Gay Harem

Extra - Toy

Li Jie took the toy and turned it around, examining it with curiosity. He had never seen such a thing before.

Well, that wasn't entirely true.

Just yesterday, when Huang Zhao—the head of the Huang family—had invited the emperor to their residence out of respect, Li Jie had caught a glimpse of a similar toy. Strangely, he hadn't seen any children his age in the Huang household, so he had assumed the toy belonged to one of the maids' children.

However, there were no children in sight this time, and no maids from the Huang residence had visited the crown prince's palace as far as young Li Jie could remember.

But somehow, the toy he had taken a liking to had found its way into his garden.

Li Jie picked up the butterfly-shaped toy, already assuming it could fly. With a swift toss into the air, the toy indeed fluttered for a few seconds before gently landing back on the ground.

A guilty smile crept onto Li Jie's face.

The toy wasn't his, and he had no right to play with it. But the young prince couldn't resist the temptation to hold it a little longer, to feel its presence in his hands.

However, a tinge of sadness crossed Li Jie's expression. He had no one to play with, and the only toy he truly liked wasn't his to keep.

With a heavy heart, the young boy picked up the toy and stared at it, as if his world would crumble if he let it go. For a six-year-old, perhaps it felt that way.

Li Jie couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him, intensifying his guilt over touching and playing with something that wasn't his.

He knew he could ask his father, the emperor, to buy the same toy for him. But a few days ago, Li Jie had overheard two maids gossiping about him.

"Don't you think the prince is too spoiled?" one of them had laughed. "Which six-year-old has as many things as he does?"

"I don't think he has that many, though..." the other maid had replied, looking guilty just by listening to those harsh words.

"He's a prince, stupid," the first maid had scolded. "Of course he has many. I bet even the emperor will grow tired of his constant requests."

In truth, Li Jie had never made excessive demands of his father, unless it was something necessary or something he desired deeply, like the cherry blossom tree in his garden.

But after overhearing those words, he refrained from approaching his father even for something as small as a toy that had finally caught his attention and could alleviate his loneliness.

"Umm..." Li Jie hurriedly approached a maid, his cheeks flushed. "Miss...?"

The maid smiled down at the young prince. "Yes, Your Highness?"

Li Jie held up the toy, his head slightly lowered. "I'm not sure who this toy belongs to, and... I don't want to possess something that isn't mine... C-can you...?"

The maid could see the prince's flushed face beneath his white hair. She smiled warmly and took the toy. "I will do my best to assist you, Your Highness."

Li Jie beamed and said, "Thank you."

After that, he hurried back to his chamber, not wanting anyone to witness his flushed face. He had heard that both changing color and stuttering were signs of weakness, and he wanted to hide his vulnerability.

The maid watched the prince with a smile, but before she could move, a boy suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Huang Yiming?" The maid quickly recognized the second child of the Huang family, ensuring

she maintained proper etiquette. "What are you doing here?"

"That toy used to be mine," the boy said with a cold expression, despite being no older than eight. "Give it back to the prince and tell him it was a gift from someone."