Xiao Zhan walked back to the auction house, when someone walked beside him.

"Did you just have a shady lunch date inside that questionable place, with the White Prince?" 

"Xue Yang, were you alone? Where's Yu Bin and Song Lan?"

"They're back at the auction house, I saw you left with him, and I just followed you. Eventhough I knew that you have everything under control, not that you'd need me anyway." He grinned.

"Quit the flattering boy, did you see their entourage?"

"Yup, there were 5 white knights and the head knight, he's the one coming inside to greet you. Quite the entourage, ay?" He chuckled.

"Well, he is the Prince, and his brother the Crown Prince was also at the auction house."

"That's the thing, the second Prince seemed to have more knights than the Crown Prince. Isn't it weird?"

"Maybe it's because the second Prince was more...rebellious? Troublemaker? You can't see it from his angelic face though."

"I could see from the way he flirted shamelessly with you, boss. He was a troublemaker...and heartbreaker.." Xue Yang broke into a song then, making Xiao Zhan chuckled.

They arrived at the auction house, and it's getting more crowded than before. Maybe it's because the news of both Princes were attending the auction, but the female patrons seemed to be quite increasing in their numbers. They seemed to want to catch the Princes' attention, especially the second one. He blew air kisses left and right, making quite the ruckus, but then he was ushered by his head bodyguard to enter the inner building, before there bound to be another incidents.

That scene, was making Xiao Zhan shook his head in disbelief. The little gremlin was indeed a troublemaker...and a heartbreaker. But he also felt an unfamiliar tug in his heart, as if telling him that this boy was something he couldn't describe. Yet.

It's not that Xiao Zhan only liked boys, more particularly, he liked all kinds of beauty. Male, female, didn't matter, but he never kept them for more than few nights. Because more than that, will complicate...things. and he doesn't do complicated. He'd preferred the dead objects that can be kept indefinitely, rather than a living thing who could betrayed him in a heartbeat, given the right compensation.

But this...this unfamiliar feeling, made him buzzed with something, like when you had one too many drinks, weird, but pleasant. All because of a boy. A prince nonetheless. 

Damn, what did I get myself into?

Unfortunately, the woman, from back when he asked about the identity of the Prince, came back, and clings to him like a lifeline.

"Xiao Laoshi, I found out about the boy you've asked about, before you ran out on me." She pouted. Xiao Zhan didn't do pouting women. Or even men.

Although someone did the pouting thing recently, and it's cute as hell.

"Well, he was just right here, with his brother the Crown Prince. I guess we've just missed them, huh?" He spoke sarcastically, but the woman seemed to miss the hint. "Pardon me, miss, thank you for your... attentive but unwanted concern, but I really have to go inside." He snapped his fingers, and Xue Yang came out from nowhere. 

"Yes, boss?"

"Please take care of this lady here, I have an auction to attend." He shrugged out of the woman's clutches, and almost went half-jog to the inner hall.

-----

Inside the inner auction hall, Xiao Zhan was greeted immediately by Jiyang, "Xiao Laoshi, the Crown Prince would like to meet you, will you please be so kind to follow me?"

Like he had a choice but to follow him. He nodded.

Jiyang smiled politely, and gestured him to follow.

-----

The Crown Prince was a very handsome man. He's radiating kindness, wisdom, all that sugar without the spice.

Little did they know...

"Crown Prince, I heard you want to see me?"

"Xiao Zhan, come, sit here." He patted the seat next to him. Xiao Zhan walked closer and looked around before he sit.

"How can I help you with anything, Your Majesty?"

"Cut the crap, Xiao Zhan, I heard you've met my little bratty brother already?" There's laughter in his tone, and a familiar speech that only those who was having a close relationship had.

"Yes, and whew, how did you keep him caged all this time? I thought the last time I remembered, you sent him to some faraway boarding house somewhere near the north pole?" Xiao Zhan chuckled.

"Not that far, regretfully, but apparently not far enough. He wreaked havoc everywhere, and finally they decided that they can't keep the wild Prince anymore, and sent him back to me. Did you know how furious the King was? Well, I will tell you this, you don't want to know." The Crown Prince sighed. "He even got himself to race his bike in the pro circuit. By himself. I was kind of proud of him, after all he's my baby brother. But, now that you've caught his eyes, better watch out for your pretty back. He's what the dictionary described as troublemaker to the dot."

"Ooh, getting chummy, aren't you?" 

They both jumped at the familiar voice behind them.

"Yibo! Where were you? You scared me to death!"

"Brother, you knew that I was around here, admiring the artworks, although nothing was as pretty as the one I want." He directly point his gaze toward Xiao Zhan, who had to exercised his self control to not turning red and flustered like a hormonal teenager. "Did you know my brother?" He pointed his question to Xiao Zhan now.

"We've met on a few occassion like this, and became friends. Right, Xiao Zhan?" He glared at him.

"Yes, Your Highness, of course, I am very honored to be called your friend."

"Good! Since he's been voted by the Crown Prince himself, then you won't mind if I hang out with him sometimes soon, brother?" 

"As long you're not bothering him. Was that okay with you, Xiao Zhan?" The Crown Prince looked at him with a glint in his eyes.

"I.. of course, Your Majesty." 

He, the mighty Hades, was getting razed by the two princes, just because his braincells were reduced to a single one like a bumbling hormonal teenager he acted as.

But after seeing both of them smiled, so looked alike with their sunny disposition, how could he refuse?

These Princes are going to be the death of me...

Fortunately, the rest of the auction went smoothly, and even Xiao Zhan managed to procure few things. A beautiful set of porcelain tea cups from 19th century for his sister, and an antique chess set made from ivory with intricate details for his brother. Too bad he didn't get the painting he wanted. He's lost to an anonymous buyer, by a mile. That's one dedicated buyer right there.

Well, you win some, you lose some.

-----

The next day, he woke up to a persistent knocking on his door. He walked to open it, still in his robe, to find Xue Yang smiling like a cat.

"What?" He barked at him "I thought I told you not to bother me unless it's death or alive matter."

"Well, for one, you're alone in there, and two, I think you need to see this." He grinned widely, and gestured Xiao Zhan to follow him.

"Can't it wait until AFTER I wake up properly? I think I have a migraine coming soon."

"Don't be such a drama queen, boss, you know that it's the fact that you're definitely sexually frustrated, thus the migraines, and it's going to kill you soon if you don't blow off some steam. And I mean really soon."

"Stop talking about my sexual life. It's not even noon yet, where's my goddamn coffee? I need a proper coffee at least before you woke me up at this ungodly hour." He growled at Xue Yang.

"Bet you'll change your mind after seeing this." He walked to the foyer, where there's 2 men flaunting a big crate that they've always used to move a big painting around. "Open it, guys." The 2 men moved to open the crate to reveal the painting inside. 

Xiao Zhan was speechless.

Inside was the painting he lost in the auction yesterday. A beautiful painting of the ethereal Persephone in white, with a white cat, standing in a field of flower, longed for her lover.

It's his own Hades painting's other half.

"Who sent this?" He asked Xue Yang after he got over his initial shock.

"Anonymous. Only signed, Yours. Hmm, what a generous present, seems like you have a secret admirer, boss. With a very high taste in art." He looked closer at the painting. "Should we hang it beside your Hades's painting?"

Xiao Zhan's only grunted his response and went back to his room. He need his sleep first, decisions later.

But when he came into his room, he yelped loudly, surprised at another present on his bed.

-----

His king-sized bed was sprinkled with red rose petals, hershey's kisses, and the room was filled with aromatic candle. But the surprise was the person himself. Buck naked, only covered by a silk sheet in his lower part, hair loose, and he posed like a goddess Persephone himself, half sprawled in the bed, lids half closed. 

"What the hell?? How did you get inside my house??" Xiao Zhan yelled after he calmed down his heartbeat seeing the object of his wet dream lying on his bed, ready to be ravished.

"Zhan ge, really? I broke into places which had tighter security than this place. Oh, you might want to tell your guards to check the South perimeter, it's kinda wonky there, and tell them to take care of my bike! Brother will definitely kill me if I put a dent on that. Now, where were we, oh yes, the seduction part, will you come here and deflower me already? It's getting cold here." He patted the bed beside him. "I woke up really early to plan all this, you know?"

"And what exactly did you plan? Sneaking into my house? Into my bed? Oh, and while we're at it, were you the one who bought the painting and sent it to me? The Persephone?" Xiao Zhan was clearly fumed at this delicious but unexpected distraction on his bed.

"It's called a distraction Zhan ge, so that I could come inside your house discreetly and gave you a surprise." He flashed his eat-shitting grin. "I know you like it, I can see it from your honest reaction." He winked at him.

Xiao Zhan looked down, and true to his word, his dick seemed to have sprung to life on its own. He willed it into submission, not want to give satisfaction to this gremlin. 

Troublemaker indeed. I need to have a word with his brother.

"You know there's a normal way you could do this... thing, right?" He waved at his surrounding. "Dinner, movie, that kind of thing?"

"Ooh, but I think, you will get bored easily if I did that, and I really think you're secretly liking my unconventional ideas, left a big impression, you know." He shrugged.

"Well, yeah, to be honest, I liked it, BUT, I'm not going to indulge you, OR deflower you, right here right now, you crazy kid. Didn't your mother tell you to be careful with a stranger?" He walked to the far corner of the room, getting a stiff drink to calm his nerves.

"Yeah, maybe, I didn't really know my mother. She passed away when I was a little boy." He's fidgeting with the sheets now, conscious of his nakedness. "So you really don't want me? Did I miss the signs?" Yibo kinda looked really fragile now, like a lost child in the sea of white silk sheets and rose petals, what a sight. It's amazing how this young man could change from a shameless seductress to an innocent virgin, in a brief of a moment.

Xiao Zhan sighed, all the sleepiness gone from his mind already. He walked to the bed, and sat beside the young Prince.

"Yibo," he touched his hand lightly, it felt clammy, "No, you're not wrong, I do feel very attracted to you, but this is not the way to approach it, you know what I'm saying?" He wrapped the silk sheets around the young Prince's body. "I know you may always get what you want, whenever you want it, but that's not what a real courting supposed to be." He hugged him, and he's clinging to Xiao Zhan like a child. "You've said it yourself, you will get bored of me sooner if I...just give in to you now. To be honest, I want to do it, badly, but my moral compass and self restrain screamed at me to do otherwise. So, why don't you put on your clothes, and we'll get some breakfast, before I changed my mind and ravished you right here right now?" He ruffled the younger's hair fondly.

"Zhan ge..." he looked at Xiao Zhan, eyes glistening, making him a very beautiful sight. "May I have a kiss then?"

Xiao Zhan paused, but he finally gave up and give this boy a kind of reward he deserved for being obedient. Kind of. Truth is, he had wanted to kiss him badly, since he laid his eyes on him, yesterday. Was it just yesterday? Seems longer. So he took his chin in his thumb and forefinger, and tilted his head, and gave him a chaste kiss, only to be dragged closer in a hungry one from the other. 

I think I've been played again by this manipulative little shit...

But he delved into the kiss passionately, like a thirsty traveler finally found his oasis, and they've locked into the passionate embrace for a while, when the door to his room's being slammed open.

"Boss, we have a situatioooo...oooohhh, I'm sorry, please continue..." Xue Yang slammed the door closed.

Xiao Zhan let go of the kiss rather forcefully, breathless, and aroused as hell. "Did you do that in purpose? I should have known you'd do something like this, tricking me to do the debauchery to you, do you want me to spank you for that?" He scowled at the Prince, who looked like he was just being ravaged the whole night long. Yibo only smiled, the satisfied smile, like a cat who just ate a whole can of cream.

"Please spank me, Zhan ge, I will do whatever you want, now that I've tasted the forbidden fruit." He licked his lips seductively, knowing the effect he had on the older man.

"I really don't know what to do with you..." Xiao Zhan threw his hands exasperately. "But please, make yourself at home, while I attend some business matter." He went to the bathroom, to take care of his unfinished business a.k.a jerking off, and took a cold cold shower to calm his nerves. He got out from the bathroom, wearing a long slung tight black jeans and a black button down, sleeves rolled up to his elbow. 

"Looking hot, Hades, nice preview of your goods, baby." Yibo gave him a once over and wolf whistling him, while he ate the chocolate from the seduction play.

"Behave, Yibo." He looked at him, and pointed at his still-unworn clothes on the floor. "Get dressed. We're having breakfast right now."

-----

"Tell me again, why I have to babysit your boyfriend?" Xue Yang scowled at Yibo.

Xiao Zhan only gave him a side glance. "Firstly, he's not my boyfriend..."

"Yet." cuts Yibo, grinning, eating his porridge happily.

"Yet. Secondly, he's a fucking Prince, as you may see, and besides, whose idea again for me to have a sexual life?" He ate a bit of the youtiao, and some hot soy milk and coffee.

"Me and my big mouth... but didn't he have his own guard? Where's your dog, Prince? Did you left them scrambled around after you sneaked into my boss' bed?"

"Dunno, don't care. Manage to lose them this morning, maybe they will soon catch up here and cut your tongue for your insolence?" 

"You..!"

"Boys, boys, stop it already, I got this massive headache from your nonstop bickering, now do you want me to throw you both outside?" Xiao Zhan glanced at them, drinking his coffee. 

Both of them stopped immediately.

"Good boys, now, behave while daddy's gone." He stood up and signaled Yu Bin and Song Lan to leave with him.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave them together, boss? They're kinda...hostile toward each other." Yu Bin sneaked a glance to the two they left behind.

"It's fine, I bet the Prince's knights already around here somewhere, hiding." Xiao Zhan waved his hand. "Now tell me, what else did the Red King do?"

"He burned the shipment for your brother, and killing several people in the process. Many injured." Yu Bin explained to him.

"What shipment? Did Jiang Cheng contact you about this?" He walked faster to his armored car, his door was opened by Song Lan, and then he silently went to the driver seat, leaving Xiao Zhan and Yu Bin to talk in the backseats.

"He did, and it's actually one from their legal business, the imported fruit and vegetables." 

"That's not going to make a serious dent, but really strange, you think? Can you dig deeper? This was all sound sketchy."

"I will. And I agree with you, it does sound sketchy."

Xiao Zhan nodded. Then he told Song Lan to go to the Jiangs. Time to visit his siblings.