Chapter 21.2: audacious

“Hong Li, I want to have a proper rest. I still have to wash the chamber pots tonight.” Su Xi-er pretended to be very exhausted, causing Hong Li to be worried immediately.

“You can’t collapse. We’re on the same boat now.”

“I know. Go back first.”

Hong Li nodded and turned around to leave.

Su Xi-er saw that the white ash in front of the room’s door had been stepped on. Although she didn’t have the whole room to herself, the other three palace maids mainly stayed in it at night. She, on the other hand, had to scrub the chamber pots at night, resulting in her sleeping hours being different from theirs.

There were rules in the Palace Side Quarters. During working hours, all palace maids were not to return to their rooms to rest unless there were special circumstances.

Therefore, she would always sprinkle white ash in front of the room’s door if she went out during the day. Since it was stepped on by someone, someone must have certainly gone in.

Furthermore, this footprint is very large. The one who went in is definitely a man!

All the people in the Palace Side Quarters are women. Where did the man come from?!

Su Xi-er pushed the door open cautiously. Creak. The room door was pushed open.

Immediately, she was forced to turn in order to dodge a white pearl that came flying directly towards her forehead.

The pearl landed on the floor, glittering with a dazzling lustre under the sunlight. Just by its appearance, Su Xi-er could tell that the offending projectile was worth a fortune.

“If you like it, I’ll bestow this pearl to you.” A deep and low man’s voice sounded, his overbearing voice full of oppression.

Su Xi-er’s heart shivered. The person in my room is Prince Hao!

She bent down to pick up that pearl and close the room door. “This servant can’t accept it. Many thanks for your kind intentions, Prince Hao.”

Pei Qianhao raised the corner of his lips. “You risked your life to exchange for it, so it’s yours.”

If she hadn’t been able to evade it just now, this pearl would have struck right in the middle of her forehead. With how much force he had put into the throw, it may have even cracked her skull.

“Prince Hao, has this servant done something wrong? Why did you want to kill this servant?” Su Xi-er raised her head to look at him. While her etiquette was perfect, her voice carried some apprehension and unwillingness.

“Does this prince need a reason when doing things?” Pei Qianhao glanced at her. His gaze started to wander around the interior of the room.

“This tiny, simple, and crude room is too cramped with four palace maids in it. It’s still acceptable if you’re staying in it alone,” he began to mutter to himself. His words caused Su Xi-er to be very puzzled.

How does it concern him as to where I stay? He even used a pearl to try to take my life just now.

“This pearl is taken from Xiliu Nation. Sell it and you won’t have to worry about money for the rest of your life.” After Pei Qianhao surveyed the whole room, his gaze landed on the pearl she had placed on the table.

“This servant is a palace maid scrubbing the chamber pots, and won’t have any use for such a precious pearl. Prince Hao, in your Beauty Palace, there are numerous concubines…” Pei Qianhao cut her off.

“You want this prince to bestow it to them?” Pei Qianhao smiled mockingly. “They’re all lowly women. They’re not worthy of it.”

Su Xi-er’s heart thumped faster for a moment. Those women are unworthy of it, but on what basis am I deserving of it?

“What is your relationship with the Third Imperial Prince?” Pei Qianhao walked closer to her. His hand pinched her chin and raised it.

When he looked at her at such a close distance, he had no choice but to admit that she was very beautiful. With how many peerlessly beautiful women he had seen, he had long developed a resistance to such charms. However, she still caused his eyes to shine.

He didn’t know how to describe that pair of eyes. She wasn’t old but this pair of eyes caused him to feel that she had experienced a lot. 

“This servant has always been in the Palace Side Quarters and has never left. How would I be acquainted with the Third Imperial Prince?”

“Then why did he side with you and protect you? He’s not someone who likes beauties.”

Su Xi-er really wanted to reply to him with, “Do you think everyone is like you? Taking beautiful women into the Beauty Palace whenever you see one?”

However, she wouldn’t say that out loud. Confronting Prince Hao head-on right now is simply courting death.

“This servant doesn’t dare to make conjectures about an imperial prince’s thoughts. Prince Hao, you can directly go and ask the Third Imperial Prince.”

Pei Qianhao’s eyes became serene and deep like bottomless pools, and were also brimming with danger. 

“Audacious!” He pinched her chin strongly and forced her to the tableside. Inadvertently, he placed the pearl into a small groove indented in the wall.