"Please come inside and have a seat" Fu Hua wanted to melt into the floor at that very moment when Lu Lian stepped inside the room. The atmosphere had tensed a lot in that short window of interaction.

Lu Lian, how could Fu Hua forget that name? That had been a name that had often occurred in their joking conversations but the way Xiao Lan said that name had been different from any other he had ever said.

Lu Lian had been a childhood friend of Xiao Lan, a second-born princess of a minor nation and she had never really seen eye-to-eye with Fu Hua. Her crush on Xiao Lan had also been obvious enough and everyone knew they would have ended up together one day.

And they might have been if it had not been for Fu Hua and Xiao Lan's unnecessary obsession with him back then. Fu Hua had welcomed that attraction and allowed it to bloom into something forbidden and he should not nave.

It had been a shock to everyone when Lu Lian had ended up marrying the emperor Xiao Fai instead of his younger brother but maybe it was because of the curse she had not.

But the attraction had clearly not faded from her voice. Fu Hua could still hear those notes in her voice when she said Xiao Lan's name and it did sting him but he had given it up willingly so he should not complain.

He had no ground to and Xiao Lan had never been his. It had always been Fu Hua who was owned by Xiao Lan. Even when he no longer had been a slave, the magic had kept its hold over him.

Fu Hua would never be free from being a slave and he had accepted his fate. His heart though did not seem to be getting a memo no matter how long it went through this pain. So he chose to tune everything out and numb himself for the time being.

"N-No, it's alright. You look busy and I'll go" Lu Lian seemed flushed but she took an unconscious step inside nonetheless. Her maid gave Xiao Lan a disapproving glance when she passed him.

The elderly did not like young prince Xiao Lan's cousin very much. For one, he was not actually from their kingdom but was an imposter. Second, he held far too much influence in their court, especially recently once Xiao Lan acknowledged him.

She had tried to tell her lady to have a talk with Xiao Lan about this topic too. It was bad for the emperor, her lady's husband should the kid get too popular and become a threat for the throne in the future.

Not to mention how he looked right now, like a beast who had found a piece of meat he could not let go of. Her lady could be in potential danger.

"I didn't mean to interrupt, I just wanted to have a talk with b-brother Xiao Lan" the stutter was back and the old servant felt proud of her lady. She had liked Xiao Lan for so long now that it was difficult for her to address him as a brother.

She wanted to tell her lady that she should drop the 'brother' and just call the other as she had always called but it would no longer be appropriate for her to do so. Especially not in front of this kid who could complain to the imperial mother.

Her lady was already not in a good spot currently with the other.

"It's not any problem but can I ask you why you want to meet him? Brother is a little busy nowadays and might not be able to meet with you for some time" Xiao Lan explained in a calm voice but to the elderly, they sounded like excuses.

The kid was trying to become an obstacle in their relationship was he not? Did he desire her lady as well? Well, he could not have her since her heart belonged to prince Xiao Lan even when married.

"My lady had some important adult things to discuss with master Xiao Lan. You just need to tell us of his location" the servant tried to be as polite as she could be. But some of her dislike slipped in her voice which earned her a disapproving glare from her lady.

Thankfully, the kid was too stupid to realise it.

"Brother is preparing for his seclusion and meditating training which will last anywhere from a week to a month. Since he's going in tomorrow, there is not enough time for him to be able to meet you before he's out again. You can tell me what you need to convert and I'll pass on your message"

The look Xiao Lan got for his efforts was not a happy one. The elderly clearly had a problem with him and he could not tell why but he did not care as well.

"N-NO, it won't be a problem. I-I'll tell him once he comes out again. I'll take my leave then" the elderly servant watched her lady panic and she did not like that at all.

Seclusion? So suddenly and at such a time? Xiao Lan was not such a person to do thighs at a whim so it must have been this kid who had urged him into this idea.

These strings of excuses were also likely a ploy to keep the other away from her lady. The elder understood it all clearly enough and she would not be fooled. She would coach her lady accordingly and she would make sure Xiao Lan would fall in her lady's hands sooner rather than later.

After all, her lady deserved to be happy.

"They're gone. You can come out now" Xiao Lan took a deep breath once the pair left. That had been stressful and Lu Lian's maid gave him an off feeling but now they were gone and everything was alright again.

"Finally. I almost suffocated down there" Fu Hua had finally gotten himself under the order. It helped that Lu Lian was gone now and so was her influence. For some reason, she creeped him out.

It was something in her aura which clashed with his senses and made him uncomfortable. Even in his present condition could he not get away from her which was saying something.

"I thought you would actually last longer than this with the amount of practice you had with this position and all" it took some time for those words to register in Fu Hua's still processing brain and then he coloured once they did.

"XIAO LAN" the shout could not be stopped and the red face looked like it would combust at any given time. The reaction was so familiar that Xiao Lan could not help the loud laugh that escaped him.

People outside stopped when they heard the surprising laughter of their second prince but no one had the courage to check. This would be the prime gossip of the next morning and various stories would flow as a result.

However, inside the room was a different story. Fu Hua was still fuming at the laughing kid who had made that innuendo. The red looked good on Fu Hua as it always had. It brought out those silver eyes even more and the lovely face finally had colour to it.

"It's not my fault, You walked into that one yourself and you have to admit it was good" Fu Hua could only shake his head at the other in disbelief. It was clear that the curse had changed something fundamental in Xiao Lan.

The other had been like this at a young age but he had changed completely once he had grown up. This present attitude and words of the other made him seem much more like his younger self he had outgrown.

It was nice to see but also worrisome given the circumstances.

The other took time to calm down and then he remembered the situation and their current relationship status. The humor from the situation drained away leaving weariness behind.

"I'll go and pass on the message for my seclusion then. I don't want people to find out from anyone other than me about this matter. I would also need to appoint more people to look after and finish more paperwork" Fu Hua sighed, accepting his fate.

With a last look at the still muttering Xiao Lan, he sat down and waited for more paperwork that would be pushed his way while the others made preparations. Just for today, he would allow himself to slip into his memories and enjoy this moment.

This fleeting happiness was not one that would last and Fu Hua was a timer he was shortening himself. But he could not help but look forward to the trip to the Xi temple.

He had always wanted to visit that place where his mother had been born and raised. When he had been born and then driven out of.

He just wanted to visit it once before he died for real.