Your Highness, Please Love Me Tender

82. The Fight between Prince Rui and Prince Qin (1)

Translator: Flying Lines

Su Jie’s eyebrow raised. There was a cold glint that flashed in his eyes yet, his smile only became wider.

This was Su Jie’s second time seeing Xiao ShengXian. This ninth prince was as radiant as ever.

“Why did brother bring him along too?” When Xiao ShengXian reached them, his first reaction was to purse his lips and glance at Su Jie.

The expression on Su Jie’s face didn’t change, and the faint smile was still on his lips. Su Jie had stronger determination than Xiao ShengXian. The ninth prince had grown up with the Emperor’s love. Even if he got into trouble, he still had his seventh brother to cover for him. Thus, this meant that Xiao ShengXian grew up without facing any troubles. Because of his distinguished status, there was little need for him to compromise or force a smile to win other people’s favors. Xiao ShengXian, who had grown up in this kind of environment, didn’t know how to school his face when he felt joy or anger. If he was happy, he was happy. If he wasn’t, he wasn’t. He never masked his emotions.

On the other hand, Su Jie became a man of sacrifice after surviving a life and death situation when he was young. He stood upon mountains of corpses and seas of blood. He breathed the scent of fresh blood and had completed various missions. So naturally, he had to be used to pretending. He could be giving you a beaming smile in one second and murder you in the next. The phrase ‘hiding a blade behind a smile’ was probably meant for people like Su Jie.

Therefore, when they met on the outer edges of the hunting grounds, Xiao ShengXian was full of displeasure whilst Su Jie was smiling.

Xiao Shengnian’s forehead wrinkled slightly as he worried a little.

Originally, he had thought that Su Jie was willing to put the past behind him. But after discovering that Su Jie was a man of sacrifice, Xiao Shengnian understood that whilst there was a friendly smile on Su Jie’s lips, he couldn’t be sure about what the youth was actually thinking about.

If someone asked Xiao Shengnian who he favored better, he wouldn’t know the answer.

After some thinking, Xiao Shengnian decided to, at last, defend Su Jie. After all, it was his brother who crossed the line last time. He had gone to the dungeons to release Su Jie, but Xiao ShengXian added poison to his food.

“ShengXian, you might have to call him your brother-in-law in the future,” Xiao Shengnian pointed out. He believed that, by his ninth brother’s intelligence, he would understand what he meant. Even if his brother was somewhat naughty, he was very clever.

Sure enough, Xiao ShengXian understood what his brother had said. Only, his eyes were wide open, and his lips trembled as if he was angry beyond measure. There was a look in his eyes that said he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It seemed like he couldn’t understand why his brother’s heart was captured by this handsome youth.

Xiao ShengXian watched Su Jie and stopped talking for a while. Finally, he gave a cold ‘hmph!’, turned away, and walked off.

Xiao Shengnian watched his brother’s behavior and immediately understood what he meant by it. He turned his head and said to Su Jie, “Little slave… ShengXain probably won’t harm you again. But it’s still a little difficult for him to accept you.”

Su Jie smiled as he nodded. He didn’t say anything.

At this moment, most of the princes and the marquises had gathered at the outer edges of the hunting grounds. They grouped together in their twos and threes, and others stood alone to warm up their bodies. Naturally, Prince Qin, Xiao Luoxuan was also here.

It was easy for Xiao Luoxuan to spot Su Jie standing beside Xiao Shengnian. The youth’s red robe was full of dazzling luster, and his expression seemed to be as bright as the sun. His smile so bright that it stung Xiao Luoxuan’s eyes.

“Sharp Sword…” Xiao Luoxuan gritted out lowly. His mood changed, and he stared beadily at Su Jie.

Su Jie’s perception wasn’t weak. In the face of such a fiery gaze, of course, he would be able to sense it. He turned his head by a fraction and saw Prince Qin, Xiao Luoxuan, watching him from afar.

Xiao Luoxuan’s eyes carried a small and obscure glint. He stared at Su Jie. His sharp features showed a trace of softness at this moment.

When he saw that Su Jie turned his head towards him, Xiao Luoxuan’s lips trembled delicately, as if there was something he wanted to say. He felt an urge to express his feelings.

But Su Jie’s gaze did not linger, and his expression didn’t change at all. He took a glance at Xiao Luoxuan and looked away.

At this point, Xiao Luoxuan’s mood was extremely unstable. By what logic should his own man of sacrifice stand next to someone else, talking and smiling pleasantly, whilst he treated him with an attitude as cold as frost?

Why on earth was the Sharp Sword not standing next to him, but beside someone else?

Because of this resentment, Xiao Luoxuan’s breathing became short and harsh. He was no longer able to control his own impulsiveness and took vigorous strides towards Su Jie.

At that time, the second prince was also there. He joked, “Seventh brother came to hunt and also brought a beautiful man with him. Looks like today is going to be fun.”

Xiao Shengnian was the seventh son. His words were gentle and easy-going, “I heard that second brother’s wife is pregnant. Second brother is very lucky.”

The second prince laughed heartily. After all, he was about to become a father. His whole person seemed to be invigorated as he thought of his wife and the unborn child. It was at this moment that the second prince saw Xiao Luoxuan approaching, and his smile dropped.

Xiao Luoxuan was the fourth son, yet he was the lowliest prince. His mother was a low-ranked palace servant and was only given the rank of a Bazi because she was pregnant with him. However, she was later banished to the cold palace. Because of this, Xiao Luoxuan was also not very well-liked.

From the start, Su Jie had a neutral expression on his face. His lips tugged upwards faintly into a bright smile.

Even if Xiao Luoxuan came over, Su Jie simply watched on unflustered.

There was a dangerous glint in Xiao Shengnian’s gaze. As a very possessive prince, Xiao Shengnian naturally felt hostility towards Xiao Luoxuan when he saw Su Jie’s previous ‘master’ approach.