MCSCPM -Chapter 166 Prince Jing Revisits a Woman’s Old Deeds

Chu Jingcheng’s scorching gaze fixed on Yin Qingyue, making her slightly uneasy.

“Prince Jing, could you show some respect?” Yin Qingyue said coldly.

“Could it be, Miss Yin, that you’ve done something guilty and are afraid to let me look?”

Chu Jingcheng casually draped a white robe over his shoulders.

Mei’er had seen this robe before. Ever since she had brought her mistress back to the Luochen Courtyard, the robe had been hidden in her room and never used. Her mistress had specifically instructed that under no circumstances should it be brought out.

Yet now, it was in Prince Jing’s hands.

“Miss Mei’er, this is my robe. Could it be that you’ve seen it before?”

“No,” Mei’er replied, embarrassed, desperately trying to hide her panic.

“You didn’t see it wrong. It is indeed his robe,” Yin Qingyue said with a smile.

“Miss Yin, you truly have guts! Since you admit the robe is mine, do you know the whereabouts of the pearl?” Chu Jingcheng’s lips curved into a cold smile.

At this moment, only the three of them were in the carriage. Whatever he wanted to do, he had never failed.

Mei’er knew nothing of this, and Yin Qingyue surely hadn’t told her.

A thought flashed through Chu Jingcheng’s mind: in the remote mountains, how had Yin Qingyue managed to get in and strip his clothes?

“So petty, worrying over a single pearl,” Yin Qingyue said calmly.

Only Prince Jing and she knew the truth.

“At that time, how did you strip my robe… and even steal my silver?” Prince Jing asked, eyes half-closed, thoughtful.

During his recuperation in the mountains, from the moment Yin Qingyue stripped him, Chu Jingcheng had been bound to her in countless ways.

“I was short on money at the time, so I took it,” she said.

Even if she had stripped the robe, so what? At most, he could have killed her. That was his thought—mind-reading would never be wrong.

“Prince Jing, my mistress may be of low status, but you cannot humiliate her like this! Our master always taught us not to steal, and my mistress would never do such a thing!” Mei’er panicked, hurriedly explaining.

Chu Jingcheng snorted coldly. “The maid seems sensible enough, but I wonder if Miss Yin is the same?”

“Prince Jing, how am I not sensible?” Yin Qingyue smiled.

“Stripping clothes and stealing silver… sensible? In Xize, perhaps you would have had to offer your body,” Prince Jing implied.

“Prince Jing, Qingyue is tired and does not wish to explain further,” she said, leaning against the carriage wall. She could avoid this; he was dredging up old grievances.

She absolutely could not tell him, I stripped your clothes because I had nothing else to wear…

“Prince Jing, my mistress has been physically weak lately. Please forgive her; the journey is tiring,” Mei’er said with a smile.

Prince Jing nodded, a faint smile on his lips. That night, her true face had lingered in his mind for a long time—he had never erased it.

He had thought Yin Qingyue ugly, but she was no ordinary woman.

“Yin Qingyue, from now on, your true face may only be shown to me!” Chu Jingcheng said coldly.

She had never mentioned to Mei’er the incident of her face being revealed. If Mei’er found out, she would surely worry.

Yet now, Mei’er showed no reaction. Yin Qingyue looked again—she had fallen asleep.

How could someone sleep so quickly? Was Prince Jing using tricks, or was Mei’er truly exhausted?

“Miss Yin, Mei’er is asleep. How long will you keep pretending?”

Yin Qingyue snorted quietly. She wanted to see what Prince Jing was thinking, dredging up the past—what was his intent?

She stared at his eyes for just ten seconds but saw nothing.

Why… could she see nothing at all?

“What’s this? Staring at me like that… trying to offer yourself?” Chu Jingcheng’s lips curved, a teasing smile on his face.

Yin Qingyue was momentarily dazed. Why, when she used mind-reading on him, did it fail repeatedly? And this time, it was a complete blank.

Was he really expecting her to surrender herself?

A single sentence pulled her back to reality:

“Prince Jing, enough.”

She would not think further now. She had to focus on recovering her health.

Suddenly, the carriage stopped.

“Prince, this is an urgent letter from the Emperor,” Leng Feng said, handing over a pigeon-post letter.

The letter mentioned that the ruler of Beihou—Chu Jingcheng’s father—ordered Prince Jing not to intervene in Xize’s affairs, nor bring unauthorized women to Beihou, and demanded Yin Qingyue be returned to Xize.

“Burn this letter!” Chu Jingcheng said coldly. Whatever he wanted to do, even his father could not stop him.

“Prince, but this is the Emperor’s letter—”

“My order is final. Have you forgotten?”

“Yes,” Leng Feng said helplessly.

“Prince, the messenger specifically warned that this matter must be handled quickly, or the Emperor’s anger will be catastrophic!”

“Disobeying me is far worse than any punishment from the Emperor,” Chu Jingcheng said, a cold smile on his lips.

In an instant, the letter turned to ashes.

After finally bringing Yin Qingyue here, he would not let her go. Forget the Emperor’s orders—he would even ignore Xize.

“How fast can we reach Beihou?” he asked, half-closing his eyes as he looked at the barren land outside.

“Three days.”

“Then double the speed. Depart immediately!”

“Yes, Prince.”

He wanted to return to Beihou quickly. Surely Xize had reported this to his father. Exhaustion and travel aside, if there were an ambush, disaster would strike.

And the thing he feared most happened.

“Prince, something is wrong! Miss Yin has disappeared!” Leng Yi, usually composed, looked panicked, with Mei’er trailing behind.

“What?” Chu Jingcheng’s face darkened. How could she vanish in the short time it took for tea?

“Your mistress… how did she disappear?”

“She was a little tired and wanted to rest. Mei’er didn’t want to disturb her, so stayed outside. When Mei’er returned to bring her food, she was gone,” Mei’er said, her voice breaking slightly.

The two of them, finally on the verge of leaving Xize, and now this. Mei’er’s tears rolled down her face, full of sorrow.

“Take me to the tent,” Prince Jing said calmly. With his father’s temperament, he would never have taken Yin Qingyue away. Now the letter had come, surely hoping he would handle it.

He realized that only Xize could have orchestrated such a thing.

Near the carriage was a temporary tent for resting, and it was here that Yin Qingyue had vanished.

“Miss vanished here,” Mei’er confirmed.

The familiar scent still lingered in the room. Nothing seemed disturbed, as if no one had been there.

All possibilities flashed through his mind. With Yin Qingyue’s character, she would never abandon Mei’er.

“Search the area! Anyone found—bring them to me!” Chu Jingcheng shouted.

A hundred-mile radius of barren land. Who dared act so brazenly under his eyes?

“Yes, Prince!”

In no time, the guards mobilized, conducting a thorough search.

“Our route was all narrow paths. Whoever took Miss Yin must have been following for some time. This was planned in advance,” one guard reported.

“This area is about to leave Xize. To strike in such a short time… they are no ordinary people,” Chu Jingcheng said, eyes half-closed, staring ahead.

Just as everything seemed under control, trouble arose—like mocking him.

“Prince, should we return to Beihou?” Leng Feng asked calmly.

“We’ll decide after finding Yin Qingyue,” Chu Jingcheng said.

“Yes.”

He believed Yin Qingyue would not disappoint him. Even if abducted, she could resolve the danger—it was only a matter of time.

“Prince, Mei’er begs you to find my mistress. Even if I must be a beast of burden, I will do it!” Mei’er’s eyes were full of tears.

“You need not say a word. I will save her,” he said firmly. No matter where she was, he would find her.