Chapter 163 - 164: Prince, Save Me
To eliminate the hidden threat of Sang Zhong as quickly as possible, Li Cheng once again orchestrated a "chance encounter" with Hua Manman.
Hua Manman was quite surprised to see the Crown Prince blocking her path.
’I can’t believe the Crown Prince hasn’t given up on me yet!’
Hua Manman curtsied to him, then turned and started walking in another direction.
Li Cheng hurried after her. "Lady Hua, wait a moment."
Hua Manman stopped but refused to look at him, speaking sullenly.
"If the Crown Prince has an order, please state it quickly. I don’t wish to be accused of improper conduct again."
Li Cheng smiled helplessly.
"Are you still angry with me? Last time, in front of Prince Zhao, I only spoke without thinking because I was furious.
I’m apologizing to you. Isn’t that enough?"
Hua Manman huffed. "I am unworthy of the Crown Prince’s apology."
Li Cheng moved to stand in front of her. Gazing at her delicate and beautiful face, he asked with deep affection.
"What must I do for you to forgive me?"
Hua Manman’s lovely eyes darted to the side. She deliberately pretended to think for a moment before speaking.
"I want you to cast Lin Liangyuan aside. As long as you do that, I can act as if none of this ever happened."
Li Cheng’s brow furrowed.
He hadn’t grown tired of Lin Qingzhi yet.
More importantly, Lin Qingzhi knew many of his secrets.
He could never let her leave his side.
Even if he no longer favored her in the future, she could only remain in the rear courtyard of the Crown Prince Mansion and die alone.
Li Cheng said, "Lin Liangyuan has committed no offense, so I can’t just cast her aside. Besides, aren’t you two good friends? Surely you wouldn’t want to see her abandoned, would you?"
Hua Manman huffed and said with a pout.
"I was so good to her, but she spat in my breakfast.
How could I possibly stay on good terms with someone like that?
I get annoyed just looking at her now.
If the Crown Prince insists on staying with her, then you must forgive me, for I can no longer see you. Farewell."
With that, she turned to leave.
Li Cheng stopped her again. "Don’t go. I can agree to anything but that."
But Hua Manman replied,
"This is my only request. If the Crown Prince truly cares for me, you should grant my wish."
When Li Cheng saw this, he assumed she was just jealous, which only piqued his interest.
’It’s good that she’s jealous.’
’Jealousy means she cares about me.’
Li Cheng took a step closer to her and coaxed in a low voice,
"It’s normal for a man to have multiple wives and concubines. What’s more, I am the Crown Prince. It’s impossible for me to have only one woman by my side."
Hua Manman bit her lower lip and said softly,
"But I don’t like men who have too many women."
Li Cheng quickly retorted, "Prince Zhao has many women by his side, too."
Hua Manman said, "Sooner or later, I will drive away all those women by his side."
She said it with such confidence, as if she really meant it.
Li Cheng began to wonder if there was something wrong with this woman’s head.
’She actually fantasizes about having Prince Zhao all to herself.’
’No, wait. She’s interested in me now, too. That means she doesn’t just want Prince Zhao—she wants me, the Crown Prince, all to herself as well!’
Li Cheng found it incredible. He couldn’t help but ask,
"Between me and Prince Zhao, who do you like more?"
Hua Manman asked in return, "Can’t I like both?"
Li Cheng: "..."
’How can she ask that with such self-righteous confidence?’
’Where does she get this audacity?’
Li Cheng said, exasperated, "Of course not! You can only choose between me and Prince Zhao."
Hua Manman looked at him with a reproachful gaze.
"Why are you so narrow-minded? Why must you force me to choose?
Doesn’t it break your heart to see me in such agony over this choice?"
Li Cheng laughed, infuriated.
"You’re two-timing and you have the gall to act so righteous?"
Hua Manman retorted self-righteously,
"I am not two-timing.
I am simply giving both of you a chance to have me.
This way, neither of you has to endure the pain of a broken heart.
I am doing this for your own good. You should be more considerate of me."
Li Cheng: "..."
’I never knew such a brazenly shameless person could exist in this world!’
When he’d heard Lin Qingzhi complain about how shameless Hua Manman was, he thought she was exaggerating.
’But now I see it wasn’t an exaggeration at all.’
’It was a perfect description!’
Not wanting to waste any more time on this crazy woman, Li Cheng sneered and cursed,
"Who do you think you are? Daring to shamelessly want to monopolize two men at once? You’ve got some nerve!"
Hua Manman looked at him in disbelief. "You... you actually cursed at me?"
Li Cheng said, "I’ll do more than curse you. I’m going to hit you, too."
As soon as he finished speaking, he lunged forward and gave Hua Manman a hard shove.
Hua Manman was pushed back two steps, her back hitting the wall.
The next moment, Li Cheng pressed his body close, reaching out to tear at her clothes while spouting filthy words.
’I had originally planned to take things slow, to make this woman submit at my feet step by step.’
’But now it seems there’s no need for that.’
’For a loose, unprincipled woman like this, the only way is to take her by force!’
’Only then will she learn how naive her ideas truly are.’
Before he could even rip off Hua Manman’s sash, he felt a vicious kick to his groin.
The intense pain shot straight to the crown of his head, almost piercing his very soul.
He abruptly let go of Hua Manman and staggered back, clutching his crotch with both hands as he doubled over in pain.
Hua Manman straightened her robes and asked with a smile,
"Crown Prince, what do you think of my Descendant-Ending, Generation-Severing Kick?"
At this moment, not a trace of her earlier coyness remained. She was terrifyingly calm.
Li Cheng looked up, his face twisted with rage and excruciating pain.
Seeing her like this, how could he not realize she had been acting the whole time? She had been playing him for a fool all along!
Li Cheng cursed through gritted teeth,
"Bitch! I’ll kill you!"
Hua Manman asked in return, "Who is this ’bitch’ scolding?"
Li Cheng blurted out, "Scolding you, of course!"
Only after he’d said it did he realize he had fallen into her trap.
He grew even more resentful, his gaze toward Hua Manman filled with venomous hatred.
Hua Manman was certain her kick had been powerful enough to ensure the Crown Prince would never get an erection again for the rest of his life.
She had actually wanted to land that kick for a long time, but out of consideration for his status as the Crown Prince, she had held back and not dared to act recklessly.
’To think the Crown Prince would actually dare try to force himself on me!’
’In that case, he couldn’t blame her for her merciless heart and vicious foot.’
Hua Manman didn’t look at the Crown Prince again and simply sauntered away.
When she was almost at the temporary tent where Prince Zhao was staying, Hua Manman stopped.
She took out the Wind Oil Essence she carried with her, used it to make her eyes red and teary, and then messed up the collar of her robes.
She staggered into the temporary tent, threw herself into Prince Zhao’s arms, and wailed pitifully.
"SOB, SOB, SOB, Prince, save me!"