Surviving In Another World With My Three Cups!-Chapter 162 -

Rain beat hard against the roof as Lin Xu led the Crown Prince down the quiet corridor.

She stopped in front of one of the guest rooms and slid the door open.

"This is the guest room," she said evenly. "It is simple, but it is clean."

The room was modest yet orderly. A wooden bed, a low table, a screen near the corner, and a single window that faced the courtyard. Nothing luxurious, nothing delicate just a space meant for rest.

Thunder rolled again, closer this time.

A strong gust of wind rushed in through the open window, rattling the lanterns and making the candle flame flicker wildly. The light wavered, shadows jumping along the walls.

Lin Xu frowned slightly.

"The wind is too strong," she said, stepping toward the window. "I’ll close it."

She reached out and pushed, but the rain-soaked wind pushed back harder, forcing the frame open again. Her sleeves fluttered, hair lifting as the storm pressed in.

She tried again.

The window wouldn’t budge.

Behind her, she felt movement.

Before she could react, a presence came close, too close.

The Crown Prince reached past her, one hand bracing against the wall as the other pressed firmly against the window frame. With a sharp push, he forced it shut. The wooden latch clicked into place.

The room fell quieter at once, the storm now muffled behind wood and paper.

Lin Xu exhaled softly.

"Thank you, Your Highness," she said, turning to leave. "I’ll take my—"

She didn’t finish.

The moment she turned, the Crown Prince moved.

In one swift motion, he blocked her path and pressed her back against the wall. His hand closed around her waist — firm, controlling, leaving no space between them.

Lin Xu stiffened instantly.

Her back hit the wood with a dull sound, but she did not gasp, did not cry out. Her eyes lifted slowly to meet his, dark and steady despite the sudden shift.

"Your Highness," she said quietly, "this is inappropriate."

He leaned closer, his expression unreadable in the dim light, rain-shadowed and sharp.

"You were leaving very quickly," he replied. "As if you feared staying another breath in the same room as me."

"I was giving you privacy," Lin Xu answered calmly. "Nothing more."

His grip tightened just slightly —not painful, but deliberate.

"You keep saying the right things," he murmured. "Yet every action you take tells me you are always preparing to escape."

"I am not escaping," she said, voice low but firm. "I am protecting myself."

Thunder boomed again, vibrating through the walls.

For a long moment, neither of them moved.

The Crown Prince studied her face closely, as if searching for fear and finding none.

"...Interesting," he said at last.

"...You are protecting yourself?"

The Crown Prince’s voice was low, edged with amusement.

"From who, if I may ask?"

Lin Xu said nothing.

Her silence hung between them, heavy and deliberate.

The Crown Prince watched her for a moment, then a slow smirk curved his lips.

"The last time I checked," he said calmly, "you no longer belong to the General."

Lin Xu’s eyes sharpened.

"I never belonged to him in the first place," she replied evenly. "And I do not belong to any man."

Her voice was firm, without anger, without fear.

She dipped her head slightly. "Good night, Your Highness."

She turned to leave.

In the next second, the world shifted.

Before Lin Xu could take a full step, the Crown Prince reached out, pulling her back with sudden strength. Her breath caught as the ground left her feet.

He lifted her effortlessly carrying her in his arms, bridal style.

"Your Highness—!" Lin Xu gasped, shock flashing across her face.

He didn’t answer. He walked straight to the bed and placed her down gently, almost carefully, as if she were something fragile despite her resistance.

The mattress dipped beneath her weight.

Lin Xu froze, heart pounding, eyes wide.

"What do you think you are doing?" she demanded, trying to push herself up.

He leaned over her, caging her in without touching her further. His gaze was dark, steady, unreadable.

"It’s Xuan Lu," he corrected quietly. "Not ’Your Highness.’"

Her fingers curled into the sheets.

"You have no right—"

"You will not be leaving tonight," he said calmly, cutting her off.

There was no raised voice. No anger.

Outside, thunder roared, rain pounding harder against the roof, as if sealing the moment in place.

Lin Xu stared up at him, shock slowly giving way to something colder, sharper.

Outside, the rain only grew heavier.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then the Crown Prince straightened.

He stepped back just enough to give her space and reached up to undo the clasp of his outer robe. The fabric slid from his shoulders and fell to the side, landing quietly on the floor.

Lin Xu watched despite herself.

The dim lantern light revealed his bare back as he turned slightly — not smooth, not flawless, but marked. Old scars crossed his skin in uneven lines, some thin, some deep, telling stories that had never been spoken aloud.

She stared before she could stop herself.

The Crown Prince noticed.

A faint smirk touched his lips as he glanced back at her.

"Do you like what you see?"

Lin Xu stiffened and immediately turned her face away. Heat crept up her neck, coloring her cheeks without her permission.

"That’s not—" she stopped herself, lips pressing together.

Her reaction only amused him more.

Before she could gather her thoughts, his strength seemed to drain all at once.

He stepped forward then simply leaned down, his weight settling onto her far more gently than she expected. His head came to rest against her chest, his arm sliding around her waist, not tight, not forceful... just there.

Lin Xu froze completely.

"Your—" she stopped, swallowing. "Xuan Lu... what are you doing?"

His voice came muffled, low, tired in a way that stripped all sharpness from it.

"I want to sleep," he said.

Then, softer, almost careless, "Make me sleep."

She blinked in confusion. "How am I supposed to do that?"

Instead of answering, he lifted one hand, caught her wrist, and guided it upward. He placed her fingers into his hair, soft, damp from the rain, warm beneath her touch.

Lin Xu sucked in a quiet breath.

He sighed, the sound slow and deep, like someone who had been holding himself together for far too long.

"...Like this," he murmured.

She didn’t move at first.

Then, slowly, uncertainly, she let her fingers rest where he had placed them. Not stroking. Not pulling away either. Just... there.

His breathing eased.

His breathing eased, slow and steady against her chest.

For a while, the room was filled with nothing but rain and the quiet rise and fall of his breath.

Lin Xu stared at the ceiling, stiff as stone.

"This is absurd," she said quietly. "You can’t just force yourself into my room and decide to sleep like this."

He hummed faintly, eyes still closed. "You talk too much."

"That’s rich coming from you," she replied flatly. "You arrive unannounced, refuse to leave, and then act as if this is normal."

One of his brows twitched. "You’re still here."

"Because you won’t let go," she said. "If you moved, I would leave immediately."

He opened one eye slightly and looked up at her. "You won’t."

Her jaw tightened. "Don’t assume you understand me."

"I don’t need to," he murmured. "You’re tense. You always are. Even when you pretend you aren’t."

"That’s because you keep crossing lines," she shot back.

A faint smile touched his lips. "And yet you’re still letting me sleep."

She fell silent.

The rain drummed harder, filling the pause between them.

"You shouldn’t be here," Lin Xu said after a moment. "Wu Village is quiet. I intend to keep it that way."

"And yet," he replied lazily, "you chose to live where I could find you."

"I chose peace," she corrected. "You followed."

He shifted slightly, settling more comfortably, his voice growing slower. "Peace is overrated."

"That’s easy to say when you’ve never been allowed to rest," she said before she could stop herself.

He went quiet.

She waited for a sharp reply. A mocking one. Something arrogant.

None came.

"Xuan Lu?" she called softly, uncertain.

No answer.

She looked down.

His eyes were closed now, lashes resting against his cheeks, his expression unexpectedly calm. The sharp edges she was used to seeing had softened, leaving behind a face that looked younger... almost tired.

Lin Xu let out a long breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

"So you really fell asleep," she murmured.

Carefully, she shifted just enough to look at him better, her hand still resting in his hair. She didn’t pull away. Not yet.

"Troublesome," she whispered, though there was no heat in it.

Outside, the storm continued to rage.

Mo Residence

The rain poured relentlessly, soaking the stone paths and turning the night dark and restless.

Inside the Mo residence, Mo Ying sat alone in the dim hall, staring into nothing.

A sudden movement broke the silence.

A guard rushed in, soaked to the skin, and dropped to one knee.

"General Mo."

Mo Ying lifted his gaze slowly. "Speak."

"Dan Li has returned with urgent news," the guard said. "He requests an immediate audience."

Before Mo Ying could respond, footsteps echoed, and Dan Li entered, rain dripping from his cloak. He bowed deeply.

"General," Dan Li said, voice tense. "The Crown Prince’s carriage was sighted tonight."

Mo Ying’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Where?"

"...Wu Village," Dan Li answered. "At Lady Lin’s residence."

The words landed heavily.

Mo Ying raised a brow, disbelief flickering across his face. "Wu Village?"

"Yes," Dan Li confirmed. "The Crown Prince arrived with his guards during the storm."

Mo Ying leaned back slowly, fingers tightening against the armrest.

"Why would he go there?" he asked quietly.

Dan Li hesitated. "We don’t know his intentions, General. But his presence there... it’s deliberate."

Silence filled the hall.

Outside, thunder roared again, as if echoing the unease settling into Mo Ying’s chest.

".....Lin xu.. what are you doing," he muttered.