As long as there was even the slightest improvement, it would be seen as a success.
Just a little progress…
As they thought this, the silver wolf in the cage suddenly began to slowly topple to one side, collapsing onto the ground.
“What’s happening?!” The Queen’s voice filled with panic.
Xu Yin opened his eyes, retracted his hand, and remained calm.
Then, before everyone’s astonished eyes, the massive silver wolf in the cage underwent a startling transformation.
Its limbs and body lengthened, the silver-gray fur vanished, replaced by golden-brown skin, covered in numerous grievous wounds. Its wolf head reshaped into a human form, revealing a sharp and handsome face.
The man’s deep-set eyes, straight nose, and thin lips gave him a strikingly handsome appearance. His black hair was slightly disheveled, falling loosely over his forehead.
The silver wolf in the cage had clearly transformed into a strong and handsome man.
Upon seeing this transformation, Xu Yin, who had been calm until now, suddenly froze, his expression one of shock.
“The crown prince has turned human?!” someone gasped in disbelief.
Turning human meant that his energy disturbance had been soothed to a significant degree!
This was far beyond what any of the court illusionists had managed to achieve.
The entire room was stunned, and after a moment, the Queen, unable to contain her excitement, cried out, “Yuzhou!”
In the next second, a coat flew across the room and landed firmly on the crown prince’s shoulders.
Everyone was momentarily confused, turning to look at Xu Yin.
Xu Yin: “…………”
His face remained expressionless as he took a deep breath.
He never imagined that the silver wolf was actually his Lao Gong!
Just a moment ago, he had been petting it like a big dog.
Wait a minute. No wonder he wondered why the crown prince listened to him so attentively—he had truly believed he had unknowingly mastered some miraculous dog-training skill…
Xu Yin could feel the veins on his forehead throbbing with growing intensity.
“Wow, after switching worlds, you’re meeting your Lao Gong more and more quickly,” a voice remarked, clearly amused by the unfolding situation.
*
Xu Yin’s sudden actions left everyone stunned, but the man lying in the cage slowly began to move. His long lashes fluttered, and he gradually opened his eyes.
They were dark, deep black eyes.
Normally filled with indifference and calm, they seemed no different now… but wait.
The handsome man in the cage shifted, slowly propping himself up, scanning the surroundings warily yet somewhat confused. His gaze quickly locked onto Xu Yin.
Xu Yin held his gaze, unblinking.
The two of them stared at each other across the cage, and then, in front of everyone, the man began to crawl toward Xu Yin, extending his hand…
Xu Yin’s expression softened.
He reached out, grasping Jun Yuzhou’s hand, and let out a helpless sigh.
After collecting his thoughts and steadying himself, he turned to address the others present. “Just now, I tried to forcibly cleanse His Highness the Crown Prince’s energy channels. It helped calm him down somewhat. However, as both of the court illusionists here know, the Crown Prince’s condition is rather severe, and it has persisted for more than half a month. It’s not something that can be completely cured so easily.”
While the forceful cleansing had an immediate effect, it was a temporary one. Given Jun Yuzhou’s state, this kind of treatment would need to continue for at least a month before he could fully recover to his previous physical state.
The court illusionists, still in a daze from witnessing Xu Yin’s abilities, were taken aback when they heard Jun Yuzhou let out a low “howl.”
Everyone froze in place.
The Queen blinked, as if unsure of what she had just heard.
Xu Yin, however, remained calm and suggested, “Since His Highness has regained his human form, we should treat the wounds on his body first.”
Jun Yuzhou, in response, pressed his face against the edge of the beast cage, trying to get closer to Xu Yin.
But Xu Yin only held his hand, not rubbing his head like before.
Jun Yuzhou frowned slightly in dissatisfaction. “Howl, howl.”
The Queen’s face was in complete confusion.
The others were equally stunned.
Xu Yin smiled softly and suggested, “How about we open the cage first, and I’ll help treat His Highness’s injuries?”
Finally, everyone snapped out of their stupor, and the guards hurried forward to open the cage.
The two palace illusionists hesitated for a moment, exchanging a worried glance. “Young Master Xu, please be cautious—”
They were wary because, although Jun Yuzhou was calm now, if he were to revert to his wild state once freed from the cage, it would be Xu Yin who would bear the brunt of his fury.
As soon as the beast cage opened, Jun Yuzhou sprang into action—he lunged forward and pinned Xu Yin to the ground!
The sheer size and strength of the man quickly trapped Xu Yin beneath him.
The Queen gasped, “Xu Yin!”
The guards shouted in panic, “Young Master Xu!”
But Xu Yin, calmly bracing himself as Jun Yuzhou landed on top of him, effortlessly adjusted his posture and lay back, raising one hand to signal that everything was fine.
Jun Yuzhou, now above him, did not act aggressively but instead tightened his hold around Xu Yin, his long arms wrapping around him in a firm embrace.
He lowered his head, pressing his nose into Xu Yin’s neck, inhaling deeply, occasionally brushing his nose against the soft skin, as though marking him with his scent.
The onlookers were stunned.
In a state of complete delirium, a hallucinated person is typically unaware of their actions, guided purely by instinct. However, Jun Yuzhou’s behavior—sniffing and nuzzling Xu Yin—was something unexpected and curious to witness.
The Queen, feeling embarrassed, hastily apologized, “I’m so sorry, Xu Yin. Yuzhou usually doesn’t act like this… I’ll have someone pull him away.”
“It’s fine. I can handle it. There’s no need to intervene,” Xu Yin calmly reassured.
With that, he raised his hand and gently began to stroke the back of Jun Yuzhou’s head.
It might seem odd for any man to feel at ease being pinned down by the Imperial Prince, but Xu Yin showed no sign of discomfort. His touch was gentle, comforting, as though he were soothing a wounded animal, perfectly at ease in the situation.
Jun Yuzhou, feeling the gentle touch on his head, paused for a moment before nuzzling closer to Xu Yin, his face rubbing against him as he let out a low, rumbling “woof.”
Xu Yin softly chuckled, his tone soothing as he whispered, “Good boy, now sit up. Let’s get up first.”
He continued to comfort the man as he slowly raised himself, never once pushing Jun Yuzhou away. The coat draped over Jun Yuzhou slipped off slightly, and Xu Yin couldn’t help but notice the numerous injuries covering his body. His brows furrowed in concern, his heart aching for the man.
But before he could do anything further, he suddenly felt something soft press against his forehead. The room gasped collectively, and even the Queen was momentarily stunned.
Xu Yin blinked, realizing what had happened, and relaxed his brow. As he lifted his head, Jun Yuzhou’s lips gently left his forehead.
The man gazed deeply at Xu Yin, lifting his chin with a deliberate motion. His eyes closed as he tilted his head, drawing closer. His warm breath grazed Xu Yin’s lips.
The onlookers: ‘What the hell, what the hell, what the hell?!
Xu Yin’s gaze flickered as he quickly raised his hand.
Jun Yuzhou’s lips landed on Xu Yin’s palm.
“…” Jun Yuzhou paused, expression serious as he uttered a soft “woof” again.
Xu Yin firmly replied, “No.”
The current situation is not suitable; let’s talk about it later in private.
Jun Yuzhou still had a stern expression: “Woo woo.”
Xu Yin: “Be good.”
Jun Yuzhou pounced again, knocking him to the ground and rubbing against him wildly!
Xu Yin had no choice but to hold him in his arms and comfort him.
The Queen’s face turned red.
Although the energy-ruined illusionist had lost all sense and was left only with instincts…
How could Yuzhou’s instinct be to do this to Xu Yin?
Could it be… Yuzhou likes… men?
The Queen had just found a glimmer of hope for her eldest son’s recovery, but now she was hit with another shock. She staggered backward and was quickly supported by the guards.
The guards calmly asked, “Your Majesty, are you alright?”
“No, no problem,” the Queen forced herself to calm down.
You Yuan was restrained by two guards at the door, unable to move. Watching Xu Yin help Jun Yuzhou regain his human form, his expression had already changed several times.
Seeing the affection Jun Yuzhou was showing Xu Yin, he felt even more incredulous.
Grinding his teeth, You Yuan took the chance to say, “Your Majesty, could it be that the Crown Prince thinks of Xu Yin as a woman?”
Xu Yin, who was being rubbed against by the man, subtly turned his gaze toward You Yuan and slightly narrowed his eyes.
For some reason, You Yuan shivered under Xu Yin’s gaze, as if goosebumps had appeared on his skin.
Seeing the Queen also looking over, You Yuan braved himself to continue, “This isn’t right, is it? Xu Yin is a man, and the Crown Prince is the Crown Prince—”
Before You Yuan could finish speaking, Jun Yuzhou suddenly sprang to his feet, turned toward him, and bared his teeth with a dark expression, growling like a beast, “Woo—”
You Yuan jumped, startled!
The Queen’s expression changed when she saw Jun Yuzhou showing signs of going berserk again. She immediately pointed at You Yuan, saying, “Take You Yuan out! Don’t let him back in!”
The guards responded, “Yes, Your Majesty!”
You Yuan: “?!!!”
He opened his mouth to protest, but was quickly silenced as a guard swiftly covered his mouth and dragged him out of the room!
By the time he was dragged into the hallway, his clothes were disheveled and he was in a sorry state. The guards were also shocked, not expecting the so-called genius illusionist, who was highly anticipated, to be thrown out in such a disgraceful manner.
You Yuan was absolutely furious!
Back in the room, Jun Yuzhou tried to charge in the direction of where You Yuan was dragged out, still growling. Xu Yin quickly grabbed him, preventing him from attacking further.
A faint jasmine scent floated through the air, and the man immediately turned his head, nuzzling Xu Yin’s neck and clinging to him affectionately.
Xu Yin quickly rubbed the man’s head—not his dog’s head, but his actual head—and comforted him.
The Queen: “…………”
She no longer covered her mouth but instead covered her forehead, swaying slightly.
One of the palace illusionists cleared his throat and gently advised the Queen, “The Crown Prince’s condition cannot be delayed any longer. It must be treated as soon as possible. Since the Crown Prince only allows Xu Yin to be near him, then—”
“…I understand,” the Queen took a deep breath, then turned to Xu Yin and said, “I’m really sorry, but Xu Yin, could I ask you to—”
“I will do my best to cure His Highness the Crown Prince. Please don’t worry, Your Majesty.” Xu Yin nodded respectfully.
If he let his Lao Gong continue to act like this, he wouldn’t be able to handle it either.
Once again knocked to the ground by Jun Yuzhou, Xu Yin stared at the ceiling and thought this to himself.
