The Princess Cannot Escape: The Cunning Prince Is Not to Be Messed With

Chapter 79 Asking questions knowingly

"scare?!"

Yin Quan abruptly shrank her neck and immediately shut her mouth, falling into silence.

"Go down."

A clear, crisp voice drifted into her ears again from above. Startled, she reflexively popped her head out from behind the book and shouted, "Why are you making them all go down! They're perfectly fine staying here!"

He glanced at her silently, his expression deep and mysterious, his dark eyes filled with a deep light, and a shadow seemed to rise between his brows, exuding an imposing aura without anger.

"Uh..." Yin Quan's lips parted slightly, barely visible, and she stared intently into those unfathomable dark eyes. For a moment, she froze on the round stool, unable to move.

She was filled with agonizing anxiety, her tongue twisting in knots, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

Seeing the two people, one standing and one sitting, staring blankly at each other without saying a word, Gui Mama and Chun Ya, who were originally serving nearby and responsible for teaching Yin Quan, also froze in place, unable to retreat.

While they had to obey the Prince Duan's orders, Miss Yin was, after all, the future Princess Consort of Duan, and someone they couldn't afford to offend. Besides, the two of them had stayed at the residence for quite some time and were well aware that the Prince had deep feelings for Miss Yin.

Thinking this to themselves, the two palace maids both sighed in unison: Being a servant is hard...

Her palms gradually became damp with cold sweat, and the cover of "Rules for Women," which was already slightly yellowed and held in Yin Quan's hand, developed a slight wrinkle.

She bit her lip, narrowed her beautiful eyes, and suddenly pushed her hands forward, saying, "Get out, all of you."

Upon hearing this, the two palace maids immediately felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They hurriedly bowed and disappeared into the west wing, and thoughtfully closed the door from the outside.

Looking at the tightly sealed door, Yin Quan frowned.

Granny Gui and Chun Ya... are quite clever in some ways...

Thinking of this, she quickly looked away, squinted upwards, and said dryly, "What?"

"There's still something you haven't finished saying in the study today." Xiahou Ying casually moved his thin lips and sat down beside her as he spoke.

Upon hearing this, Yin Quan pursed her lips, rested her chin on her right hand, and began fiddling with the ochre-colored teacup in the center of the round table with her left. Her gaze was focused and earnest, as if she had developed a strong interest in the teacup.

The room fell silent. Neither of them spoke to break the silence until, after a long while, a calm and gentle voice slowly rang out: "A few days ago, I first encountered the Red Moon Pavilion causing trouble on Vermilion Bird Street, and then I was ambushed. Given my status as the soon-to-be Princess Consort of Duan, how could a mere brothel madam dare to oppose you or make things difficult for me? Even if she was acting under someone's orders, who would dare to disrespect Prince Duan?"

As Yin Quan spoke, she stroked the smooth, rounded belly of the cup with her fingertips, her gaze remaining fixed on it without ever looking away.

“That day, you and Gu Lounan appeared at the same time. I thought it was just a coincidence, but now I finally understand. Those who secretly harmed me were not out of their minds. Their target was not you, but the Imperial Advisor of the current dynasty…”

At this point, Yin Quan withdrew her fingers, then lifted her eyelashes to look at the unfathomable dark eyes beside her, and pursed her lips.

As if sensing her gaze directed at him, Xiahou Ying, who had remained expressionless, raised an eyebrow and lowered his eyes to meet her gaze. After a long while, he finally moved his thin, rosy lips and uttered four words: "It's somewhat reasonable."

After saying that, he paused, then continued, "What you've discovered should be far more than this..."

Looking into his bright, narrow eyes, Yin Quan remained silent for a moment before raising the corners of her lips and chuckling softly, "Asking a question you already know the answer to will get you struck by lightning."

"Are you cursing your future husband?" Xiahou Ying stared expressionlessly at those crescent-shaped, clear eyes, her thin lips twitching slightly. Her dark eyes were cold, yet her words carried a hint of mockery.

“How could that be…” Yin Quan’s lips curled up even more, and she leaned closer to him, resting her chin on her hand, and continued, “You’ve been monitoring the Imperial Preceptor’s residence for longer than I have, so you must know more than I do. Besides, many things are just my speculations, without any concrete evidence…”

"So, you came to me to confirm this." Xiahou Ying subtly finished her sentence, his slightly raised eyebrows suddenly smoothing out, a hint of appreciation and approval showing in his expression.

Looking closely at those dark eyes that seemed to melt away like ice and snow, Yin Quan was stunned. Even her delicate lips, which had been slightly closed, parted slightly.

Why does his expression seem a little different from before...?

A strange feeling she had never experienced before welled up in her heart. She stared intently at the exquisite face before her, with its sharp features and smooth lines, as if she were a celestial being. Her mind went blank, and the thoughts that had been climbing and gathering in her body scattered in all directions, leaving no trace.

After a long silence, Yin Quan pursed her lips, her brows furrowing slightly, and asked in a low voice, "Is Gu Lounan the young master of Chonglou Manor, one of the four great manors?"

"To have found this place, I have truly underestimated you..." Without giving a direct affirmative or negative answer, Xiahou Ying merely lifted the corner of his thin lips, his deep black eyes, shimmering with clear light, showing even greater admiration. It was as if a misty aura, like the thin fog of early summer, enveloped him, making him appear as holy as an immortal being. Just looking at him was enough to dazzle anyone.

"I was right?!"

“Very close. The health of Gu Yunting, the master of Chonglou Manor, has been deteriorating in recent years. If nothing unexpected happens, the position of young master should rightfully be inherited by Gu Lounan.” Before Yin Quan could finish speaking, Xiahou Ying interrupted her again. Her expression was indifferent, and although she seemed unconcerned, the cool and aloof air between her brows had dissipated considerably.

"An accident?" Frowning, Yin Quan asked rhetorically, then bombarded Xiahou Ying with a barrage of questions: "Could it be that the Gu family has more than one son? Or is he not the eldest? It's rather strange. Why would he give up his perfectly good status as the eldest son of Chonglou Manor to become the Imperial Preceptor? With Chonglou Manor's status in the martial arts world, wouldn't he be living a life of unparalleled comfort? Is he out of his mind...?"

Having listened to her rambling on and on like a muttered monologue, Xiahou Ying's expression suddenly changed upon hearing the word "brain-dead."

Although he didn't know exactly what the strange word meant, he could guess about 70-80% of it based on the context of her words.

He pursed his lips, clenched his fist, and placed it in front of his mouth and nose, letting out a barely audible cough.

Tomorrow I'll meet the Imperial Advisor at the palace; perhaps then I can make the most of this phrase...

My thoughts were drifting far away when, just then, the words "illegitimate child" suddenly reached my ears.

With a slight twitch of his brow, Xiahou Ying looked at Yin Quan, who was also looking at him with an unusually serious expression: "No way? He really is an illegitimate child?!"

A barely perceptible knot appeared between Xiahou Ying's brows. He pursed his lips and replied, "Not an illegitimate child, just a son born out of wedlock."

Upon hearing this, Yin Quan, who had been quite excited just moments before, let out an "Oh" and reluctantly withdrew her slightly forward-leaning body.

Suddenly, as if she had just remembered something, she became interested again: "Little Yingying, do you know what the relationship is between Gu Lounan or the four great manors and Tinghai Tower?"

Without immediately responding to Yin Quan's close approach, Xiahou Ying expressionlessly reached for a teacup, poured some water, and handed it to her. He then slowly moved his thin, cicada-wing-like lips and asked, "After saying so much, don't you feel thirsty?"

Startled by the sight, Yin Quan reached out, but stopped halfway. She frowned, tilted her head, stared at him for a long while, then suddenly stood up and growled, "Xiahou Ying! Are you annoyed that I talk too much?!"

As if he hadn't heard her roar at all, Xiahou Ying slowly withdrew his wrist, brought the teacup to his lips, and stopped abruptly just as his rose-colored lips were about to touch the rim of the cup. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her, his dark eyes suddenly filled with a meaningful look.

"You're not thirsty, but I am..."

Before he could finish speaking, a hand suddenly darted out, as if to snatch the ochre teacup.

"You poured it on for me!"

"How's your study of etiquette going?" Ignoring the person who kept waving her claws and scratching at her, Xiahou Ying narrowed her dark eyes and lowered her gaze to her. The alluring rose color of her thin lips looked particularly seductive, yet deadly.

Upon hearing this, Yin Quan suddenly straightened up and took several steps back before turning around and facing away from him.

"I don't want to see you right now! You better get out of here..." Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly felt a heat on her back, and a light but firm force pressed down on her head, startling her. After a long pause, she finally managed to finish her sentence in a low voice: "Get out?"

"Xiahou Ying, don't think that just because you're like this I can... be seduced by your beauty! I've lived this long and never learned any of those things! You men may not care, but have you even seen how many volumes those 'Rules for Women' and 'Instructions for Women' actually have?! The two combined could easily take the lives of ten adult men, let alone one!"

As if she had been suppressing her anger for a long time, Yin Quan roared and turned around to grab Xiahou Ying's clothes. She saw that his lips were slightly curved, and his clear, dark eyes seemed to contain a smile that was not quite a smile. For a moment, his gaze was deep, which made her even more annoyed.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Yin Quan shook the hands that were gripping his shirt, stood on tiptoe, tilted her head back, frowned, and glared at him, her eyes full of displeasure.

"What are you laughing at? I'm being very serious and earnest with you! What are you laughing at? Laughing... uh?!"

Suddenly her vision darkened, and her lips felt soft; she froze.

what's the situation? !

what's the situation? !

With her eyes wide open, Yin Quan felt her mind go blank and her ears ring, as if several trains were rushing past, leaving her completely bewildered.

"If you don't learn, and something goes wrong on the day of the ceremony, it will be a grave crime that disgraces the royal family." Xiahou Ying didn't linger on those tender, soft lips for long before quickly releasing her.

“Disgrace your sister…” Yin Quan muttered under her breath, then pushed him away and walked toward the long table piled with books.

"Look at this, this is what you want me to see, learn, and memorize. Whether a woman is virtuous, gentle, and kind depends entirely on your men's words. Don't you think that's absurd and ridiculous?" With that, she threw down the book in her hand with a "smack," and a cold light flashed in her eyes, which were clearer and brighter than lake water and starry sky, and were somewhat intimidating.

"To not study well is to disgrace the royal family? To the royal family of Xiliang, I am probably not even as good as a brick used to build the city wall, so how can I be disgraced?" Raising an eyebrow, Yin Quan pursed her lips and looked at Xiahou Ying with a direct gaze.

Standing silently in place, Xiahou Ying did not avoid those bright, beautiful eyes that were somewhat aggressive, but she also did not show any affirmation or denial.

With a slight thought, he looked at her, his hands, hidden behind his back and concealed within his wide sleeves, tightening inch by inch.