Chapter 202: What Does the Prince Want?

"And what else?" Meng Qinghe rose abruptly and slammed the table. "Speak! And what else?"

"And she has been in the private room with His Highness the Crown Prince for nearly a shichen now."

"What?"

From the moment Caipin mentioned that the Su family's carriage was also parked there, Meng Qinghe had a bad premonition. In her previous life, the Su family's legitimate daughter had also married into the Crown Prince's Residence, rivaling her on equal footing. In this life, she had heard that the Emperor canceled the marriage between the Su family and the Crown Prince, and thought the trajectory would change. She never expected that Su Yuqing would still end up rolling around with the Crown Prince.

"Damn it!" Meng Qinghe clutched the handkerchief tightly in her hand, her eyes filled with venomous hatred. "An unmarried young lady openly seducing the Crown Prince—what kind of propriety is that?"

Saying that, she slammed the table and stood up, about to rush to the Number One Estate Under Heaven.

"Miss." Caipin stopped her in time. "Miss, even if you go now, it won't help! What if you anger His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Caipin's words instantly sobered Meng Qinghe.

Right. She was now Meng Qinghe, the eldest young lady of the Meng Family, not yet the Crown Prince's side consort. Whoever His Highness liked or favored had nothing to do with her.

But if she truly did nothing, how could she swallow this anger?

Just then, a figure in pink appeared at the entrance of the Number One Estate Under Heaven. It was none other than Su Yuqing.

Her face slightly flushed, she tidied her collar with great shyness and boarded the Su family's carriage with the support of her maid.

"Bitch." Meng Qinghe watched the carriage receding into the distance with dark, gloomy eyes. "To use such methods to compete with me for the Crown Prince—truly deserving of death."

"Miss, then what should we do?"

"Send someone to watch her. Report any unusual movements to me."

"Yes."

Meanwhile, inside the private room of the Number One Estate Under Heaven, Mo Junheng looked indifferently at the pouch on the soft couch and couldn't help but sneer.

Boring. Truly boring.

What noble lady of a prestigious family?

Nothing more than this.

Won over with a few words and willingly letting him take whatever he pleased. Though he hadn't done anything to Su Yuqing—only had her play music and dance in the private room—she had been alone in a room with a man who was not her relative, and not only did she not take her leave, she tried every means to stay. What she was after, he knew better than anyone.

Since that was the case, he would simply take her in.

It wasn't that he didn't want to do anything to Su Yuqing, but rather that he couldn't.

When Su Yuqing was dancing, her body and eyes carried much suggestive intent, yet his body showed no response whatsoever.

It seemed he needed to change his imperial physician.

After Mo Junheng left the Number One Estate Under Heaven, Yun Shan entered the adjacent private room.

"Prince, the Crown Prince has already left."

"Mm." Mo Junyan set down his teacup and said indifferently, "Has everything This Prince arranged been completed?"

"To answer the Prince, people already know about the Crown Prince's private meeting with the young lady of the Su family. It shouldn't be long before this matter reaches the Palace. When that time comes, the Crown Prince won't be able to avoid marrying her even if he doesn't want to."

"Good." Mo Junyan put on his mask and said in a low voice, "This Prince is going somewhere. None of you need to follow."

"Yes."

Yun Shan watched the direction he left in and couldn't help but smile inwardly.

It seemed the Prince was going to find Miss Chi.

As night fell, Chi Nan Yi was about to rest when she heard a rustling sound by the window.

Chi Nan Yi's heart sank.

The Chi Family had only just returned to Jingcheng. Those people wouldn't be this impatient, would they!

She held a Silver Needle in hand, just waiting for the intruder to appear.

A shadow flickered, and the Silver Needle in Chi Nan Yi's hand shot out. A figure in black flashed past swiftly and caught the needle she had flung.

Chi Nan Yi looked closely and saw that the newcomer was actually Mo Junyan.

"Prince, why are you here?" Chi Nan Yi looked at the familiar figure, feeling somewhat dazed. "How did you know I was here?"

The Chi family's courtyard was enormous. Chi Xingzhi and Chi Shao yuan had taken her around the back courtyard for an entire afternoon and still hadn't finished seeing it all.

Chi Nan Yi was like Granny Liu visiting the Grand View Garden—unable to take it all in.

After dinner, it was only with a servant leading the way that she finally found her own courtyard.

How could Mo Junyan possibly find it?

"You are the Old Master Chi's beloved daughter. In the entire Chi Family, aside from Old Master Chi's courtyard, yours has the most Dark Guards. So This Prince knew you would be here."

Chi Nan Yi heard his explanation and couldn't help but give a thumbs up. "Clever."

"To receive Miss Chi's praise is This Prince's good fortune."

"Prince, you've come late at night. Is there some matter?"

"You've been away from the capital for many days. Can This Prince not come see you even when there's nothing the matter?"

Ever since that night when he said he would protect her, Chi Nan Yi had noticed that the relationship between her and Mo Junyan had changed somewhat.

Before she left the capital to set out for Liangzhou, among the people she thought of, aside from those beside her, only Mo Junyan remained—she had even prepared pills for him.

Under the candlelight, Chi Nan Yi looked at the mask on his face and couldn't help feeling curious. What did the face beneath this mask actually look like?

Seeing what was in her heart, Mo Junyan's lips curved slightly as he said with a smile, "Curious about This Prince's appearance?"

Chi Nan Yi didn't hide it either. She nodded and said, "Curious. The Prince shows himself with a mask all day and never reveals his true face. Naturally, I'm curious."

"If I let you see, what would you trade for it?"

"What?"

"This Prince's face—if I let you see it, what do you plan to exchange with This Prince?" Mo Junyan drew close abruptly, his somewhat rough fingertips grasping her wrist, placing her hand on his mask. "If you want to see, just lift it off."

Chi Nan Yi looked at the earnestness in his eyes, and her heart seemed to skip a beat.

"What does the Prince want me to exchange?"

"Up to you."

Chi Nan Yi pressed slightly with her fingertips, and the black mask fell away, revealing a face of breathtaking beauty, laid bare without reservation before her eyes.

Sharp brow bones, exquisite bone structure, a high straight nose bridge, lips tinged faintly red—every inch of his features seemed finely sculpted, his brows and eyes full of noble aloofness, yet now a faint smile lingered in the depths of his eyes, adding a touch of beguiling tenderness.

Long lashes cast dappled shadows, his eyes like cold stars—clearly piercing and formidable, yet at this moment they held an unmelting warmth as they gazed at her. For a moment she forgot to breathe, her fingertips still frozen in midair, her heartbeat thrown into chaotic disarray.

Seeing her stunned, a rich amusement flickered through Mo Junyan's eyes. It was the first time he felt this face was actually somewhat useful.

Mo Junyan's low laughter echoed by her ear: "Dumbstruck?"

Chi Nan Yi barely came back to her senses, her cheeks burning. In her fluster she tried to pull her hand back, but he caught hold of it.

"Prince, what are you doing?"

"We agreed just now—remove This Prince's mask, and you must trade something for it." He leaned slightly toward her, gazing at her with burning eyes, his thin lips parting slightly as he said softly: "Now, it is time for you to make good on that."

"What... does the Prince want?"

Mo Junyan's gaze swept over her faintly reddened cheeks, the corners of his lips curving up, his voice low and laced with a hint of enticement:

"This Prince wants—"