It was the end of the Xu hour when Ling Qiyan returned to the manor. The moonlight had already climbed over the branches. The autumn night was cold, and there was even frost.

In the main courtyard, Wen Ying was still kneeling on the ground, as if he hadn't moved at all. His hair and eyelashes were covered with a thin layer of frost.

Jiang Lin whispered a report to Ling Qiyan, saying that he had knelt there for the whole day without a drop of water.

"If he wants to kneel, let him kneel." Ling Qiyan threw down these words and strode into the room. As he passed by Wen Ying, he didn't even spare him a glance.

After entering the room, Ling Qiyan was served by the servants to change his clothes and then went to the bathhouse to bathe. It was already the Hai hour.

He walked to the window and took a look. Wen Ying was still kneeling outside, his back straight, his eyes lowered, his expression unreadable.

Ling Qiyan was displeased. He had just defended this stinking scholar in front of others, but when he thought about what he had done to him, he couldn't suppress his rage.

After looking at him for a while, Ling Qiyan ordered Jiang Lin, "Go tell him to get his ass in here. And all those who were serving in the room last night, including yourself, go and receive twenty strokes of the plank."

Jiang Lin cried out in his heart but accepted the order.

Wen Ying got up and entered the room. Ling Qiyan sat on the couch and looked at him coldly. When he saw his footsteps were slightly unsteady as he crossed the threshold, he finally felt a little better. He had thought this person was made of iron, but it turned out he was just a mortal of flesh and blood.

Wen Ying knelt down before the couch again. Ling Qiyan asked coldly, "You knelt here all day without eating or drinking. Are you trying to act pitiful so this prince will take pity on you?"

Wen Ying looked up at him. "If this student does this, will Your Highness be willing to take pity on me?"

Ling Qiyan was so angry he kicked out.

However, he was not wearing shoes or socks at the moment. There were still water droplets on his fair, tender feet that had not been wiped clean after his bath. It brushed against Wen Ying's chest with practically no force.

Wen Ying looked down, his gaze flickering. He remembered how this pair of feet had stepped on his legs and wrapped around his waist last night, and his throat unconsciously bobbed up and down.

Ling Qiyan, of course, did not know what he was thinking at the moment. His toes tapped his chest again. "Are you really not afraid of death?"

"What's the use of being afraid?" Wen Ying asked back in a hoarse voice. "If Your Highness really wants this student to die, if I'm afraid, will Your Highness let me go?"

"Twisting words." Ling Qiyan was annoyed. He just felt frustrated. This person knelt for a whole day to apologize to him, seemingly bowing his head, but in fact, his expression showed not a trace of remorse. How could this be?

He wanted to beat the man up and throw him out of the manor, but on second thought, it seemed that even that wouldn't relieve the hatred in his heart.

He couldn't let this boy off so easily. He had to keep him by his side and slowly torture him.

Thinking this, Ling Qiyan's gaze turned to Wen Ying again. Remembering what that dog Ling Qiyu had said, he tapped his chest with the tip of his foot again. "You dare to curry favor with the Crown Prince behind my back? You have some nerve. What, are you planning to abandon this prince and climb a higher branch?"

Wen Ying guessed that he must have heard something from the Crown Prince and explained calmly, "This student's only backer is Your Highness. I do not covet any higher branch."

"Heh."

Ling Qiyan sneered. Wen Ying stared into his eyes and said seriously, "Your Highness, this student sincerely admires you. I do not seek anything else, only to stay by Your Highness's side. Your Highness need not pay any mind to what others say, it is surely not true. Even if this student did say such things, it was merely an expedient measure to fool people."

Ling Qiyan's pupils shrank, catching the key word. "Admires this prince?"

"Yes." Wen Ying admitted frankly.

Ling Qiyan just wanted to spit at him. Is this the way to admire someone, by taking advantage of them and committing indecent acts? Does he have no shame?

"Get out. Wait until this prince has figured out how to punish you."

Wen Ying did not insist on staying and annoying Ling Qiyan. He took his leave.

Ling Qiyan was annoyed. After Wen Ying left, his stomach full of anger flared up again. He stood up and paced a couple of circles, then shouted, "Someone!"

Jiang Lin came in with his head bowed. He had just received the plank and hadn't even applied medicine yet. He walked with a limp, looking quite miserable.

Ling Qiyan glanced at him sideways. "Go to the pharmacy later and get some medicine for yourself, and give some to everyone else."

Jiang Lin quickly thanked him for his kindness.

Ling Qiyan had his temper tantrums, but he was indeed good to his servants. If it were anyone else, for what happened last night, they might have killed them all to vent their anger.

Ling Qiyan raised his chin and motioned to Jiang Lin again, "Find two beautiful maids for this prince. Not the ones who are always around me."

Jiang Lin, who knew Ling Qiyan's mind well, immediately understood. His Highness was finally ready to break his fast.

In the huge manor, besides the master Ling Qiyan, there were hundreds of people serving him. Jiang Lin quickly found two very beautiful and lovely seamstresses from the embroidery room and brought them before Ling Qiyan.

Ling Qiyan leaned against the couch, his face expressionless as he glanced at the two seamstresses standing side by side in front of him, looking flustered. He pointed casually, and Jiang Lin left the chosen one and took the other away.

After keeping the person, Ling Qiyan didn't move or even speak again. He just leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes, as if he had fallen asleep.

The seamstress looked nervous, with a faint hint of excitement, but she didn't dare to make any rash moves. She continued to stand there with her head bowed, waiting for Ling Qiyan's orders.

After what seemed like a long time, she heard the lampwick pop and jumped in fright, trembling subconsciously. Only then did she carefully raise her eyes and look at the person on the couch.

Prince Yu's handsome face had a touch of lingering softness in the firelight. Especially with his eyes closed like this, he lacked the sharp and imposing aura he had when seen from afar on ordinary days. Instead, he had a kind of gentle feeling, which made one's heart flutter even more.

In this Prince Yu's Manor, there was probably no woman who did not admire Prince Yu.

Even without a name or status, they were willing to follow him.

The seamstress's heart stirred. She boldly took a step forward and knelt by the couch, saying softly, "Your Highness, let this servant serve you."

Ling Qiyan slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to look at the woman kneeling by the couch with her eyes downcast, sizing her up absentmindedly.

She was indeed good-looking. In his manor, she could be ranked among the top few.

A moment later, he pinched her chin with two fingers and asked, "Do you know how to serve this prince?"

The seamstress nodded, her face red, and reached out to untie the sash of his inner robe.

Perhaps she was too nervous. The seamstress's usually nimble fingers became unusually clumsy in front of Ling Qiyan. After fumbling for a long time, not only did she fail to untie the sash, but she pulled it into a dead knot.

The seamstress's face grew even redder. She hurriedly begged Ling Qiyan for forgiveness. Ling Qiyan didn't say anything, but took her hand and squeezed it lightly.

Since he was young, he had squeezed the hands of countless maids and servant girls around him. Besides being soft and smooth, there seemed to be no other feeling. The seamstress in front of him was the same. She did needlework, so her fingers were a bit more slender, but that was it.

Ling Qiyan thought to himself, 'that poor scholar's hands are still better to touch. He even knows how to rub my palm, it's very comfortable. Even the boldest of these girls wouldn't dare to do that.'

Thinking this, Ling Qiyan felt bored again and let go of the seamstress's hand.

That thing of his indeed had no reaction at all.

Last night, although he was so drunk his consciousness was unclear, those vague and real sensations seemed to have been carved into his body. He was indeed satisfied, more satisfied than any time Wen Ying had helped him with other methods, but...

Ling Qiyan felt annoyed. He didn't find this seamstress as pleasing to the eye as before. He jerked his chin towards the door, "You can go."

The seamstress's eyes instantly filled with tears, and she looked at him with red eyes. "Your Highness, why are you sending this servant away? Is it because I'm too clumsy and didn't serve Your Highness well?"

Ling Qiyan said with a headache, "This prince didn't even do anything to you, what are you crying for? Alright, go. Go find that Eunuch Jiang for a reward. You can pick whatever you want from the storeroom."

The seamstress sobbed a couple of times. Seeing that Ling Qiyan had really lost interest in her, she had no choice but to get up and leave.

Jiang Lin carefully shuffled in and asked Ling Qiyan in a low voice, "Your Highness, was the one just now not good at serving? Should this servant get you two better ones?"

Ling Qiyan waved his hand listlessly. "Forget it, this prince is tired. Have someone come serve me for the night. You're not needed here. Go apply your medicine, don't be an eyesore."

Jiang Lin acknowledged with a "yes, yes" and thanked Ling Qiyan for his kindness again.

At the end of the Hai hour, Wen Ying returned to his residence. After kneeling for a whole day, both of his knees were bruised and swollen. He staggered into the room.

After sitting down, a page boy brought him some water. Wen Ying casually applied a hot cloth to his knees for a while, ate some food to fill his stomach, and then collapsed wearily on the couch, closing his eyes to hide the gloom within them.

When he opened them again, his dark, deep eyes were placid. He took out the jade thumb ring hidden in his bosom, held it up to his eyes, and looked at it intently, his fingers caressing it finely.

The sweet, intoxicating scenes from last night surfaced once again. After a moment of daze, Wen Ying lowered his hand and closed his eyes wearily once more.