WASS – Chapter 35

What a nice surprise for the last day of the blind date……

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Chapter 35 – Blind Date (Second Half)

Translated by HaruOngy at Geniusly Plain (If you can see this line, you must have read this in the aggregator site which illegally steal various works. Be shameful of yourself for not appreciating the translator’s hard work. Don’t think only you want to have it the easy way. Support the fanbase and translator!)

The weather around the mountain area changed easily. The sky was covered with black clouds and in a flash a torrential rain came.

There was a man in rags, he ran braving the rain, travelling back and forth the dense forest. He was very desperate, once in a while he would turn his head around to look around. Not far away, there was a group of well-built men holding swords. They were chasing to kill this man. The heavy panting sound, the wind sound, the rain sound, the crushing of treaded wizened twigs sound and the sun hidden by the layer of clouds, the gloominess was at the peak. Everything seemed harsh and frenetic.

That man staggered as he went down the mountain. He tripped over a root and rolled down the mountain slope. He gritted his teeth as he stood up and staggered another few steps. In the end, he couldn’t hold himself any longer and knelt at the muddy mountain slope. He hung down his head, it was a very despair look.

The mountain area suddenly turned still. The well-built men who were chasing to kill him didn’t come here.

Not long, a pair of snow white shoes appeared before that man. The mud as if aware of its own lowliness, as if aware the reverence of the person wearing those shoes didn’t dare to stick on them at all. A spotless reverent master with silver hair falling down to the ground. It was as clear as the silver river in the sky, covered with stars. He ought to be part of the dark night, his whole body emitting a resplendent light but it had no temperature.

“The building had been destroyed and my reputation had been swept away and got chased around by people to kill. Are you here to kill me too?” The man who was kneeling on the mud dispiritedly said with a strenuous smile, raised up his head and glanced that man.

“Kill you?” He had never need to personally kill someone, what more this sort of lowly life. He bent his waist and lifted up the man who was kneeling on the ground, revealing a peerless look under the umbrella. “Since you have become this Prince’s dog, this Prince naturally will not forsake you.”

“……”

At the same time, His Highness Crown Prince’s blind date for this whole afternoon came to nothing. For the sake of avoiding being criticised by Imperial Father for returning early to the palace, he decided to stroll around the streets alone. Mei Qian Deng saw the Crown Prince wanted to go out without bringing any servants so in an instant she revealed herself and surprised Chu Xun greatly.

“Boor, why are you here?!”

Mei Qian Deng turned her head around, exposing Senior Official Song and Di Mu Yang.

Chu Xun instantly understood. He had a red face as he roared, “You all bunch of audacious, sly servants! To actually peek this Crown Prince’s blind date! Scoundrels!” He always said he was a proper man yet he actually still had moments when he felt embarrassing. Particularly when he remembered previously he secretly used Mei Qian Deng’s moves against Fourth Sister Di and actually got seen by this boor. He felt he was just like a child secretly ate a snack and got found out by his parents.

Mei Qian Deng actually wasn’t bothered by it at all.

She calmly said, “We’re helping you to check them at the same time.”

“Who need your help?!” Chu Xun bristled. In his heart, he added, there’s no need to check at all, all these secular, common girls completely don’t match up to this Crown Prince. He stomped his feet as he walked towards outside.

“Crown Prince, at the streets in the capital, there are many people with mixed mind. Please be careful of everything.” Mei Qian Deng was not afraid of Chu Xun at all as she tightly and dedicatedly followed behind him. Towards Chu Xun’s bad temper she was completely immune of it.

“Who said this Crown Prince wants to go the streets?!” Chu Xun sulked at her, straightened his neck and raised his face.

Mei Qian Deng blinked her eyes. Oh, so he’s not going to the streets. She immediately waved her hands and called, “Someone come, Crown Prince is departing back to the palace.”

When Chu Xun faced Mei Qian Deng, every time he would get angry until his lungs almost explode. Chu Xun turned gloomy. What does this boor actually want before willing to yield to me!

On the third day, Chu Xun and the Third Young Miss of the Minister of Rite sat in the capital city’s best teahouse as they listened to the capital’s best theatrical troupe sang in an opera. They were playing a romance story in which a girl disguised as a man as she studied abroad. Then she met an endearingly silly schoolmate and after that various silly situations happened.

The Third Young Miss of Minister of Rites was completely engrossed watching it. In the end, that girl was forced by her family to marry to someone she didn’t like. Finally, she committed suicide. The scholar too died together in the name of love. The two of them turned into butterflies. Third Young Miss wiped her tears while lamenting, “Since ancient times, there are many marriages predestined by fate but in the end they will be a parting love.”

Chu Xun looked at that young miss. He whimsically asked, “You’re a close friend of the Grand Chancellor’s daughter?”

Third Young Miss was surprised. “How does Your Highness Crown Prince know?” Then, she blushed. She heard two days ago His Highness Crown Prince met once with the Grand Chancellor’s daughter at the imperial garden…… It can’t be…… I was mentioned? The young miss looked at the Crown Prince again. There was an extra few shyness in her eyes. Her person too turned quite unnaturally.

This Third Young Miss couldn’t be blame for thinking too much because she indeed had a beautiful look, had a great reputation outside and got praised as the number one beauty in the capital city.

Senior Official Song brought the two Crown Prince’s study partners and sat at the other side of the teahouse. The scene opposite them could be seen clearly. The old man asked Mei Qian Deng again, “Little Deng, what do you think of this one?” She was neither noble, virtuous nor valiant, had an exquisite face and could even shed tears when watching opera. She was someone honest with her feelings!

Mei Qian Deng originally was focussed in staring at a certain direction, it was not known what she was looking at. When she heard Senior Official Song’s question, she observed again the Crown Prince and that young miss.

“She has a similar temperament with Crown Prince but doesn’t have skills as well as Crown Prince. She probably will lose the better.”

Senior Official Song’s eyebrows twitched slightly. “Little Deng, be more gentle a little, don’t always think of violence.”

At that time Chu Xun felt for these two young misses to already grief over the passing of spring, they were two of a kind. He nosily asked a question but didn’t expect Third Young Miss to suddenly change into another look. Say, what is she being shy about?! Chu Xun was quite baffled in his heart. He curled his lips and changed the topic, “This scholar is really very foolish and blind for him to unable to differentiate the person beside him is a man or woman.”

“……”

After Chu Xun said so, his own heart suddenly and violently pulsated twice. Thump thump! He seemed to have been hindered by a demon. Chu Xun’s eyebrows deeply frowned. His palm held his chest and slightly leaned his upper body. He felt a little uncomfortable.

“Your Highness, what’s wrong?”

Chu Xun waved his hand. Earlier he felt his heart skipped a beat but now there was nothing unwell. It was very weird. He stood up. Straightening the wrinkles on his clothes, he exhaled and spoke, “It’s just because I sat too long. Let’s go, I will send you back to the mansion.”

On the fourth day, the Crown Prince went to the Xiang Guo Temple.

He heard rumours that this Seventh Young Miss of the Grand Secretariat was obsessed of Buddha’s teachings and loved to discuss Buddhism with others the most.

Chu Xun was afraid of beaten by this Young Miss and hence ordered Mei Qian Deng before leaving, “You’re not allowed to follow.”

Hence, Mei Qian Deng went out of the palace to find and chat with her Eldest Brother and Sister-in-Law.

That Young Miss wore fully in white. Her eyes were slightly similar to Mei Qian Deng’s. Her temperament was refined. However, if one looked at her for a long time, one would notice her mental state was in a certain semi-dissociate condition. She was not considered as a lunatic but as someone who was over absorbed in philosophy in her mind until couldn’t free herself.

Chu Xun glanced a few more times at her eyes.

“Greetings to Your Highness Crown Prince.”

“You may forego the formalities.”

“The one I greet is the hall steps[1] under Your Highness, not Your Highness. Your Highness doesn’t need to let me forego the formalities.”

“……”

“Your Highness sees me today but if we meet again tomorrow, it will not be the today’s me. Why is it no longer the today’s version? Actually, we say ten thousand years to the Emperor and say thousand years to Your Highness Crown Prince but people can be compared to mayflies. The yesterday’s you had died, the next day there will be another new you.”

“……” Chu Xun took a step backward, he was briefly terrified.

“Forgive me, Your Highness. I’m a little unable to restrain myself.”

Chu Xun pretended to be calm, he sat down and wanted to drink tea. Seventh Young Miss on her own initiative poured the tea for Crown Prince. However, she had split the tea yet she had no intention of stopping. Chu Xun thought her mind wandered and thus kindly reminded her, “The tea is full already.”

Who knew Seventh Young Miss’s eyes would shine? Obviously it was the stupid Crown Prince had hit the right what her heart wanted as she immediately said, “Your Highness right now is like this cup of tea, the inside is brimming with your own opinions and ideas. If you don’t empty your own cup first, how are Your Highness expecting me to discuss Buddhism with you?”

Chu Xun: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Despite the Crown Prince’s crumbled inner heart, he didn’t fling his sleeves and leave. Instead, he was extremely patient as he sat with that Young Miss. He spilt that cup of tea onto the ground and lightly smiled as he said, “And so, please continue, Young Miss.”

“In Your Highness’ opinion, what is romantic love?”

“Generally speaking, it will be spring comes when flowers bloom from the green, autumn arrives when leaves whirl and scatter. To love one person for a lifetime with only death will extinguish the love.”

“Then does Your Highness think the two of us likely have it?”

“Can’t be say, it will be wrong after saying it.”

Seventh Young Miss’s eyes shone brightly. She could feel it. She never thought His Highness Crown Prince was a Buddhist doctrine person too!

She crept nearer but the Crown Prince made a move and blocked her. Instead, he asked, “Young Miss, in your opinion, this Crown Prince has someone who I hated completely at the moment. He always humiliate me. So, how should I respond to him?”

“Isn’t it easy? It’s just like I gift you something you don’t like, will Your Highness receive it?”

“Will not receive it.”

“Then this gift is still belongs to the original owner. Same concept, if that person who humiliated you doesn’t accept it, then that equals to him humiliating himself.”

The Crown Prince laughed. This Seventh Young Miss really could say human words!

Today when the Crown Prince returned to Ming Jue Palace, the first thing he said was to look for Mei Qian Deng.

Xiao Jing Zi was surprised. His Highness had always loathe meeting Little Young Master Mei, why is he so different today?

“Young Master Mei……” Xiao Jing Zi initially wanted to say Mei Qian Deng had yet to return when Mei Qian Deng entered from outside the palace.

Chu Xun immediately left Xiao Jing Zi. He continuously ran and walked to Mei Qian Deng. Mei Qian Deng frowned. “Crown Prince, did you get bullied by Seventh Young Miss?”

Fuck you!

“This Crown Prince ask you, if the person you hate the most send you a gift, what will you do?”

Mei Qian Deng answered without hesitation, “Courtesy demands reciprocity. Return him a gift to be even.”

“……”

This was different from the original script.

Chu Xun was very furious. “Mei Qian Deng, how can you accept this type of gift?!”

Mei Qian Deng blinked her eyes, she was completely innocent.

On the fifth day, when Chu Xun woke up from the bed, he deeply sighed.

The journey of these few hell-alike days was finally going to end. After blind date with the last girl, he must think of a plan to stop Imperial Father from continuing this crazy plan.

Under the vast clear sky, the gentle breeze brought ripples on the river surface. The summer air had gotten stronger. Chu Xun wore silk clothes and yet could feel the stifling heat like in a steamer. Little Princess of the Third Rank was an obstinate person. Her blood tie to Chu Xun was quite distant yet she insisted in calling Chu Xun as Cousin Brother.

“Cousin Brother! Where are you going?!”

He massaged his forehead and walked to the deck to get some fresh air. However the sun was too strong, the maidservants at the side helped him carried the paper umbrella yet the sunlight passed through the paper umbrella. This sort of annoying river tour, faster end it.

Qian Qiu River[2] was vast. Probably because the news of the Crown Prince touring the river got leaked, currently there were ships of various sizes on the river and numerous people peeked and glanced at the ship Chu Xun was on. Most people in the capital city were nosy and well-informed so Chu Xun felt this was normal.

So hot, it’s better to return and drink up a chilly hawthorn juice.

When Chu Xun thought of it, he was going to turn his body when the ship suddenly swayed violently like it had hit a rock. But this river was very deep, there had never been a case of a ship hitting a rock. Chu Xun frowned. He had a bad feeling in his heart. He immediately turned around to look for a person’s figure.

“Mei Qian Deng, this Crown Prince had warned you not to follow me!”

Mei Qian Deng didn’t come here, recently she was busy accompanying Xie Yun to work on the Grand Princess and Nan Bai Cheng’s matter.

A pair of hands appeared out of nowhere, the strength was as strong as a bull. Chu Xun had yet to reveal his surprise when his whole body had been dragged into the Qian Qiu River.

The people in other boats in succession cried out, “Not good——Crown Prince had fell into the river——!”

Maybe the masses thought the Crown Prince accidentally fell into the water or maybe they eagerly jumped into the water too to save the Crown Prince in exchange for position and wealth. It might also because there were people trying to take advantage of the chaos as they harboured bad intention to harm and eliminate the nation’s crown prince.

Chu Xun was not very good in swimming.

For him, Qian Qiu River was as if a bottomless river. He desperately kick the water. But the water gushed at him from all directions. His brain was painful, his mouth and nose were choking. Even if he sometimes put his head out of the water he couldn’t breathe at all.

All these came too abruptly.

“Save……me……” Chu Xun’s voice was swallowed up by the foams and water splashes.

There was a pair of devil hands coiled around his calves and pulled him further into the water.

Chu Xun didn’t believe in superstitious. These hands right now naturally wouldn’t belong to a water demon or a water ghost. He forced himself to open his eyes only to see a masked man in black clothes in the water with his eyes revealing ominous glint.

It was obvious that someone had planned this assassination.

That man in black clothes was a diving expert. He dragged Chu Xun’s legs, no matter how Chu Xun resisted, he swam quickly as usual. Chu Xun’s fierce struggle had caused his lungs running out of air faster. His vision gradually dissipate. Slowly he closed his eyes, his whole body didn’t have any more strength. It was at that instant, he felt he really would die in this stupid, grown fully of water plants and stinking chaos.

The stinky smell used the water as the medium to enter Chu Xun’s nose.

It was the smell of blood.

Chu Xun instantly opened both his eyes. At the same time, a slightly cold hand pulled his hand, bringing him to swim upward.

You could see above the head the undulating ripples and there was a sun’s outline. That was light, it was a hope.

There was a person, like a beautiful mermaid bringing you to escape from deep in the river, bringing you to come closer to that rays of sun. Because of the water, all the sound have disappear. In that tranquil situation, a ‘this is quite good’ feeling spurted in Chu Xun’s heart.

What good?

He almost asphyxiated!

“Thump, thump, thump……” Chu Xun started to struggle again. Even if someone did come to rescue, he felt he couldn’t hold himself until they get out of the water.

The person who saved him turned around and levelled herself with his shoulders.

Chu Xun saw Mei Qian Deng’s face. Even in such a tense moment, she was calm as usual.

Chu Xun grabbed his neck with both his hands while both his legs peddling around. Boor, I’m dying! I’m dying! I’m dying!

Mei Qian Deng calmly glanced at him for a moment as if saying an instant was perpetual. That instant was perpetually long. Then, she came closer and naturally gave the Crown Prince some air orally. Because Chu Xun moved about, she even forcefully used both her hands to hold still Chu Xun’s head.

From a certain point of view, this could be considered as forced kissing.

Under the effect from buoyancy and external strength at the same time, Chu Xun’s soul floated outside.

Mother! I’m better off dying instead! I want to die! I want to die!

By the time the Crown Prince returned to his sense, he was already out of the water. He foolishly looked around. Their current location had no sign of human habitation. They had already left the centre of the river far away. This should be the foot of a yet-to-develop wild mountain somewhere around the Qian Qiu River.

When they crawled out of the river and stood at the middle of the mountain slope, they could still see far away the group of people flurried around the river.

“Mei Qian Deng.”

“Chen is here.”

“The matter in the water today, if you dare to spread it out, wait and see how this Crown Prince deal with you!”

Mei Qian Deng asked instead, “Crown Prince means to say don’t tell anyone that someone try to assassinate you underwater?”

“It’s not that matter!!!!”

Eh? Is there any other matter?

 

[1] Same words with Your Highness

[2] I don’t think I have mention it before but the literal name of the river is Thousand Autumns River.

This is what I imagined (nearly) what Chu Xun saw when he got saved

Translated by HaruOngy at Geniusly Plain (If you can see this line, you must have read this in the aggregator site which illegally steal various works. Be shameful of yourself for not appreciating the translator’s hard work. Don’t think only you want to have it the easy way. Support the fanbase and translator!)

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