The Green Tea is Always Targeting The Wrong Person (GREENTEA)
The originally month-long trial was
This question caused Yue Chu to momentarily lose focus, as he thought of the sweet companionship he once shared with Wei Xieyang—a past he couldn't deny. But Anse...
Lafa noticed his hesitation, and in an instant, his heart sank to the depths, as if submerged in icy water and chilling him to the core.
The fiery anger in his eyes turned to ashes before scattering into the dark abyss and solidifying into grave-like mounds.
Yue Chu actually liked Anse...
After pondering for a moment, Yue Chu revealed a shy smile and carefully said, "Perhaps I was too young back then..."
He wasn't sure if his original self had any relationship with Anse, so he could only give an ambiguous answer to avoid Lafa uncovering his lie if he went to investigate in the North.
Lafa regained his composure, even to the point of being eerily calm.
A faint glimmer flashed in his dark red eyes as he reached out to caress Yue Chu's porcelain-like face with his sharp black nails unwilling to harm him in the slightest.
Lafa looked deeply into Yue Chu's eyes, with a hint of devilish temptation, and softly said, "Yes, you were too young back then to distinguish between familial affection and love. Anse deliberately misled you, which is why you developed such illusions."
Yue Chu raised an eyebrow internally.
Well, this reason wasn't bad. Who would have thought His Majesty also knew how to take a roundabout approach?
He nodded earnestly with his gaze filled with trust as he looked at Lafa, and not doubting a single word he said.
Lafa enjoyed this trust and continued without a hint of guilt, "It's alright. From now on, your father will guide you and teach you what love truly is."
Yue Chu found this amusing.
Had he finally come to his senses?
He subtly observed Lafa's expression and was feeling almost overwhelmed by the overwhelming scent of jealousy.
However... the pressure Lafa exerted on him was far greater than Wei Xieyang's.
In comparison, Wei Xieyang was like a young General in his late teens, naive and easily manipulated. Lafa, on the other hand, was like a General in his mid-twenties, a beast with fully grown fangs, now taking the initiative and firmly trapping his prey in his grasp.
Yue Chu deliberately wrapped his arms around Lafa's waist before burying his head in the crook of his neck and gently nuzzling it a few times, his voice clear, soft, and endearingly obedient.
Yue Chu: "I'll listen to Father. I will... study hard."
Feeling the tall, rigid body pressed against him, Yue Chu's lips curled into a meaningful smile.
As expected, he was all theory—when it came to practice, his true nature was revealed.
.......
Ever since Anse arrived, Lafa had been keeping a close watch on Yue Chu as he firmly keep him by his side and leaving no opportunity for anyone else.
On this day, Yue Chu finally managed to slip away and asked Salu to find a way to bring Anna over.
If he didn't act soon, this poisonous little white flower would be exposed.
Given his cheap brother's intelligence, he would likely risk his life to protect Anna, and the entire plot would revert to its original state.
And he certainly wouldn't allow that to happen.
After setting things up for so long, it was time to close the net.
The garden was filled with roses blooming in vibrant red, layer upon layer while crowded together, burning like the shy smiles of young maidens, delicate and beautiful.
The sound of Anna's light footsteps approached, and Yue Chu slowly turned his head while offering the beautiful girl a gentle smile.
Anna hesitated as she looked at him.
Although she genuinely wanted to get closer to Yue Chu, being summoned by him now filled her with suspicion.
Out of some intuition, Anna felt that this gentle Prince was not as simple as he seemed.
His smiling eyes were like the still waters of an ancient well with their depths unfathomable.
However, the opportunity was right before her, and Anna, ambitious as ever, decided to take the chance. She was quite confident in her charm.
Anna lowered her head slightly with her cheeks tinged with a shy blush, and gracefully lifted the hem of her skirt to curtsy to Yue Chu.
Yue Chu extended his hand to help her up, then plucked a rose and gently sniffed it with his soft smile as he said, "Look at these roses, how beautiful they are, blooming freely under the sun. Yet, no matter how beautiful a flower is, if it falls from its branch, it can be easily crushed and buried in the soil."
The rose in Yue Chu's hand fell to the ground, and he stepped on it, grinding it underfoot. The once beautiful and fragrant rose was instantly reduced to a pool of ugly, crimson juice.
Anna furrowed her delicate brows with her heart pounding.
She couldn't shake the feeling that His Highness was hinting at something.
Yue Chu stepped over the rose and approached Anna.
His jade-like fingers reached out to play with a strand of her golden hair as his gaze was as light and gentle as a passing cloud sweeping over her exquisite face.
"I am a lover of flowers, and I can't bear to see such beauty wither away."
Anna's mind raced, but she remained composed as her large, innocent eyes looked at Yue Chu with a pitiful expression. "Your Highness, I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean."
Yue Chu chuckled softly before leaning in closer to her beautiful face. "How could you not understand? Saying that means you do."
With that, he didn't press further but instead changed the subject. "How has my elder brother been lately?"
Anna clenched her fingers. Xino?
Xino hadn't been doing well recently. He seemed gloomy and would often stare into the void with a chilling gaze, as if lost in thought.
No matter how she tried to comfort him, he seemed trapped in a dead end and unwilling to listen.
In the past, Anna would have been willing to talk to him more, but now she couldn't be bothered with his constant melancholy. She even found herself needing to step out for fresh air from time to time, lest the oppressive atmosphere affect her mood.
This only made her more eager to get closer to Yue Chu.
But she was confident; if she could easily win over the arrogant Xino, then the gentle Yue Chu would be even easier.
Her mission was nearly complete, and as for other matters, she neither could nor wanted to deal with them. The most important thing now was to leave the Blood Clan and return to the Empire, where she could claim her reward.
After a moment of consideration, Anna spoke with a worried expression, "His Highness Xino hasn't been very happy lately. I'm concerned, but I can't seem to help him."
At this, she timidly reached out with her slender, pale fingers to grasp Yue Chu's sleeve while looking pitiful as she said, "Your Highness, could you tell me what's wrong? I want to do whatever I can for His Highness Xino."
Yue Chu looked down at her delicate features that were now shadowed with a light sorrow with his blood eyes filled with tender affection.
He spoke softly, as if afraid of startling the rabbit-like girl: "Of course, because he falsely accused me of leaking information to humans in front of my father that caused him to be ambushed by Hunters. My father didn't believe him and is now investigating the matter. Don't you think he should be upset, hmm?"
Anna stiffened as a flash of light quickly passing through her eyes before she composed herself.
And just this composure alone made Yue Chu admire her.
Anna slightly lowered her gaze with her long eyelashes fluttering uneasily as she urgently defended Xino: "Prince Xino might have just been momentarily confused and didn't necessarily have any ill intentions. I hope Prince Yue Chu won't hold it against him."
Yue Chu stroked the girl's soft, curly golden hair with his eyes smiling like crescent moons: "Yes, I always thought Xino was foolish, but this time I found him quite clever as he immediately exposed you. Don't you think so, Anna Bard?"
Anna's expression changed instantly.
She took two steps back to put distance between herself and Yue Chu.
The previously delicate, deer-like demeanor was now replaced with razor-sharp vigilance.
She was terrified because she never expected her identity to be uncovered so quickly.
Facing the formidable Blood Clan Prince here and now, she had no means of resistance.
Only now did she realize that those faint intuitions were correct—this seemingly soft, moonlit Prince was truly deep and calculating.
Yue Chu made no move to restrain her. Instead, he elegantly sat on a bench in the garden before tilting his head to bask in the blinding sunlight.
He glanced at her with his smile still warm: "Don't be afraid. Since I've spoken to you directly, I have no intention of exposing you. After all, I am a lover of flowers."
Anna didn't let her guard down as she instead coldly scrutinised him: "Then what do you want?"
Yue Chu casually rested his arm on the back of the bench with his gaze distant, as if discussing something trivial.
"I'll keep your secret, but how you handle the investigators my father sends will be up to you."
At this, Yue Chu's smile deepened as it became dangerous and chilling: "I want to see just how capable you are before deciding what to do next. I believe you won't disappoint me, right? After all, to rise step by step to become the Holy See's Saintess and then trap my poor elder brother—such skill is not something just anyone possesses."
Anna's face turned grim as her pinkish nails dug into her palms.
This person knew so much—did he also know about her...
Those dark, dirty past events were something Anna had desperately tried to forget, yet now they were being brought up with such casual words, as if cutting into her heart.
Anna pressed her pink lips together as the fire in her eyes slowly extinguished before being replaced by calmness.
She had already experienced too much to simply tremble and cry like an innocent girl.
Since Yue Chu had given her a choice, it meant she still had value to him, and she would seize this opportunity to turn the tide.
Anna lowered her head before her cold little face once again blooming with a charming smile. She lifted her skirt and curtsied: "I hope Your Highness will keep your promise, and I will not fail to meet your expectations."
Yue Chu watched Anna walk away before standing up and stepping into the shadows.
It had been too long since he last basked in the sun, and the sudden exposure stung. However, being accustomed to his former identity, with days and nights reversed, was equally taxing.
Walking through the long corridor, Yue Chu timed his return carefully, lest his petty-minded Majesty would once again fly into a rage searching for him.
"Yue Chu."
A familiar voice called out, and the smile on Yue Chu's lips froze momentarily.
After a pause, he slowly turned to face Anse.
The familiar visage evoked a sense of nostalgia, yet every time he saw Anse's face, his heart remained eerily calm.
Maintaining his smile, Yue Chu gave a slight nod to Anse.
Perhaps this was a good opportunity to truly discern whether Anse was human or ghost.
Yue Chu: "Lord Anse, what a coincidence."
Anse's gaze burned with intensity as he looked at Yue Chu as his handsome face, proud as a rose, filled with undeniable affection.
He hurriedly stepped forward and was unable to resist taking Yue Chu's hand, but upon seeing the sapphire ring on Yue Chu's finger, he couldn't help but reveal a radiant smile.
Anse: "I knew you hadn't forgotten our feelings. This sapphire ring was once my personal possession, and later you insisted on taking it, always wearing it on your hand."
He lowered his head while gently caressing the ring on Yue Chu's hand, and whispered with deep emotion: "Our love is like the gem of the sea, eternal and unchanging. This is our vow."
Yue Chu raised an eyebrow slightly before slowly looking at the ring on his hand as his eyes shimmering with a hint of realization. The smile on his lips deepened, like ripples on a clear lake, spreading in gentle waves.
So that's how it was.
Meanwhile, Lafa, who had already witnessed this scene through the ever-present "eyes," felt a surge of bitterness that roared like a flood and drowned his rationality.
He suddenly recalled the moment Yue Chu had asked him for the ring, and now he realized every detail was etched in his heart, breaking it into pieces.
When Yue Chu saw the ring, a look of nostalgia had clearly flashed across his face.
He hadn't paid attention before, but now he couldn't help but admit that Yue Chu's nostalgia was for Anse.
Lafa closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were cold and resolute.
He would not allow it.
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