Chapter 47: All That Comforting Was for Nothing

Chapter 47: All That Coaxing for Nothing

Xiao Yan knew without even thinking what the system meant by "satisfied"... in what sense.

The words were intended to humiliate Liu Qingci.

Unfortunately, it didn't quite match the facts, and he had no idea what effect it would have.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he couldn't help but raised his teacup to hide his embarrassment.

But Liu Qingci put down the small white jade bowl in his hand, looking somewhat surprised.

Satisfied?

The question seemed strange; he was momentarily puzzled.

What could Xiao Yan satisfy him with...

Liu Qingci looked at the breakfast on the table, which was perfectly suited to his taste, and at the thick, warm cloak on his body.

Understanding dawned on him.

In these respects, Prince Yu certainly met all his needs.

Liu Qingci was quick to read the situation.

He knew that Prince Yu's words were clearly meant to hear some nice words.

And he was willing to indulge him.

So he said, "In Qingci's heart... Your Highness is a hundred times better than His Highness Prince Rui. I am certainly very satisfied with Your Highness's kindness. I won't go to him anymore. Please forgive me, Your Highness, okay?"

Liu Qingci's voice was soft and warm, like a spring stream, unhurried and naturally clear, yet deliberately softened to make it especially gentle.

As he spoke, a faint curve even appeared at the corner of his lips—a fleeting, barely perceptible smile.

For a moment, Xiao Yan forgot to respond, briefly dazed.

It wasn't until Liu Qingci's clear eyes met his that Xiao Yan jolted back to reality, his heart suddenly skipping a beat.

He averted his gaze rather awkwardly, the warmth that had just faded from his ears threatening to return, feeling a tenderness in his chest as if something had gently gripped it.

Liu Qingci's reply was unexpected not only to Xiao Yan but also outside the system's predictions.

The system felt as if it had crashed; the direction of the plot seemed completely out of control.

"Host, just improvise. The final result is that Liu Qingci gets grounded," Little K drifted away, leaving with a final remark, "I give up."

Xiao Yan was in no mood to deal with the system.

He cast a casual glance at Liu Qingci, coughed lightly to hide his embarrassment, and mumbled vaguely, "Mm... alright."

His voice was a bit huskier than before, and much softer, entirely devoid of the initial stiffness.

Why did everything Liu Qingci say sound so wonderful?

Even his voice was lovely.

As soon as he opened his mouth, it made you want to agree to anything.

Xiao Yan felt a bit lightheaded and urgently needed to calm down.

He barely kept up his dignified air and said, "After you finish your meal, go back to the Listening Bamboo Courtyard. You are grounded."

He didn't even notice how contradictory his words were, because he immediately hurried away, leaving Liu Qingci alone.

Liu Qingci was completely baffled.

He lowered his head again, taking small bites of his meal. As he ate, he suddenly wrinkled his nose, looking a bit miffed.

He clearly promised to forgive him, but still told him he was grounded...

How could Xiao Yan go back on his word!

All that coaxing wasted.

—

At the Listening Bamboo Courtyard, Yun Feng was on pins and needles all morning.

When he saw Liu Qingci returning safe and sound, he immediately burst into tears of joy.

"Master, where did you go? Early this morning, before dawn even broke, His Highness Prince Yu burst in with a large group of people, saying he wanted to see you. But when he entered the room, you weren't there! Then he stormed off angrily. I thought... I thought I would never see you again!"

Yun Feng wiped his tears, rambling incoherently.

"Don't worry," Liu Qingci patted his shoulder, comforting him. "Prince Yu's mansion was too confining, so I went out for a walk."

Yun Feng: "Huh?"

If you could casually leave the Prince Yu mansion, would they have been trapped here all these days?

Yun Feng had no idea what exactly happened. He only knew that from that day on, they were expressly grounded.

The food, clothing, and daily supplies at the Listening Bamboo Courtyard stayed the same as always, and in fact, various rare herbs, tonics, and fine trinkets and books were continuously delivered there.

Even the servants, including Yun Feng, couldn't figure out the situation. Only Liu Qingci stayed unruffled every day, either reading and practicing calligraphy or staring blankly at the withered bamboos shivering in the cold wind in the courtyard.

One day, Liu Qingci sat in the courtyard, taking out his mother's letter for the umpteenth time from inside his robe.

The edges of the letter were soft from being handled so many times, and the creases were clear, evidence of having been unfolded and folded many times.

"My son Qingci, reading this is like seeing my face. The capital is bitterly cold; make sure to dress warmly and eat well, take good care of yourself..."

"Your sister Qinghe has made some progress in calligraphy recently, and often misses you, her brother..."

The letter was short, mostly containing words of reassurance and ordinary reminders, without even mentioning Xiao Jing's name or any sensitive topics.

From this, it seemed that his mother didn't even know who had arranged for them.

Liu Qingci's gaze darkened.

Xiao Jing really was... careful in how he did things.

His thoughts about the letter were suddenly broken by a jarring sound of footsteps.

The courtyard gate that had been shut for days was pushed open, and two young men walked in with their servants, as if no one else was there.

Liu Qingci’s handsome brows furrowed in confusion as he looked over.

The first man, clad in a crimson cloud-patterned brocade robe, had a face powdered white, lips painted red, and slightly upturned peach blossom eyes that carried a seductive charm with every glance.

A half-step behind was a man in a water-blue gold-threaded long robe, his features also delicate, with fair skin and a demeanor even softer and more delicate than the first.

Spotting Liu Qingci, they lifted their chins and strode straight toward him.

Liu Qingci tucked the envelope away, racking his brain—he had no memory of such people.

Yun Feng, seeing this, quickly shuffled behind Liu Qingci and, while handing him tea, whispered rapidly in an extremely low voice: “Young Master, the one in crimson is Young Master Lin, and the one in blue is Young Master Zhao. They’re both people from His Highness Prince Yu’s household. In the past… they were quite favored.”

Liu Qingci’s eyes dimmed as understanding dawned.

So that was it.

Young Master Lin had already sauntered over, catching Yun Feng’s last remark. The corner of his mouth curled into a smug, sardonic arc.

“Somewhat? This young master was personally brought back by His Highness from Jiangnan. His Highness dotes on me—who in this household can compare?”

As he spoke, he deliberately drawled his words, his gaze casually brushing over Liu Qingci’s serene face, the provocation unmistakable.

Back then, this Liu Qingci had His Highness all to himself, and they really thought His Highness had been bewitched by him. But look—how long had it been? Already so quickly cast aside?

Young Master Lin felt a surge of triumph. He had been by His Highness’s side for over a year, longer than anyone else here.

Thinking about the recent neglect, he now only wanted to let off steam.

Young Master Lin pressed a hand to his waist and rubbed it, and said insinuatingly:

“Ah, His Highness is really too rough in bed. Some time ago, he hurt me, and out of pity, he ordered me to rest well. You’ve been covering for me, Young Master Liu, but now I’ve fully recovered—you can step aside.”

Liu Qingci remained completely unfazed.

But Yun Feng was so frantic he wished he could cover his master’s ears. He shouted at Young Master Lin in exasperation:

“How dare you say such filthy things in front of my master! Have you no shame!”

Young Master Zhao then stepped forward gracefully, his voice soft but laced with hidden barbs:

“Oh, we almost forgot—Young Master Liu’s former high station! How could we, of such lowly birth, compare to his nobility? Are we too dirty for him?”

This was a blatant jab. They couldn’t stand Liu Qingci’s superior attitude and added:

“But we do offer you good advice: since you’re living under someone else’s roof, it’s better not to be so haughty.”