Asking About Love Songs

Chapter 6

"Third Prince," a light voice emanated from his slightly pursed lips before he even opened his eyes, "Could you please refrain from standing beside me in such a condescending manner?"

"What? Does your younger brother, Shao Chu, feel aversion to being looked down upon?"

Knowing full well the gender of the person before him, he still liked to call her "Young Chu'ai Di" with a joking tone.

"There's no way around it. Ever since I was a child, I've hated people having that kind of attitude around me."

The slowly opening eyes met the gaze of the person looking down beside them.

"Are you saying you're afraid of me, the prince?" Zhu Yu curled his lips. "Even my usually nonchalant younger brother, Shao Chu'ai, has things he's afraid of."

"Ghosts and monsters that aren't human are indeed frightening," she shrugged.

"My dear brother, are you implying that I, the prince, am not human!" Zhu Yu sat down on the edge of the bed, propped one arm on the side of her face, and stared intently at her elegant and handsome face.

"Whether human or not, since I haven't studied metaphysics, I can't see through demons disguised as humans. Can I be considered human? I only know that it's best to keep your distance from these things." Meeting his sharp gaze as he leaned down, Su Shaochu replied with a sarcastic tone.

"Young man, your quick wit and sharp tongue will only cause you more suffering," Zhu Yu said meaningfully, stroking her cheek. "It's rare to see you looking so well lately, my dear brother."

"That's true. These past few days, without your 'continuous' care, Third Prince, my complexion has indeed deteriorated." Spitting out less blood definitely makes a difference.

How much better or how much better her poison and injuries were depended entirely on the prince's whims. If she recovered too quickly, it would offend the prince and cause her to vomit blood for several days in a row, which wouldn't be surprising.

Zhu Yu slowly curled the corners of his lips into a smile. "My dear brother, what I desire most right now is to admire your body beneath these clothes."

As his hand moved down to her face, then to her neck, and began to caress the slender skin of her neck that was slightly exposed beneath her clothes, Su Shaochu pushed his hand away, only slightly curving her lips.

"I remember the Third Prince once said that you... know Shao Chu's body perfectly well when he was seriously injured and unconscious." Given this man's arrogant and despicable nature, it should be so.

"An unconscious body provides the pleasure of doing whatever one pleases, but I, the prince, would rather do whatever I please to you when you are awake."

His other hand suddenly grabbed her chin, forcing her to tilt her head back to face his nose and eyes, looking straight into the gleaming pupils. Su Shaochu always had that faint smile with raised eyebrows.

"Third Prince, you have explored the bodies of men and women; Shao Chu's body is nothing special."

"As long as you, Su Shaochu, are extraordinary, even the most ordinary things are extraordinary."

He stroked her neck again, but slowly moved his fingers down to inside her clothes, touching her breast pocket, and began to caress her with his fingers and palms, a smile on his face... his lust was aroused.

"I want to see what you, my beloved brother, will look like when you're overcome with lust, with your usually calm and composed expression."

Did this person act like a gentleman for a while, but finally couldn't resist his true nature?

"Third Prince, I hope you won't forget the bet between you and Shao Chu." Su Shao Chu neither pushed him away nor showed any emotional fluctuation, but simply reminded him.

"If I force you before you nod, I will have lost and will owe you, Su Shaochu, a debt."

"If the Third Prince is already prepared to admit defeat, then please release Shao Chu after satisfying Yingwei's demands. Also, don't forget that if you lose to Shao Chu, you will owe him a debt."

In the beginning, they took advantage of this extremely arrogant prince of the imperial family, filled with a mentality of possession and conquest, using the stakes of winning or losing to set a new line of control for themselves.

"For you, even sacrificing your body is less important than me losing to you?"

"Since we can't escape unscathed, we have to make a choice, or..." Su Shaochu, thinking that it was not bad to dream, inquired: "If Your Highness, with your great kindness, were to unconditionally let me go, I would be eternally grateful. I could never repay such kindness in this life. In the next life, we can discuss it again."

After escaping, she was almost certain that she didn't want to have any further entanglement with this person, and it would be best to avoid even seeing him. Indeed, she knew she would never be able to repay this debt in this lifetime.

"If it weren't for me today, but someone else, would my beloved younger brother Shao Chu have made the same choice, risking his body?" For some reason, a sense of displeasure rose in Zhu Yu's heart.

"This question truly leaves Shao Chu at a loss for words, after all, it was none other than Your Highness, the Third Prince, who forced Shao Chu to this point!"

"How could I, the prince, bear to do anything to coerce my beloved younger brother, Shaochu, who loves me so dearly?" His hand slipped beneath her robes, pushing aside her outer garments to reveal a glimpse of her delicate shoulder, the smooth skin highlighting the refined beauty of a woman. "To let you feel my tender care, from today onward, I will personally accompany you to bathe and heal your poison, and take good care of your injuries."

To get rid of the Yinliang Palm poison from the Demon Sect, Su Shaochu had to soak in the hot spring stream of "Tianquan Diru" in "Ziyu Tower" for an hour every day.

"It really is a sentiment that makes me want to cry. This is the first time Shao Chu has felt overwhelmed by such kindness." It was also the first time that Su Shao Chu could manage a bitter smile.

"I'm truly curious, if I were to completely possess you, Su Shaochu, and then disregard this bet, I wonder what my beloved brother would do to me then?"

Zhu Yu lowered his head and pressed his lips to her rounded shoulder. Although she didn't have the usual fragrance that women like to wear, he could smell her unique, faint body scent, which was more alluring than any seductive perfume. Just as he was about to kiss the skin below her neck again, a drop of bright red blood trickled down, and he was startled.

"Third Prince, if you want a corpse to amuse you, you can give it a try."

Su Shaochu maintained her smile, but a trickle of red blood flowed from the corner of her lips!

"Shao Chu was merely poisoned, which does not mean he lost his martial arts skills. He should still have the ability."

Zhu Yu narrowed his sharp eyes.

"My dear brother's response makes me wonder if you would really stick to this bet if I truly conceded defeat." He sneered, already knowing this bet was just a delaying tactic. Having already captured her prey, what harm was there in playing a game? "To say you can't escape unscathed is just empty talk from you, my dear brother!"

"What's the use of empty words to the Third Prince? Shao Chu only hates those who break their promises and those who are heartless. Unfortunately, you, Third Prince, have the very traits that Shao Chu despises most. Falling into your hands means I'm destined to face a helpless situation. I also hate pointless sacrifices. What's wrong with a deal that comes at a price?"

She sat up from the bed, unconcerned about the robes that had slipped halfway off her shoulders, and looked at Zhu Yu with determined eyes.

"Third Prince, please remember, Shao Chu only allows those he has chosen to touch me. If anyone who doesn't belong to Shao Chu's chosen group touches me, don't blame him for the consequences!"

The imposing manner in that brow made Zhu Yu pause for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Sometimes I really wonder if my younger brother Shao Chu is exceptionally bold, or if he simply doesn't understand the situation. Where does he get the audacity to issue such a warning to me?"

Zhu Yu found her words laughable and grabbed her chin.

"I must remind you that overestimating yourself is not always useful. Suicide is the act of the ignorant. I never expected my beloved brother to make such a choice. It's just a pity that I will not stop someone from dying. It would be quite a pleasure to take your corpse for amusement."

From the time he hunted his targets until now, there have been far too many who have threatened to die for their chastity. He takes a bit of amusement in moderate resistance, but if they go too far, he might end their lives after he's had his fun. In any case, if they want to seek their own death, he'll grant their wish!

"My dear brother, decide to play around once or twice and then stop. Don't provoke this prince's impatience and drive yourself to your doom!" Sigh! I haven't had enough fun with my beloved brother's personality and body yet. Let's enjoy it a little longer!

"Facing the Third Prince, Shao Chu would never allow herself to meet a dead end." She raised an eyebrow in response. "It's merely a well-intentioned reminder in return for your 'kind care' these past few days, Third Prince."

"I really want to know what my beloved brother is up to?" He suddenly stroked her slightly furrowed brows and sighed with feeling. "Whenever you look at me, even when you smile, there's always a hint of coldness in your eyes, as if you don't like me at all..."

He could see the look in those eyes; besides disgust, there seemed to be other emotions at play!

"Given the countless things you've done, Third Prince, it seems that loathing you is the only option."

"Can't anything change your feelings for me, the prince?" Since when did Zhu Yu gradually stop liking the way she looked at him?

"Why would the Third Prince care about such things?" This prince of the imperial family has always been autocratic and willful in his dealings with anyone, seeking only to satisfy his desires.

Zhu Yu just sneered and stroked those thin, soft lips. The words that came out of those lips always had the power to make his teeth itch. While he was grinding his teeth, an even stronger thought rose in his mind: to kiss those two red lips hard and bite the owner of those red lips!

Unconsciously, she lowered her head. The other person frowned, and Zhu Yu had already grabbed her wrist as she tried to push him away. With a strong grip, he forced her to open her lips in pain, and she could only accept his lips covering hers.

Just as Zhu Yucai touched those slightly parted lips, a strange sound came from the side!

"You two, come out here!" He glanced at them, raised his head, and shouted.

"It's all your fault! We've been found out."

"You stepped on me first."

Before anyone appeared, a muttered complaint rang out, followed by two clever and pretty faces hesitantly emerging from behind a curtain. The two women greeted Zhu Yu respectfully yet affectionately—

"Your Majesty."

The twin sisters, one in yellow and the other in green, were identical in appearance except for the color of their clothes. Each of them carried a small, exquisite birdcage and stood timidly in front of Zhu Yu.

Chapter Four

Looking at the two pretty maids, Zhu Yu frowned, his noble and handsome face contorted.

"No worries, no sorrows, I should have told you that you are not allowed to enter this 'Snow Jade Pavilion' except for three meals a day and bringing you medicine!"

"We...we...we were worried that Young Master Su might get too bored by himself."

"I was thinking of bringing the little bird to keep Young Master Su company and help him pass the time."

"You guys are getting better and better at making decisions on your own."

Zhu Yu's casual tone made the two maids nervous. Having served their master since childhood, they knew he was unhappy at this moment.

"Your Majesty, we...we arrived on time for the medicine delivery, but half an hour early."

"Yes, yes! The medicine will be ready in half an hour."

"I didn't realize that the Third Prince would take his anger out on a little girl just because something good was interrupted. That's so human." Su Shaochu said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Have you decided to elevate this prince from a ghost to a human?"

"A wolf is still a wolf even if it wears sheep's clothing, let alone a devil in human skin. He probably never knows what a human is!" She glanced at him sideways and said with a smirk.

"Young Master Su, look, this is Wuchou and my favorite little bird!"

"They sing every night before I go to sleep!"

Worry-free and carefree eagerly stepped forward with the birdcage and addressed her. Regardless of Su Shaochu's true gender, they were already used to calling her Young Master Su, because Su Shaochu had always treated them like a loving and caring older brother.

Inside Jinqiao's cage, there was a small, bluish-green bird with a pale yellow tail, chirping melodiously with great energy.

"A kingfisher." Su Shaochu asked with a smile, "Is it your pet? Just like you two, it's incredibly cute."

I recall a time when I was young and returned to the Central Plains to play with Yan Shanshan, who is now the young mistress of the Lu family. Once, I accidentally let a bird fly away from its cage. In the end, it was Yan Shanshan who devised a plan to capture Lu Mingchao, who was already a master of lightness skills at the time.

"What are their names?"

Being praised for being carefree and happy, she showed the birdcage to him.

"My name is Su Su."

"My name is Chu Chu."

"Su Su, Chu Chu?!" Upon hearing these names, Su Shao Chu was taken aback for a moment, then looked at the two kingfishers and couldn't help but smile brightly.

This smile was devoid of any scheming, hypocrisy, or pretense; it was warm and radiant, causing Zhu Yu's heartstrings to flutter and his brows to furrow.

"You two really like these two little birds." This shows how much she means to these two girls, that even their favorite pets are related to her.

Wuyou nodded vigorously. "This was a gift from His Majesty last year."

"His Majesty said that we were good and obedient, so he gave us this gift," Wuchou, dressed in green, chimed in.

"It's a birthday present!" Wuyou immediately corrected her.

"They clearly said we were both well-behaved and obedient!"

"A birthday present?!" Su Shaochu glanced at Zhu Yu with interest. "It's rare that the high and mighty Third Prince would remember the young ladies' birthdays."