Shen Yangge claimed he was pretending to faint, but he kept his eyes cautiously cracked open the whole time.
Chu Xuanzhen rubbed his little feet clean with a handkerchief, his movements gentle and tinged with aristocratic elegance.
Having shed his armor, Chu Xuanzhen wore a fitted outfit of inky gray. His figure and face could captivate countless young men and women, leaving them hopelessly entranced.
To exaggerate a little more, he appealed to "all ages."
The Eighth Prince could hardly bear to watch.
He had once thought his elder brother was coldhearted and disloyal, but after that fellow named Shen appeared, he had changed his mind. Now there was a little bird, too.
Perhaps his elder brother was not heartless at all. On the contrary, he valued affection and loyalty deeply.
If the ghosts of those Chu Xuanzhen had killed were drifting nearby, each would surely spit on the Eighth Prince until he became a saliva-soaked chicken.
As night fell, all the rescuers finally arrived. Everyone set up camp where they stood, and Su Shang came to pay his respects along with several of the Eighth Prince's trusted men.
They explained in full how they had been forcibly obstructed over the past few days, delaying their rescue.
After finishing his report, Su Shang looked up and spotted the little blue bird perched on the Crown Prince's shoulder. His blue feathers were sleek and beautiful, and he was watching Su Shang with his head tilted.
He was a tiny, round bundle, like a puff of blue cotton. Su Shang stole several more looks until the Crown Prince's cold voice rang out. "Anything else?"
Su Shang hurriedly looked away and respectfully cupped his fist. "Nothing, Your Highness. This subordinate will take his leave."
With that, he turned and left.
The Eighth