As he stood awkwardly facing the Third Prince, Yu Chen Nian speculated in his heart about what kind of trick Shi Qing would play today.
Since Shi Qing had hidden something from him and only appeared after the Third Prince handed him a food box, it was natural to assume that there was something fishy about the contents of that box.
It was probably just some mischief to tease people. Given Shi Qing's spoiled demeanor, the Third Prince wouldn't dare to give him anything genuinely dangerous.
Yu Chen Nian's eyes darkened with a touch of sarcasm. What difference would it make even if he found out?
In previous encounters, when Shi Qing intentionally played with him, he had seen through it, yet he had still fallen into the traps.
Not complying with these people's wishes would only lead to greater malice.
While he was pondering, a sudden scream echoed from inside the room.
The Third Prince recognized it as Shi Qing's voice and quickly rushed inside.
Yu Chen Nian hesitated for a moment before following at a leisurely pace.
Inside the room, Shi Qing, still draped in a red cloak, stood pale and stiff. His eyes were wide, and his round, black pupils were filled with fear as he stared at the little green snake crawling at his feet.
The other princes had kept their distance, but there were eunuchs nearby who were too afraid to make any sudden moves for fear of disturbing the snake.
Upon seeing the two enter, a glimmer of hope appeared in Shi Qing's black eyes as he cried out, "Third Brother, save me."
"Your Highness, don't come any closer!" Before the Third Prince could react, a eunuch who was attempting to shoo the green snake away hastily intervened. "This snake is called the Bamboo Leaf Green, and it's highly venomous!"
Upon hearing this, the Third Prince immediately stepped back, no longer daring to approach.
He was also completely bewildered and asked his attendants in a low voice, "What's going on?! Didn't you say you were only going to bring in an ordinary snake?"
"Your Highness, we only caught a non-venomous snake," one of the attendants replied, "I personally witnessed them putting the black snake in."
Tears welled up in the young master's eyes as he was overwhelmed by fear. He dared not move and spoke in a far less haughty tone, "Hurry up and get rid of this dead snake!"
[System, have the snake crawl towards my face again.]
The obedient system immediately controlled the Bamboo Leaf Green snake, causing it to continue crawling upward. Its destination was clear: it climbed onto Shi Qing's shoulder, making the bright green snake even more conspicuous against the vibrant red cloak.
The young master seemed on the verge of being unable to breathe, his previous haughtiness replaced by quiet sobs and a face filled with fear.
One of the eunuchs spoke softly, "Young Master, please don't cry or speak. If you don't move, it won't bite you."
However, he couldn't stay still forever.
The Crown Prince, who had been protected well, remained relatively composed and urged the eunuchs, "Quick, find a way to deal with this!"
The eunuchs, having grown up in the palace, were not experienced in handling snakes. Moreover, they were wary of the potential consequences if they accidentally harmed the young master while trying to capture the snake.
The situation had reached an impasse.
As for Shi Qing: [System, have the snake crawl closer to my face again.]
The previously motionless Bamboo Leaf Green began to move slowly, inching closer to the young master's delicate face.
Everyone present grew even more tense, especially the Third Prince, who had brought the snake for Shi Qing. If anything were to happen to Shi Qing because of this snake, he would undoubtedly bear the responsibility.
And then, he instinctively glanced at Yu Chen Nian, who was standing behind him, and a heavy burden seemed to lift from his heart.
After all, Yu Chen Nian was here.
Shi Qing had caused trouble at his table, and he could always shift the blame onto Yu Chen Nian later. Every time something happened, the good things were shared among the four brothers, while the bad things were always blamed on Yu Chen Nian.
Even if Shi Qing did get into real trouble, the Emperor would never sacrifice a grown-up prince for him. But it was different for Yu Chen Nian; the Emperor had never shown any affection for him.
Yu Chen Nian, who was highly sensitive to others' emotions, didn't miss the Third Prince's unfriendly gaze. He wasn't a fool, and after a quick assessment, he had a rough idea of the Third Prince's intentions.
Yu Chen Nian's heart sank. If Shi Qing were bitten by the venomous snake today, he would surely be implicated as well. These brothers would never sympathize with him, and not actively harming him would be the best outcome.
If he fell, his mother would likely be even more heartbroken, not to mention his Second Imperial Sister...
In this situation, he had no choice but to make a decisive move. Either Shi Qing lived, and he lived, or Shi Qing died, and he died.
Gritting his teeth, Yu Chen Nian abruptly raised his head, stepped forward with determination, and firmly grabbed the area beneath the Bamboo Leaf Green snake's head, preventing it from opening its mouth. Then, with a quick pull, he tore the snake away from the young master's red cloak.
In one swift motion, he flung the green snake out of the window. The snake shivered on the ground and remained motionless.
"Young Master!"
"Shi Qing, are you alright? Come on, get up."
With the danger averted, the princes, who had been keeping their distance, approached. Some offered words of concern while others extended a helping hand. There were also those who scolded the eunuchs, "What's wrong with you? You allowed a venomous snake into the Imperial Study!"
The eunuchs who had been cleaning the Imperial Study immediately knelt and begged for forgiveness. They dared not claim that it was impossible for a venomous snake to enter the Imperial Study. They simply continued to plead, bowing their heads so vigorously that it took them a while to recover.
As for the young master, he had regained his composure. He refused assistance from others and slapped away anyone who reached out to him, whether they were eunuchs or princes, with a single strike.
Yu Chen Nian stood on the sidelines, observing how the previously self-assured young master now resembled an angry kitten. He sobbed while angrily shouting, "Go away! Go away! You didn't come to save me earlier! Now you're worried about me!"
The expressions on the faces of the princes became somewhat awkward. The eunuch by the side of the Crown Prince hurriedly explained, "Young Master had his back turned to His Highness earlier, and His Highness rushed over to help you as soon as he saw you were in danger. We eunuchs did our best to stop him."
"Yes, Young Master, please don't misunderstand Fourth Prince. If we hadn't stopped him, how could Fourth Prince have abandoned you? His Highness treats you like a real younger brother."
The eunuchs who attended to the princes knew that Shi Qing was someone they all needed to please, and they took turns explaining.
"Our Highnesses were concerned about your safety. If that snake had been provoked and bitten His Highness, it would have been a disaster."
"Young Master, please get up quickly; the ground is cold."
However, Shi Qing paid no heed and continued to angrily swat away the hands reaching out to him, insisting, "Go away! I don't need you!"
His fair face was still wet with tears, but now that he was out of danger, he had regained his composure. He arrogantly called for Yu Chen Nian without any consideration for their location in the palace. He simply used his commanding tone to summon him.
The expressions on the faces of the four princes paused, and their gazes shifted slightly, revealing a hint of displeasure as they looked towards Yu Chen Nian, who stood some distance away.
Could it be that this young man had really found an opportunity to win Shi Qing's favor?
Despite their icy glares, they all wore smiles on their faces, pretending to be affectionate brothers.
The eldest prince, as the older brother, was the first to step forward with a friendly tone. "Ninth Brother, were you scared? Shi Qing is calling you."
Yu Chen Nian silently walked forward.
Behind him, he felt the cold, piercing stares of his four older brothers.
It was as if they were ready to take ruthless actions as long as Shi Qing showed any sign of closeness to him, their competing sibling.
What reassured the four princes was that Yu Chen Nian remained just as silent and reserved as before. He didn't seize the opportunity to take credit, nor did he try to soothe the frightened young master to earn his favor. He stood before Shi Qing like a wooden figure, displaying no emotions.
He didn't even stoop down; instead, he remained standing while Shi Qing was still sitting on the ground, gazing up at him.
Before the indulged Shi Qing, who had never suffered any grievances, Yu Chen Nian's behavior was truly audacious.
The four princes who had initially harbored resentment because "he actually saved Shi Qing" now only had one thought in their minds - to enjoy the spectacle.
Sure enough, the easily wronged young master, Shi Qing, was displeased.
"What do you mean by standing so tall? Crouch down!"
So, even though he was only seventeen and didn't eat particularly well, Yu Chen Nian silently crouched down, meeting the young master's gaze. He didn't expect Shi Qing to be grateful.
It was as if he didn't believe that Shi Qing would ever regret his past pranks.
As expected, the first words the young master uttered were accusations: "What are you looking at? If it weren't for you, I would have been bitten by the snake!"
The other princes immediately relaxed. Evidently, the pampered young master, who had grown accustomed to never finding fault in himself, placed the blame for everything on Yu Chen Nian.
Shi Qing continued to scold, "Don't think that you saved me just by driving the snake away. If it weren't for you, would I have brought a snake here? If I hadn't brought this snake, would I have been frightened like this?"
This logic was completely sound, although it was a bit unreasonable and deflecting blame onto others.
But the other princes all acted as if they were blind, joining in to criticize Yu Chen Nian, saying, "That's right, Ninth Brother, it's your fault."
"Come on, Shi Qing, don't be angry. Get up, won't you? You really like my jade gourd, right? I'll have someone bring it over for you later. You can use it to calm down."
Yu Chen Nian remained in his original posture, silent, and watched as Shi Qing continued to throw a tantrum, refusing to get up.
The young master still wore the red cloak he had on before, and the red color accentuated his fair and delicate skin. His slender hands pushed away those who tried to help him.
"I won't get up; I want to plead my case with His Majesty!"
"His Majesty summoned me to the study, saying that I am half a prince. No prince behaves like this. If it weren't for my good luck, I would have been in big trouble earlier."
He had always been spoiled, and given his young age, he had gotten everything he wanted. His current behavior was not surprising.
The Third Prince, however, tensed up.
If Shi Qing really caused trouble for him in front of their father, it would be difficult to explain the origin of the bamboo-leaf green snake. He quickly pushed Yu Chen Nian, who had remained silent throughout, and said, "Ninth Brother, what are you waiting for? Apologize to Shi Qing."
The other princes also caught on.
"Yeah, Ninth Brother, apologize to Shi Qing."
"You're already this old; why are you so awkward? If it weren't for you, Shi Qing would have been in great danger."
It was a scene where Yu Chen Nian was unjustly blamed despite not having done anything wrong, and yet he had saved someone. It was heart-wrenching to watch.
However, Yu Chen Nian's heart remained unaffected. He had long grown accustomed to such treatment.
His stature was relatively tall, but he always kept his head down, appearing meek as the Ninth Prince. He obediently apologized, "I'm sorry; it's my fault."
"Is saying sorry all you can do?"
Seeing him bow his head, the pampered young master became even more unreasonable. He sneered, "All of you, step back. I don't want eunuchs waiting on me. I want him to carry me."
He didn't want eunuchs but wanted a prince to attend to him. It was clearly an insult to Yu Chen Nian.
His elder brothers didn't speak up for him; they just stood by and enjoyed the show.
Perhaps seeing that Yu Chen Nian remained unmoved, the young master became even more dissatisfied. He extended his foot and kicked towards Yu Chen Nian's lower leg. It was like a kitten playfully patting with its soft paw - not painful, but slightly ticklish.
Yu Chen Nian didn't feel particularly angry in his heart. He had long been accustomed to the haughtiness of others towards him. For him, as long as it didn't involve severe punishment or withholding meals, verbal insults were just empty words.
He silently knelt down and placed his hand on Shi Qing's waist.
However, as soon as their bodies made contact, Yu Chen Nian paused.
Before this, Shi Qing had never allowed any physical contact with him like he did with the other princes. They played pranks and teased him intentionally, yet they also despised and looked down on him.
As for his mother, she wasn't his birth mother, and he was too old to cuddle in her arms like a young child.
The people who attended to him were never sincere, always speaking coldly and disdainfully. So, Yu Chen Nian, who had grown up like this, was experiencing such close physical contact for the first time.
His first reaction was that it felt incredibly soft.
Shi Qing's body was soft and delicate, tenderly nurtured by pampering. It felt gentle to the touch.
Yu Chen Nian had once seen a litter of young kittens, born to a concubine in the palace. When he passed by, he saw the palace maids placing the kittens in the sunlight. The golden rays shone on their white, fluffy fur, making it shimmer.
They mewed softly, rolling and crawling in their comfortable nest. Perhaps they knew that someone was taking care of them, so they meekly meowed, trying to attract attention.
At that time, Yu Chen Nian, who was still a child, was captivated at first sight.
He had never seen such a fragile and delicate creature before. He couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to touch them.
But he stood there for almost half an hour, standing until the warm sunlight turned scorching. He stood there even as the palace maids carried the group of sun-soaked kittens back inside, unable to fulfill his desire to touch them.
Afterward, his foster mother fell seriously ill. He had to navigate between eunuchs and palace maids every day, endure his elder brothers' bullying, and face the kitchen's neglect. He no longer had the leisure to think about the little kittens.
And now, feeling the soft sensation beneath his fingertips, Yu Chen Nian became completely lost in thought, even though it wasn't the right time or place.
Perhaps a kitten's touch would feel like this as well.
Soft, obedient, delicate.
Then, Shi Qing, who he was touching, growled, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and lift me!"
Yu Chen Nian lowered his eyes, concealing his thoughts. He silently lifted the young master.
As he held him in his arms, that sensation became even more pronounced.
Shi Qing's body was so unnaturally soft, as if he had no bones, tender and light. Being attended to by a prince seemed to make him proud. He raised his chin, and his exquisite little face was full of a natural expectation of being pampered.
"I'll go to the inner room to change clothes. Let Yu Chen Nian attend to me. The rest of you don't need to come."
Everyone present nodded and smiled, as if it were entirely normal for Yu Chen Nian, a prince, to serve a subject.
Yu Chen Nian himself didn't show any signs of humiliation. He simply held the soft youth in his arms and walked towards the inner room in silence.
There was also an inner room in the study, usually used for changing clothes when ink or the like spilled on the princes. Occasionally, they could rest there if they were tired.
All the princes had their own rooms, including Yu Chen Nian. However, his room was equipped the same as the others, but it lacked the clothing hanging inside.
Shi Qing naturally had his own room. When he pushed the door open, he found it splendidly decorated.
The floor was covered with fluffy rugs, and there was a small incense burner on the bed.
Shi Qing loved incense, and everyone in the study knew that. During the day, he had the eunuchs place the incense burner on the bed so that the fragrance would permeate the bedding.
It was a peculiar habit, but no one dared to call him out on it.
Yu Chen Nian silently placed the young master on the other side of the bed.
Shi Qing immediately sat down, his body soft and boneless, almost like he had no bones at all, and very delicate. Being attended to by a prince seemed to make him proud, and he raised his chin, looking entirely justified in expecting such treatment.
"I'm going to change into fresh clothes in the inner room. Let Yu Chen Nian attend to me, and the rest of you don't need to come."
Everyone in the room nodded and smiled, as if it were entirely normal for Yu Chen Nian, a prince, to serve a subject.
Yu Chen Nian himself didn't show any signs of humiliation. He sat down obediently on the bed and extended his hand to gently remove the young master's shoes.
However, as soon as he pinched the young master's ankle, the young master's movements stuttered.
Shi Qing had a slender frame, but his ankles had a bit of flesh due to their natural delicacy. Since they were originally small, it created the current image.
When he pinched it in his hand, it felt small and delicate but with a hint of fleshiness.
Yu Chen Nian slowly removed the young master's shoes.
Shi Qing was still young, in his teens, and naturally, his shoes were not large. He never stepped on the ground outside, even the steps leading to the study were carried by eunuchs. The study was a place that palace maids wanted to clean almost every day, so the soles of his shoes were, of course, not dirty, as the young master had complained. Instead, they were quite clean.
With clean shoe soles, the silk socks inside were even harder to find fault with.
Yu Chen Nian held the young master's ankle and looked at him.
Shi Qing, seeing him looking over, seemed very pleased. He raised his chin, raised an eyebrow, and used one foot to kick at Yu Chen Nian's leg, urging him, "What are you waiting for? Don't tell me you think I'm dirty."
It was an annoying expression and tone, but due to his natural arrogance and that soft touch in his hand, Yu Chen Nian couldn't bring himself to feel angry.
He slowly removed the white silk socks.
Finding fault with his slow movements, Shi Qing directly lifted his pale foot and kicked Yu Chen Nian on the body. His small foot was petite, and the sole was full of tender flesh. When it kicked Yu Chen Nian, it just made his eyes darken a bit.
【Ding! Yu Chen Nian's Rejection Level: 145/100】
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