7.9 - This Highness was probably thoroughly full of tricks and schemes
translator: xiin
editor: alamerysl
"Is it really alright to use your legs to walk?" Although Xue Ling had already assured him several times, Lou Cen was still particularly worried. The little merman's legs looked so thin that they could be broken in a moment of carelessness.
"You're so long-winded." Xue Ling glared at him. "I said I'm alright."
Lou Cen's heart and soul quivered under his glare. He unconsciously clenched his fist, coughed, and said, "Okay, you're alright. Wenwen, when do you plan to go back? We still can't delay for too long. Although Yan Chuhuan knows that I'm with you, he will not sit passively and resign himself to this."
The corners of Xue Ling's lips twitched. He really didn't want to bother with him anymore. He paused his footsteps rather helplessly and turned to look at the man. The man even blinked innocently, and seeing him turn around, showed a smile that did not seem at all like a smile.
Fine, he'd accept it. After all, his facial paralysis had been going on for such a long time, for a beginner at smiling to smile like this was very normal. Xue Ling hypnotized himself in his mind, and opened his mouth to ask, "What are you doing here?"
"Work related matters." Lou Cen reached out to take Xue Ling's hand, but he dodged, and he was unable to do so. "I've been busy sorting out work from the handover, so I couldn't go and find you."
"Find me for what." Xue Ling responded casually, his head bowed in thought as he tried to recall the timeline of the plot. He had not disappeared, and Yan Qingjun had already been recognized into the Duke's Palace, so he could not ascertain exactly what the situation was. But, according to estimates based on Lou Cen's current work, it should be at the stage where he began to have suspicions about the underground area.
He did not have as deep of a grasp over the chess pieces as Lou Cen did, and still needed Lou Cen's help to find the entrance. But as long as he could enter, Xue Ling would have ways to dodge Lou Cen and enter the research laboratory.
Seeing him with an expression that said 'I am thinking about something serious', Lou Cen's heart melted. "If there's anything that I can help with, let me know. I can help you."
Xue Ling wrinkled his brows and looked at him, then curved his lips and said, "Okay, it can be considered as your compensation for pulling out of our engagement. When this is over, I'll give you the right to pursue me again."
Lou Cen was stunned. He had not expected happiness to come so suddenly.
Xue Ling emphasized it again. "Although what you said in front of my elder brother, second brother and my father and mother was very righteous and proper, saying you have the power to pursue me, I also have the power to disagree. If you can really help me with this, I'll pull you out of my blacklist."
"Baby, you blacklisted me?" Lou Cen's emphasis was slightly off.
"If a man asks you in a particularly overbearing way to cancel your engagement with him, and you agreed, putting him onto your blacklist is something any merperson would do."
"Actually..."
"Even if you didn't use particularly overbearing means, or it wasn't something that you took the initiative to do, the fact that you made me unhappy doesn't change."
Lou Cen felt that the person who was currently angry at him was particularly cute. He nodded his head, and his tone was soothing. Although he had not had many chances to meet with the little cutie, for some reason he could easily see past his cold as ice, uncaring surface to the hidden self that liked being spoiled by him. "Yes, I know. You're angry, so you want me to make up for it. As long as it's something you want to do, I can help you do it." When he made his promise, he did not forget to set some guiding principles. "Other than anything that is harmful to your health, or anything that might threaten our relationship."
"We have a relationship?" Xue Ling glanced at him. He was very certain that he had never agreed to be with this man. How did he deduce from their various conversations that there was a lovers relationship between them?
System: "..." Did this still need to be deduced? The small fits of temper and spontaneous love games between you pair of husband and wife gave off a feeling that was too strong! Isn't it obvious that you're acting damned spoiled while he's being a fool in love?
"In fact, I think it would be better to explain some things clearly." Having spoken to this point, Lou Cen's face became serious. "Shall we find a place to sit down and have a proper talk?"
In addition to the Duke and Duchess, and the three brothers Yan Chuhuan, Yan Zhaiyan and Yan Qingjun, there was another breeder standing at the door.
Xue Ling searched through the original host's memories for a good while before finding information about this person. He popped his head out from behind Lou Cen and greeted the breeder. "Greetings to His Highness the Prince"
Lou Cen was obviously familiar with His Highness. He bowed, and gave a simple greeting. His Highness did not care much about things like etiquette when he was outside.
His Highness the Prince of the Empire was SS-class breeder. The difference in strength between him and Lou Cen had not been big previously. Now, he was one step behind, but he was still very powerful. He was the future Emperor of the Empire, but he had always been very kind to the people. In the original host's memory, His Highness was a very gentle person, and was very attractive when he smiled.
Xue Ling measured him up for a moment. He really was a very easy-going person, and his gentleness was not a hypocritical mask that he had put on for show. He stood next to Yan Qingjun, and the two seemed very well matched. After all, that kind of mild temperament that was like a 'Holy Mother' and 'Holy Father' were not very different...
In the original plot, there were not many mentions of His Highness the Prince. He should have ascended the throne the normal way...
Lou Cen stretched out his hand, and blocked out Xue Ling's line of sight to His Highness the Prince.
Xue Ling: "..." If he didn't want him to look, then he won't look. In any case, the Prince was not as good looking as him.
Perhaps because His Highness the Prince was next to them, the Duke and Duchess who were planning to give Xue Ling a proper lecture did not say stern words. Yan Chuhuan grabbed Xue Ling's ears and scolded quite a lot, making His Highness the Prince joke that he looked more like a mother more than the Duchess.
Yan Chuhuan could no longer say anything after that. Yan Zhaiyan had been hiding from Xue Ling during this period of time, and now, although the look he sent to Lou Cen seemed like he was eager to bite him to death, he managed to hold back and did not speak out.
Xue Ling was handed over to the Duke's family by Lou Cen, and was reminded again to call him if he wanted to go out so that he could come pick him up, before he was finally let into the house.
Xue Ling clutched at Yan Qingjun's hand and leaned in close to catch up with the gossip. Only then did he learn that His Highness Prince was going to have dinner at their house this evening. Rumors said that he had come to propose marriage, wanting to settle matters before the Duke's Palace announced news regarding their youngest son.
Although the Duke formally rejected his proposal, he still shamelessly stayed behind for dinner.
Xue Ling found it strange, and asked Yan Qingjun, "It's really strange. Has he seen Junjun before? Why would he suddenly come to propose marriage?" Although he had also planned to do this, he had not yet implemented his plan when the person automatically sent himself to their door. It was a bit weird no matter how one looked at it.
"I don't know... I was there when he was talking... His original words were that he liked me very much when I was an egg. Now, when he sees the color of my fish tail, he feels that I'm particularly suitable to be an Imperial Princess. Because he was worried that mother and father would introduce me to more people who would come with proposals, he wanted to propose ahead of time."
Xue Ling's gaze landed on the seemingly serious and upright prince, and he got a smile in return. Xue Ling changed his personality in his mind from gentle to black-bellied. This Highness was probably thoroughly full of tricks and schemes. "... Well, this kind of reason is very convincing... or not."
"You don't believe it, right? Father doesn't believe it either... So they declined."
"But I think His Highness the Prince's looks like he is determined... It doesn't seem like a joke..."
"Maybe it's just because he needs to marry someone from the Duke's Palace?"
"There's shouldn't be any need for that. He had never treated me differently before. Although I'm only an adoptive son, and it wouldn't be very useful to marry me. Oh. Maybe he doesn't like black and gold?"
"... Don't you like Lou Cen?"
"Well, yes, then I won't fight over His Highness the Prince with you."
Yan Qingjun: "..." What kind of logic is this? Did he get stumped by a child???
"Baby, you blacklisted me? ^_^"
"Ha-ha."Updated from novelbIn.(c)om