Chapter 31 Sugar Painting: I Have Such a Big Sugar Painting

"What a huge sugar painting!"

As yet another child couldn't help but stop and exclaim in amazement at the sugar painting in his hand, Qi Jingxuan smiled smugly and asked, "Is it pretty?"

The little boy sucked on his fingers and nodded, his eyes fixed on the sugar painting, drooling.

Qi Jingxuan twirled the sugar painting around in front of the child, carefully showing it off before taking a satisfying lick and saying, "Mine."

He then strode away with the sugar painting in his hand, his back view extremely arrogant.

The baby's cries came from behind again. Shen Yan said helplessly, "Hurry up and eat, or it might fall off."

Qi Jingxuan wouldn't eat it, only occasionally licking it once or twice. When he encountered a child staring intently at his sugar painting, he would stop and show it off.

This was the sugar painting that Shen Yan had bought for him as an apology. At first, he was speechless, thinking to himself that he was a grown man and didn't need a sugar painting. It was so embarrassing to hold it in his hand.

It wasn't until Shen Yan had the stall owner draw a huge flying dragon in the sky that even though he wasn't interested in sugar painting, he couldn't help but hold it in his hand and look at it for a long time.

"Sugar paintings can be made so big and so beautifully..."

He muttered something under his breath.

Shen Yan chuckled: "This uncle used to have a stall near Yangliu Hutong. I saw him draw this kind of sugar painting for people."

Qi Jingxuan nodded upon hearing this, then looked at the zodiac animal pictures with only simple outlines stuck on the straw target, somewhat puzzled.

"Since you can make such beautiful sugar paintings, why not make more and display them to everyone? That might improve your business a lot."

The old man who ran the stall overheard this. Since the other person was a "big" customer who had just patronized his business, he smiled, looked him over a few times, and said a few more words.

"Young master, your fine clothes and fine clothes are unlike those of ordinary people. You must have been raised in luxury since childhood and have never tasted the food from our little stall before."

Although Qi Jingxuan loved going out of the palace since he was a child and ate out quite often, the emperor and Consort Shu were strict with him when he was young, and the servants around him did not dare to slack off, so they really did not buy him many things from these small stalls.

Later, as he grew older, he left the palace to establish his own residence, gaining much more freedom. He lost interest in these sugar figurines and sugar paintings, and naturally, he rarely ate them anymore.

He honestly shook his head and asked, "So what? Are you only selling your sugar paintings to people like me?"

The old man chuckled and said, "You're absolutely right. These large sugar paintings are usually only bought by someone like you, young master. But someone as celestial as you wouldn't be patronizing a small business like ours every day, would you?"

"Most of the people who usually buy sugar paintings are ordinary folks, and they mostly buy them to satisfy their children's cravings. Although sugar paintings are delicious, they are not filling or filling, and eating too many can cause tooth decay, so people naturally won't buy too many for their children."

"If I paint this big sugar painting in advance and put it on display, but it doesn't sell in the end, it would be a waste."

"So, except during festivals, I don't display those big sugar paintings on my straw mat. I only display some simple and inexpensive ones outside. When people ask the price, they think it's not expensive and they buy it."

"These beautiful ones attracted a lot of people when they were displayed, but when they found out the price, they were scared away. My business is going to be difficult now."

Qi Jingxuan hadn't expected there to be so many intricacies to doing business. After listening, he nodded in understanding and asked him to paint another picture of Chang'e flying to the moon, which he then bought and gave to Shen Yan.

Shen Yan was afraid of damaging it, so she ate it quickly, but Qi Jingxuan was reluctant to eat it and only licked it slowly.

As he licked the sugar painting, he found it incredibly attractive, almost half the length of his arm. Passersby couldn't help but glance at it, especially the children, who would stop and exclaim in amazement.

Qi Jingxuan was extremely pleased with himself and ate even more slowly, almost as if he wanted to shout all over the street, "I have such a big sugar painting."

Shen Yan had never felt ashamed of his previous arrogance and domineering behavior, but now, seeing him showing off his sugar paintings to children everywhere, making three children cry on one street, Shen Yan had for the first time the thought of pretending not to know him.

The two walked through the crowd, one smug and the other helpless, unaware that their figures were being observed by someone in a shop on the street.

This is a famous jewelry shop in the capital. Several girls of similar age were strolling around here, chatting and laughing. They heard a child crying outside, so they turned around to look. They saw Qi Jingxuan and Shen Yan walking on the street.

"Oh, isn't this His Highness Prince Jin?"

Someone covered their mouth and laughed.

Qi Jingxuan has always been famous in the capital, and he has become even more famous recently.

Previously it was because of its notorious reputation, but now it has become a source of amusement.

"I heard that he took a fancy to Miss Shen and cried and begged to marry her. He even went around the streets beating drums and gongs to clear up the Cheng'an Marquis's affair, saying that he had defiled her while drunk."

"At first I didn't believe he would go to such lengths for a woman from a poor family, but now it seems it's true."

The others reacted differently upon hearing this; some couldn't help but laugh, while others looked on with envy. Only the woman in the light green spring dress showed nothing but disdain in her eyes.

"If he doesn't do this, what else can he do? He ruined a young woman's reputation while drunk. If he confesses, he can get a lighter punishment. If he doesn't confess, given his reputation over the years, the capital city probably won't tolerate him."

These words were quite blunt, and those around who heard them couldn't help but look over.

Those who didn't know her only knew that this woman must come from a prominent family, otherwise how could she dare to discuss the Prince of Jin's affairs in public like this?

Those who recognized it looked enlightened, then smiled and shook their heads, continuing to select jewelry without a second thought.

This woman was Li Yaozhi, the granddaughter of Grand Secretary Li. The emperor had intended to arrange a marriage between the Li family and the Prince of Jin and this Miss Li.

Unfortunately, after looking at each other, the two not only didn't see eye to eye, but also became enemies. From then on, they would fight whenever they met, and neither of them would give the other a friendly look.

Now that the Prince of Jin is in trouble, Li Yaozhi will naturally not have any kind words to say.

One of the girls in the group, dressed in an apricot-colored dress, blinked upon hearing this, her mind racing.

She wanted to please Li Yaozhi, but dared not criticize the Prince of Jin.

Miss Shen, who is currently serving Prince Jin, is of low status, yet she has won his favor and has even made him willing to lower himself and do everything he can to please him.

Li Yaozhi, as the granddaughter of Grand Secretary Li, not only failed to be favored by Prince Jin, but also became his enemy. It is likely that she also disliked this Miss Shen.

If the Prince of Jin couldn't say anything, couldn't Miss Shen at least say a few words?

Thinking of this, the girl in the apricot-colored dress spoke up: "It's strange, at first everyone thought that with Lord Shen's personality, he would never agree to this marriage, and might even fight to the death with Prince Jin."

"Who would have thought that he would agree to it in just two days? Many people who were originally very optimistic about him now think that he is selling his daughter for personal gain, regret that they were blind to have chosen the wrong person, and are ashamed of him."

“I originally thought that Miss Shen was forced to marry Prince Jin, but now it seems... that’s not entirely true.”

Someone nodded in agreement: "If they were forced, how could they walk so openly with Prince Jin, chatting and laughing? I heard the two of them even went to Yafeng Garden yesterday and had a great time."

Yafengyuan is a famous entertainment venue in the capital, but it has a high threshold and not everyone can enter.

Upon hearing that Shen Yan had gone to Ya Feng Yuan, the girl in the apricot-colored dress clenched her handkerchief tightly, and her words became increasingly sharp.

"To be honest, it's hard to say who actually agreed to this marriage."

"Lord Shen has few children, only Miss Shen as his daughter. If she threatens to marry Prince Jin, what can Lord Shen do? Is he just going to watch his only daughter die?"

The woman who had just agreed with her was about to nod when a clear, cold voice rang out: "You saw it."

The speaker was none other than Li Yaozhi.

The girl in the apricot-colored dress was stunned for a moment. When she came to her senses, she realized that the woman was talking to her. She should have been happy, but she couldn't figure out what the woman was thinking because of her indifferent expression.

“I…I guessed,” she hesitated. “After all, everyone knows what kind of person Lord Shen is. If he hadn’t been forced into this situation, why would he have agreed to such a marriage?”

"So you didn't see it."

Li Yaozhi continued.

Even the naive girl in the apricot-colored dress realized that she was being refuted, and her face flushed red.

She didn't want to argue with Li Yaozhi, but with the other companions watching, it would be awkward to remain silent. So she forced herself to say, "Although I didn't see it, I can guess."

"An ordinary woman in this situation would either seek death or stay at home, never venturing out. Who would parade around like she did?"

"If she hadn't willingly agreed to this marriage, how could things have turned out this way?"

"So what if she's willing to agree?"

Li Yaozhi said.

"It was Prince Jin who humiliated her while drunk, not the other way around. She suffered because of Prince Jin, shouldn't she be allowed to ask for some benefits? Does she have to kill herself or cut her hair and become a nun, while watching Prince Jin's beautiful wives and concubines continue to be his carefree prince?"

"Besides, the title of Princess Consort was given to him willingly by Prince Jin. One was willing to give it, and the other was willing to accept it; what business is it of yours?"

"The fault clearly lies with Prince Jin. He is only trying to make up for it by taking the position of a princess and ensuring his own safety. You dare not criticize him, but you are making sarcastic and sarcastic remarks to Miss Shen just because she agreed to the marriage. It's ridiculous."

The woman in the apricot-colored dress had intended to take the opportunity to curry favor with her, but instead, she was ridiculed in public, causing her face to flush red and then pale.

Her mind was a jumbled mess, and she instinctively wanted to retort, but her companion tugged at her sleeve, reminding her of the other person's identity. She suppressed her anger, lowered her head, and remained silent.

Seeing that she was no longer speaking, Li Yaozhi glanced at the other companions who had come with her today and said, "We are all girls, and no one wants to encounter such bad luck. Let's watch our words."

Having said that, he lost interest in shopping and made an excuse to leave.

Her friend, who had come with her, was stunned for a moment, then quickly followed. The others looked at each other in the shop, and after a while, they all made excuses to leave. Only the girl in the apricot-colored dress stood there with red eyes, her handkerchief clenched into a ball in her hand.

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Author's Note: Sorry, I fell asleep while writing on my phone in bed yesterday and didn't wake up until after 4 pm today. I slept for almost the entire day and didn't have time to ask for leave... My cold is a little better now. This is the update for the 20th. I'll write the update for the 21st after I wake up. I owe two updates for the 18th and 19th, I'll make them up later.

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!