AEKMEM chapter 47

“Qiao… Qiao Qiao?!” Chu Heng was so panicked that he couldn’t speak coherently.

An Qiao ignored him.

For the Elf King, being deceived was an unpleasant experience.

What displeased him even more was that he hadn’t been wary at all and had been so easily fooled by Chu Heng’s disguise.

Clearly, Chu Heng hadn’t cared about his mother before. Just because she had cursed him didn’t mean he was “heartbroken” and “depressed.” That was simply impossible! A closer look would reveal that something was amiss, yet he hadn’t noticed!

Thinking back to how he had foolishly gone to the trouble of preparing a “surprise” for the “depressed” Chu Heng, An Qiao secretly regretted his past softheartedness.

“Qiao Qiao, it was my fault!” Chu Heng hurriedly shouted.

An Qiao: “… ”

An Qiao’s cold expression cracked slightly.

Did you have to apologize so smoothly and skillfully? And shout it so loudly? Half the manor heard it! It was as if, if there were a washboard in front of him, he would kneel on it without hesitation to admit his mistake and beg for forgiveness.

Shaking off this inappropriate and absurd thought, An Qiao smiled faintly. “You know you’re wrong, but you’ll do it again next time, won’t you?”

Ignoring Chu Heng, who was about to say something more, An Qiao turned and left. Before leaving, he glared at Chu Heng as a warning.

“Don’t follow me!”

Chu Heng’s steps faltered.

If he chased after An Qiao, who was already angry, he would only make things worse.

But if he didn’t, An Qiao might leave without giving him a chance to salvage the situation. Although An Qiao didn’t seem to intend to leave, what if he did? What if he went out for a stroll and suddenly changed his mind? Chu Heng slumped down. His bloodshot eyes were filled with regret, pain, and anxiety.

“Your Highness, are you really not going to chase him?” the adjutant Jiang Qi asked in a tiny, cautious voice.

“Of course I have to chase…” Chu Heng muttered.

Of course he would chase him! But he could keep his distance so that Qiao Qiao wouldn’t see and get angry.

**

An Qiao walked out of the garden castle with a cold expression.

His Majesty the Elf King, whose idol image weighed eight tons, felt he had been laughed at by Chu Heng!

His anger soared, and he didn’t even notice Chu Heng following him at a distance.

Outside the garden castle was a quiet street. The street was lined with various plants, and elegant teahouses, cafés, flower shops, and libraries could occasionally be seen behind quaint wooden doors, hidden by flowers and vines.

This area was adjacent to Emerald Lake Park, the largest and most beautiful park in Blue Star City. It boasts beautiful scenery and a tranquil environment. Against the backdrop of blue skies, white clouds, and distant green mountains, the park was even more serene and bright.

But An Qiao, who was always close to nature, didn’t have time to appreciate it today.

He was initially angry with Chu Heng and with himself for being soft-hearted and deceived.

However, as he walked, he suddenly sensed a trace of the magic of his original world.

This trace of magic was also vaguely familiar.

He had detected this wisp of magical energy a few days ago, but it was so faint that it quickly dissipated before he could track it down.

Several days passed, and he had almost forgotten about it, thinking it might have just been a hallucination.

Unexpectedly, the magical energy reappeared.

An Qiao couldn’t help but recall his earlier speculation, wondering if someone from the elven world had transmigrated here as well and if he had seen such a person before.

However, although this wisp of magic felt familiar, it gave him an inexplicable feeling of disgust.

Frowning, An Qiao followed the trail of magical energy.

**

Chu Heng followed An Qiao at a distance, keeping a low profile.

Keeping his distance, he sent Yin Que a message on his personal terminal: “Have you found the crystal I asked you to find?”

After leaving the Spirit Burial Snowfield, Chu Heng hadn’t forgotten his promise to find the special crystal An Qiao wanted. He vowed to gather a bunch for him to play with.

He had instructed his subordinates to keep an eye out for the crystal and had also asked several friends for help.

But after some time, there was no progress.

Chu Heng asked Yin Que hopefully, thinking that if they could find the crystal, An Qiao might calm down.

But Yin Que was clearly disappointed.

Yin Que quickly replied: [Not found.]

[By the way, are you sure this kind of crystal exists? I’ve been doing business all over the country for years and have never seen it. I’ve never seen it auctioned in any legal or illegal auction house.]

Chu Heng replied, [Of course it exists. My Qiaoqiao and I have both seen it with our own eyes.]

[Fine, I know you’re unreliable. I’ll ask someone else.]

Yin Que: “…”

Seriously, he asked him to find something and was so rude to him.

However, he and Chu Heng were always good at teasing each other. It was common for them to tease and undermine each other.

But why did Chu Heng seem a little irritable today? Usually, Chu Heng calmly and nonchalantly exchanged barbs with him.

Could it be that this special crystal was something that his Crown Princess An Qiao wanted and that Chu Heng had angered him by not giving it? Did he desperately need this crystal to make amends?

—To be fair, Yin Que had correctly guessed the truth.

Yin Que shook his head and clicked his tongue a few times.

Who would have thought that Chu Heng, who used to be indifferent to beauty and declared he would never find a partner or spend his savings, would one day be so henpecked?

In contrast, Yin Que was more rational and resolute. He said he wouldn’t find a partner and that he would never allow anyone to waste even half a star coin of his money. He had worked so hard for years to accumulate this modest fortune. Finally, he could sleep on star coins. Sleeping with star coins was definitely more comfortable than sleeping with a partner.

Chu Heng had no idea about Yin Que’s complaints.

He stubbornly contacted the friends he’d asked to search for the special crystal. Unsurprisingly, none of them had found it.

Chu Heng knew that if they had found it, they would have informed him immediately. However, he desperately needed the crystal to ease the tension between him and An Qiao.

Even after asking his last friend, Shen You, he still didn’t get the information he wanted.

Then, something occurred to him, and he asked, [When you upset your partner, how do you make it up to them?”] Among his friends, only Shen You, a wealthy tycoon, had a partner. Their relationship was so intimate and sweet that it was the envy of everyone.

Previously, Chu Heng was exasperated by Shen You’s romantic tendencies, but now…

Thinking about his future with An Qiao, he decided it was necessary to learn from this love expert.

Shen You: “…”

The richest man in the empire, Shen You actually didn’t have a partner, but he created the illusion of having one to ward off other suitors. “…………”

He recalled all the relationship manuals he had read to avoid revealing his secret, pondered for a while, and finally hesitantly typed: “[Just… quarrel at the head of the bed and make up at the foot of the bed?]”

Of course, Shen You could never have imagined that Chu Heng and An Qiao, the famously loving couple throughout the empire, had never formally held hands, let alone done anything else.

Chu Heng: “…”

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