Chapter 15 Picture Book

Chapter 15: The Picture Book

Xiao Guizi let out a low chuckle, hunched over and shuffled closer to Zhou Zhan, pulling a picture book out from his shirt.

"Your Highness, this servant went through hell to get this—no one else must know."

"Tsk, why you gotta talk so much? Just hand it over!" Zhou Zhan snatched the book and flipped it open without a second thought.

"Holy crap..." The moment he saw the first page, he slammed it shut like he'd touched a poisonous bug.

He started breathing faster, his heart pounding like crazy.

Thinking back to those wild, sexy scenes in the book, he was wide awake in a second.

Zhou Zhan's cheeks flushed crimson, his eyes darting around, all panicked and embarrassed as he glared at Xiao Guizi. "Th-this... this is filth, how could you..."

Xiao Guizi, unfazed, smiled and replied, "Sorry, Your Highness. I figured you could use a break from studying to unwind."

Zhou Zhan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. His fingers, pressing on the book, felt weirdly hot, but he couldn't fight his curiosity.

He was young and had lost his mom early, so the only people he ever saw were those stiff tutors, his younger brother, and his dad. He'd never seen anything like this before, and that one look had piqued his curiosity.

He shot Xiao Guizi an awkward look and muttered, "I'm the Crown Prince of this kingdom—how can I be looking at this stuff?"

Even as he said that, he slowly lifted a corner of the book and snuck another look.

As he flipped through page after page, his face got redder and his breathing got heavier.

Just as he was getting into it, a familiar voice suddenly reached his ears: "What's the Crown Prince so into?"

Before the words even died down, Zhou Zhan's mind went totally blank. He jumped up in a panic, the book slipping out of his hands and hitting the floor.

"F-father... Your Majesty."

Xiao Guizi's face went white as a sheet; he dropped to his knees, shaking, his body almost flat on the floor.

Zhou Mingqi walked slowly into the study, his brow furrowed, his face dark enough to drip water. "Give it here."

Zhou Zhan dropped to his knees with a thud, head down, not daring to look Zhou Mingqi in the eye. "Dad, I..."

Zhou Mingqi gave Fu Quan a look. Fu Quan got the hint and stepped forward, picked up the book, and handed it to him.

Zhou Mingqi took it, flipped through a few pages, and his face grew even darker. "The Crown Prince, instead of studying hard, is into this filth—what kind of behavior is that!"

With that, he chucked the book right at Zhou Zhan's forehead. It cut his skin, and blood trickled down from his forehead.

Zhou Zhan knelt there, back straight, not daring to move a muscle, but his head sank lower, cold sweat pouring. "Dad, please calm down—I know I messed up..."

Xiao Guizi was shaking with fear, banging his head on the ground. "Have mercy, Your Majesty—it's all this servant's fault."

Zhou Mingqi had hoped the Crown Prince had turned over a new leaf, only to catch him goofing off like this.

His fury unabated, he kicked Xiao Guizi over. "Guards! Drag this lousy servant out and beat him to death!"

The guards immediately seized Xiao Guizi and hauled him out, his screams cutting through the air.

"Have mercy, Your Majesty! Mercy!! Your Highness... save me..."

Zhou Zhan's heart clenched at the screams, instinctively wanting to beg for mercy.

But one look at Zhou Mingqi's dark face and he lost his nerve.

Soon, the screams outside faded. The executioner entered.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the punishment has been carried out."

Zhou Mingqi snorted coldly, his gaze falling back on Zhou Zhan. "The Crown Prince is unruly and idle. From today, you are confined to the Eastern Palace for three months and must copy the *Book of Rites* thirty times!"

Zhou Zhan shuddered, hastily bowing. "Your servant obeys the decree—I will mend my ways."

Zhou Mingqi swept out, leaving Zhou Zhan kneeling alone. Blood dripped from his forehead onto the floor, blooming into tiny crimson flowers.

"Calm your anger, Your Majesty—don't harm your health," Fu Quan urged, seeing Zhou Mingqi's lingering rage.

"I thought of him losing his mother young and did everything for his sake, yet this ungrateful wretch proves so unworthy."

"The Crown Prince is still young, his heart unsettled. With a little guidance from Your Majesty, he likely won't stray again."

Zhou Mingqi's head ached at the thought of Zhou Zhan. He himself had been an unloved prince with no maternal backing.

He'd climbed to his current position with blood on his hands.

Unlike the Crown Prince, born with a paved path, just waiting for him to walk it—something others could only dream of.

Yet the boy was like mud that wouldn't stick to the wall, veering into a ditch that couldn't be straightened.

Now, Zhou Mingqi doubted his own choice.

If this brat ever took the throne after his death, the Great Zhou dynasty might well change hands.

Truly a headache...

Meanwhile, Zhang Qinghang had planned to stay at the official lodge and get close to his beauty.

He'd even pulled strings to share a room with Cheng Ge.

But instead of romance, he'd gotten a beating—how could he swallow that?

Some people are just born stubborn; the more unattainable something is, the more they itch for it, until it becomes an obsession.

Injured, Zhang Qinghang returned home that night, his pent-up fury making him explosively irritable.

"Hiss... bitch!" Zhang Qinghang winced as a maid carefully applied medicine to his wounds. The pain made him lash out, slapping her to the ground without a thought.

"Forgive me, young master!" The maid, ignoring her bruised face, scrambled up, sobbing as she kowtowed repeatedly.

Zhang Qinghang's irritation grew; his rage had no outlet. He grabbed the maid by the hair.

Terrified, she felt her head yanked back, tears in her eyes, a clear handprint on one cheek.

Meeting his murderous glare, her heart quaked. "Y-young master..."

He was about to strike again, but his raised fist froze. His gaze locked onto her eyes, a strange heat flickering within.

Something crossed his mind, and as if possessed, he reached out and covered the lower half of her face.

The covering left only her glistening eyes exposed.

"It's like..." Zhang Qinghang murmured under his breath, his voice so low that only he could hear it.

Yet, in the very next moment, he suddenly burst into laughter without any warning, as if he'd gone mad.

The laughter echoed eerily through the silent room, sending chills down your spine.

"These eyes are way too similar!" Zhang Qinghang's laughter abruptly stopped. He released the maid, but his eyes turned wild and manic.

The maid was terrified by his sudden behavior. Before she could even think to run, her body instinctively started backing away.

But her movement was a step too slow.

Before she could take a step, Zhang Qinghang, like a fierce beast, lunged forward and yanked her back hard.

The maid had no chance to resist. She felt like a huge force had hurled her backward, and she slammed hard onto the couch.