Chapter 32
The atmosphere suddenly went still. Qin Chu stared blankly at the person looking toward her.
Qiu Jinning’s gaze lingered on her for a moment. The person before her had a slender figure, scarlet clothes, black hair, and refined features. Her fair face was filled with confusion.
“Many thanks for Commandery Princess’s kindness, but the person this official’s daughter admires is not present here. I would not dare trouble you.” Though countless thoughts tangled in her heart, she could not say them aloud. She could not push Qin Chu out again.
Commandery Princess Anguo looked at Qiu Jinning, then at Qin Chu. She did not ask further and raised her cup to drink.
Everyone exchanged cups. After a few drinks, seeing that the commandery princess remained smiling and pleasant, they gradually relaxed. The hall slowly became lively.
Qin Chu drank gloomily. No one knew that in the instant Qiu Jinning had looked over, a violent storm had swept through her heart and clouds had churned like waves—only for everything to end as empty joy, leaving dark clouds covering the sky and cold wind piercing her.
The person Qiu Jinning admired was not present here.
It was not the Second Prince.
Nor was it her.
Whenever Commandery Princess Anguo raised her cup, Qiu Jinning cooperated and drank a sip. Even while forcing herself to endure, she still drank two or three cups. Rosy clouds had already spread across her cheeks.
By the time the banquet was nearly over, her eyes were already red, faint mist lingering within them. Her hands were clenched tightly inside her sleeves, her nails digging hard into her palms, and a thin layer of sweat had formed on her forehead.
The love gu seemed to have flared up…
She restrained the restlessness in her heart and turned her head toward Qin Chu. When Qin Chu looked up at her, Qiu Jinning gave her a deep look, silently biting the corner of her lip.
Pain tugged at her reason, which was on the verge of collapse at any moment.
Qin Chu instantly understood the meaning in her eyes.
Endurance.
Unspeakable suffering.
The love gu was restless…
Before she could think of a reason to take Qiu Jinning away, Commandery Princess Anguo happened to stand at that moment. “I am old and a little tired, so I will not disturb you young people further.”
“Respectfully seeing off Commandery Princess.”
Everyone knelt once more. Only after Commandery Princess Anguo walked out of the hall did they rise.
The moment Commandery Princess Anguo left, Qin Chu and Qiu Jinning stood together to take their leave.
Princess Consort Wei grabbed Qin Chu’s arm. “Sister Qin is leaving already? Elder Sister still wanted to speak with you for a while. You must leave time free tomorrow. Let us go visit the commandery princess together.”
Qin Chu was temporarily held back. Seeing Qiu Jinning leave the hall first and be helped into the carriage by Luyao, who had been waiting outside, she felt slightly relieved. “Since Princess Consort commands it, Qin Chu will make time no matter how busy I am. We will meet tomorrow.”
Among everyone present, her status was the lowest. She could not refuse anyone.
Princess Consort Wei pulled her down to sit and said leisurely, “Why is Sister still so distant? You and I are fated. We should address each other as sisters. Just call me Sister Chu.”
Qin Chu glanced at the carriage outside. It was still stopped in place, seemingly waiting for her, so she agreed casually. “Sister Chu.”
In the next instant, she suddenly stood, watching as the Second Prince walked out toward the carriage.
Princess Consort Wei followed her gaze and saw the Second Prince’s back. She could not help raising her brows. “Sister Qin, do not hurry away. Elder Sister still has someone to introduce to you.”
The person she wanted to introduce was the First Prince, her husband.
Whoever obtained the phoenix maiden would obtain the empire. This woman was someone the First Prince was determined to win.
“Sister Chu, I feel somewhat unwell. Let us do it another time.”
However, Princess Consort Wei ignored her words and directly held her arm, leading her toward the neighboring table.
Outside Upstairs Tower, the Second Prince saw Qiu Jinning leave. After hesitating for a moment, he pretended to be unable to hold his liquor and followed her out.
“Miss Qiu, may we meet?” He walked to the other side of the carriage, avoiding the line of sight from the hall, and called toward the lowered carriage curtain.
Inside the carriage, Luyao looked at her young lady’s abnormal expression. She called softly twice but received no response. Only her arm, which Qiu Jinning was gripping, hurt from the force. Luyao made the decision herself and refused. “My Miss has a bit of a headache. Young Master, please meet her another time.”
She had not gone inside earlier and still did not know the Second Prince’s identity.
The Second Prince was still thinking about Qiu Jinning’s words, “the person I admire is not present here.” Now that he had already followed her out, how could he give up easily? He immediately revealed his identity to the little maid. “This prince is the current Second Prince, titled Prince Xian. How dare you act presumptuously? Let Miss Qiu come out and meet me.”
A mere lowly maid dared block him. What enormous nerve.
The moment Luyao heard his title, she was frightened so badly her hand trembled. She went to call Qiu Jinning again. “Miss, outside is His Highness Prince Xian. How are you now? Can you meet him?”
Qiu Jinning’s breathing trembled. She gripped Luyao’s arm tightly and slightly raised her head. “Lift the carriage curtain. I will speak with him.”
The carriage curtain was lifted, and the Second Prince saw the person inside clearly.
The beauty’s eyes shimmered like flowing water. Her cheeks were faintly red, and her gaze seemed hazy and unclear, stirring one’s heart.
“Your Highness should know that it is unsuitable for us to meet, much less with so many people watching.” Qiu Jinning tried her best to control her expression, but her voice still uncontrollably revealed a trace of strangeness, soft and enticing.
The Second Prince’s mind shook. The wine he had drunk earlier seemed to rush into his head. “Is Miss Qiu feeling unwell?”
“I am not un-well.”
“Miss Qiu also knows there are many eyes and ears right now. Why not let this prince enter and speak?” After saying this, without waiting for Qiu Jinning to reply, he lifted his robe and climbed into the carriage.
Luyao gathered her courage and tried to block him, but he kicked her off the carriage. “Impudent lowly maid. Get out.”
The Second Prince’s guards directly dragged the Qin residence’s coachman down and took over the carriage.
He had not seen wrong. Qiu Jinning’s manner was clearly abnormal, like a certain concubine in the prince’s residence who had once drunk an aphrodisiac soup, unable to hide her alluring state.
Luyao had been kicked in the chest. A dull pain struck her, but she immediately climbed up. Seeing that the Second Prince’s guards had already driven the carriage away, her thoughts spun quickly, and she turned to run toward Upstairs Tower.
The other side had many people and noble status. If she recklessly tried to stop them, it would only be like an egg striking stone. She might even be restrained, and then there would truly be no one left to save Miss.
Qin the Great Good-for-Nothing. Miss Qin. Find Miss Qin. Find Qin Chu.
There was only this one thought in her mind.
“Plump maid, my Miss was kidnapped by the Second Prince.” Luyao rushed to the entrance. Seeing Guanzi looking inside the hall, she immediately could not hold back her emotions and cried out loudly, pointing at the carriage that had already driven away.
“What? Miss Qiu was kidnapped!” Guanzi was shocked. Only then did she see the carriage being driven away. She could no longer care about etiquette and directly entered, walking to Qin Chu’s side.
Qin Chu was still exchanging polite words with the First Prince and the others, while anxiety filled her heart. She was afraid Qiu Jinning would not be able to endure and would suffer even more.
“Miss!” Guanzi called, then leaned close to Qin Chu’s ear and whispered a few words.
After hearing them, Qin Chu turned and ran, not even having time to say farewell.
Rushing out the door, she looked at the carriage disappearing into the distance. She glanced around in panic, pulled the silver pouch from her robes, threw it to a coachman, seized the carriage, and turned it around to chase.
Guanzi ran behind her, panting so hard she could barely breathe, one hand on her waist as she shouted, “Miss, you don’t know how to drive a carriage! Be careful not to fall!”
On Zhuque Street, a carriage charged down the main road without care, and pedestrians scattered in all directions.
Inside the Qin residence’s carriage, the Second Prince followed the desire in his heart and grabbed Qiu Jinning’s arm. “Where exactly is Miss Qiu uncomfortable? This prince can help you.”
There was a smile floating at the corner of his mouth, and a faint drunkenness in his eyes. He stared fixedly at Qiu Jinning’s passion-stirred face and swallowed.
Qiu Jinning bit the corner of her lip hard and leaned forcefully against the carriage window, trying to pull her arm back. But the Second Prince gripped even tighter.
“Your Highness, if you still wish to accomplish great things, then let go.” She could not break free, and the love gu was flaring up fiercely. The moment she spoke, a trace of blood spilled from her mouth, clearly caused by biting too hard.
The Second Prince’s mind swayed.
The beauty’s face looked as if it had been touched by white mist. That trace of blood at the corner of her mouth set off her snow-white, flushed skin, making her beauty soul-stirring.
He used his strength to pull Qiu Jinning into his arms and lifted her chin. “Great things? This prince indeed has one great thing to do right now. If you are truly clever, you should know how to choose. This prince will not mistreat you.”
The person in his arms was soft as if boneless. Even her struggling strength was like a kitten’s, making his heart itch.
Qiu Jinning raised her head and looked at the face pressing closer to hers. Disgust surged in her heart. She turned her head away. “Let go of me.”
The Second Prince laughed softly and turned her head back. “This prince does not care who your beloved was before. From this moment on, it can only be this prince.”
After saying this, he could no longer hold back and lowered his head to kiss those red lips stained with blood.
Just then, the guard driving the carriage suddenly reported, “Your Highness, someone is catching up.”
The Second Prince, his interest spoiled, scolded, “Return to the prince’s residence. Ignore them.”
Commandery Princess Anguo had already left, and those two brothers of his were no threat. Who would dare stop his carriage?
In the brief moment they exchanged words, Qiu Jinning suddenly knocked his arm aside. At some point, she had gripped a hairpin in her hand. It was silver, glinting coldly, its tip sharp and fine.
“Let me out. Otherwise, I will not get off this carriage alive.” Her eyes were filled with coldness. Because she was gripping the hairpin too hard, and because her fingers were trembling, it had already pierced her neck.
The pain cut to the bone, but it also pulled Qiu Jinning’s reason back, making her unusually clear-headed.
The Second Prince calmed slightly and said in a low voice, “Qiu Jinning, mutual destruction will bring you no benefit. This prince has already promised to treat you well. Do not be greedy.”
A beauty was like a flower, but if that flower had thorns, it was far too ungrateful.
Qiu Jinning slowly moved toward the outside of the carriage. The hairpin in her hand did not hesitate in the slightest and pierced another half inch in. Fresh blood flowed along the hairpin to her hand, then along her wrist, staining the tender yellow sleeve red.
As if she did not know pain, a cold smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. Word by word, she said, “The ones who have always been greedy are Your Highness. You people.”
She had been the daughter of a county magistrate, a provincial top scholar with both talent and virtue, full of ideals to serve the country as she entered the capital for the exam. Yet because of an inexplicable prophecy, she had endured again and again, retreated again and again.
At this moment, she did not want to endure anymore.
She, Qiu Jinning, had never been willing to compromise herself for the sake of peace, much less give herself to a man who disgusted her.
The Second Prince was shaken by the desperate resolve in her eyes. After steadying himself, he forced a smile and said, “Miss Qiu, what are you doing? This prince has no intention of forcing you. Put down the hairpin. We can talk properly.”
Qiu Jinning said nothing, clearly not believing him. The hairpin in her hand pressed in farther, and blood flowed continuously.
The Second Prince’s heart jumped at the sight. He gritted his teeth and said, “Qiu Jinning, do not fail to appreciate kindness.”
“Qiu Jinning!”
A familiar shout came from outside, and the carriage suddenly jolted violently with a bang.
Qin Chu truly did not know how to drive a carriage. She also did not know how to circle around to the front and force the carriage to stop. She had not even thought of how to make it halt.
So she chose to crash into it.
She crashed into the carriage that held Qiu Jinning, staking everything on one throw.
The Second Prince hurriedly steadied himself. “Do not stop. Return to the prince’s residence.” He recognized Qin Chu’s voice. She was only a false phoenix maiden. There was no need to consider her.
The carriage was driven forward rapidly again by the guard. Qiu Jinning had already reached the carriage curtain and was half-rising while holding the edge of the carriage.
The Second Prince’s heart immediately filled with foreboding. In the next instant, he saw the person holding the hairpin smile tragically. Ignoring the rapidly moving carriage, she jumped straight down.
“Qiu Jinning!”
“Qiu Jinning!”
Comments 0
You must be logged in to comment.
No comments yet. Be the first!