When dawn arrived, Shao Chen woke up. He started his day with filling up the wooden bath tub then took a bath. Of course, he did not forget to wash his clothes with washing powder that had been given by the guards.
When he finished hanging the clothes on the rope to dry the clothes, He Tao came around.
"Good morning, Young Miss!"
"Good morning," Shao Chen replied in a slightly hoarse voice. He did not find this weird anymore because every morning, either He Tao, Wei Dong, or other guards would come here to greet him.
Actually, the guards had made a deal behind Shao Chen's back. They will took turns to patrol around Shao Chen's pavilion every morning so that they could make sure the Young Miss did not do something ridiculous again.
"You will go to the imperial office again?" He Tao asked the same question as the other guards every morning.
As always, Shao Chen only nodded. The differences were if the other day, Shao Chen was reminding himself the song lyrics, today he was reminding himself to prepare the sweet tea for the thief emperor.
After checking all of the washed clothes and making sure all of them was in a proper condition, He Tao excused himself. "I will go back first. Please don't do anything reckless again, Young Miss!"
Shao Chen also went inside his pavilion, making sure he still had the box then put in inside his pocket before went out from the pavilion.
Shortly after, two guards went inside the pavilion with broom on their hands. Cleaning Shao Chen's pavilion was also becoming one of their routine every morning. But for this task, it was not according to their own decision, but the Queen Mother, Yan Mei's order. That is why, even though Shao Chen never cleaned the room, his dwelling was still spotless.
At the other side, Shao Chen was walking through the pathway to the kitchen. After almost lost for several times, finally he got to see the roof of the kitchen from far away.
Suddenly, Chen Yongrui, clad in a bit messy clothing, appeared beside him with a wide smile. "Good morning, Shao Chen!"
"..." Shao Chen still looking straight in silent. His eyeball even did not move.
"Hm? Shao Chen?" Chen Yongrui bended forward while waving his hand in front of Shao Chen's eyes. He had to wave for several seconds before finally got some reaction from the girl.
Shao Chen turned at Chen Yongrui. What a surprise was that Shao Chen recognized the Thirteenth Prince in a second. 'He is the dangerous man from yesterday!' Seemed like yesterday's accident with Chen Yongrui was very impactful.
Chen Yongrui eyes sparkled. He thought that Shao Chen would replied to him this time but Shao Chen only looked at him plainly before turning away and resuming his steps to the kitchen.
Shao Chen did not feel any importance in talking with the prince. The most important thing now is the sweet tea from kitchen!
Chen Yongrui pouted. Of course, he did not want to give up so he trotted after Shao Chen while exclaiming, "Shao Chen! I want to know more about you. What should I do so that you want to talk to me?"
Shao Chen did not give any response, seemed like he did not care. But actually, Chen Yongrui was talking too fast for Shao Chen to catch them so he also did not bother to try to understand it.
Of course it was not Chen Yongrui if he gave up now. He continued to walk beside Shao Chen while searching for a new idea. Suddenly, he flicked his fingers, his eye brightened. He remembered what was the most important thing for Shao Chen that one hundred percent would catch Shao Chen's focus in a second!
He immediately fished out three sparkling rounded solid things from his sleeve pocket then put them exactly in front of Shao Chen's eyes.
Shao Chen's step halted in the air.
'Gold coins!' His eyes sparkling and he almost drooled. He grabbed the three coins from Chen Yongrui's hand. After observing them for a second, he rubbed the coin to his cheek very dearly like the coins were his pet.
'Money … I had missed you so much!' He almost burst in tears.
Chen Yongrui smiled in satisfaction. His guess was right. Shao Chen loved money the most!
"I will give you more money tomorrow but you have to accompany me, how about it?"
'There will be more?!' Without thinking, Shao Chen nodded excitedly. He would never let this new source of money go away, never!
His hands still swinging the gold coins left and right while hopping in between the steps. All of the thought about revenge had vanished from his brain.
"So, you agree to accompany me now?" Chen Yongrui asked. His smile became brighter and brighter.
Shao Chen almost nodded again when his eyes caught the kitchen's front door. At the very edge of his brain, a small size word of 'revenge' finally reappeared, warning him.
'Oh my God! I almost forget!' He reflexively shook his head.
"Why?" Chen Yongrui became confused. He thought he had succeeded in persuading Shao Chen. His bright eyes dimmed a bit.
Shao Chen glanced at Chen Yongrui, a bit depressed. For the sake of his beloved money, he really really really wanted to accept Chen Yongrui's invitation but his main purpose now is for revenge and for that he had to go to that stingy Thief Emperor's place.
His brain was carrying out an emergency meeting.
"Revenge is more important!" The revenge team shouted.
"Stupid! If you get your money back, you don't have anything to do with that stingy emperor again," The money is my life team laughed mockingly.
'That's right! If I get my money back from this man, It's quicker than get revenge on that emperor to get my money back,' he thought, almost agreeing to the money is my life team now.
"You are wrong! Did not you remember all of that horrible cry and scream from the Yao Family? You have to get revenge for them!"
Shao Chen's face darken. 'Right, that was really horrible. I must fulfill what mother had said!' He wanted to started his step to the kitchen.
However, the two teams in his brain could not stop fighting and arguing. Shao Chen was getting back and forth between the two sides. At last, his brain got short circuited, puffing black smoke.
'Arghhh! I don't know what to do!!!'
At the same time, Chen Yongrui was observing Shao Chen's weird behavior. For several seconds, Shao Chen suddenly started to walk before stopping after one or two steps, then after several seconds, he will started to walk again before repeating the same pattern over and over again. At first, he wanted to call Shao Chen and get him back from his reverie but Shao Chen's action was too funny that he could not help to not watching in amusement.
At the end of the argument, the revenge team finally won. Even though, Shao Chen loved money but first of all, he got into this sh*tty place for revenge. After his revenge done, he could search for money again. He even thought that, if in the next day he could meet this prince again, he could ask for money again! With that thought, his eyes finally got back its light.
"I must go to the Thief Emperor's office," Shao Chen finally said.
Chen Yongrui was disappointed and he expressed it clearly without any intention to cover it up a bit. "Ok … then, I will go with you to the office, is that okay?"
Shao Chen did not bother to reply. He had decided to speed up the revenge so that he could be free from this task and back to his money searching work.
Without knocking, he opened the kitchen door and in an instant, getting glared by a maidservant.
"We don't have any free food for you!" The girl snapped.
Shao Chen looked blankly at her, did not understand why she was so irritated. In an innocent expression, Shao Chen asked, "I need a teapot of sweet tea for The Thief Emperor."
****
"Here the tea! If you don't have anything else, scram!" The maidservant waved her hand to chase Shao Chen away. Every time she heard Shao Chen called His Majesty with 'Thief Emperor', her feature was getting uglier.
Shao Chen did not mind her attitude, received the tray filled with teapot and glass without changing any expression.
"Is that for Brother Liqin?" Chen Yongrui asked while walking beside Shao Chen to the office.
"Li … qin?" Shao Chen tilted his head.
Chen Yongrui almost rolled on the street because he laughed too hard. "You had annoyed him half to death but you even did not know his name?"
Shao Chen still confused. Chen Yongrui's words was very unclear because of laughter.
"Chen Liqin …," Chen Yongrui said after managed to stop his laugh. "… is Emp … Thief Emperor." After thought for a while, he decided to use how Shao Chen call his brother.
"Oh …." Shao Chen had never heard of that stingy man name or he had ever heard it but he did not bother to remember it. It was still not an important information for Shao Chen so he act indifferent.
"So, is this tea for Brother Liqin?" Chen Yongrui asked again.
Shao Chen nodded then their conversation ended.
Chen Yongrui tried to search for a new topic but until they arrived at the imperial office yard, he could find any good topic. The guards who noticed about Chen Yongrui immediately saluted while Shao Chen just got ignored as always.
They went inside the office. Chen Liqin had sat behind his desk, was reading one of the important document with serious expression.
Witnessing the two went inside together, Chen Liqin raised his eyebrows in wonder. He had felt strange when he arrived at the office and still could not find Shao Chen. However, he did not expect he would see his youngest brother walking beside Shao Chen this morning.
"Good morning, Brother," Chen Yongrui greeted casually.
"What are you doing with that crazy girl?" Chen Liqin asked in suspicion.
Meanwhile, Shao Chen had went to Chen Liqin's desk, put the tray there without saying anything. After that, he retreated several step before shot a stare to Chen Liqin.
Hearing his brother question, Chen Yongrui replied cheerfully, "I want to talk with her."
Chen Liqin's eyes twitched. "You want to … talk with … her …?" Remembering how hard to just talking one sentences with Shao Chen, Chen Liqin felt alarmed for his brother. "Are you sick? Let your Brother see!"
"What? I am okay, Brother Liqin!" Chen Yongrui shook his head quickly before Chen Liqin could stood up but Chen Liqin still got up and went closer to Chen Yongrui.
"I am no—"
Chen Liqin gripped Chen Yongrui's shoulders very hard. "Ah Rui! She is no good! Pick another girl, okay?" Chen Liqin whispered, full of worry for his brother bright future.
"Ah … you had found out? Haha … it is okay, you know? Is not she very interesting?" Chen Yongrui brushed his brother's hands off his shoulders casually, did not take Chen Liqin's advice to heart at all.
Chen Liqin's head ached instantly.