Inside the Crown Prince's chambers at the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace in Heaven Dou City
"What am I supposed to do now?" Ye Yang lay on the bed, gazing up at the lavish ceiling. His clothes were in disarray, as though someone had rumpled them.
He'd never been Crown Prince before, and he had no idea what Qian Renxue had done in the past. Was he supposed to wait for someone to come summon him? That'd be pathetic.
"Forget it. I'll go for a walk. I'm bound to run into something." Ye Yang rolled out of bed, flung open the door, and stepped outside. He glanced up at the sky.
He and Qian Renxue must have swapped bodies at the same time. The sky looked much the same as before.
Ye Yang strode boldly along the wide corridors of the imperial palace.
Sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice, illuminating the gilded decorations and floors polished to a mirror shine.
A faint incense hung in the air, utterly unlike the scent of grass, trees, and earth he'd smelled earlier on the cliff in Holy Soul Village.
"Your Highness, Crown Prince!"
"Good day, Your Highness!"
"Greetings, Your Highness, Crown Prince!"
The maids and eunuchs he passed stopped and bowed, their manner exceedingly respectful.
At first, Ye Yang wasn't used to it, but he soon adapted to being the center of attention.
Imitating the grand figures from his memories, he waved casually and even grinned. "Mm, good, good. Go on about your business!"
His carefree response left the maids and eunuchs who had bowed momentarily stunned.
They quickly exchanged glances, all sharing the same doubt: Today, His Highness the Crown Prince seemed unusually easygoing. Almost... too down-to-earth?
Though the Crown Prince had always been known for his approachability, the innate nobility and aloofness about him had never faded.
This one's smile seemed a little too bright, and his wave far too casual. He lacked the composure and gravity befitting the heir to the throne.
Ye Yang had no interest in puzzling over what the servants thought. At that moment, he was fully immersed in the mindset of a tourist.
The imperial palace was enormous! Pavilions, towers, artificial hills, flowing streams—everywhere he looked, he saw refinement and luxury.
He gawked around like a curious child, clicking his tongue in amazement.
Marveling at the palace's size and extravagance as he wandered aimlessly, he soon found himself near a secluded courtyard deep within the palace.
The surroundings here seemed more shadowy than the places he'd passed earlier. The plants in the courtyard looked neglected, lending the place a desolate air.
Just as Ye Yang was about to continue exploring, a faint, broken sob suddenly reached his ears.
"Wuwu..."
The sound was low, filled with suppressed pain and grievance, and came from a room in the nearby palace building.
Ye Yang stopped. His curiosity was instantly piqued.
Who was crying so bitterly in the imperial palace?
Following the sound, he tiptoed to the door of the room and listened.
The crying grew clearer. It was a woman's voice, full of helplessness.
He frowned and stepped back. Just then, he spotted a young maid carrying a tray as she passed beneath the corridor.
Ye Yang immediately stepped forward to stop her. Pointing at the room where the crying came from, he lowered his voice and asked, "May I ask who lives in this room?"
The young maid jumped at the sudden appearance of the Crown Prince. Once she recognized Ye Yang, she hurriedly set down the tray and started to bow.
"Ah, never mind that." Ye Yang quickly raised a hand to stop her. "Tell me, whose room is this? Why is someone crying so miserably?"
The young maid looked up, an unmistakably surprised expression on her face. She seemed astonished that the Crown Prince didn't know whose quarters these were.
She glanced quickly at the tightly shut door. A hint of undisguised fear flashed through her eyes, and her voice dropped even lower, trembling slightly.
"R-replying to Your Highness, this... this is the Fourth Prince's residence."
"The Fourth Prince? Xue Beng?" Ye Yang raised an eyebrow.
He knew that name! In the original story, Xue Beng was the notorious wastrel, the Fourth Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. He'd pretended to be a fool and a scoundrel, bullying women and men alike to mislead Qian Renxue and keep himself alive.
What was he doing here? And why was there a woman crying in his chambers?
Judging from the young maid's frightened expression... Ye Yang instantly guessed what was going on.
In the original story, Xue Beng had done plenty of things to maintain his wastrel persona, like abducting women and abusing the servants.
"Is Xue Beng in there?" Ye Yang pointed at the door, his tone turning grave.
The young maid shuddered at Ye Yang's sudden sternness and lowered her head even further. "This servant... this servant doesn't know anything."
She didn't dare say another word. Her body trembled like a leaf in the wind.
For a servant, talking about their master was a grave taboo. If the Crown Prince hadn't asked, she wouldn't have dared answer at all.
Seeing the young maid's fearful expression and hearing the muffled sobs from inside, Ye Yang's eyes sharpened.
"Fine, you may go. I'll pretend you were never here."
Ye Yang didn't make things difficult for the young maid. He waved her away, watched her leave, then turned and walked up to Xue Beng's door.
He didn't hesitate any longer. Reaching out, he pushed the closed door open.
What did he care if Xue Beng was some wastrel prince? Since he'd stumbled across this, he wanted to see what the Fourth Prince was up to!
"Creeeak—"
The door swung open, and the scene inside came into view.
A young man in lavish princely robes, his face marked by a hint of frivolity and malice, stood impatiently in the middle of the room.
Not far from his feet, a young woman dressed as a maid sat on the floor. Her clothes were somewhat disheveled, and a clear handprint stood out on one cheek. She covered her face and sobbed quietly.
A toppled basin lay nearby, water soaking into the carpet and spreading into a dark patch.
Xue Beng had clearly been annoyed by the sudden interruption.
He spun around, irritation still on his face, and opened his mouth to shout, "Which blind servant dares intrude on this prince's—"
But when he saw the tall figure at the door, dressed in the Crown Prince's usual attire, the rest of his words caught in his throat.
"B-Big Brother?" Xue Beng's voice faltered, and his eyes darted nervously as he instinctively stepped back.
He hadn't expected the Crown Prince, who usually kept to himself and acted with such restraint, to suddenly appear in his somewhat secluded residence and barge in so rudely.
Ye Yang's cold gaze swept over Xue Beng, making his heart tighten.
Then Ye Yang looked at the maid sitting on the floor, sobbing. Seeing the handprint on her cheek and her disheveled clothes, he furrowed his brows even more deeply.
"Xue Beng," Ye Yang said, his voice calm but low. "What are you doing?"
The blunt question and icy gaze made Xue Beng's heart twitch.
He quickly put on a bewildered expression. "Big Brother, what brings you here?"
"You could've at least let me know in advance. I would've come out to welcome you!"
Before you continue