Chapter 182: Luo'er laughs heartily, Prince Su orders someone to apologize to her (revised)

Li Qingluo: "……"

"!!!"

Prince Su, Your Highness!!

She lifted her face covered in snow and sand, shook her head hard, shaking off all the snow and sand, then glared at him angrily.

"I, a common woman, just saved your life, and you treat me like this!!"

Prince Su: "So, I'll let you have another round."

He again formed a huge snowball in his hand, then weighed it, tossing it up and down.

Li Qingluo saw the size of that snowball and quickly got up.

"You're going too far!!"

He greatly aroused her competitive spirit at this moment.

Could it be that I, a healthy woman with no illness or pain right now, still can't beat him, a sickly poisoned person who just woke up?

Heh, a stubborn woman never admits defeat.

Li Qingluo quickly lay down and also formed a huge snowball, even bigger than the one in Prince Su's hand.

She grabbed the snowball, prepared to charge, and then struck Prince Su hard!

But before she could run to the proper distance, Prince Su suddenly raised his hand.

Li Qingluo cried out and turned: "You didn't keep your word; you clearly said you'd let me have a round!"

Duan Rongshi: "I haven't made a move."

But him not moving is even scarier than if he did move!!

Li Qingluo couldn't take it, turned around and ran back, then suddenly hurled the huge snowball in her hand with all her strength—

Unfortunately, the snowball was too big, and she was shorter than Prince Su, so even with all her strength it only hit his leg and shattered completely.

Prince Su smiled slightly, threw the snowball from his hand: "My turn."

Li Qingluo screamed and jumped again: "Ah——!!"

She ran around like a little fox, hopping here and there.

Even though it was Prince Su, she retaliated with all her might.

Yet Prince Su also showed no pity, throwing snowball after snowball with pinpoint accuracy at Li Qingluo.

The most infuriating part is that he stood in place the whole time, never moving his feet, yet knocked Li Qingluo about helplessly.

After Li Qingluo was knocked rolling several times, her mouth and face full of snow, she finally found her touch, even once directly smacking a snowball into Prince Su's face.

"Hahaha……"

She laughed so hard she doubled over, clutching her stomach, unable to stop.

But then another clump of snow hit her face.

Li Qingluo: "……"

"Fine, fine, fine!"

She realized their vengeful spirits were equally strong, strong to the death, right?

In the end, Li Qingluo was the first to raise her hand and surrender.

"I'm too tired, I can't……"

After saying that, she fell back onto the snowdrift, breathing heavily, quietly gazing at the blue sky and white clouds ahead.

Li Qingluo suddenly smiled; since she was young, she had never been this happy, nor had she ever laughed so freely as today.

It turns out, happiness can be this simple.

Laughing out loud, fully releasing her emotions, isn't that hard either.

Moreover, just a snowball fight can let people completely relax.

These past two days, her tense nerves throughout her body have finally begun to ease.

Great, she completely pulled Prince Su back from the gates of hell; not counting those favors, from now on she can live well too.

Li Qingluo sat up and looked at Prince Su: "Your Highness, does this mean I, a common woman, no longer have to cook for you in the Osmanthus Garden?"

Li Qingluo, delighted, blurted out what she had most hoped for.

As Prince Su was bent over forming a huge snowball, his back suddenly froze: "……"

Of course, since Li Qingluo had already called a stop, that snowball of his was naturally not meant to hit anyone.

Prince Su made a snowman.

Li Qingluo came over and asked curiously: "What is this?"

Prince Su: "Snowman."

After saying that, he went aside, picked up some branches, also used winter dates and persimmons, and then a chubby, lively, cute snowman was ready.

Li Qingluo's eyes instantly sparkled as she bent over to look at the snowman.

"A snowman? It looks so festive! Your Highness, how did you come to build this snowman? I, a common woman, have never seen anyone build one before."

Duan Rongshi: "Someone once taught me. They said Western people build such dolls when it snows. Do you like it?"

Li Qingluo nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at grain: "I like it. Your Highness, I also want to build one; please teach me."

Duan Rongshi: "It's not hard; just follow the snowball-making."

Li Qingluo immediately got to work.

Duan Rongshi stood beside her, watching her busily nonstop, even her forehead and nose tip breaking out in a fine sweat, though her slender little hands were clearly frozen red, she seemed oblivious.

Duan Rongshi felt a stir in his heart, almost without hesitation reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Your Highness?"

Li Qingluo looked up at him, puzzled.

Moreover, his actions like this... perhaps there is some impropriety between men and women?

Li Qingluo had completely buried everything she had done to Prince Su deep in the box of her heart, not even a bit came to mind.

Duan Rongshi: "No need to pile up."

Li Qingluo: "Why? Anyway, there's nothing to do right now; this common girl is just looking for some fun..."

Duan Rongshi: "Your snowball is really ugly."

Li Qingluo: "Your Highness!!"

She was somewhat angry!!

Can someone seal this person's mouth!

Your Highness...

Li Qingluo raised her hand to break free from Duan Rongshi's big hand, but at that moment, a joyful urgent call came from behind the cliff: "Your Highness! Your Highness——!! It's really Your Highness, and Miss Li, they're all here!"

"They're still alive, Your Highness is still alive!!"

Zhui Yu, Sha Lei, and Leng Dian tumbled and crawled down from the small cliff.

Li Qingluo gave a light struggle, and Duan Rongshi loosened his hand accordingly.

After Zhui Yu came over crying, the three knelt side by side, and Li Qingluo quietly stepped aside to increase the distance between them.

Zhui Yu wanted to hug Prince Su's leg.

He cried with snot and tears: "Your Highness, it's our subordinates' failure to perform duties, we deserve death; only today did we find Your Highness, snivel... seeing Your Highness unharmed, we are relieved."

Sha Lei's eyes turned red: "Your Highness, seeing you safe, we subordinates... would consider it worthwhile to die instantly."

Leng Dian kept nodding, indicating agreement.

Even seeing them, Duan Rongshi's expression remained indifferent, with no ripple in his eyes.

He merely gave them a cold look: "Since you've come, speak up—where exactly did those reckless warriors of that night come from?"

Sha Lei: "Your Highness, we suspect they are all from the Lotus Sect."

Hearing the Lotus Sect, Li Qingluo's heart gave a thump.

Again the Lotus Sect?

Zheng Lingzhou's face involuntarily popped into her mind; could this be his doing again?

Zhui Yu quickly wiped away her tears.

"Your Highness, these Lotus Sect people have planned everything from start to finish!"

Duan Rongshi: "Then tell me, how did you deduce this?"

Zhui Yu: "They perhaps already knew that the Nanping County magistrate would hold a banquet at the outskirts horse field, so they seized the opportunity, timing, and terrain to lure us outside the city."

"Finally, encountering these young ladies from the prominent families returning, we inevitably had to divert attention and assign people to protect them. As a result, they probably didn't expect a Princess Qin Yu to appear; in the end, the princess's retinue also helped us, thus temporarily covering up a bloodbath."

"But when these beasts saw the plan failing, they suddenly switched direction, intending to seize all the ladies to threaten us."

"Sha Lei and Princess Qin Yu worked in perfect sync, rescuing many ladies."

"Of course, Miss Li also led the Nanping County chief back to the horse field, rescuing the remaining ladies."

"But at this moment, the prince had no one beside him. And we subordinates also thought that the bandits we had killed along the way had been completely cleared out, yet we didn't expect..."

Duan Rongshi: "Is this the truth you've deduced?"

Zhui Yu and others lowered their heads.

Duan Rongshi: "I tend to think they started by posing as rebels, and even later infiltrating the ladies' carriage convoy was merely a ruse; their goal that day was simple: to take my life."

Zhui Yu and the others felt a heavy thump in their hearts.

Leng Dian: "Later, we subordinates rushed to the forest to rescue Your Highness, and also encountered a batch of Lotus Sect followers. Those Lotus Sect cultivators seemed endless, wave after wave emerging."

"Originally, Your Highness should have already killed over a hundred, yet we subordinates still couldn't count the end of their numbers..."

"This time they likely poured all the sect's strength into it; indeed... they came targeting Your Highness!"

Zhui Yu: "We subordinates are foolish, fell for the cult's scheme, nearly endangered Your Highness's life; please punish us, Your Highness!"

Duan Rongshi: "No rush. I now want to know why Miss Li also appeared in that forest that day."

"According to Zhui Yu's account, she had originally rescued the Nanping County chief; why didn't she return to Jinling City promptly under your escort?"

Li Qingluo: "He surely wouldn't suspect that I have any connection with the Lotus Sect, would he!!?"

Li Qingluo immediately glared at Zhui Yu, who lowered her head in shame: "It was my rashness; when Miss Li heard that the prince was injured, I saw she was somewhat concerned for Your Highness, so I arbitrarily had her deliver medicine to Your Highness..."

"It was my fault that I nearly got Miss Li killed; please forgive us, Your Highness!"

Duan Rongshi: "The one who should atone—is it me?"

Zhui Yu then hurriedly turned and bowed to Li Qingluo: "Miss Li, I caused you to encounter this danger, nearly costing your life; please forgive me, Miss Li."

Li Qingluo: "……"

Heh, hehe.

"When did she hear that Prince Su was injured and then show concern?"

"Zhui Yu, you really can make up stories."

Li Qingluo narrowed her eyes slightly, staring at Zhui Yu with a silent smile; Zhui Yu felt anxious inside, sweating profusely.

"Granny, please open a way out, save my dog's life!!"

In the end, Li Qingluo also didn't make things difficult for him.

"She only said: 'That Zhui Yu, you owe me one.'"

Zhui Yu quickly replied: "Yes, yes; if there's a chance, I'll serve you front and back to compensate Miss Li."

Duan Rongshi: "Zhui Yu, go back and accept the punishment of fifty strokes yourself."

"How many?"

"Fifty strokes!!"

You haven't been able to get out of bed for a month???

Zhui Yu wore a grief-stricken face, yet still had to express gratitude.

Sha Lei, standing aside, said: 'Too close—almost got dragged down by this dog again.'

They had already lingered here too long; after Duan Rongshi woke up, his head remained somewhat dizzy.

He raised his hand to rub his brow, then slowly ordered: 'Set out immediately, return to Jinling.'

Zhui Yu and the three replied: 'Yes, we will obey the order!'

Several more people jumped down from the cliff, still carrying a soft sedan.

After Prince Su lay down, Zhui Yu immediately stepped forward to pull down the curtain, then prepared to lift Prince Su and fly up first.

Prince Su, however, raised his hand to halt their actions.

He gently lifted the corner of the curtain and looked toward Li Qingluo.

Seeing that although she seemed a bit uneasy, she still obediently lay down, whereupon he lowered the curtain.

After the two were lifted by lightness skill onto the not‑so‑high cliff edge, another group came from ahead.

'Cousin!' Princess Qinyu arrived, leading another group.

Upon seeing that Prince Su was still alive, she instantly surged forward with a mix of surprise and joy.

'Cousin! Great, you—you're still alive!'