He threw Qiang Wu across the room onto a bookshelf. He fell to the ground with a yell.

The books, vases and some boxes fell, landing on him. The ruckus startled the servants and on sight guards. They came running to see what was happening. When they saw the crown prince on the ground with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, the guards tried arresting Changling but were beaten up by him too.

The servants ran away, and the commotion caused more guards to come over but couldn’t stop Changling as he beat them all down. One servant spoke out as Changling was about to leave the room, “W-Why are you doing this Prince Changling? Why have you hurt the Crown Prince?”

Changling regarded the servant, “Because he is hiding what belongs to me.”

The servants frowned, one stood out and asked, “W-what does the Crown Prince have of yours?”

“My naughty runaway, Youxian,” he said with a mischievous smile.

“If it’s Commander Hwan you want, he’s resting in the spare room reserved for guests,” the servant from last night spoke out.

“Mind showing me the way?” Changling smiled, mentally taking note to reward him later.

The man nodded stiffly before leading the way. Changling told the servants to take care of the injured people and followed the servant. They came to the guest room where Youxian was staying. The servant wanted to speak, but Changling held his finger to his lips.

Walking lightly on his feet, he walked up to the door and opened it. Youxian was hiding in a corner with tears in his eyes that were shut.

Changling walked up to him with hushed steps. Stopping in front of him, he bent down. He touched Youxian’s face, pleased that it had returned to normal. Youxian’s eyes snapped open. Seeing Changling before him, he cried out in fear, “G-get away from me, you monster!!”

Changling grabbed him by the hair and pulled him up. “Ah-Xian, how can you call me a monster?” He asked with a smile.

Ignoring Youxian’s cries of pain, he dragged him out of the guest house back to where the unconscious crown prince was. Changling threw Youxian against Qiang Wu’s bed and said, “Look at your brave friend. He sacrificed himself for you.”

Youxian’s eyes widened seeing Qiang Wu unconscious with a swollen face. His head snapped in Changling’s direction. “What the fuck did you do to him?”

“Ah-Xian…” Changling started.

“Don’t fucking call me that, you pervert!” Youxian yelled at the top of his lungs.

Changling looked at him in shock, but the shock soon faded into a grin. He looked at Youxian with understanding, “Well, you understand that I’m only like this because of you!”

Youxian looked at Changling, confused. How in the hell was his perverseness his fault?

Changling smiled as he gazed down at Youxian, “Come, it’s time we return. I’ve prepared something for you.”

“I’m not going with you!” Youxian said through gritted teeth, “You leave now!” Changling shook his head.

He walked up to Youxian and grabbed him by the hair. He raised his arm then punched him in the stomach, punching all the air out of him that caused him to fall unconscious.

He picked Youxian up bridal style and walked out of Qiang Wu’s chamber under the terrified gazes of the servants. As he stepped out of the palace doors, he heard rushing footsteps running towards the palace. Minding his own business, he continued his walk back to his palace while looking down at the handsome boy in his arms.

As he reached his palace, he was suddenly surrounded. He lazily looked at the prince and royal guards, who held their swords pointed at him. Prince Qionglin, Wu Yong’s second/third son, yelled, “Brother, what is the meaning of this? Why did you injure the Crown Prince?”

Changling regarded this child he saw in the royal court, “And I should answer to you?”

Just before he was about the answer, Dong Woo stopped near them. Looking at the standoff between Changling and the royal guards, he frowned. “What is wrong with you all? Prince Changling is unarmed!!”

They all reluctantly lowered their swords but still kept their guard up, since Changling wasn’t originally from the palace. Dong Woo saw his son’s limp body in Changling’s arms.

Changling looked between the father and son, then turned on his heels.

Dong Woo followed him, “Prince Changling, what’s the meaning of your actions?”

“Qiang Wu was hiding Youxian from me,” he answered listlessly.

Dong Woo’s brows furrowed, “Why?”

“You should ask him when he wakes up,” Changling said, turning around at the doors.

“Why’d you injure him? He’s the Crown Prince. You’ll be punished for this,” Dong Woo stated seriously, knowing Empress Kim and her father. Wu Yong will be pressured into punishing him.

Smiling at Dong Woo, Changling said, “Oh I didn’t injure him, I taught him a lesson that he’ll remember for the rest of his life. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I still need to discipline the one sleeping in my arms.”

Turning around, he stepped in and both Rucheng and Yuhua shut the doors behind him and closed it behind their brother.

“Don’t allow anyone in until tomorrow, alright?” He reminded Rucheng.

“The room is prepared,” she blurted with a bow.

He hummed and walked towards the room at the far end of his palace inside. Gently kicking the doors open, he walked in and almost came in his pants.

The bed was covered in black silk, while the sheer draping’s covering the bedpost was red. Incense danced around the chamber, exciting him. His eyes caught the red silk hanging from the beam that was adjustable. Pleased with his sister’s work, he made a mental note to spoil her when he remembered again.

His eyes landed on the nightstand where the lamp was with a small bowl, probably the laxative she brewed.

He placed Youxian on the bed and disrobed him. Once he was done, he smelled his body to make sure he was clean. Happy with what his nose took in, he picked him up gently and walked over to where the beam was. Standing under it, he bent down and sat Youxian down. Leaning Youxian against him, he tied his right wrist with the silk, then his left wrist over his head.

His sister always planned well, and he was happy that there was silk at the bottom of the wooden poles holding up the roof.

He pulled them over from either side and tied it around Youxian’s ankles, minding not to hurt him. Walking over to the pole on his left where he could adjust the silk to hold him up straight.

Rucheng soon walked in with a tray of tea and sat it down by the table near the back window. She walked over to a cupboard and pulled out a few sheer robes and presented them to him.

“What’s this?” he asked, not happy with the green and purple colours.