Prince Li
Rong Zhen stiffened her neck and looked up at Chu Liuyue.
Chu Liuyue's face and hands were covered in blood, but she looked calm and relaxed with the Golden Python's corpse right behind her. She could actually smile! She looked like a demon from hell.
Rong Zhen suddenly felt a chill. At this moment, a thought occurred to her: Chu Liuyue is not an easy target to bully like she appears to be.
Chu Liuyue held something out. "Fourth Princess, the Golden Python's essence is very nourishing to the body. Please…"
It was still sticky and stained with blood. The fishy smell made one nauseous.
Rong Zhen's face went pale. Nevertheless, so many pairs of eyes were looking at them, so she had to accept the 'gift in return.'
Just when she was in a dilemma, Rong Jin—who was sitting beside her—suddenly spoke. "Someone come and take this gift from Miss Chu."
As soon as he finished speaking, a guard beside him immediately stepped forward with the intention of receiving the pearl on behalf of the princess. However, Chu Liuyue avoided the guard's hand and continued to stare intently at Rong Zhen.
"Initially, I thought it belonged to me because my name was on it, and I could do whatever I pleased with it since it was my belonging. However, I didn't expect my actions would provoke the Fourth Princess, enraging her. If so, please allow me to apologize to Your Majesty and Your Highness. It's a pity that the Fourth Princess doesn't seem to care for my gift, or is it not good enough for you?"
Rong Zhen's heart skipped a beat. She might be wilful and petulant, but she wasn't a fool. Chu Liuyue was asking her to accept the gift personally. If she didn't, her earlier demands on Chu Liuyue would seem mean.
So many people, including her father and mother, were watching her every move.
It was no big deal if she tarnished her own reputation. After all, she had always had such a temper. However, she couldn't afford to have the royal family be criticized because of her. She was able to please the Empress in large part because she knew the limits, even though she always messed around.
"Of course, your Princess is satisfied with your gift." Rong Zhen gritted her teeth, stood up, and got the guard to stand down while she accepted the Golden Python's essence.
It was so sticky and disgusting that she almost threw it away!
Rong Zhen thought she would be able to teach Chu Liuyue a well-deserved lesson, but in the end, the latter managed to turn the table around.
She stared at Chu Liuyue with a deadly glare and said through gritted teeth, "Chu. Liu. Yue. You are good! Your Princess will remember you!"
Chu Liuyue smiled faintly and bowed. "Thank you for remembering me, Princess."
Rong Zhen was so choked up with anger that she almost exploded.
"Okay," reminded Rong Jin.
Rong Zhen could only suppress her anger.
Rong Jin gave
The moment he finished, there was silence in the palace.
The Crown Prince seemed to be talking about the Fourth Princess, but in reality, he was indirectly targeting Chu Liuyue.
The Fourth Princess merely had a little blood staining her hands. Chu Liuyue, on the other hand, was covered in blood from her earlier fight with the Golden Python.
'Dirty' was the exact description for the current Chu Liuyue.
Soft snickering could be heard throughout the palace.
All eyes, filled with mockery and ridicule, were on her.
Everyone was well-dressed and clean in the brightly lit Ming Cui Palace.
She was the only one covered in blood. Her hair was down and scattered because she had removed her hairpin. She was a mess.
This was the sight that greeted Rong Xiu when he entered the palace.
A skinny young girl stood in the center of the palace. Beside her were a huge, broken black cage and the Golden Python's bloodied corpse.
The floor was covered in bloodstains.
The girl's side profile and hands were also covered in blood. She might be thin, but her back was straight like the cypress tree on a mountain cliff. It never bent, no matter how hard the wind blew.
His warm, clear eyes instantly turned dark and cold. He regained his usual gentle look in the next second.
"Prince Li has arrived!" The announcement broke the atmosphere in the palace. Everyone's eyes widened in shock.
Prince Li?
The Seventh Prince?
What is he doing here?
He returned to the Imperial City a month ago but had not attended any banquets because he had been sick. Why today…
Chu Liuyue felt her heart stir, and she looked back unconsciously.
A familiar silhouette appeared at the palace door.
The octagonal glazed palace lamp hanging outside the palace door cast a soft, warm light, reflecting his tall and long figure.
Chu Liuyue was stunned. He was actually wearing a white fox cloak in the middle of summer.
His features became clearer as he walked into the palace.
Although this wasn't her first time seeing his face, she couldn't stop herself from falling into a daze.
Rong Xiu had eyebrows that slanted towards his temples—which resembled two swords—profound phoenix eyes that were like the brilliant stars in the Milky Way, and a high nose.
One look from him was enough to make a person melt willingly.
Within the cloak, he was dressed in a snow-white brocade coat with dark-gold patterns embroidered on the cuffs and hem. He seemed to be gliding on the moonlight.
Only one thought occurred in everyone's mind with his appearance: like a well-cut and polished rogue gentleman.
He looked really noble, regal, and as warm as a piece of jade.
Some noble ladies were flushing and stared at him with adoring eyes.
"So… this is Prince Li. I never thought he was so handsome!"
"The last time he returned to the Imperial City was three years ago. I didn't expect to see him back again with such a demeanor. Nobody in the city can compare to him in terms of looks."
"Humph! What is there to see? He's just a sick kid. At the end of the day, he's nothing more than an idle prince."
There were whispers in the palace.
Chu Liuyue looked closer, and her eyebrows rose.
It wasn't surprising that those people had said all this. Rong Xiu's lips were pale, and he did look weak.
At this moment, Rong Xiu's attention shifted, and he looked at Chu Liuyue.
Their eyes met.
Chu Liuyue squinted her eyes.
In the next moment, Rong Xiu was actually making his way toward her until he stood before her.
Everyone was looking at her strangely.
Chu Liuyue froze. What is he planning to do? Is he here to settle the score because I trespassed into Bibo Lake last time?
While she was thinking about this, she saw Rong Xiu suddenly extend his hand and hand her a handkerchief that was white as snow.
Chu Liuyue immediately understood his intentions.
He wanted her to wipe the bloodstains on her face.
The circumstances of when she first met him resurfaced in her mind.
That time, he had reached out, wiped the bloodstains on her face with his fingertip, and said, "Lady Chu, you can't go home in such a mess with blood on your face."
The situation this time was so similar.
Chu Liuyue accepted his handkerchief and bowed with gratitude. "Thank you, Your Highness."
Rong Xiu looked at the young girl's curls of hair and her well-mannered demeanor that was a stark difference from her earlier wariness. His mood improved instantly.