Proud One, What's Wrong with You?

[I have countless gems and pieces of jade. They don't interest me in the slightest, but since Hua Liuli wants to be friends with me, I'll grant her wish. After all, she's beautiful and badass now, just my kind of girl.]

"Sure, I'd love to be friends with you." Ning Sang-sang agreed with a smile.

Hua Liuli smiled and said meaningfully, "You're very cute. I like you very much, and I believe we'll become very good friends."

Ning Sang-sang: "..."

[Girl? Are you sure you want to be good friends with me? With that strange tone of yours, why do I get the impression you want us to be lilies in bloom-a lesbian couple?]

Hua Liuli was taken aback. "..."

Strange tone? Was there something wrong with the way I spoke? And what were these "lilies" she mentioned?

Just as she parted her lips, wanting to say something, a clear male voice rang out with a hint of laughter:

"Miss Ning, I like your personality very much as well. Would you be willing to be friends with me?"

Hua Liuli looked toward the voice and saw Gu Yunshen gazing intently at Ning Sang-sang, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his lips. Her delicate brows immediately drew together. Gu Yunshen also wants to use friendship with Ning Sang-sang as an excuse to get close to her and learn her true thoughts.

Seeing that even Gu Yunshen wanted to be friends with her, Ning Sang-sang raised an eyebrow slightly.

[What's going on today? Why do Hua Liuli and Gu Yunshen both want to be friends with me? And Seventh Prince Chu Aotian's male lead halo seems a little weak today. He couldn't even catch Hua Liuli's attention.]

Seventh Prince Chu Aotian frowned deeply, wondering to himself, What's this about my male lead halo?

Before he could make sense of it, Ning Sang-sang's voice rang out again.

[Honestly, Seventh Prince Chu Aotian has a lousy personality, a lousy temper, and a whole heap of flaws. There's nothing worth liking about him. If he didn't have that male lead halo, Hua Liuli probably wouldn't even spare him a proper glance.]

Hua Liuli nodded vigorously inwardly, wholeheartedly agreeing with Ning Sang-sang. In her eyes, Seventh Prince Chu Aotian really was thoroughly unlikable. The man she admired should be gentle and kind, with the warm luster of fine jade. By contrast, Seventh Prince Chu Aotian wore an icy face all day, looking for all the world as though someone owed him money. He was so irritating that she almost wanted to swing a fist at him.

Listening to Ning Sang-sang judge him like this in her thoughts, Seventh Prince Chu Aotian's face darkened at once, fury blazing in his chest. Just then, that damned Ning Sang-sang's inner voice reached his ears yet again...

[Speaking of which, does Seventh Prince Chu Aotian really have eight-pack abs? Are those firm abs really like a washboard? Could you use them to scrub clothes? When I get the chance, I'll definitely have to find someone to test that out in person.]

Seventh Prince Chu Aotian's expression instantly turned so dark it looked as though it could drip ink.

"Enough!" Unable to bear it any longer, he finally roared.

His sudden shout gave Ning Sang-sang a terrible fright. She looked at Seventh Prince Chu Aotian in utter bewilderment and found him glaring furiously at her. She blinked her big, watery eyes, her expression full of innocence and confusion.

[Proud One, what's wrong with you?]

[Are you angry because you saw Gu Yunshen wanting to be friends with me? Proud One...]

Seventh Prince Chu Aotian: "..."

For a moment, he even began to suspect something was wrong with his hearing. Otherwise, how could he have heard such an affectionate nickname as "Proud One" coming from Ning Sang-sang?

Beside him, Gu Yunshen couldn't hold back a snort of laughter when he heard that peculiar nickname, "Proud One." But the moment he noticed Seventh Prince Chu Aotian's sharp glare, he immediately wiped the smile off his face, afraid of provoking his already furious companion.

After warning Gu Yunshen with a cold look, Seventh Prince Chu Aotian turned his piercing gaze on Ning Sang-sang.

[What are you looking at, Proud One? If you keep this up, I'll sneak over tonight to peek at your abs and let all the girls in the Capital know you've got an eight-pack that can double as a washboard.]

Seventh Prince Chu Aotian: "..."

[Proud One, what's wrong with you, exactly? Say something! The way you're staring at me is about to trigger my compulsive urges. I really want to pick off that mole by your eye that looks like eye crust!]

Seventh Prince Chu Aotian: "..."

At that moment, he felt an urge to wring the neck of the girl before him.

[Proud One, what are you doing? Why do you keep staring at me without saying anything? Proud One, Proud One, Proud One, hurry up and say something, Proud One...]

Ning Sang-sang kept calling to Seventh Prince Chu Aotian in her mind.

Beside them, Gu Yunshen was laughing his head off inwardly as he listened to Ning Sang-sang call "Proud One" over and over in her thoughts. Hahaha, Proud One! That nickname is hilarious!

Just as he was laughing inwardly, Ning Sang-sang's inner voice suddenly rang out again:

[What an oblivious purple-skinned scallion! Can't you see Proud One is sulking? You don't even know to go comfort him. All you do is stand there grinning like a complete dimwit!]

Gu Yunshen: "..."

Why was she talking about him again? He liked listening to her endlessly discuss other people or their affairs in her thoughts, but when she talked about him, it hurt. That "purple-skinned scallion" nickname in particular was enough to drive him mad.

"Ahem." He cleared his throat softly and turned to Seventh Prince Chu Aotian. "Proud..." He nearly blurted out "Proud One," but luckily slammed on the brakes at the crucial moment. Then, wearing a teasing smile, he said to Seventh Prince Chu Aotian, "Aotian, don't keep staring at Miss Ning like that. She's a young lady, after all, and thin-skinned. With you looking straight at her like that, she's bound to feel terribly shy."

Ning Sang-sang nodded slightly in agreement.

[Exactly! This little face of mine has such thin skin. How could it withstand you staring holes through it? Proud One, you're embarrassing me, looking at me like that.]

Seventh Prince Chu Aotian: "???"

Thin-skinned? Embarrassed?

This damned girl really knows how to spout blatant lies!

Ning Sang-sang felt thoroughly uncomfortable under Seventh Prince Chu Aotian's stare. Just as she was about to say something, he shifted his gaze away from her. She breathed a sigh of relief and muttered inwardly:

[Seventh Prince Chu Aotian looks like there's something wrong with him today.]

Seventh Prince Chu Aotian's face darkened. Just as he was about to say something, a lively young male voice rang out.