Chapter 26

Murong Qiufeng didn’t understand why Shangguan Ye’s expression suddenly darkened, as if he were about to devour him. He furrowed his brow, worried that he might have caused trouble last night. Perhaps his verbal assurances were unconvincing, and he had truly been a nuisance. What exactly happened last night?

Despite feeling frustrated, Murong Qiufeng was also displeased with Shangguan Ye’s sudden interrogation-like attitude. His tone grew more rigid and his demeanor colder. “I apologize for any trouble I may have caused you, Your Highness. However, I did mention last night that my drinking habits are poor. If you didn’t want to deal with trouble, you shouldn’t have brought me to the Duke’s residence.”

Shangguan Ye was taken aback, his anger replaced by surprise. Since he met Murong Qiufeng, he had always found him courteous and gentle, but this was the first time he had seen him so cold and sarcastic.

Rather than feeling displeased, Shangguan Ye was more intrigued. He realized that his “prey” was not a naive little lamb but rather a somewhat inexperienced little tiger.

Yet, his change in mood did not extinguish his intense anger. He managed to suppress his rage temporarily, forcing a smile. “No, you didn’t cause any trouble last night. You simply fell asleep as soon as you hit the bed. I’m just curious why you think you’re a heavy drinker. You were very quiet when drunk. What exactly happened to make you so agitated?”

He asked with a friendly smile, trying to dig for more information.

The inexperienced little tiger was no match for the cunning leopard. Seeing Shangguan Ye’s tone soften, Murong Qiufeng felt that his earlier reaction might have been too extreme. After all, the prince was only concerned about him. Feeling slightly embarrassed and apologetic, he admitted, “I’m not sure. I used to drink with my senior brother, who said I’m quite terrifying when drunk. Actually, I don’t remember anything after getting drunk.”

Nervous and apologetic, his tone softened, and he even forgot to use his usual distant self-references.

“Oh, I see. So, you always drank with your senior brother and woke up with these allergic reactions?” Shangguan Ye’s smile widened, his eyes narrowing slightly. Though it seemed playful, he was internally brewing a storm of emotions. He even considered punishing this little guy thoroughly.

Murong Qiufeng found Shangguan Ye’s words a bit strange but nodded, as it was indeed the case.

Shangguan Ye suddenly stood up and walked briskly toward Murong Qiufeng, patting him on the shoulder with a cheerful tone. “It’s getting late. I need to go to the palace. Please enjoy your breakfast. Take good care of Murong Qiufeng.” With that, he quickly left the room.

Murong Qiufeng was left in a daze.

As soon as Shangguan Ye exited, his expression darkened, and the servants who saw him trembled and went pale.

Shangguan Ye, with a stern face, walked towards the study.

Upon entering the study, a section of the bookshelf darkened momentarily, revealing a hidden stone door. Once inside, the bookshelf moved back into place.

“Big, big, big, big…”

“Small, small, small, small…”

“Ah!”

“Alright, darling, the historic moment has arrived. Let’s open it!”

“Ah… thirty-six points. Big, I won! Pay up!”

“Damn, this is too bizarre. You’re a demon. Did you cheat?”

“Mmm, dear little Yang Yang, if I cheated, I’d certainly help you.”

Such words, if spoken by a woman, even if unattractive, wouldn’t be too shocking. However, they were said by a man with distinct features, not a trace of femininity except for a somewhat delicate face. Despite this, everyone seemed used to it.

The woman who won looked disdainfully at the man causing trouble, snorting, “If you can’t handle losing, don’t gamble.”

“You… tomboy, I’m telling you, I’m going all in today. Don’t run away. I don’t believe in this evil. Hey, Old Ice, lend me another thousand taels. I’ll double it and return it to you when I win,” said the man, turning to look at the icy-faced “Old Ice.” Despite his cute doll-like face, his tone was as sleazy as a lecher, creating a jarring contrast.

“Old Ice” was handsome, easily standing out in a crowd. He was slender and elegant, and if he were a bit shorter, he could be mistaken for a woman. However, his aura of coldness made people instinctively avoid him, except for these few who were immune.

Seeing Old Ice not respond, the man was about to continue when Old Ice suddenly opened his eyes, revealing a chilling glare that made everyone in the room shiver.

“What’s wrong?” The man, startled, took a step back, while the other two, who had been joking, also turned their heads in unison.

A gust of wind swept through, and a black-clad figure appeared on the high seat. The black mask gleamed coldly, and sharp eyes locked onto the remaining few in the hall, surveying the gambling table in the center.

As the figure’s gaze swept over, the four felt as though they couldn’t breathe.

Shangguan Ye descended the stairs slowly, heading towards the gambling table. Each step seemed to tread on their hearts, and the pressure from his presence made them break out in cold sweat.

He picked up a dice from the table with his long, strong fingers, and his deep, emotionless voice echoed, “Gambling?”

“Uh… we greet the Lord,” the four, waking from their daze, knelt down in unison.

“You have too much free time?” Shangguan Ye asked as he played with the dice, his tone flat.

The indifferent and angry tone made the four anxious. They could sense the Lord’s displeasure and knew he rarely cared about their gambling activities. His unusual behavior made them feel their end was near.

Shangguan Ye snorted coldly and sat down, crushing the dice in his hand with a snap.

 

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