Chapter 55: Saving the Aloof Crown Prince 06

After leaving the training grounds, Jin Chen made a trip to Heaven Moon Pavilion.

Heaven Moon Pavilion is not inside the imperial palace, but deep in the forest outskirts.

Here, few people come by, rarely anyone passes through, and it is quite open, making it very suitable for shadow guard training.

He needs to clean up the matters left behind by the original owner.

Ying Jiu is not as low in strength as Jin Chen claimed.

On the contrary, he is a shadow guard specially trained by Heaven Moon Pavilion, with extremely high martial arts, proficient in various hidden weapons, and one of the Pavilion's Four Great Guardians.

But he usually focuses on training newcomers and rarely carries out missions, so Emperor Yongshun naturally doesn't know much about him.

Regarding his sudden trip to the imperial palace, the other three all expressed great suspicion.

"Ah Jiu?"

Seeing him return, Ying Liu teased, "Could it be that you're too dense and weren't chosen by the Crown Prince?"

Jin Chen glanced at him, "Crown Prince."

Ying Liu had long grown accustomed to his terse way of speaking.

Following behind Jin Chen, he said carelessly, "I'm saying, Heaven Moon Pavilion now serves His Majesty, although it's a bit troublesome, at least..."

"And the Pavilion Master?"

Jin Chen cut off his chatter.

"Ying Qi, he was summoned by His Majesty to report back."

Ying Liu scratched his head, "Lately there's been a lot going on; perhaps he's been instructed to strengthen the protection of the imperial palace."

"And here?"

Ying Qi walked in, tall and slender, appearing even colder than Jin Chen, like a piece of thousand-year-old ice that never melts.

He looked at Jin Chen, "You're bold, daring to hide your strength from His Majesty."

Jin Chen: "You won't say it, I know."

They entered the imperial palace for training at the same time; although they each appear cold and aloof, they have long been like brothers.

Moreover...

Heaven Moon Pavilion's loyalty is essentially a joke.

Ying Qi removed his mask, "Emperor Yongshun wants to completely subjugate Heaven Moon Pavilion; he's no longer satisfied with us sending assassins to protect the palace."

"Help me find someone."

Jin Chen tossed him a note, "If you have news, come find me at the East Palace."

Ying Qi said meaningfully, "You now serve the Crown Prince?"

Jin Chen: "Life and death together."

He suddenly locked eyes with Ying Qi, "Heaven Moon Pavilion shouldn't be suppressed by Emperor Yongshun; if necessary, we should act directly."

"Fine, I'll think about it again."

Jin Chen leapt away.

Ying Qi sighed, flicked Ying Liu's forehead, "Looks like the tides are turning."

He opened the note, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

—

After returning to the East Palace, Jin Chen hid on the beams of Xiao Su's Qin Gong, closing his eyes to rest.

After arriving in this little world, he had almost been nonstop, preparing to be by Xiao Su's side, and now he finally had time to rest.

Shortly after.

"Ying Jiu."

From beneath the beams came Xiao Su's voice.

Jin Chen leapt down and came to the room.

"Master, what are your orders?"

Xiao Su draped himself in a gold-thread woven rug, lazily leaning against the headboard; seeing Jin Chen enter, he set down his book.

Perhaps the Heart-Protecting Pill had taken effect; his complexion looked rosy, not at all like a frail person.

"Tomorrow is the audience day; at that time you will accompany me."

"Yes."

Jin Chen replied.

Xiao Su felt the mask on his face was somewhat obstructive.

It was quite ugly.

"From now on, in my East Palace, you are not allowed to wear a mask."

Hearing this, Jin Chen smiled lightly, reached out to remove his mask, revealing a handsome face; his gaze toward Xiao Su could truly be described as…

deep affection.

Xiao Su lightly blinked his phoenix eyes; it's better to look at those peach-blossom eyes of his that seem born full of feeling.

"The sky is growing dark; Master, don't you need dinner?"

Jin Chen saw that he seemed to have lain on the bed resting all afternoon, and asked.

"I have no appetite, so I'll skip it."

Xiao Su lowered his head, turned another page, and once again caught the familiar faint scent of agarwood; his previously vexed mood improved considerably.

This won't do.

Jin Chen frowned, "Subordinate will go to the kitchen to prepare some food for the master."

"Huh?"

Xiao Su's gaze shifted from the book, his phoenix eyes faintly holding interest.

"You still know how to cook?"

"Aren't the dark guards supposed to be training all day?"

Jin Chen rose, "Of course, my lord, please wait a moment."

Xiao Su did not stop him.

As usual, he would never eat food made by others; all his meals were prepared by the small kitchen.

This was to prevent those with ulterior motives from taking advantage.

For some reason, my bottom line from two lifetimes becomes infinitely tolerant in the face of Ying Jiu.

What kind of sorcery does this person actually have?

Xiao Su spaced out for a moment, then secretly shook his head.

Never mind, just follow your heart.

He... is a believer in Ying Jiu.

In less than half an hour, Jin Chen returned to the Qin Gong, followed by the palace maid who brought the food.

Xiao Su dislikes crowds, so only the serving palace maids and eunuchs remain; the stewardship is handled by the chief eunuch, and the only one left is his personal attendant, Li You.

The palace maids, knowing the Crown Prince's nature, left after setting down the food trays, without staying to attend inside.

Xiao Su glanced at the table.

There were few dishes, but they looked novel, and pastries had been prepared as well.

Jin Chen laid out the dishes for him, his tone extremely gentle.

"My lord, please try."

Xiao Su picked up his chopsticks and tasted.

His phoenix eyes immediately brightened slightly, somewhat surprised.

It unexpectedly suited his taste.

Seeing him eat happily in small bites, Jin Chen's lips curled up, his eyes full of indulgence.

Across three worlds, his taste has not changed.

He still prefers sweet and spicy flavors as always.

Xiao Su had never felt this gluttonous before; previously he couldn't even finish a bowl of rice, but today after seeing the bowl empty, he actually felt a craving for more.

But he usually restrains himself, and did not move his chopsticks again.

Yet he had already eaten more than usual.

"Have the attendants clear it away."

"Yes."

Jin Chen naturally picked up a handkerchief and wiped Xiao Su's mouth clean.

Due to the bending motion, the distance between them narrowed again; Xiao Su subconsciously eased his breathing and blinked, feeling a bit nervous and uneasy.

The scent of agarwood grew increasingly rich.

He lifted his gaze; Jin Chen's expression showed no change, as if he did not find this gesture overly intimate, but rather something utterly natural.

"My lord, your complexion has improved considerably."

Jin Chen seemed to tease, "Just looking at you makes you look rosy."

Xiao Su frowned somewhat angrily, pushing Jin Chen away; only his crimson earlobes were exposed, revealing that his thoughts were not calm.

He rose, straightened his robe, and said, "Step back; I will go out for a walk."

"Or perhaps let your subordinate accompany you, my lord; it's not safe outside."

Jin Chen picked up the cloak, and without waiting for Xiao Su's refusal, wrapped it tightly around him, his brow earnest.

While fastening the cloak's ties, Jin Chen's hand inevitably brushed Xiao Su's cheek.

The sensation of the back of his hand grazing felt slightly itchy; Xiao Su retreated his face a little, feeling his ears grow increasingly hot, his long lashes fluttering.

"All right."

Jin Chen raised a smile, "My lord, you go first."

Xiao Su immediately stepped back a bit, exiting first.

【Host, Little Pitiful One doesn't look unresponsive; why hasn't the Heartbeat Value been triggered yet?】

However, he is confident about it.

Jin Chen laughed again, following behind Xiao Su.