“You want to stay at my place?” Lin Ruoxuan hesitated. “This is inappropriate.”
Unlike the past, Ji Ruxue turned eighteen last month and was no longer a child. It seemed unsuitable for an eighteen-year-old prince to spend the night at the residence of an imperial attendant.
Ji Ruxue pressed his lips together and said softly, “Teacher, my manor is cold and desolate, and the few servants there are all eyes for the palace. I do not want to return to that place.”
He spoke so pitifully that Lin Ruoxuan sighed inwardly.
Four years ago, after the Crown Prince went missing, Emperor Chengwu never appointed a new successor. He merely named the Second Prince, Ji Ruhan, as the Prince of Wei, and the Third Prince, Ji Ruhai, as the Prince of Zhao. However, the youngest, Ji Ruxue, was given nothing, merely a meager “Fourth Prince’s Manor,” and was sent out to live on his own.
This followed the trajectory of the original novel exactly. Even though Ji Ruxue excelled in the classics, military strategy, and archery, Emperor Chengwu acted as if he did not notice.
Thinking of this, Lin Ruoxuan stroked Ji Ruxue’s hair, his expression softening. Ji Ruxue immediately pleaded, “Teacher!”
Lin Ruoxuan could do nothing but nod. “Fine.”
“Teacher, you are truly good to me.” Ji Ruxue pressed his lips together and smiled shyly.
His shy expression was incredibly adorable. Lin Ruoxuan felt his heart soften instantly. Forget it, a little spoiling will not hurt. In any case, this child has become much more lively, so I trust he will not grow up twisted.
When they returned to the Lin manor, it was very late. Lin Ruoxuan sniffed his sleeves, which were filled with the cloying, suffocating scent of powder from the Yutao Residence.
“Achoo!” He sneezed, then frowned slightly. “Your Highness, I am going to bathe. You should read for a while.”
“Yes, I will read for a while.” Ji Ruxue nodded obediently.
He watched Lin Ruoxuan leave, and his gaze instantly darkened. He rose, walked to the desk, and began to search without hesitation.
The area beneath the inkstone was bare.
Ji Ruxue narrowed his eyes. Did Teacher put those papers away? He is usually quite careless, so he is surprisingly cautious this time. This means the content of those papers must be significant.
Ji Ruxue pondered for a moment, then cautiously checked outside the window. It was late and quiet, with no one in sight, so he stopped delaying and began to rummage through the cabinets.
Soon, he discovered a hidden compartment beneath the pillow. His heart leaped with joy as he retrieved a bronze box from the compartment.
The box was exquisitely crafted but would not open.
“Why will it not open?” Ji Ruxue squinted, carefully observing the bronze box. Before long, he realized it was a puzzle box; one had to arrange the tiles on the lid to open it.
Such intricate puzzle boxes were incredibly complex to make. In the capital’s Treasure Pavilion, a single box could sell for hundreds of taels of gold. What on earth did Teacher hide?
Ji Ruxue was extremely intelligent, so such a puzzle box did not stump him. Within the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, he had aligned the “Flying Crane” pattern on the lid. With a soft click, the box opened quietly.
Inside, as expected, was a stack of rice paper.
At this moment, Ji Ruxue felt a surprising tension in his heart. He took a deep breath before taking out the palm-sized sheets of paper, and then he froze.
The top sheet was a vivid, lifelike portrait of a young man. The man in the painting had skin like snow, eyes like black lacquer, and a faint smile on his thin lips. He was incredibly handsome.
It was himself.
The portrait was drawn with exquisite care, the features almost breathing. At a glance, one could feel the deep emotion the artist held for the man in the painting.
Ji Ruxue stared fixedly at the portrait, his mind blank.
He did not know how much time had passed before he finally returned to his senses. His heart pounded, and he vaguely began to guess the truth.
He set the portrait aside and hurriedly flipped through the papers. A delicate and soft handwriting caught his eye.
“Missing you is like madness, tossing and turning in endless longing.”
Ji Ruxue stared blankly for a while before continuing to flip through. This thick stack of letters turned out to be love letters. The content was incredibly tender and soulful, filled with deep affection and the resentment of unrequited love.
Ji Ruxue was all too familiar with that delicate handwriting; it was Lin Ruoxuan’s. Although a corner of the stack had been burnt, removing the salutation, the meaning was clear when combined with the portrait. How could Ji Ruxue not understand who these unsent love letters were written to?
Teacher loves me.
Not the ordinary kind of love, but the love between a man and a woman.
Ji Ruxue sat stiffly for a long time, his mind hazy as he thought of many things from the past: the way that man taught him to read by candlelight, the way that man washed his hands to make him soup, and the way that man frowned while looking at him.
Gradually, a warmth began to spread in his chest. His heart beat heavily and rapidly. Thump, thump, thump.
That man loves me.
When did it begin? Four years ago, when that man had not yet turned over a new leaf, he even brought out that ointment and tried to do things to me. Could it be that as I grew into a man, his initial base desires evolved into a deep, profound love?
And although these letters were filled with honeyed, deep affection, they were also tinged with heavy sorrow and suppression. Did that man, after repenting and turning over a new leaf—and considering our delicate status and relationship—suppress his feelings even after he truly fell in love with me?
That must be it.
Ji Ruxue felt lightheaded, his heart floating on the clouds—dizzy, weightless, light, and warm.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the window, followed by a maid’s voice. “Ah Cui, the Chief Eunuch has no hot water left. Go get a pot quickly.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Ji Ruxue snapped back to reality. After a moment of thought, he carefully placed the love letters back into the bronze box. As he closed it, his hand paused upon seeing the burnt corner of the letter, and on an impulse, he pulled one out.
Teacher must think this love is filthy, which is why he wanted to burn these letters, yet he could not bear to do so. But who knows if he will eventually decide to burn them again?
I must keep one.
Besides, I want to look at it more closely.
Ji Ruxue tucked the thin sheet of paper into his inner robes, right against his chest.
He pressed his hand against the paper and closed his eyes. In truth, after seeing Xiao Tunan earlier, he had felt extremely uncomfortable, but that inexplicable feeling had now vanished completely. His heart felt light and soft, as if he were in a dream.
Ji Ruxue closed his eyes for a moment before returning the bronze box to the hidden compartment. Suddenly, he felt an intense urge to see Lin Ruoxuan immediately.
He had to be sure of something.
Lin Ruoxuan scooped a ladle of hot water and poured it slowly over his shoulders, feeling troubled.
Xiao Tunan’s personality seemed different from what he had imagined. He had thought that due to their messy past, Xiao Tunan would try to minimize contact, just as most ex-lovers do not remain friends.
However, the Prince of Ningyuan seemed remarkably open-minded, as if he wanted to clear things up and then continue being friends.
And what in the world was that “old spot” he mentioned?
He was lost in thought when the door to the bathing chamber creaked and opened.
Ji Ruxue stood at the doorway, blinking in a daze. “You have not finished bathing.”
“Why did you come in?” Lin Ruoxuan was startled and turned his back quickly.
In truth, he did not mind much, but in this body, he was a fake eunuch, and in this strictly feudal society, this was a capital offense.
Ji Ruxue stood still.
Lin Ruoxuan said in a low voice, “Get out at once.”
Ji Ruxue did not speak. A moment later, Lin Ruoxuan heard heavy footsteps behind him. The boy had walked over and started kneading his shoulders as if to please him.
Lin Ruoxuan was dazed and wanted to say something, but those long fingers were incredibly powerful, making him feel a pleasant ache.
“Hmm.” Lin Ruoxuan felt comfortable enough that he forgot to chase him away, though he tried to curl his legs up as much as possible. With the steam rising from the water, it was not easy for his secret to be exposed.
“Teacher, does that feel good?” Ji Ruxue asked in a low voice.
“A bit more force on the left.” Lin Ruoxuan closed his eyes, relaxing his body and enjoying this extravagant imperial massage.
“Is this okay?”
“Hisss, be gentle.”
After a long while, the water had cooled. Lin Ruoxuan opened his eyes, feeling invigorated. “Your Highness, that is enough. I need to put on my clothes.”
“Yes.” Ji Ruxue replied, but he stood tall without looking away.
Lin Ruoxuan assumed he did not understand, so he spoke plainly. “Your Highness, turn around. I am a flawed person, and I do not wish to offend your eyes.”
Ji Ruxue paused and obediently turned his back.
Lin Ruoxuan quickly dressed. Seeing Ji Ruxue still standing obediently with his back turned, looking so obedient, he thought of how tired the child was after a day and how he had even massaged him. “I will have the servants change the water. You should soak for a while, and I will massage you as well.”
Ji Ruxue turned around and reached out to test the water. “It is still quite hot. No need to change it.”
“I feel it is a bit cold.” Before Lin Ruoxuan could finish, Ji Ruxue began to undress. He had to keep his mouth shut.
Because of the mess with Lin Wa’er, Lin Ruoxuan had always tried to avoid being unclothed in front of Ji Ruxue, lest he get any ideas. But at this moment, the way Ji Ruxue undressed gave Lin Ruoxuan a very strange feeling.
The boy was very slow, but he did not look shy; it was almost as if he were intentionally showing off.
“What is Teacher thinking about?” Ji Ruxue asked softly.
“Nothing.” Lin Ruoxuan said dryly.
I must be overthinking this, he thought. Ji Ruxue is not a stripper; why would he intentionally show off? He tried his best to look away, but Ji Ruxue stood there—tall, sturdy, and blindingly fair—and his peripheral vision could not escape the sight.
The boy’s physique was indeed excellent. Though still slightly slender, he had broad shoulders and long legs, possessing the full silhouette of an adult man. His skin was snow-white, without a single flaw, looking like a marble statue covered in a layer of smooth, white silk. It was a pleasing sight indeed.
Lin Ruoxuan could not help but recall how Ji Ruxue looked as a child. Truly, the pig has grown up.
Though gratified, he also felt inexplicably annoyed. We ate the same food, so why can’t this body of mine grow any muscle?
Thinking of this, Lin Ruoxuan felt depressed and turned to leave.
“Teacher, are you not going to massage me?” Ji Ruxue dropped his final garment on the floor and blocked his path.
Lin Ruoxuan did not know where to look, so he gave the man’s sturdy arm a random pat, his occupational habits kicking in. “You have been training well, but be careful not to overexert yourself and cause muscle damage. Never mind, let me massage you.”
Ji Ruxue narrowed his eyes and stepped into the tub without concealing anything. Amidst the mist, everything was finally hidden from view.
Lin Ruoxuan breathed a sigh of relief and walked behind Ji Ruxue, massaging his shoulders in return. “How has your archery training been lately? I heard Commander Xue say you are already hitting the bullseye from a hundred paces.”
Ji Ruxue said dismissively, “Nothing impressive. It is all quite simple.”
That arrogant ‘top student’ tone is truly annoying.
Although Ji Ruxue was facing away from Lin Ruoxuan, he always tilted his head slightly when speaking. His skin was fair and his lips vibrant; his profile in the mist was almost breathtaking. It was like hair black as ebony, skin white as snow, and lips red as blood—he was a living, breathing being.
“Why have you stopped speaking, Teacher?”
“Snow White.”
“What princess?” Ji Ruxue frowned.
Lin Ruoxuan realized his tongue had slipped, and he had blurted out what was on his mind. He quickly followed up with some flattery to cover it up. “Ahem, nothing. I mean, Your Highness looks very handsome.”