Capturing My Demon King Costar

MY COSTAR DOESN'T KNOW THE HALF OF IT

The melodic tinkling of a child's laughter wakes up Yao Shen. He wakes in stages, being at first aware of the soft grass under his cheek, and then of running water nearby.

"Dage, look!"

Gingerly, Yao Shen gets up to his feet. He opens his eyes in the middle of a luxurious courtyard, the kind he has only seen in historical sight tours, or the very best of period dramas.

The source of the childish laughter is a boy of no more than ten years, tugging on the sleeve of a slightly older teenager, who must be aged around fifteen.

"Dage, the carps you gave me are already so big," the boy says, his dark eyes sparkling with joy.

The older teen turns around and Yao Shen can see his face for the first time.

It's like looking into one of his high school pictures. Except his hair had never been that long and Yao Shen is sure he has never looked that serious and focused.

Yao Shen never had a younger brother either.

"That's because didi has been taking good care of them." The younger him -- the other him -- pats the young boy's head who preens under the attention, his smile widening.

"Of course, I didn't want to disappoint Dage!"

It's obvious from that little interaction that the two are extremely close. The young boy in particular looks up to his older brother a great deal.

Is this who Yao Shen was before becoming a ghost king?

Some distant voice calls out "Fourth Highness!" and the boy disappears towards the sound of the voice, after shooting his Dage a little wave.

Yao Shen keeps watching as the other him looks out at the manicured pond, his hands clasped leisurely behind his back.

Two maids must not notice his presence, and gossip among themselves.

"It's such a pity that Fourth Highness's concubine mother is unfavored by the Emperor," one of young girls sighs, shaking her head at the young prince, now almost at the end of that stretch of the courtyard. "He's so clever and well-behaved, even his teachers can't help but praise him."

"Really unfortunate. Being born on the fourth day, of the fourth month too..."

He's now talking with an older gentleman dressed in sober dark robes. Even at a distance it's possible to tell how his whiskers shake with mirth at whatever the boy is saying to excuse missing the lecture he should have been attending.

The other maid lets out a drawn out sigh. "With his brilliance, and how much the Crown Prince indulges him, he might even find himself rising above the petty grievances of the Imperial Harem and being conferred a good title in the capital or another important city." Her expression grows sombre. "I'm afraid his Majesty won't allow it, due to his low opinion of his concubine mother. Everyone knows the only thing keeping her out of the cold palace(1) are her family connections."

"His Majesty has his reasons." The girl's features shift into something sharp, now that she's no longer discussing the innocent son, but the mother instead. "Everyone knows that Lady Lu entertains...gentleman callers. Some even say Fourth Highness' parentage should be questioned."

It's then that the 'Crown Prince' with Yao Shen's face steps out of the shrubs, clearing his throat.

The two maids go immediately pale, and drop to their knees  in deep prostration, their foreheads knocking against the the leaf-covered ground

"Begging for his Highness' forgiveness, these lowly slaves have spoken unwisely and out of turn," the older of the two begs, while the younger maid sobs openly. "This lowly slave deserves death, and begs that his Highness delivers punishment as he sees fit."