Chapter 68 "Swallows and orioles, inseparable companions..."

Lanterns of various colors lit up one after another, their warm yellow glow flowing across the bluestone path, dispelling much of the winter night's chill.

The shouts of vendors, the laughter of diners, and the playful clatter of children chasing each other, all mingled with the enticing aromas of various foods, weave a bustling and vibrant net, enveloping people in this thick, irresistible atmosphere of everyday life.

Lin Yan took a deep breath. It smelled so good; this was the taste of the world.

He instinctively reached out to grab Xiao Che's sleeve, but stopped abruptly halfway through and awkwardly withdrew his hand.

No, he's "Young Master Lin" now, and this guy next to him is "Young Master Xiao." How can two grown men be pulling and tugging at each other like that? Even though they are indeed a bit... well, they have to keep up appearances, right?

Lin Yan secretly glanced at Xiao Che beside her.

His Majesty the Emperor wore a silver mask that covered the upper half of his face, revealing only his well-defined jawline and thin lips. His noble air was largely concealed, and he did not stand out too much in the bustling crowd.

However, his straight back and the subconscious disdain in his eyes still conveyed a sense of alienation from the bustling city.

Lin Yan's mischievous side was bubbling up inside him.

[Hehe, taking the emperor to experience the life of ordinary people—I could brag about this for the rest of my life!]

[Your Majesty, please stand firm. Don't let this worldly atmosphere affect your imperial health.]

Xiao Che's gaze swept over the dessert stall next to him, where people were enthusiastically hawking their wares, and his tone remained calm: "Where to?"

"Let's eat!" Lin Yan answered readily, his eyes already darting around, searching for a target. "At this hour, we should fill our stomachs first. Young Master Xiao, how about we skip the restaurants today and try some street food?"

Xiao Che hummed in agreement.

Lin Yan immediately perked up and led Xiao Che through the bustling crowd.

Instead of heading towards the restaurants that looked relatively tidy, he plunged headlong into the most crowded and smelliest area.

A group of little children surrounded the stall selling chewy candy, all craning their necks and watching eagerly as the stall owner stirred the thick syrup in the pot with an iron spatula, the air filled with sweet threads.

Lin Yan didn't stop walking.

[This candy is sticky. What if His Majesty eats it and his tooth falls out? Would the historian have to record, "The Emperor and Scholar Lin went on a night out, accidentally ate candy, and lost a tooth"? Then I would truly be a sinner for all time.]

Xiao Che paused almost imperceptibly, and the corner of his mouth beneath the mask seemed to twitch.

After passing several fragrant soup noodle stalls, Lin Yan finally stopped in front of a sesame seed cake stall surrounded by a lot of people.

The fire in the oven is blazing, the dough sticks to the inner wall, baked until golden brown and crispy, and sprinkled with a thick layer of sesame seeds, emitting a pure and domineering aroma.

"Boss, one flatbread, please!" Lin Yan took out a copper coin.

"Alright!" The stall owner deftly used tongs to pick out a perfectly baked pancake, wrapped it in oil paper, and handed it over.

Lin Yan took it, and it was so hot that he switched it from his left hand to his right, blowing on it to cool it down. Then, very naturally, he broke the pancake in half and handed the larger one to Xiao Che: "Young Master Xiao, would you like to try it? This pancake is really good, crispy and crumbly."

Xiao Che looked at the half-eaten pancake that was still steaming hot and was handed to him, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Li Defu's eyelids twitched as he watched from behind, wishing he could rush up and test the poison immediately.

Xiao Che reached out and took the half of the street food, which seemed completely out of place for his status.

Lin Yan had already lowered his head and started eating his half, his cheeks puffing out as he mumbled a praise, "Mmm, delicious."

Xiao Che followed his example, lowered his head, and carefully took a small bite through the mask.

The crispy outer layer cracks between your teeth, making a soft "crunch" sound, and the aroma of flour mixed with sesame instantly fills your mouth.

It's really good.

It was much better than he had imagined.

Lin Yan chewed on the biscuit while keeping an eye on Xiao Che's reaction. Seeing that he had eaten, he chuckled to himself.

It seems His Majesty wasn't raised on dew either.

[Next step: I'll try to take His Majesty to eat stinky tofu by the roadside!]

Xiao Che's chewing motion paused subtly for a moment.

Stinky tofu? What is that? It doesn't sound like a proper food.

After finishing the pancake, Lin Yan was still not satisfied, so he pulled Xiao Che to squeeze into a barbecue stall.

The lamb skewers, with their perfect balance of lean and fatty meat, sizzled on the charcoal fire, dripping oil and bursting into small flames, while the aroma of cumin and chili powder aggressively filled the air.

"Boss, ten skewers of mutton, extra spicy!" Lin Yan said knowingly.

Soon, a skewer of grilled meat, crispy and glistening with oil, was handed to me.

Lin Yan first handed Xiao Che a few skewers: "These taste best when they're hot!"

Xiao Che looked at the trembling piece of meat on the tip of the bamboo skewer, still covered in chili flakes, and wondered if he could handle such spiciness.

Lin Yan had already rolled up his sleeves and started eating. He took a bite, hissing and sucking in air because it was hot, but he looked completely satisfied.

Xiao Che watched him eat until his mouth was greasy, then looked at the several rather impressive skewers of food in his own hand, as if he were undergoing some kind of difficult mental preparation.

In the end, he still tried taking a bite.

The lamb is roasted to a crispy exterior and tender interior, with the rich aroma of spices masking any potential gamey smell, and the spiciness gradually emerges, stimulating the taste buds.

Ouch... It's spicy.

But it tastes very good.

As Lin Yan watched him finish the skewer, the little voice inside her was already clapping.

[Rapid progress! Worthy of praise!]

[Next time I can try grilling kidneys!]

Xiao Che: "..."

Passing by a small stall selling alcohol, the sweet aroma of fruit wine made Lin Yan's heart itch with desire.

"Boss, how much is this wine?" Lin Yan leaned closer.

"Young Master Lin," Xiao Che's voice rang out at the right moment, reminding him, "you have a low alcohol tolerance."

Lin Yan recalled his embarrassing past of getting knocked out after just one drink and instantly deflated.

[Sigh, my image is completely ruined.]

I'm a hopeless alcoholic.

"Just one bite, just a tiny bite." Lin Yan tried to struggle, holding up two fingers as she looked at Xiao Che expectantly.

Those eyes shone almost unfairly bright under the lamplight.

Xiao Che stared at him for a moment, then gave in and said to the stall owner, "One cup."

The stall owner poured a glass of deep red wine.

Lin Yan took it and carefully sipped it as if completing a ritual. The sweet and sour taste spread on the tip of her tongue, with a faint hint of alcohol.

Then, with remarkable ease, he handed the remaining wine glass to Xiao Che, his eyes crinkling into a smile: "It tastes quite good, Young Master Xiao, would you like to try some?"

The movements were performed with fluid grace, showing no distinction between ruler and subject.

Xiao Che looked at the wine glass, which might still have traces of the other person's lips on the rim, and his gaze deepened for a moment.

He didn't take it directly, but instead, using Lin Yan's hand, he lowered his head slightly and drank the remaining wine in the glass in one gulp.

The movements were elegant, yet carried an indescribable intimacy and possessiveness.

Lin Yan stood frozen in place, holding the empty cup, the tips of her ears turning slightly red.

[Indirect kiss?]

[Your Majesty, that was a pretty clever move.]

However... hehe.

Xiao Che straightened up, as if he had just done something completely ordinary, and said in a flat tone, "It's acceptable."

Li Defu stood silently gazing at the sky, pretending to be blind.

We ate as we went.

Lin Yan wanted to try everything new and interesting, so he bought a bunch of things, ate a couple of bites himself, and the rest naturally ended up in Xiao Che's stomach.

Seeing the emperor, who was usually aloof and whose meals required testing for poison with silver needles, standing side by side with him in the bustling city, holding a skewer of grilled mushrooms and eating quite earnestly, Lin Yan felt a ridiculous yet smug sense of accomplishment.

He couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Xiao Che turned his head to look at him upon hearing the voice, his eyes behind the mask questioning him.

"It's nothing," Lin Yan waved her hand, her eyes smiling like crescent moons, "I just think it's fine this way."

Xiao Che's gaze lingered on his smiling face for a moment, and he softly hummed in agreement.

Just then, Xiao Che stopped in front of a stall selling spring banners.

Unlike the New Year pictures and paper-cuts sold elsewhere, the spring banners and pennants at this stall are all carefully made of various colored silks, colored paper, and feathers. They are all different in shape, lifelike, and shimmering under the lights.

The stall owner was a skillful old woman. Seeing a customer stop, she greeted him with a smile, "Young man, take a look? Buy a pair to wear for good luck in the New Year!"

Xiao Che's gaze swept over the exquisite ornaments, finally settling on a pair of swallow-shaped ornaments.

The swallow was made of black silk with silver thread outlining the feather patterns. Two small obsidian stones were attached to its eyes, and its tail was cut in a very playful and lifelike manner.

He picked up the swallow-shaped ornament, turned around, and with an extremely natural gesture, raised his hand to pin it to Lin Yan's hair.

Lin Yan was startled and instinctively tried to dodge: "Huh? I don't need this..."

"Don't move." Xiao Che quickly tucked the hair into Lin Yan's hair.

Lin Yan froze, feeling the cool fingers gently brushing through her temples, carefully pinning the swallow-shaped hairpin to one side of her hair bun.

The movements were gentle, even somewhat cautious.

"Alright." Xiao Che examined you for a moment, his tone revealing a hint of satisfaction. "It suits you very well."

Lin Yan subconsciously touched the extra thing on her hair bun, her cheeks feeling a little hot.

[But why a swallow? Is it to praise my liveliness and cuteness?]

"Swallows and orioles, inseparable companions." Xiao Che heard his thoughts and offered a simple explanation.

Lin Yan's face flushed even redder.

Is this... is this considered a love confession?

Hearing this from Xiao Che's mouth was quite impactful!

Lin Yan's eyes darted around, not daring to look at Xiao Che. His gaze swept across the stall and suddenly he saw a flower-shaped ornament made of pink silk and gauze, which was very delicate and cute.

Evil arises from the heart.

Lin Yan picked up the flower, mustered her courage, and said to Xiao Che, "Lower your head."

Xiao Che raised an eyebrow, seemingly somewhat surprised, but still bowed slightly as instructed.

Lin Yan tiptoed and carefully pinned the flower-shaped ornament to the side of Xiao Che's jade crown that held his hair up.

With her ink-black hair and jade crown, and a delicate pink flower swaying out from the side, the combination was truly... bizarre and funny.

Especially when paired with Xiao Che's cold and aloof demeanor and the silver mask on his face, the contrast is striking.

Lin Yan suppressed a laugh, examined her "masterpiece" for a moment, and nodded seriously: "Hmm, beautiful, more beautiful than the flowers."

Xiao Che straightened up, raised his hand as if to touch the flower, but then lowered his hand. He looked at Lin Yan's sly expression as he tried to suppress a laugh, and a hint of indulgence and helplessness flashed in his eyes.

"naughty."

The two, each wearing a different style of spring banner, stood in the bustling city, looking at each other.

An unspoken atmosphere of intimacy quietly spread, isolating the surrounding noise.

Li Defu watched from a distance, and felt that the trembling pink flower was swaying in His Majesty's hair, making his eyes hurt, so he quickly lowered his head again.

It's unbearable to look at, absolutely unbearable to look at.

Lin Yan looked at Xiao Che, who still had a serious expression despite wearing that little flower on his head, and finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Xiao Che looked at him and smiled, and the corners of his lips under the mask slowly curved into a clear arc.

Tonight is wonderful.

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Author's Note: [Lop-eared rabbit head][Lop-eared rabbit head][Lop-eared rabbit head]