I, the villainous eldest prince, will suppress everything!

Hearing this answer, Huangfu Song breathed a sigh of relief; it was exactly what he had expected.

Before Lu Shushu could speak again, Huangfu Song stood up and walked outside.

Just as Lu Shushu was about to chase after him, Zhou Biao, who rushed in, stretched out his arm to stop her.

"Miss Lu, please wait!"

"Grandpa, look at him."

Lu Shushu couldn't help but complain.

To everyone's surprise, Huangfu Song completely ignored Lu Shushu, as if he hadn't heard her voice, and his figure quickly disappeared into the courtyard gate.

After emerging, Huangfu Song went straight to Qin Li and asked, "Does Your Highness keep your word?"

Qin Li smiled and retorted, "In Lord Huangfu's heart, is it me who keeps my word, or that old man?"

"Of course Qin Li keeps his word..." Huangfu Song thought to himself.

Although Emperor Xuan was the emperor, Huangfu Song had seen everything he had done over the years, and he didn't bother to criticize him.

"Very well, since that's the case, I'll give Your Highness a chance. However, Your Highness must do what you just said and not use force. You must make Shushu willingly become a concubine, otherwise I will absolutely not agree."

"After the imperial examination, I will come again. If Shushu is still unwilling to become Your Highness's concubine by then, Your Highness must let Shushu go."

Hearing this, Qin Li pointed at Huangfu Song, shook his finger slightly, and said irritably:

"Huangfu Song, Huangfu Song, what can I say to you? If I'm not mistaken, Miss Lu will enter the palace after the imperial examination. You're trying to have your cake and eat it too. Miss Lu can't marry into the Crown Prince's household, but she can still enter the palace and become the Empress after the imperial examination."

Hearing this, Huangfu Song gritted his teeth in anger, "What do you mean by 'pleasing both sides'? Both sides are pits of fire. I don't want Shushu to jump into either one, but what can I do?"

Qin Li raised his hand and said, "Lord Huangfu, what you're saying is ridiculous. The palace is a pit of fire, but my residence is not. Lord Huangfu, you haven't seen how harmonious my women get along. Miss Lu is just as good as anyone else. I'm saving her; otherwise, she would have become that old man's wife."

Huangfu Song didn't want to listen to Qin Li's nonsense, so he turned and left the alley.

At the alley entrance, Lu Heng had been waiting for a long time.

Upon seeing Huangfu Song emerge, he hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "How is my father-in-law?"

Huangfu Song looked at Lu Heng and said, "For the time being, you and Xinrui should return to the manor to stay."

Where is Xinrui?

Huangfu Song asked.

He hadn't seen his daughter since he arrived.

Lu Heng quickly explained, "Xinrui was very tired after a day of sightseeing, and this place is like this, so I booked a room for her at a nearby inn."

Huangfu Song nodded: "Let's go, pick up Xinrui, and go home."

As Lu Heng followed Huangfu Song, he asked, "But father-in-law, what about Shushu?"

Huangfu Song didn't even turn his head: "He is the Crown Prince, the heir apparent of the country. Why would he make things difficult for a little girl?"

"Without my order, neither you nor Xinrui are allowed to return during this period, do you understand?"

Lu Heng dared not disobey Huangfu Song, and nodded upon hearing this.

Soon, Huangfu Song, Lu Heng, and the others disappeared from the Imperial Academy.

"Oh, you've finally decided to give it up?"

"Neither your father nor your maternal grandfather wants you anymore."

When Qin Li came in, he saw Lu Shushu standing in the courtyard and couldn't help but laugh and tease her.

Lu Shushu wanted to force her way out, but when she saw Zhou Biao guarding the door closely, she gave up the idea.

As a weak woman, she certainly wouldn't be able to escape from Qin Li and Zhou Biao, not to mention Qin Li's men were outside.

Hearing Qin Li's infuriating words, Lu Shushu stomped her foot and said, "My dad and grandpa would never abandon me! They're definitely trying to find a way!"

Looking at Qin Li, Lu Shushu asked, "Who exactly are you? Even my grandfather can't afford to offend you."

Qin Li said with a smile, "Aren't you very smart? Guess."

Lu Shushu couldn't guess it for a while.

He then turned around and went back into the house, slamming the door shut with a bang.

You're kidding me!

At this moment, Zhou Biao stepped forward and whispered, "Your Highness, aren't we giving Huangfu Song too much face by doing this? If you ask me, let's just snatch the person and take them back to the manor. Let's see what Huangfu Song does then. He can't possibly send people to forcibly take them back, and even if he does, he won't be able to."

Qin Li subconsciously rubbed the jade thumb ring on his thumb.

But when he tried to rub it, he found nothing; the jade thumb ring had already been tricked away by Lu Shushu.

After withdrawing his hand, Qin Li said, "I am already the Crown Prince, and I will soon be sitting on that chair. I can no longer snatch things away like before. I need to leave a good reputation, don't you think?"

Zhou Biao scratched his head, indicating that he didn't understand.

If things continue like this, it will be really unpleasant. I'd rather be the eldest prince.

"Alright, get back to work. We'll be living here from now on. By the way, have you taken care of everything at the manor?" Qin Li asked.

Zhou Biao nodded. "Everything has been explained. There's nothing to worry about."

Qin Li hummed in agreement, still not sleepy, and continued to lie on the wicker chair in the yard, thinking about things.

……

Early the next morning.

As dawn broke, the eastern sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of white.

A room in the courtyard creaked open, and the door was pushed open a crack.

Lu Shushu, like a thief, carried a bundle on her shoulder, trying to escape.

She had been observing for a long time, but there was no one in the courtyard. She didn't know where Qin Li and Zhou Biao had gone. She guessed they had tidied up the study last night and gone to sleep there, and hadn't woken up yet.

She pushed the door open quietly, and before leaving, Lu Shushu didn't forget to take her three tabby cats with her.

Soon, Lu Shushu arrived at the courtyard gate, and she gently pushed it open as before.

But as soon as she pushed it open, several flashes of cold light passed before her eyes.

Lu Shushu was startled and quickly backed away.

Zhou Biao chuckled as he sheathed his drawn sword and asked, "Where are you headed so early, Miss Lu?"

Lu Shushu swallowed hard and said, "You weren't sleeping?"

Zhou Biao said, "I'm asleep, but I woke up earlier than you."

Lu Shushu was furious. If she had known this would happen, she would have gotten up even earlier and definitely been able to escape.

However, the person who appeared behind Zhou Biao made her feel a sharp pain in her face.

The alley was filled with guards with swords at their waists; even if she had wings, she couldn't escape.

Just then, the study door creaked open, and Qin Li yawned and stretched as he walked out.

Seeing the scene at the courtyard gate, Qin Li said, "Miss Lu, this is not good. I'm not a bad person, why are you running away?"

Discovered while trying to escape, Lu Shushu angrily abandoned the three cats, clutched the bundle on her shoulder, and returned to her room, slamming the door shut with a bang.

Finally, he didn't forget to throw in a threat: "Don't be so smug, my dad and my grandpa are coming to rescue me right away!"