Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 98 She was Played by Qi Yu

Chapter 98: Chapter 98 She was Played by Qi Yu

The daylight had not yet darkened when Qi Yu returned to the Prince Residence.

Upon seeing her, Li Bo found it somewhat strange, "Princess, didn’t you go to the Prime Minister Residence today?"

Logically, she was definitely supposed to have dinner there before returning.

But then he remembered that she was not well-liked by the Qi Family, so he quickly tried to make amends, "It’s good that you are back, I will go instruct the kitchen to prepare some dishes the Princess loves."

Qi Yu smiled and shook her head, "Li Bo, there’s no need for you to worry so much, the Qi Family people don’t like me, and I don’t particularly like them either."

Love is mutual, and so is hate.

Qi Yu never hid her disdain for the Qi Family people.

Li Bo, knowing he had misspoken, could only agree with her, "The Princess is right."

Anyone who grew up being bullied would not have much fondness for so-called family members.

Thinking about it, he felt even more pity for Qi Yu and hurriedly instructed the kitchen to prepare more of her favorite dishes.

Seeing his genuine concern for her, Qi Yu did not have the heart to stop him.

After all, she was hungry at this hour.

At the Prime Minister Residence, she had not dared to drink even a sip of water, fearing that Qi Anran and Wang Shi might poison her.

It had to be said, her worries were justified.

After she left, Qi Anran and Wang Shi, whose minds were filled with the sight of the Suiyu Pavilion’s room full of gold and silver jewelry, had forgotten which dishes had been specially prepared for Qi Yu.

Without noticing, they ate those dishes and ended up vomiting and having diarrhea all night, getting slightly better only after taking some medicine.

The next day, Qi Anran, dragging her weakened body, went to the Prince An Residence again.

The Hidden Guard dispatched by Li Ming’an had just returned, still with no news of Heifeng.

These past few days, he had turned hostels upside down and searched numerous places in the capital city without any trace of Heifeng.

The more Li Ming’an thought about it, the more he felt that something was off.

Could it be that Heifeng was really killed by Princess Lingya?

The mere thought of this possibility made him shiver involuntarily.

He had seen for himself how formidable the Witchcraft Technique of Tulan was, as it was with Poisonous Insect Poison that he had almost managed to eliminate Li Mingjue in the past.

If Heifeng truly fell into Princess Lingya’s hands, his odds of survival were most likely slim.

The death of one person was not much of an issue, but what he feared was that Heifeng might have betrayed him.

If Princess Lingya found out that the one who poisoned her was him, she definitely wouldn’t let it go easily.

"Understood, you all may leave now," Li Ming’an dismissed the useless Hidden Guards with an irritated wave, just as he was about to have a moment of peace, he saw Qi Anran pushing the door and entering.

Qi Anran approached and called out softly, "Prince."

Li Ming’an pushed her away abruptly, "Who let you in!"

There were many secrets hidden in the study, and without his permission, no one was allowed to enter.

Qi Anran, being inherently frail, stumbled back several steps after his push and finally braced herself on a chair, sitting down somewhat dizzily.

She explained, "The servants told me the Prince was in the study, so I came."

Li Ming’an narrowed his eyes, scrutinized her for a moment, and assured she was not lying, his expression then eased slightly.

"What brings you to me?"

Although Qi Anran was very dissatisfied with his cold demeanor, she was, after all, requesting a favor from him, and this man was to be her future husband, so she swallowed her grievances and said, "It’s about the Suiyu Pavilion matter again, that fool Qi Yu sold the treasures my mother had collected for many years, and only for a mere thousand taels of Silver!"

Just mentioning the matter made her itch with hatred.

Li Ming’an, however, was impatient and interrupted, "Is it really worth bothering me over some gold and silver jewelry?"

He was annoyed at that moment. Compared to the millions of taels of Official Silver and Gold he’d lost, how could this jewelry, worth only ten thousand taels of Gold, count for anything?

Although he intended to foster good relations with Qi Wei and had long coveted the beauty of Qi Anran, that did not mean he would bother with their trivial matters.

Qi Anran pursed her lips and, seeing that he was in a bad mood, could only try to gently appease him first.

Only when his anger had somewhat subsided, did she speak up, "Your Highness is not aware, if it were just for that bit of jewelry, I would never trouble Your Highness."

Li Ming’an listened, and from her words, it seemed there was some hidden secret, so he patiently continued to listen.

A pale smile appeared on Qi Anran’s face, her tone also carrying a hint of ruthlessness, "I want to take possession of Suiyu Pavilion!"

Li Ming’an snorted lightly, "Is a mere Suiyu Pavilion really worth my effort?"

There were many treasures in his residence as well; he really didn’t regard Suiyu Pavilion to be of any consequence.

Qi Anran had to present other leverage to persuade him. She gave a slight smile and said, "Does Your Highness know who owns the Suiyu Pavilion?"

She had already had someone investigate the previous night, and knowing who it belonged to, she grew even more determined to take it for herself.

Li Ming’an, growing somewhat irritated by her tendency to fragment her speech, waved his hand and demanded, "Just say it!"

Qi Anran’s face stiffened slightly, but she suppressed her temper and revealed, "Suiyu Pavilion actually belongs to that fool Qi Yu!"

Although to be more accurate, it should belong to the Gu Family, but since Gu Fengmian stayed at Prince Qiu Residence for a few days recently upon Qi Yu’s invitation, their grandfather-granddaughter relationship must be decent.

In the future, this shop would certainly belong to Qi Yu.

After learning this information, she realized that Qi Yu had played her.

All that talk about selling for a thousand taels; the whole shop belonged to her maternal family, so she could decide the selling price, couldn’t she?

A playful glint flashed in Li Ming’an’s eyes, "How coincidental."

Although a Suiyu Pavilion might not be worth much, it could still serve to fill his deficit.

Only then did Li Ming’an truly look at Qi Anran and asked in a casual tone, "How do you plan to take possession of the Suiyu Pavilion?"

In the harem, Qi Yu accompanied Li Mingjue to visit the Empress Dowager.

It was bitterly cold; she truly didn’t want to go out. Thankfully, the Empress Dowager’s palace was quite warm once the doors were shut, and one wouldn’t feel cold inside.

But without modern heating, burning coal was the norm, and Qi Yu felt she was about to faint due to lack of oxygen.

The Empress Dowager, noticing her poor spirits, expressed concern, "Are you ill?"

Qi Yu shook her head and casually made up an excuse to brush it off.

She couldn’t very well say that she was being suffocated by the coal smoke.

Li Mingjue also noticed her complexion was a bit more flushed than usual and easily guessed the reason, directing a Palace Maid by the door to open it a bit.

Cold air drifted in, and Qi Yu’s head, dazed from the coal fumes, finally cleared a little.

Seeing the improvement, the Empress Dowager commented with a smile, "The Prince is indeed thoughtful."

She was accustomed to it and hadn’t noticed the excessive warmth of the room.

Qi Yu touched her nose, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and quietly pinched Li Mingjue, murmuring, "It’s just wearing too many layers."

Actually, she was quite resistant to the cold, but ever since she caught a cold the last time, Li Mingjue monitored her dressing every day, insisting she bundle up warmly before allowing her to go out.

Li Mingjue, in response, firmly caught her mischievous hand and replied with composure, "In such freezing weather, one should wear more layers."

The Empress Dowager observed their affectionate behavior, a smile gracing her face.

After a moment, gazing at Qi Yu’s abdomen, she sighed with a touch of regret, "If only you could provide a grandson."