Chapter Thirty-Four: Fine Fur

"Qin Wanru, you certainly keep your promises. I've been waiting so long and still haven't seen a soul!" At the moon gate, Chu Liuchen stood with his arms crossed, leaning lazily against the entrance, perfectly blocking Qin Wanru's path. His handsome eyes arched high with youthful sharpness, yet the pallor of his face gave him a sickly sort of beauty.

Such striking looks, tainted by frailty, created a breathtaking contrast. Combined with those half-smiling eyes, he seemed utterly nonchalant, yet dangerously alluring.

Qin Wanru blinked dryly, instinctively taking a step back, feeling that if she approached now, she would be nothing but cannon fodder.

"Your Highness, I... I didn't know when you were planning to go out!" Qin Wanru decided it was best to speak up herself.

Had she offended this prince somehow?

"If you didn't know, couldn't you have asked?" Chu Liuchen lifted a brow with casual ease, his scarlet robe making him appear all the more flamboyantly beautiful.

Even with his sickly, snow-white complexion, Qin Wanru had to admit that His Highness looked as if he had stepped straight out of a painting—a touch of seductive vibrance in an otherwise ink-washed serenity.

"There was a small incident at home, and my grandmother fell ill again," Qin Wanru lowered her head, twisting her sleeve in her fingers, feigning grievance.

Chu Liuchen stepped closer, lowering his head to look at her, catching sight of her jet-black hair from above.

Though sickly, the young man was more than a head taller than Qin Wanru. From his vantage, she looked petite and thin.

"Does the General’s Manor not feed you? How did you end up so short?" His exquisite features showed a hint of doubt as he reached out to touch the crown of her head. Her hair was soft, reminding him of the cat he kept at home. Not bad, he thought. Good fur!

"I'm not short. I'm plenty tall!" Qin Wanru looked up innocently, trying to straighten her back, her gaze lifting with all the dignity she could muster.

She didn't feel short at all. In her previous life, when she’d grown, she was no less tall than the other young ladies—perhaps even a little taller.

But as she raised her eyes to Chu Liuchen, she realized she hadn’t hit her growth spurt yet, and instantly wilted like a frostbitten eggplant.

Without her growth spurt, she truly was on the small side.

"If you call this tall, then there’s no such thing as short," Chu Liuchen mercilessly exposed her self-deception, curling his lips in mockery. Then, with a careless shrug, he changed the subject, "I heard someone in your manor fell into the water today, caused quite a ruckus. It wasn’t you, was it?"

"No, it was another young lady from another branch of the family," Qin Wanru answered honestly.

"Your manor is lively, always something happening every few days. Not bad, not bad," Chu Liuchen smiled, clearly in a good mood.

At such moments, he seemed more like a refined young gentleman from a chaotic world. Though to call him a gentleman might be a stretch—he was still just a boy—but even so, Qin Wanru felt he fit the very image of the elegant young men described in books.

Of course, that was when he was in high spirits.

Hearing him speak so cheerfully of the endless troubles at her home, Qin Wanru didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She forced a smile in agreement.

"Such a young age, and you smile like that? You look better crying!" Unexpectedly, he found fault again, pinching her cheek with no mercy.

"It hurts!" Qin Wanru yelped, swatting hard at Chu Liuchen’s hand to push it away.

This time, she didn’t hold back; her slap landed with a thud.

"Ouch! You’re stronger than you look," Chu Liuchen hadn’t expected her to actually strike him. He cried out and looked at his own hand in surprise.

His skin was pale, almost translucent. Where she’d struck him, a vivid red mark bloomed. Qin Wanru, seeing this, felt a guilty pang and nervously took a step back, swallowing hard.

She pointed at her own face, stammering, "M-my face is red too. It hurts!"

Her skin was unusually fair and delicate as well; after that forceful pinch, her own cheeks must have reddened. To cover her embarrassment, she quickly drew a comparison.

It was also to give herself a bit of courage.

She’d dared slap the Prince’s hand—she didn’t have that much nerve. This was her way of explaining herself.

She felt terribly guilty…

Chu Liuchen glanced at her face. Indeed, two rosy patches colored her cheeks. Her fair, tender face looked pitiful, her bright eyes glistening, lips bitten in timid distress—a soft, vulnerable little girl.

So delicate, so frail, and still so vivid.

Suddenly, Chu Liuchen felt that being slapped was no big deal. The girl’s face was red from his pinch, a little dazed, a little foolish, but unexpectedly endearing—a real contrast to the arrogant princesses he’d seen at court or the affected elegance of noble young ladies.

At least she reacted honestly—bullied, but not without fighting back.

"Tell me, will something else happen in your manor tomorrow?" Chu Liuchen, feeling generous, decided not to pursue her impudence, his expression relaxing.

"That… may be possible," Qin Wanru replied hesitantly. By her reckoning, Qi Rongzhi was not a kind soul. If she hadn’t made a scene today, it was only because she was saving up for something bigger tomorrow.

"Another incident tomorrow? Where will it happen?" Chu Liuchen’s interest was piqued. What had started as a casual question now had his full attention.

"Right where you first saw me—you’ll be able to watch from there," Qin Wanru answered truthfully.

"All right, I’ll be there first thing in the morning!" Chu Liuchen said with enthusiasm, even rubbing his hands together as if preparing for a show.

Qin Wanru looked at him speechlessly. This prince was destined to seize the throne, ruthless and cunning, his mind filled with affairs of state—so why was he so free now, so fascinated by the petty squabbles among girls?

What would become of the empire?

"Your Highness, did you come to Jiangzhou for some great undertaking?" She couldn’t hold back and asked, blinking.

"What great undertaking could I possibly have? I managed to get a cushy assignment, so I’m just wandering about, seeing if I can find a Phoenix Glaze Lamp, and otherwise just taking in the sights, looking for some fun," Chu Liuchen laughed, taking a few steps ahead. Then he paused and waved her over, "Come here, I’ll show you something."

Qin Wanru bit her lip, wanting to ask if he thought she was some pet to be summoned like this.

She obediently took a few steps forward to follow.

"Not just looking for our Phoenix Glaze Lamp?" She hurried after him, asking.

"Who said your family has one? It’s not that rare—plenty of households have them," Chu Liuchen replied casually, shaking out his red robe as he strode ahead.

So, he hadn’t come specifically for hers—just a coincidence, trying his luck and happened to bluff her out? Qin Wanru sighed helplessly and hurried a few more steps to try to keep up, but Chu Liuchen’s stride was long and her legs were short; she quickly fell behind.

At a turn in the path, Chu Liuchen noticed and stopped to wait for her. He reached out and grabbed her hand, remarking with resignation, "You’re short and your legs are stubby. How will you manage when you grow up? No husband will want someone so short and small!"

He even gave her a few disdainful glances, clicking his tongue. His attitude was so aggravating it made her want to scream.

Qin Wanru told herself not to get angry—she was older than him in two lifetimes combined, and he was just a sickly, sharp-tongued boy now, not yet the peerless prince he would become. She shouldn’t stoop to his level.

"Your Highness, if I can’t marry, then so be it. Why do you care so much?" Though she’d told herself not to get angry, Qin Wanru couldn’t help but retort, biting her lip.

"If you can’t marry, you’ll be a spinster for life. That sounds miserable," Chu Liuchen replied bluntly, narrowing his eyes and giving her another once-over, still finding her insignificant.

"Your Highness, isn’t it a bit early to discuss this with me?" Qin Wanru wanted to hit him, but seeing the red mark still on his hand, all her anger vanished.

That slap just now had been a reflex. She didn’t dare do it again.

Swatting a tiger was bad enough, but this wasn’t just a tiger—it was a true dragon. So she backed down, not daring to push her luck.

"Let’s go, let’s go—enough chattering, you’re wasting my time!" Chu Liuchen’s tone suddenly turned impatient. He turned and dragged Qin Wanru into a run. This time, she had no strength to argue, scrambling to keep up as he led her through several twists and turns before finally stopping.

When he let go, Qin Wanru braced herself on her knees, gasping for breath, feeling as if she couldn’t catch her wind.

"Is it really that bad? I’m the one who’s always ill, yet you’re even more exhausted than I am," Chu Liuchen was also panting, leaning against a pillar, his face as white as paper, so pale and weak he could barely breathe, yet still forcing himself to sound tough.

After a few more breaths, Qin Wanru recovered enough to turn and look at him. Her face changed dramatically. She hurried over to support him, seeing his lips as pale as his face, one hand clutching his chest, as if he might faint at any moment.

Qin Wanru quickly patted his back and stroked downward, finally helping the prince regain a bit of color, though his lips remained pale and dull.

He cast an envious glance at Qin Wanru’s bright, blood-red lips, then straightened up with her help, pointing ahead, "Look—do you know what that is?"