Chapter 39: Are You Sure It Was Your First Kiss?

The diners were startled by the sudden upheaval.

Prince Suping wailed as he lunged forward, "Shaoyang, my son!"

"Do not touch Qi Shaoyang!" Jiang Luan frowned and pushed Qi Shaolin. "Stop him quickly."

Although reluctant, Qi Shaolin stepped forward, grabbed Prince Suping by the arm, and dragged him aside.

Enraged, Prince Suping beat and kicked at him, shouting, "What are you trying to do!"

"Father, it hurts! It hurts so much!" Qi Shaoyang shrieked, his voice distorted by agony.

It was no wonder; the kettle of water had just come to a boil, and having it poured directly over his head was enough to parboil him. Before long, the redness subsided, and Qi Shaoyang’s skin turned deathly pale, quickly breaking out in a mass of gruesome blisters. Had Prince Suping reached out to grab his son, he would undoubtedly have caused the boy's skin to slough off entirely.

Jiang Luan had his own plans. He immediately ordered Zuo Lang, "Go and fetch clean water and gauze." Zuo Lang turned and left.

As it happened, some spring water brought down from the mountains earlier that day had gone unused, which would be perfect for soothing Qi Shaoyang’s burns. However, despite his excruciating pain, the moment Qi Shaoyang saw the items being brought by Jiang Luan, he hissed, "I don't want them! Get away from me! Don't try to harm me!"

"That's right! You people, stay away from my son!" Prince Suping clamored from the side.

Zuo Lang’s expression turned cold as he prepared to pin down the unruly Qi Shaoyang, but Jiang Luan intervened. "In that case, we won't force the issue."

After waving Zuo Lang off, Jiang Luan turned to Qi Shaolin. "Brother Lin, let him go."

Qi Shaolin released the Prince, who immediately threw himself onto his son. Qi Shaoyang’s severe burns, covered in large, dense blisters, burst open at the impact, causing him to howl in agony.

Watching this, Prince Suping’s heart bled with pain. He glared viciously at Jiang Luan. "You vile wretch..."

"Troublesome, isn't it? Everyone here has seen it," Jiang Luan remarked with a puzzled air. "It was your son who kicked over the kettle in an attempt to harm me. Now that his scheme has backfired, I’ve put aside my grievances to help him, so why am I the 'vile wretch'?"

The surrounding diners nodded in agreement.

"The young proprietor is returning evil with kindness, trying to help this pair despite everything, yet these ungrateful wretches don't even appreciate it..."

"Who is this man?" someone asked. "How can he be so arrogant, hurling insults like 'vile wretch'?"

"Don't you know? That is Prince Suping of the Qi estate in Yunjiang City. Come to think of it, he is the young proprietor's mother-in-law."

"Hah! So he’s a wicked mother-in-law! But that doesn't mean he can be so unreasonable, does it?"

"Didn't you hear me? He's Prince Suping! He's a prince! Besides..." the person lowered their voice, "I hear he's quite cozy with City Lord Jiang."

"They say a strong dragon doesn't bully the local snake, but when the dragon and the snake are in cahoots, they are truly untouchable," someone concluded.

Although Greenwater Isle was under the jurisdiction of Yunjiang City, it was separated by a river. The residents of the isle had little regard for an unknown Prince and were only slightly wary of the City Lord.

City Lord Jiang Junyu, standing nearby, felt his expression sour. He was a man who busied himself with official duties and upheld the law, but because of his professional dealings with Prince Suping and his son, he was now being dragged into this sordid mess.

Due to the vacancy of the Yunjiang Commander position, Prince Suping had been pestering him for quite some time. Originally, the position should have gone to the Qi estate, but the eldest grandson, Qi Shaolin, lacked the mental capacity; the age-appropriate Qi Shaokang was not of direct bloodline; and the youngest, Qi Shaoyang, was too young.

Jiang Junyu had wavered between Shaokang and Shaoyang. But a prince was still a prince, and since Qi Shaoyang had always behaved well in his presence, Jiang had been inclined to grant the favor. Who would have thought that today’s scene would expose the true nature of the father and son? If he were to hand such a position to people like this, how would the citizens of the city disparage him in the future? Jiang Junyu didn't even dare to imagine it.

***

Prince Suping was oblivious to the fact that his reckless behavior had cost him the position he so coveted, nor did he even notice that Jiang Junyu was present. He was solely focused on his son’s injuries and his hatred for Jiang Luan.

Judging others by his own standards, how could Prince Suping believe Jiang Luan was being kind? There had to be a trap!

Huachao stepped forward nervously. "My Prince, perhaps we should apply a cold compress to the young master first..."

"Whose side are you on?" Prince Suping glared at her.

In truth, Prince Suping was right about one thing: Jiang Luan was not truly "returning evil with kindness." He wasn't a saint—it was enough that he wasn't kicking them while they were down, let alone helping those who had tried to harm him. However, as his public identity was still that of the Qi family's grandson-in-law, he had to keep up appearances.

Who knew that Prince Suping’s paranoia would lead him to refuse the help at any cost? This, in fact, worked perfectly in Jiang Luan's favor.

Among the onlookers, a kind-hearted person who could not bear to see a child suffer spoke up, "I am a physician. The young proprietor is right; apply the cold compress quickly! Otherwise, the burns will worsen and may even lead to disfigurement..."

Prince Suping ignored him, sneering at Jiang Luan, "You little vixen, afraid I wouldn't take the bait, so you hired someone to act this out? Did you think I would fall for it?"

"You!" The man who had tried to help felt his kindness was wasted on a dog. Furious, he decided to let them be.

"I don't know how I have offended the Prince," Jiang Luan said calmly, "to deserve such harsh words?"

"Does everyone in Yunjiang City not know what kind of disgusting creature you are?" Prince Suping sneered. "It's only because these fools on Greenwater Isle don't know any better that you..."

"Enough!" Someone nearby could no longer listen and interrupted him.

"And who are you? Have you been bought by this little vixen Jiang Luan..." Prince Suping was about to vent his anger on the speaker, but when he turned and looked closely, he froze. "City... City Lord Jiang?"

Jiang Junyu, usually the picture of a gentleman, showed impatience on his face for the first time.

The onlookers whispered in wonder:
"The City Lord is here?"
"Shh!"
The gossiping commoners immediately fell silent.

Prince Suping clearly hadn't expected someone as busy as Jiang Junyu to have time to dine at an unremarkable eatery on Greenwater Isle. But as he was always arrogant, he didn't think his previous words were inappropriate, so he was extremely confused by the "disgust" on the City Lord's face.

"City Lord Jiang, you..."

Jiang Junyu gathered his complicated emotions. Even in front of so many people, he had to "sacrifice his kin for the greater good," or else he would be seen as no different from the father and son.

"Prince Suping, it would be best if you stopped your outburst here," Jiang Junyu said coldly. "Is your son’s condition not a concern?"

Prince Suping’s mind didn't catch the shift in tone. What did he mean by "stop the outburst"?

Even Qi Shaoyang sensed the City Lord’s displeasure. Coupled with his own intense pain, he tugged on his father’s sleeve. "Father, let’s just leave."

"Right, right," Prince Suping said in a panic, "let’s go find a doctor!"

The two were a complete mess. Huachao, the only "clear-eyed" one present, felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles. She had long foreseen this outcome, and after the events of last night, she viewed Jiang Luan as a demon and dared not oppose him further. She followed the Prince, ready to leave.

"You stay!" Prince Suping glared at her, signaling with his eyes. They had come today to ruin Jiang Luan’s restaurant; how could she leave before the deed was done?

Huachao could only hesitate where she stood. At this moment, she had lost all fighting spirit and deeply doubted—could they really succeed?

Prince Suping took his son away in defeat, and the restaurant returned to its former order. Jiang Luan bowed to Jiang Junyu. "My apologies, City Lord and Young Master Jiang, for the spectacle. It was merely a family matter..."

This sudden interlude did not affect Jiang Hao; he had simply enjoyed the show. He only thought the Prince was incredibly dull and ridiculous—Brother Baili was right. To deal with Jiang Luan, one couldn't rely on such people. Jiang Hao waved his fan... well, his fan had been snatched by Qi Shaolin, so he had nothing to wave. He said sympathetically, "Although it is a family matter, if I may speak frankly... the Prince was indeed being overly aggressive."

Jiang Luan gave a "weak" smile. "I'm used to it."

Jiang Junyu watched his aggrieved expression and sighed slightly. He had indulged the father and son for far too long.

"City Lord Jiang?" Jiang Luan asked, noticing the City Lord’s contemplative look.

Jiang Junyu snapped back to reality and smiled faintly. "By the way, Young Master Jiang, this brother of yours seems quite skilled. May I ask his name..."

"Who are you?" Qi Shaolin frowned, staring at Jiang Junyu. "Why should I tell you my name?"

"Hey, don't be impolite," Jiang Luan patted Qi Shaolin. "This is City Lord Jiang Junyu."

"City Lord this, City Lord that," Qi Shaolin disregarded the title entirely and clung to Jiang Luan, aggrieved. "Wife, this person just tried to hold you!"

At these words, everyone felt a wave of awkwardness.

Jiang Luan’s mouth twitched. "I think he was trying to help?"

Qi Shaolin said strangely, "My help is enough for you. This man is just in the way."

The person who was "in the way" coughed. "This must be Young Master Qi Shaolin of the Qi estate, then?"

Qi Shaolin asked curiously, "If you know who I am, why did you have to ask for my name?"

Everyone: "..."

Jiang Junyu burst into laughter. "My apologies, it was my oversight."

He laughed while secretly observing Qi Shaolin. He had heard that the eldest grandson of the Qi estate was an idiot, but he hadn't seen him until now. The young master was imposing, elegant in demeanor, and his movements were agile. It was a pity that an idiot was an idiot; no matter how good-looking, it was useless.

Jiang Junyu remembered holding a young Jiang Luan, a child who would pick the largest and most beautiful apples; now, he had married such a man. Still... the two seemed quite close, which put Jiang Junyu slightly at ease.

They sat down at the table again, this time with Qi Shaolin. Qi Shaolin was not shy, eating and drinking the moment he sat down, and specifically targeting the dishes on Jiang Junyu's side.

Jiang Luan smiled at first... but eventually, he couldn't keep it up.

"Brother Lin, come with me for a moment."

With a "gentle" smile, Jiang Luan pinched Qi Shaolin’s arm and dragged him away.