Chapter 46

46 Han Xuanhao’s Handsome Man Scheme

“Your Highness!” After Shang Wuxin entered the Crown Prince’s residence, Steward Hai’s old eyes welled up with tears as he looked at Shang Wuxin, then sharply said, “Ah, Your Highness, how have you lost so much weight! I told you to let me accompany you, but the Crown Prince wouldn’t allow it. Look, you’ve become so thin!”

Shang Wuxin saw that Steward Hai was almost reaching out to check him over. He wanted to get angry, but facing an elder who cared so deeply for him, he had nowhere to vent his frustration. He could only give Wuwei, who was standing there, a meaningful glance.

Wuwei immediately stepped forward and grabbed Steward Hai, saying, “Your Highness has been exhausted all the way here. You should freshen up first. Besides, the Crown Prince has to attend a banquet at the palace tonight. Steward Hai, you should prepare some food for His Highness to eat, or else he’ll be hungry at the banquet!”

Hearing this, Steward Hai hurried off to the kitchen, his plump body moving surprisingly fast. Watching Steward Hai’s retreating figure, Shang Wuxin felt a warmth in his heart. Only this Steward Hai always kept him in his thoughts at every moment. Whether it was his timid former self or his now ruthless self, this steward had never once harbored any betrayal. Call him blindly loyal or foolish if you will, but Shang Wuxin was truly grateful to have such an elder by his side.

“Has everything been alright at the mansion lately?” Shang Wuxin asked as he walked.

“Everything in the mansion is fine. The guards have been trained almost completely. During the Crown Prince’s absence, several forces tried to break into the prince’s residence but were all stopped. The bandits’ training is also underway and will soon be fully at the Crown Prince’s service!” Wuwei reported, following closely behind the Crown Prince.

“Any injuries?” Shang Wuxin’s expression turned slightly cold. These people were now all her subordinates carrying out tasks under her command. Shang Wuxin had a habit—whether good or bad—of fiercely protecting her own.

Wuwei suddenly felt a warmth in his heart and quickly reported, “None. The people they sent were not skilled at all, not worth worrying about!”

Shang Wuxin walked into his own bedchamber, while Wuwei stood outside. In fact, she was quite curious herself; it seemed that since following the Crown Prince, she had never seen him allow them to serve him up close. Every time she combed the Crown Prince’s hair and arranged his clothes early in the morning, he had already mostly done it himself. But Wuwei thought this was just the Crown Prince’s habit—he didn’t like others getting too close.

Shang Wuxin entered the bedchamber and saw the man in red lying on his soft couch. Han Xuanhao was lazily reclining, his long black hair loosely tied in a bundle resting on his chest. The strands that fell like willows were neither too many nor too few, adding a touch of intoxicating charm.

Seeing such a captivating sight as soon as he entered the bedchamber greatly eased Shang Wuxin’s previously irritable mood. He looked at Han Xuanhao lying there and asked, “Xuanhao, what brings you to my residence this time?”

The peacefulness of the trip to Fengzhou City was largely thanks to Han Xuanhao’s help, something Shang Wuxin knew even without investigation. And from the moment they met, although this man was somewhat mischievous, he bore no ill will toward him. Shang Wuxin would never harbor hatred without reason.

“After all, we can be considered friends, right? Friends come to see Wuxin, so why not?” Han Xuanhao said, even throwing a flirtatious glance at Shang Wuxin. He thought, since he couldn’t let go, he had to get closer; since he liked him, he wouldn’t let go. What mattered wasn’t gender or status, but Shang Wuxin’s heart.

“Mm, but sneaking into my residence without anyone knowing, is that being a thief?” Shang Wuxin rarely joked, though she herself showed no trace of amusement. Although she was somewhat unaccustomed to Han Xuanhao’s habit of dropping by uninvited, he still knew his limits. He would enter her bedchamber but never step into her private inner chambers to rest, which was why she didn’t lose her temper upon seeing him.

Han Xuanhao shifted his body, and only then did Shang Wuxin notice that today he seemed a bit more flirtatious in his attire. As Han Xuanhao moved, his already loose red robe slipped slightly, revealing his jade-like, pristine collarbone—truly a temptation to sin.

“Thief?” The word lingered on Han Xuanhao’s lips for a moment before he burst into laughter. “I really am here to be a thief!”

Because I’m here to steal you, to steal your heart. Han Xuanhao silently whispered in his mind.

“Go back!” Shang Wuxin looked at her clothes and told him to leave. She still needed to wash up, and if Han Xuanhao stayed here, she feared she would have to attend the palace banquet wearing this outfit.

Han Xuanhao knew not to rush things. He nodded and said, “I’ll come see you whenever I have time. If anything happens, you can go to Xingxing Lou to find me. It’s the intelligence network of Hanxing Pavilion!”

“Xingxing Lou?” Shang Wuxin was a bit surprised. Xingxing Lou was a famous brothel on the continent, but she hadn’t discovered it was under Han Xuanhao’s influence. Xingxing Lou wasn’t just a brothel; many people liked to conduct business there. Over time, its reputation grew, and the courtesans there were rumored to be truly stunning.

“Why such a strange name?” Shang Wuxin was puzzled. From what she knew, most brothels had elegant, refined names, but this one had such a fresh, clean name. It really didn’t fit the image of a brothel at all.

Han Xuanhao’s body stiffened slightly; no one had ever asked him this question before. This was the first person to inquire about the origin of the name “Xingxing Lou.” He had never bothered to explain it to others, but now he wanted to tell the young man in front of him, wanting to share his painful or happy experiences.

He smiled indifferently, then sat up and looked seriously at the young man in front of him. “There was a time when I was alone, and every time I escaped death, I would look up and see the stars in the sky. That was the most beautiful scenery I had ever known!” But now, I have found the truly most beautiful scenery that belongs to me.

No matter the pain or sorrow in Han Xuanhao’s past, Shang Wuxin showed no emotional fluctuation—not even a trace of sympathy. Han Xuanhao, seeing the young man completely unmoved, felt a bit defeated. It seemed the prince’s heart was even colder and harder than he had imagined.

“Why doesn’t the Crown Prince have any sympathy for me at all?” Han Xuanhao said plaintively. He had originally planned that if the Crown Prince showed him sympathy, he could still throw himself into the prince’s arms. Although he never needed sympathy, he still very much needed the Crown Prince’s embrace.

“You don’t need it!” Shang Wuxin said without even looking at the deliberately pitiful Han Xuanhao, lifting his foot as he walked toward the inner hall. “Besides, I don’t have the leisure for that!”

Watching the Crown Prince enter the inner hall, Han Xuanhao stood up. Though he really wanted to go in, he knew that if he did, he might never have the chance to enter the Crown Prince’s residence again. Straightening his clothes, Han Xuanhao cast a dissatisfied glance at the inner hall. It seemed today’s handsome man scheme had failed. Oh well, he would try harder next time—he refused to believe he couldn’t bend the Crown Prince.

With a wicked smile, Han Xuanhao left the Crown Prince’s residence. Meanwhile, inside the inner hall, Shang Wuxin suddenly felt a chill down his back…

－－－－－－Off-topic－－－－－－

Han Xuanhao: Xin’er, why don’t you come and fall for someone as handsome as me?

Shang Wuxin: No feelings.

Han Xuanhao: Xin’er, are you even a woman anymore?

Shang Wuxin: I am a man.

Han Xuanhao: I feel so heartbroken, need some comfort.

Shang Wuxin: You can get lost.