Xiao Qi’s skin was still far too thin. Since that incident, Yan Qushan had noticed the prince was deliberately avoiding him. Whenever they were alone, Xiao Qi would make up excuses to send him away, seemingly determined to keep his distance.
Where he had once been inseparable from Yan Qushan, Xiao Qi had recently parted ways with him. Even after school, he would leave in a hurry, unwilling to walk together.
Naturally, this change did not go unnoticed by those with observant eyes.
Xue Gongwen was overjoyed by the situation. He secretly speculated that Yan Qushan must have committed some blunder to make Xiao Qi grow tired of him. Seeing the Second Prince avoid him so desperately, Xue suspected that within a few days, the fellow would have to return to the Yan Manor in disgrace.
Taking advantage of the fact that Xiao Qi was alone, Xue Gongwen seized the opportunity and put all his effort into currying favor.
Being slow-witted, he could not think of any fresh ideas. He only knew how to offer treasures, presenting the curios in his possession like offerings. However, Xiao Qi did not care for such things and met him with a look of loathing every time.
The youth swiped a pair of cloisonné coral earrings out of Xue’s hand, sending them crashing to the ground. He shouted in anger, “Xue Gongwen, how dare you! You have the audacity to offer me a woman’s trinkets. What is your intention?!”
The coral earrings were his mother’s favorites, and Xue had begged her relentlessly to get them. He had hoped to see a bit of a smile from Xiao Qi, but he had backfired spectacularly. He immediately tried to explain in a panic, “Your Highness, please calm your anger! I, I only…”
“You only what?!” Xiao Qi’s chest heaved as he pointed at him and scolded him mercilessly. “Fine! You actually dare to use such things to mock me! You dog, you… you…!”
“Scoundrel! Get out! I never want to see you again!”
Xiao Qi already had a poor opinion of him because of Yan Qushan. Furthermore, he hated it when others looked down on him for being a ger. Since Xue Gongwen repeatedly offended his sensibilities, Xiao Qi truly detested him to the bone.
Xue Gongwen, however, had a resilient mindset. He felt miserable for a while but then comforted himself with the thought that a beauty’s smile was worth a thousand pieces of gold. He dressed himself up garishly and ran off to invite Xiao Qi to the Imperial Garden to admire the flowers.
Xiao Qi brushed him off with a flick of his sleeve, unwilling to say a single word. Yet, the blockhead mistook his silence for consent and followed happily behind, much to Xiao Qi’s annoyance.
Even the Third Prince, Xiao Hong, could not stand the sight of it. He grumbled in dissatisfaction, “Unbelievable! He follows Xiao Qi around all day. Does he still remember whose study companion he actually is?!”
Yan Qushan knew that Xiao Qi was not likely to fall for Xue Gongwen. However, he knew Xiao Qi was soft-hearted and feared their relationship might eventually soften, making it troublesome for him to intervene later.
Moreover, being young at the time, Yan Qushan was not as steady as he would become in the future. After enduring this for half a year, he reached his limit. He decided to help Xiao Qi resolve this inner conflict so they could return to being as close as before.
At the first light of dawn, Yan Qushan rose early. Once dressed neatly, he headed toward the side pavilion where Xiao Qi resided.
Since there was no school that day, Xiao Qi was still sound asleep. The servants guarding the door were so drowsy they could barely keep their eyes open. Hearing footsteps approaching, they forced themselves to look up. Recognizing a familiar face, they called out, “Young Master Yan.”
Yan Qushan gave them a slight nod. “His Highness instructed me yesterday to wake him. I must trouble you two to step aside.”
The eunuch on night watch did not suspect anything. He yawned and moved out of the way. Yan Qushan stepped toward the bed and pulled back the curtains, revealing Xiao Qi asleep on the couch.
Though it was a rare chance to sleep in, he did not seem to be resting peacefully. His body trembled slightly, his face was flushed, and his red lips were parted. Yan Qushan frowned, thinking he might be unwell. Just as he reached out to check his forehead, Xiao Qi’s eyes snapped open, and he gasped for breath.
He clutched a corner of the quilt, taking a moment to calm himself. When he looked up and met Yan Qushan’s eyes, he let out a loud “Ah!” as if he had been startled.
Immediately after, his face flushed with a strange shade of red, a mix of embarrassment and bashfulness. His thin back arched like a cat that had its tail stepped on. He pushed Yan Qushan with a bit of force. “What are you doing here!”
“Go away! I need to get dressed!” he said fiercely.
Yan Qushan smiled gently and picked up the clothes Xiao Qi had left by his side, preparing to drape them over him. “Then let me dress Your Highness.”
To his surprise, Xiao Qi’s reaction grew even more intense. He rolled to the other side of the bed and, taking advantage of the moment, jumped out while wrapped in the quilt. With his head buried inside, his voice sounded muffled. “I, I need to bathe! I do not want you here!”
With that, he scurried behind the screen. Looking at the faint silhouette, Yan Qushan knew he was frantically changing clothes. After a moment of thought, he realized why Xiao Qi was acting this way.
When Xiao Qi finally emerged while tying his belt, he saw Yan Qushan still waiting in the room. At the sight of that face, the scenes from his dream rushed back into his mind with startling clarity. With reddened ears, he asked, “Why are you still here?”
Yan Qushan sighed. “Your Highness has been avoiding me for days. I am heartbroken and only wish to have a proper talk with you.”
Xiao Qi pushed him aside in a fit of embarrassment and anger. “What is there to talk about? I simply do not want to see you! If you know what is good for you, get out of my way!”
Yan Qushan tried to speak again: “But…”
Xiao Qi glared at him. “You are not leaving, are you?”
Whenever he was with Yan Qushan, his whole body felt strange. At that moment, his only thought was to get away. He found an opening, slipped past Yan Qushan, and ran out of the room without looking back. “Then do not block my path!”
He put all his energy into escaping from Yan Qushan’s side. He ran out of the Hall of Received Grace in one breath and only relaxed when he saw that Yan Qushan had not pursued him. He then walked along the palace path in a daze.
Running away was a coward’s act. But since he had made a fool of himself that day, seeing Yan Qushan always made his mind feel like a tangled mess. The events of that day kept resurfacing in his thoughts, and yesterday, yesterday he had even had that sort of erotic and debauched dream. Even, even his undergarments were…
His mind was so preoccupied that he did not watch where he was going. He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. Looking up, he realized he had bumped into the palace attendants carrying a sedan chair.
The attendant lost his footing from the impact, causing the sedan to jolt. In that instant, Xiao Qi recognized the pattern embroidered on the chair: it was the Phoenix Carriage.
A woman’s weak cry of surprise came from inside. Then, a maid in expensive clothing stepped forward, covering her nose and mouth with a handkerchief while her eyes darted around. “Who is so rude?”
She then saw Xiao Qi standing to the side and looked him up and down haughtily, as if she were the master. “Who are you? You have collided with Her Ladyship’s carriage! Kneel down!”
Xiao Qi steadied himself and spoke, “I am the Second Prince, Xiao Qi.”
A flash of panic crossed the maid’s face. Realizing he was not someone she could deal with as she pleased, she nudged the arm of the attendant. “Hurry up and move.”
Before Xiao Qi could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard a woman’s delicate voice from inside the carriage: “Wait.”
A slender, fair hand pulled back the curtain, revealing the face of a charming beauty. For some reason, her features bore a fifty percent resemblance to Consort Lan. This was the most favored concubine in the palace, Li Chongrong.
Li Chongrong looked at him, tapping her fingers lightly against the window frame. An imperceptible cold smile appeared on her lips. “So it is the Second Prince. How rare.”
Li Chongrong was one of the Empress’s people and had always been at odds with Consort Lan. Naturally, she saw Consort Lan’s child as a thorn in her side. What a small world, Xiao Qi thought.
Still, he followed protocol and bowed to her. “Greetings, Li Chongrong.”
He expected that once she had put on enough of an act, she would be satisfied and let him go. To his surprise, Li Chongrong seemed determined to give him a hard time today. Not satisfied with the bow, she said, “The Second Prince has always been clever, but how did you make a mistake today?”
Xiao Qi’s expression was already sour. “Please enlighten me, Chongrong.”
Li Chongrong laughed softly. “When the Second Prince sees me, why does he only offer a bow instead of a kowtow? Could it be that Consort Lan has been so negligent in her discipline that the Second Prince has forgotten the rules?”
She clicked her tongue. “How pitiable.”
She was implying that Xiao Qi had been born but not raised properly and did not know his manners.
Xiao Qi looked at her coldly, having no intention of doing as she wished. “Your rank is below my mother’s. I am not required to perform a kowtow to you.”
“Perhaps it is Lady Chongrong who has forgotten the rules,” he said with a smirk, looking at her sarcastically.
Li Chongrong had come from the Yeting and, according to the rules, could not be promoted to a primary position. Reaching the rank of Chongrong among the nine concubines was the greatest fortune of her life. By saying this, Xiao Qi was essentially slapping her in the face without mercy.
As expected, Li Chongrong narrowed her eyes, making her phoenix eyes look incredibly sharp. She remained silent for a moment before throwing the teacup in her hand directly at Xiao Qi. The cup shattered at his feet, and the tea splashed onto his robes.
“What a sharp-tongued Second Prince.” Her fingers gripped the curtain tightly, clearly incensed. “You actually dare to talk back to me?”
“So, what if Consort Lan’s rank is above mine?” She looked at Xiao Qi with malice. “She is merely a concubine despised by the Emperor! What does it matter if she dies in the depths of the palace?!”
“I must make you remember this lesson,” she shouted, a cruel glint flashing in her eyes. “Pei’er, go and show him my power!”
The maid who had stepped forward earlier replied, “Yes.”
She walked up to Xiao Qi and, before he could react, slapped him twice with great force.
His head was snapped to the side. With just those blows, bright red finger marks appeared on his face. However, Li Chongrong was still not appeased. She pointed at him and shrieked, “Continue hitting him until he is submissive!”
Slap, slap, slap.
That beautiful face, which mirrored Consort Lan’s, became heavily swollen. A trail of blood seeped from the corner of Xiao Qi’s mouth. Li Chongrong only ordered the maid to stop once the boy’s mouth was filled with the thick taste of blood.
After venting her massive temper, she smiled coldly. “Since I am a consort of your Imperial Father, I am also your mother. Since you lack discipline, let me teach you well!”
“Take him away! Make him kneel in the Hall of Eternal Happiness for six hours. If he does not complete the time, see how I punish you in the future!” After saying this, she gave him a vicious glare, then sat haughtily in her carriage as the palace attendants carried her away.