CHAPTER 40: STOLEN JADE AND LOST DIGNITY

He turned over and lay down on the bed, but before closing his eyes, he added calmly, "Wash yourself first before coming over. I don’t like dirty people."

What kind of thing is that to say?

Yue Mingxuan fumed silently, his anger rising to the top of his head.

However, no matter how much he wanted to yell, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Whenever he faced this dangerous man, the fear always crept into his heart and silenced him completely.

Still, how could this man expect him to serve him in bed?

Yue Mingxuan suddenly caught sight of himself in the mirror.

What a miserable sight he was.

His hair was tangled and leaves were still stuck on his head.

Prince Shang wasn’t an ordinary person.

Even though he just a hostage prince, his looks alone were enough to make countless women and men want to climb into his bed.

Someone like that would never have any kind of fantasy about a dirty and messy man like him.

"Did you hear me? This is one of your duties!" The prince’s cold voice snapped Yue Mingxuan out of his thoughts.

Alright, alright... wasn’t it just helping him sleep? Fine, he’d let this man have a good night’s rest.

"Yes, Prince Shang. Please wait a moment," Yue Mingxuan said quickly.

He rushed to pull the dead leaves and twigs from his hair. He then grabbed the powder puff from the dressing table and randomly dabbed a bit on his face before forcing a cheerful smile and walking toward the bed.

Prince Shang heard Yue Mingxuan approaching and casually turned over sprawling across the bed.

In truth, he didn’t even know why he had come to this man’s room.

He had tossed and turned on his own bed for half the night unable to fall asleep. Then he suddenly remembered how peaceful his sleep had been last night. It’s like an addict craving a drug and he couldn’t stop himself.

Before he realized it, his feet had carried him here quietly without alerting anyone.

But when he arrived, the man wasn’t even there and when he finally did show up, he was covered in leaves while sneaking back in the middle of the night.

Still, Prince Shang didn’t care what kind of trouble this messy man got into.

All he cared about was getting a good night’s sleep.

Watching the prince’s actions, Yue Mingxuan finally understood, so it was his massage skills that the man valued!

His technique wasn’t something he normally shared with others.

Could he really let someone use it so casually?

Besides, if he had to spend the whole night working his hands over this man’s body, it would be exhausting.

That wasn’t something a few bowls of roasted meat could repay.

Yue Mingxuan gritting his teeth and said, "Prince Shang, if you want me to serve you, shouldn’t there be some kind of payment?"

"Oh, money? That’s no problem." The prince’s eyes flashed suddenly as if remembering something. "But first, give me back the jade pendant."

Yue Mingxuan’s heart sank.

He cursed himself silently for his bad luck but still trembled as he reached for the cloth pouch he had just set aside.

With shaking fingers, he pulled out a jade pendant and respectfully handed it over.

Steal a chicken, lose the rice. All this trouble and for what? A bowl of braised pork?

Prince Shang snatched the pendant and glanced at it.

His lips curled slightly and his narrow eyes sharpened. The next words nearly made Yue Mingxuan’s heart stop.

"Whose jade pendant did you steal this time?"

Oh no... Yue Mingxuan almost wanted to cry.

He had given the prince the wrong pendant and it’s the one from the man in the white robe earlier!

He regretted his words instantly.

"S-sorry, sorry! I grabbed the wrong one!"

He turned around and rummaged through his things again and then he finally pulling out another pendant. With both hands, he offered it up. "This one is yours. Now please, give mine back, alright?"

Under the candlelight, Shang Qinghua examined the jade pendant that was now in his hand.

It was smooth, shaped like a fish, and glowing faintly with a warm light.

His expression changed instantly.

This pendant... belonged to the royal family of Beirong!

His face darkened. "Tell me, where did you get this jade pendant?"

"I picked it up," Yue Mingxuan said quickly while cursing silently in his mind.

Damn it! I was planning to sell that jade for some silver.

Ugh, you damned Shang Qinghua!

However, in the outside his face remained calm and respectful.

Shang Qinghua clearly didn’t believe him. "Tell me the truth."

"That is the truth, Your Highness," Yue Mingxuan replied, though he felt like slapping himself for how stupid that sounded.

Shang Qinghua raised an eyebrow and without hesitation, he slipped both jade pendants into his robe.

"Both pendants are mine now," he said coolly. "As for payment, you don’t have to worry, you won’t be shortchanged. Now, I’m going to sleep."

Yue Mingxuan immediately lowered his head like a wilted eggplant.

His braised pork... his roasted pig’s feet... all gone.

No matter how much he cried inside, it couldn’t bring back his beautiful and crystal clear jade pendant.

He glared fiercely at the man lying beside him. If looks could kill, Shang Qinghua would have been cut into pieces by now.

"Your Highness, is this pressure alright?" Yue Mingxuan asked lazily.

"No, heavier. A little lower, alright?" Shang Qinghua closed his eyes comfortably, clearly enjoying the massage.

Yue Mingxuan’s small hands pressing the prince’s shoulders gently while moving little by little down to his waist.

The man under his hands let out a quiet "hmm," and Yue Mingxuan rolled his eyes in disgust.

To think that he who is once a proud special agent had fallen so low serving someone just to help him sleep.

Not only did he detoxify this man, but now he had to massage him too.

Even a servant didn’t work this hard!

What a loss, what a huge loss.