For the very first envoy mission, the second prince of the Yan Empire would naturally use the best carriage from Yan's imperial household.

The internal space of the carriage wasn't small. On top of a soft reclining couch, the candle flames beside the bed frame flickered as the carriage jolted, swaying and shaking, on and off without stopping.

A wooden screen was pulled open, blocking all the clandestine and tender actions, blurring the shadows of the overlapping figures reflected on the screen by the candlelight.

As the small bed swayed more and more vigorously, Yu Yan's low and hoarse voice muttered: "Can't, we can't–!"

"Can't do it inside..."

The person on top paused in his movements. The veins on the two propped arms were prominent as if he was expending effort to restrain something.

No alpha could bear this cry to stop.

Mu Yungui raised his head. His pupils were obsidian with tinges of red.

It was a fight against instinct.

He wanted to mark the person in front of him.

At any cost.

Yu Yan leaned on the soft couch. Though he was unable to see the expression of the man above him, he felt the ubiquitous tea fragrance becoming increasingly concentrated. His instinctive dread made him want to curl upon himself. He tried his best to maintain his shaky rationality: "Yungui..."

Seemingly awakened by that faint voice, Mu Yungui sluggishly exhaled after a moment. He pulled back Yu Yan's long, scattered hair. "Alright. I'll listen to Master."

He lowered his head, biting at the hidden mole on the back of prince Yu Yan's neck, marking him with his scent.

The person in his embrace trembled violently and was squeezed tightly by Mu Yungui.

Afterward, he slowly retreated.

Yu Yan felt limp all over. The rims of his eyes were still red and he was breathing rapidly, looking aggrieved and pitiful.

The feeling inside the carriage felt completely different from the previous one.

Thinking about the possibility of every movement being detected outside, Yu Yan was nervous as hell, but his emotions were even more aroused.

Similarly, Mu Yungui became even more... involved.

His waist could snap off anytime.

Yu Yan inclined his head to the side. The man had already risen, his back facing Yu Yan as he picked up the scattered clothes on the ground. The youthful heroic back was drenched with a layer of crystalline sweat, the muscle lines tensing and contracting with every movement.

Yu Yan couldn't help but swallow a little.

Mu Yungui quickly put on his clothes and turned around.

Yu Yan resentfully withdrew his gaze.

Mu Yungui placed Yu Yan's clothes on the bed, pulling over the thin quilt to wrap the person properly, and then lighted the suppressant incense on the table. He did this in such a manner as if he had just finished reciting a book of Buddhist scriptures.

Yu Yan: "..."

Mu Yungui said calmly, "This subordinate will go get some water for Master."

Without waiting for Yu Yan to say anything else, Mu Yungui lifted the corner of the hanging screen and lightly leaped through the window without stopping the carriage, disappearing into the night.

Yu Yan: "..."

Be it good or bad, they slept together so many times, even tossing him like that just now. Would it kill him to coax him with a few sentences?

He deserved to be currently single.

The carriage continued onwards to the forested mountain road. From the start, Mu Yungui had sent the guards near Yu Yan's carriage away, leaving only an ordinary carriage driver with no knowledge of martial arts.

As the night darkened, Mu Yungui's figure soon disappeared into the woods.

At the same time, deep within the dark woods, someone drew a bow and arrow, aiming at Yu Yan's carriage window.

The bowstring was taut and ready to be fired.

A beam of silver light suddenly flashed through the forest.

The man in black only felt a chill on his throat. Hot blood spurted out, not even the slightest sound was able to be produced, as the body simply tumbled down from the treetops.

When that bow and arrow slipped down, it was caught in someone's hand.

Mu Yungui withdrew his dagger and pulled out three arrows from his quiver, shooting out in unison.

In the distant treetops, three black shadows suddenly fell.

Without even looking at them, he drew three more feathered arrows—

Twelve feathered arrows, all shot true.

A few moments later, Mu Yungui leaped down.

He casually placed his longbow aside and quickly stepped over the corpses that littered the ground. He stopped in front of a man in black.

"Don't ... don't kill me ..."

Everyone present was mortally wounded by the feathered arrows, leaving this sole man with his thigh pierced by an arrow.

Mu Yungui intentionally left one of them alive.

Mu Yungui knelt down, his face calm, "You have Jiangdu's accent. You aren't a mountain bandit."

The man in black was taken aback for a moment. He shrank and dared not answer.

Mu Yungui asked, "Who sent you here?"

The man in black still didn't answer. Mu Yungui asked again, "Did Meng Changzhou send you?"

Meng Changzhou. He was the ambassador who was appointed for the convoy. He was the one who suggested they travel through the night.

The man in black's eyes flickered for a moment and stammered, "I ...... I don't know what you're talking about ......"

Mu Yungui's eyes dipped, seemingly flashing a hint of mockery. The next moment, he drew out the feather arrow on the black-clothed man's thigh and forcefully plunged it through the man's throat.

A finishing move.

Mu Yungui straightened up, rearranging his clothes and took off the water bottle at his waist to carefully pat away the dust. He then turned around and walked into the darkness of the night.

.

The curtain was lifted and a figure leaped into the carriage silently.

A body cut through the night like a breeze, discreetly entering the carriage. The candle flame within a small lamp flickered excitedly.

Mu Yungui quickly walked to the side of the small table. His palms closed about the sides of the lamp and rescued the candlelight that was almost extinguished by the wind.

Yu Yan's voice was weak, and seemed to have already drifted off to sleep: "...... You're slow."

"Apologies, Master." Mu Yungui poured the fetched water into a small basin and heated it with his internal force before carrying it to the soft couch, "It's not convenient to bathe here, please bear with it for a while."

Yu Yan gave a "hmm", propped up his sore waist, accepting the silk handkerchief handed by Mu Yungui.

Without waiting for Yu Yan to speak, the latter turned around consciously.

Yu Yan: "..."

This person really has no interest in him at all, huh?

Yu Yan's eyebrows knitted, subtle displeasure flooding his heart.

He didn't think too carefully about where his displeasure came from, so as he wiped the wet silk handkerchief across his body he simply asked, "Who were the ones following us, and how many were caught?"

Mu Yungui's back stiffened for a moment.

Yu Yan looked at him and probed, "All killed?"

Mu Yungui: "En."

"..." Yu Yan was silent for a moment and sighed. "Yungui, we agreed to leave at least one alive."

"I did." Mu Yungui paused and added, "The group of black-clothed people was indeed from Jiangdu. They were obviously associated with Meng Changzhou, so ..."

Yu Yan continued, "So you think that since you can directly investigate Meng Changzhou, it wouldn't hurt to kill them all?"

Mu Yungui: "Master, please punish this subordinate."

Yu Yan fell silent.

Mu Yungui had always been reluctant to mention his own past.

He was born in a small town on the border between the Yan Empire and Western Xia. When he was young, the town was occupied by an enemy country, and his family was forced to fill in army numbers.

His martial arts came from training within the military camp.

Later, he was captured by the Yan Empire and relegated to slavery. He was then transported to the imperial city of Jiangdu before becoming an object for the royal family's pleasure.

These experiences had a bad psychological impact on him, for example, he was unwilling to walk in front of people, and when triggered an unstoppable killing frenzy.

... But he wasn't to blame.

"It's nothing serious." Yu Yan threw the silk handkerchief back into the water basin and said, "I know who's hiding behind Meng Changzhou. It's just a few assassins. If you kill them, then so be it."

Mu Yungui asked, "Then Lord Meng's side..."

"Meng Changzhou cannot be killed!" Yu Yan paused. He felt that his tone seemed a bit heavy, and then continued in a warmer tone, "I mean, there is still a use for keeping him, no need to kill him first."

Mu Yungui replied softly: "En, I'll listen to Master."

From the beginning till now, Mu Yungui has never looked back. His back was straight, the black ink attire he wore outlined his long legs and clenched tightly against his waist. His shoulders were broad, his voice deep, his calm tone...

Yu Yan suddenly felt his mouth was parched.

"..Master," Mu Yungui suddenly opened his mouth.

Yu Yan focused back, acting calm. "W-what?"

Mu Yungui quietly changed his tone, softly stating, "Your scent."

Yu Yan blanked out for a moment. His ears immediately turned red.

The alpha scent that had already weakened, surged back up. The air was rich with the scent of the sweet pear blossoms.

The atmosphere became a little awkward.

The more embarrassing thing was, the instance Mu Yungui spoke up, rather than weakening, the scent became more intense.

Yu Yan's whole face was roasted red. He gritted out, "... What's going on? Didn't you light the suppressant incense?"

Mu Yungui's breathing was also affected and no longer stable. "That item... might have lost its effectiveness."

Yu Han had been using suppressant incense for many years. This situation had never happened before.

Such an item could suppress an alpha's scent. Simply by immersing oneself in the fragrance, it could hide one's scent and also protect against an alpha's scent.

But now, those two effects were gone.

Yu Yan breathed in the air that was slowly being imbued by a tea fragrance, his body weakening bit by bit.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mu Yungui getting up. His hands subconsciously reached out.

"I can't, not now. Master cannot do it again..."

They had over-exerted themselves. Yu Yan's body had not recovered. He couldn't endure another round.

Mu Yungui lightly pushed the person back onto the couch.

His voice was hoarse. "This subordinate had just made a temporary mark. Master won't go into heat so soon... Just bear with it for a while."

The rim of Yu Yan's eyes were tinged with red. He gripped My Yungui's wrist, unsure whether to push him away or pull him closer.

Mu Yungui shut his eyes, turning his body and exited through the carriage window.

"Stop!" Yu Yan dared to order when Mu Yungui was just about to leave through the carriage window. "Where are you going?"

Mu Yungui's figure was hidden by the shadows, a blurred shape. His head never turned back as he answered, "Master is like this, perhaps it was caused by this subordinate... This subordinate will retreat first."

"You, wait-"

Without waiting for Yu Yan to finish speaking, Mu Yungui tossed open the carriage's hanging curtain and leaped through.

Yu Yan: "..."

If you have the guts to leave, don't ever touch this prince again!

You bastard!

The author has something to say:

Yu Yan: Fuck, he isn't interested in me.

Mu Yungui: Fuck, I can't bear it anymore.

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:) feeling like a third wheel right now