The Prodigal Prince Xue Beng

Inside the Crown Prince's bedchamber at the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace in Heaven Dou City.

"What am I supposed to do now?" Ye Yang lay on the bed, staring up at the luxurious ceiling. His clothes were disheveled, as if someone had been rummaging through them.

He had never been a crown prince before, and he had no idea what Qian Renxue had been doing previously. Was he just supposed to wait for someone to come and call him? That would be too pathetic.

"Forget it, I'll go out for a stroll. I'm bound to run into something." Ye Yang rolled off the bed, pushed open the door, stepped outside, and glanced at the sky.

He and Qian Renxue must have swapped bodies at the same time, as the sky looked no different than before.

Ye Yang sauntered through the palace's spacious corridors.

Sunlight filtered through the carved window lattices, illuminating the gold-trimmed decorations and the mirror-like floors.

The air was filled with a faint scent of incense, a stark contrast to the smell of grass and earth he had experienced on the cliffs of Holy Soul Village.

"Your Highness!"

"Good day, Your Highness!"

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

The maids and eunuchs he passed along the way stopped in their tracks, bowing with the utmost reverence.

Ye Yang was a bit unaccustomed to it at first, but he quickly adapted to the feeling of being the center of attention.

He mimicked the mannerisms of the big shots he remembered, waving his hand casually and even grinning. "Yes, yes, go on with your work!"

This carefree response left the bowing maids and eunuchs stunned.

They exchanged quick glances, all harboring the same suspicion: was the Crown Prince... acting unusually easygoing today? Perhaps even a bit... too down-to-earth?

Although the Crown Prince was known for being approachable, that innate sense of nobility and detachment had never vanished.

The person before them had a smile that seemed too bright, and his waving was far too casual, lacking the composure and gravity expected of a crown prince.

Ye Yang had no interest in pondering the thoughts of the servants; he was currently fully immersed in the mindset of a "tourist."

The palace was simply too vast! Pavilions, rockeries, and flowing water—everywhere exuded refinement and luxury.

He looked around like a curious child, clicking his tongue in wonder.

While marveling at the scale and opulence of the palace, he wandered aimlessly until he unknowingly turned into a relatively secluded courtyard deep within the grounds.

The environment here felt more desolate than the areas he had passed before, and the plants in the courtyard seemed neglected, carrying a hint of gloom.

Just as Ye Yang was about to continue exploring, a faint, intermittent sobbing reached his ears.

"Wuu... wuu wuu..."

The sound was very low, filled with suppressed pain and grievance, drifting from a room in the palace building nearby.

Ye Yang paused, his curiosity instantly piqued.

Who could be crying so sorrowfully in the palace?

He followed the sound, tiptoeing to the door of the room where the crying originated, and leaned in to listen.

The sobbing became clearer—it was a woman's voice, filled with helplessness.

He frowned and stepped back, just in time to see a young maid carrying a tray passing under the corridor.

Ye Yang immediately stepped forward, blocked her path, pointed at the room, and asked in a low voice, "Tell me, who lives in this room?"

The maid was startled by the sudden appearance of the Crown Prince. Upon realizing it was Ye Yang, she quickly set down her tray to bow.

"Hey, never mind that." Ye Yang gave a quick, perfunctory wave. "Just tell me, whose room is this? Why is someone crying so miserably inside?"

The maid looked up, her face showing obvious confusion; she seemed surprised that the Crown Prince didn't know whose residence this was.

She cast a quick glance at the tightly shut door, a flicker of undisguised fear crossing her eyes. Her voice dropped even lower, trembling slightly.

"Re... replying to Your Highness, this... this is the Fourth Prince's bedchamber."

"The Fourth Prince? Xue Beng, then." Ye Yang raised an eyebrow.

He knew that name! In the original story, he was that famous playboy, the Fourth Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, who relied on acting like a fool and bullying others to numb Qian Renxue and save his own skin.

Why was he here? And why was there a woman crying in his bedchamber?

Seeing the maid's terrified expression... Ye Yang instantly had a guess.

In the original story, Xue Beng had committed no shortage of acts, such as forcibly taking women and oppressing servants, all to maintain his playboy persona.

"Is Xue Beng inside?" Ye Yang pointed at the door, his tone turning cold.

The maid shuddered at Ye Yang's sudden shift to a stern tone, bowing her head even lower. "This servant... this servant knows nothing."

She dared not say another word, her body trembling like a leaf in the wind.

For a servant, discussing their masters was a major taboo; had it not been the Crown Prince asking, she wouldn't have dared to answer at all.

Ye Yang looked at the maid's terrified appearance and listened to the suppressed sobbing inside the room, his gaze sharpening.

"Fine, you may go. I'll pretend you were never here."

Ye Yang didn't make things difficult for the maid. He waved her off, watched her leave, and turned to face the door of Xue Beng's bedchamber.

Without further hesitation, he reached out, ready to push open the tightly closed door.

Whatever kind of dissolute prince he might be, since their paths had crossed, Ye Yang wanted to see exactly what kind of game Xue Beng was playing.

Creeeak—

The door swung wide, and the scene inside the room was instantly laid bare.

A young man dressed in luxurious imperial robes, his face bearing a hint of frivolity and malice, stood in the center of the room with an expression of utter impatience.

Not far from his feet, a young girl in a palace maid's uniform sat slumped on the floor. Her clothes were disheveled, and a clear, red handprint was branded across half her cheek as she covered her face and sobbed softly.

Beside her, a washbasin had been overturned, the spilled water soaking into the carpet in a dark patch.

Xue Beng was clearly annoyed by the sudden sound of the door opening.

He whipped his head around, the anger of being interrupted still lingering on his face, and opened his mouth to bark, "Which blind servant dares to barge into this Prince's—"

However, when he saw the tall, upright figure standing in the doorway dressed in the Crown Prince's casual attire, the rest of his words choked off in his throat.

"B-Big Brother?" Xue Beng's voice involuntarily weakened. His eyes darted around, and he instinctively took half a step back.

He had never expected that this Crown Prince, who usually kept to himself and acted with such composure, would suddenly appear in his somewhat remote bedchamber, let alone barge in with such violence.

Ye Yang's gaze swept coldly over Xue Beng, making the latter's heart tighten.

Then, Ye Yang's eyes fell upon the sobbing maid on the floor. Seeing the handprint on her face and her disheveled clothes, his brow furrowed even deeper.

"Xue Beng," Ye Yang said, his voice low, "what are you doing?"

Xue Beng felt a tremor in his heart at the direct questioning and that icy stare.

He hurriedly put on a look of feigned confusion. "Big Brother, why have you come?"

"You didn't even give me any notice, so I could have gone to welcome you!"