Chapter 1552: Warning

Zu An didn’t know what danger was approaching, but he still sensed a mysterious threat. Just as he entered the inner hall, he had been about to praise Bi Linglong inwardly for always being so beautiful and elegant when he suddenly received a string of Rage points.

You have successfully trolled Bi Linglong for +33 +33 +33…

Even though it wasn’t a large amount, it never seemed to end.

Zu An really wanted to ask Bi Linglong why she was so angry, but there were still maids and servants present, so he couldn't really say anything. Instead, he said with a bow, “I greet the Crown Princess!”

“Sir Zu may be at ease,” Bi Linglong said, waving her hand. Whether it was her expression or her body language, there was nothing different from the usual.

You have successfully trolled Bi Linglong for +33 +33 +33…

Except this!

Zu An even began to think, Could it be that she found out about what happened in the Sang manor last night?

Subsequently, the two interacted in a very formal manner. Bi Linglong praised Zu An for his contributions from Cloudcenter Commandery, while also expressing sympathy and concern for the trouble encountered by his fleet in Silkworm City. In return, Zu An expressed his gratitude. The entire process seemed to be orderly and routine. They both knew the conversation was pointless, but they had to do it in front of everyone else.

After some time, Bi Linglong asked Zu An about the Fiend races’ situation. Zu An was just about to reply when she suddenly stopped and had her personal maid Rong Mo watch the surroundings.

Rong Mo pouted so deeply that one could hang a teapot from her mouth. She clearly knew that the Crown Princess had something secret to talk to Zu An about that others couldn't hear. However, while normal maids were one thing, why did she have to move out of the way too? She was the one the Crown Princess had trusted the most before Zu An arrived; practically nothing had been hidden from her. Now, Bi Linglong hid many things from her!

Is this Zu An guy just here to fight against me for her majesty’s favor?

Even though she didn’t feel particularly happy, she didn’t dare to go against the Crown Princess’ intentions. She took the maids outside and guarded the area from behind the curtain. The palace had its rules; she didn’t dare let the Crown Princess interact with a man in a room alone.

However, that amount of distance was already enough for the two inside. Zu An kept his back toward the outside while asking Bi Linglong with a smile, “And what are you so upset about?”

“I’m not. Which eye of yours saw that I was upset?” Bi Linglong retorted coldly.

You have successfully trolled Bi Linglong for +51 +51 +51…

Zu An chuckled and said, “Every eye I have.”

Bi Linglong’s expression stiffened. After a while, she asked, “Why didn’t you send me any letters at all while you were in the Imperial Envoy fleet?”

Zu An suddenly realized what was going on. So that was the reason! He replied, “You are the Crown Princess, after all. Wouldn’t I have harmed you if I sent you letters?”

Bi Linglong frowned and said, “I didn’t tell you to write me any private letters. Even if it was just an exchange of official business explaining a bit about what you saw and heard, I would have been able to sense your sincerity. But apart from the first one you sent in the beginning, you didn’t send anything else to the Eastern Palace.”

“That’s because too many things happened along the way, so I didn’t have the time to write anything…” Zu An replied with a grimace. To be honest, he really had forgotten about that.

“Oh? Then, Sir Zu, please tell me what kind of huge event you encountered along the way that you didn’t write any letters after traveling for tens of thousands of miles,” Bi Linglong said with a sneer.

“I don’t know about tens of thousands of miles, but…” Zu An replied. He thought that Bi Linglong getting angry was quite adorable, so he didn’t mind. He began to tell her about all the things that had happened along the way.

Even though Bi Linglong had already learned about most of the events from her intelligence sources and public documents, she still couldn't help but become drawn in when she heard him talk about many details she hadn’t heard yet. Whenever Zu An explained the more dangerous situations, she nervously cried out in alarm too. How could she still be bothered to be upset?

“Right, I came here to bring you some souvenirs,” Zu An said, taking out some small gifts from the Brilliant Glass Bead. They weren’t all that precious, especially for a Crown Princess who had seen all kinds of expensive treasures. However, they were quite special and carried a hint of another world’s style.

Sure enough, Bi Linglong’s gloomy face lit up. She sifted through the small items, asking where they came from and what kinds of stories they had. Zu An replied to each question one by one. He was glad that he had already prepared himself beforehand, or else he might not have been able to pass this trial.

Eventually, Bi Linglong picked up a pretty decorated case and asked, “Hm? Is this makeup?”

“It is. This is a product from Cloudcenter Commandery’s most famous makeup store, which is extremely popular. The style is a bit different from the capital’s,” Zu An replied. He had bought ten sets of them before, but he hadn’t been able to give them out even after several tries. Currently, he had only been able to give out a single set to the Hub of Freedom’s Tang Tian’er.

“Why would a man like you know so much about makeup? Did one of your girlfriends help you pick it out?” Bi Linglong asked, looking at him with suspicion.

Zu An thought, This Rouge Spice store really has something wrong with it. He was always in a tough spot whenever he tried to give their products out. However, he reacted quickly and said, “Of course I didn’t know anything, so I just told the store owner to give me an entire set.”

Bi Linglong felt more relieved then. She opened them up bottle by bottle and said, “It is indeed totally different from the capital’s style. Every single kind carries the style of a different place. Unfortunately, I can’t use them.”

“Why is that?” Zu An asked, stunned. Should I just toss all of these out? Why can’t I give any of them away?

“As the Crown Princess, everything I use has to undergo strict scrutiny in the palace. If I suddenly use a product I’ve never used before, it won’t escape the notice of my servants. At that time, I can’t just say you gave them to me from Cloudcenter Commandery, can I?” Bi Linglong replied with a sigh.

Zu An figured that made sense. It would be reasonable for her to be given some other kinds of gifts, but makeup was a bit too intimate.

“I didn’t think it through carefully enough. I’ll take these with me,” Zu An said, thinking to himself that he would throw them away as soon as he left. These things were complete poison! He could never give any of them out.

However, Bi Linglong grabbed his hands and replied, “Who said I didn’t want them? Even if I can’t use them in public, I can still keep them as a memento, right?”

Zu An was quite surprised. Bi Linglong was scared that he would be disappointed and was actually so considerate!

“Right, what exactly happened in the Unknown Region?” Bi Linglong pretended to ask nonchalantly, but she was really nervous deep down. After all, the Unknown Regions were just too incredible. To a certain degree, they were top-secret information that only the emperor had the right to know about at present.

Zu An didn’t hesitate and began to share what had happened with her. Of course, he took out the details about his female friends. Seeing as Zu An didn’t disappoint her, a big smile quickly appeared on Bi Linglong’s face.

…

Two hours passed just like that. Even though Bi Linglong felt a bit reluctant, she could only let Zu An go. After all, there was always a limit to how much time she could spend with another man.

Soon after Zu An left the Eastern Palace, he suddenly stopped and called out, “What brings Concubine Bai here? Why are you hiding and not coming out to meet me?”

A delicate figure walked out from behind a rock in a garden. Her long and slender brows were elegant, and her nose was small and exquisite. Between that and her cherry lips, she looked like a small white flower amid cold winds. She gave off a lovable and dainty air.

“Just how did you know it was me?” Concubine Bai asked, her voice sounding incredibly delicate and her expression full of surprise. After all, she had a special concealment skill. Even though she hadn’t been hiding deliberately, she still shouldn’t have been immediately exposed.

Zu An said with a smile, “Your highness has a special, fairy-like fragrance of a hundred flowers around you. It would be quite difficult to ignore it even if I wanted to.”

“Sir Zu really is brazen,” Concubine Bai said, blushing slightly. Of course she didn’t believe him when he said he had noticed her through her smell. He had only said that to tease her.

“I’m being wronged here! The spice bag that your highness gave me last time was really helpful. I was really moved, so how could I dare to treat you disrespectfully?” Zu An replied. Her spice bag was really useful for hiding one’s cultivation realm and it had helped him a lot before. Of course, he didn’t need it anymore, but he still had to show his gratitude. He even wondered whether to give her a set of Rouge Spice’s makeup products.

Concubine Bai smiled, clearly already used to his way of speaking. She said, “Let's talk about other things later. I came today because of an important matter. Have you offended Eunuch Wen somehow?”

“Eunuch Wen?” Zu An asked, stunned. “I haven’t. Why do you say that?”

“I inadvertently noticed that he seems to be investigating you. He was monitoring you from nearby not too long ago too. At that time, I deliberately sought him out to stall for time and don’t know if that helped you at all,” Concubine Bai said, looking at him with a pensive expression; she appeared worried, but also inexplicably amused.

Zu An shivered inwardly. Even though Concubine Bai sounded nonchalant, she was talking about tracking Eunuch Wen’s movements! This woman didn’t seem to be as weak and helpless as she looked on the outside. But more importantly, why was Eunuch Wen monitoring him?

He still wasn’t all that familiar with the Imperial Palace and hadn’t been able to memorize the appearances of some lesser eunuchs. Even if he noticed that they were nearby, he wouldn’t think too much about it.

Meanwhile, however, Eunuch Wen was someone he frequently ran into. As such, even though he had sensed the eunuch nearby, Zu An hadn’t thought there was anything strange about it. Only now that Concubine Bai reminded him did he realize that something was off.