CHAPTER 597: CHAPTER 595: A FAVOR TO ASK

Wan Chu’er endured the pain and managed a forceful kick, causing the Crown Prince to fall to the ground.

The two people supporting her immediately switched from assisting to restraining her, pinning her down firmly as if at the Crown Prince’s command her life could be taken.

"It’s okay, it’s okay, let her go."

The Crown Prince got up from the ground, dusted off his clothes, and noted that Wan Chu’er’s kick was not very forceful. It wasn’t that she was holding back, rather she was already out of strength.

The men grasped Wan Chu’er again and lifted her up, then supported her arms carefully and took two steps back to ensure she could no longer reach the Crown Prince.

"Are you satisfied now?" asked the Crown Prince with a smile.

Wan Chu’er glared at him and asked, "Where is my Second Brother?"

Only then did the Crown Prince seem to remember another person, looked back, and said, "Bring Xiao Bai over carefully."

A person in black ran to the front of the van, and after a while, with his assistance, Xiao Bai slowly came over, appearing to have recovered a lot of his energy and not as listless as before.

Besides, he was completely unharmed, without a single injury or crease on his clothing; it seemed this fight was targeted only at her, perhaps testing her skills, thought Wan Chu’er silently.

After Xiao Bai arrived and saw Wan Chu’er in a disheveled state, with bruises and blood on her face and dirt all over her clothes, her hair a total mess, he was shocked and immediately asked, "How are you?"

Wan Chu’er weakly replied, "I’m fine."

"That’s good to hear," Xiao Bai observed her, noting that while she looked horrific, the injuries were just superficial and her spirit was still okay. With dissatisfaction, he turned to the Crown Prince and said:

"What is the meaning of this? Are you playing games with us siblings? I brought my sister out, and this is what happens. If our father sees her like this, who knows how angry he will be."

The Crown Prince, not being arrogant, sincerely said, "It’s my fault, but rest assured, I mean no harm. To make up for it, I will give you a ten percent share of that coal mine in the Northern region."

Xiao Bai knew of that mine; he had previously joined the Crown Prince in benefiting from it, generating significant profits easily described as making a fortune every day. The Crown Prince offering ten percent of the shares was extremely generous, clearly showing he intended to make amends.

Xiao Bai didn’t accept it right away, still complaining, "Is this about the coal mine rights? Look at my cousin; she is a woman. You know how temperamental our father is. If he finds out I’ve tricked Wan Chu’er into letting your people beat her up, how could he let me off?"

Finally, the Crown Prince added a few more conditions, and somewhat unwillingly, Xiao Bai accepted the Crown Prince’s apology and compensation.

If it wasn’t for the inappropriate setting, Wan Chu’er really wanted to punch Xiao Bai: I got beaten so badly, and you still use me to snatch some benefits from the Crown Prince, although it’s indeed a substantial slice.

After settling the interests, the Crown Prince instructed his men to help Xiao Bai and Wan Chu’er to a nearby high-walled building bathroom to wash up and treat their injuries.

The two were led to separate places. Under the care of several women, Wan Chu’er comfortably took a bath, was massaged, and had her injuries treated with special medicine. After the massage, her pain was halved, her muscles relaxed, and she felt much lighter.

After being comfortably attended to, Wan Chu’er changed into a brand new casual outfit and followed some people around, eventually being led to a small courtyard.

In the courtyard stood a three-story building with an ancient charm, surrounded by high walls.

"Welcome to Dingling Pavilion."

Suddenly, a voice with a hint of laughter came from upstairs; Crown Prince stood on the second floor, smiling at her.

Wan Chu’er twitched the corners of her mouth, unhappily said, "Your welcoming ceremony is really special, does everyone who enters this Dingling Pavilion have to take a beating?"

Crown Prince just smiled, said nothing.

The person who led her here bowed slightly, respectfully saying, "Please come in."

Wan Chu’er had no choice but to climb the three steps and go inside, not knowing where Xiao Bai was now?

Upon entering, there was an ancient-looking carved wooden screen. This item was evidently not simple; although Wan Chu’er was not knowledgeable in antiques, she had seen some at her grandfather’s place and intuitively believed that the screen was definitely an antique. The intricate patterns above made her think it was an important relic possibly used by some noble person.

Turning past the screen, the interior too was filled with rhythmically appealing antique furniture, big items like tables and chairs, antique racks, and four-fold floor screens, smaller items included various elegant or exquisite ornaments.

There was even a faint spicy scent lingering in the room, soothing and pleasing to the mind, significantly alleviating the earlier irritation, calming her down—truly wonderful stuff!

Could it be that the "good stuff" grandfather mentioned was these antiques? Wan Chu’er thought to herself, just this room on the first floor alone must be worth a fortune.

Gently ascending the wooden stairs to the second floor, turning past a living room into a small room, she saw the Crown Prince dressed in a loose robe, sitting at a small table with a small red clay stove beside it, a pot of tea on it emitting curls of steam, and a set of cyan tea ware laid out on the table; Crown Prince was making tea.

"Come sit; you must be thirsty, have some tea first," Crown Prince invited her with a tranquil expression.

"Dingling Pavilion is rumored to be very mysterious; to be able to sit here and drink a cup of tea is indeed a rare privilege."

Wan Chu’er complimented politely, walked over, and sat facing the Crown Prince, deciding to take things as they come and see what his actual intentions were, given such a grand arrangement.

The Crown Prince smiled as he poured her a cup of tea; Wan Chu’er tapped her fingers twice on the table.

"This place is merely a hangout for some friends of ours; it’s not as mystical as the outside rumors suggest. However, some furniture pieces are too precious, fearing damage, we generally don’t invite outsiders."

Wan Chu’er nodded slightly, lifted the cup, and gently sipped, the tea was refreshingly cool with a sweet aftertaste; meanwhile, at least ten cameras were mounted on the exterior walls.

"Let’s discuss your purpose."

The house has been shown, the tea drunk, and pleasantries exchanged, yet the real matter remained unspoken—this person is truly calm, as if everything is within his control.

The Crown Prince smiled again, "Xiao Bai mentioned you are hot-tempered; indeed, you are."

"This time I invited Miss Wan here because I need a favor concerning the reputation and safety of my dear sister, which is why I went through all this trouble."

Wan Chu’er asked, "It seems I have passed Crown Prince’s test then? That’s why I am allowed to sit here."

"Yes."

"It concerns your sister’s reputations and safety, but what does it have to do with me? Why should I follow your arrangement?" Wan Chu’er’s eyes shifted slightly as she spoke indifferently.