He bowed respectfully to Yun Lie, who was sitting upright at the table.
Although Xiong Xiaoyi's physique and appearance were more likely to frighten children, Luo Cuizhen was more reserved in front of Yun Lie.
Yun Lie responded to her as kindly as possible.
Luo Cui, who followed her in, smiled and patted her sister's head before leading her to sit down.
"We're only doing this because of His Highness Prince Zhao; otherwise, we'd be standing in the back tent with everyone else," Luo Cuiwei said to her sister with a smile.
Luo Cuizhen quickly stood up again, a smile spreading across her round face, and bowed to Yun Lie in thanks: "Thank you, Your Highness Prince Zhao."
Yun Lie frowned slightly in confusion, nodded, and pushed some of the tea, fruit, and snacks on the table towards him.
Because Xiong Xiaoyi was going to participate in the competition, he was ordered to bring the two Luo sisters over, and then he changed his clothes and went to try out the horses.
While preparations were still underway and there was nothing else to do, Luo Cuiwei and Yun Lie chatted casually.
Luo Cuizhen couldn't sit still any longer, so she smiled ingratiatingly and whispered to Luo Cuiwei, "Sister, can I go play with Xu Ying?"
The Xu family from the north of the city, who are also representatives of merchants in this event, are quite influential among merchants in the capital. Xu Ying, the ninth daughter of the Xu family, and Luo Cuizhen were classmates at the academy. The two are close in age, have similar personalities, and have always had a good relationship.
Luo Cuiwei thought for a moment and nodded: "Go by yourself, just give my regards."
Having received her elder sister's permission, Luo Cuizhen hurriedly bid farewell to Yun Lie and happily ran out.
****
Before long, two teams were lined up in the arena, distinguished by their red and black riding and archery uniforms. As soon as the gong sounded, the competition started crisply and decisively.
Perhaps because it was just the beginning, both sides were still testing each other, and the scene was not very intense.
Luo Cuiwei was multitasking and casually picked up an orange from the fruit plate on the table.
Before she could even peel the orange, it was snatched away.
"I wasn't trying to take the food from you," Yun Lie said, trying to remain calm as he lowered his eyes and peeled the orange. He then handed it back to her. "Here, it's all yours."
He had just seen her fingertips casually tapping on the orange peel, and for some reason, he suddenly found the scene irritating.
This is bizarre! Why would I be jealous of an orange?!
Luo Cuiwei broke off a segment of orange and put it in her mouth. She raised the corner of her eye slightly and glanced at him with a hint of teasing and suspicion. "Unsolicited kindness is either a trick or a theft."
“There was no ‘theft’.” Yun Lie’s mind was already in a mess, but upon hearing this, he blurted out a nonsensical reply with an air of righteous indignation.
He was stunned as soon as he finished speaking.
Luo Cuiwei was also stunned.
No "theft"? Then that leaves only...
A moment later, Luo Cuiwei, realizing what had happened, blushed deeply on her fair face.
She immediately glared fiercely, tore off a piece of orange peel, and threw it at Yun Lie's face without thinking: "Stop spouting those dirty jokes!"
"You're the one who misunderstood," Yun Lie turned his head away, his dark eyes flashing with panic and innocence. "My mind is full of pure and gentle thoughts!"
Heaven and earth can bear witness, he truly doesn't understand why he answered that question.
Luo Cuiwei gritted her teeth in embarrassment and anger, feeling an urge to smash the whole orange onto his face.
I didn't believe your nonsense! If you're so capable, then try not to blush!
****
The scene was very awkward.
Having made a slip of the tongue and caused trouble, Yun Lie could only clear his throat, pretend nothing was wrong, pour himself a cup of tea, and change the subject: "Your sister is really strange."
"What's strange about it?" Luo Cuiwei didn't want to keep arguing with him, so she rolled her eyes and awkwardly picked up on his words.
Yun Lie brought the teacup to his lips, his flickering gaze shifting to the center of the room. "I've noticed she always calls Luo Fengming by his full name, but she calls Xiong Xiaoyi 'Big Brother Xiong.' Do they have a terrible relationship?"
“You really are very perceptive,” Luo Cui muttered with a smile, her blush fading slightly, and she seemed much more at ease. “She learned it from me.”
When Luo Fengming was a child, he was frail and sickly. Once, he had a high fever that lasted for many days. Several doctors were consulted but none of them could do anything about it, which frightened Zhuo Yu so much that she could only cry.
Luo Cuiwei was only ten years old that year. She didn't know what she could do for her younger brother, so she could only hide from everyone in the family and secretly wipe away her tears. Unfortunately, her aunt Luo Bibo, who came to visit her, saw her.
Luo Bibo was a well-known woodblock print artist in Beijing. Besides being devoted to woodblock printing, he spent most of his life seeking immortality and enlightenment.
"...My aunt comforted me, saying that a person's name is the shortest blessing in the world. Every time it is called, it strengthens that person's connection with the world, making it harder for the ghost messengers to take away their soul."
Speaking of the past, Luo Cuiwei's eyes were filled with a smile, soft as if melting into the spring sunshine. "I was young then, so I believed it. I would call him by his full name all the time, hoping that he could grow up with me and live out his days in peace, and that he wouldn't be taken away by the ghost messengers."
This habit was retained for a long time, so much so that Luo Cuizhen later adopted it as well. Although she didn't understand why her elder sister called Luo Fengming by his full name, she felt that it represented a special kind of intimacy.
Gazing at her smiling profile, Yun Lie pursed his lips, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
Noticing his unusual silence, Luo Cuiwei turned to look at him in surprise: "What's wrong with you?"
Yun Lie raised his eyes to look at the top of the brocade pavilion, and snorted in a deep, displeased voice—
“Luo Cuiwei, you seem to have never called me by my name.”
Ever since they stopped calling him "Your Highness Prince Zhao," they've been using "Hey" and "You" all the time.
This is very inappropriate.