"Ah?" Lin Suqing was stunned on the spot. This scene... this treatment... It reminded him too much of the treatment given to a female protagonist in a TV drama!
Could it be... Could it be that the second Crown Prince... truly has a penchant for men?
...Is it still not too late to run away? But if he ran, death awaited him outside...
Could it be... that he has no choice but to accept his fate with humility...
Lin Suqing's mind was a whirlwind of wild thoughts, which the young nobleman saw through with just one glance.
He was profoundly disappointed. For a servant who had been exceptionally accepted by His Highness and even been granted a Crescent Moon Robe, he had initially thought him to be a peerless talent that defied convention. Little did he expect him to be such a vile person.
How dare he speculate about the Crown Prince in such a way—absurd, presumptuous.
The young nobleman, restraining the disgust in his heart and fighting back his disdain, furrowed his brows and said in a polite yet pointed manner, "There is no need for excessive speculation, my lord. Since you serve as a trusted aide in front of His Highness, your unique attire was indeed an eyesore. Hence, His Highness bestowed this Crescent Moon Robe upon you."
"Oh..." That's good, Lin Suqing breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't let his twenty years of chastity be compromised by crossing over into this strange world. He once had a roommate in college who had left him with a sizable trauma.
In the dorm, they were as close as brothers, going to the bathhouse together, sharing a room with six people—yet it was just the two of them who were really close. But he could never have imagined that this "bro" would climb into his bed one midnight, burrow into his covers, and confess his feelings for him.
Luckily, he managed to kick him off the bed with one swift motion; otherwise, the thought of losing his lifelong purity was unbearable. The guy just wouldn't give up, forcing him to swear there and then: "Even if mountains crumble and the earth and skies merge, I'll never change!"
The young nobleman, skilled in discerning intentions, did not expect that at this very moment, Lin Suqing would be pondering such absurd thoughts, and it gave him a headache. He immediately unfolded the Crescent Moon Robe and turned to hang it meticulously on the wooden rack, preparing to help him change. He just wished to end this quickly and leave. He didn't want to spend another moment with Lin Suqing.
After Lin Suqing finished washing up, he came over to take a look, and it was no wonder the garment was called the Crescent Moon Robe.
Besides the base layer undershirt, the mid-layer was a robe fading from white at the collar and sleeves to ink black towards the bottom, like a drop of thick ink freely diffusing into a cup of clear water.
Embroidered on the robe in matching color with silver threads were patterns of auspicious clouds, which would blend into the fabric unlit. But when illuminated, the patterns would emit a soft, silver-white radiance, like the gentle moonlight.
The outer layer was a white gauze garment, matched with black booted trousers.
The entire Crescent Moon Robe ensemble, with its plain white ink-dyed mid-layer, resembled the bright moon in the deep night sky, while the thin outer gauze was like a breeze by the mountainside on a moonlit night.
There was a sense of nobility within the outfit, exhibiting a great deal of tranquility—truly a treasured piece of clothing.
Unexpectedly, he, who was called a trusted aide but was really just a servant, was treated with such regard.
Coming back to his senses, Lin Suqing saw the young nobleman shaking out the undershirt, ready to help him change. He quickly took it from the youth's hands, embarrassed, "Uh... I can manage by myself..." It felt somewhat odd to have a young man help him change clothes.
The young nobleman understood and, seeing no need for assistance, stepped back a few paces with a sleeve tucked, turned to face the screen, and hinted, "The wrist guards used to fasten the robe's sleeves are placed on the table."
Lin Suqing fumbled around, and after struggling for a long time without success, he let out a heavy sigh of resignation and said, "That... I... I can't manage it. You should do it."
"..."
"..."
Without uttering another word, the young nobleman turned and began to help him. Lin Suqing noticed the tips of the youth's ears turning red.
What was supposed to be a perfectly normal act of a lower-ranking person assisting a higher-ranking person with dressing had become incredibly awkward due to Lin Suqing's own self-conscious unease.
The dressing was quickly finished, and the young nobleman waved his wide sleeve to reveal a shining, mirror-like surface before Lin Suqing, signaling for him to check his appearance: "Since your hair is too short to be tied up into a hair bun, I could only simply adorn it with this silver crown and jade hairpin. Are you satisfied, my lord?"
"Indeed, clothes make the man." He could hardly believe it; Lin Suqing had actually become a sprightly and extraordinary gentleman.
Although he lacked the ethereal and otherworldly aura of the young nobleman, Lin Suqing privately thought that for someone who was merely mortal, to possess such an air was quite remarkable in this world.
"Very satisfied, extremely satisfied!"
The young nobleman tucked his sleeves and said, "His Highness has ordered that once you are dressed, you should hurry to the tea room to restore the disrupted arrangements and utensils to their original state. I shall take my leave now."
Before Lin Suqing could ask any further, the young nobleman transformed back into a Mystic Phoenix Bird, seeming to disdain him profoundly, and in the blink of an eye, flew away with the small larks.
As he flew away, the shimmering mirror-like surface also dissipated.
Lin Suqing couldn't hide her disappointment, having hoped to enjoy the sight a bit longer, she suddenly felt a sense of loss.
Regaining her senses, she thought about the task of managing the tea room... Ah... those charred boilers, shattered porcelain, and spilled tea leaves...
Was she supposed to clean wearing these fine clothes... wouldn't this be a waste of resources!
But orders are orders, and she had no choice but to comply.
...
In the tea room, Lin Suqing was bustling about, cleaning up the remnants of pots and pans while grumbling.
"With you all being immortals, it doesn't matter, but I, as a mere mortal, have been without food or drink for a whole day and night," her stomach grumbled with hunger.
The dog kept pestering her, "Lin Suqing, let's go! Come with me to patrol the mountains!"
Lin Suqing, lacking energy, placed the washed teapot back into the cabinet, wiped her hands dry, and fetched a broom, complaining, "Patrol the mountains, indeed. I haven't eaten or drunk anything in a whole day and night, how could I have the energy to go along with your antics?"
The dog hopped forward and sat on the broom's bristles, saying, "Come on! Let's go to the mountains to pick wild fruits and hunt rabbits!"
Lin Suqing picked up the broom and swept the dog out of the house, "Go away, go away! If the master finds out I ran away without cleaning the tea room, can I even still be his servant?"
She hadn't even succeeded in becoming an apprentice, nor had she learned any skills. If she failed to remain in servitude and was chased away, she would be truly out of options.
"Hmph, how boring," the dog snorted, wagging its tail and turning away, "It's a pity the master thought you were eager to learn and specifically instructed me to teach you when possible. It seems you don't want to learn from this great one after all."
Upon hearing this, Lin Suqing's eyes lit up with excitement, and she immediately dropped the broom to catch up and block its path, "The master asked you to teach me?"
The dog, in a huff, turned its head away and with a bang exploded into a small mushroom cloud. Lin Suqing quickly pinched her nose and waved away the cloud, "Let's talk this out, don't just explode when... eh? Where did the dog go?"
There was no sign of the dog, and turning around, she saw it had already plunged into the lush greenery, blending into the competing flowers.
Furious, Lin Suqing felt a lump of stifled anger in her chest and roared at the dog, now engrossed in chasing butterflies, "Be careful, or I'll be so hungry I'll beat you and stew you up!"
Hearing this, the dog looked back and provocatively wagged its backside at her, continuing to hop and skip down the mountain.
Grr~
Lin Suqing's stomach continued to complain pitifully, she pressed her belly, sighed, and picked up the broom to keep sweeping.
Just as she was about to turn around, she heard a hoarse voice behind her, "Young master."
Lin Suqing jumped in fright, quickly turned around with the broom held defensively in front of her, and instinctively stepped back.
"Hehe, young master, don't panic, no one in the Crown Prince's residence would dare to attack you."
It was a benevolent-looking old man with youthful features despite his age, his long beard and eyebrows almost touching the ground, appearing much older than the Elders she had seen the day before.
However, he was dressed very simply in a brown cotton garment, not at all fussy about his appearance.
Lin Suqing contemplated that although the tea room was located on the periphery of the residence, it was still within the whole Crown Prince's estate. It seemed unlikely that any demons or ghosts would dare harm her there.
So, gathering some courage, she asked, "Who are you?"
During her days at the Crown Prince's residence, she had come to understand something: at first glance, the estate seemed deserted, but in fact, every plant and creature in the residence was a minor immortal, including the insects and ants.
Therefore, it was hard for her to determine whether this old man before her was also such a being, possibly even an Elder.
But she didn't have a good impression of those Elders, after all, they were dead set on suggesting that the prince eliminate her.
The old man said with a kind smile, "Don't be afraid, young master. Do you remember the old Mi Gu tree you climbed last night?"
Climbed an old tree? Lin Suqing was taken aback. Of course, she remembered. It was the one in the courtyard. She glanced over and, to her amazement, the yard was now empty, the old tree she had been leaning on for shade had vanished without a trace!
The old man humbly gestured with his sleeves, "That would be me."