Carried Off
He lowered his head, looking at the soft mattress on the bed. Even knowing nothing would happen to him tonight, he couldn’t help feeling nervous.
“Look up and let this prince see you.”
The man’s words were exactly the same as in his previous life. Back then, Song Song had barely dared to look up at him. Later, in the dim light, Song Song hadn’t even known whether Li Xiao had remembered his face.
He raised his head and met Li Xiao’s gaze. The other man stared at him for a long time. Song Song could almost feel that gaze as something tangible, tracing his features inch by inch. He couldn’t tell what Li Xiao was thinking, so he lowered his eyes again.
Li Xiao spoke softly, as though afraid of frightening him. “What’s your name?”
“Song Song.”
“Songer…” The man savored the name, and Song Song’s ears suddenly tingled.
Perhaps it was because the child was his own flesh and blood. When Song Song had been a ghost, he’d constantly circled the child Song Ge had taken in. Li Xiao adored the Little Prince and often came to visit. Sometimes he would stare at the child and drift off, and Song Song would sneak over to his side. Every time, Li Xiao would suddenly turn toward him, gaze burning, as if he’d sensed something. Sometimes he would even call out, “Songer?”
But the fire in his eyes would soon fade, leaving them dark and unreadable.
Even with Song Song standing right beside him, Li Xiao couldn’t see him.
Song Song’s cheek was suddenly pinched, and he snapped back to himself. He met the man’s knowing gaze as Li Xiao said in a low voice, “You dare to daydream in front of this prince? How bold.”
Song Song hurriedly bowed. “Please forgive me, Your Highness.”
The man chuckled and took Song Song by the wrist, carefully helping him sit up. “Did I scare you, Songer?”
Song Song shook his head at once. “No.”
Li Xiao sat down beside him and ran a hand through his soft hair. His gaze fell on Song Song’s thin shoulders and neck. He was so thin that the bones at the back of his neck showed. Song Song’s meals had improved somewhat lately, since the family meant to use him to curry favor, but after being abused for so long, his body couldn’t be restored in a day or two.
Li Xiao’s gaze moved lower. Even through his clothes, Song Song’s spine stood out clearly. A body like that wouldn’t be comfortable to hold. It would only feel hard and bony.
Song Song noticed too, and unease stirred in him.
In his previous life, drugged and frightened, he had curled up to one side. Li Xiao had simply taken advantage of it and pressed down on him. But this time… Li Xiao had seen his gaunt, sunken face. Had he lost interest?
Song Song frowned.
Setting aside whether Li Xiao was willing to take him away, Song Song still remembered the child’s tender little face, and how his tiny hands and feet had gradually grown. Though Song Ge had later… Well, it might sound sentimental, but Song Song had wanted to hold the child himself. If Li Xiao didn’t touch him, wouldn’t that mean he’d never see the child again?
He immediately lifted his face. “Your Highness, shall we turn in?”
He reached out to help Li Xiao out of his clothes. As he leaned closer, he caught a cool, clean fragrance. Li Xiao drew him into his arms with a single tug. Song Song froze as he felt Li Xiao’s palm stroke his cheek. “Would you be willing to come back to my residence with me?”
Song Song: “!!!”
He had never imagined good fortune would come so suddenly. His eyes lit up, but he held himself back, pressing his lips together before answering, “Yes.”
Li Xiao seemed not to have expected him to agree so readily. A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes, but he soon smiled. “Shall we go back now?”
Song Song held back the urge to grin. He gazed at Li Xiao without blinking and nodded. “Yes.”
After the Mad Prince entered Song Song’s room, Duke Song and Song Ge had stayed nearby, keeping watch on how things were going. But the light in the room never went out, and they began to worry. “Can Song Song actually manage it?”
If he couldn’t keep the Mad Prince there for the night, there would be no point in letting him keep his worthless life.
Just as they finished thinking this, a servant opened the door and stood respectfully to either side. They were still wondering what was happening when the Mad Prince emerged, carrying someone wrapped in a cloak.
“Father!” Song Ge called urgently. The two of them hurried to intercept Li Xiao before he could leave the courtyard. “Your Highness, what are you…?”
Li Xiao glanced over at them, his tone mild. “I’ve taken a liking to this little thing. I’ll trouble the duke to part with him.”
The Mad Prince’s words made both Duke Song’s and Song Ge’s expressions shift. Of course they didn’t want to hand Song Song over so soon. They still didn’t know what the sacred medicine would do. If something went wrong with Song Song’s health later and the Mad Prince blamed them for sending him a defective product, the Song family would be doomed.
“This… Songer is my own son, after all. If Your Highness wishes to take him…”
“What?” The Mad Prince’s voice was playful, but dangerous. “You’re unwilling to part with him?”
To Duke Song, “unwilling to part with him” sounded like “you dare stop me?” Everyone knew the Mad Prince suffered from madness. If he accidentally killed an official, it would surely be called an accident. Duke Song immediately lowered his head. Song Ge stepped forward and said respectfully, “It’s naturally my elder brother’s good fortune to be favored by Your Highness. But he’s timid by nature, and I’m afraid he’s too ill-fated to deserve Your Highness’s generous favor. Why not ask him yourself? After all… he isn’t a servant you can sell off at will.”
Song Song’s personality had changed drastically that day, but Song Ge still assumed he’d only been driven into a corner, like a rabbit. Who knew how frightened he was now? No matter how bad things were at home, at least this was the place he knew. With Song Song’s cowardly nature, being sent to face the Mad Prince every day would be like walking a tightrope and hoping to survive each time.
And that last sentence was meant for Song Song to hear.
In his previous life, Song Song would have been deeply moved by Song Ge’s final words. Everyone else treated him like a worthless life, but Song Ge treated him like a person. After that night, Song Ge had helped him escape. He’d told Song Song that if the Mad Prince had taken a liking to him, he might force him to move into the prince’s residence. Song Song had been timid and lacked any resolve, so when Song Ge warned that the Mad Prince might torture and kill him, he believed every word.
Later, when he heard that the Mad Prince was searching for him everywhere, he didn’t even dare leave the house. Song Ge was the only one who stayed by his side each day. Song Song had always thought of him as family, but after he had successfully borne the child, Song Ge took his life.
Song Ge curved his lips as he looked at Song Song, whose face was hidden by the cloak. He expected to see the familiar, timid pallor, but to his surprise, Song Song calmly pushed aside one corner of the cloak. He revealed his face, yet didn’t even glance at Song Ge. Instead, he lifted his arms and wrapped them around Li Xiao’s neck, saying softly, “Wherever you go, Prince, I’ll go too.”
The words nearly made Song Ge’s teeth ache. His face turned ashen, while Li Xiao’s eyes brightened. He said no more and carried Song Song straight to the carriage.
Song Ge followed them outside, his expression shifting between dark and light.
Song Song had always been like a lump of dough in his hands, something he could knead and shape as he pleased. But now the lump had slipped away and fallen into someone else’s hands. The sudden loss left Song Ge feeling deeply unsettled.
He stood there for a long time before turning back toward the house. Lady Song had just come out, and she grabbed Song Ge. “I told you we should have killed him! Now he’s gotten close to the Mad Prince. How am I supposed to avenge your younger brother? Ashi is still unconscious! He’s only a child, and someone suddenly stabbed him… He must be terrified…”
Song Ge gave her a look of disgust, then forced down his irritation and comforted her gently. “I’ll avenge him.”
He added, “He’ll come crawling back.”
As soon as Song Song was placed in the carriage, he immediately tried to get down from the Mad Prince’s arms. Being held like this was far too forward.
But the other man showed no intention of letting go. When he felt Song Song struggle, his arms tightened slightly. He chuckled low in Song Song’s ear. “You certainly have a sweet mouth, Songer.”
His breath brushed the ticklish spot by Song Song’s ear, and Song Song shrank his neck a little. Still thinking about having a child, he went along with it. “Would Your Highness like a taste?”