The Little Prince Failed to Seduce and Got Hooked Instead - Chapter 5

After the “teaching” session at the equestrian club, Shen Yanci returned to his hotel with a face as dark as thunder. The smell of horse musk, the bits of grass clinging to his clothes, and the lingering itch on his neck from the Prince’s hair all made him extremely disgruntled.

Not to mention, the brat had the audacity to wave goodbye with a grin, saying, “Mr. Shen is naturally gifted; next time we should try something more ‘exciting’.”

At that moment, Shen Yanci had seriously considered giving him something “exciting” with a riding crop. He scrubbed himself from head to toe before the feeling of sticky proximity and the phantom itching finally faded. However, the turbulence in his mind was not so easily stilled.

For the next two days, he blocked all non-official contact from the Royal Household and buried himself in the project. His team noticed the plummeting atmospheric pressure in the office; his standards became even more rigorous, leaving them working in a state of terrified efficiency.

Finally, the day of the formal negotiation arrived. The venue was a small, formal conference room in the Palace. Across the long table, the two sides were clearly divided. Shen Yanci led his elite team, all in matching dark suits and somber expressions. Opposite them was Arthur, leading the royal representatives and several government officials, dressed much more formally than usual.

Arthur wore a well-tailored navy suit today, his golden-brown hair styled meticulously. He actually looked the part of a steady and capable royal. However, the moment Shen Yanci entered, those gray-blue eyes curved almost imperceptibly, flashing a look of secret amusement that only the two of them understood.

Shen Yanci looked away expressionlessly, sat at the head of the table, and opened his folder. “Let us begin.”

The negotiation actually proceeded quite smoothly. The major framework had been settled beforehand; today was mostly about finalizing specific clauses and the division of responsibilities. Both sides were well-prepared. While there were moments of debate and tug-of-war over certain points, the overall momentum pushed toward cooperation.

Shen Yanci dominated the rhythm of his side throughout. His speech was steady, his logic flawless, and his proposed solutions were forceful yet left room for compromise. He rarely looked at Arthur, spending most of his time reading the documents or looking directly at the official in charge of the specific terms.

Arthur also performed professionally for the most part, raising questions or supplements that hit the key points. However, his gaze was like a series of hooks, constantly drifting toward Shen Yanci. Shen Yanci could feel the stare like a focused point of sunlight landing on his hands, his face, the rolling of his Adam’s apple. It was a distraction that required him to exert twelve points of concentration to resist.

Even in a suit looking like a proper gentleman, the guy is still that unpredictable little madman at his core, Shen Yanci thought.

After more than two hours, a preliminary intent was reached. All that remained was the final textual verification and signatures. The atmosphere relaxed slightly. Assistants on both sides began to converse in low voices, tidying their documents.

“Then, regarding the supplementary explanation for Clause Seven.” Shen Yanci picked up the final letter of intent that needed signing, leaning forward slightly to hand it to the official opposite him.

Almost simultaneously, Arthur reached out as if to take the document himself. His fingertips inadvertently darted forward.

Shen Yanci handed over the paper. Arthur reached out to receive it. Instead of grabbing the bottom edge of the document, his fingertips “accidentally-on-purpose” brushed lightly against Shen Yanci’s fingers holding the edge!

Skin met skin.

In that split second, the cool fingertips brushed over his warm knuckles, bringing a tiny yet impossible-to-ignore sensation. Shen Yanci’s movements faltered almost imperceptibly.

Arthur acted as if he had been burned, snapping his hand back so fast he nearly knocked over a nearby coffee cup! A visible flush of thin red instantly bloomed on his pale earlobes, spreading all the way down his neck. He quickly lowered his head, feigning a cough to hide his loss of composure, his fingers frantically rearranging the documents that were already organized.

The movement wasn’t large, but in the quiet conference room, it felt abrupt. Several assistants stopped talking and looked toward the Prince with confusion.

Shen Yanci took it all in. The steady, professional Prince from the negotiation table had vanished, replaced by the young boy who turned red at the slightest touch. He stared at Arthur’s crimson ear-tips for half a second.

The irritation he had felt earlier vanished into thin air. In its place rose a subtle, indefinable sense of pleasure. So, I wasn’t the only one whose heart was thrown into chaos by an accidental touch.

So, this guy actually gets embarrassed?

He calmly placed the letter of intent in front of the official, retracted his hand, and leaned back into his chair. At an angle no one else could see, the corner of his mouth curved upward in a tiny, uncontrollable arc. It was gone as fast as a hallucination, returning to his usual icy expression.

But for that one moment, the thaw was real.

“The team can handle the refinement of the details later,” Shen Yanci said, his voice as steady as ever, ending the meeting.

As everyone stood to exchange courtesies, Arthur’s blush had not yet fully subsided. He seemed afraid to look at Shen Yanci, keeping his head down as he prepared to leave.

“Your Highness,” Shen Yanci suddenly called out.

Arthur froze, turning back stiffly with flickering eyes. “Does Mr. Shen have something else?”

Shen Yanci’s mood improved seeing Arthur’s rare state of fluster. He picked up the heavy volume of historical background material for the project and issued an invitation in an even tone:

“Some parts of these historical records need further verification. I’ve heard the Royal Library’s collection is more comprehensive. I wonder if Your Highness is free this weekend to accompany me to select some more detailed documents?”

Arthur snapped his head up, his eyes instantly exploding with joy. He nearly blurted out “I’m free! Very free!”, but he managed to remember his dignity at the last second, swallowing the words and clearing his throat with a bit of a “royal” posture:

“Hmm… I originally had some plans for the weekend. However, since it is for the project, I can make time to go with Mr. Shen.”

His attempt to look reluctant while failing to hide his sheer excitement made Shen Yanci want to laugh.

“Then I shall trouble Your Highness.”

Shen Yanci gave a slight nod and said no more, leading his team out of the room first. The moment he turned away, the slight smile vanished, and he became the cold, difficult CEO Shen once again. Yet, in a corner of his heart, he had already begun to look forward to the library trip.

Behind him, Arthur watched his straight, cold back. He couldn’t resist raising a hand to touch his still-burning ear, his mouth curling upward uncontrollably.

That touch just now… the ‘voltage’ was a bit too high.

But… it felt pretty good!