Chapter 148 -
Xiao Chen sat back against his seat. His long, golden-brown hair flowed down his back, with the top half pinned up with a dark clasp. He wore a loose red robe over his shoulders, sitting with one leg raised on the bench, looking completely relaxed and lazy.
His eyes were jet black and sharp, showing no warmth at all.
He moved his teacup around on the table with a long finger.
"An old memory?" Xiao Chen asked softly, his black eyes fixed on Yueqing. "You look at me like I remind you of someone you used to know."
Yueqing forced a small, calm smile.
[Nine,] she called out in her head. [Has he ever met Li Mei or heard of her?]
[System 009: No, Host. He has no idea who she is. Li Mei is currently just a low-ranking maid in General Wenzhe’s house. The Third Prince has never even heard her name.]
[Good,] Yueqing thought, watching a lock of his golden-brown hair fall over his shoulder. [He doesn’t know her, and she is still just a maid. I have to make sure they never cross paths.]
Outwardly, Yueqing picked up her cup and took a slow sip of hot tea.
"Is it so strange, Your Highness?" Yueqing asked in a calm voice. "You bought me cakes. I am just checking to see if you like them."
Xiao Chen let out a dark, quiet scoff. He put his raised leg down and picked up a walnut cake.
"You are a strange woman, Sue Yueqing," Xiao Chen said slowly, his black eyes watching her closely. "Most people talk to me because they want power or favors. But you sit here, thinking about old memories, married to a man I despise."
At the mention of Wenzhe, his voice grew cold, and a sharp, hostile glint flashed in his black eyes.
"General Wenzhe thinks he is untouchable," Xiao Chen sneered, his grip tightening slightly on the cup. "He marches off to war while his enemies build traps right under his nose. He is a fool. A man like him will fall sooner or later and when he does, his whole household will burn with him."
Yueqing’s breath hitched, but she kept her composure. She knew how deep his hatred for Wenzhe ran in this world. In the original story, that hatred was what drove him to destroy the General’s family.
Yueqing set her hands on the table and looked straight into his cold, black eyes.
"Wenzhe will not fall," Yueqing said clearly, her voice firm and unflinching. "And no one in his house not even a scheming maid will get the chance to ruin him or cause chaos that drags you into trouble."
Xiao Chen paused, surprised that she didn’t cringe or shrink back from his hatred for her husband. He looked at her fiercely protective eyes for a long moment, then let out a low, amused laugh, resting his chin on his hand.
"Is that so?" Xiao Chen murmured, a dangerous smirk returning to his lips as his black eyes sparkled with dark interest. "Then I will wait and see how long you can keep that fool alive, Lady Sue."
Xiao Chen leaned back, swirling the cold tea left in his cup. The dark, sharp edge in his eyes softened just a bit as he looked at her, his lips curving into a smooth, enticing smile.
"Besides," Xiao Chen said casually, his voice dropping into a smooth, persuasive purr, "Wenzhe will be gone for a long time. It could be two weeks, or perhaps even a full month. Why don’t you come stay with me while he is away?"
Yueqing blinked, taken aback by the sudden offer.
Xiao Chen gestured vaguely toward the town beyond the teahouse balcony. "I have a private residence here, a gift to me from the Emperor. It is quiet, comfortable, and well-guarded. You could live much better there than staying in a ridiculous, cold tent in a dusty military camp."
[Nine!] Yueqing shrieked in her head, her mind spinning into instant chaos. [He is asking his political enemy’s wife to come live with him! Is he out of his mind?!]
[System 009: Warning: Accepting this offer will drastically alter the military camp arc. However, remaining close to Prince Xiao Chen directly prevents any third-party interference from reaching him.]
[If Wenzhe finds out I moved into the Third Prince’s house while he went to war, he will ride his horse back here just to choke me!] Yueqing screamed internally.
Yet, as she looked at Xiao Chen... at his pitch-black eyes, his loose crimson robe, and the quiet loneliness tucked behind his arrogant smile, her heart softened against her will. He was her son. He was offering her a safe, luxurious roof because, in his own guarded way, he wanted her around.
Xiao Chen watched her closely, taking her silence as hesitation. He tilted his head, his golden-brown hair falling over his shoulder.
"Well, Lady Sue?" Xiao Chen asked softly, a playful spark in his dark eyes. "Are you going to stay in the cold dirt, or will you accept my hospitality?"
Yueqing tilted her head, giving him a thoughtful look as she set her tea cup down.
"And if I come," Yueqing asked smoothly, a tiny, challenging smile on her lips, "what will we do? I don’t want to be bored."
Xiao Chen let out a low, quiet laugh, leaning his chin comfortably on his hand as his black eyes glinted with amusement.
"Bored?" he repeated softly, looking deeply entertained. "Lady Sue, do you truly think my house is as dull as a dusty military camp?"
He raised his hand, counting off with a lazy smirk. "First, you will have warm rooms, soft beds, and a kitchen that bakes fresh walnut cakes every single morning—not dry bread in a drafty tent. Second, you promised to read me storybooks and teach me poetry, didn’t you?"
He leaned in slightly, his loose red robe shifting over his shoulder.
"I have a massive library filled with rare books and quiet gardens," Xiao Chen said smoothly. "You will not spend a single moment bored. We can drink tea, listen to music, and pass the days in comfort while Wenzhe fights his war in the cold dirt."
Yueqing looked at him, her mind racing as she weighed her options.
[Nine...] she thought in a flurry of quick calculations. [If I stay with him, I can watch his every move, make sure no bad people get near him, and keep him safe while Wenzhe is gone. But living in the Third Prince’s house?!]
[System 009: Accepting gives you full access to Target Xiao Chen. It will be easy to protect him and monitor his faction. Just make sure the camp guards do not think you were kidnapped.]
Yueqing leaned back, looking straight into his sharp black eyes.
"Fresh cakes and a big library?" Yueqing murmured, raising an eyebrow. "You make a very good offer, Your Highness. But if I stay at your house, I want full freedom. No locked doors, and no strict palace rules."
Xiao Chen’s smile widened, his black eyes bright with genuine delight at her bold answer.
"Agreed," Xiao Chen said clearly. "No locked doors. So... do we have a deal, Lady Sue?"