Creak...
A dark shadow crashed through the window. It disturbed neither wind nor night, landing without a sound; only a silver light flickered dazzlingly in the darkness.
A large hand tore away his mask. The man wore a faint, cold sneer as he swept his gaze across the dark guard who had knelt in the hall for so long, raising a brow with amusement. "What? You didn't catch him?"
"Master." The dark guard lowered his head, choosing his words with care. "That black-clad person came and went like the wind. Furthermore, with so many palace guards about, they hindered this subordinate's movements. I followed and followed, then lost all trace."
"Came and went like the wind?" The pad of his finger traced his thin lips, indescribably seductive and bewitching. The man flicked his sleeve and reclined lazily against the straw bed, his left arm casually draped between his long legs—languid, breathtakingly beautiful, and utterly unrestrained. The index finger of his right hand twirled around an ink-black strand of hair as he slowly closed his eyes. "Qinglong, go investigate the famous lightness experts in the jianghu." Thinking of those fearless eyes, the man's smile grew several degrees more enchanting. "Even if it is the wind, this king shall capture it!"
"Yes!" The dark guard cupped his fists and slowly melted into the ink-darkness. The night was as quiet as before.
The next day, before the sky had brightened, Mo Bei and Hua Rong were brought to a secluded courtyard. Weeds ran rampant within; it was filthy and chaotic to the extreme—not a single place to set foot.
"Your Highness! Your Highness!" Eunuch Deng stretched his neck and shouted twice. Seeing no one answer, he covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief in one hand and gently pushed open the dilapidated wooden door before him with the other.
Suddenly, a moldy, rotten stench assailed them. Mo Bei furrowed her willow brows and coughed lightly.
Creak. The door swung fully open.
Inside the dim room, as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but a few wooden chairs, a square table, and two straw beds.
In the center of the room sat a man in blue. His tall, straight figure had its back to them, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably. Long black hair, neither tied nor bound, hung straight to the ground, drifting like flowers.
Beside him sat a plate of leftover greens. Judging by appearance, the food had been sitting out for quite some time. Its surface was covered in pitch-black mold, actually attracting a dozen or so flies.
"Ugh!" Before Mo Bei could react, Hua Rong beside her dry-heaved first, his eyes red-rimmed as if he were about to cry.
Eunuch Deng could endure it even less. Backing away as he spoke, he said, "Your Highness, I've brought two people. They will attend to your daily needs from now on."
Hearing Eunuch Deng speak to the Third Prince with such disrespect to his face, Mo Bei's sharp eyes narrowed once more, full of questions.
"Little Rongzi, Little Mozi, you two had better serve him well from now on. If anything happens to His Highness, even the slightest mistake, this servant will hold you accountable!"
Hua Rong had vomited himself into an unrecognizable heap off to the side, but he did not forget basic decorum. Bending at the waist to ninety degrees, he responded ingratiatingly, "Eunuch, just you watch. This little one guarantees I'll raise His Highness to be nice and plump. If the master lives, I live; if the master dies, I still must live, or else who will report back to your elder?"
Eunuch Deng, who had been about to cover his nose and leave, turned back to look at him. He coughed a few times, his face alternating between green and white. Has this little brat gone mad?
Mo Bei roughly understood what that expression meant; the corners of her slyly grinning mouth twitched.
"Eunuch Rong, why don't you and I clean this room first?" She truly couldn't endure this woodshed with flies swarming everywhere. She glanced at the Third Prince sitting blankly in place without saying a word, yet she couldn't see his true face no matter how she looked.
Now her interest was piqued. Paying no mind to whether Hua Rong answered, Mo Bei leisurely squatted down, wanting to approach this "new master."