and have a drink with us?”

As he spoke, the guests and advisors naturally chimed in.

Unexpectedly, Shen Que shook his head, standing there like a piece of wood. He couldn’t drink, and besides, he wasn’t there to drink.

He refused to sit, and Xie Shiguan wasn’t angry. He leaned back, slightly tilting his head to ask, “Are you here for Shen Luo?”

Shen Que nodded, just about to raise his hand, when Xie Shiguan spoke again, “He’s not dead, and Shen Xiangzhi has already sent people over. Even if he dies, there are others to take his place, it’s not your concern.”

His request hadn’t even been voiced before Xie Shiguan casually dismissed it.

“But…” He raised his hand, then lowered it again.

But Shen Luo was his senior brother, his only confidant in the mansion. The Prince bought his new life for five taels of silver, but it was Shen Xiangzhi and Shen Luo who gave him warmth and care.

But what did it matter? He was insignificant, as worthless as grass. Could his reluctance and unwillingness count as a reason?

He lowered his eyes, slowly kneeling before Xie Shiguan, under the gaze of everyone, firmly signing, “I beg the Little Prince to allow me to go to Western Sichuan.”

Sitting at the head, Xie Shiguan seemed a bit displeased, his cold gaze falling on him, “Have you ever left the Capital City in your life? Do you think you can just go to Western Sichuan as you please?”

Shen Que’s eyes held no hesitation, only stubbornness.

Seeing his stubborn look made Xie Shiguan angry, his tone cold and hard, leaving no room for hope, “What can a mute like you do there? Isn’t it chaotic enough already? Go back to your Lan Sheng Courtyard.”

Kneeling on the ground, Shen Que raised his hand, seemingly wanting to say more, but Xie Shiguan didn’t want to see it. He kicked over the table in front of him, nearly hitting Shen Que.

The guests all shrank back, and Yu Kongqing, who was closest, was so frightened he almost jumped up.

“I told you to get out,” Xie Shiguan’s voice was cold, “Are you deaf?”

If the Yan Prince was truly angry, not only Shen Que, but no one in the mansion would have a good time.

Shen Que, afraid of implicating others, gritted his teeth, bowed deeply to Xie Shiguan, then got up and left.

Xie Shiguan was annoyed, but couldn’t help staring at his back, watching him leave.

The little mute walked with a slight limp, looking a bit uncoordinated, but still trying hard to keep his back straight. Through the window, Xie Shiguan watched him, seeing how thin and frail he looked against the vast expanse of white snow.