Chapter 53
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 53:
The Second Prince gave a signal to Jian Yi next to him and casually said, "Let him in."
Jian Yi quietly acknowledged and went to open the door.
When Mi Hongbao entered, the scene that met his eyes was very ambiguous – Li Chunzhou was sitting on Liang Changfeng’s lap, and Liang Changfeng’s hand was naturally placed on her waist, caressing it.
The Second Prince lazily raised an eyebrow and asked calmly, "Shouchang, what’s all this commotion about?"
"Shouchang" was Mi Hongbao’s nickname, but Mi Hongbao thought it was too common, so he rarely told anyone about it, not even Li Chunzhou. It was only known by the elders in the family.
Suddenly, when the Second Prince publicly called out "Shouchang," Mi Hongbao felt embarrassed and his ears turned red.
He stared unhappily at Liang Changfeng’s hand on Li Chunzhou, and softly asked, "Brother, shouldn’t you be helping Uncle in the palace right now?"
The Second Prince caught on to Mi Hongbao’s hidden meaning, raised an eyebrow, even though he usually didn’t mind Li Chunzhou flirting with others, it was different if others had inappropriate thoughts in front of him.
Even if it’s his own younger brother, the Second Prince may not necessarily give up what he likes, let alone a cousin.
The Second Prince squinted, teasingly stared at Mi Hongbao, observing the boy’s hesitant look, and his seemingly justified feeling of being wronged, as if he was the one being blamed for disrupting a loving couple.
Liang Changfeng licked his lips and chuckled.
Under Mi Hongbao’s unflinching gaze, the Second Prince deliberately held Li Chunzhou’s chin, pecked her rosy lips, then lightly bit down before parting, almost as if asserting his dominance.
Li Chunzhou also noticed Mi Hongbao at the door, understanding what Liang Changfeng’s action meant, but she couldn’t openly distance herself from Liang Changfeng in front of Mi Hongbao.
Li Chunzhou’s power and status, in truth, were all extensions of the Second Prince’s personal influence. How could Li Chunzhou really quarrel with her guardians?
When the Second Prince wasn’t looking, Li Chunzhou sent a pitiful look towards Mi Hongbao, hinting that she wasn’t doing this willingly.
At the same time, the Second Prince looked provocatively at Mi Hongbao. Mi Hongbao watched sadly as his crush was embraced by his cousin. He felt uncomfortable and stared at Liang Changfeng’s hand around Li Chunzhou’s waist, gritting his teeth tightly.
From a distance, the Second Prince examined Mi Hongbao’s expression and suddenly smiled. He understood the intentions behind Li Chunzhou’s actions but remained calm. He gently turned Li Chunzhou’s head away from Mi Hongbao with his index finger, preventing her from looking at him, and asked Mi Hongbao nonchalantly, "Why didn’t your family arrange someone by your side, Shouchang?"
Though the Second Prince’s blame was subtle, Mi Hongbao understood it. Was it because no one was arranged by your side that you keep thinking about others?
Mi Hongbao pursed his lips, his handsome face turning red with anger. He wanted to retort but knew he was at fault. He knew he met Lady Chun because of the Second Prince, and that their relationship was more legitimate and longstanding.
Just the thought made Mi Hongbao furious, feeling bitter and sour in his heart, clenching his back teeth.
After a moment of silence, Mi Hongbao raised his head towards the sitting Second Prince and shouted loudly with closed eyes, "After you inherit the throne, you will have riches and any beauty you desire! But I only have Lady Chun! I will always treat her well! Can’t you just let her be with me!?"
Li Chunzhou sneakily glanced at the Second Prince, who squinted displeased.
The Second Prince’s expression turned cold, unwilling to argue further with his young cousin. He ordered his guards to throw Mi Hongbao out.
However, even after being thrown out, Mi Hongbao’s loud voice could still be heard from the door, "I’m not leaving! If you don’t agree, I won’t leave! Don’t touch me… get lost! Servant…"
The Second Prince rubbed his temple anxiously, feeling a headache from Mi Hongbao’s noise. When he glanced at Li Chunzhou sitting on his lap, looking very happy, he paused for a moment. With a hint of threat in his eyes, he lightly patted her bottom.
The Second Prince didn’t take his anger towards Mi Hongbao out on Li Chunzhou. He just affectionately pinched Li Chunzhou’s cheek before getting up and leaving.
Before leaving, he made sure to take Mi Hongbao along, sending him back to the Northern Marquis Mansion.
Inside the elegant room, Li Chunzhou and Qi Leyuan watched them leave.
"Did you tell him about my ability to speak… is it okay?" Qi Leyuan couldn’t help but ask as he watched the Second Prince walk away.
"It doesn’t matter."
The smile on Li Chunzhou’s face slowly faded, and she casually remarked, "In the next cycle, he won’t remember any of this anyway."
Qi Leyuan was puzzled, "But didn’t you say this was the last cycle? Why the change of heart?"
After a moment of thought, he asked incredulously, "Is it because of Zhao Er?"
"Well, if we succeed this time, the world’s time will move forward again," Li Chunzhou gently touched Qi Leyuan’s feathers, "Those who have died will truly stay dead."
Qi Leyuan turned his neck to look at her, wanting to carefully observe Li Chunzhou’s expression to see if she was joking or serious.
"So, after I came back yesterday, I’ve been hesitating… but now I’ve decided to restart."
Even though Zhao Er is already dead, there is still a way. We just need to restart once more, and then let time move forward again.
Li Chunzhou has decided to abandon this failed reincarnation, so she doesn’t mind if Liang Changfeng finds out she has a talking chicken by her side, nor does she care what others might think.
After going through so many reincarnations, unknowingly to Li Chunzhou, her attitude towards the people around her has become somewhat casual, like a player interacting with non-player characters.
Qi Leyuan realized this, but didn’t mention it proactively as he wasn’t sure whether it was good or bad for Li Chunzhou.
Qi Leyuan pondered for a moment, then said, "Lady Chun, if you’re determined to start over and save Zhao Er, then you’ll need to take Zhao Junyuan to the alley to trigger the Sub-dungeon. But once Zhao Junyuan enters that alley, won’t the outcome be the same?"
"Huh?" Li Chunzhou was a bit distracted, but after hearing Qi Leyuan’s words, she was pulled back to attention, "Li Li, what did you just say?"
"I mean, don’t we need to finish four Sub-dungeons in Dungeon World before we can pass through?" Qi Leyuan repeated his words, "If Zhao Er doesn’t die, how can time move forward again?"
Li Chunzhou looked at him strangely for a while, then burst into laughter uncontrollably.
Her laughter was too strange, so much so that Qi Leyuan felt a sense of unease in his heart.
After Li Chunzhou had enough laughter, she raised her eyebrows with a smile, tilted her head, stopped acting completely, and asked with raised eyebrows, "You believed me when I said ‘finishing four Sub-dungeons allows you to leave’?"
Qi Leyuan frowned, feeling his heart beating faster, "What do you mean by that…?"
Qi Leyuan asked incredulously, "Have you never trusted me and been lying to me all along?"
Li Chunzhou looked calmly at him, then laughed again, "Not quite, it’s more like half true and half false, right? How can I tell you everything, what if Li Li, you send messages to others behind my back, what should I do then?"
Qi Leyuan said with a complicated expression, "…Have you never had genuine feelings for anyone?"
After hearing his words, Li Chunzhou silently stared at Qi Leyuan for a moment, turned her head away, unwilling to say more.
When Li Chunzhou walked out the door, holding Qi Leyuan in her arms, she coincidentally ran into Gu Lingfan.
Gu Lingfan was standing side by side with Bi Yuansi, walking up the stairs.
Li Chunzhou stared at Gu Lingfan without looking away, but Gu Lingfan didn’t pay attention to her, probably not wanting to argue with Li Chunzhou in front of Bi Yuansi.
Li Chunzhou’s least favorite thing about Gu Lingfan was her cold and indifferent face that always seemed to ignore her.
But now Gu Lingfan’s expression unexpectedly softened, standing beside Bi Yuansi and smiling at him.
As a result, Li Chunzhou’s expression soured, looking at the talented and beautiful couple in front of her, feeling a surge of frustration. She didn’t move aside, but stood on the steps above, looking down at the two about to go upstairs.
Gu Lingfan couldn’t argue with her in public, so she lifted her head, took two steps forward, and politely asked Li Chunzhou, "Lady Chun, could you please move aside?"
Perhaps it had been too long since they had looked at each other without hostility, or maybe the years of estrangement had kept them apart for too long… So when Gu Lingfan walked towards Li Chunzhou and spoke to her in a gentle tone, there was a hint of hidden anticipation in Li Chunzhou’s expression.
Li Chunzhou didn’t hide her childish side well, but instead lifted her delicate chin as if to say – Look, in the end, you still have to engage with me first, don’t you?
It was a proud pose, but somehow it seemed upset, with a bit of shyness and joy hidden in the upset.
Before Li Chunzhou grew up, Gu Lingfan was the most famous girl at Spring Flowers Tower. She and the still young Li Chunzhou were called two intertwined lotus flowers, and their relationship was good at that time.
Gu Lingfan had watched her grow up. How could she not see what Li Chunzhou was thinking? In a moment of confusion, Gu Lingfan suddenly reached out and tucked a stray hair behind Li Chunzhou’s ear.
After this unconscious action, both of them were stunned.
Such an action used to be too ordinary for the two of them, but that so-called "used to be"… was after all four or five years ago.
Surprisingly, Li Chunzhou didn’t resist or act tough this time. She just stood there awkwardly, letting Gu Lingfan play with her hair.
With her head down, she was as obedient as the child who always followed behind Gu Lingfan, yet also like a fierce cat that temporarily lowered her proud head.