In the early hours before dawn, the sky was overcast, and the wind occasionally swept a few flakes of fine snow through the half-open small window. Inside the small room, the charcoal fire was about to burn out, but the person on the bed didn’t feel cold. Lin Xie was bare-chested, with the quilt barely covering his chest, and in his arms was a person curled up.

That person’s black hair was spread out, like black silk covering the smooth and slender back. Lin Xie rested his chin on the fluffy top of his head, the two of them snuggled together, even their soles were soft and warm. Outside, the spring chill was biting, the cold wind howling like knives, but in this moment of the cold night, their closeness brought a fleeting illusion of love between them.

But an illusion is still an illusion, just a mirage, a dream bubble. Even if you don’t pierce it, it will slowly fade away until it disappears completely.

“Is that book interesting?” Lin Xie lazily asked, his fingers twirling a few strands of his hair, slowly winding them around his fingertips.

Shen Que half-opened his eyes, not answering, weak and sleepy, curled up there, even blinking slowly.

“You’re much more enthusiastic tonight than before,” Lin Xie, who had tormented him all night, seemed still full of energy. After playing with his hair, he reached out to pinch the thin flesh on the back of his neck, “Is it because of that book?”

Shen Que covered his ears, not wanting to listen. He thought the heavens were truly blind; Lin Xie should have been a mute, so why was his tongue so nimble?

“People aren’t enthusiastic,” Lin Xie laughed, pulling his hand away, whispering in his ear, “but the body is very eager. Afraid someone would cry, I kindly brought a box of face cream, but now there’s no need to open it.”

Shen Que lifted his head, his face flushed, even his ears red, but he was so sleepy he was about to faint. No matter how hard he glared, the fierceness was pitifully lacking.

“Why are you glaring at me? Did I say anything wrong?” Lin Xie smiled, cupping half of his face, “Aren’t you more wanton than the little singers in the brothels? I can see it clearer than anyone.”

Shen Que had never met anyone like this before, so hateful. Even after sleeping together, he still wouldn’t let him off with his words.

He was so angry his teeth itched, wanting to break free from his embrace, but he was too weak to do so. He gritted his teeth, moved a few inches away, only to be firmly held back in his arms.

Lin Xie took his tiger-head porcelain pillow, leaned on it twice, and found it uncomfortable, so he moved it away, replacing it with the square soft pillow behind Shen Que: “You lie on this every night, how can you sleep?”

“It’s so hard.” He complained.

But when the porcelain pillow was lifted, Lin Xie caught sight of a silk handkerchief pressed underneath, neatly folded. The material of this handkerchief was very good, not something Shen Que would usually use.

He casually shook the handkerchief open, examining it carefully by the candlelight at the edge of the bed. It was a light beige handkerchief, with a pattern of a wild goose playing with a golden carp embroidered in the lower right corner. Lin Xie found it familiar but couldn’t recall where he had seen it before.

Lin Xie held the handkerchief, waving it in front of the half-asleep Shen Que, questioning him, “Mute, you didn’t steal this from some lady, did you?”

When the drowsy Shen Que saw the item clearly, his eyes widened immediately, reaching out to grab it. Seeing this, Lin Xie quickly hid the handkerchief behind him.

“It’s not stolen,” Shen Que hastily signed, “It’s mine…”

Before he could finish, Lin Xie interrupted him, “Of course not, how could a young lady use such a large silk handkerchief? This is obviously a man’s sweat cloth.”

By now, Lin Xie had recognized it. He wasn’t very particular about what he wore or used, often losing a few handkerchiefs here and there. The pattern on this one was quite old, like something he used a few years ago, no wonder he didn’t recognize it at first glance.

But Lin Xie deliberately played dumb, continuing to hold the handkerchief and question him, “You say you don’t have a lover, but tell me, before you met me, how many times did you sleep with this man?”

Shen Que broke out in a cold sweat at his words. More than being misunderstood by Lin Xie, he feared him discovering that this was something the Little Prince had used. In a moment of panic, he admitted to this non-existent “lover.”

“Not many times,” he hesitantly raised his hand, looking at him pleadingly, “Can you give it back to me?”

Shen Que had never been so soft with him before. Lin Xie, seeing this usually stiff person yielding, with his dark eyes wet and bright, felt extremely satisfied, his wicked thoughts rising again, wanting to tease him further.

“Liar,” Lin Xie stared into his eyes, cruelly pinching the handkerchief, then his eyebrows slightly arched, a faint smile appearing on his face, “Isn’t this the Prince’s item? You say the Little Prince is your lover, how come I didn’t know? Have you climbed into his bed?”

Shen Que didn’t expect him to recognize it, his face turning red and white, as if being dunked alternately in ice and hot water.

He didn’t have time to react before Lin Xie continued, “You lecher, you even dare to steal the Prince’s things, pressing it under your pillow every night. If I hadn’t come, what were you planning to do with it at night?”

Shen Que was furious. Picking up the handkerchief and not returning it was his moment of foolishness, but he kept this silk handkerchief just to hold onto some memories, to tuck it under his pillow for a good night’s sleep, never with such filthy thoughts.

His face flushed with anger, his hands signing rapidly, even his wrists trembling, “Give it back!”

Lin Xie deliberately held it high, refusing to give it to him, still saying, “Why should I give it back? Tomorrow I’ll present this handkerchief to the Prince, let him know what kind of thoughts his people have about him.”

Shen Que immediately stopped moving, the red on his face fading a bit, his eyelashes trembling slightly.

Lin Xie saw him slowly raise his hand, shaking his head while signing, “Don’t, don’t present it to the Prince, okay?”

His pleading was soft, the stubbornness in his eyes seemed to have melted away, completely different from the usual wooden and stone-like person.

Lin Xie saw his fear, he was truly afraid. When he had roughly pulled at his undergarments earlier, he hadn’t been this scared. That was at most shame and anger.

But what was he really afraid of?

Afraid that he would actually present the handkerchief to the Prince, afraid of being punished, or…

Lin Xie squinted his eyes, only now belatedly realizing that the reason Shen Que cared so much about this silk handkerchief might be because he harbored some unseemly thoughts about its owner.

Shen Que admired him.

Admired him to the point of secretly keeping his old handkerchief, yet he usually acted so proper, hiding it so deeply without leaving a trace.

Lin Xie couldn’t help but find it amusing. If Shen Que knew he had accidentally climbed into the Prince’s bed, what would he think?

Would he be delighted, or utterly devastated?

Lin Xie wanted to see his reaction, but he didn’t want to confess, not just for his own dignity, but also because he hated trouble.

He didn’t mind being loved by someone, even welcomed someone to be foolish enough to do so. It meant he could gain a devoted follower without coercion, a loyal dog.

But the premise was that the person had to be self-aware, otherwise, if they clung on like a sticky plaster, it would be troublesome.

He hated trouble and loathed sticky, entangled love.

Seeing Lin Xie unmoved, Shen Que crawled forward on his knees, looking up at him with a pleasing gaze.

Lin Xie allowed him to approach, half-lidded eyes watching the little mute clumsily lean in, cautiously brushing against his lips, soft and burning, with a breath carrying a medicinal fragrance, bitter with a hint of sweetness, enticing him forward.

Shen Que barely touched him before trying to retreat, but Lin Xie almost immediately pressed down on him, biting his lips until they were red and bright, only then satisfied.

Shen Que was almost half-leaning on Lin Xie, so he could keenly sense the changes in his body, that terrifying thing suddenly pressing against his waist and abdomen.

Having already endured several hours earlier, his body couldn’t take any more, so Shen Que shook his head in terror, “Tomorrow, wait until tomorrow…”

“Dawn is breaking, it’s already the next day,” Lin Xie smiled, lowering his head slightly, pressing his forehead against his, “If the bottom can’t be used, isn’t there still…”

He deliberately left his words unfinished, raising his hand, lightly tapping his finger on Shen Que’s lips, “Here?”

…

Shen Que wasn’t inexperienced, but the last time Lin Xie had forced him, now he had to take the initiative, which made him feel even more humiliated.

But he had no choice, so he reluctantly complied with him.

Only after it was over, he watched as Lin Xie used that handkerchief to wipe away the filth, Shen Que was so angry he almost cried.

He usually treasured that handkerchief, cherishing it so much he didn’t dare touch it with unclean hands, how could Lin Xie, how could he do this?

Seeing the red at the corners of his eyes, his eyes seemingly brimming with tears, looking heartbroken, Lin Xie instead laughed, not only laughed but reached out to mess up his smooth black hair.

“Why are you glaring at me again?” Lin Xie said shamelessly, “Isn’t it all your fault for not holding it in?”

The next moment, Shen Que suddenly lowered his eyes, Lin Xie thought he was really going to cry, so he leaned in to meet his eyes, “Are you really going to cry?”

Shen Que held back, not letting the tears fall. He didn’t care how he was humiliated, but seeing the Little Prince’s personal item being so desecrated, it broke his heart.

Lin Xie leaned closer and closer, Shen Que couldn’t stand the hot breath on his chin, so he instinctively pushed him away.

Lin Xie, being satisfied at the moment, didn’t show any signs of anger when pushed, even coaxing him, “Isn’t it just a broken handkerchief? I’ll give you another one.”

Shen Que didn’t want to pay him any attention, being pestered by him, he was forced to sign, “Who wants yours!”

Lin Xie laughed, leaning in again, “Next time I’ll steal one from the Prince for you, how about that? If not a handkerchief, I’ll steal his undergarments, silk socks?”

“…” Shen Que wished he were deaf, reaching out to push him again, but this time Lin Xie caught his wrist, so he had to coldly sign, “You’re shameless.”

It was rare to hear a curse from him, Lin Xie’s expression unchanged, instead laughing even more heartily.

“Really don’t want it?” Lin Xie said, “I can really steal it, not lying to you.”

Shen Que shook his head quickly, even if Lin Xie really stole those things, he wouldn’t dare take them. Secretly keeping the Little Prince’s silk handkerchief already made him feel guilty, if he stole those things, it would be utterly disgraceful and vile.

Lin Xie, seeing his expression, arched his eyebrows, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.