Chapter 278 The Precondition of Being a Shield
“My grandma will take a look at the palace banquet. You should show some affection for me!” Chu Liuchen said gently.
“This… is not in line with the code of conduct for females!” Qin Wanru raised her little face to refuse.
She could promise to be Chu Liuchen’s shield, but she was unwilling to ruin her reputation. In her previous life, the series of consequences was caused by her ruined reputation.
“I don’t need you to overdo it. You know medical skills, don’t you?” Chu Liuchen raised his brows and showed a small smile.
“Medical skills?” Qin Wanru was surprised and took a careful look at Chu Liuchen, hoping to find something in his eyes. Yet, he was a fox. She could not figure out his thought from his changeable face!
“Since I am not healthy, that you pay more attention to me should be normal. Anyway, you know medical skills!” Chu Liuchen said in a careful guiding tone.
“This…” Qin Wanru hesitated. In the imperial palace, it was not that easy to play tricks, let alone the trick targeted the consort’s position of Chu Liuchen.
“Qin Wanru, you promised me just now!” Seeing that she hesitated, Chu Liuchen’s smile turned cold instantly, and a trace of deep maliciousness climbed upon his face. Patting the bonsai of Korean pine beside him, he reminded Qin Wanru, “That time in Jiangzhou Jingxin Monastery, it was me who caught that coachman for you! If you are unwilling… after you walk out, we shall never contact each other!”
That Korean pine was not big, but an ordinary person could not make it into so many pieces. So, his threat was obvious.
“Prince, I accept!” Stupefied, she took a look at the sick-looking Chu Liuchen, feeling a little nervous. Qin Wanru didn’t hesitate this time and bit the corner of her red lip.
“Since I am in the plot, I cannot retreat even I wish to. In my previous life, I was not in the plot, but I was still chopped in half.
“This means I may not avoid what I want to avoid. Since I can’t avoid it or refuse it, I won’t need to avoid it anymore.” Those who rose from the bloody hell had their ruthlessness.
At this moment, a trace of ghastly ruthlessness climbed upon her small pink face!
“That’s good. Qin Wanru, I don’t want you to be hit back home before you appear! You should know what I mean, right?” Chu Liuchen said, referring to something, as his long and narrow eyes were raised. That handsome face became more enchanting, showing he was in a good mood.
Qin Wanru didn’t reply at once. Thinking for a moment, she raised her watery eyes, looking straight at Chu Liuchen, and said, “Prince, I can be your shield, but I also hope you can help me!”
For some things, the more she investigated, the more shocked she was, and it was even difficult to continue. But no matter what, she had reason to continue her investigation. The hatred in her two lives should be paid off with blood!
“What do you want?” Chu Liuchen seemed not to care about what Qin Wanru said and turned his head sideways, showing a gentle smile. He looked like a romantic youth, only his eyes shooting the look of heart-piercing coldness.
“I want those who hurt me to fall into hell!”
Qin Wanru stared at Chu Liuchen and said word by word. A trace of blood flashed in her deep watery eyes, and her hand held her fist tightly, giving off a kind of faint bloodthirsty air.
Why did she investigate? It was because of her hatred as well as her parents’. If what she guessed was true, she might have to confront Duke Xing’s Mansion, but the Qin’s Mansion was too powerless facing Duke Xing’s Mansion.
In her previous life, her parents and herself contributed to others’ fame and riches. In this life, the people should pay it back!
Even if she had to use herself as the price, she would borrow the immense power from Chu Liuchen…
Looking at her with curiosity, Chu Liuchen suddenly laughed and rubbed the top of her hair. Although she had recently grown taller, she was still much shorter than Chu Liuchen. Recently, he seemed to have grown very fast, still much taller than Qin Wanru.
He touched the top of her hair just as he extended his hand.
“Okay, good. Qin Wanru, you are really good!”
The icy coldness disappeared from Qin Wanru’s face, the look in her eye changed, and her smile was extremely beautiful and gentle. She was thin and small, but her momentum was not suppressed by Chu Liuchen.
Yujie even vaguely thought that they were a good match. When she took a look at Xiao Xuanzi on the side and found he was looking at Chu Liuchen with excitement, she had to stop thinking about the confusion she had instantly. She clearly felt that her Miss would love to sacrifice anything for the so-called aim.
Qin Wanru didn’t stay long in the flower market. Later, she found a floriculturist and asked about Tang Qianyan’s growing methods and tips. The floriculturist told her everything, gave her a few suitable suggestions on taking care of her flower, and even repeated that her flower was a rare gem.
Qin Wanru had to ask Yujie to carry the Tang Qianyan back home. Actually, she wanted to leave the flower here, but Chu Liuchen asked her to take it away.
Seeing that Qin Wanru and her servant had left, Xiao Xuanzi sneaked a peek at his master’s face. He looked gentle, with his hands knotted behind his back, taking a walk among the flowers and pausing at will. It seemed that he was in a very good mood. So, Xiao Xuanzi asked gingerly, “Prince, did you say that you don’t need a betrothal at this moment, right? The Empress Dowager has agreed!”
“My grandma just said so!” Wearing a gentle and elegant smile, Chu Liuchen stood beside a bonsai of Tang Qianyan, extending his long hand to touch a delicate flower in full bloom on the tree. The corner of his mouth was raised.
“Prince, do you mean that the emperor and the Empress Dowager will pick a consort for you without your consent?” Xiao Xuanzi didn’t understand, rubbed his head, and asked.
“Certainly, my grandma will pick one for me after I agree!” Chu Liuchen was in a good mood today, willing to explain it to Xiao Xuanzi. Again, he touched the flower gracefully. “My grandma won’t ignore my opinion, but she will still help me choose silently. If my dear grandma likes someone, she will give her more care!”
“Do you wish Empress Dowager to take more care of Second Miss?” Xiao Xuanzi thought that he could not keep up with his master’s idea.
“Naturally, I don’t mean to ask my grandma to take more care of Qin Wanru. If my grandma is satisfied with her and thinks she is sincere to me, she will have a high opinion of her. In the palace, there are always some people who have to live on their masters, but she is my girl, and I can’t let others pick her!” Chu Liuchen walked to another bonsai of Tang Qianyan and said in a carefree manner.
“The girl is so interesting. Naturally, I won’t let others have her!”
“Prince, do you really want to marry Second Miss, or you just consider her a shield?” Xiao Xuanzi turned his eyeballs and didn’t think he understood what his master said. So, he gave up all the indirect questions and asked directly.
“What’s the point of marrying her or not marrying her? I am a man who don’t know when to die!” Chu Liuchen snorted coldly. The genial complexion he had just now changed instantly, and his eyes became eerily cold.
“Master, you will recover!” Xiao Xuanzi was quite anxious.
“Recover or not, that’s not important at all!” Chu Liuchen coughed. As he stopped smiling, he looked even paler, putting his hand on Xiao Xuanzi for support as if he was about to fall.
Astonished, Xiao Xuanzi shrieked to the outside anxiously. “People, come to support my master. You will get good rewards!”
There were many visitors in the flower market, but most of them were outside. Hearing Xiao Xuanzi’s loud shriek, a few people came at once, helping Xiao Xuanzi support Chu Liuchen.
These people didn’t know Chu Liuchen, but when they saw his luxurious dressing style—a brocade robe and a jade crown—they knew he was not an ordinary person at once. In a hurry, they worked with Xiao Xuanzi to help him get on the carriage beside them.
Xiao Xuanzi took out silver to reward the helpers with many thanks and then put down the curtain, asking their coachman to drive them home. The noise was so loud that the pedestrians all stopped to watch.
In fact, Qin Wanru and Yujie hadn’t walked far away. Hearing the noise, they also stopped. Next, they saw several people escort Chu Liuchen to his carriage, which dashed away instantly. It seemed that he was not well.
“Miss, is Prince Chen really so weak?” Yujie wondered and said. Although she hadn’t felt Prince Chen’s pulse, she knew he was not so weak every time she saw him.
“He… is really ill, perhaps!” Qin Wanru smiled bitterly and shook her head. Chu Liuchen did have a disease and it should be serious, but she didn’t know why he looked fine sometimes, either.
“Certainly, he is always ill and weak in public. I remember just now he said he suddenly passed out in the palace, and one miracle-working physician from Jiangnan who became an imperial physician came to treat his disease. From this point of view, Chu Liuchen does have a disease.
“But I’m not clear why sometimes he is well and sometimes not.”
The carriages of Qin’s Mansion and Chu Liuchen were parked almost shoulder to shoulder on the same spot, with the latter’s carriage on the outside. Now, after his carriage left, it was more convenient for Qin Wanru’s carriage to drive back.
After helping Qin Wanru get on the carriage first, Yujie got herself in as well. The carriage turned back, heading to Butterfly Clothing Shop.
Arriving at Butterfly Clothing Shop, Qin Wanru stopped the carriage. The lively air had already gone, and the firecrackers’ pieces scattered at the gate, looking as normal as other shops.
Looking around, Qin Wanru saw many customers. She felt at ease and asked their coachman to restart to go home directly.
Getting out of the carriage from the side door, she saw a carriage parking beside her, and its style was not their mansion’s.
“Whose carriage is it?” Yujie went over, took the hand of the old maid coming over, and asked, as she found Qin Wanru was looking at the carriage.
“It is Duke Xing’s Mansion coming to send gifts!” the old maid grinned and said.
“Send gifts? To who?” Yujie was stunned and asked.
“To First Miss Qi, of course, Second Miss was also talked about just now. Maybe there will be a gift for Second Miss in a while!” the old maid grinned and came to bow to Qin Wanru.
All the people in the mansion knew that Madam of Duke Xing liked Qin Wanru, and Qi Rongzhi was just the result of a coincidence!