Tearing the Prince's Clothes after Withdrawing Marriage
Chapter 317 - 316: Can I Pay for It?

Chapter 317: Chapter 316: Can I Pay for It?

Chu Qianli had spent a few peaceful days.

There hadn’t been any news from Prince Yexuan’s residence, and with Liujin taking care of him, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about.

What troubled her now was that she might not even qualify to enter the selection for Prince Yexuan’s Princess.

Having sent her portrait to the palace that day, Chu Qianli, with nothing to do for the first time ever, decided to stroll through the streets on her own.

It seemed like she had never really rested since arriving in this era.

Day after day, she was either pushed or pulled along.

She never had a chance to rest, and no one gave her the opportunity to do so.

Today, Chu Qianli left home without bringing anyone along and enjoyed herself on the main streets.

She not only had candied hawthorns but also indulged in many street foods she had never even seen before.

The flavors were completely different from those made by the chefs in the residence, and the street stalls were filled with delicacies.

Caught up in the excitement, she held a string of candied hawthorns in her left hand and a packet of sugar-roasted chestnuts in her right.

She didn’t care about her image as she walked and ate on the busy street.

That was until she caught sight of a somewhat familiar figure.

Qin Xiao?

Since their last encounter on Phoenix Mountain, she hadn’t seen the general again.

Seeing him limp as he walked, Chu Qianli suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.

Back then, he was seriously injured, his bones shattered, and she had promised to help heal him.

But obviously, after returning to the Imperial City, because too many things had happened, she had completely forgotten about Qin Xiao’s matter.

Just as she was about to approach him, she overheard the man in front of Qin Xiao mocking, "You’re already a cripple, yet you still dream of competing for Grandfather’s favor against a young master like me, Qin Xiao, where do you get the face?"

Qin Xiao ignored him and tried to walk past.

But the man stepped forward to block his path, "What’s wrong? Now that you see your big brother, do you feel like a stray dog?"

"Remember when you used to strut around proudly because Grandfather favored you? Oh right, you have Prince Yexuan, whose friendship with you runs deep, don’t you? But now you’re a cripple. Tell me, do you think the high and mighty Prince Yexuan would still want to associate with you?"

The man burst into loud laughter.

The guards behind him, although they dared not disrespect their young master, all wore smiles as they enjoyed the spectacle.

Qin Xiao still didn’t want to engage, and with his path forward blocked, he intended to turn around and leave.

What he didn’t expect, though, was to see Chu Qianli standing not far behind him when he turned around.

He was slightly stunned, not expecting to meet her here.

Nor did he expect her to witness such a disgraceful side of himself.

"What’s wrong? Useless trash, you can’t even walk away quickly. Do you really think you’re still the Qin family’s Third Young Master? Don’t you know that you are worthless in Father’s eyes?"

Qin Xiao took his steps and left.

The elder son of the Qin family wanted to chase after him, but the two guards behind him gently held him back.

"Eldest Young Master, after all, this is a public place. If this gets back to the old master, he will not be pleased."

The elder Qin son grunted and spat before finally turning away.

Before leaving, he sneered, "He’s completely useless now, just a surplus to the world. If I were him, I would just hang myself and end it!"

"Hahaha..."

At last, they were gone.

"Miss Chu." Qin Xiao waited until they were far away before approaching Chu Qianli, nodding slightly with a smile, "We meet again."

"It’s been a long time." Chu Qianli’s gaze fell on his leg.

Before she could say anything, Qin Xiao interjected, "I have other matters to attend to, and I must take my leave now. Miss Chu, take care when you are out on your own."

He bowed his hands in greeting and turned, ready to leave with a limp.

After hesitating for a moment, Chu Qianli chased after him, "Qin Xiao, I said I would heal you."

"Did you?" Qin Xiao turned to look at her, and on that cheerful face, there was an air of indifference, "I had forgotten about that. Miss Chu, let’s talk some other day..."

"I can cure you," Chu Qianli’s words, though spoken softly, carried great weight.

Her gaze was indescribably serious.

For a brief moment, Qin Xiao even believed that she really could cure him.

But, that was just a fleeting illusion.

Still, he raised a faint smile and said, "I’m not as fragile as you think. There’s no need to console me; I’m quite fine as I am now."

"General Qin, I’ve said before that I can cure you. I only wish to fulfill my promise."

Back on the battlefield, she had treated him.

She said that his leg could be healed, and she should have immediately returned to treat him after that.

But she had forgotten about his situation.

"I’m not doing this for you," Chu Qianli walked up to him, "but I genuinely have a way to cure you."

Fractured bones are not difficult to treat.

"Unless you give up yourself."

Qin Xiao’s palm slowly clenched into a fist.

"Why do you want to help me? I am Yexuan’s friend. Our positions..."

"When we were at Phoenix Mountain, I told you that your leg could be healed. So, no matter whose side you’re on, in my eyes, you’re just a patient."

Chu Qianli stared at his leg. "General Qin, during our time in Tuoxi Village, I realized you truly are a good person, a good general."

"If you’re not a bad person, there’s no reason to let you die without helping. If you feel uneasy about it, just pay me after I’ve cured you."

In truth, Qin Xiao didn’t care about money at all.

His family, the Qins, had more money than they knew what to do with.

But she kept saying that she could heal him. He didn’t dare believe her words anymore, yet who could willingly give up hope?

"Just a couple of days ago, I was even persuading Yexuan to find another girl..."

He felt he needed to make things clear.

"So, Miss Chu, are you still willing to treat me?"

Chu Qianli looked at him and, after a moment, blinked and smiled. "You... are quite amusing."

Qin Xiao didn’t understand what she meant by that.

Chu Qianli didn’t want to explain. "It was I who didn’t want him. If he could find another girl and live a good life, that would actually put me at ease."

"Is that really what you think?" Prince Yexuan’s unrivaled beauty made him the dream husband for at least half the girls in Beiming Country.

How could she be so indifferent to the Prince?

"Sorry, I’m not accustomed to sharing personal feelings."

So whether it was her true feeling or not, it was none of his business.

"Your leg requires cutting open the flesh and fixing it with a steel plate... Do you dare to try?"

What didn’t Qin Xiao dare to do?

His leg was ruined; it was akin to a last-ditch effort to treat a dying horse as if it were still alive.

"Don’t lose heart. Since it’s already like this, there’s no harm in trying. Or are you saying that you don’t have the courage to face disappointment one more time?"

Qin Xiao looked at her.

Actually, it wasn’t that hard to accept.

It was just that his relation to her was rather awkward.

He stood on Yexuan’s side, but now, this young girl was clearly standing in opposition to Yexuan.

He always felt that accepting her treatment would be a betrayal to Yexuan.

After an unknown amount of time, Qin Xiao finally said, "Can I pay?"

After a moment of silence, Chu Qianli smiled, "If you don’t pay, who would treat you?"