Chapter 107 Green Plum 6
In July, a torrential downpour occurred, and the streets were nearly deserted. A bolt of lightning struck, and a girl wearing a straw raincoat and hat, holding her companion's hand, ran swiftly into "Old Zhang's Noodle Shop".
"Slow down, Xi Xi!"
"Shh-"
The girl placed her middle finger on her lips and whispered in her throat, "Don't call me, keep your voice down, or someone will hear you."
She gestured with her eyes towards the front.
The wind and rain were raging, and that person didn't know martial arts, so how could they have heard it? Yu Zhi said she was acting out of guilt.
Old Zhang's Noodle Shop is a long-established brand in Kyoto, usually packed with customers. On rainy days, however, only a few tables are set up. The waiter, with a towel draped over his shoulder, smiles so broadly that his eyes narrow into slits when he sees customers come in.
Ji Pingxi lowered his voice and said, "Two bowls of three-delicacy noodles, with dried tofu and braised eggs, one bowl should be spicy."
"Alright! Two bowls of tofu, braised egg, and three-delicacy noodles! One bowl without chili—"
The waiter's booming voice rang out, perfectly complementing the torrential rain outside the window.
The two chose a window seat, went into the noodle shop, and took off their straw raincoats.
It was Yu Zhi's first time "being a thief," and she was so nervous that she didn't dare to look up or look around. It wasn't that she was afraid of being seen by outsiders; she didn't care who saw her like this, except that her mother, who was going out in the afternoon, could not see her.
She followed her mother out.
To be precise, Xi Xi made a bet with her, betting on who her mother had braved the heavy rain to see.
In the small noodle shop, Liu Boyan wore a sky-blue embroidered dress, with a jade bracelet on her fair wrist. It was clear that she had applied a little makeup, and her features were more charming than usual.
This delicate beauty sat alone at the table, staring blankly at the steaming hot fish noodle soup that had just been served. Almost all the few customers in the shop were looking at her.
Liu Boyan paid no attention to the gazes, whether overt or covert.
This is the capital city, right under the emperor's nose.
How could someone of her status be bullied by outsiders?
She unconsciously looked out the window.
A series of footsteps approached from afar.
Ji Pingxi whispered, "They're here, they're here."
She leaned in so close that her breath tickled Yu Zhi's ear. For once, Yu Zhi lifted her eyelids but didn't look at the person outside the door; instead, she glanced at her a couple more times.
She saw Princess Changyang every day, and the two were inseparable for more than ten years. Yet, the way she looked at her was different from how she looked at her on ordinary days.
She's grown up; she's no longer a child.
Thinking of the punishment for losing the bet, her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned her face away.
When she saw that familiar figure, she knew she had lost miserably.
Ji Pingxi grinned so wide his eyes disappeared, and mouthed, "I won."
She was as smug as if she had won a battle. Yu Zhi couldn't do anything about it and could only say in a breathy voice, "If I win, I win. I can afford to lose."
You'd better be able to afford to lose.
Princess Changyang raised her phoenix eyes, and Yu Zhi, in a fit of shame and indignation, stepped on the prince's brocade boot. Ji Pingxi, as if nothing had happened, took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention and quickly and gently kissed the other's fair and rosy left cheek.
A dragonfly skims the water, leaving a slightly damp and soft residue.
Yu Zhi stood there dumbfounded, never expecting her to be so bold! What if someone saw this, what if her mother caught them...?
My heart was beating erratically.
Ji Pingxi leaned over the table, carefully observing her expression. Seeing that she was more embarrassed than angry, his anxious heart calmed down.
"bet."
A bet of a kiss.
Yu Zhi became the loser.
The little rascal blatantly took advantage of me.
Her heart raced, her face grew increasingly red, and finally she glared at the 'culprit' with a reproachful look. Ji Pingxi tugged at her sleeve: "Listen carefully."
Yuzhi belatedly realized that they had gone out to spy on her mother's 'secret rendezvous' with someone.
As for the term "secret rendezvous," it originated from the mouth of a certain scoundrel.
Yu Zhi was annoyed that she had slandered her mother's innocence, but when she actually saw Princess Yunzhang come in the rain and sit opposite her mother with a smile, her heart began to waver again.
The eldest princess is fond of her mother.
This was something Xi Xi revealed to her personally three days ago.
Mother...
Mother's feelings for the eldest princess...
Her heart sank, her crimson lips pursed slightly, and she pricked up her ears to eavesdrop, just like Ji Pingxi.
The fact that they dared to meet at a noodle shop where people come and go at least proves that Mother and the Princess have open and honest intentions.
As soon as Ji Rongfu sat down, he quickly apologized and explained why he had left home late.
Actually, it wasn't that she was late; it was that Liu Boyan arrived a quarter of an hour early.
"Try this fish noodle soup while it's hot."
"good."
The eldest princess had a radiant smile. In the short half hour she was at the noodle shop, she was the one who did whatever Liu Boyan said. Ji Pingxi secretly felt a pang of jealousy and whispered to Yu Zhi, "Is this still my royal aunt? Has she been possessed by a monster? How can she be so pathetic? Look at how she's smiling, her mouth is stretched all the way to her ears."
Yu Zhi thought she was exaggerating, and secretly glanced at the Eldest Princess, then glared at Princess Changyang—Nonsense! Isn't she smiling quite gently and properly?
Gentle and proper? Ji Pingxi thought to himself: I think he has ulterior motives.
“And…” Yu Zhi poked her with her finger and whispered, “Don’t get too close to me.”
He's sticking right up to her!
Ji Pingxi retorted, "You're looking down on me? If I could stick them on before, why can't I now?"
"tide."
After holding it in for a long time, Yu Zhi finally managed to utter a single word, which stopped the person from pressing the issue further.
"Look how happy they are."
Yu Zhi was taken aback.
Yes, Mother smiled very brightly when facing the Princess.
"They're leaving."
Ji Rong put down her chopsticks and took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, handing it over: "Use this to wipe."
Liu Boyan readily accepted the offer, and the two left side by side.
Just before leaving, Ji Rong's heart pounded as she reached out and hooked her little finger with the other person's. This scene was extremely subtle and could escape the eyes of others, but it could not escape the sharp eyes of the two people who were specifically watching.
After the person left, Ji Pingxi breathed a sigh of relief and said excitedly, "I was right!"
Thinking that her mother had not rejected the princess's "pinning finger" gesture, Yu Zhi felt complicated. She was happy that her mother had found someone she liked, but she was also worried about the two women's relationship.
She wanted to see her mother happy and didn't want her to carry the burden of the world's harsh criticism.
Having grown up together, Ji Pingxi could guess most of what she was thinking without even looking at her. She buried her head and ate a couple of mouthfuls of noodles, barely managing to fill her stomach. She said, "What's there to be afraid of? My aunt comes from the royal family. Can the spittle of the world drown her? If she can't even protect one person, she shouldn't be a princess. She should just be mud in the ground."
Yu Zhi took a bite of the braised egg, not in a hurry to speak. Ji Pingxi picked up a piece of dried tofu from her bowl and ate it with relish.
Distracted by her like that, Yu Zhi not only felt annoyed, but now all she wanted to do was fight her for the food.
His Highness is getting more and more unruly as he gets older!
Ironically, those who don't know her immediately regard her as a celestial being upon seeing her.
This person is also very good at putting on airs. How could an ordinary person know that Princess Changyang, who is praised by the court officials, is someone who would even snatch the dried tofu from her bowl?
"I'm going to take it back."
Ji Pingxi covered his bowl, holding chopsticks in one hand, and quickly finished the remaining dried tofu and braised eggs without worrying about choking.
Yu Zhi was speechless for a moment: "You're the kind of person who only takes advantage and never suffers a loss. How can you be like that?"
"Who says there isn't? It's right under your nose." She chuckled. "I'm still growing."
"..."
These words touched on Yuzhi's sore spot again.
Bai Bi Xi Xi ate rice for five years, but she didn't grow as fast as Xi Xi. Not to mention goat milk and cow milk, she even drank tiger milk for three years, but she was still overtaken by others.
Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.
Knowing that she was in a state of confusion after unexpectedly stumbling upon her elders' private affairs, Ji Pingxi tried to smooth things over with a few witty remarks.
The noodle shop was sparsely populated. After eating and drinking her fill, Yuzhi followed her out the door.
In July, with abundant rainfall, Ji Pingxi took her to a villa for a short rest.
She tossed the raincoat aside and went behind the screen to change into a brand-new long dress with a dark black background and subtle patterns. The hem of the dress was embroidered with plum blossoms in gold and red thread, symbolizing noble character.
Yu Zhi was not as healthy as her and was pushed to take a bath to ward off the cold.
During her bath, Ji Pingxi lounged lazily on the low table, one hand supporting his chin, pondering how to make her smile.
The water in Baiyu Pond was steaming. A quarter of an hour later, Yuzhi came out after changing into new clothes, her little face flushed from the steam.
"This outfit suits you very well."
Yu Zhi smiled. She also felt that the dress fit perfectly in every way, and the color was her favorite pear blossom white.
A thought flashed through her mind: "Who is this for?"
Ji Pingxi smiled and said, "I instructed the embroiderer to make this especially for you."
Knowing is one thing, but hearing her say it with your own ears is a completely different feeling. Recalling the kiss in the noodle shop, Yu Zhi sat down beside her with a pleased expression and casually asked, "What about the size? How did you get it right?"
Princess Changyang smiled brightly and said without fear of being beaten, "I measured it myself a month ago while you were taking a nap."