Chapter 126: The Eerie Gesture of Rubbing Hands

"I do indeed have a request for Your Highness!" Qin Wanru decided that honesty was the best policy. When dealing with someone like him, being straightforward was the most prudent choice.

"What is it? Speak, though I make no promises that I will actually help you," Chu Liuchen asked with interest, his voice exceptionally pleasant to the ear.

However, the words themselves were not quite as pleasant.

Fortunately, Qin Wanru had already concluded in her heart that this was exactly how he should be. She didn't feel particularly stung; it would be far more suspicious if this man were actually helpful.

"I have a witness I would like to keep here in your residence, if that is acceptable?" Qin Wanru steadied her heart and asked cautiously.

Chu Liuchen arched an eyebrow and let out a soft, mocking hum. With a look of disdain in his eyes, he said bluntly, "Your witness—why should I keep them in my manor?"

His voice remained gentle and melodious, but the words caused Qin Wanru’s face to flush red. She was grateful there was no one else around; otherwise, she would have found it impossible to save face. Although she knew he was not one to easily grant favors and had mentally prepared herself before coming, she still could not control the heat rising in her cheeks.

"Your Highness, that 'Swallow in the Hall' plant seems to have been growing quite well lately," Qin Wanru said, steadying her nerves.

"And what of it?" Chu Liuchen glanced at her lazily, his tone carrying a chill that made one's heart turn cold.

Qin Wanru was now certain that before she arrived, this man must have been in a foul mood. No wonder Xiao Xuanzi had treated her like an honored guest—if someone delivered themselves to serve as a shield for his temper, who would turn that away? But since she had come, she could not simply leave.

"I heard that the flower is a rare specimen. If tended to with care, it could bloom into the most magnificent blossom in the capital," Qin Wanru said, secretly resolving that upon returning, she would immediately find a gardener to appraise it and see if it truly was that rare, exquisite variety. If not, she would spend whatever it took to buy a genuine specimen and care for it properly.

"No matter how fine a flower is, if it is tended to death, it remains nothing but a dead object!" Chu Liuchen snorted coldly and slowly sat up. The sight of the youth reclining had already put enough pressure on Qin Wanru, but now that he sat up, it made her heart tremble even more, especially under the gaze of his handsome yet icy eyes.

Qin Wanru felt that his stare was like being watched by a venomous snake, leaving her unable to move a muscle. A cold sweat began to bead on her back. Though she kept telling herself that the Prince Chen before her was not yet the future Crown Prince who would hold absolute power, but merely a sickly, beautiful youth—guarded by soldiers under the guise of protection, yet effectively under house arrest—she still felt a tremor in her heart. Chu Liuchen’s presence seemed even more imposing and chilling than it had been in Jiangzhou.

The childish act of him sending her a fish tank now felt like a distant memory.

"Qin Wanru, what is that expression? Are you afraid of me?" The icy chill in Chu Liuchen’s eyes softened slightly, and a faint smile bloomed on his face. The temperature in the room seemed to rise a little.

Qin Wanru was anxious, but she did not show it. With her small, rosy face flushed, she met his gaze—which still carried a hint of volatility—and shook her head firmly. "Your Highness has helped me several times. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will surely repay you. Why would there be any talk of fear?"

"Truly not afraid?" Chu Liuchen’s gaze seemed to pierce into the depths of her soul.

Qin Wanru was startled, wondering if she had failed to deceive him. What sort of mischief was this fickle Prince Chen planning now?

"If I were afraid, I would not have come to the manor today to seek Your Highness's help!" Qin Wanru replied, forcing herself to remain calm under his bizarre gaze.

Chu Liuchen scrutinized her for a moment. The cold, violent glint in his eyes vanished, and he leaned back lazily, pulling his feet up, looking completely relaxed and casual. "Speak then. What is the story with this person?"

"That person... you are actually already aware of him. When the Di family sent him to harm me, your people intercepted him and placed him under the window across the way. It turned out that the wife and daughter of the Marquis of Yangqu were staying there. Now that I have arrived in the capital, I may eventually need his testimony, but I am afraid the Di family will find him. That is why I wanted to place him here with you!"

Seeing that Chu Liuchen had relented, Qin Wanru seized the opportunity to explain everything truthfully.

"Where is he?" Chu Liuchen was surprisingly easy to talk to this time.

"I have him secretly locked in a rented courtyard, guarded by my nanny's son. But it is far too easy to leave traces if he is kept outside..." Qin Wanru said.

"Very well. However, as for the rent..." Under Qin Wanru's stunned gaze, Chu Liuchen extended his long, slender, and elegant index finger and thumb, rubbing them together.

Qin Wanru felt her throat go dry. She bit her pink lip, her long lashes fluttering as she tried to comprehend the gesture. She had never seen it before, but in the context of his words, it was easy to imagine what it meant. This was a gesture she could never have associated with Chu Liuchen, who, despite his many facets, always exuded an inherent nobility from his very bones. Was she really interpreting this correctly?

"What? No money? That won't do. I don't offer credit here!" Chu Liuchen waved a finger in front of her. His handsome eyes looked as if they held the starry sky; his radiant features were enough to topple empires. A beautiful youth like a painting, his sudden change in expression was enough to make any girl’s face burn red.

Qin Wanru felt a chill in her heart. Her attention focused solely on his finger, and as she watched it move, she let out a long sigh and asked, astonished, "Is Your Highness asking me for money?"

"Why, is our relationship so close that you think you don't have to pay?" Chu Liuchen tilted his head wickedly, his pale lips pursed, his smile fading into an expression of displeasure.

Qin Wanru hurriedly shook her head. "I don't know how much Your Highness wants?"

"How about... one tael of silver per day?" Chu Liuchen smiled. The handsome youth tilted his head, his face wearing an innocent expression, the subtle smile on his pale lips giving him the appearance of gazing with deep affection.

Qin Wanru didn't notice this; she only widened her watery eyes in shock, nearly wishing he would drink a glass of cold water to sober up. How was this any different from robbery?

"Your Highness, I don't have that much money!" Qin Wanru groaned inwardly. She didn't know how long that carriage driver would need to stay hidden before his testimony could be used. Calculating the silver day by day, it was no small sum.

"Qin Wanru, given our friendship, you can put it on a tab!" Chu Liuchen tapped the side of the daybed with his finger, looking full of disdain. "You already owe me plenty; your life is already mine, is it not?"

"..." Qin Wanru bit her lip. "How much should I write the IOU for?"

"Let's write it for a thousand taels for now," Chu Liuchen raised an eyebrow with a faint smile. Although his complexion was pale, he merely looked weak, which somehow made him seem more vivid.

"That would cover... more than three years, wouldn't it?" Qin Wanru felt that even if she were slow to act, she wouldn't need three years, so she wanted to bargain.

"What? Are you trying to haggle with me?" Chu Liuchen snorted, his expression turning cold.

"No. Should I... go write it outside?" Qin Wanru surrendered. She glanced left and right, recalling the desk outside the door, and asked cautiously.

"Do you intend to write it on my bed?" Chu Liuchen said indifferently, waving his hand. "Go on, quickly!"

Qin Wanru retreated helplessly. Walking past the screen to his desk, she saw the mess of papers and realized there was no place to write. There was paper on the table, but it was almost entirely covered in ink stains. In this state, let alone writing, she couldn't even find a clean sheet.

"What, feeling like there's nowhere to put your pen?" Hearing the eerie voice behind her, Qin Wanru jumped. She turned to see Chu Liuchen standing behind her, his hands behind his back, looking noble and elegant. If not for that chilling smile, he would have looked like a beautiful youth stepped straight out of a landscape painting.

"This... how am I supposed to write?" Qin Wanru asked, bracing herself against his piercing gaze.

"Why don't you get in here and clean this up!" Chu Liuchen suddenly shouted in a sinister tone.

Before Qin Wanru could figure out if he was talking to her, the door was suddenly pushed open. Xiao Xuanzi rushed in, answering as he busily began to clean. His speed was so impressive it left Qin Wanru in awe.

It seemed Xiao Xuanzi had done this many times; one hand cleaned while the other held a damp cloth, his movements synchronized and practiced. Two more young eunuchs entered, each with a damp cloth, and meticulously wiped the floor again where Xiao Xuanzi had just cleaned. Then, under Qin Wanru’s stunned gaze, the two eunuchs retreated in perfect unison.

The coordination was so well-trained it left her speechless.

"Master, look, it's clean!" Xiao Xuanzi said, trying to curry favor. "Shall I bring in Prince Yue?"

"No!" Chu Liuchen replied coldly.

"But... but that is Prince Yue. It is a kind gesture for him to come visit. You should at least... see him!" Xiao Xuanzi rubbed his hands together.

"Are the two men he brought with him formerly from my Southern Palace?" Chu Liuchen suddenly smiled gently. His smile was so clean it didn't carry a speck of dust, yet it made Qin Wanru’s heart skip a beat, and she quickly lowered her head.

"Yes... yes, they are!" Xiao Xuanzi secretly glanced at his master, not daring to lie.

"Bring Chu Liyue in, and have those two men he brought hacked to pieces. My Southern Palace is not a place where people can come and go as they please!"

Chu Liuchen’s gaze turned bizarre again, and combined with his unnaturally gentle smile, it sent an inexplicable chill through one's heart...