The Crown Prince I’m Raising Has Turned Evil - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Person with Daggers Hidden in Their Heart

The evening that day, a frosted breeze blew into the horse carriage. Qin Jue’s eyelashes fluttered, his eyes opening suddenly!

“You’re awake?”

A soft voice came from the side. Qin Jue unconsciously turned towards that direction to see Xie Lin Lang sitting by his side, looking at him. Seeing him sit up, she poured a cup of tea and handed it to him.

“It’s good that you’re awake now. Here, drink something warm and hydrate your throat.”

Upon seeing her, all the memories before he fainted came flashing back.

Was it Xie Lin Lang that rescued him? What was she doing all the way out here? Didn’t she go to the North to relieve disasters? Even if she came back to the Capital, the Imperial Preceptor wouldn’t have just let her come rescue him…unless…she was sent here by him?

Countless suspicions flashed through his mind. He averted the outreached teacup, both eyes glaring daggers at her.

“…Xie Lin Lang, why are you here?”

Seeing his defensive reaction and hostility, Xie Lin Lang was taken aback for a moment. Even though a lot of things had happened during these past six months, she hadn’t expected that Qin Jue would also be hostile towards her as well.

She held the teacup, then took a drink from it instead.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. The reason why I’m here is by His Majesty’s orders to bring you to Xiang City.”

Hearing her, Qin Jue scoffed, “…You have such an overprotective ShiFu yet you’re still assigned to these types of missions?”

Him, a decrowned Crown Prince who is utterly isolated by all sides with heavy crimes charged under his name, compared to Xie Lin Lang who is the new up-and-coming noble, and number one scholar of the country. Even if the Emperor was to send anyone for this mission, he wouldn’t have sent her.

Xie Lin Lang shook her head, “Indeed, the Emperor did not plan on sending me. I was the one that requested to come.”

“Why?”

“Because I have to return a favor.”

Her words surprised Qin Jue. Returning a favor? He doesn’t remember doing her any favors.

Xie Lin Lang didn’t plan on concealing it from him either.

“In the past, haven’t you also asked me, why was I so kind to you the moment we first met? In fact, the reason is very simple. It’s because your mother once saved me.”

“Seven years ago, Her Majesty saved my life. It was also her that helped change my name, allowing me to restart my life.”

“In order to conceal my past, we promised that even if we were to meet again, we would act as if we didn’t know each other. As a result, very few people know of the fact that she saved me in the past.

But this favor of saving and rebirth…I have always kept it in mind. Only…”

Only due to unforeseen circumstances, this favor couldn’t be repaid directly to the Empress.

Pausing, she looked at Qin Jue and said, “All you need to know is, I’m both your friend and someone that owes Her Majesty a favor.

Since she is no longer in this world, I came to find you instead. So no matter what kind of situation you are in and how difficult the future will become, I will not mind, because I’m just returning the favor.”

She spoke earnestly with such a serious expression, yet when Qin Jue heard it, he grew silent, then started to sneer.

“Favors…” He murmured, his tone filled with ridicule.

Even if she was speaking the truth… Of course, she has no reason to lie to him when he’s in this situation… but her returning this favor, isn’t it a little too late for that?

He remembered back when he and his mother were escaping from the palace and the Capital. In order to not be captured and sent back to the Emperor, that whole way, how many times did his mother, who had always been willing to help others in need, asked the people she had helped in the past?

But the majority of those people coward away. As a matter of fact, some even leaked tips to the Capital, making their situation even more difficult!

If it wasn’t for the secret division* that found them first, risking their lives to let them escape, they would not have been able to reach the borders of Qin Nation…

*The secret army that Qin Jue and his mother owned, separate from the imperial army.

How hopeless did his mother feel during that time?

No one was willing to help her when she was still alive during the time she needed it the most. But now that she’s dead, someone suddenly appears and says they want to repay her kindness.

If this was not a cruel joke, then what was?

He began to laugh so hard that he started coughing. Xie Lin Lang promptly passed the teacup in her hand towards him. This time, he didn’t reject it and drank it in one gulp.

After the burning sensation in his throat died down, he turned to look at her and asked in a hoarse voice, “…Xie Lin Lang, have you heard of a story?”

“What story?”

He coughed, then spoke quietly, “A story of returning favors.”

“…There were two brothers. Due to a famine, they ran out of food and had no choice but to ask others for help.

The elder brother said he was going to go ask for help from the family that he had once helped. The younger brother said he was going to go speak with the family that had helped him before. So the two separated.

Can you guess…which of the brothers survived out of the two?”

Xie Lin Lang frowned, not speaking.

“It was the younger brother.”

He didn’t hesitate to reveal the truth.

“Because the people who have always helped others tend to have a kinder heart, they will continue to help others. But the people being helped…Who knows what type of person they truly are? Or if they truly appreciate your efforts?

Perhaps they have been hiding daggers in their heart all along, just waiting for the right moment to strike, whether they owe you a favor or not.”

As he spoke, Qin Jue suddenly moved closer. Using his bandage-wrapped right hand, he held Xie Lin Lang’s face and asked.

“Will you also be the type with daggers in your heart?”

“The world is a cruel place, yet you say you come from a place with good intentions. Don’t you find that ridiculous?”

Then, he actually began laughing, eyes full of scorn.

Xie Lin Lang raised her head, watching him with a deep look.

“The world is a cruel place. More people forget to be thankful to those who have helped them compared to those who do. But, how are you so sure I’m not one of those who remember?”

She asked him confidently, her voice filled with resolve, “I thought that since we grew up together, you already understand me well enough. In the end, this was the type of person you perceived me to be?”

Seeing her eyes shine brightly with light and her inadvertent glance, Qin Jue’s smile gradually faded and he narrowed his eyes.

Speaking of her personality, from the moment he met her, she’s always had this same type of self-righteous image…Once she set her mind to something, even if the world was against her, she still wouldn’t turn back on her words. But even then, so what? He doesn’t need it!

Thus, his lips formed a cold smile. He retracted his hand and leaned back.

“You’re right, what if you are the exception?”

He coughed a few more times and spoke in a low voice, “…Then let’s assume you’re here to repay the favor. Based on how you saved me previously, the favor has already been repaid. You no longer owe my mother anything.”

Seeing how he’s so keen on keeping her at a distance, Xie Lin Lang grew anxious.

Their relationship was at least decently close in the past, so was there really a need to be so rejecting?

“That is just a bare minimum to what I need to do! I will escort you to Xiang City. And as for how I will repay the favor, I have my own plans, you don’t need to worry about that.”

Seeing her stupidly ignore all the warnings, eager to dive into danger, Qin Jue’s eyes grew cold.

Staring at her, he asked, “Just what will it take for you to give up repaying this favor?”

She glanced over at his body full of wounds, voice becoming lower, “Unless you prove to me that you can protect yourself.”

She spoke as if it was the most natural thing in the world, with a face of resolve.

But Xie Lin Lang’s protective stance, and her concern unconsciously seeping out only made Qin Jue feel uncomfortable, as if he was being stabbed by needles.

How ridiculous. It’s as if he had already been dragged towards the depths of hell, unable to return, yet, there’s still an idiot eagerly trying to join him!

He sneered, “So, you want to bet?”

“What bet?”

He coughed a few times and looked out the window.

“My injuries. They were all caused by those people outside. If I’m able to make it so that none of them can ever hurt me again, will it prove to you that I’m completely well off without needing you to return the favor?”

She shook her head, “They’re all poisoned, it would be easy to finish them off. But what if you encounter a group of assassins? Will you be able to leave completely intact?”

“Then what if I’m able to leave completely intact? Will you disappear from my sight then?”

His aggressive attitude astounded Xie Lin Lang. But before she could answer, loud noises were heard from outside.

~~~~

Hi everyone! This series will be continued on Foxaholic.com under the same name. Click the link below to follow the latest developments on Xie Lin Lang and Qin Jue 😉

https://www.foxaholic.com/novel/the-crown-prince-im-raising-has-turned-evil/