Chapter 11 [TCFCPC 11]

Since he was young, Nangong Ye had known that his elder brother had a domineering personality; no one could, and no one would dare to snatch food from his mouth or go against his wishes.

But it was different this time around.

“Ah Ming and Jian Yu’er don’t come from simple backgrounds that would allow you to casually do as you wish with them. Even if you’re the crown prince, you cannot have both of them.” This was a fact that even the crown prince could not refute.

Nangong Xuan scrutinized his younger brother. Nangong Ye’s expression was very grave, and yet it could not conceal the underlying nervousness. Nangong Xuan chuckled, “Did you know that she once said that as long as she could marry me, even if she’s not my official wife, it doesn’t matter?”

Nangong Ye felt like the rug was pulled from underneath his feet. No matter how astounded or infuriated he was feeling inside, he tried to maintain his calm and released a chilling laugh, “Even if Ah Ming said it before, Duke Ding manor would never allow their daughters of di descendent to become a concubine. Moreover, those were words that Ah Ming uttered in the past. Now, she had already accepted my bracelet. I’m sure Royal Brother understands what this means.” 

How could Nangong Xuan not understand this point? It was just that he did not put much consideration into Yan Yi Ming’s words back then. Now that Nangong Ye had ruthlessly exposed it, Nangong Xuan’s hardly suppressed anger was ignited once more. He approached Nangong Ye with menacing steps and interrogated him in a low voice, “Mother Empress said that you tried all means to take the bracelets from her. She had wondered which family’s young lady you’ve set your sights on. Gu was also thinking that Gu’s dear brother had finally grown up, but Gu never expected that you would have the audacity to have designs on what’s mine. Who gave you such courage? Gu almost forgot to ask you. When have you started developing such improper affection towards her? And how did you know of Jian Yu’er? Did she tell you?”

Little Apple, who had been secretly peeking from above, felt that every hair on its body was standing. Nangong Xuan was a crown prince and he possessed an extremely imposing presence. Nangong Ye, who was taking the brunt of his anger, remained calm and gave a light laugh even though his expression was somewhat unnatural.

“Of course, Ah Ming would never tell me about this. If I hadn’t chanced and overheard the conversation between Ah Ming and Young Lady Jian, I wouldn’t have known that Royal Brother had feelings for Young Lady Jian. Nor would I have known that Ah Ming had been bullied by you to such an extent. When did I start having such feelings for her? Even I can’t remember exactly when it happened. It was probably before Ah Ming even expressed any interest in Royal Brother. So if we’re being precise, I’ve known her before Royal Brother did.”

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“Fnswdealz! Tso eyal usw!?”

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Tl bye ynvwyzzu clld elzwele cu vbkp oalvnble vbkdt qsa ps xydu ulyap!

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Ohlausdl ralpldv pwnjle kd y calyvb sq nsze yka.&dcpr;

“Ebld Gb Ykdt bye clld vbsaswtbzu kdqyvwyvle okvb Ssuyz Jasvbla yde valyvle usw lyadlpvzu, usw’hl valyvle bla zkjl yka. Lso vbyv pbl byp elnkele vs tkhl wr sd usw, usw’zz ds zsdtla byhl ydu poyu shla bla.”&dcpr;

Lydtsdt Dwyd pvyale kd cyqqzlxldv yv bkp uswdtla casvbla. Wsa vbl qkapv vkxl pkdnl kv snnwaale, Lydtsdt Dwyd oyp ds zsdtla nlavykd kq bl pvkzz bye nsdvasz shla Zyd Zk Ykdt.

Little Apple watched with vivid excitement. After receiving first-hand information, it quickly returned to Yan Yi Ming’s side. It was about to speak when it spotted Yan Yi Ming lazily lying in the bathtub. Her body was fully submerged in water and all that was visible were her slender neck and beautiful collarbone. Her tousled hair floated in the water. 

Little Apple squeaked in surprise and immediately covered its eyes.

Yan Yi Ming’s eyes remained closed. No one knew what was going through her mind currently. After a while, she heard some racket. She looked over and chuckled lightly, “What’s there to be shy about? Do systems have any gender differentiations?”

“We don’t.” Although Little Apple denied it immediately, the words it spoke were so soft that it was almost inaudible. Little Apple turned away from Yan Yi Ming before asking, “Host, what were you thinking about just now?”

“Oh, me?” Perhaps because Yan Yi Ming was too comfortable and had soaked in the bathtub for too long, her voice was slightly hoarse and her lazy tone sounded like she was seducing someone, “I was thinking about what my little general looks like.”

Reality and game were always vastly different. Out of the four male protagonists, Yan Yi Ming had already met two of them; Nangong Xuan and Jian Yu Yan. Nangong Xuan was stately and elegant, while Jian Yu Yan’s appearance was exquisite and delicate, making him look like he was carved from jade. They both had top-notch appearances, so it was inevitable that Yan Yi Ming would be curious about the appearance of her favorite male protagonist, Shao Jing Yu.

Seeing how its Host was thinking about Shao Jing Yu while soaking in a bath, Little Apple found its cheeks heating up in embarrassment, “He… he’s naturally very good-looking. You’ll see when it’s time to capture him. But now our main capture target is Nangong Xuan!”

“It was just a casual rhetorical thought,” Yan Yi Ming sighed. “You’ve been out there watching for quite a while. So, did you see anything interesting?”

Little Apple quickly regained its composure and started to vividly described everything it had just seen and heard. At the end, it added its own two cents, “Host has successfully transformed an overbearing and infatuated Crown Prince into a scumbag.”

“Well… in order for one to become a scumbag, one first needs to have the potential of becoming one. Since I easily came between their love, it seems that Nangong Xuan’s feeling towards Jina Yu’er isn’t as… Wait a minute, that’s not right. According to logical sequencing, isn’t Jian Yu’er the one that came between our relationship?” 

Little Apple was confused by Yan Yi Ming’s words, “Is that so?”

“Yes,” Yan Yi Ming nodded in affirmation. “I’ll stop interrupting, please continue.”

Little Apple did not quite understand, but it continued with its narration. Although it was a bit hilarious to hear Little Apple’s slightly robotic voice imitating Nangong Xuan’s ‘scoundrel’ remark, Yan Yi Ming coughed twice to hold back her laughter in order not to hurt her little system’s feelings. When she finally heard Nangong Ye’s final words, Yan Yi Ming clicked her tongue and laughed aloud. 

“He looks calm on the surface, but he’s actually panicking on the inside. He sure is adept at pretending. Such an adorable child, I nearly don’t have the heart to deceive him further.” Yan Yi Ming sighed and unconsciously wrote on the edge of the bathtub – ‘I’m a good person. I’m a good person.’

Little Apple ignored Yan Yi Ming’s last sentence. It recalled Nangong Ye’s countenance just now, his momentum was not weak and in the end, he even managed to render the crown prince speechless. How was that panicking? 

“Panicking? He definitely was and it wasn’t out of fear of what Nangong Xuan might do to retaliate. After all, Nangong Xuan is his biological brother.” Yan Yi Ming continued, “He’s panicking because previously Young Lady Yan had stubbornly set her heart on Nangong Xuan. Although Nangong Ye had uttered those words with resolution, he was still afraid that I would soften because of the crown prince’s recently changed attitude. Women are emotional creatures, and Young Lady Yan loved Nangong Xuan deeply. Don’t believe me? Tomorrow morning, Lil’ Five will definitely come to Yan’s residence. Shall we bet on this?”

“What are the stakes?” Little Apple asked eagerly.

Yan Yi Ming raised her bruised wrist caused by Nangong Xuan. The exquisite jadeite bracelet had yet to be taken off, “If Nangong Ye comes tomorrow morning, I want to bring this bracelet back with me.”

“That’s not possible!”

“Stingy…” 

This was law.

Little Apple had no choice but to change the terms of the bet, “If Nangong Ye comes tomorrow, I’ll give you a probability UP advantage in your next card draw!” 

This was good, very suitable for an African like herself. Satisfied with their betting terms, Yan Yi Ming raised from the bathtub and put on her clothes. After the maidservants dried her hair, she went to bed. Little Apple suddenly remembered the bruising on Yan Yi Ming’s wrist and asked if she wanted it to get rid of the bruise caused by Nangong Xuan just now. 

“No need,” Yan Yi Ming groggily replied. “Leave it be. It might come in handy tomorrow.” 

Little Apple could not understand how a small injury could be of any use. It also did not have time to spare another thought about it again. That was because not long after Yan Yi Ming woke up and got dressed for the day, Old Madame Yan sent someone over to inform her that the Fifth Prince had come to Yan’s residence.

Nangong Ye probably did not sleep well last night. Thankfully, he was young and could withstand such exertion on his body. Early the next morning, he went to Yan’s residence, and who knew what he talked about with Old Mandame Yan and Madame Yan. When Yan Yi Ming saw him, although there were signs of fatigue, he still looked pretty energetic.

“It’s nice to be young,” Little Apple sighed. 

Yan Yi Ming glanced at the air and reminded, “Don’t forget my probability UP advantage.”

“… I know.”

At this moment, Yan Yi Ming pretended to look completely unaware of what had transpired yesterday. She did not know that Nangong Ye had rushed over last night and had a dispute with Nangong Xuan in front of her manor gate. 

Yan Yi Ming personally brewed some tea in a graceful manner with her wide sleeves fluttering in the wind.

After pouring the tea, she handed a cup to Nangong Ye and said, “This is Lushan Yunwu tea that was just delivered to our residence a few days ago… What’s wrong? Your complexion doesn’t look too good. Did you not sleep well last night?”

Why was she not bringing up the fact that Crown Prince visited yesterday? What did they talk about? Nangong Ye’s heart was a mess. He looked up and his eyes met Yan Yi Ming’s concerned gaze. Nangong Ye was slightly stunned and it caused him to blurted out, “Ah Ming, I heard that Royal Brother came to Yan’s residence to visit you yesterday.”

Yan Yi Ming’s hands that were holding the teacup slightly trembled, causing the tea to spill onto her fingers. She gave a soft smile and nonchalantly wiped her hands with a handkerchief as she quickly regained her composure. “He did. Was Qi’er the one who told you?”

Nangong Ye watched her blatant attempt to dodge the topic and it felt like there were numerous ants clawing at his chest, causing him to feel unbearably painful.

Indeed she still cared about Royal Brother. 

Just one sentence was enough to make her lose her composure like this.

He unconsciously tightened his grip on the teacup. Nangong Ye suppressed the discomfort in his heart and squeezed out a smile, “No. I just remembered that I forgot to tell you something yesterday so I turned back. Unexpectedly, I met Royal Brother in front of your manor.”

Nangong Ye was testing Yan Yi Ming’s stance. He wanted to see if she still cared about the Crown Prince and what he said to her. He waited for a while only to hear Yan Yi Ming ask him, “What was it that you wanted to tell me?” 

Nangong Ye was taken aback.

Yan Yi Ming looked up at him, her beautiful eyes gazing at him with a smile that resembled a blooming flower, “You said you had something to tell me yesterday, and you especially turned back. So, what was it about?”

Nangong Ye suddenly felt that all the heaviness that had been pressing on his heart just disappeared because of this sentence and this smile.

“Look at you, you’re clearly one year younger than Qi’er but you’re so much more somber.” Yan Yi Ming reached out and gently smoothed out Nangong Ye’s slightly furrowed brows, “I know what you wanted to ask, but it doesn’t matter anymore to me. I’ve already decided to give up on him. It’s been so many years, I also want to treat myself better.”

Nangong Ye’s lips lifted and he murmured softly, “That should’ve been the case long ago.”

The feeling of her fingers brushing his forehead was very faint. Yet, it felt like they were caressing his heart, making Nangong Ye reluctant to pull away. He allowed Yan Yi Ming’s fingers to fall on his cheek as well, and his lips unconsciously lifted upwards. That was until footsteps sounded behind her, and he put away his relaxed demeanor.

Turning her head, she spotted the approaching person and deduced that he was the steward from the Eastern Palace. Her brows slightly furrowed. 

“Young Lady Yan, this is the hemostatic ointment that His Royal Highness had specially instructed me to deliver over. He said that Young Lady Yan was injured yesterday…”

Yan Yi Ming glanced at Nangong Ye out of the corner of her eye. She pretended not to see how his smile receded as she replied, “On my behalf, please thank His Royal Highness for his kind intentions. As for the ointment… I’ll have to trouble Steward to take it back. It’s just a small injury and there’s no need to trouble His Royal Highness.”

This…

The steward could not believe his ears. He lifted his head and saw the Fifth Prince’s expressionless face before he hurriedly nodded and retreated.

After the steward left, Yan Yi Ming giggled as she looked at Nangong Ye, “Happy?” 

Nangong Ye did not answer, but his eyes shone brightly. In an instant, he drew closer to Yan Yi Ming and asked, “Where’s your injury?”

Yan Yi Ming lifted her sleeve, revealing a fair wrist that was still bruised and it looked as green as the jadeite bracelet on her wrist. “It just looks ghastly, but it doesn’t hurt.”

Nangong Ye felt distressed as he studied her fair wrist. From his sleeves, he took out a small bottle. When it was uncorked, a faint and fresh fragrance filled the air.

Yan Yi Ming asked curiously, “What is this?”

“Mother Empress had me carry it with me in case I got injured.” Nangong Ye pulled Yan Yi Ming’s hand over to himself and gently applied the ointment. The youth had his head lowered, and Yan Yi Ming could see his long and thick eyelashes. The fan-like lashes did not even tremble, showing how focused he was, as though he was doing something incredibly important.

Yan Yi Ming propped her chin on her other hand. She looked at him with a tilted in her head and mirth in her eyes.

An approaching Young Master Yan, who came to seek his sister and best friend to play, saw the two harmonious figures from a distance and immediately stopped in his tracks. After some contemplation, he decided to go to the lake to feed the fishes by himself.

Meanwhile, Nangong Xuan listened as his steward reported how Yan Yi Ming had returned his things, causing his handsome face to turn cold. The steward then hesitantly continued to reveal that Nangong Ye was also at Duke Ding’s manor when he went and the two were seen behaving intimately with each other.

The teacup in his hand overturned. As the celadon fell to the ground and broke into two, it created a suffocating atmosphere.

Little Apple celebrated happily, “Nangong Xuan’s favorability has reached 70%! Oh yeah!”

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Hahaha… I find Little Apple to be so cute and innocent. When I read the novel, I portrayed Little Apple’s voice to be very childlike.