The King said, "Kala is also very outstanding. I believe she and Mr. Qin will have common topics to talk about and share interests."
Qin Hanyue's status and identity is nearly unparalleled globally. His influence internationally is also superior. He is absolutely a figure at the pinnacle of the pyramid.
The King thought optimistically, "If Mr. Qin and my daughter Kala are mutually attracted, that would absolutely be a power couple."
He spoke very directly.
The King's second daughter Kala was also a beauty, and looked very similar to Karina. Her father's words made her a little shy, but her pretty eyes were looking at Qin Hanyue, unable to conceal the smile at the corners of her mouth.
From the moment Qin Hanyue appeared, her attention had been completely on him. During the meal, she was also always looking at him, and didn't even pay much attention to the confrontation between Qiao Ying and Karina.
Her father's words made Kala's face flush and her heart race.
Qin Hanyue was already feeling terrible, and this damn King just made it worse.
Qin Hanyue glanced at Qiao Ying and saw her watching the show. And she wasn't the only one enjoying the spectacle, Lin Cheng was too.
Qin Hanyue said, "Thank you for your kind intentions, Your Majesty. My girlfriend and I have a great relationship and will be getting married soon."
He thought resentfully, when will she get jealous?
Qin Hanyue didn't dare look directly at Qiao Ying, but she had no scruples about glancing at him from time to time.
The smile on Kala's face froze. Her expression instantly shifted from anticipation to disappointment, then to hurt, and finally to awkwardness.
The King regretfully said, "Mr Qin is getting married?"
Qin Hanyue: "Yes."
Qiao Ying raised her eyebrows slightly. Her words held some teasing, "Mr. Qin is getting married? I didn't know about this."
Qin Hanyue turned to look at her. She was vividly expressive with a meaningful smile. He wasn't quite used to seeing her in this face yet, but he was completely familiar with her aura. Qin Hanyue desperately wanted to hold her hand and be closer to her, but there was quite a bit of space between them and a line of servants standing behind. He had no room for any movement that would be seen.
Qin Hanyue could only suppress his desires.
He responded, "Lin Cheng knows."
His tone was much warmer compared to how he spoke to the King and the others.
Karina looked between the two of them.
Lin Cheng followed up, "When the time comes, I will definitely prepare generous gifts and go with Little Yin to attend your wedding."
Qin Hanyue glanced at him, determining that Lin Cheng was doing this on purpose. Expecting that Qin Hanyue wouldn't dare deviate from the script for Qiao Ying's sake, he suppressed his own response and simply said, "You're welcome."
Qiao Ying asked again, "Mr. Qin's girlfriend must be very beautiful, right?"
Qin Hanyue looked at her once more, his gaze vaguely ambiguous, taking the chance to confess: "Of course, no one can compare to her in my eyes."
He went on, "I haven't proposed to her yet, and I don't know if she'll agree to marry me or not."
He held her gaze, as if asking: Will you agree or not?
Qiao Ying was poised and languid. "Who knows~ I wish Mr. Qin the best of luck."
She actually took the chance to propose! Lin Cheng wanted to remind the two of them to dial it back a little, but then decided not to say anything. At most Qiao Ying would refrain from openly getting intimate with Qin Hanyue in public. He could only hope they wouldn't get him involved.
Qin Hanyue: "I'll borrow Miss Qiao's blessings."
The King sighed. "It seems my daughter Kala and Mr. Qin were not fated to be together. I wonder which girl is so lucky to have won Mr. Qin's affection."
Qin Hanyue: "My girlfriend is more outstanding than me. I'm the lucky one to have won her affection."
When it came to Qiao Ying, his eyes shone.
Qiao Ying: These words ring true, quite pleasing to hear.
Seeing the besotted Qin Hanyue made Kala feel even worse.
The King: "I really didn't expect Mr. Qin to be so exceptional, and to treat relationships so earnestly."
The rest of the meal passed relatively calmly.
The King had no intention of letting them leave. Using the excuse of having important matters to discuss with Lin Cheng and the late hour, he kept all three guests staying in the palace.
The King arranged lodging for them.
Qin Hanyue got a room to himself.
Lin Cheng and Qiao Ying shared a room together.
Lin Cheng was called away by the King to talk. Qiao Ying and Qin Hanyue were escorted to their rooms separately, with the two rooms not very far apart from each other.
When they separated,
Qiao Ying said to Qin Hanyue, "Good night, Mr. Qin~"
She was absolutely doing that deliberately.
Despite feeling annoyed and helpless, Qin Hanyue still had to say politely, "Good night Miss Qiao."
He could only watch as Qiao Ying was led into the room she shared with Lin Cheng by the servants.
The rooms had computers. Qiao Ying hacked the surveillance system using the room's computer to check what Lin Cheng and the King were discussing in the parlour.
Qiao Ying didn't have much interest in the content of their conversation itself. But since she was bored with nothing to do and they were talking about her, she ate some fruit and listened for a bit.
"I hope that the Duke will think clearly. Your girlfriend is of no help at all to your position and power."
"Doesn't the Duke want to consolidate his standing in C Country? The best marriage alliance for the Duke is with none other than Princess Karina."
The Duke had many children, but not one of his sons had amounted to anything substantial. Lin Cheng was who he had favoured as a son-in-law from early on.
Not wanting his position to be easily handed off to his siblings' children, the Duke wanted to give it to Lin Cheng instead. Although he would be his son-in-law, Karina was his darling daughter. It would be better to leave it in the hands of his beloved daughter's husband than to let it fall to those nephews. Most importantly, Lin Cheng was capable and of fine character.
"My mother has always treated the Duke like family. Her greatest wish before she passes is for the Duke to marry Karina. Would the Duke bear to reject her dying wish? Karina has liked you since she was young, surely you know."
Lin Cheng's disposition was cool and refined. He seemed to put great importance on human connections, but in reality he was least constrained by emotions. So even when the King brought up the Queen who doted on Lin Cheng, his expression didn't change.
He didn't hesitate at all: "I'm grateful for the love and favour shown by Your Majesties and Princess Karina, but I love my girlfriend very much. Marriage should be built upon feelings as its foundation. Even without my girlfriend, I still cannot accept a marriage devoid of emotional connection."
"Princess Karina is wonderful. I trust that Your Majesty will select a partner truly suited for her."
Before the King could say more, Lin Cheng spoke first. "My girlfriend is timid. Unfamiliar with her surroundings here, I should get back to accompany her. Your Majesty should retire to rest early."
Not waiting for the King's response, Lin Cheng took his polite leave on his own accord.
Watching Lin Cheng's departing back, the look in the King's eyes quietly changed. The previous warmth was gone, replaced by coldness and sharpness.
Having listened only briefly, Qiao Ying switched the screen before she witnessed the King's transformation.
The monitoring image was changed to outside Qin Hanyue's room. The corridors were also monitored but without a direct view of the doors due to the angles. Because of this, Qiao Ying could not see the entire area outside his door.
Carrying an exquisite tray holding a small bowl with unknown contents, Kala knocked on Qin Hanyue's door.
Expecting it would be Qiao Ying, Qin Hanyue's gaze drastically changed the instant he opened the door.
He radiated an icy keep-out vibe. "What is it?"
Kala was somewhat coy. "Mr. Qin, I specially brought this stomach-warming soup for you. At dinner just now I saw you drink quite a lot. Drinking this soup will make your stomach feel better. I also wanted to ask Mr. Qin if you need anything. You can tell me."
Watching from in front of the screen, Qiao Ying saw a dramatic scene unfolding: The Big Bad Wolf bringing Little Red Riding Hood food. I wonder if anything was added to the soup?
Qin Hanyue: "No need."
Kala still wanted to persist.
Qin Hanyue heartlessly continued, "Do you need me to say it again? I have a girlfriend. Have some self-respect."
After speaking, Qin Hanyue retreated into his room about to close the door.
Kala stepped forward, freeing a hand to stop the door.
From the angle shown on the computer screen, Kala's actions made it look like she had barged into Qin Hanyue's room.
Staring at the screen, Qiao Ying heard the ice-cold, displeased, and dangerous tone in Qin Hanyue's voice. "Forcefully disturbing a guest's rest. Is this how C Country's royal family treats its guests?"
