Chapter 63: Saving the Aloof Crown Prince 14

Jin Chen felt doubtful, landed in the courtyard, and stopped a training guard.

"What are you doing?"

Seeing Jin Chen's mask, the person immediately realized he was one of the Four Great Guards, hastily bowed, and replied respectfully.

"Lord Ying Shi has returned."

No wonder.

Jin Chen understood.

In the original plot, the most special of the Heaven Moon Pavilion's Four Great Guards was Ying Shi.

He looks like a woman, alluring and charming, often killing in disguise, so it's no wonder these guards, who train all day and have never seen a woman, get excited.

Jin Chen walked to the door and casually knocked down a few of them.

His voice was icy cold.

"Step back, or else everyone will get extra training today."

The training guards scattered in a swarm.

Joking aside, Lord Ying Shi's looks don't matter as much as his life.

Jin Chen pushed the door open and entered.

Ying Shi reclined half‑lying on a soft chair, wearing a woven brocade feather‑gauze dress, bare legs, exuding myriad charms.

Jin Chen glanced at him.

"……"

Ying Shi immediately sat up straight.

"How is it you? Qigege?"

Jin Chen: "I don't know, how did the person Ying Qi asked you to find turn out?"

"Oh~ I was just saying how he suddenly went to ask the Myriad Flower Valley for the Heart‑Eating Worm."

Ying Shi handed over a porcelain bottle: "The Heart‑Eating Worm is inside, but the old man refused to come, so he wrote the control method inside."

"No problem." Jin Chen took it.

All we need is to get the worm.

The Heart‑Eating Worm is extremely hard to cultivate; in the original plot, Xiao Yunye obtained it thanks to a female doctor's favor, and used it to torture Xiao Su, leaving him unable to survive.

He got the worm first, intending to use the other's own method against them.

Ying Shi played with his long hair, a hint of interest flickering at the corners of his eyes.

"'Jiu er, why are you suddenly following the Crown Prince? Could it be that you've taken a liking to him?'"

Jin Chen: "Mm, I have."

"'You're serious?' Ying Shi stared, eyes wide, 'I was just joking.'"

He frowned, "You like the Crown Prince, but rebelling against the Emperor is inevitable—when the time comes, how will you choose?"

Jin Chen said blandly, "He hates the Emperor even more than we do."

"'That's right, the Li family was wiped out for no reason; he ought to hate them.'"

Ying Shi lay back down, relieved.

Footsteps sounded outside the door.

He listened closely, "It's Qigege!"

He looked at Jin Chen, the intention to drive him away too obvious.

Jin Chen: "……I won't disturb you."

He rose, opened the door, and came face‑to‑face with a solemn Ying Qi.

"'Ying Shi is waiting for you inside.'"

"'I know.'"

Ying Qi sighed, a bit headache.

Sometime ago, Ying Shi, whom I regarded as a younger brother, actually developed other feelings toward me.

But I'm truly clueless about feelings; I'm not a good match for Ying Shi.

Thinking of their fate in the original story—Ying Shi loved but could not have, his mind dazed on a mission leading to his death, Ying Qi only then regretted and followed him in death.

Jin Chen gave a reminder.

"'Don't wait until you've lost it to regret.'"

Having said that, he flew away.

Hearing this, Ying Qi stared blankly for a few seconds before stepping inside.

Meeting Ying Shi's joyful smile, he instinctively curled his lips in response.

——

【Host, Xiao Yunye went to ask the Empress, but in the end they still nominated General Liu to go to battle.】

This little world has no internet; 0731 is bored stiff and useless, so all day long we just stare at the male and female lead's monitoring screen.

【How is his shop's business?】

Jin Chen hid at the street corner, watching the jewelry shop's comings and goings.

【One could say it's raking in money hand over fist; Xiao Yunye can't openly ask the Emperor for money, and squanders it all, using the shop's entire cash flow to recruit troops and buy horses.】

0731 continued.

【Now the Jiangnan floods haven't started yet; Xiao Yunye hasn't achieved any merit, the troops he recruited are of poor quality, and he hasn't gone to the suburbs to train—they're all kept in a mansion in the capital.】

【Oh right, Host, the Little Pitiful One's Chasing Wind Pavilion is also investigating this; should we leak the information to him?】

Jin Chen looked at a few pieces of jewelry; they were quite modern, merely novel, not exquisite.

Besides that, Xiao Yunye also opened a weapon shop behind the scenes, directly manufacturing modern weapons.

【Where is that mansion?】

【Outside Fifth Street, in Smoke Willow Alley.】

Jin Chen had no intention of going to see it today.

He planned to wait until he returned from outside the city tomorrow, then go together with Xiao Su.

After buying a few things on the street, he returned to the Tai Zi Fu.

——

When Jin Chen returned to the Tai Zi Fu, Li You happened to be busy outside the gate, called him in, and greeted him.

"Your Highness is in the study."

"Hmm."

Jin Chen, as always, was sparing with his words.

Li You scratched his head, calling out to him with some gossip.

"Wait a moment, wait a moment, I have something to ask you."

Jin Chen stopped in his tracks, his peach-blossom eyes gazing over doubtfully.

Li You looked left and right; seeing the servants busy, he leaned in and whispered.

"You and Your Highness, have you... done that?"

Jin Chen: "What what?"

"Oh come on, you know what I mean... the joy of fish and water, the rites of the Duke of Zhou!"

"Not at all."

He did think, but a favorability of 30 doesn't allow it.

Li You nodded, "If you two have, do let me know."

Jin Chen: "……"

He had a weird expression, "Why do you need to know about this kind of thing?"

"Oh come on, I'm Your Highness's personal guard, practically family!" Li You had a look of 'you don't understand'.

"I've grown up with Your Highness since childhood; if he ever gets a companion, I'll definitely burn paper and tell the Empress."

Jin Chen imagined the scene: him and Xiao Su being affectionate inside the Qin Gong, while Li You outside burned paper and muttered to the late Empress.

He twitched the corner of his mouth in disgust.

"Anyway."

He left the gate.

All the way to the study.

"Su treasure."

Jin Chen called softly.

He looked toward Xiao Su, who stood before the desk with a clear, cold expression, brush in hand, writing.

Xiao Su raised his eyes, set down the ink-stained brush, and smiled happily, lips curling.

"Is dinner ready?" Jin Chen asked gently.

"I've eaten, and I've drunk the herbal soup."

Xiao Su answered seriously; as Jin Chen drew near, he slightly furrowed his brows.

Then he stepped half a pace closer, sniffing his clothes as if to confirm, his expression instantly turning somewhat dissatisfied.

"How did you get perfume on your clothes?"

Even the agarwood isn't pure; it smells awful at all.

Xiao Su pursed his lips.

"You went to run errands, how did you come back covered in fragrance?"

Jin Chen raised his arm to smell; there was some fragrance, perhaps picked up in Room Ten's chamber.

He chuckled lightly, letting out an 'uh'.

"Let me smell, Su treasure also has a scent on you."

Jin Chen pulled Xiao Su's hand over, "It smells like vinegar, and quite strong."

"Jin Chen!"

Xiao Su was embarrassed and annoyed.

"All right, all right, it got on me at the Tian Yue Pavilion; my old companions have the habit of applying perfume."

Jin Chen hurriedly explained, "He has someone he likes, I do too; Xiao Su, don't be jealous, okay?"

Only then did Xiao Su relax his brows and eyes, letting out a light hum twice, as if asking though he already knew.

"Who do you like?"

"That's obviously the best treasure in the world," Jin Chen countered, "Who would it be?"

Xiao Su laughed, lowering his gaze, his voice clear and cold, tinged with shyness.

"Only I can be."