Chapter Thirty-Five: If You Cannot Keep It Alive, You Will Pay With Your Life

Seeing that he was more or less fine, Qin Wanru finally lifted her head and glanced around. Only then did she realize that Chu Liuchen had brought her to her own flower garden.

He indicated a flowerpot at the very back of the garden. To call it a flowerpot was perhaps a stretch, for it bore neither blossoms nor buds—just a few green seedlings, small and sparse, tinged with yellow as if they were on the verge of wilting. These tender shoots looked as though they might die at any moment.

Upon recognizing these budless seedlings, Qin Wanru’s expression changed.

Her fingers, hanging at her side, trembled uncontrollably. She instinctively looked around, and only when she saw no one did she withdraw her gaze.

Why was this flower here? Since when had there been such a flower in her family’s residence? In her past life, she had never seen it here; why had it appeared in this life after her rebirth? It was the favorite flower of that person, but shouldn’t he be in the capital right now?

And before she entered the capital herself, she had never even met him. Her nose stung with suppressed sorrow. She bit her lip, forcing back her grief.

Though she had spent only a month with that person, he had been her only warmth and kindness after entering the capital in her previous life, offering her the only tolerance and generosity she had ever known. But in the end, one cannot contend with fate!

Could it be that, because of Prince Chen's intervention in this life, many things had changed?

“Swallow Before the Hall?” After steadying herself, Qin Wanru finally answered.

Chu Liuchen clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes flashing with a mysterious light. “Not bad, not bad. I didn’t expect that even out here in distant Jiangzhou, someone would recognize the Swallow Before the Hall. I underestimated you, little girl.”

“This Swallow Before the Hall isn’t from our residence, is it?” Qin Wanru replied, her face calm.

Thinking it through, the climate in Jiangzhou really wasn’t suited for this flower, which explained its half-dead appearance.

Swallow Before the Hall was actually a kind of orchid, but the pot before them had not sent out shoots or formed buds. The autumn-blooming Swallow Before the Hall was now not even showing the tiniest sign of flowering, looking more like a pot of wild grass—utterly unremarkable.

Yet, if it ever did sprout and bud, its blossoms would unfold at the tips of its stems, shaped like swallows in flight—exquisite and elegant. Moreover, the flowers would differ slightly depending on how they were cultivated: the finer the plant, the more refined and graceful the blooms.

“It’s not from your residence, of course. I brought it myself,” Chu Liuchen declared proudly.

“You brought a flower out of the capital with you, Your Highness?” Qin Wanru blinked her clear eyes in surprise. No wonder the flower looked half-dead—after such a long journey, it was a miracle it was even alive.

“It wasn’t from the capital. I discovered it here, in your own city. Judging by its appearance, if it ever blooms, it should be exceptional—perhaps even more beautiful than those in the capital!” Chu Liuchen replied, folding his arms, stroking his sharp chin, his eyes full of spring mischief, clearly in a good mood.

If it could bloom at all, Qin Wanru thought to herself. It was a wonder the Swallow Before the Hall wasn’t already dead; it hadn’t produced a single bud this late in the year—clearly, it was unlikely to ever flower.

“Aren’t you still in my debt?” Chu Liuchen looked at her sidelong, his tone playful, raising his brow with a pleased smile.

Qin Wanru suddenly felt a strong sense of foreboding. “Your Highness, I am but a young girl—still very young.”

She offered a humble curtsey, her entire demeanor cautious and uneasy. Her fair face was taut with tension, and her bright, expressive eyes, carrying a hint of timidity, stole secret glances at him. The more one looked at this little girl, the more endearing she seemed—clever and spirited indeed.

Who would have thought that the same girl now so timid had fearlessly smashed a wedding sedan earlier?

Chu Liuchen laughed. “Isn’t this precisely the sort of thing a young lady should handle? Or do you expect a grown man like me to do it?”

Qin Wanru paused, biting her lip. “Your Highness, I… have never been good with flowers. Even the easiest ones always die under my care.”

“How could you possibly kill them?” Chu Liuchen smiled, his eyes shining, his beauty almost otherworldly.

“I really do kill them. I… I’ve killed many pots of flowers. Even the hardiest die when I tend them!”

Qin Wanru decided honesty was best—she wasn’t lying. For some reason, she had never been able to keep flowers alive. Even the most resilient varieties withered or became crippled in her hands. The few that survived never bloomed, merely clinging to life, which was already quite an achievement.

“If I look after this Swallow Before the Hall, I’m afraid Your Highness will never see it bloom!” she confessed, hoping to rid herself of this troublesome responsibility.

“Qin Wanru, are you refusing to care for my flower?” Chu Liuchen’s voice was gentle, his smile warm, his demeanor so refined he seemed like an immortal come to earth, worthy of any praise.

“I… I’m just afraid I’ll kill Your Highness’s beloved flower!” Qin Wanru replied, lowering her head, too nervous to meet his enchanting gaze.

“If it dies, you’ll pay for it with your life. Who knows if it can survive?” His voice was still gentle, almost teasing, but the words sent a chill straight to Qin Wanru’s bones. She broke out in a cold sweat—she didn’t believe for a second that he was joking.

This prince had always been ruthless. The so-called tender affection for women did not exist for him. Qin Wanru had witnessed his bloody purges in her past life; she knew all too well how dangerously volatile he was.

His stunning looks were just a mask. Even in sickness, he was lethally poisonous.

“Your Highness, I truly can’t care for flowers. Please, have mercy!” Qin Wanru pleaded again. Swallow Before the Hall was notoriously finicky, difficult to cultivate even in the optimal climate of the capital, let alone by her own clumsy hands.

In her past life, when she entered the capital, Swallow Before the Hall was the most celebrated flower there. Every household prized their precious pots, often comparing them or even throwing banquets to show off especially rare blooms. The capital’s obsession with this flower was intense.

“If I let you off, who will care for my Swallow Before the Hall?” the young prince asked, his voice suddenly cold, the immortal’s face turning as chilling as a demon’s. “Qin Wanru, I’ll return this seal to you now. Keep my Swallow Before the Hall alive. If you can’t… you know what will happen.”

He pulled the orchid-shaped seal from his robes, took her small, sweaty hand, opened her palm, placed the seal inside, and gently closed her fingers around it.

“This seal is yours again. The flower will stay with you, and you will tend to it. I’m tired now and going to rest,” Chu Liuchen said, raising his elegant brow, smiling lazily, then let go of her hand and strode away.

“Your Highness…” Qin Wanru opened her mouth to protest.

“What, do you still have something to say?” Chu Liuchen stopped and looked back at her with a gleam in his eyes.

“No… no complaints. I can only promise to keep it alive,” Qin Wanru replied, swallowing hard, finally conceding.

“That’s good enough. I’m not picky,” Chu Liuchen laughed, satisfied with her acquiescence. The icy gleam in his eyes faded as he turned away, laughing heartily.

What an interesting little girl—not only daring but also flexible, even slyly using her youthfulness to feign weakness. Yet when it was time to strike, she showed no hesitation, sharp and decisive. He’d never met such an entertaining child before.

How should he go about raising such a clever little girl…

In the end, Qin Wanru had Qingyue carry the flower back to her own courtyard. If it stayed in the garden, the servants would only tend it as they would any ordinary plant, and at this rate, it might well die.

She guessed that Chu Liuchen must have come across the flower by chance and placed it in her garden, probably without telling anyone of its special needs.

The servants, unaware that this was a rare Swallow Before the Hall, cared for it as they would any common flower—and with such treatment, it was bound to die.

In fact, this flower did not like excessive watering; it only needed to be watered every three to five days, and preferred sunlight without being scorched. In the mornings, it should be set outside for light, brought back in at noon, and taken out again in the afternoon. When watering, though infrequent, it needed a thorough soak, always at the roots, never on the leaves.

With such fussy habits, it was no wonder the flower was so hard to keep alive.

It wasn’t just midday when the sun could be too harsh, either.

These were things she had learned from that person in her past life. But that leisurely time spent tending flowers had lasted only a month.

Still, even in that short time, Qin Wanru had memorized all she’d been told about the Swallow Before the Hall.

Returning to her own courtyard, she instructed Qingyue to place the pot on her south-facing windowsill. Summer had passed, the heat was no longer oppressive—just the right time to let the plant bask in the gentle sunlight.

She didn’t dare promise that it would bloom, but surely keeping it alive wouldn’t be too difficult.

With that settled, her mind eased a little. After arranging the flower, she headed to the Old Madam’s rooms. The Old Madam was still sleeping, coughing as she rested. The doctor had already been and prescribed medicine, saying it was an old ailment and she should be well cared for and avoid worry.

After visiting the Old Madam, Qin Wanru was about to return to her own courtyard when someone blocked her way at her own gate.