青春期撞上更年期第1部

Chu Liuchen sat inside casually. Unhappily, he raised his head and ordered coldly, “Let her come up to me!”

“Yes, I will ask Miss Qin to be here right away!” Xiao Xuanzi breathed a sigh of relief and hurried downstairs from the second floor. Miss Qin was excessively stubborn. He said his master was busy, but she insisted on seeing him.

In the end, she could talk to Prince Chen. But even so, Xiao Xuanzi believed she would have to suffer. He knew his master’s character. Throughout, his master only accepted one woman in his heart: Princess Chen.

Hearing that Chu Liuchen asked her to come in, Qin Yiyan breathed a sigh of relief. She was really worried that Chu Liuchen would not see her. Since she could see him, everything would be fine.

Her servant girl was asked to stay downstairs while she followed Xiao Xuanzi up to the second floor.

When the door of the second floor was pushed open, Qin Yiyan subconsciously narrowed her eyes and saw a man leaning against the back of a spacious chair.

The handsome man looked up at her, his eyes sparkling. He seemed full of affection. However, in an icy voice, he reproached, “If there is nothing else, don’t bother me!”

“Cousin…” Qin Yiyan stepped forward to greet him.

“As a cousin, you had a reason to live in my manor. But since you have moved in, there is no need to talk about this relationship anymore.”

Chu Liuchen looked down, his beautiful eyes landing on the memorial in his hand.

“But I am your cousin!” Qin Yiyan was a little anxious, although she had been mentally prepared. Consort Lan had told her many times that Prince Chen was not like what he appeared. She warned her never to be obsessed with some fantastic ideas. Otherwise, she would come to a tragic and terrible end.

“So what?” Chu Liuchen raised his eyebrows.

Qin Yiyan didn’t know what to say at the moment. It would be much more challenging to serve Prince Chen than Princess Chen.

She had wanted to complain before, but now she had no intention of doing so. Obviously, Prince Chen would not listen to her.

“Cousin, Consort Lan asked me to…” Qin Yiyan said in frustration.

“This is not the imperial Palace, but my mansion,” Chu Liuchen responded coldly.

Qin Yiyan was stunned. Unexpectedly, Consort Lan did not have any real influence over Prince Chen.

“Cousin, Consort Lan works heart and soul for your interests. Everything she has done was for you. Why are you so…” Somehow, Qin Yiyan felt depressed and became agitated.

But in the next moment, she was chilled to the bone and never dared to be so emotional.

“Let’s get down to business. If you don’t have anything to say, just leave. I’m very busy.” Chu Liuchen looked up at her impatiently and fixed his eyes on these official documents before him. He looked impatient as if Qin Yiyan was here to trouble him.

“But I was sent here by Consort Lan to help you.” Qin Yiyan felt very wronged. She thought she was strong-minded, but she was instantly full of grievances at this time. She desired to assist him. Besides, it was the decision of Consort Lan and her family. But how could Prince Chen be so indifferent to her?

“Ten minutes!” Chu Liuchen’s cold words came to her ears again, and she asked subconsciously, “Wh-what?”

Chu Liuchen looked up at her as if he were looking at an idiot.

Xiao Xuanzi reminded her in a low voice, “My master means he gives you ten minutes to talk. If you want to say anything, hurry up and say it. Or you may be driven out!”

It was not that Xiao Xuanzi wanted to scare her. He knew his master well. How could he allow such an irrelevant person like her to waste so much time?

“I…” Qin Yiyan felt so wronged that her eyes turned red. She looked up at Chu Liuchen and took a deep breath to suppress the grievance in her heart. Sure enough, Prince Chen did not have any compassion for women. If she cried, he would ask someone to throw her out.

“Cousin, the Qin Family has a secret squad of bodyguards who can help you. At present, it is in my charge. Because of this, Consort Lan brought me here!” Qin Yiyan had to tell her purpose honestly.

After that, Qin Yiyan raised her head proudly.

She was the Qin Family’s only descendant, the legitimate daughter of the direct line of descent. Since there were no other offsprings, the power of the Qin Family fell into her hands.

The Qin Family was of some use as the previous empress’s relatives. Before the previous empress died, she asked them to preserve their strength. In fact, the previous empress was in charge of this squad of secret guards at the very beginning.

If her cousin knew she had such a powerful force in her hand, he would think highly of her.

“So what?” Chu Liuchen asked, still coldly. His voice had no warmth, and his eyes looked penetrating and steely. “Does Consort Lan want to achieve something big by relying on a secret squad?”

“Can’t… can’t we?” Qin Yiyan had been full of confidence. Because she had a secret squad, she had always felt superior to other weak women who could only depend on their men. In her mind, she would become an empress assisting her husband in governing a country. Of course, she didn’t have to be an empress. Being a powerful consort could also win the trust of the emperor.

But she didn’t understand what Chu Liuchen meant at the moment. She looked at Chu Liuchen in front of her in astonishment. “So, he thinks nothing of my strength? But how… how is that possible?”

“Does your family want to rise in rebellion or Consort Lan?” Chu Liuchen asked.

Qin Yiyan hurriedly shook her head. “Cousin, you’ve misunderstood. The Qin Family doesn’t have any wild ambitions like that. Consort Lan, as an imperial consort, is not ambitious either!”

“Then, why do you need a secret squad of guards?” Chu Liuchen raised his lips sarcastically, and a smile emerged on his handsome face. However, such a smile disheartened Qin Yiyan.

“No… it’s not like that. But you need it!” She was wondering what had gone wrong. Why was the reality so different from what Consort Lan had thought? She and Consort Lan had good intentions to help. It was not that the Qin Family or Consort Lan aimed high.

“But we all want to support you!” Qin Yiyan explained.

“What makes you think I am short-handed?” Chu Liuchen asked, raising his eyebrows.

“But Consort Lan said it would be good to give you these guards and let them protect you secretly!” Qin Yiyan said uneasily.

“Give the squad to me?” Chu Liuchen smiled and reached out his hand to Qin Yiyan. “In this case, just give me the token for this squad!”

“Cousin, it’s not for you. They can only do things for you according to my… my orders. Do you understand what I mean?” Qin Yiyan bit her lip and said.

“If it is for me, just give it to me. But if I must control them through an outsider, get out!” Chu Liuchen said rudely, with a little coldness in his eyes, “No matter who sends them, I’m in complete control of the Prince Chen’s Mansion. No outsiders can intervene in my mansion’s internal affairs. I don’t care if you are my cousin or not.”

Cold sweat broke out on Qin Yiyan’s forehead. She was sure that he did not just say these words to frighten her. If any secret guards in her hands appeared in the Prince Chen’s Mansion, Prince Chen might kill her.

At that time, both sides would suffer, and it would do no good to her.

“Cousin, my people are yours. How could you treat us like this?” Qin Yiyan said indignantly.

“Hand over the token or leave!” Chu Liuchen looked at her and said with an increasingly glum smile. A trace of viciousness appeared on his pretty face. His gaze slithered across her eyes like a venomous snake with terrifying skin patterns leisurely flicking out its tongue. It made her tremble all over with fear. Taking two steps back, she didn’t dare to stay any longer. Immediately, she turned around and hurried downstairs.

She had to discuss it with Consort Lan. Initially, she had been full of confidence, but now she was at a loss because of Prince Chen’s attitude.

Shouldn’t Prince Chen think better of her when knowing she had a secret squad? Then she would become his capable assistant with this squad of secret guards at her command.

She didn’t want to be a fragile woman like Shao Wanru or care about how many women her cousin had. As a unique woman indispensable to Prince Chen, she was destined to stand high above others, hand in hand with him one day.

She despised women like Princess Chen, who could only be a burden to her cousin. How could Princess Chen progress and achieve great success together with her cousin?

But now, she had been driven out by her cousin for no reason. How could Qin Yiyan not feel aggrieved?

...

She returned to her living place and sat silently to thoroughly reflect on things that had happened lately. Gritting her teeth, she told herself, “Even if my cousin cares much about Princess Chen, so what? I’m the most suitable woman who can help him a lot.”

She had to find a chance to discuss it with her aunt in the Palace. Her aunt was best qualified to speak on the matter of the secret squad. Her aunt told her she was the most powerful force supporting Prince Chen that day. At the present stage, she just needed to let her cousin listen to her aunt.

Thinking of this, she breathed a sigh of relief. She could not act rashly before she met her aunt in the Palace. To avoid causing unnecessary trouble, she mustn’t let these secret guards enter the Prince Chen’s Mansion.

Qin Yiyan was waiting quietly to enter the Palace with Shao Wanru and see Consort Lan. Chu Liuchen upset her, but Qin Yiyan firmly believed Consort Lan would help her win back Chu Liuchen’s respect. She even began to suspect Princess Chen. How could her cousin treat her so rudely? Could it be that Princess Chen slandered her before him?

She thought about everything carefully and found such a thing was possible!

“Women like Princess Chen are troublesome. How could she foolishly be jealous of me at this critical time? I’ve tried my best to avoid such a misunderstanding.

“I’m capable enough, with much better qualities than her. Even if my cousin has many women, I can tolerate it. I don’t even care that my cousin has a legal wife. I am the one who can do great things, but Princess Chen is just a useless woman holding us back.”

Qin Yiyan thought Shao Wanru would enter the Palace in two days because she had almost recovered. So, she needed to prepare something in advance to meet Consort Lan.

Surprisingly, Qin Yiyan didn’t receive the news of Shao Wanru entering the Palace. Instead, she learned that Shao Wanru would attend a banquet in the courtyard of the princesses.

At this time, the invitation card had entered the gate of Prince Chen’s Mansion, along with another thing…

...