"Cough, cough..."
Xue Qinghe choked on his own saliva, his gentle and jade-like expression instantly crumbling. "My friend... this... this probably isn't quite in accordance with the rules, is it?"
"The Heaven Dou Imperial Family's Treasure Vault is the foundation of the nation. It contains rare treasures collected by generations of former emperors, even artifacts vital to the country's survival. Other than Imperial Father, not even I, the Crown Prince, can enter and leave at will, much less... take things as I please."
"Tsk."
The moment Xuan Hao heard that, his expectant little face instantly fell. He tossed the chess piece in his hand onto the table with a crisp clatter.
Leaning back and crossing his legs, his face was filled with the contemptuous look of I knew it.
"I knew it. All that talk about treating me as a national scholar and letting me use resources as I please was just empty promises."
"Anyone can say pretty things. You make it sound wonderful, but when it's time to actually pay up, suddenly there are rules and difficulties."
Xuan Hao pointed at Xue Qinghe, then turned to Ning Rongrong, who was counting Gold Soul Coins. "Rongrong, did you see that? This is what adult hypocrisy looks like."
"This is their so-called sincerity."
Ning Rongrong blinked her big eyes and nodded along very cooperatively, adding in her childish voice, "Mm! Crown Prince brother is a cheapskate! Even I've never been to the Treasure Vault!"
Xue Qinghe: "..."
Stinky boy!
At noon in the hotel, he had talked to him about power, status, and ideals, and the boy had dismissed it all with contempt.
But now that they were talking about money and treasures, he was suddenly interested?
So in this guy's eyes, her promises were worth less than a pile of