Ch. 1381..1390

Chapter 1381: 1380 beautiful woman

Tan Rou obediently nodded her head, “Thank you for the reminder, I will not inquire about the princess anymore, after all, my life safety is more important.”

Since she had already arrived in Country J, she would inevitably meet members of the royal family sooner or later. Perhaps Princess Samiyi was also there.

The group seemed to like this young girl from a foreign country, and they said to Tan Rou, “Perhaps in your country girls are highly respected, but in our country, there are many laws that oppress girls. Even though you are invited, be careful not to break any laws.”

Tan Rou was startled and then looked around for a while, indeed, she saw only a few women hurriedly moving about.

Before arriving in Country J, Tan Rou had learned about the social conditions of the country. Indeed, the nation was not very friendly towards women, and the number of women who could work was alarmingly few. She hadn’t expected the women who could work to be so scarce that at night, the streets were almost devoid of women.

After returning to her room, Tan Rou saw a message from Lin Yu telling her to meet at the palace tomorrow morning, where Prince Laka would personally receive them.

Tan Rou did not expect to meet the King, nor did she want to meet the King. The more powerful they are, the more difficult they are to deal with. She didn’t want to trouble herself further.

When she returned, Shang Jin had just finished taking a bath.

Shang Jin said, “This country has scarce water resources; the tap ran dry halfway through my bath, lucky I had filled some water in the sink, otherwise, I would have had to come out covered in foam.”

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Tan Rou said, “Let’s rest early after bathing and adjust to the time difference. Tomorrow, we have to go into the palace.”

Shang Jin asked, “Will we meet the King?”

“I don’t know,” Tan Rou was not sure about the situation tomorrow, “But tomorrow we will meet Prince Laka, he is in charge of receiving us.”

Speaking of the prince, Shang Jin thought of the child sleeping next door, “Boss, what do you plan to do with that kid? He says he’s a prince, should we really bring him into the palace?”

“Let’s not bring him in for now,” Tan Rou was considering other matters, “After we meet Laka, we can ask about Ajila’s affair, if Ajila is indeed the princess’s son, then we can take the child to her. If Ajila is lying, then we’ll take him to the police station.”

Shang Jin agreed with Tan Rou’s approach; she lay on the bed, feeling very tired, and said, “For this kid, we’ve gotten into a bunch of trouble, if he’s deceiving us, I definitely won’t let him off. I would pull down his pants and spank his buttocks until they blossom!”

Tan Rou laughed a bit and said, “Don’t think too much; let’s get some sleep.”

The next morning, Tan Rou woke up very early, maybe because she had slept too much yesterday, she didn’t even need to adjust for jet lag.

Hearing the noise, Shang Jin also woke up groggily, “Should we head out now?”

Tan Rou looked at the clock next to the bed and said, “We can get up now.”

Most of the team had already entered the palace, they had to meet up with the main force.

Tan Rou did not take Ajila with them; she left him a tablet to play games and watch cartoons in the hotel.

The room was supposed to be vacated this morning, but Tan Rou secretly extended the room for three more days because Ajila’s identity had yet to be confirmed, and he needed to stay here.

People in the palace guided Tan Rou and her group into the palace, which was very large. Upon entering, there were two big water pools, and next to them were many trees with green leaves.

In this region lacking water, only members of the royal family could own such a vast green space.

While Tan Rou and her team were admiring the beauty of the palace, a beautiful woman dressed in a long skirt approached them. Her stride was very steady, each step was measured as if done with a ruler.

“Good morning, Princess Samiyi!” the guide bowed and greeted the woman.

Princess Samiyi smiled gently and then asked, “Are you the distinguished guests from afar?”

Tan Rou answered, “We are just engineers here to discuss a project.”

 

 

Chapter 1382: 1381 doesn’t understand anything

Princess Samiyi flashed a modest smile, her expression so measured it seemed as if the curvature of her lips had been meticulously designed, each upward curl identical to the last.

“You were invited by my brother to help develop our country, so how could you not be esteemed guests?” said Princess Samiyi, “Please allow me to accompany you on your journey!”

“The princess is so polite!” Shang Jin whispered in her native language as she followed Tan Rou, “She and Prince Laka seem like gentle people, so I suppose the King of their nation must be quite approachable too.”

Tan Rou replied softly, “The King and the princess are different; even if the King is gentle, he must still appear very authoritative, so we mustn’t act too unrestrained in his presence, or we will undoubtedly stir up trouble.”

Shang Jin nodded, then released her hand from the translator and said, “You must be Princess Samiyi, right? I’m delighted to meet you, you are even more beautiful than I imagined.”

Princess Samiyi smiled again and told Shang Jin, “Thank you for your compliment.”

Tan Rou and the others all had a favorable impression of Princess Samiyi and didn’t reject her request to accompany them.

Princess Samiyi walked side by side with Tan Rou, her maidservants walking together with Shang Jin and the others, presumably, in the eyes of the princess, Shang Jin and her companions were servants of Tan Rou.

Princess Samiyi inquired, “I heard from Laka that you come from Country C, where there are skyscrapers everywhere, fast ‘long cars’ on the ground, fast vehicles underground, and every household has a robot—is that true?”

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“Prince Laka exaggerated a bit,” Tan Rou answered with a smile, “Not every household in our country has a robot. We have distinctions between rural and urban areas, and only the big cities have what you referred to as the underground cars, which are subways. However, between cities, we do have high-speed trains that can travel at roughly three hundred kilometers per hour, with some even faster at five hundred kilometers per hour.”

Princess Samiyi was amazed, looking up at the sky, “Is the high-speed train faster than an airplane?”

While some high-speed trains indeed outpace planes, Tan Rou replied, “Naturally, they are not; airplanes can fly at eight hundred kilometers per hour, which high-speed trains cannot match.”

Princess Samiyi expressed her envy, “That’s still incredibly fast. I’ve lived so long and have never traveled by high-speed train or by airplane. Have you traveled by both high-speed train and airplane?”

Tan Rou suddenly felt an urge to complain about the naivety of Princess Samiyi’s question. With no ocean between their countries and such a vast distance, they must have flown by plane, right? If not by plane, they would have had to drive, which would likely take half a month to reach their destination.

But since the other party was a princess, Tan Rou could only seriously respond to her question, “I have traveled by plane, and that’s how we came to your country this time. I’ve also taken the high-speed train; it’s a good choice for medium to short distances.”

Princess Samiyi’s eyes brimmed with longing, “Can you tell me what it’s like to travel by high-speed train? What does it feel like? And flying in an airplane?”

“This…” Tan Rou was here to discuss projects, not act as a cultural ambassador, so she said, “I can’t explain it clearly in just a word or two. If the princess is interested in airplanes and high-speed trains, you could try them out for yourself and experience what it feels like.”

Princess Samiyi suddenly looked dejected, “I cannot leave the palace.” After uttering those words, she did not pursue further questions but just walked quietly alongside Tan Rou.

Tan Rou was somewhat in a hurry because they were moving too slowly; at this pace, there was no telling when they would arrive.

“The experience of high-speed trains and airplanes is different…” In any case, they couldn’t walk any faster, so Tan Rou took out her smartphone to show videos to Princess Samiyi, describing the feelings of flying and riding high-speed trains as they watched.

Shang Jin and Lang Yue walked behind, having turned off their translators, whispered to each other.

“This princess seems so naive, doesn’t she?” Shang Jin said, “Princes and princesses from other countries usually speak multiple languages or hold various degrees. Are the prince and princess of J country so special that they don’t know anything?”

 

 

Chapter 1383: Meet at 1382

Lang Yue told her to lower her voice, lest someone understand their conversation.

Shang Jin nodded, and then leaned in and said, “At first, I thought Laka was unsophisticated, but compared to his aunt, Laka knows much more. At least he has been on an airplane.”

Lang Yue rested her hand on her forehead and said, “J Kingdom’s technological level isn’t that high, which you could tell from the road we just took. The prevalence of machinery in their country isn’t high.”

Shang Jin teased, “I won’t be surprised if I find candles used for lighting inside the royal palace.”

Lang Yue replied to her, “You might actually experience a power outage here, because I did find candles and matches in the hotel drawer.”

Shang Jin couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up, “Impressive!”

While the two leading people were having a lively conversation, the two following them were also engaged in a vibrant chat, but those responsible for guiding Tan Rou and the attendants of Princess Samiyi dared not say a word. They all walked with their heads down, and who knew if they might bump into a tree.

Under the lead of Princess Samiyi, Tan Rou and the other two arrived at an outdoor reception hall.

Upon seeing this reception hall, Shang Jin laughed and said to Lang Yue, “Doesn’t this look like the ancient emperor’s royal garden?”

Lang Yue said, “For all we know, this might just be the emperor’s royal garden. Laka is a prince and the future king. Meeting us here is like the ancient emperor receiving an envoy.”

Shang Jin said, “Then you are the foreign princess coming to marry.”

Lang Yue also joined in the role-playing, “You’re the princess, the boss is the foreign minister, and I, along with the others, am responsible for escorting you here.”

Shang Jin insisted, “You’re the princess!”

Lang Yue retorted, “You look more like a princess!”

The two argued back and forth about who resembled a princess until they reached Laka’s presence, at which point they both shut up.

Today, Laka wasn’t dressed in his usual attire; he wore a white robe that went from under his chin down to his ankles and had long sleeves. The robe was embroidered with gold threads, and both the neckline and cuffs were adorned with gems. It was very beautiful.

“So hot.” Shang Jin wasn’t that hot initially, but seeing Laka dressed like that, she felt terribly warm, “Isn’t he hot?”

Lang Yue whispered in her ear, “Respect other people’s cultural traditions.”

Tan Rou, noticing them whispering, glanced over at them, signaling them to stop talking. Shang Jin and Lang Yue immediately clammed up.

Upon seeing Tan Rou, a smile that Laka couldn’t hide emerged on his face, and he said, “Miss Rou, welcome to our country with your team. Before the formal meeting, please allow me to introduce the individuals who will be collaborating with you.” Having said that, he extended his right hand, intending to shake hands with Tan Rou.

Handshakes were not the customary greeting in J Kingdom; instead, bowing was used, with the angle of the bow varying according to the person’s status. The king didn’t need to bow, but everyone else did.

Tan Rou was pleased with Laka’s handshake and also reached out her right hand, saying, “I am also looking forward to this collaboration.”

Then Laka introduced Tan Rou to his entourage. The names were really long, so Tan Rou just remembered their first names. For instance, the person in charge of the project was called Jimi, and the chief designer was called Rake.

Rake wasn’t talkative. Unless someone asked him a question, he wouldn’t say a word. And even when asked, he would only speak a few words.

Jimi, on the other hand, loved to talk. After Laka finished speaking, he began chatting with Tan Rou, asking if they encountered any troubles on their way and if they had a good rest the night before. During the process, he even managed to discuss matters with Prince Laka.

Tan Rou was somewhat impressed with Jimi’s eloquence. At first, she thought Lin Yu was a good talker, but compared to Mr. Jimi, Lin Yu paled in comparison.

“Miss Rou and the team have come from afar, you must be tired, correct?” Jimi changed the subject, “Let’s not talk about work today. You should have a good rest, and we also need to make some preparations. Tomorrow, we can talk about work.”

Tan Rou replied, “We had a good rest last night, and we would like to complete the work as soon as possible.”

Jimi stood by his point, “If that is the case, then we can tour the palace, and afterwards, Miss Rou, you can sample our court cuisine.”

 

Chapter 1384: Wasting Time 1383

Tan Rou felt displeased, and she said again, “We’re not tired, and regarding the work issue, I think we can still…”

“Miss Rou, whether you’re tired or not is your own business, but your staff haven’t made their stance clear yet,” Jimi spoke up. “I’ve heard that your country is a very democratic one, so aren’t you going to ask your staff for their opinions?”

Tan Rou did not like his tone of voice, but since they were now in another country, she decided it was best to remain calm.

“I’ve just thought about it, we’ve taken a flight of more than a dozen hours to get here, and we’re a bit tired as well, so let’s rest for a day before starting work,” Tan Rou went along with what Jimi had said. “I’ve long heard about the beautiful scenery of the royal palace in J country, and it’s an honor to be a guest here today, so I’d like to do a tour inside the palace; I wonder if that would be possible?”

Laka nodded, “Of course, everything has been arranged. Just follow us, Miss Rou.”

Jimi shot a glance at Prince Laka, then said, “His Highness, the Prince, has other matters to attend to; I will lead today’s palace tour.”

Laka was not pleased with Jimi’s decision, “I don’t have anything to do today.”

Jimi smiled, “Since Prince Laka doesn’t have anything to do, then he can join us on the tour, but I will still be leading.”

Although Laka disagreed with his decision, he held back, “Alright, you can lead then.”

Tan Rou watched the exchange between Laka and Jimi, and confusion arose within her. Even though Laka was the prince, it seemed that Jimi’s words carried more weight. Once Jimi made a decision, even Laka couldn’t change it.

Lin Yu quietly sent a message to Tan Rou, explaining why the situation was such.

Lin Yu said, “Jimi is sent by the king, and he was also Laka’s tutor. Moreover, Jimi speaks multiple languages; it’s best not to chat about topics related to J country in front of him, as he will understand.”

Tan Rou scoffed inwardly; the king of J country was indeed a cautious man. As the nation’s supreme leader, naturally, he wouldn’t personally meet with such insignificant people like them, but he was very concerned about this cooperation, so he sent a trusted person to supervise them.

Jimi said he would take them on a tour of the royal palace, and really did start leading them around inside. He didn’t care at all whether it was hot or whether Tan Rou and her team wanted to tour the royal palace; he just kept walking ahead.

“Now what you are seeing is our kingdom’s tallest tower—the Amorlande Great Golden Tower!” Jimi looked up at the several dozen meters high golden-topped tower with great reverence, “This tower has been here for a hundred years, storing countless treasures inside; it is our country’s treasure house!”

Then he turned to Tan Rou and asked, “Miss Rou, what do you think of this tower?”

Tan Rou really wanted to say “It’s nothing special,” but in order to maintain Jimi’s face, she decided to say something nice.

“This is the first time I’ve seen such a tall golden tower,” Tan Rou said very cooperatively.

Jimi beamed with pride, “If there is a need, we can also help you build a high tower.”

The corner of Tan Rou’s mouth twitched as she tactfully declined Jimi’s generosity, “Building this tower must have cost a lot of money, right?”

Jimi stuck his chin out, “Indeed, constructing this tower cost a lot of money, and it also needs to be filled with many treasures. Ordinary countries cannot build towers like this.”

“Heh,” Tan Rou’s face almost couldn’t hold the strain, “Yes, you’re right,” she said.

Shang Jin snickered at Jimi behind his back, “Even a frog in a well knows more than him, at least the frog at the bottom of the well can see a bit of the sky, but this gentleman can’t see any sky at all.”

Lang Yue cautioned him, “Keep your voice down, just now the boss already warned us in the group chat, that well-dweller… no, I mean Mr. Jimi understands our language, so we can’t speak too ill of them.”

Shang Jin rolled his eyes, “I bet if we stay here for a month, I will definitely be driven to death by anger.”

Lang Yue nodded in agreement, “I will certainly be driven to death by anger as well.”

Chapter 1385: Internal discord in 1384

Jimi continued showing Tan Rou and the others around the palace, which was exceptionally large and truly exhausting to tour.

Initially they had been told to rest well, yet now they were dragged under the sun, getting scorched. Tan Rou really felt like cursing someone out.

With this time, she would rather return to the hotel to sleep, perhaps to experience the local culture and customs of Country J—who would want to stay here getting scorched by the sun?

Tan Rou wiped the sweat off her face and said, “Mr. Jimi, it’s a bit hot outside, can we find a cooler place to tour?”

Jimi was quite dissatisfied that Tan Rou interrupted his explanation, and he said with a cold face, “Miss Rou, how can your young body not keep up with my old one?”

Tan Rou simply didn’t want to be scorched by the sun, “Yes, my employees are intellectuals; their physical condition isn’t very good. Please be understanding.”

Her intention was to communicate that everyone was tired and did not want to tour any longer, but her words took on a different meaning in Jimi’s ears.

Jimi thought that Tan Rou was mocking him for having brawn but no brain, he immediately retorted, “Miss Rou, mental and physical strength are equally important. Focusing only on mental strength and neglecting physical health can lead to an early death.”

If the man wasn’t a high official from Country J, Tan Rou really wanted to paralyze him with a needle, rendering him unable to speak or move, with only his eyeballs able to roll.

“You needn’t concern yourself with that. Our company conducts physical exams every month, and there are no employees who are physically unfit,” said Tan Rou.

Jimi and Tan Rou glared at each other, their eyes seemingly shooting lasers.

“I’ve had refreshing herbal tea prepared. If Miss Rou doesn’t mind, perhaps you could join me for a cup,” said Princess Samiyi, who had been following behind and saw the conflict arising between Tan Rou and Jimi, quickly stepped in to ease the tension.

Jimi said, “Your Highness, we have important matters to discuss. Please set your tea party aside. After we have finished our business, then you can invite Miss Rou to your tea party.”

Tan Rou thought Princess Samiyi might compromise as Laka did, but Samiyi was much sterner than Laka. She dared to confront Jimi, “His Majesty the King sent the three of us to host this meeting. How can you decide everything alone? Now I suggest letting our honored guest have a cup of herbal tea to rest a bit, what do the other two of you suggest?”

The other two were Jimi and Laka. Laka had long been dissatisfied with Jimi’s decisions, and he wasn’t fond of being in the sun either, touring the palace in such thick clothing was simply ludicrous.

Upon hearing Samiyi’s suggestion, Laka was the first to cast an affirmative vote, added to Samiyi’s own approval, thus deciding the matter of drinking herbal tea.

Jimi had no choice but to relent, changing his tone, “I’ve heard that the herbal tea brewed by Her Highness is the best, I’ve never had the privilege to try it, and today finally I have the chance.”

Samiyi seemed to be at odds with Jimi, and after hearing his words, Samiyi responded, “That’s because you are indeed too busy, always busy talking beside His Majesty the King, really having no time to sit down and join us for tea.”

Jimi was not to be outdone, he began to undermine Samiyi, “I indeed cannot afford to relax like a princess because I have many responsibilities. If I don’t attend to them, His Majesty the King would be greatly troubled.”

The two went back and forth, seemingly forgetting there were foreigners nearby.

Tan Rou and her group formed a circle, quietly discussing these royal family members and the king who hadn’t yet appeared.

Shang Jin said, “Why do I feel like there is some discord among the members of Country J’s royal family? The king sent his son and sister to host us, but also sent his most trusted minister to oppose the prince and princess. It’s too strange.”

Tan Rou said, “Although Laka is the next in line to inherit, his words seem less effective than those of a princess.”

Lang Yue said with a headache, “I feel this cooperation will not go smoothly.”

Tan Rou was also worried about this issue, and she said, “If we can’t cooperate, let’s leave quickly instead of wasting our time here.”

 

Chapter 1386: Princess 1385’s Request

Tan Rou and her companions followed Princess Samiyi to a place, and the deeper they went, the more abundant the trees and ponds became, naturally making it cooler.

Samiyi said, “This is my resting place, it’s a bit simple, I hope you, honored guests, won’t mind.”

Shang Jin immediately responded, “Thank you for hosting us, Princess. This place is already very nice, much cooler than the hotel we stayed in last night.”

Princess Samiyi apologized, “I’m really sorry. We should have had someone outside to meet you last night, but due to the palace’s rule of locking up after seven o’clock, we couldn’t let you in. You could only rest in the hotel for the night.”

Shang Jin muttered, “Luckily, we didn’t see the inside of the palace last night. Otherwise, we might have had to explore the palace under the moonlight.”

Samiyi didn’t catch what Shang Jin was saying. She asked, “Miss Shang Jin, what did you say?”

The translator conveyed her words to Shang Jin, and after listening, Shang Jin replied, “I was saying that the palace is really beautiful. It’s a loss that we couldn’t visit it last night.”

Indeed, it was a loss. If they had visited the palace last night, it certainly wouldn’t have been so hot.

“You can’t visit the palace at night,” Princess Samiyi said. “After seven o’clock, all the doors are locked, and only the patrolling guards can move around in the palace.”

Shang Jin was just speaking casually; she wasn’t interested in visiting the palace at night. She just wanted to complete her mission and return home quickly. But given the current circumstances, their return home might be quite troublesome.

Princess Samiyi arranged seats for everyone, and she specifically placed Tan Rou next to herself, planning to have Tan Rou tell more stories about high-speed trains and airplanes.

Hearing stories a thousand times is never as good as experiencing it yourself once. Tan Rou hoped that Princess Samiyi would take a ride on a plane and a high-speed train to experience their speed.

Princess Samiyi was so engrossed in listening that she accidentally tilted the floral tea cup in her hand, and then the brown-gray floral tea soaked into Tan Rou’s clothes.

Shan Rou was wearing a white short-sleeved blouse, which was ruined by the brown-gray floral tea.

“I’m really sorry!” Princess Samiyi immediately apologized. “I really didn’t mean to dirty your clothes. Please don’t be angry; I’ll take you to change right now.”

Tan Rou waved her hand, “No need, it’s just a bit of floral tea. I can wash it off with detergent when I return.”

Princess Samiyi said, “No, I can’t let you go out in dirty clothes. I happen to have a few new sets of clothes in my room that I haven’t worn; you can wear one of them.”

Her height and weight were similar to Tan Rou’s, so her clothes would fit Tan Rou.

Although Tan Rou had her own clothes, there was no need to wear someone else’s, but all her clothes were at the hotel.

Princess Samiyi insisted on taking Tan Rou to change clothes, and Tan Rou, unable to refuse, followed Princess Samiyi to change.

Once they reached the dressing room, Princess Samiyi calmed down quite a bit, and the smile that was always on her face disappeared.

“Now that we are in a place without others, I can stop the pretense,” Princess Samiyi, with a pained expression, said, “The tea I spilled on you earlier was on purpose. Here, I must apologize to you.”

Tan Rou didn’t mind, “It’s okay, I think you must have had your reasons.”

“Yes,” nodded Princess Samiyi. “I wanted to talk to you alone but couldn’t find a way to get rid of them, so I had to use this method.”

Tan Rou asked, “What did you want to talk to me about?”

Princess Samiyi asked Tan Rou a difficult question, “Could you help me leave J country?”

“What?” Tan Rou thought she had misheard. “You want to leave J Country? Why?”

Princess Samiyi answered, “The palace is like a huge cage, and I’ve lived inside it for 32 years, but now I no longer want to stay. Hearing you talk about high-speed trains and airplanes, I realized how wonderful the outside world is! So I want to go out and explore it.”

 

Chapter 1387: Refuse 1386

After hearing Samiyi’s request, Tan Rou felt that it was preposterous. She was the princess of this country; if she wanted to leave, it had to be by her own efforts. No one else could help her.

Moreover, Tan Rou was not an international spy. She wasn’t here for tourism, and if she left, she might never come back, perhaps even assisting Princess Samiyi once.

But if she decided to work with the King, then, in order to maintain the machinery, her company would definitely have to send someone over every year. When the time came to meet with the King, she didn’t know if she should maintain the mechanical equipment or handle the princess’s affairs.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, I can’t help you leave this place,” Tan Rou directly refused Princess Samiyi’s request, “First of all, I am not a citizen of your country, I have no one to rely on here. If I help you leave, I surely won’t be able to leave myself. Secondly, if you want to leave, you can just walk out of the palace; I can’t help you with that.”

Princess Samiyi smiled bitterly, “My brother won’t let me leave the palace. He says that I can only stay in the palace for my whole life, and when I die, someone will arrange a grand funeral for me.”

Tan Rou knew that J country had more demands on women, but if she wanted to marry, the King would presumably not make it difficult for her. If she married someone from outside, perhaps she could move out and live elsewhere.

“If I remember correctly, you are already 32 this year. Women in your country are usually married by this age. Why are you not married yet?” After saying this, Tan Rou felt she might have been a little offensive, so she added, “I mean no harm, just want to understand the situation. If you don’t wish to speak about it, that’s fine.”

Princess Samiyi indeed seemed troubled. She hemmed and hawed for a while but couldn’t explain why the King wouldn’t let her marry.

Tan Rou felt this was a secret within the royal family, and it was better not to pry any further, lest she learn something dire and bring deadly trouble upon herself.

“Your Highness, where are the clothes you mentioned?” Tan Rou then remembered what she was here for, “I’d like to change clothes first and then look for my team members. If they don’t see me, they will surely be anxious. After all, we are in a strange country, not knowing what might happen in the next second. If we don’t stay with people we know, we will be scared.”

Realizing she had delayed for too long, Princess Samiyi hastily apologized to Tan Rou: “Miss Rou, I am truly sorry! I’ll find clothes for you right now.”

Then Princess Samiyi began to search for clothes in the walk-in closet. She had nearly turned over half the closet and still hadn’t found the clothes she mentioned.

Tan Rou might have realized why the King did not want the princess to marry. Once married, the princess would have to leave the palace, and then there wouldn’t be so many maids to take care of her. Perhaps she would have to manage the trivialities of life with only her husband, but if the princess couldn’t even find a single garment, how could she take care of a household?

Tan Rou shook her head lightly and said, “Your Highness, don’t bother looking for clothes anymore. The tea on my clothes has dried, and once dry, it won’t leave such noticeable stains. So, I think it’s unnecessary to change.”

Princess Samiyi stood there with an embarrassed expression, still holding a sealed-up long dress in her hands, “This dress is also new. How about you wear this one?”

Looking at the thick dress, Tan Rou felt her back begin to sweat. She declined Princess Samiyi’s kind offer once again, “Thank you, Your Highness, but I really do not need to change clothes. Let’s go back quickly. You are the host of the tea ceremony, and if you are absent, it can’t continue.”

Princess Samiyi was still not ready to give up. She said, “Wait for me a moment, I’ll grab something.” After that, she ran off.

Tan Rou could not wander around at will, so she had no choice but to wait in the walk-in closet for her.

When Princess Samiyi returned, she had a cellphone and asked, “May I have your contact information so that we can chat later?”

Tan Rou knew Princess Samiyi was trouble, but she still agreed to exchange contact information. After all, if she rejected the princess again, she might end up in tears.

Chapter 1388: Does 1387 have a thief?

After finishing the floral tea prepared by the princess, Tan Rou and her team were about to visit the palace again, but this time she didn’t comply with Jimi, as none of them wanted to be out in the sun anymore.

Tan Rou said, “Let’s call it a day for the palace tour, we still have to hold a meeting to discuss the robots and locator. We can save the rest of the beautiful sights for a next visit.”

Jimi glanced at Tan Rou and asked, “Are you not having lunch either?”

With a smile, Tan Rou replied, “I presume you entertained my teammates yesterday, and according to you, our country is a democratic and equal one, I and my teammates are no different, so they can represent me. They have enjoyed your meticulously prepared food, which means I have enjoyed it as well.”

The teammates strongly agreed with Tan Rou’s words, for they really did not want to go around in circles in the palace anymore. In such hot weather, wouldn’t it be better to stay somewhere cool?

“We have also prepared activities for our guests,” Jimi said. “Miss Rou, won’t you participate?”

“We have already toured the palace, which I found very impressive,” Tan Rou said. “But I can’t stay here forever. Before coming to this country, we had already made plans, so we need to go and carry those out.”

The teammates were perplexed; they had a plan? But since the boss said so, they went along with it.

With things having reached this point, if Jimi continued to detain them, they would truly get upset.

Fortunately, Jimi didn’t insist on his own idea. He said with a smile, “Then I wish you all a fun time in our country.”

Shang Jin muttered, “As long as we don’t have to stay in the sun here, I’ll be very happy anywhere.”

Lang Yue poked her in the arm, “Keep it down; don’t let that guy hear you.”

Tan Rou led her teammates out of the palace. Jimi had actually prepared a place for them to sleep, but it was too uncomfortable to sleep in the palace, and the teammates hadn’t slept a wink last night.

After hearing the teammates’ complaints, Tan Rou felt they needed a new place to stay, but the money for the new lodgings shouldn’t come from them. She had to ask the King for the funds.

She conveyed her request to Lin Yu, who promised to solve this issue. They would definitely have a new lodging before going to bed that night.

Tan Rou said, “Go have a look around, take your translators, and if you want to buy something, just do it. You can ask me for reimbursement later.”

Shang Jin’s eyes widened, “Boss, can we buy anything?”

Tan Rou glanced at her and said, “Each person’s spending should not exceed 1,000.”

Laughing, Shang Jin said, “1,000 is more than enough.”

It was still very hot, but the teammates stopped complaining; they quickly split into several groups and went off to shop in high spirits.

Tan Rou didn’t want to shop anymore, and she also had things to do, so she went back to the hotel.

She didn’t know exactly where she was, just asking for directions as she walked, until she found herself behind the hotel. As she was about to take a detour back to the front entrance, she spotted a sneaky figure by one of the hotel windows.

Though Tan Rou had been drowsy from the sun, the sight of the figure instantly made her alert.

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” Tan Rou charged forward and shouted at the figure on the second floor.

The person on the second floor panicked and yelled, “I’ve been spotted, don’t come out, hurry back!”

After saying that, the person grabbed onto a nearby window, intending to climb onto the second-floor platform. If Tan Rou were to climb up now, she would definitely not catch him, so she chose to attack from the ground.

Tan Rou picked up two stones the size of a baby’s fist and first aimed one at the person’s arm, then at the bend of his leg.

The sharp pain caused the man to lose his balance, and he tumbled down from the second floor. However, the floor wasn’t very high, and a fall from there wouldn’t be fatal.

The man’s leg was injured from the fall, but he didn’t give up on escaping and started running forward, dragging his lame leg.

Tan Rou quickly closed in and grabbed the back of his collar, yanking him back, “Where do you think you’re running to?”

The man fell onto his back, revealing a face with a thick beard.

Tan Rou recognized who he was, “Hey, aren’t you Kas?”

Chapter 1389: 1388 Kas’s child

Tan Rou could recognize Kas mainly because Kas’s large beard was too distinctive. In this area, she had not seen anyone with such a big beard.

Kas was still a bit dizzy. Seeing a foreign girl, he muttered, “How do you know my name?”

Tan Rou remembered that Kas had drunk a lot the previous night when they were talking, and he might have forgotten her, so she reminded him, “We chatted in the hotel lobby last night. Have you forgotten?”

Kas tried to recall, “I remember now, you are the foreign girl from last night!”

Tan Rou and Kas had a brief acquaintance, so she bent down to check his injuries.

Kas had injured his leg, and his calf was badly swollen. So, Tan Rou pressed his leg a few times and then took some ointment for activating circulation from the bag she was carrying and applied some to Kas’s leg.

“What were you doing leaning against the hotel window?” Tan Rou asked, “Were you trying to steal something?”

Kas replied, “I have my own job. I wouldn’t become a thief.”

“Hmm,” Tan Rou said, “I’ve heard about your profession, you are the owner of a flower shop.”

Kas replied, “Do you not believe I am a flower shop owner? Generally, flower shops are run by women, but I am a burly man with a fierce look, hardly the type you’d expect to run a flower shop.”

Tan Rou honestly said, “You really don’t look like a flower shop owner.” Then she deliberately asked, “Is running the flower shop just a cover, and your real profession is being a thief?”

Kas laughed loudly, “Foreign girl, you really are an interesting person.”

Tan Rou laughed too. From her observation, Kas did not seem to be someone short of money, and if he really were a thief, he would not choose to steal during the day as it was too easy to be caught. Therefore, Kas must have other reasons for being here.

“Since you are not a thief, why did you climb up to the window?” Tan Rou asked again.

Kas’s smile faded, and he said, “Help me sit down over there, and I’ll tell you a story.”

Tan Rou found a cool spot and then listened quietly as Kas told his story.

Kas said that long ago, there was a wealthy family on this street, and they had a beautiful and noble daughter. Her parents wanted her to marry someone of high status, but the daughter disagreed as she was in love with a gardener.

Their love was opposed by the daughter’s family, but they still loved each other deeply. Soon after, the daughter became pregnant, and the gardener planned to take her away from here. The daughter was willing to leave, but they were discovered by her family.

The daughter’s family locked her up and drove the gardener out, telling him to leave the city.

The gardener did not leave; he changed his appearance and returned to this street, but he could never take the daughter out again as her family had assigned more people to watch her.

Tan Rou did not want to guess who the gardener was; she directly asked, “Did you just climb the wall to see your beloved?”

“No,” Kas did not deny it, he simply acknowledged that he was the gardener, “The person I went to see just now is our child.”

“What about your lover?” Tan Rou was slightly worried that his lover might no longer be alive.

Kas seemed to sense Tan Rou’s concern and said, “Don’t worry, my lover is also alive, but she cannot come out.”

Tan Rou breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s good.”

However, she was still curious why Kas had to climb the window. This was a hotel, right? If he wanted to meet someone, he could have just gone inside.

“You still haven’t said why you had to climb up there,” Tan Rou remarked.

Kas pointed to a distant window and said, “My child is inside there. When I saw him playing next to the window, I wanted to take him out, but I couldn’t open the door, so I had to take him through the window.”

The window on this side was quite small and had no railing, just encinger for a person to squeeze through.

Following the direction pointed by Kas, Tan Rou looked and recognized the window; on closer inspection, she realized that it was indeed the window of Lang Yue’s room that Kas had climbed.

“Your child isn’t Agila, is it?” Tan Rou asked in surprise.

 

 

Chapter 1390: 1389 father and son

“How do you know his name?” Kas suddenly became very wary, “Are you someone sent by the royal palace? No, you’re a foreigner… No, the King also has a foreigner by his side…”

Tan Rou silently listened to Kas talking to himself and didn’t interrupt him.

When he finished speaking, Tan Rou asked, “First, tell me, is Ajila your son?”

After hesitating for a moment, Kas nodded and said, “Yes, he is indeed my son.”

“So the rich young lady’s true identity is the princess?” Tan Rou guessed their relationship in an instant.

Ajila is the son of the princess; the princess is Kas’s lover; Kas is the gardener in the story.

The information overload was too much for Tan Rou to digest at the moment. She pressed her brow and asked, “How can you prove your relationship with the princess?”

“I can’t prove it,” Kas shook his head and said, “I don’t want to prove our relationship either because my existence will only bring them trouble. Today, when I saw Ajila down there, I just wanted to take him out for a bit and then send him back. He lives in the royal palace and has never seen the outside sky.”

“Your words sound rather sad, but have you ever considered why Ajila is here instead of inside the palace?” Tan Rou thought both parents were unreliable. The child was lost, yet the mother didn’t search, and the first reaction of the father upon seeing the child was to send him back. Didn’t they care about why the child was at the hotel?

Kas became alarmed by Tan Rou’s words and after coming to his senses, asked anxiously, “Did something happen to Samiyi? Did the King discover my contact with Samiyi and cast Ajila out? What about Samiyi? Did the King give her trouble?”

Tan Rou said, “How would I know how Princess Samiyi is doing? I’m not from your country; how can I enter the royal palace? As for this little boy, I found him at an international airport. He said he’s from Country J, and his mother is a princess, so I brought him back. I was planning to take him to the police station, but I couldn’t find it here, and it got delayed.”

“Don’t take him to the police station; I can take him away…” halfway through speaking, Kas dismissed his decision, “No, Ajila cannot go with me. If he goes with me, he will live under a shadow for the rest of his life, without a birth certificate, without an ID card, Ajila won’t even be able to go to school…”

Tan Rou thought to herself, even though he doesn’t have anything, he still managed to hop on a plane and travel six thousand kilometers away. He’s way more capable than both of you as parents.

“So you’re just going to abandon him?” Tan Rou asked, “Does he recognize you?”

Kas replied, “Samiyi must have shown him my photo, so he recognized me as soon as I approached, but he didn’t call me ‘dad.’ He just urged me to go find his mom quickly and tell her that Ajila is still alive.”

Tan Rou rolled her eyes, “A child has more sense than both of you, while you two are still playing out a love drama behind walls. Your son has secretly boarded a plane and flown six thousand kilometers away.”

Kas was dumbfounded when he heard that Ajila had run off so far, “What’s he doing so far away?”

“I don’t know,” Tan Rou said, “Maybe he didn’t want to cause trouble for his mom, or maybe he missed his dad.”

Kas’s eyes reddened, and he punched the sandy ground forcefully, saying angrily, “I’m worthless!”

Tan Rou commented, “Indeed.”

It was too hot outside, and Tan Rou couldn’t just leave Kas there alone. After applying the ointment on him, she asked, “Do you want to see Ajila? I can take you to him.”

“Yes!” Kas immediately agreed, “I was just trying to take him out, but his door was locked from the outside, and he couldn’t open it.”

Tan Rou explained, “That was my arrangement. He’s just a child, and his identity is quite sensitive. If something happened to him here, we couldn’t handle it. So when we left, we locked the door from the outside. Don’t worry, inside there’s food, drinks, and a bathroom. He’s definitely more comfortable there than outside.”

Kas expressed his gratitude, “Thank you, foreign girl! May I know your name?”

Tan Rou responded indifferently, “Tan Rou.”