Chapter 391: Handsome Supervisor aggressively flirts 14

Xuan Che was followed by several black-clad guards.

The restaurant owner, worried something might happen, came up to look; the guards flashed their token at him, eyes warning him not to cause a scene.

The owner nodded repeatedly, hurriedly clearing everyone out of the second floor.

For a moment, only they remained at the second-floor window.

"Your Highness, where are you going?"

Xuan Che ignored the greetings of Cui Chengping and the other, walking straight toward Jin Chen, his steps slow but unusually tense.

Looking closely, his naturally pale face appeared even paler for some reason, making his crimson lips look all the more lush and tempting.

"I didn't say where I'm going; just strolling around."

Jin Chen gestured for him to sit beside him, his expression actually a bit awkward.

He is not usually like this.

Xuan Che's smile, which he had barely managed to squeeze out, stiffened completely, and the emotion hidden in his phoenix eyes grew darker.

"Since Your Highness won't say, then I must accuse you of guilt."

He turned and coldly stared at the flustered Cui Chengping standing there, knowing that Jin Chen had spent the whole afternoon strolling the market with this person, yet actually planned to go to the Flower Pavilion together.

"Ministry of Personnel Secretary Cui Chengping, you plotted to take the Third Prince to Smoke Willow Lane, suspected of harming the dragon heir to force him into debauchery; take him back to the palace and give him fifty blows."

Cui Chengping was bewildered, yet ultimately dared not refute Xuan Che.

Qi Yiqiu's agitated feelings from just moments ago were completely suppressed now; he hastily rose to plead.

"Supervisor, you see clearly; he definitely had no such intention."

"Oh?"

Xuan Che listened with interest to his words, then glanced at the grim-faced Jin Hua Xuan, light flickering in the depths of his eyes.

"Little General Qi, are you pleading for him? What's your relationship?"

"I..." Qi Yiqiu glanced furtively at Cui Chengping, clenched his fists, "I had a tiff with Brother Chengping, so he's sulking at me; he never intended to take the Third Prince to that place."

Saying that made him feel guilty, so he didn't even dare look at Cui Chengping.

Thus he missed the faint gleam that suddenly flashed in Cui Chengping's eyes.

"Little General Qi and Secretary Cui are at odds; what is the Eldest Prince doing here?"

Xuan Che's eyes held a thoughtful glint as his gaze wandered over the three of them.

Could it be that in this life, Qi Yiqiu's beloved is not Jin Hua Xuan?

"I just came over for a drink since I had nothing to do; today the restaurant is indeed lively—ever since the Third Younger Prince arrived, people have been coming one after another."

Jin Hua Xuan, still shaken from being scared by Xuan Che not long ago, dared not confront him, so he took out all his anger on Jin Chen.

He rose, bowed to Xuan Che, and said, "This palace and Little General Qi still have business; we won't disturb you further—go wherever you like."

As he spoke, Jin Hua Xuan tried to pull Qi Yiqiu away, but Qi Yiqiu dodged.

"Eldest Prince... I will report what you just said to my father; this incident has nothing to do with you, so please leave first."

Qi Yiqiu avoided his gaze, thinking only of not letting Cui Chengping be punished.

Even martial artists can't bear the East Factory's beatings, let alone a scholar like Cui Chengping.

Xuan Che suddenly laughed, but it didn't reach his eyes: "Quite a show, but if the Third Highness doesn't speak, Secretary Cui surely won't escape punishment today."

As he said that, he didn't even glance at Jin Chen.

The other three's gazes, however, turned toward him.

Jin Chen: "……"

How did it come to this!

He helplessly rose, still not forgetting to let Cui Chengping leave.

"It's fine, you go first."

Cui Chengping inquired with his eyes.

"You really can?"

Jin Chen nodded, indicating he shouldn't forget to take Qi Yiqiu as well.

Perhaps emboldened by what just happened, Cui Chengping didn't retreat; his fingertips trembled slightly as he tried to take Qi Yiqiu's hand.

This was the same gesture as Jin Hua Xuan's earlier, but this time Qi Yiqiu didn't refuse, anxiously following him downstairs.

Jin Hua Xuan's face was already black as charcoal.

He snorted, flicked his sleeve, and walked away via the other staircase.

Jin Chen realized, thus the love line between those two was also considered changed.

【Detected Villain Blackening Value -10, total 75!】

Hearing the system's report, he turned and stepped forward to stand opposite Xuan Che.

The two merely stared at each other, neither speaking first.

Only Jin Chen's peach-blossom eyes, brimming with tolerance and tenderness, were too obvious; Xuan Che's eyes reddened, he tried to turn away, but the next second Jin Chen cupped his face with both hands.

He instinctively wanted to break free, but discovered this person's strength was surprisingly great.

"Let go……"

Before Xuan Che could finish his protest, Jin Chen's explanation cut him off.

"I received a letter from my maternal grandfather in the palace, telling me to find Cui Yu, so I left the palace."

"I also had no intention of going to Smoke Willow Lane; I was just trying to provoke Qi Yiqiu to help Cui Chengping, and coming to the teahouse was to accompany him in looking for someone."

"And you—how did you find me here?"

Jin Chen recounted his out-of-palace itinerary word by word, only then asking the question.

As he spoke, Xuan Che's inner discomfort lessened a bit, and in the end he didn't kick up a fuss anymore.

Because he knew these were true, Jin Chen didn't make excuses to lie to him.

「People from the Purple Jade Palace came to report to me, saying Your Highness left the palace without a carriage and looked flustered, so I thought… Your Highness was angry. 」

「But I had people follow the city's informants to the Cui residence, and Cui Yu told me that Your Highness and Cui Chengping went out to play alone…」

「Shouldn't I be angry? 」 Jin Chen took his hand and sat him down at the table, then directly embraced him, saying, 「When you were chatting with Jin Changyou, I was indeed angry. 」

Xuanche still felt wronged, without hesitation he burrowed into Jin Chen's embrace, holding tight, 「The Jade Pendant that Jin Changyou gave me… is beneficial to my body, but it also comes with another toxin. 」

「It seems someone deliberately did this, instigating him to frame me, so I want to see that capable person he brought back from the residence to the palace. 」

Jin Chen's expression slightly paused, 「Is it about the cold poison in your body? 」

「How does Your Highness know? Was it Cui Yu who told you? 」 Xuanche narrowed his phoenix eyes, his fingertip hooking Jin Chen's finger.

「I shouldn't have let him go…」「If he doesn't speak, how much longer do you intend to hide it from me? 」

Jin Chen's expression was hurt, even faintly feeling wronged, 「Our relationship isn't enough for you to tell me about this, is it? 」

「No, I just wanted to wait until the cold poison is cured…」

Xuanche didn't know how to explain this to Jin Chen.

He indeed suffers from cold poison; he once only wanted to fulfill his father's last wish, thinking that as long as he found the Heaven's Mandate Emperor Star, even death would hold no fear.

In this second life, however, because he wanted to stay with Jin Chen a little longer and cure the cold poison.

But once the cold poison enters the body, how could it be so easy to cure?

He was merely afraid that… after Jin Chen learned of his condition, he would feel he could not accompany him long-term and would choose someone else.