Chapter 473: 12.81

'Bai Yunyu, a commoner whose father is a merchant. He is such a beautiful Ger that I fancy.' 

Huang Shu held his breath the moment he heard that name. He didn't expect his First brother, the Crown Prince Huang Bei, to fancy Bai Yunyu. 

And he wasn't even scared to admit it. Maybe because he knew he could get away with it once he became the new Emperor after their Emperor Father retired or died. 

Huang Shu was silenced, especially after his First Brother continued with, 'Don't tell this to anyone. I want to make sure to properly introduce myself first and propose to him after I become the Emperor.'

…

Crown Prince smiled and then pushed Huang Shu to Xi Yue, "Seventh Brother, go and accompany Miss Xi Yue around. She went just to find you here. You should appreciate her effort."

"You two should be a good pair in the future. If you want to marry, then I will bestow marriage once I become the Emperor," Crown Prince added.

"No—"

"Thank you so much, Your Highness!" Xi Yue was excited after she heard that. She didn't expect that Crown Prince would be on her side. It was just a matter of time until Huang Shu yielded and became her husband. 

Crown Prince and Third Prince left Huang Shu and Xi Yue alone. Xi Yue was pleased with Huang Shu besides her. But Huang Shu's mood was ruined when he remembered about Bai Yunyu, who might've ended up with Huang Bei, his First Brother, or with other men. 

He really couldn't slack off, and he had no intention of backing down either. Even if he had to fight with his First Brother, he had to find a way to get Bai Yunyu first!

Huang Shu changed his robe after that sparring and then walked side by side with Xi Yue. They looked harmonious whenever a servant spotted them, but really, it was Xi due who kept talking while Huang Shu only replied with a hum most of the time. 

"Huang Shu, do you know that your mother has been talking about us to my grandfather? Who knows, we might get married anytime soon."

"I don't want it," Huang Shu said crudely and decisively. 

"Wha, why?!" Xi Yue knew that Huang Shu wasn't interested in her for now, but she thought he would pity her a bit and showed some goodwill by nodding. 

But this was a cold, harsh rejection from Huang Shu, unheard of for Xu Yue. 

"I'm not interested in you," Huang Shu said. 

Right now, he was so concerned about Bai Yunyu and all the suitors around him. He had underestimated the number of people who wanted to be Yunyu's husband. Yunyu wasn't just a regular commoner with an above-average appearance, but he was the best diamond above all kinds of precious treasure. 

'If I keep dilly-dallying, there is a chance that Yunyu will be taken by someone else,' Huang Shu thought. 

"Do you have someone in mind?" Xi Yue asked with her peering eyes, wanting to know the truth. 

Huang Shu turned his head to Xi Yue, and he shook his head, "I just don't want you to have ideas in your mind. I'm not interested in anyone right now. I just want to study and train myself."

Of course, he lied. He just didn't want Xi Yue to know about Bai Yunyu. 

"Ehh… I see…" Xi Yue knew there was something wrong with Huang Shu. Because Huang Shu was mostly nonchalant about everything, he wouldn't even be bothered rejecting Xi Yue. 

'Something is wrong with him...'

He ended his walk after it was time for lunch. Xi Yue left while Huang Shu returned to his Palace immediately after lunch and self-studied in his courtyard for a while late afternoon. Again, he dressed in his tattered clothes and smeared his face with ash and dust before leaving the Imperial Palace through the secret passage. 

He wanted to meet Yunyu again because he got restless whenever he imagined Yunyu was accompanied by someone else. He went to the bustling Main Street and wait at the same spot, thinking that Yunyu might be somewhere nearby.

He waited and waited for almost two hours, and the sun was setting without any sign of Yunyu. He could see Yunyu's old father in the store, but there was no sign of him.

Until a man with a little boy in his arm, walking towards the jewelry store. Huang Shu frowned when he saw this.

'Yuyu with a boy? Wait, I think I remember that boy. He is Duke Xu's son, right?'

'Why is Yunyu carrying that boy? He is eight years old!' 

Huang Shu directly confronted Yunyu, who was walking to his dad's jewelry store. 

He grabbed Yunyu's arm and stopped him, "Yunyu!"

Yunyu turned his head and was surprised, "Shushu, why are you here? I thought you wouldn't come after yesterday. You know, about my ideal and stuff…"

"That doesn't matter, I—"

…

'Is it the best time to confess everything? After I knew about Huang Bei's interest in Yunyu, I'm afraid my hastiness will only scare Yunyu.'

…

"Hm?" Yunyu raised his brow. "Well, if you don't have anything to say, then excuse me. I will have to help Young Master Xi."

"Young Master Xi?" Huang Shu glanced at the little boy in Yunyu's arm. He was already eight years old and should be independent enough to walk on his own, but he wrapped his arm around Yunyu's neck and glared at Huang Shu with his doe eyes. 

"Y—Yeah, this is Young Master Xi. I will accompany him to buy some jewelry for himself. His mother, Madam Xu, told me that Young Master Xu cried the whole night because he wanted to meet me again. So she gave me money to walk with Young Master and buy some jewelry that he wants."

Huang Shu was weirded out with it. How could an eight years old noble kid threw a big tantrum over a random commoner? Unless…

Xu Jiansheng seemed to have read Huang Shu's mind, and he glared at him. He tightened his hands around Yunyu's neck and said, "Yunyu Gege is mine. Don't you dare to covet him from me! You frivolous Seventh Prince."

"How could you—"

"Hmph, do you think just because you're smearing your face with dust and ash, I won't recognize you? You're very popular with young noble girls. I'm sure the girls wouldn't get tired of talking about you. You frivolous Prince, a player."

Huang Shu's jaw dropped when he heard an eighth years old kid speaking ill about him. He was so fluent in his speaking as well when slandering Huang Shu.

Then, Xu Jiansheng looked at Bai Yunyu, who was as surprised as Huang Shu.

"Don't get fooled by this man, Yunyu Gege. He is just a scoundrel Seventh Prince. My dad told me he is so handsome, so he must've broken so many women and Ger men's hearts, especially with his status. Don't go with him, okay?"

Bai Yunyu gulped when he heard that. He looked at Huang Shu with a complicated look, then he asked worriedly, "Is that true? You are His Highness Seventh Prince?"