Chapter 85
‘Perhaps in Bai Renshu’s eyes, I am no different than an ant that will be stepped on the moment I set foot in the forest,’ the younger man gritted his teeth while looking at the older Prince.
He was indeed annoyed by the way Bai Renshu looked down on him, but he thought it would be interesting if he played with the white-haired Crown Prince. “What would you give me if I managed to survive for more than ten minutes in the Forbidden Forest, Your Highness? There’s always a prize in every bet, right?” He asked the older Prince.
Even if Bai Chen wasn’t sure that he would survive the event, he still wanted to know what the Crown Prince would bet on this time.
“You dare to bet with me?” Bai Renshu asked back arrogantly. “But, don’t you think that ten minutes would be too easy for you? Even an ant would be able to survive if it were only ten minutes. Do you think you are no different than an ant, Bai Chen?”
Bai Chen gnashed his teeth again. It was Bai Renshu who doubted that he would be able to survive after entering the forest for ten minutes, but it was also Bai Renshu who said that ten minutes was too easy.
And it was as if the older man could read Bai Chen’s mind, he even implied that Bai Chen was no different from an ant. Bai Chen knew that it was just a coincidence that the two of them thought of an ant almost simultaneously, but he was still annoyed when he saw how arrogant his ‘brother’ was.
“It’s indeed easy, Your Highness,” Bai Chen replied, and he could hear Ma Qiao gasping for air as he heard his answer. Ignoring the servant, he focused his blue eyes on another pair of blue crystals in front of him. “I’ve learned how to fight from a Sentinel, and I’m sure I’ll be able to last more than ten minutes. Would you like to give me a more difficult challenge? I’ll accept your challenge no matter what.”
Bai Chen had nothing to lose, and if he wanted to be seen as the capable Prince of Dong Lang, then he had to bravely face the Crown Prince who would be the next ruler of Dong Lang.
.....
Bai Chen realized that Bai Renshu was his rival. If Bai Renshu succeeded in obtaining the throne from the current Emperor, then it felt like his chances of becoming Emperor was instantly closed.
Bai Renshu was already married, and he would probably have a son in the near future. Even if Bai Renshu died while that man was sitting on the throne, the throne would be passed to Bai Renshu’s son, not him.
Therefore, Bai Chen knew that he should not take Bai Renshu lightly if he wanted to usurp the throne from the older man.
“You’ve learned how to fight from a Sentinel, you say?” Bai Renshu replied while glancing at the Sentinel, who was now standing near a big tree after seeing his arrival at the palace. “You worked hard to prepare yourself for the event, and you were also ready to accept my challenge. So, you won’t be afraid if I say that you have to survive the event if you want to win the bet, right?”
Hearing another arrogance coming from the older man, Bai Chen was not surprised by it. He had predicted the outcomes, and he thought that it would be no different for him whether he accepted the bet or not.
In the end, he still had to fight to the end to survive, so he was sure it would be fine if he accepted the challenge. With or without the bet with the Crown Prince, he would still try to survive the events.
“Yes, I won’t be afraid,” Bai Chen replied. “If I die in the forest, then that means you won the bet, right? But the dead won’t be able to pay anything even if they lose, so I don’t have to pay you anything if I lose, right?”
When Bai Chen thought about it again. The bet initiated by the older Prince sounded ridiculous, and it even gave him an advantage even if he ended up losing the bet.
It was strange, but Bai Chen had agreed to the bet, and Bai Renshu smirked after getting the younger man’s approval.
“The bet hasn’t even started yet, but you’re already thinking of losing,” the white-haired man sneered at the brown-haired one. “But yeah, you’re right about your theory. If you lose the bet, it means you’re dead, so you don’t have to pay me anything.”
It seemed that Bai Renshu was mocking him, but Bai Chen ignored the man as he asked once again, “Then, what will I get if I win the bet, Your Highness?”
Bai Chen looked confident, but actually, he just wanted to know how far the Crown Prince was looking down on him.
“About that...” Bai Renshu trailed along with a frown, but then he continued, “I will let you marry Shao Meihui if you manage to survive the Beast Hunting Event.”
Bai Chen knew that the Crown Prince would not dare to bet on something bigger like the throne, but he was still surprised when he heard about the prize the Crown Prince had promised him.
“Shao Meihui? Who is she?” Bai Chen was new to this world, and he didn’t know many names. That was why he had reflectively said the question, and he hoped it would not trigger a warning from the system.
“You don’t know the name of your future wife?” Instead of answering, Bai Renshu asked back.
Not receiving any warning from the system, now Bai Chen was trying to digest Bai Renshu’s question. The older man said that Shao Meihui was the name of his future wife, but he had no girlfriend in this world, and he had never even met any girl in this world other than the maids.
But then he remembered something. “Is she the daughter of the Black Werewolf Clan?” He asked.
Bai Chen was indeed slow, but he wasn’t forgetful. The information from the Emperor was surprising, but he still remembered the plan related to the daughter of the Black Werewolf Clan.
The Emperor didn’t tell him the girl’s name, but when he heard Bai Renshu mention a girl’s name and say that the girl would be his future wife, he was able to connect the dots and was now waiting for Bai Renshu’s confirmation.
“I don’t think the Emperor told you about your future wife’s name,” Bai Renshu commented. “Then, you should thank me for telling you her name.”
Bai Chen didn’t think he should thank Bai Renshu because the name didn’t matter to him. However, his forehead formed several folds because he was curious about something.
“The Emperor was the one who planned the wedding, and he also informed me that the Black Werewolf Clan has approved the plan. Then, why do I need to obtain your permission to marry Shao Meihui, Your Highness?” Bai Chen was proud of himself because he managed to find a hole in Bai Renshu’s words, and even if he looked calm, he was celebrating how smart he was in his heart.
Bai Renshu previously looked confident with his words, but he suddenly looked surprised, and Bai Chen found it interesting.
First, the Crown Prince suddenly used Shao Meihui as a reward for the winner of the bet, and second, the Crown Prince looked confused when he heard Bai Chen’s question.
Bai Chen knew that the white-haired man was trying to hide something, but he patiently waited for the man to answer his question.
However, it was Bai Chen’s turn to look puzzled when Bai Renshu suddenly burst out laughing.
“You dare ask that question?” The taller man asked in between his laughter. “I am the Crown Prince of this empire, and my opinion matters. If I tell the Emperor that I don’t agree with the plan, then maybe he will change his mind. Don’t you understand about something as simple as that?”
In Bai Chen’s eyes, Bai Renshu was only trying to show off his power, and he chose to remain calm even though the older man mocked him. One thing he didn’t understand about the Crown Prince was the reason why the Crown Prince thought that he wanted to marry Shao Meihui when the man had known that the real Bai Chen in this world was gay.
And perhaps Bai Chen wrote his curiosity on his face because Bai Renshu suddenly explained, “Don’t you know that the head of the Black Werewolf Clan is your mother’s best friend? If you marry his daughter, then you will have the support of the clan. Do you think I will let you marry Shao Meihui so easily?”