Chapter 49: A Contest Between Two Men

"Um, Watermelon Crown Prince, don't make it sound like we're about to start a fight. Matters of the heart should just take their natural course! Let's drop this subject for now," Yuan Qian'er intervened, sensing the tense atmosphere and trying to smooth things over.

"Yuan Qian'er, stop calling me Watermelon Crown Prince! I have a name! It's Xuanyuan Feng! If you call me Watermelon Crown Prince again, don't say I didn't warn you—I'll drag you back to Xiliang right now to get married!" the Crown Prince of Xiliang threatened with a mix of seriousness and playfulness.

"Alright, alright, little Fengfeng, I won't call you Watermelon anymore, okay?"

"What the heck! Little Fengfeng? Can't you women just use a person's proper name?" The Xiliang Crown Prince was on the verge of losing his mind! Yet, strangely enough, he just couldn't bring himself to lose his temper with this woman. Ever since the moment he saw her dancing, a deep affection for her had taken root in his heart!

"Haha, you can call her little Qianqian! That way the two of you make a perfect match!" Murong Xuan really knew how to drop a bombshell.

"Pfft!" Su Qingcheng spat out a mouthful of tea. "Little Qianqian? Why not Little Giggly? Murong Xuan, would you stop stirring up trouble?"

"Alright, you guys stop fooling around. Tell me, little Fengfeng, a proper Crown Prince of Xiliang like you—what are you doing sneaking all the way to our Bingmo? Are you spying on intelligence? Ruining innocent maidens? Stealing people's money? Committing murder and arson?" Yuan Qian'er asked.

"...Yuan Qian'er, are you sure your brain is working properly? What kind of nonsense are you spouting?" Su Qingcheng scolded speechlessly.

Xuanyuan Feng smiled and said, "It's the Bingmo Emperor's birthday coming up in a few days. Bingmo and Xiliang have enjoyed friendly relations for years, so my Imperial Father sent me to offer his congratulations. That's why I came ahead of time!"

"Oh? Big Bro Emperor is having a birthday! Does that mean I should go prepare some gift to give him a surprise?!" Hearing that her idol was having a birthday, Yuan Qian'er became overwhelmingly excited.

"Yuan Qian'er, why are you getting so worked up over an emperor's birthday? What's so amazing about that?" Su Qingcheng asked, puzzled.

"Su Qingcheng, you absolute moron, I forgot to tell you—Big Bro Emperor is drop-dead gorgeous! He looks exactly like Kim Hyun-joong! Do you have any idea how close I was to losing control and pouncing on him the first time I saw him?" Yuan Qian'er's eyes sparkled with stars.

"What?! Kim... Kim Hyun-joong! Oh wow, seriously? He looks exactly the same? Haha, Yuan Qian'er, take me into the palace right now! I want a photo together, I want an autograph, and I want to tackle him to the ground!" Su Qingcheng, being the absolute goofball she was, was also a superfan of Kim Hyun-joong!

Upon hearing this, Murong Xuan instantly grew jealous. "Wife, you are mine! If anyone's going to be tackled to the ground, it's me. How can you want to tackle someone else?"

"Oh, go away! How can you even compare to my idol? Even though you're quite handsome yourself, my idol is a super sweet guy whose smile is simply breathtakingly charming!" Su Qingcheng looked as though her idol was right in front of her, practically drooling.

"Hey, hey, Mo Yiran, go grab a wooden bucket for her. Look, her drool is about to drip down!" Yuan Qian'er teased.

Su Qingcheng actually fell for it and touched the corner of her mouth. Realizing she had been played, she lunged at Yuan Qian'er, shouting, "Yuan Qian'er, you jerk, don't run! Let's take this outside—I promise I won't beat you to death!"

"Haha, Qingcheng, I'm not running, I'm dodging! Come and get me, haha!"

The three men watched the two young women playfully chasing each other with fond indulgence, bright smiles curving across their lips. After exchanging a glance, Mo Yiran and Xuanyuan Feng engaged in a silent battle of telepathic transmission:

"She is mine. Don't even think about cutting in!"

Xuanyuan Feng: "Hmph, we'll see about that. Just you wait and watch!"

Mo Yiran: "You're destined to be a ruler of a nation with a harem of three thousand beauties. Qian'er will never fall for someone like you!"

Xuanyuan Feng: "I can abolish the harem for her and cherish her alone!"

Mo Yiran: "What she needs is freedom. The imperial palace would only be a cage that binds her!"

Xuanyuan Feng: "..."