The cool night was dewy white, the autumn frost was light and cold, and only a single dying flame remained on the candelabrum on the desk.

Wen Ying had long since put down his brush. With one hand pillowed behind his head, his legs were covered with a fur blanket Ling Qiyan had someone make for him from silver fox pelts. He leaned quietly against the wall of his cell, the jadeite thumb ring held in his other hand. He raised it before his eyes, gazing at it intently and stroking it gently.

All sorts of sounds occasionally rose from the surroundings. On this final night, some had fallen soundly asleep, some were wailing and sobbing, and others were laughing maniacally, as if they had gone mad.

Only Wen Ying's mind was unprecedentedly calm, as if isolated from all those sounds. In his vacant thoughts, the only one he longed for was that single person.

At the end of the hour of Shen, Ling Qiyan came out from the palace. Two days prior, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, he had entered the palace for a family banquet and stayed for two nights in the Palace of Tranquil Longevity. Only today did the Empress Dowager let him leave.

As he sat in his carriage resting with his eyes closed, he recalled that today was the final day of the last session of the Autumn Imperial Examination. That poor scholar should be coming back. A thought stirred in Ling Qiyan's mind.

The pitiful poor scholar, he even spent the Mid-Autumn Festival in the examination grounds.

“Stop the carriage.”

Ling Qiyan's voice came from within the carriage. After a slight pause, he ordered, “To the Examination Hall.”

At the third quarter of the hour of You, after the sound of the bell and drum, the main gates of the Examination Hall finally swung open.

The candidates came out one after another. Most were utterly exhausted. Some were dazed like wandering spirits, needing to be supported as they walked. Others collapsed to the ground, unconscious, right after leaving the Examination Hall.

The carriage of Prince Yu's Manor was parked on the side of the opposite street. Ling Qiyan leaned against the window, casually observing the myriad states of humanity, until that tall and upright figure walked out of the Examination Hall's main gate.

Wen Ying was still the most outstanding one in the crowd. Although his face showed fatigue, his demeanor remained composed and his steps were steady, revealing not a hint of weakness.

Ling Qiyan propped his head on one hand, a smile playing on his lips as he watched him slowly approach, as if admiring some pleasing treasure.

Wen Ying walked to the side of the carriage and looked up at Ling Qiyan, who was gazing at him from within with a languid posture and smiling eyes. Bathed in the glow of the city's lights, Prince Yu no longer seemed so high and mighty, so unattainable. He now seemed to have an air of the mortal world about him.

“This student pays his respects to Your Highness.”

Wen Ying lowered his eyes, suppressing the emotions surging in his heart. Hidden within his hoarse voice was an imperceptible tremor.

Ling Qiyan, oblivious, asked with a smile, “Poor scholar, did you do well on the exam?”

“Thanks to Your Highness’s blessing.”

“Can you win the title of Jieyuan?”

“It shall be as Your Highness wishes.”

Ling Qiyan loved this confidence of his. He beckoned with a finger in satisfaction. “Get in the carriage.”

Wen Ying sat down in the carriage. Ling Qiyan seemed to have completely forgotten that he had been angry with him just a few days ago. He reached out and kneaded Wen Ying's slightly thinner face, clucking his tongue. “So pitiful. In just a few days, you've lost a whole circle of weight. You haven't been eating or sleeping well, have you? This Prince will have you properly nourished when we get back.”

Wen Ying allowed his mischievous paw to grope all over his face and thanked him in a low voice.

Ling Qiyan's unrestrained and cheerful laughter was right by his ear, making his heart soften.

Back at Prince Yu's Manor, Ling Qiyan kept him for dinner. Throughout the meal, his eyes kept darting over Wen Ying's face and body. He found him pleasing to the eye, yet was also a bit disgusted by his grimy appearance from not having bathed for days. As soon as dinner was over, he rushed Wen Ying off to wash up.

But he didn't let him leave, instructing Jiang Lin to take Wen Ying to his own personal bathing pool.

Ling Qiyan was indeed something of a neat freak. He never allowed outsiders to use his bathing pool. This was the very first time he had generously let someone else in.

Jiang Lin secretly marveled at the extent of Wen Ying's favor. This brat had done that to His Highness, yet His Highness still doted on and indulged him so. This was truly quite unexpected.

If this were a young lady, she would probably have become the proper mistress of this manor.

But then again, if it were a young lady, how could she have committed insubordination and bullied His Highness? Perhaps His Highness just likes someone so unconventional.

As Jiang Lin's thoughts ran wild, he had someone lead Wen Ying into the bath chamber. Wen Ying showed not the slightest bit of nervousness or discomfort from being overwhelmed by favor. He calmly removed his clothes, sat down in the pool, closed his eyes, and relaxed his mind.

In the room, Ling Qiyan sat cross-legged on the couch drinking tea, a jumble of thoughts popping into his head. Halfway through his tea, Jiang Lin returned and told him that the poor scholar was already bathing, had not asked for anyone to help scrub his back, and had sent everyone out.

“Did you have people neglect him?”

Jiang Lin hurriedly said, “This servant wouldn't dare.”

Ling Qiyan set down his teacup and licked his lips. “...This Prince will go take a look.”

Wen Ying sat quietly in the bathing pool, his eyes slightly closed, completely still.

Only upon hearing footsteps did he slowly open his eyes.

Ling Qiyan stood at the edge of the pool, looking down at the person within.

He saw his long, wet hair spread out, his bare upper body revealing broad shoulders upon which water droplets still rolled. Amidst the rising steam, his expression was somewhat indistinct, but that pair of dark, deep eyes was currently meeting his own scrutinizing gaze.

Beneath the calm facade, it seemed to hide a deep pool about to boil, scorching hot.

Ling Qiyan suddenly felt that the way this brat was looking at him was as if he wanted to tear off his clothes and devour him whole. On that messy night, although he had been too drunk to think clearly, he remembered that Wen Ying's eyes had looked at him just like this.

Ling Qiyan was a little displeased.

This brat actually still dared to have ideas about him. Truly, outrageously audacious.

When Prince Yu was displeased, he felt like kicking someone. He kicked off his shoes and socks, extended a foot into the pool to poke Wen Ying's shoulder, and berated, “You'd better behave for this Prince, do you hear?”

Wen Ying looked at him, his gaze falling on the round toes that were rubbing from his own shoulder to his collarbone. He paused, then silently took a step back.

Ling Qiyan subconsciously followed him forward, his foot slipped, and after a cry of alarm, he unexpectedly tumbled forward into the bathing pool.

Wen Ying caught him with both hands.

Ling Qiyan fell into his arms with a great splash.

“What are you doing!”

Ling Qiyan was soaked to the skin, his face drenched with water. Fury surged in his eyes. “You dare to trifle with this Prince! What great nerve you have!”

“This student was bathing. Why did Your Highness come in?” Wen Ying asked him calmly.

Ling Qiyan was at a loss for words, his face flushing red. “This is this Prince's manor! This is this Prince's bathing pool! This Prince can come in whenever he wants!”

“How is Your Highness’s behavior any different from that of a lecher?”

Ling Qiyan swung a slap at him, but Wen Ying caught his wrist, and he did not succeed.

Wen Ying's gaze appeared even darker amidst the steam. He held his hand, his expression cold and hard, not yielding an inch.

Ling Qiyan was furious. “You still dare to call this Prince a lecher? Who is the lecher? Who did that beastly thing to this Prince?! The place you hurt me ached for three days before it got better!”

Wen Ying frowned. Seeing his expression, Ling Qiyan's eyes grew redder with anger. “This Prince is going to castrate you!”

Wen Ying ignored him, released his hand, and suddenly stood up. His naked body was thus completely exposed to Ling Qiyan's eyes.

His gaze landed on a certain thing that was almost poking him in the face, and the rest of the curses Ling Qiyan was about to utter were choked back. His eyes darted about, and his face turned beet red.

Wen Ying had already stepped out of the bathing pool and was wiping his body with a cloth towel.

Ling Qiyan was still stunned in the pool, his gaze unconsciously falling on the back view of his broad shoulders, narrow hips, and strong waist. His throat bobbed up and down without him realizing it.

Wen Ying put on his inner robe. When he turned around, he saw Ling Qiyan had buried his head in the pool water and was blowing bubbles. He couldn't help but frown and reminded him in a deep voice, “Your Highness, this student has just bathed in this water. Don't you find it dirty to be soaking in it?”

Ling Qiyan abruptly raised his head, breaking the surface of the water. His eyes were red as he glared fiercely at him.

After a brief stalemate, Wen Ying extended a hand to him. “Get up.”

An hour later, a scrubbed-clean Ling Qiyan was nestled on the couch, studying a chess manual with his feet up. Wen Ying sat beside him, massaging his calves and the soles of his feet. The delicate Prince Yu himself had said his feet and legs were sore and wanted him to rub them.

The massage felt good to Ling Qiyan. He placed the sole of his foot on Wen Ying's thigh and narrowed his eyes in contentment.

A glint appeared in Wen Ying's eyes, and he deliberately increased the pressure of his hands.

Ling Qiyan had lost all interest in the chess manual. He fiddled with a chess piece in his hand and casually asked Wen Ying, “Poor scholar, were you lying to this Prince? You already knew about those bedroom matters, didn't you? And you still tricked this Prince into letting you see the booklets.”

The more Ling Qiyan thought about it, the more annoyed he became. The brat's practiced techniques didn't seem like those of a virgin at all. Why would he have any rare interest in looking at picture albums?

And he had actually believed this brat was cold-natured, pure-hearted, and without desire. He had eagerly sent those things to him, all for his benefit. This was going too far.

Wen Ying glanced at him and said flatly, “No.”

“Really?”

“Your Highness's picture albums were good teachers.”

Hearing this, Ling Qiyan became even angrier and kicked him. “You said before that they were too vulgar. You were just tricking this Prince!”

Wen Ying held down his misbehaving leg, pulled it onto his lap, and continued to massage it. “Your Highness, calm your anger.”

This anger couldn't be calmed. Ling Qiyan snorted, “Then are you exceptionally gifted, or do you just learn things too quickly?”

“This student learns everything quickly,” Wen Ying admitted frankly.

Ling Qiyan was instantly speechless. ...What a shamelessly boastful poor scholar!

Wen Ying didn't want to continue this conversation and changed the subject. “Did Your Highness just come from the palace today? Have you been in the palace these past few days?”

“Mhm, I went to the palace for that blasted Mid-Autumn family banquet. It was incredibly boring.” Hearing him bring it up, Ling Qiyan complained offhandedly. He actually didn't want to enter the palace at all. Every time he went, there was always someone who found him disagreeable. It was utterly dull.

Now that his official post had been stripped, he was an idle person once again. Even the Empress Dowager couldn't say much on his behalf, which he was actually happy about, as it gave him peace and quiet.

It was just that dog Ling Qiyu, who insisted on making him unhappy. At the family banquet two days ago, he tried to get close to him with a fake smile, but Ling Qiyan gave him the cold shoulder. Later, that beast seemed to have drunk too much. His words carried a sinister undertone, reminding him that now his father didn't dote on him and his mother didn't love him, and his grandmother, the old lady, was getting old and couldn't protect him for many more years. Sooner or later, he would have to bow his head before him, the Crown Prince. After hearing this, Ling Qiyan gave a cold laugh and poured the wine in his cup directly onto the other's face.

Unfortunately, the Empress witnessed this scene. Lady Shen flew into a rage, accusing him of not knowing his place. He cursed Ling Qiyu for being disrespectful to an elder brother. That dog Ling Qiyu wiped the wine from his face and immediately put on a different expression, explaining on his behalf that they were just playing around after drinking too much. Ling Qiyan did not appreciate his gesture, showing utter disdain. Even the Emperor grew angry upon seeing this. In the end, it was the Empress Dowager who smoothed things over and stopped them from causing a bigger scene.

For this, he was later scolded by the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was naturally looking out for him, advising him to yield to Ling Qiyu a little, as he was the Crown Prince after all. But Ling Qiyan couldn't stand him, nor did he want to.

Seeing Ling Qiyan's indignant expression, Wen Ying guessed he had been wronged in the palace again. He gently squeezed his sole to soothe him. “Your Highness need not think about those unpleasant things. If they do not like you, it is their loss.”

Hearing this, Ling Qiyan shot him a sidelong glance. This was a novel thing to hear. “Is that so?”

“It is.”

Ling Qiyan was instantly amused. “This Prince likes hearing that. Poor scholar, you're getting better and better at saying sweet things.”

Ling Qiyan didn't notice that every time he called Wen Ying ‘poor scholar,’ the end of his words would curl up in a sticky, sweet way, completely devoid of the contempt and disdain others had when they said it. Especially now, with his flirtatious eyes darting about and his brows raised provocatively, he was truly very alluring.

Wen Ying squeezed him again.

Ling Qiyan closed his eyes and was quiet for a moment before scoffing, “Poor scholar, you're wrong. This Prince doesn't care about them at all. Whether they like this Prince or not has nothing to do with this Prince.”

“Mhm.”

Wen Ying said no more. He knew that with Ling Qiyan's temperament, he didn't need excessive consolation.

At the hour of Hai, Ling Qiyan stretched and yawned, saying he was going to sleep. Wen Ying disturbed him no further and rose to take his leave.

After he had left, Ling Qiyan had the lamps extinguished, dismissed all the servants in the room, and climbed into his bedding to play with his treasures.

He hadn't touched them in a few days, so Ling Qiyan was a little impatient.

But tonight didn't seem to be going well. He played for a long time without finding any pleasure. He tried several different things, but it always felt like something was missing. Ling Qiyan was a bit frustrated. ...What's going on?

He rolled back and forth in bed a couple of times. The more Ling Qiyan thought, the more restless he felt. He closed his eyes, and scenes from the bathing pool earlier surfaced in his mind for no reason, impossible to shake off.

A quarter of an hour later, Ling Qiyan sat up with a blank expression and called out, “Someone, come.”

Jiang Lin entered with a bow, asking cautiously, “What are Your Highness's orders?”

Ling Qiyan gritted his teeth and ordered, “...Go and bring that poor scholar to this Prince.”