“That mole of yours belongs to me alone to see.”
Zhou Mangzhou first discovered the mole on Shao Feng’s body while drinking with Zhou Yedu.
The third prince, Zhou Yedu, was only two years older than Zhou Mangzhou. He was of a romantic disposition, unrestrained and carefree. Ever since Zhou Mangzhou could remember, this third brother had already been drinking alcohol.
The scent of liquor on Zhou Yedu lingered year-round, yet it was not the stench of a drunkard; rather, it was deeply fragrant, much like he always kept a jar of apricot blossom wine hidden in his robes.
Zhou Yedu himself was very much like the apricot blossom, indifferent to worldly disputes and always able to find his own peace.
In literary pursuits, Zhou Yedu could not match the second prince, Zhou Tingchen; in military strategy, he lagged behind the eldest prince, Zhou Yuanji. Yet Zhou Mangzhou believed that his third brother was perhaps merely concealing his true capabilities.
The Emperor and Empress doted heavily on their youngest son while placing high hopes on the eldest and second sons, leaving the third son, Zhou Yedu, in a somewhat awkward position.
However, Zhou Mangzhou had never detected a shred of resentment on his third brother’s face. Zhou Yedu treated Zhou Mangzhou with utmost affection, always sharing whatever delicious food or fun novelties he found with him first.
Consequently, Zhou Mangzhou was equally fond of Zhou Yedu, and the two of them could always find ways to play together.
In front of his proper eldest and second brothers, by contrast, Zhou Mangzhou would unconsciously grow a few degrees more restrained.
It was during the summer of that year. Zhou Mangzhou was bored in the evening, sweltering and unable to sleep. Most of the ice in the room’s large basin had already melted, leaving the cooling effect practically nonexistent.
“Xiaozhou, are you asleep?”
Without going through formal announcement, running straight into the Lin Manor and calling out uninhibitedly outside Zhou Mangzhou’s bedroom, only Zhou Yedu would do such a thing.
Zhou Mangzhou immediately went to open the door. “Third Brother, what fun thing did you bring me?”
Zhou Yedu’s name carried a wild streak, and his brows and eyes possessed a similarly untamed, alluring romance. A seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth, yet when he smiled, he looked just like a fox. “This.”
In his hands were two brightly gleaming wine gourds.
“It is the middle of summer, why are you drinking alcohol?” Zhou Mangzhou’s face fell. “Drinking makes it even hotter.”
“Knowing you hate the heat, this is Liangcheng’s specialty, Ice-Dew Wine. It’s guaranteed to be more refreshing than drinking an iced beverage.” Zhou Yedu did not enter the room, choosing instead to sit right down on the spot along the veranda corridor.
“Really?” Zhou Mangzhou sat down beside him, took the wine gourd, and pulled out the stopper. True enough, a wave of cool, sweet vapor drifted out.
Zhou Yedu tilted his head back and took a large gulp himself. Zhou Mangzhou quickly took a sip as well, his eyes widening. It felt just like eating a mouthful of shaved ice, mixed with a hint of a throat-burning bite. It felt cold as it hit his stomach, instantly turning scalding hot, yet seemingly remaining cold all at once.
“How is it?” Zhou Yedu asked.
“Hiccup.” Zhou Mangzhou let out a hiccup.
Zhou Yedu burst into a chuckle. “This is strong liquor, drink a little less.”
Zhou Mangzhou had a poor tolerance for alcohol and could not handle more than three cups. Refusing to admit defeat, he took another sip and said to himself, as if offering self-suggestion, “This wine is not intoxicating.”
“Wine does not intoxicate people; people intoxicate themselves.” Zhou Yedu chuckled softly, sipping his wine while chatting idly with his youngest brother about everyday matters.
After half a gourd of the ice-dew wine, Zhou Mangzhou was already thirty percent drunk, though still sober.
A few maidservants walked over, exactly the ones who attended to Zhou Mangzhou’s daily routines. The leading maid said, “Your Highness, the Heir Apparent has sent someone to deliver a jade pillow to help you beat the heat, stay cool, and sleep peacefully.”
“A persimmon? What persimmon?” Zhou Mangzhou did not process it at first.
The maid smiled and said, “The Heir Apparent of the Prince of Zhenbei, Your Highness, have you forgotten?”
How could he possibly forget. Zhou Mangzhou instantly sobered up by twenty percent and casually said, “Bring it here and let me see.”
The jade pillow was pure white and semi-circular, resembling a flat half-moon with a slight depression in the middle and a gentle curve. At a single glance, one could tell it had been meticulously polished. Zhou Mangzhou reached out to stroke it; it was warm, smooth, and cool to the touch, the finest mutton-fat jade.
The weather was hot, and the Empress had bestowed several jade pillows upon Zhou Mangzhou in the past, but none of them possessed the natural perfection, delicacy, and smoothness of the one in his hand, entirely devoid of a single flaw.
To say it was priceless might be an exaggeration, but it was easily worth half a city, Zhou Mangzhou estimated.
“Your Highness, there is also this pair of dark cyan-green lotus-embroidered pillowcases.”
“Shu embroidery,” Zhou Mangzhou recognized at a glance. “This persimmon truly lives up to his wealth.”
Zhou Mangzhou spoke in a teasing tone, acting as though he did not care much for it, yet he petted the jade pillow for a moment longer before handing it to the maid and saying, “Put it on my bed.”
The maid complied and left.
Zhou Yedu watched his youngest brother with a smiling expression.
Zhou Mangzhou asked awkwardly, “What?”
“This Shao Feng is certainly adept at winning your favor,” Zhou Yedu said leisurely.
Zhou Mangzhou replied, “For all you know, in a couple of days, he might send you a jade pillow too.”
Zhou Yedu simply smiled and let it pass. “Such a fine object is something only you would receive.”
Zhou Mangzhou looked at Zhou Yedu in bewilderment.
After three rounds of drinks, Zhou Mangzhou was thoroughly drunk, his cheeks flushed like he was wearing rouge. “Third Brother, you should go, I am going to sleep.”
Zhou Yedu stood up and pulled Zhou Mangzhou up from the floor as well. “I know, you want to go to sleep hugging the jade pillow Shao Feng gave you.”
Zhou Mangzhou nodded honestly. “Mm-hmm.”
“Since he sent you such a precious item, you ought to show some appreciation in return.”
Zhou Mangzhou slowly turned his brain. “How should I show it?”
“I see you still have a little less than half a gourd of the ice-dew wine left, why don’t you gift it to him.”
“Alright.” Zhou Mangzhou looked around left and right, searching for a maid.
“In this brother’s opinion, if you deliver it in person, it will show even more sincerity,” Zhou Yedu added.
Zhou Mangzhou thought this made a great deal of sense, so he hugged the wine gourd and staggered out of the courtyard gate. The guards stationed outside immediately stepped forward to meet him. “Where is Your Highness heading?”
“To that guy’s place.”
“Whose place?”
“Insolent! I am talking about the Prince of Zhenbei… persimmon!” Zhou Mangzhou glared fiercely, looking just like a fierce little cat.
“Your Highness, it is late, you should rest early. If there is any urgent matter, just order us subordinates to handle it.”
Zhou Mangzhou batted at him with a paw. “Go away, I will go myself, that way it shows my blend of grace and might, with proper royal flair. When he sees me, he will definitely be happy.”
The guard wore an expression of unspeakable difficulty. Catching sight of Zhou Yedu, he quickly said, “Your Highness King Yu.”
Zhou Yedu shrugged. “When the little prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty makes up his mind, no one can stop him.”
As he spoke, Zhou Mangzhou had already ignored everyone else, hugging his wine gourd with supreme domineering arrogance as he wobbled his way toward Huaiyou Garden.
Huaiyou Garden was Shao Feng’s temporary residence within the imperial city, adjacent to the Lin Manor. It took only a quarter of an hour’s walk to reach it.
How could a drunken Zhou Mangzhou possibly endure walking for that long, and riding a horse was out of the question. Inspiration struck him, and he turned toward the back courtyard.
“Your Highness, are you not going to the Heir Apparent’s place anymore?” Seeing his master change his mind, the guard could not help but heave a sigh of relief.
“Who said I am not going?” Zhou Mangzhou fumed. “I am going.”
The guard originally figured the little prince must be disoriented and would quiet down after a bit of a fuss. Who could have imagined that Zhou Mangzhou, after making several twists and turns, would arrive right in front of a high wall.
And the other side of this wall was Huaiyou Garden.
The guard hurriedly tried to stop him. “Your Highness, you cannot!”
As an imperial prince, what kind of behavior was climbing over a wall in the middle of the night to sneak into a subject’s estate?
Zhou Mangzhou looked up at the wall. It was rather high, and in his current state, he could not climb it, so he ordered, “You two, kneel down here.”
This meant stepping on the guards’ shoulders to scale the wall. “Your Highness…”
“Kneel!”
A moment later, Zhou Mangzhou climbed up onto the wall. Terrified that his master might take a tumble, the guard quickly said, “Your Highness, please wait a moment, this subordinate will come right over.”
Zhou Mangzhou sat astride the top of the wall waiting. A moment later, the guard climbed over the wall and knelt on the ground in the exact same manner to serve as a stepping stone for Zhou Mangzhou. Even so, when Zhou Mangzhou landed, he still nearly sprained his ankle.
He refused anyone’s help. “I can walk… I can walk myself, stop following me, I will go find Shao Feng on my own.”
“Your Highness…”
“Go away, don’t ruin my fun.”
Little prince, are you finally growing up?
Zhou Mangzhou walked ahead while the guards followed at a distance, completely unnoticed by him.
Huaiyou Garden was not large, but its scenery was serene and quiet, with practically no one in sight along the paths. The estate was tended to by only two guards and seven or eight servants, falling far short of the Lin Manor.
The pungent fragrance of grass and trees evaporated into the night air, making Zhou Mangzhou’s head feel even hazier. Finding no one to ask for directions, he simply wandered about blindly.
And sure enough, he stumbled into the right place by sheer coincidence. By the moonlit pond, a pale-white figure was enjoying the cool breeze by a pavilion, occasionally scattering fish feed into the water. Swarms of darting red koi fought over the food, stirring the water surface into sparkling ripples of light.
Zhou Mangzhou halted his steps and squinted to make out the figure. “Shao Feng?”
The man then raised his head, a flash of astonishment crossing his features before he stepped out of the pavilion. “Little Highness, why are you here?”
“I… I climbed over the wall,” Zhou Mangzhou answered, assuming he was being asked how he arrived.
Shao Feng walked over. “Did Your Highness drink alcohol?”
Zhou Mangzhou staggered as he stepped onto the winding wooden bridge over the water. “Just a little bit. This stuff tastes so good, you should try some too…”
Shao Feng abruptly quickened his pace.
Zhou Mangzhou was still wondering why the bridge was tilting, and why Shao Feng was tilting too, until he plunged straight into the water did he realize that it was he himself who was tilting.
“Your Highness!” came the panicked cries of the guards.
Zhou Mangzhou thrashed about in the water a couple of times before being hoisted up and lifted to the surface. Yet, due to his drunkenness, he still choked on a mouthful of water. He flailed his limbs. “My wine!”
The wine gourd had drifted a zhang away, leaving Shao Feng with no choice but to support him as he swam forward, stretching out an arm to grab the wine gourd. Zhou Mangzhou was overjoyed, letting Shao Feng guide him all the way to the bank.
Emerging from the water, Zhou Mangzhou could not even stand straight. He shoved the wine gourd right into Shao Feng’s chest. “This, my reward to you.”
Shao Feng looked down at the drenched youth. “Thank Your Highness.”
Zhou Mangzhou pouted. “Aren’t you going to ask why I am rewarding you?” Then he answered his own question. “The jade pillow you sent, I like it very much.”
Shao Feng curved the corners of his lips. “As long as Your Highness likes it.” He added, “Your Highness’s clothes are wet, you should go change into a dry set.”
Zhou Mangzhou nodded and sneezed.
Even in the dead of summer, pond water at night still chilled to the bone. Zhou Mangzhou’s cheeks were flushed red, and the tip of his nose was rosy too. Raising his dark, glossy eyes, he said, “I am sleepy.”
The pampered little prince always went to sleep at a set hour with a regular routine, refusing to stay up all night for any reason, otherwise his low spirits the next day would ruin his ability to play.
Fifteen-year-old Zhou Mangzhou still retained his childish innocence, carrying a hint of baby fat. His voice was as sweet as a mountain spring, effortlessly melting anyone who heard it.
“Your Highness, go wash up and change into clean clothes before sleeping.” Shao Feng’s voice was low, carrying the soft fragrance of lotus flowers on his clothes, which naturally put one’s guard down.
“Then… then I am going back.” Zhou Mangzhou stood up all wobbly, his limbs feeling like limp noodles completely unable to straighten out.
Shao Feng directly scooped him up horizontally in his arms. “Your Highness, offense taken.”
Zhou Mangzhou leaned against his chest, eyes wide open as if stars were twinkling within them. “You… you are being insolent.”
Then he appended, “I grant you permission to be insolent, seeing as you saved my life.”
The corners of Shao Feng’s lips twitched upward in a fleeting smile.
As for the wine gourd, it was left forgotten right where it was, with no one remembering to retrieve it.
Being carried like this somehow made Zhou Mangzhou a little less sleepy. He tugged and messed up the front of Shao Feng’s robe. “Why are you wearing so many layers? Are you hot or not?”
“Not hot.”
“I think you look hot.” One should never expect a drunk person to be reasonable.
Zhou Mangzhou shoved open the lapels of Shao Feng’s robe, his gaze suddenly narrowing as he leaned in close under the moonlight to examine his collarbone. “Right here…”
“What?” Shao Feng paid no mind to his wandering hands whatsoever.
“There is a mole!”
“Mm.”
“A red mole!”
“Mm.”
“You actually grew a beauty mark!”
“This is not…”
Zhou Mangzhou raised his voice and threw a drunken tantrum: “Everyone come look, the righteous and dashing Heir Apparent of the Prince of Zhenbei has grown a sultry beauty mark!”
“No way.” Zhou Mangzhou suddenly turned serious and told Shao Feng, “That mole of yours belongs to me alone to see.”
The guards not far away silently turned their backs, pretending not to recognize the little prince of tonight.
This very mole was the crucial piece of evidence currently used to verify whether Shao Yijue and Shao Feng were the same person.
With that exact same expressionless face, Zhou Mangzhou twisted the bathroom doorknob. Click.
It did not budge; the door was bolted from the inside.
Zhou Mangzhou: “…”
Zhou Mangzhou wrenched it hard, click, click, click!
Inside the bathroom, the sound of water stopped, making the twisting of the doorknob exceptionally loud.
Water droplets slid down chiseled abdominal muscles before disappearing into the V-line. Casually running a hand back through his wet hair, Shao Yijue turned a sharp, god-like profile, his gaze landing faintly upon the frosted glass door locked from the inside.
At first, he thought it was auditory hallucination.
Until the sound of the doorknob being violently rattled rang out again.
Unable to twist it open, the youth outside resorted to his feet, kicking it a couple of times with a thud, before calming down, presumably because he hurt his foot.
This was the inevitable consequence of kicking bulletproof glass barefooted.
Without bothering to dry off, Shao Yijue directly donned a pure-black silk bathrobe and tied the belt. The half-damp fabric clung closely to his rugged physique as he opened the door and walked out.
Zhou Mangzhou was sitting at the edge of the bed, hugging his little feet with tearful eyes. The moment he saw Shao Yijue emerge, he hopped on one leg and lunged straight toward him.
Shao Yijue effortlessly caught his wrist. “What are you doing?”
Zhou Mangzhou lifted his face, glaring with a pair of tear-bright, watery eyes, silently yet self-righteously declaring: I am going to strip your clothes off!
Shao Yijue concluded that an emotion value called shyness ought to be added to androids.