The next morning, the thin mist had yet to disperse.
By the time Xiao Yuan personally arrived at the West Courtyard, Su Mu Chen had already finished disguising himself with Mu Li’s assistance. He wore a veiled hat with white gauze hanging down from its brim, and his entire appearance was neat and capable.
“Let’s go.”
Su Mu Chen’s clear voice came from beneath the veil.
Both he and Xiao Yuan were people who placed great importance on efficiency, so naturally there was no need for unnecessary pleasantries.
The two walked one after another along the corridor toward the council hall.
The morning breeze was slightly cool, lifting the white gauze. Through the thin veil, Su Mu Chen keenly noticed the faint dark circles beneath Xiao Yuan’s eyes.
He frowned and could not help asking, “Jing Yuan, you didn’t get much rest again last night?”
Xiao Yuan turned his head to look at him, the corners of his lips lifting into a faint smile.
“Replying to Doctor Su, this prince strictly followed the doctor’s orders last night and honestly slept a full two shichen.”
Su Mu Chen was practically so irritated by this half-obedient attitude that he wanted to laugh.
Back then, considering the urgency of the military situation in the Northern Frontier and Xiao Yuan’s difficult circumstances, he had compromised and set a baseline of “no less than two shichen of sleep at the absolute minimum.”
Who would have thought that everyone in the administrative office would actually treat that as the normal standard?
He could no longer stand these people constantly using that as their benchmark.
“I must solemnly reiterate that was only an extraordinary measure under extreme circumstances!”
Su Mu Chen’s tone turned stern as he put on a doctor’s air.
“Long-term sleep deprivation will reduce a person’s judgment, reaction speed, and immunity. If you collapse, there’s no need to discuss any of the plans afterward.”
Xiao Yuan smiled helplessly.
“This prince knows.”
Su Mu Chen added, “You’d better know. If you continue like this, I’ll go to your room and personally keep watch over you while you sleep!”
Xiao Yuan’s footsteps paused slightly.
An image surfaced in his mind of how this person had once truly moved a chair to the side of his bed, sat there with a stern expression, and forced him to close his eyes. A layer of indulgence that could not be dispelled surfaced in his deep eyes.
“Then I shall trouble Doctor Su.”
Xiao Yuan’s deep voice carried a trace of amusement.
“This prince will be waiting at any time.”
Su Mu Chen immediately choked beneath the veil, the tips of his ears warming slightly.
Why did this man never play by the rules?
He was seriously discussing medical matters, yet this man had actually seized on his words and run with them.
As they talked, the two had already entered the council hall.
Su Mu Chen instantly reined in his private emotions and adjusted his entire presence into a state of alertness.
Today, Qu De Tao was unusually quiet in the council hall.
He sat upright behind a side desk, his eyes lowered, seemingly without a care. Yet whenever the officials and generals below reported on government affairs and military matters, the small regular-script brush in his hand rapidly recorded something on his dedicated inspection dossier, his gaze gloomy and wary.
Xia Lanshi raised his eyes slightly and glanced over.
This old fox had suffered a silent loss at Su Mu Chen’s hands yesterday. Today, he had changed tactics and begun playing the game of “secretly gathering evidence of wrongdoing.”
Xiao Yuan sat high in the main seat, completely ignoring Qu De Tao’s little movements as he methodically assigned the various administrative tasks.
After directing the final military-supply deployment, Pei Yi, the Northern Frontier’s vanguard general, suddenly stepped forward and clasped his fists.
“Your Highness, this subordinate recently heard of something involving military discipline. I do not know whether I should speak of it…”
Pei Yi’s brows were tightly furrowed, and his face displayed just the right amount of hesitation and indignation.
Xiao Yuan lightly tapped his fingers against the desk, his expression impassive.
“Speak.”
“Yes!”
Pei Yi’s voice rang like a bell, his tone filled with righteous indignation.
“This subordinate recently heard that there is a military officer in the Western Camp who reported the great achievement of ‘taking twelve enemy heads.’ But strangely, since the Imperial Army came to the Northern Frontier, although they were ordered to take responsibility for city defenses and patrol the supply routes, they have never been included in the frontline combat forces. So how could there be an official battle report stating that they beheaded enemy troops?”
Pei Yi paused and swept his gaze across everyone in the hall before continuing in a deep voice.
“Putting aside how disheartening this would be to the veteran soldiers of the Northern Frontier who throw themselves forward on the battlefield and fight with their lives if word of this got out, just the matter of falsely claiming military merit involves the distribution of imperial compensation and silver, as well as promotions in military rank! Twelve first-class merits—if every level corresponds to rewards and military promotions, then tracing this upward may implicate far more than one person!”
Behind the side desk, Qu De Tao’s wrist, which had been moving rapidly as he recorded, suddenly stopped.
The tip of his brush hovered in midair, and a drop of thick black ink instantly spread across the xuan paper, blooming into an ugly stain.
The Western Camp.
That was the core of the Imperial Army controlled by trusted generals personally sent by the emperor.
These past few days, he had been investigating the Northern Frontier army because that was what the emperor truly wanted.
But he had never begun investigating the Imperial Army.
Xiao Yuan caught that fleeting change in Qu De Tao’s expression from the corner of his eye. His face remained stern as he asked in a deep voice, “Do you know who falsely claimed the merit? Is there conclusive evidence?”
Pei Yi stammered, “This subordinate only heard the brothers on patrol discussing it privately. Supposedly, it was Wei Chongwu, the Western Camp’s Right Army Commandant. At the beginning of last month, he reported that he had encountered Northern Di cavalry while patrolling the line, led his troops in a fierce battle, and took twelve enemy heads, which resulted in his promotion to Commandant. But people in the Eastern Camp have privately been saying that they did not see a single trace of the Northern Di that day.”
A trace of apprehension appeared on his face as he continued:
“Your Highness, please understand. The Western Camp belongs to the Imperial Army ranks dispatched by the court, and its military discipline is independent. I am merely a rough man from the Northern Frontier. If I rashly send people across camps to investigate, I fear I will be accused of ‘eliminating those who are different from us.’ It would truly be inconvenient to investigate too deeply.”
Xiao Yuan’s long fingers lightly tapped the wooden armrest in a steady rhythm, producing crisp tap, tap sounds, each one like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of those present.
“The Northern Frontier army has guarded the border for years, and now we are on the eve of a great war. If such rumors that shake military morale and involve embezzlement of military merit are not clarified, the consequences will be endless.”
Xiao Yuan’s gaze, sharp as an eagle’s, landed on Qu De Tao sitting to the side.
“Lord Qu.” His voice was steady and authoritative. “You were personally appointed by His Majesty as an inspector. You represent the emperor’s eyes and ears and the strictness of the law. In the capital, you are known as the ‘Iron-Faced Imperial Censor.’ How should this matter be handled?”
This was an entirely unveiled strategic trap.
Qu De Tao took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart.
When he raised his head, he had already restored that upright, impartial, businesslike expression.
He knew very well that Xiao Yuan had thrown him into a pit of fire.
If the false claim of military merit was real, investigating it would inevitably uncover the deeply entrenched corruption within the Imperial Army, perhaps even humiliating the emperor’s trusted men.
But if he did not investigate, his identity as the “official specifically responsible for supervising military discipline and the court-appointed military inspector” would become a colossal joke.
“Reporting to Your Highness, military merit is a matter of national importance. How could false reports be tolerated?”
Qu De Tao’s words rang with force, his tone righteous and stern.
“If the matter is confirmed after investigation, then according to Da Sheng military law, the offender should naturally be executed on the spot and punished severely without mercy. But if investigation proves it to be nothing more than a rumor…”
He turned his head, his gaze sweeping coldly over Pei Yi.
“Then the person who spread rumors and stirred up trouble should be punished according to military law, in order to enforce military discipline and stabilize morale!”
Xiao Yuan’s expression remained calm as he looked at Qu De Tao.
“Although this prince commands the Northern Frontier army, the Imperial Army was personally entrusted by His Majesty, so naturally this prince will not interfere lightly. However, military merit is something that the soldiers of the three armies exchange their lives for. Whoever dares to falsely claim it, this prince cannot simply ignore it.
“Since His Majesty sent you here to supervise military discipline, I shall trouble you to personally oversee the investigation. If it turns out that the Northern Frontier army merely misunderstood the Imperial Army, this prince will naturally give them justice.”
His tone was solemn.
“If it is indeed true… then it must be dealt with without leniency.”
Qu De Tao clenched both hands into fists inside his sleeves.
“This minister can first examine the Western Camp’s military merit register, records of troops leaving camp, and battle reports. If there are indeed suspicious points, I will then investigate them level by level.”
Xiao Yuan nodded slightly.
“Since that is the case, begin with the Western Camp’s military merit register. There is no need to rush to determine guilt. First, find out the truth.”
Qu De Tao’s heart suddenly sank.
He suddenly realized that Prince Su did not care at all what the investigation ultimately uncovered.
If it proved true, he could use the opportunity to purge the Imperial Army.
If it proved false, he could use the opportunity to turn around and accuse Pei Yi of spreading rumors.
But no matter which result emerged, this matter had to pass through his hands.
And as long as it passed through his hands, he could never remain uninvolved.
In the end, he could only lower his head and accept the order.
“This minister… will certainly not fail Your Highness’s trust.”
In one corner of the hall, Xia Lanshi elegantly lowered his eyes and examined the dossiers, never saying a word from beginning to end.
Looking at Qu De Tao’s faintly ashen face, the corners of his lips imperceptibly curled into a trace of coldness.
The bait had already been cast.
Next, no matter what Qu De Tao decided to do, he would discover that this game was impossible both to play and not to play.
If he seriously investigated his duties as military inspector, he would offend quite a few people—even the emperor and the Crown Prince.
Yet Qu De Tao, as the Chief Imperial Censor, was highly capable. Once he began, he would investigate the matter thoroughly.
What Xia Lanshi was looking forward to was seeing which side Qu De Tao would choose to offend next.
He wanted to know.
Would this inspector personally dispatched by the emperor choose to be a true military inspector?
Or would he choose to be a true “insider”?
Whichever side he chose, he would leave traces behind.
What was more… these waters were so deep that the bottom could not be seen.
Even he had yet to discover what other fish were lurking below.
◆◇◆◇◆
As soon as they returned to the main courtyard study from the council hall and closed the door, Su Mu Chen eagerly turned toward Xiao Yuan and went straight to the point with his idea.
“I plan to hold several ‘training sessions’ and teach the military physicians.”
Xiao Yuan and Xia Lanshi were both taken aback. They immediately quieted down and listened solemnly.
“When the great battle breaks out, there will inevitably be hundreds or even thousands of wounded, and there may even be large numbers of seriously wounded patients requiring emergency treatment.”
Su Mu Chen’s expression was serious.
“If I rely on just myself, even if I had three heads and six arms, I still wouldn’t be able to handle it. So I must first train a group of military physicians. I don’t require them to reach the same level as me, but they must learn basic hemostasis, disinfection, wound debridement, suturing, injections, triage, and emergency first-aid concepts.”
He paused before continuing his explanation.
“I plan to carefully select several people with good foundations as ‘seed instructors’ and train them personally. Once they master the essentials, they can each go on to teach the other military physicians and medical orderlies. That way, we can spread the training layer by layer. It will be the most efficient.”
He also planned to train Mu Li while training the military physicians.
Xiao Yuan immediately nodded.
“Set the time, and when the time comes, this prince will accompany you—”
“Stop.”
As soon as Su Mu Chen heard that he intended to come along, he hurriedly raised a hand to interrupt him.
“Jing Yuan, I know you’re worried about my safety, but you’re carrying such heavy responsibilities right now and are busy from morning to night. The training will take up most of half a day. How could I let you waste your time following me around? Besides, I’ll have personal guards and covert guards accompanying me. That’s enough.”
Xiao Yuan’s dark eyes sank slightly, his tone becoming somewhat heavy.
He knew very well that once the great battle broke out, as the commander-in-chief, he would inevitably charge into battle. At that point, it would be even more impossible for him to stay by Su Mu Chen’s side at all times.
“Then this prince will transfer another team of personal guards…”
“It’s only teaching a class. I’ll personally vet everyone present. There’s no need to act as though enemies are everywhere.”
Su Mu Chen shook his head helplessly.
“Your Highness, Military Advisor Su, why don’t we compromise?”
Xia Lanshi smiled slightly and appropriately stepped in to break the stalemate.
“Let us hold the classes in the side hall at the rear of the administrative office. The guards there are strict, and outsiders cannot approach. It is the safest place. As for the candidates for the first batch of ‘seed instructors,’ I have the personal backgrounds and medical records of the physicians from each camp. I can conduct an initial screening, then leave the final selection to Military Advisor Su.”
Su Mu Chen thought about it before nodding.
“Teaching theory can be done at the administrative office, but once we get to the practical techniques, we must go to the wounded soldiers’ camp for on-site demonstrations.”
Xia Lanshi continued gently, “That is no problem either. At the wounded soldiers’ camp, General Pei can secretly deploy troops and add three layers of patrols outside the camp. That will ensure safety without interfering with Military Advisor Su personally demonstrating the techniques.”
Hearing such a rigorous yet reasonable arrangement, Su Mu Chen could find no reason to object and agreed.
“All right. We’ll do as Chief Administrator Xia says.”
Xiao Yuan, who had just been “overruled” to the side, watched this scene, his long brows lifting slightly. His tone unusually carried a trace of grievance and helplessness.
“Why does this prince feel… that Military Advisor Su seems to listen to the Chief Administrator more?”
Su Mu Chen had not expected Xiao Yuan to suddenly say something like that. The tips of his ears warmed slightly, and he hurriedly protested.
“When have I listened to him more?”
Xia Lanshi let out a soft laugh and looked meaningfully at Xiao Yuan.
“Your Highness, this is not a matter of whether he listens or not. In my observation, Military Advisor Su has the typical personality of someone who ‘responds to softness but not force.’ If Your Highness takes a hard attitude and simply gives orders, he will instinctively resist. But if your tone is gentler and you provide sufficient and practical reasons, he naturally cannot refuse.”
Xiao Yuan thoughtfully nodded.
“I see…”
Su Mu Chen’s eyes widened when he heard this.
“I say, you two! I’m still standing right here! Is it appropriate to discuss how to handle me right in front of me?”
Xiao Yuan took advantage of the opportunity to turn toward Su Mu Chen. His originally stern gaze instantly transformed into warmth, and his low, gentle voice was almost sweet enough to melt.
“Mu An… I would never oppose anything you want to do. In fact, I admire you for it. I simply thought about how I won’t be able to protect you at your side at all times, and I couldn’t put my mind at ease. I ask for little. I only hope that you remain safe and sound…”
Being stared at by Xiao Yuan’s deep, night-like eyes, combined with that excessively gentle voice, Su Mu Chen immediately felt heat rush to the top of his head. His heart gave two traitorous thumps, and he even inexplicably felt a trace of guilt, as though he had let down the other man’s kindness.
“You… stop learning that on the spot and parroting it!”
Su Mu Chen stammered, trying to conceal his fluster.
“Once I’ve worked out the training schedule and content, I’ll naturally let you look it over. You can have the personal guards follow me, as long as they don’t interfere with my classes!”
After saying this, he could no longer withstand the coordinated “attack” from the two men. He turned and practically fled back to his desk, burying his head as he rapidly typed at the screen.
Xia Lanshi merely smiled faintly.
Su Mu Chen was simply too easy to read. Everything was written plainly on his face.
Mu Li, who had stood silently in the corner like a shadow the entire time, took everything in and calmly and rigorously summarized today’s intelligence in his mind:
【Mu Li’s Observation Notes】
Su Military Advisor’s personality: Responds to softness but not force.
Current status: Completely handled by Chief Administrator Xia; half-handled by His Highness Prince Su through learning it on the spot and parroting it, with the latter’s chance of victory extremely high.
◆◇◆◇◆
Su Mu Chen spent quite some time before finally organizing and filing all the mountain of wounded-patient records and military-supply dossiers.
When he pressed the final save key, night had already fallen deep, and only a few scattered insect calls could be heard outside the window.
He rolled his stiff shoulders and neck slightly. Seeing that it was about time, he stood and said to Xiao Yuan behind the desk, “I need to go back to Guichen Studio for a while and bring over today’s shipment.”
Xiao Yuan’s brows furrowed slightly, and the brush with which he had been reviewing documents stopped.
“It’s this late and you still need to go?”
“We can’t waste the Gate’s daily passage quota. Every bit of additional supplies we can stockpile for the frontline is worthwhile.”
Su Mu Chen nodded, his expression becoming somewhat solemn.
“And there’s one more thing.”
Su Mu Chen told him everything Su Qianqian had discovered regarding Sheng Chengxiu being completely stripped of power and replaced as head of the consortium by his younger cousin, Sheng Xingxu.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan’s gaze instantly darkened, a cold and inscrutable intensity surging through his eyes.
He thought that perhaps Owl had been right.
The Sheng Family Consortium’s obsession with the Gate had long since taken root too deeply.
If this matter was not completely resolved from its source, then even if they restrained one Sheng Chengxiu, the Sheng family would continue looking for new successors to take over, perhaps even passing the obsession down through generations, refusing to let go until death.
“Jing Yuan?”
Seeing that Xiao Yuan had remained silent for a long time, Su Mu Chen could not help calling softly.
Xiao Yuan came back to himself and concealed the killing intent in his eyes.
“Then be extra careful when you go back. If necessary, I will go with you.”
“Don’t worry. I’m only going to pick something up.”
Su Mu Chen reassured him.
“Ningning, Qianqian, and the Gatekeeper team are all there keeping watch. If anything unexpected really happens, at worst I’ll immediately open the Gate and retreat back here.”
Only then did Xiao Yuan give a slight nod.
“Good. If they make any unusual moves, tell me immediately.”
“No problem. Then I’ll go first.”
Xiao Yuan quietly sat behind the desk, watching Su Mu Chen and Mu Li leave one after another.
He lowered his gaze to the map of the Northern Frontier’s defenses on the desk.
Outside, a hundred thousand Northern Di iron cavalry watched them like hungry tigers. Inside, there were the court-appointed military inspector and the undercurrents within the Imperial Army. And then there was that consortium from another world, stubbornly refusing to let go of Su Mu Chen…
One matter after another pressed down upon them, as though the deepest malice in this world had transformed into a net, tightening relentlessly around them.
Time was mercilessly counting down.
This time, would he really be able to survive this deadly trap?
The moment the thought surfaced, Xiao Yuan crushed it without hesitation.
For the tens of thousands of soldiers of the Northern Frontier, for the common people living on this land, he absolutely could not fall.
At the very least… he had to hold on until he had properly arranged every possible variable.
But the person he could never truly put out of his mind was always Su Mu Chen.
Even if another “Gate Key” had appeared now, it could not change the rarity and value of the Gate Key itself.
The Sheng Family Consortium had its teeth sunk firmly into Su Mu Chen. As long as these people remained, he could never truly feel at ease.
To eliminate a threat, he had to uproot it completely.
Then he would first have to cross this three-month life-and-death trial, survive, and win this war before he would have the right to talk about the future.
◆◇◆◇◆
Su Mu Chen successfully collected the shipment at Guichen Studio and completed the handover with the personal guards before returning to the main courtyard of the administrative office.
Thinking that before returning to the West Courtyard to rest, he should first go tell Xiao Yuan that he was safe and put his mind at ease, he headed toward the study.
When he quietly pushed open the study door, there was complete silence inside.
The candlelight on the desk flickered. He looked toward the desk and saw Xiao Yuan supporting his forehead with one hand, his eyes tightly closed. He seemed to be resting with his eyes shut, yet also appeared to have fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion.
Almost the moment Su Mu Chen stepped into the study, Xiao Yuan, who had sensed the sound of his footsteps, immediately opened his eyes.
There was not the slightest trace of sleepiness in those deep eyes. Only after seeing that the person approaching was Su Mu Chen did the vigilance in them recede.
“You’ve been pushing yourself too hard these past few days. Don’t sit here and sleep. The quality of your sleep will be terrible.”
Su Mu Chen walked forward and reminded him in a doctor’s tone.
He knew that Xiao Yuan’s sleeping habits and sleep quality had never been particularly good. If he slept in the study as well, it would only make things worse.
Xiao Yuan looked at him, his gaze shifting slightly toward Mu Li, who was following behind Su Mu Chen.
Mu Li immediately understood the meaning behind Prince Su’s gaze. Very tactfully, he bowed and silently left the study, closing the door behind him.
Xiao Yuan stood and slowly walked over to Su Mu Chen’s side. He leaned forward slightly, his deep voice carrying a trace of teasing.
“Since Doctor Su thinks this prince cannot sleep well here, then Doctor Su should properly ‘supervise’ this prince going to bed. Otherwise, once you leave, who knows? I might simply sit back down at the desk and continue handling military affairs.”
Su Mu Chen immediately realized that this man was using the harsh words he had thrown out earlier that day in the council hall against him.
But they had done this before at Guichen Studio anyway. It was only watching this man sleep. Su Mu Chen did not think too much about it and nodded readily.
“All right. Let’s go, then. Back to your room.”
The two left the study side by side and followed the quiet corridor to the main bedchamber nearby.
Although this was not Su Mu Chen’s first time entering Xiao Yuan’s bedchamber, the last time he had come here, he had been half-conscious from an entire night of rescue work combined with the cold. The next morning had been chaotic again, so he had never had the chance to properly look around.
The room was spacious without seeming empty. There was none of the extravagant and elaborate decoration typical of imperial relatives.
The furnishings were extremely simple, mostly dark solid-wood furniture, exuding the composure and restraint befitting a commander-in-chief.
A faint, cool pine fragrance drifted through the air. Dark-gray bed curtains hung around the bed, making the entire space feel especially restrained and quiet.
Xiao Yuan casually removed his outer robe and walked to the entrance of the bathing room. He turned back to look at Su Mu Chen and spoke in a calm tone.
“Last time, this prince personally served you while you bathed. This time, shouldn’t it be Doctor Su’s turn?”
At the mention of that embarrassing incident, the tips of Su Mu Chen’s ears immediately warmed.
He could not help putting on a brave front.
“I’ll serve you, then.”
It wasn’t as though he had never seen what Xiao Yuan looked like after taking off his clothes.
…Although he had only seen his upper body.
Inside the bathing room, the attendants had already prepared hot water. Steam billowed through the room, blurring the view.
Inside the enormous wooden tub, Xiao Yuan leaned against the side. The warm water reached just above his chest, and the contours of his strong muscles appeared and disappeared beneath the rippling surface.
Su Mu Chen rolled up his sleeves and stood behind the tub, doing his best not to look anywhere else.
He put some soapberry on his hands. His movements were slightly awkward yet earnest as he helped Xiao Yuan wash his long hair. His fingertips gently pressed against his scalp, attempting to ease the tension in his nerves.
“…Your Highness, is this pressure all right?”
Su Mu Chen spoke in a completely even tone.
Then he could not help muttering softly, “I’ve never served anyone in my entire life. You’re the first.”
Xiao Yuan closed his eyes, the corners of his lips curving teasingly.
“Doctor Su’s technique is excellent. This prince feels deeply honored.”
However, although Su Mu Chen was a doctor who knew the structure of the human body like the back of his hand, washing the hair of someone with long ancient-style hair was indeed a technical task.
Before long, because he failed to control the range of his movements properly, water splashed out and soaked most of the simple garment he was wearing. The fabric clung to his body, making him extremely uncomfortable.
Hearing the commotion, Xiao Yuan turned his head slightly. His gaze landed on Su Mu Chen’s soaked chest, and a trace of darkness flashed through his eyes.
He immediately looked away and suggested, “Your clothes are already wet. Why not take them off and wash here while you’re at it?”
The moment Su Mu Chen heard this, he immediately backed away two steps like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
“Th-then… you have to go outside first…”
Xiao Yuan chuckled, his tone perfectly matter-of-fact.
“We’re both men. This prince already saw everything he was supposed to see last time. What is there to avoid?”
“How can that be the same!”
Su Mu Chen’s eyes widened, the tips of his ears red enough to drip blood.
“I was barely conscious back then. But I’m completely awake now!”
Xiao Yuan merely smiled, put on his inner garment, and left the space to Su Mu Chen.
After some fussing around, Su Mu Chen finally finished washing and returned to the bedchamber wearing a clean inner garment.
Xiao Yuan had already changed into loose sleeping clothes. He sat beside the bed holding a clean cloth. When he saw Su Mu Chen come out, he patted the space beside him.
“Come here. I’ll dry your hair for you.”
Su Mu Chen hesitated for a moment, but obediently walked over and sat down beside the bed. He quietly allowed Xiao Yuan to hold the cloth and gently dry his half-dried hair.
The room was very quiet. There was only the faint rustling of the cloth rubbing against his hair and the steady breathing of the two men.
That faint pine fragrance enveloped Su Mu Chen, causing the nerves he had kept tense all day to completely relax.
Once his hair was mostly dry, Su Mu Chen yawned and turned his head.
“It’s getting late. Go to sleep. I’ll sit beside you and keep watch.”
Xiao Yuan did not move. Instead, he pointed toward the inner side of the spacious bed.
“You sleep here too.”
Su Mu Chen froze.
“…”
He pointed at himself, then at the bed.
“I’m here to supervise you, not to fight you for a place to sleep.”
“Rest assured. This prince has no intention of doing anything to you.”
Xiao Yuan looked at him with a sincere and gentle gaze and spoke softly.
“It’s just… when you’re beside me, I can sleep more peacefully.”
Su Mu Chen was rendered speechless by those words. He muttered under his breath, “I’m not some kind of sleeping pill…”
But when he saw the barely concealed exhaustion in Xiao Yuan’s eyes, his heart ultimately softened.
He compromised and climbed onto the bed, following Xiao Yuan’s wishes and sleeping on the inner side.
Xiao Yuan extinguished all the candles in the room.
He then lay down on the bed and, in the dim light, looked at the person beside him lying properly on his side with his back facing him.
Xiao Yuan silently smiled.
He stretched out his long arm and directly pulled Su Mu Chen, together with the blanket, into his embrace.
“!!”
Xiao Yuan could clearly feel that the person in his arms seemed to turn into a rigid piece of wood the instant he was touched, even holding his breath.
He could not help finding it somewhat amusing.
He gently rested his chin against the crown of Su Mu Chen’s head. His deep voice was particularly soothing in the quiet night.
“Don’t be nervous. Sleep. We still have plenty to do tomorrow.”
Behind him came the steady sound of a heartbeat and that reassuring warmth.
Within that warm embrace, Su Mu Chen’s body finally began to relax inch by inch.
In the darkness, the exhaustion that had accumulated over the past several days surged over him like a tide.
Clearly, he was the one who had repeatedly insisted that he had come to “supervise” Xiao Yuan’s sleep.
Yet, surrounded by the other man’s presence, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and he actually fell deeply asleep before Xiao Yuan did.
Feeling the person he loved sleeping peacefully in his arms, Xiao Yuan also closed his eyes.
The clean scent coming from Su Mu Chen’s hair and body had taken on the same fragrance as his own after Su Mu Chen had used the soapberry from his bathing room.
This warm and reassuring feeling caused him to relax unconsciously as well, and he followed Su Mu Chen into a dream.