Chapter 124: He Is Not Her Brother
“The mouth of a scumbag Guide is a lying devil!” Hong Que also scooped up a pile of snow and threw it at Xie Qiang.
However, being “unskilled” in the trade, the snow hit Xie Qiang right in the face, exploding into a thin mist of white frost across her features.
Although the snow was soft and fluffy, it was freezing cold. Xie Qiang wiped the melted snow from her face, her fists tightening.
“Hong Que! Believe it or not, I’ll beat you so hard you won’t be able to find your teeth!”
“Don’t make me laugh! You? If you can knock out even one tooth, I’ll call you ‘Dad’!”
With lightning speed, Hong Que scooped up another snowball and threw it at her.
Xie Qiang quickly ducked and was about to prepare a snowball for revenge when a large, pre-made snowball was offered to her from the side. “Here.”
Mo Yin’s hands were beet red from the cold. He held up his palms to the girl, placing the large snowball upon them.
The snowball was heavy and solid, clearly having been repeatedly packed tight with great force. Xie Qiang and Mo Yin shared a look, and a vivid, mischievous “kitty” smile instantly appeared on her face.
Hong Que couldn’t help but take a step back. “Hey, hey, hey! No two-on-one!”
“How is this two-on-one? Clearly, I’m the only one hitting you!” Xie Qiang stepped through the snow, clutching the snowball with both hands as she chased after Hong Que with all her might. “Take this!”
“Ow! Where are you aiming? You pervert, I knew you were coveting my butt cheeks!”
“Get lost! The snowball was just too heavy, the trajectory skewed!”
“I don’t care, you’re definitely coveting my butt cheeks!”
The cat and the bird chased each other back and forth across the snowy ground. Meanwhile, the little wolf diligently packed snowballs. Before long, a layer of white had accumulated on his dark gray high ponytail. He shook his head, scattering the snowflakes.
Suddenly, his gaze caught something in the distance. He couldn’t help but look over to see a silver hovering car parked at the edge of the street. Standing by the car door was a long-haired man wearing a thin white silk shirt and dark blue courtly trousers.
The thick snow on his hair and the lack of extra footprints on the ground indicated that the man had been standing there for quite some time.
Those cold, gray-blue snake-like eyes were fixed on the two people playing in front of the art exhibition. His handsome, flawless face showed no trace of emotion.
“Mo Yin, what are you looking at?” Xie Qiang ran back to pick up a snowball. Seeing Mo Yin staring in a certain direction, she instinctively turned to look as well.
But she saw nothing.
Mo Yin lightly gripped the girl’s sleeve and looked up at her. “Going back?”
Xie Qiang checked the time; it was already 9:30 PM.
Behind them, the lights of the exhibition hall suddenly went out, leaving only the street lamps to keep the snow company. Wanyan Jin likely wasn’t coming. Xie Qiang let out a soft sigh, thinking to herself that he truly must loathe the original host.
She turned and shouted to Hong Que, who was half-kneeling in the snow packing snowballs, “Hong Que, we’re going back to the palace!”
Hong Que looked up, still wanting more. “So early?”
Xie Qiang: ? Are you addicted to playing now?
Who was the one nagging me to go back earlier!
Seeing Xie Qiang glare at him, Hong Que finally dropped the snowball and ran over. “Then let’s go back!”
After the three left, the hovering car door opened again. Wanyan Jin watched the harmonious scene of the three. After a moment, his lashes lowered, and a faint “tsk” escaped his thin lips.
In his hand, he clutched an invitation letter. On one wrinkled corner, a line of text was faintly visible:
[Brother, I’ll be waiting for you.]
Brother?
He was not her brother.
After returning to the palace, Hong Que complained about being exhausted and said he and Mo Yin were going back to the Imperial Husband Tower first.
Xie Qiang saw them off to the tower and then walked toward the adjacent Princess’s Palace.
She hadn’t walked far when she heard suspicious, stealthy footsteps behind her.
“Who is it?”
She whipped her head around, looking back warily, only to see a tuft of fluffy red hair pouncing toward her. A hand covered her mouth. “Shh!”
Xie Qiang’s eyes widened. Hong Que? Didn’t he say he was tired and going back to sleep? Why is he back out?
Hong Que glanced behind him cautiously, then suddenly slung Xie Qiang over his shoulder and strode toward the Princess’s Palace like a meteor.
It wasn’t until they reached the entrance of the palace that he set her down. His tense body relaxed, and he let out a long, heavy sigh.
Phew. Mo Yin shouldn’t have noticed that he doubled back, right?
Xie Qiang rubbed her aching lower back and couldn’t help but glare at the youth. “Hong Que, what are you doing in my palace?”
“Xie Qiang, have the butler find me a suitable pair of pajamas!” Hong Que’s request was shocking, and he spoke as if it were only natural. “I’m sleeping in your room tonight!”
“What?” Xie Qiang was startled and said instinctively, “No way!”
“Why not?” Seeing Xie Qiang’s guilty expression, Hong Que narrowed his eyes and took a step toward her.
He leaned down, staring intently into Xie Qiang’s evasive eyes. “Scumbag Guide, look me in the eye. Tell me—don’t tell me you have someone else scheduled for your sleeping time, too?”
Xie Qiang rubbed her nose. “I…”
“Princess!” Just as Xie Qiang was struggling with how to answer, the butler hurried out from the hall and said to her, “The First Prince has been waiting for you in the reception hall all day.”
“Ah…” Xie Qiang finally vaguely remembered that this “Imperial Brother” had sent a message during the day saying he would wait for her.
She just hadn’t expected that he would still be in her palace this late.
“Oh, you had an appointment with the First Prince.” The suspicion and accusation on Hong Que’s face vanished instantly, and he said cheerfully, “Ha! You should have said so earlier. I thought it was Sen Ji!”
As soon as he finished, the butler added, “Commander Sen is also in the reception hall, sitting with the First Prince.”
Hong Que’s face darkened instantly. He looked at Xie Qiang with dissatisfaction and shouted, “It really is Sen Ji! You two were together for so long during the day, why do you still have to be together at night! Are you that hungry?”
Since you’re so hungry, why don’t you eat him! Is he that hard to chew?
“Keep your voice down.” Xie Qiang pushed him with her fist, then turned to ask the butler, “How long has Sen Ji been here?”
“In response to the Princess, not long—only about half an hour. And he’s spent most of that time…”
Before the butler could finish, Xie Qiang saw the center of the hall filled with familiar-looking machines and artistic paintings.
Aren’t these the ones she saw at the art exhibition?
“…organizing the gifts sent to the Princess,” the butler finished slowly.
Hong Que caught sight of the hall full of gifts and let out a “tsk.” “Did he buy out the entire art exhibition? What kind of nouveau riche behavior is this? How tacky!”
He thought the man hadn’t prepared a gift, but it turned out he had sent them directly to the Princess’s Palace.
Scheming man!
Hong Que grumbled in his heart.
“Hong Que, you go back first,” Xie Qiang said to him. “As you can see, I don’t have time to entertain you right now.”
Hong Que rolled his eyes. “Fine, you go then.”
Surprisingly, Hong Que had suddenly become so easy to talk to. Xie Qiang gave him a few more looks before heading to the reception hall, still not quite at ease.
As soon as she left, Hong Que immediately said to the butler, “Go prepare a set of fitting pajamas and send them to Xie Qiang’s room!”
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