Lovely Lady

Yao Yuxuan had fallen silent after their brief interaction. His earlier defiance began to weigh on him as he realized how close he'd come to making a grave mistake. He'd been in seclusion for a decade, distanced from human interaction, but that was no excuse for lacking common sense! Interacting with the dragon prince, Liu Haoyu, wasn't the same as speaking with an ordinary cultivator. He wasn't just anyone; he was royalty, and perhaps even more dangerous than Yao Yuxuan had originally thought.

With a mental note to be more cautious moving forward, Yao Yuxuan promised himself he wouldn't disrespect the prince again, no matter how tempting it might be. After all, he'd initially mistaken Liu Haoyu for a simple assassin, and even then, talking back had been a gamble. Now, realizing he was in the presence of a future dragon king, he felt the weight of his words and actions more than ever.

Liu Haoyu moved with swift efficiency, shedding his outer red robes and handing them to the silent boy, Lei-er, who was dutifully standing by. Yao Yuxuan glanced at the robes, an odd feeling creeping over him. Something was off. He squinted slightly as he inspected the fabric more closely, his nose twitching as a strange, familiar scent hit him. It took him a moment to place it—the smell of blood.

Only then did he realize why the robes looked so strange: they were originally white, but were now so thoroughly soaked in blood that the crimson hue had all but consumed them. Yao Yuxuan shuddered, a chill running down his spine as he tried to avoid breathing in the sharp metallic scent of iron that clung to the cloth. He decided against mentioning his discovery to Liu Haoyu; there were some things better left unspoken.

A-Mei, one of the twins, fluttered over to Liu Haoyu with a fresh robe in hand. She helped him dress with such ease and familiarity, hovering slightly in the air to reach his shoulders, given her small stature. For a moment, Yao Yuxuan forgot about the blood-soaked robes and the dangerous nature of the dragon prince. He couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle at the sight. The twins were adorable in their earnestness, and he found himself hoping that Liu Haoyu treated them well when no one was watching.

Liu Haoyu's sharp eyes caught the sound of the chuckle, and he turned his head, one eyebrow raised. "What are you giggling about?" he asked, his tone carrying a note of mild curiosity.

Yao Yuxuan straightened his face quickly, attempting to stifle his amusement. "I just think your ghost servants are cute, is all," he explained, his voice soft. "Especially your little sister here. She's too short to reach your shoulders, so she has to float to help you dress."

At that, A-Mei whined in embarrassment, covering her face with her small hands. "Gege!" she protested, her voice muffled. "We're not strong spirits, so we can't make our physical forms taller…"

A complicated expression briefly flickered across Liu Haoyu's face at the word "Gege," a term of endearment meaning older brother. "You all must have gotten close in the half a day I was gone," he remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Yao Yuxuan waved his hand dismissively. "I just don't feel comfortable being addressed so formally by the little ones. I prefer to keep things informal. Besides, I'm just your prisoner."

Liu Haoyu's gaze intensified as he took a step closer to Yao Yuxuan. The playful glint in his lavender eyes was unmistakable. "Should I call you something different then?" he asked, leaning in slightly. His two-toned hair swayed softly with the movement as he purred, "Gege?"

Yao Yuxuan's ears began to burn, a flush of heat rising to his cheeks. He was immensely grateful for the thick curtain of black hair that concealed his embarrassment. The prince's mischievous lavender gaze was too much to bear, and Yao Yuxuan averted his eyes, raising his arm to cough awkwardly into his sleeve. "No, that's not necessary," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Why not?" Liu Haoyu pressed, his voice low and insistent. "You're older than me, after all."

The comment took Yao Yuxuan by surprise. His eyes widened as the realization struck him: the man standing before him, the one with the imposing presence and commanding aura, was actually his junior by several years. "Oh! Right, you are… but… but you're going to be a dragon king one day," Yao Yuxuan stammered, struggling to find the right words. "And I'm just a humble cultivator who hasn't even ascended yet… We aren't that close…"

"Not that close?" Liu Haoyu echoed, his expression thoughtful. He stepped back, casting his eyes down as he sighed, the playful glint in his eyes dimming. With a wave of his hand, he turned to A-Mei. "What did you all do while I was gone?"

"We did exactly as you instructed, Your Majesty," A-Mei replied formally. "He was groomed, and we washed his old clothes."

Liu Haoyu sighed again, his dissatisfaction evident. "Anything else? What did you talk about?"

A-Mei perked up, her excitement bubbling over as she momentarily forgot her formal speech. "Gege promised to teach me how to do makeup!"

"…Makeup?" Liu Haoyu blinked, his surprise clear.

"Yes," Yao Yuxuan chimed in, offering a more detailed explanation. "A-Mei mentioned that she hadn't learned how to do it, and since I enjoy wearing it, I offered to teach her."

Liu Haoyu raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "And why didn't you?"

"We don't have any makeup to practice with," A-Mei admitted, her enthusiasm dimming slightly. "And I wouldn't know what to buy without Gege's guidance… But we can't transport him ourselves."

Yao Yuxuan hesitated before adding, "Maybe we could find a sedan chair or some other kind of… of invalid's seat for me. It's not practical for His Highness to be carrying me around all the time."

Liu Haoyu waved off the suggestion with casual indifference. "Nonsense. It's too much trouble to find something like that on short notice. There's still daylight left. Why not go to the shops now? I can carry you."

Yao Yuxuan blinked in disbelief. "I… wouldn't that be embarrassing for you?"

"Why would it be?" Liu Haoyu asked, sounding genuinely puzzled. "No one recognizes me unless I'm wearing my hood and mask. Even if they did, they'd only think I was an assassin, not a prince."

Yao Yuxuan sighed, pressing his palm to his forehead. "I mean, wouldn't it look strange? A man carrying another man around might… raise some eyebrows. I don't want people cursing you for being in an awkward situation."

A heavy silence fell over the room, thick with unspoken tension. After what felt like an eternity, Liu Haoyu's eyes lit up with an idea. "Wear a silk mask while we're out. Everyone will think you're a woman."

Yao Yuxuan opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out. As much as he wanted to protest, he couldn't deny that Liu Haoyu was probably right. Given that they'd be visiting a rouge shop, as long as Yao Yuxuan didn't speak too loudly, no one would question his disguise. With a resigned sigh, he muttered, "Fine."

Without another word, Liu Haoyu removed the shimmering crown from his ponytail and tucked it into a nearby box. He glanced at his reflection in the room's mirror, tugging a few strands of hair free to give himself a more disheveled appearance. After adjusting his robes, he turned to Yao Yuxuan and raised a hand to his face, casting a silent spell. In an instant, a deep blue silk mask materialized on Yao Yuxuan's face, perfectly matching his robes.

Liu Haoyu nodded, clearly pleased with his handiwork, before scooping Yao Yuxuan into his arms just as he had done the night before. He carried him over to the mirror, allowing Yao Yuxuan to take in his appearance. Cleaned up and dressed in new robes with the mask concealing his features, Yao Yuxuan's reflection was almost unrecognizable. With his delicate features and the weight he'd lost during his captivity, he did indeed look remarkably feminine.

"Aren't you a lovely lady?" Liu Haoyu teased with a cold laugh.

Yao Yuxuan glanced at his reflection one more time before sighing. "...Yes, this will do," he replied, his voice heavy with resignation.

Liu Haoyu's laugh lingered in the air as he adjusted his grip on Yao Yuxuan, preparing to leave. As they stepped toward the door, Yao Yuxuan's thoughts drifted, a mix of frustration and curiosity gnawing at him. He couldn't shake the surreal nature of the situation—being held in the arms of a dragon prince, disguised as a woman, with no clear idea of what lay ahead. His life, once marked by quiet seclusion and the predictable rhythms of cultivation, had been upended in ways he couldn't have imagined.

Yet, as unsettling as it was, there was a strange allure to the unpredictability of his current path. Liu Haoyu, with his enigmatic behavior and unreadable expressions, stirred something within Yao Yuxuan that he wasn't sure he wanted to confront. The man's presence was both infuriating and magnetic, pulling Yao Yuxuan deeper into a world he couldn't control—and a part of him wondered, despite his better judgment, where it would all lead.