Chapter 3 The young man was quite handsome.

"Little Seventeen?"

Emperor Jing looked at Yuanfu with a half-smile, but Yuanfu kept saying "Ouch" and raised his hand to pat his cheek: "This servant has called the wrong name, it is the Seventeenth Guard."

"Come in."

The soft humming reached Seventeen's ears, but it felt as if it had struck his heart.

Unlike Yuanfu, Seventeen was not perceptive enough to be alarmed. Was following His Majesty really as good as he had imagined?

But since things had come to this, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go in, his thoughts already drifting far away.

His Majesty gradually overlapped with the image in his memory, only taller and more majestic.

As someone working for His Majesty, I must behave properly.

"You can stay there after the assessment tomorrow."

The black gold hem swayed in Seventeen's eyes, who had his head down. When it stopped, the pattern embroidered on the hem could be seen clearly: a dragon with bared fangs and claws.

It also symbolizes a man's identity.

Seventeen looked up and followed his gaze. It was a small side hall located next to the main hall. Although it was much smaller, it was still clearly well-made.

He hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I usually sleep on the roof beams."

These words startled both Emperor Jing and Yuanfu. Yuanfu's expression was more obvious, his features already somewhat distorted. He was about to say something when the man stopped him.

"No need."

With just two simple words, Seventeen's new residence was settled. Yuanfu quickly flattered him to prevent Seventeen from saying anything outrageous: "Your Majesty is kind-hearted. Seventeen, please settle down here with peace of mind."

"I'll send someone to tidy it up later, and the seventeen guards can move in after the day ends tomorrow."

Yuanfu walked to Seventeen's side and gently poked his arm. Seventeen bowed in bewilderment and said, "Seventeen understands, thank you, Your Majesty."

Emperor Jing raised his hand, clenched his fist, and put it to his lips. Seventeenth Prince vaguely heard a soft chuckle, but judging from His Majesty's expression, he did not seem to be laughing.

"Alright, let them familiarize themselves with the place. I'm going to rest for a while."

Yuanfu responded repeatedly, and seeing that Emperor Jing had already turned and entered the hall, he turned back to Seventeen and said, "Don't speak carelessly in the future."

Seventeen was confused, not knowing where he had said something wrong. Yuanfu was disappointed in him.

"Did you hear what kind of talk that was? Sleeping on the roof beam and staring at His Majesty's face?"

After Yuanfu said that, Seventeen also felt that it was a bit inappropriate, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Eunuch Yuanfu, I... I didn't think that much."

"Of course I know you didn't think that much about it, otherwise His Majesty would have punished you for it!"

Yuanfu's whisk gently brushed across Seventeen's arm, and a delicate fragrance wafted into Seventeen's nostrils, making him feel slightly dizzy.

This smells rather pleasant...

"Alright, let me send the seventeenth guard back first. Don't forget tomorrow."

Seventeen nodded and said, "Thank you, sir."

After Yuanfu escorted Seventeen to the entrance of the Zhaoyu Prison, he resumed his smiling and amiable demeanor: "Seventeen, guards are off today, why don't you go out and take a look?"

"I want to rest a little longer to prepare for tomorrow's assessment."

Yuanfu smiled and nodded, saying, "Seventeenth Guard is diligent, so I'll head back now."

Seventeen watched Yuanfu leave, then turned and entered the Zhao Prison, passing through the eerie wails of the prison before entering the gates of the Dark Guard Camp.

He lay in bed, his mind still replaying the person he had just met.

Is working for His Majesty really a good thing for him?

But it seems I have no other choice. Staying by His Majesty's side might be a little easier for me than for the brothers in the other camps.

That's enough, there's no point in thinking about it any further.

Seventeen rolled over, then sat up and looked at the clear weather outside, wondering if she should go for a walk.

Just then, someone appeared outside his window. It was so sudden that Seventeen wasn't startled; instead, he reflexively tried to close the window.

But the person who appeared in front of him immediately made Seventeen stop what he was doing.

"Brother Yue?"

The man in black was still wearing a guard uniform, which was different from Seventeen's, but both were dressed entirely in black.

This makes it easier for them to hide in their surroundings and avoid being discovered by others.

The mask on his face completely covered the lower half of his face, leaving only his eyes visible as he looked at Seventeen.

"Hmm, how about we go for a walk?"

Seventeen was taken aback. The other person's features... were very clear in the daytime, somewhat familiar, but upon closer inspection, they seemed quite unfamiliar...

Where to?

"Either is fine, let's just wander around and relax."

The man in black leaned against the window frame, his tall frame almost completely blocking out the sunlight, leaving Seventeen in his shadow as she looked up at him.

The other person also had an excellent physique, much taller than him, which reminded Seventeen of... His Majesty.

The man was just as tall; I felt no different from an ant next to him.

"...Okay, I'll go change my clothes first."

Seventeen took a few steps back, intending to close the window, but Mingyue did not stop him. Instead, she stood outside and waited for him. Through the window paper, she could see his broad shoulders leaning against her.

His clothes for going out were also very simple, except for some patterns. After Shiqi tied his belt, he pushed open the door and walked out. When Mingyue saw him come out, she also walked to Shiqi's side, her eyes sweeping over him, with a hint of a smile in them.

"It looks great."

Seventeen chuckled: "It's just an ordinary piece of clothing."

Mingyue shook her head with a smile in her eyes: "No, you are beautiful, and you look good in ordinary clothes."

These words made Seventeen a little uncomfortable. He wasn't used to such direct praise. He would probably feel more at ease if it were about his martial arts skills.

"Then thank you for the compliment, Brother Yue."

"Hmm, should we go and tell the instructor?" Mingyue looked up and glanced into the distance, towards the training ground, where Instructor Li was.

"No need, I left a letter for the coach, he knows."

Then Seventeen followed Mingyue outside. When they reached the palace gate, Mingyue showed a waist tag to the guards at the gate, and the two of them immediately bowed and let them pass.

The streets near the palace were inhabited by officials trusted by His Majesty, their mansions arranged neatly around the perimeter, forming wide avenues.

Because of their identities, they could only walk to get out, but fortunately, they were both martial arts practitioners, so it wasn't too hard.

After crossing the street in front of the palace, we arrived at the most bustling area.

The people of the capital lived in peace and contentment, and occasionally one could hear shouts and peddlers carrying loads of goods to sell their wares.

The last time Seventeen went out shopping with the instructor was at the end of the year. The streets were covered in snow, and many people stayed at home. This time, it was the first time he had seen such a bustling scene, so he couldn't help but be curious.

He looked left and right, as if anything could attract his attention.

Mingyue followed beside him, watching Seventeen, who was much shorter than her, curiously looking around, a slight smile playing on her lips hidden under her mask.

Although he was wearing a mask, he was not noticeable in the crowd. The people knew that the capital was the safest place. Entering the city required going through layers of checks. He might be a powerful figure or a foreigner, but he would not pose a threat to them.

"Buy it if you like it."

Mingyue's voice rang in Seventeen's ears. He hesitated for a long time before shaking his head and refusing, "I don't have that much money. I'll just take a look."

Mingyue wasn't annoyed by the rejection of her suggestion; she just seemed to be thinking about something, but she still followed behind Seventeen.

Late summer and early autumn is a time of abundant harvests, and many pastries made from seasonal produce are displayed on steaming hot iron pots, waiting to be bought.

Seventeen's appetite was actually not very good. Perhaps the memory of that night made him a little timid. He especially disliked rice, but he could barely swallow other foods.

But the rice cake made from rice made Seventeen swallow hard.

The white rice cake was covered with a fine, dense white powder, the contents of which were unknown, and topped with a drizzle of golden osmanthus honey, making it look incredibly tempting.

Mingyue saw that Seventeen's gaze remained fixed on the various rice cakes, and she had already reached a conclusion in her heart.

"Let's buy a piece of rice cake to try. I haven't had it in ages. Would you like a piece too?"

Mingyue stood in front of an old woman's stall, half-squatting down and turning back to ask Seventeen.

Seventeen was still hesitating when the old woman selling rice cakes said with a smile, "Young man, you are very handsome. Try one first."

A pair of old, wrinkled hands picked through the iron pot, then placed the white rice cakes they had picked out on a piece of white cloth and handed them to the bright moon in front of them.

Mingyue took it, stood up, and handed it to Seventeen, her smile clearly visible: "Try it, it's quite delicious."

The food was already handed to him, so Seventeen couldn't refuse any longer and whispered his thanks: "Thank you, Grandma, thank you, Brother Yue."

He then took the rice cake from Mingyue's hand and took a small bite along the edge with osmanthus honey.

The moment it entered his mouth, the fluffy and tender rice cake invaded his taste buds. The rice cake itself should not have much flavor, but the texture is very good. The osmanthus honey adds a sweet and sticky taste, which is not greasy but rather very refreshing.

Seventeen was so surprised by the taste in her mouth that she involuntarily salivated and took another bite of rice cake.

Seeing the change in Seventeen's eyes, Mingyue guessed that this was probably to his liking, so she turned to the old woman and said, "One of each flavor, please."

The old woman chuckled as she packed rice cakes for him. Seventeen smacked his lips behind him, clearly not having had enough.

Although she was old, it was still her job to make a living, so her mother-in-law worked quickly, and in no time Mingyue had a bag of rice cakes in her hands.

After giving the money, Seventeen looked at the old woman who was very happy to have earned money and asked in a low voice, "Brother Yue, you can keep this money."

Mingyue frowned in confusion: "What are you doing?"

"I can't let you spend money."

Seventeen's eyes were serious, but his words were distant.

Mingyue was silent for a while, then took a few copper coins from Seventeen's hand and said, "These are all I need; I'm buying them to eat."

His meaning was clear, and Seventeen didn't force him to accept it. After taking back the other copper coins, he said, "Then I'll eat less, Brother Yue, you eat more."

Mingyue chuckled at his words, her tone tinged with helplessness: "Why make such a distinction?"

Seventeen's expression was very serious: "The instructor taught me that you can't take advantage of others for no reason."

Mingyue was taken aback by his words and didn't know what to say. After thinking for a moment, she said, "There's no need for this between us."

Why?

Seventeen stared at him with bewildered eyes. Mingyue smiled and led him to a teahouse. After they sat down, she said, "I'll be unhappy if you keep things too separate between us. I'm the one who invited you out, so it's my responsibility to make the sacrifices."

Seventeen didn't quite understand what Mingyue meant. He didn't have many friends and had never interacted with the brothers in the camp in this way, so he didn't quite understand.

Seeing that the person was still clueless, Mingyue came up with a more common way of putting it: "We are friends, and friends shouldn't be so distant with each other."

"Friends? But we've only met twice."

The other person's blunt words left Mingyue speechless. He rubbed his temples and asked, "So you mean you don't want to be friends with me?"

A note from the author:

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