"Anything is fine!" There were many vendors setting up stalls in the evening, and the food was dazzling. Ye Qianlong was overwhelmed and didn't know what to eat.
"You wait here for the pastries, I'll go buy a bowl of eight-treasure porridge!" It's not good to eat too much for dinner. A few pastries and a bowl of porridge are a good combination. There were many people queuing at the pastry stall, so Shen Lixue told Ye Qianlong to wait in line while she went to buy porridge.
"Li Xue!" Ye Qianlong grabbed her sleeve, not letting her leave, his clear eyes filled with sorrow.
"Don't worry, I won't go far. I'll just buy some porridge there and come right back!" Shen Lixue smiled and pointed to the porridge stall not far away: "I'll buy the porridge, you buy the pastries, that's called a reasonable division of labor!"
The porridge stall was only five or six meters away from the pastry stall. Ye Qianlong looked over it again and again, making sure that Shen Lixue would not disappear, before slowly letting go of her hand.
Shen Lixue hurried to the porridge stall. She had just ladled out one of the two bowls of eight-treasure porridge when Ye Qianlong was already in front of her and whispered, "Lixue, I don't know how to buy pastries!"
Shen Lixue: "..." Apart from being highly skilled in martial arts, Ye Qianlong knows almost nothing. How exactly did the Emperor of Xiliang train him?
"Buying pastries is just like buying porridge. Just give the money and you get the goods!" Shen Lixue took the eight-treasure porridge and handed a few copper coins to the vendor as a demonstration for Ye Qianlong.
Ye Qianlong nodded in understanding, rummaged through his sleeves and collar, and pulled out a jade pendant: "I don't have any silver, can I use this instead?"
"This jade pendant is priceless; it could buy a whole room full of pastries. We can't just take it and use it like silver!" Shen Lixue took out a piece of silver and handed it to Ye Qianlong: "If you want to buy something, use this!"
"Okay!" Ye Qianlong nodded, put away the jade pendant, and thoughtfully left with the silver. A moment later, he came back with two strings of crystal-clear candied hawthorns in his hand, and walked over excitedly, handing them to Shen Lixue as if to show off: "Lixue, I know how to buy things now!"
Ye Qianlong's slender hands held nothing but two strings of candied hawthorns. Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow: "Did you use that piece of silver to buy these two strings of candied hawthorns?"
"Yes!" Ye Qianlong excitedly stuffed a candied hawthorn into Shen Lixue's hand: "Try it, it should taste good!"
Shen Lixue quickly scanned the street; there were all sorts of vendors, but the one selling candied hawthorns was missing.
Looking at the bright red candied hawthorns, Shen Lixue helplessly rubbed her forehead. That was ten taels of silver, enough to buy a bag of candied hawthorns. It turned out that Ye Qianlong saw her give him copper coins and then take the porridge directly, assuming that as long as he gave her silver, he could take the candied hawthorns, without thinking of asking for the extra silver back.
"Bang!" A muffled sound rang out, and a beautiful firework shot into the sky, blooming with dazzling light in the dark night sky.
"What's that?" Ye Qianlong paused in his eating of candied hawthorn, looking at the beautiful fireworks in the sky with a puzzled expression.
Shen Lixue frowned: "It's fireworks. Haven't you seen them before?"
"It's the first time I've seen it, so beautiful!" Ye Qianlong's lips curled up slightly, her smile more dazzling than fireworks in the sky, her eyes sparkling as if she were admiring a wonder of the world.
Shen Lixue frowned, looking suspiciously at Ye Qianlong's excited and perfect profile. He was the Crown Prince of Xiliang, how could he have never even seen fireworks?
A drop of something unknown landed in her palm. Shen Lixue looked down and saw that the candied hawthorn was starting to melt. She put it to her lips, took a small bite, and the sweet and sour taste filled her mouth.
"How does it taste?" Ye Qianlong turned around at some point and looked at Shen Lixue, his clear eyes filled with anxiety, as if he was waiting for her answer.
"Not bad!" Shen Lixue nodded in praise. Whether in modern times or ancient times, she hadn't eaten candied hawthorn for a long time, but she would always remember that sweet and sour taste.
"Really?" Overjoyed by the compliment, Ye Qianlong was at a loss for words: "I'll give you this one too!"
Half a skewer of candied hawthorns was handed to Chen Lixue. The bottom four skewers were intact, while the top four were mostly gnawed on, yet they were still stuck on the wooden skewer, showing that Ye Qianlong really liked candied hawthorns.
Shen Lixue raised the corners of her mouth: "No need, I can't eat that much. Look, the fireworks over there are beautiful!" Ye Qianlong was very stubborn. If you don't distract him, he will definitely force the candied hawthorn into Shen Lixue's hand.
When Dongfang Heng arrived at Buzhou Street, Shen Lixue and Ye Qianlong were standing in the night, eating candied hawthorns and watching fireworks. The woman was gentle and beautiful, and the man was handsome and dashing. Both of them had bright smiles on their faces. Standing together, they looked indescribably harmonious and well-matched.
Her jade-like hand clenched instantly, and two flames suddenly ignited deep within her sharp eyes: Ye Qianlong!
Shen Lixue looked up at the fireworks when she suddenly sensed a sharp gaze from the shadows. Her eyes narrowed, and she turned around abruptly. A large crowd was gathered together, cheering and looking up at the sky. She couldn't tell which one of them was spying on her from the shadows!
Beside him, Ye Qianlong watched the fireworks with great excitement, completely unaware of the spying in the shadows.
Shen Lixue's eyelids twitched, and a very ominous premonition rose in her heart. Ye Qianlong was the Crown Prince of Xiliang, and someone was secretly hunting him down. Even living in the Holy King's Mansion was not absolutely safe. This was Qingyan Capital, which was full of spies from the royal family and nobles. His existence could probably no longer be hidden...
A white robe flashed past her eyes. Shen Lixue looked up and saw Dongfang Heng in white robes standing under the blooming fireworks. His flowing robes and sharp aura, set against the black sky behind him, created an indescribable mystery.
"Dongfang Heng!" Shen Lixue strode towards Dongfang Heng. Ye Qianlong's identity had probably been exposed, and she needed to discuss with him what to do next...
Shen Lixue called out Dongfang Heng's name as she left, and Ye Qianlong's gaze darkened as he slowly followed.
"Dongfang Heng, just now..."
"You found Ye Qianlong, why didn't you send a signal?" Dongfang Heng said calmly, interrupting Shen Lixue. His gaze fell on the candied hawthorns that she and Ye Qianlong had both eaten half of, and anger gradually intensified in his sharp eyes.
Shen Lixue was taken aback: "I sent a signal, didn't you understand it?" Different organizations have different signals. When she left the palace, she forgot to coordinate the signal with Dongfang Heng. Besides, she is a modern person, and the signal she sent might not be understood by people in ancient times.
"Perhaps!" Dongfang Heng said coldly, her eyes sharp and her face expressionless. She and he couldn't even coordinate their signals, but she and Ye Qianlong were of one mind. He sent out so many secret guards but couldn't find Ye Qianlong, while she found him so easily... Ye Qianlong is truly extraordinary!
Shen Lixue frowned. What was wrong with Dongfang Heng? He was even stranger now than when he was in the palace.
"This is a special signal from the Holy King's Mansion. Keep it safe!" Dongfang Heng took out a cylindrical tube and stuffed it into Shen Lixue's hand: "Use this to contact us if anything happens in the future!"
The cylinder is thin and short, with a plain yellowish-brown surface, and is about five or six centimeters long, making it very convenient to carry.
"It's getting late, and you probably haven't had dinner yet. Let's go together!" Without even glancing at Ye Qianlong's dim eyes, Dongfang Heng grabbed Shen Lixue's wrist and pulled her towards Zuixianlou.
"Li Xue!" Ye Qianlong stood still, his clear eyes sparkling as he called out softly.
Shen Lixue examined the signal tube, but she also heard the grievance and dissatisfaction in Ye Qianlong's voice. She took a few steps back and pulled his arm: "You've been busy for most of the day, you must be hungry. Let's eat together!"
"Mmm!" Ye Qianlong obediently agreed, looking at Shen Yingxue with pure eyes, letting her pull him forward.
Dongfang Heng glared at Ye Qianlong across Shen Lixue, his gaze falling on the hand Shen Lixue was holding Ye Qianlong's hand. A hint of coldness lingered in his eyes: Shen Lixue had never taken his hand before, yet she was gripping Ye Qianlong's wrist...
The moment Dongfang Heng, Shen Lixue, and Ye Qianlong stepped into Zuixianlou, the bustling place instantly fell silent. All eyes were on the three of them, and everyone was speechless with surprise. Prince An, Miss Shen, and who was the other handsome man? Why was he so intimate with Miss Shen?
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. Qianlong's arrival could no longer be concealed. This was for the best. With Qianlong standing in front of everyone, the person behind the scenes would be more cautious, making assassination much more difficult.
"Manager, are there any private rooms available?" Dongfang Heng asked casually, his tall figure subtly positioned between Shen Lixue and Ye Qianlong, separating the two.
"Yes, yes, yes, please follow me!" The surprised shopkeeper quickly came to his senses, walked out from behind the counter with trembling steps, and personally led Dongfang Heng, Shen Lixue, and Ye Qianlong to a private room.