Chapter 29 He was stubborn; he hadn't thought about her at all.

Upon hearing that Cui Jin had returned home, Madam Qin personally selected two capable maids to serve Cui Ying personally.

Cui Ying didn't take it seriously at first, but when she went out to the garden to clear her head, she regretted it terribly.

Because wherever Cui Ying went, the two maids followed, never leaving his side.

Not only that, they are also particularly prone to being easily startled.

She had just leaned over the edge of the pool, intending to scoop up some water to play with, when her maidservant cried out in alarm, her face pale, "Young Madam, please wait! It's dangerous by the water!"

She saw that the crabapple blossoms on the branches were in full bloom and wanted to pick one, but the maid rushed over in a panic: "Young mistress, please wait! Be careful of bee stings!"

She wandered into the small kitchen, hoping to find some snacks, but before she could even step inside, the maid's exclamation reached her ears again: "Young Madam, please wait! There are swords and gunfire inside, it's dangerous!"

All day long, with "Young Madam, please wait!" "Young Madam, please wait!", Cui Ying felt like Sun Wukong with a tight headband, her head spinning three times larger.

"Cuijin, Cuijin, I was wrong. I will never complain about you being nosy again."

Cui Ying was on the verge of tears, unable to go anywhere, so she could only retreat to her room and read storybooks to relieve her boredom.

But even storybooks can become tiresome.

In particular, it's all about the romantic affairs between men and women. At first glance, it feels novel and exciting, but after a while, it becomes monotonous and boring.

Since she hadn't experienced it herself, she couldn't appreciate the beauty of those descriptions. They were either "those rough, large hands tightly pressing down on her snow-white, slender waist, her waist and abdomen thrusting fiercely, opening and closing wide..." or "slender white jade legs tightly wrapped around a hard, narrow waist, her red lips slightly parted, her beautiful eyes dreamy..." Even if the book title was changed, the sexual positions described were pretty much the same.

Utterly boring!

Cui Ying lay listlessly on the chaise longue, gazing out the window at the clear blue sky and drifting white clouds. Two birds stretched their wings and flew freely across the boundless blue sky.

Looking at the magnificent cage she was in, the immense sense of disillusionment was driving her crazy.

No! We have to get out!

Cui Ying was by nature the type to tear down a house if opening a window didn't work, and after being cooped up for the past few days, the garden of the Marquis's mansion could no longer satisfy her restless heart.

If we're going to do something, let's do something big!

Cui Ying's eyes were fixed on the storybook, but her mind had already wandered far away. Her beautiful eyes darted around, and a mischievous idea popped into her head.

"Oh dear!" she suddenly slapped her thigh, exclaiming in annoyance, "What a forgetful me! I made an appointment with Huixin for lunch today! It's almost time, she'll be angry if I don't go soon!"

The two maids, without suspecting anything, quickly and efficiently helped her change her clothes and do her makeup.

After getting ready, Cui Ying, accompanied by two tails, hurried towards Yanxia Residence, where Xiao Shu lived.

Inside Yanxia Residence, Xiao Shu was also bored and wanted to go to Qiyun Pavilion to find Cui Ying to relieve her boredom. As luck would have it, Cui Ying delivered herself to her door. She happily welcomed her in, and was about to ask about the afternoon's plans when Cui Ying glanced warily at the two maids guarding the lattice door, and whispered quickly in Xiao Shu's ear.

Xiao Shu's eyes widened upon hearing this: "What? You're going to sneak out to play!"

Cui Ying quickly covered her mouth and pointed outside the door.

Xiao Shu instantly understood, then pouted and lowered her voice in dissatisfaction: "You went out to play without taking me with you!"

Cui Ying wished she could sew her mouth shut: "Grandma, keep your voice down! I need you to cover for me when I sneak out. If I take you with me and we get caught, neither of us will escape!"

Xiao Shu frowned and thought for a moment, then felt that Cui Ying's words made sense, and reluctantly nodded: "Then how do you want me to help you?"

Cui Ying leaned close to her ear again and explained his plan in detail.

As Xiao Shu listened, her eyes grew brighter and brighter, and she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "You're amazing! You can even do this?"

Cui Ying raised an eyebrow: "Just tell me, will you help or not!"

Xiao Shu deliberately dragged out her words, looking troubled: "I can help, but the risk is too great. What if we get caught? Wouldn't I be punished along with you? I dare not."

Cui Ying immediately held up two fingers: "A whole roast goose, plus two pounds of thoroughly braised duck feet!"

Xiao Shu's eyes lit up, and she added, "I also want plum wine! Chilled! Plum wine with duck feet, that's heavenly!"

The two exchanged a smile and made a pact with a high five.

After a short while, Xiao Shu walked out of the room, cleared her throat, and said to the two maids in the corridor, "My sister-in-law is tired from talking to me and is resting now. The sun is about to set and it will be cool in the evening. It won't be good for her to catch a cold on the way back after she wakes up. Go back to Qiyun Pavilion and fetch the green gauze cloak that she usually wears."

The two maids were both straightforward and didn't think much about why they needed to go together to get a cloak. They simply replied "Yes" and left.

Xiao Shu watched the two figures disappear outside the moon gate, then dismissed all the maids in her room before calling out in a low voice to the inside, "They're gone, come out quickly!"

As soon as the curtain was lifted, Cui Ying, dressed in an ordinary maid's dress and with her hair in two buns, nimbly slipped out.

"Remember this! Roast goose! Duck feet! Plum wine! You can't forget any of them!" Xiao Shu reminded her again, worried that Cui Ying might forget in her excitement.

Cui Ying nodded vigorously, patting her chest loudly, "Don't worry! Even if I forget myself outside, I won't forget your three favorite things!"

As they spoke, Cui Ying, fearing any unforeseen complications, dared not delay any longer. He lowered his head again, held his breath, and quickly slipped out of Yanxia Residence, making his way skillfully toward the back gate of the Marquis's mansion.

To disguise herself, she deliberately applied a thick layer of powder to her face, covering her originally clear complexion, and then used lip rouge to make her lips appear much larger. This deliberate attempt to age her made her look like a rather respectable head maid. Along the way, although some people thought her figure looked familiar, upon seeing her unfamiliar face, they simply assumed she was a prominent maid from some courtyard.

Faced with the gatekeeper's questioning, Cui Ying lied without batting an eye, calmly pulling out a ivory tag: "This servant's name is Tao Tao. I serve the young mistress of Qiyun Pavilion. Today, the young mistress has a bitter taste in her mouth, so she specially instructed this servant to go outside and buy some fresh and refreshing mountain fruits. Here, take a look, this is the young mistress's personal ivory tag."

After all, life isn't a stage. The doorman, a man of many experiences, never imagined that such a "switcheroo" could take place right under his nose. He carefully examined the ivory tag, confirmed that it was indeed from Qiyun Pavilion, and then waved his hand to let the "Miss Tao Tao" out the door.

Stepping out the back door, Cui Ying was like a bird released from its cage, and she took off running.

She first found an inconspicuous little inn, gave the waiter a few copper coins, and got a clean set of coarse men's clothing. Then she fetched water and washed off the putty-like makeup on her face.

When she stepped out of the inn again, the graceful little maid had transformed into a handsome young man with rosy lips and white teeth.

On Zhuque Street, the noise was deafening and the crowds were shoulder to shoulder.

The flower girl carried a bamboo basket on her arm, filled with dew-kissed gardenias and jasmine buds, their fragrance mingling with the scent of perfume, wafting into the air. The peddler, shaking a rattle-drum, carried loads of colorful clay figurines and lifelike animal sugar paintings, attracting children who tugged at their mothers' clothes, unable to move a muscle.

Various food stalls lined the street, steam rising and their enticing aromas spreading far and wide.

There were vendors selling fried dough sticks, sweet soups, and noodles with toppings—chewy noodles served in large, rough earthenware bowls, topped with a rich, dark sauce and a mountain of braised pork, alternating between lean and fatty meat. The vendors deftly sprinkled on some bright green scallions and poured a spoonful of boiling oil over it. With a sizzle, the aroma exploded, eliciting slurping sounds from the diners sitting on low stools.

Cui Ying closed her eyes, took a deep breath of the long-lost aroma of cooking, and felt refreshed and invigorated.

"This is the life a human being should live!" she sighed contentedly.

She first found a nearby fried food stall and ordered three ounces of freshly fried crispy pork sprinkled with chili powder as a snack. With one bite, the crispy pork was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the spicy and rich aroma went straight to the top of her head, which was extremely satisfying.

While chewing on the spicy crispy pork, Cui Ying planned to buy roast goose for Xiao Shu first—that shop was so popular that if you didn't reserve in advance, you wouldn't be able to buy even a single goose feather if you went late.

The afternoon sun beat down mercilessly on the earth, and pedestrians on the street all complained:

"If this damned weather keeps scorching, half the seedlings in the fields will probably die of drought!"

"Who says otherwise? It's a good thing we don't have to pay taxes anymore, otherwise how would we survive?"

"It's so hot! I'm going to shave my head when I get home and cool off!"

"Our bodies and hair are given to us by our parents. Shaving our heads? That's a great act of filial impiety, and you'll be sued."

"Bullshit! How come Turks can shave their heads? Aren't they born of parents?"

“Brother, you’re joking. Are those barbarians who eat raw meat and drink blood even human? Besides, they didn’t shave their heads completely; they just shaved the top of their heads and left a ring around the sides.”

Upon hearing this, Cui Ying couldn't help but picture the image of "shaving the top of the head and leaving the sides shaved," thinking to herself: "Isn't that just a bald head with a curtain around the sides? It would look better to shave it all off."

She shook her head and continued chewing on the crispy pork as she walked towards the roast goose shop.

Just then, a series of crisp, rhythmic hoofbeats rang out from the crowd, approaching from afar.

The people were used to it and consciously moved aside to both sides.

Before Cui Ying could react, the crispy pork she was holding was squeezed out of her hand. She could only watch helplessly as it rolled to the ground and was instantly trampled into a mud pie by countless feet. She was so angry that her ears rang and she was furious.

"Who is it! Can't you watch where you're going?!"

She muttered curses and turned to look—

His gaze fell squarely on Xiao Qiyu's face.

Under the blazing sun, the young man sat upright on a tall black horse, his jade-like face covered in frost, his phoenix eyes filled with power, and his whole body exuded a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.

He seemed to be drawn to something, and his deep eyes slowly turned, his sharp, hawk-like gaze sweeping directly toward where Cui Ying was standing.

Cui Ying was still staring blankly when she saw that cold and terrifying gaze about to lock onto her. She suddenly jolted, quickly turned her head, and, feeling guilty, squeezed to the sweet water stall next to her, pretending to buy mung bean soup, while thinking to herself, "Damn it."

She only remembered that Xiao Qiyu, as a captain of the Vermilion Bird Gate, was responsible for checking the people entering and leaving the Vermilion Bird Gate. How could she forget that regular street patrols were also part of his duties?

Oh no, oh no, we almost got caught!

Xiao Qiyu was still feeling suspicious.

Looking at the bustling crowd, for some reason, for a moment he felt as if he heard Cui Ying's voice.

But with people coming and going, Cui Ying was nowhere to be seen.

Was it because the two of them hadn't spoken for days that he felt awkward and thus began to hallucinate?

He had gotten used to arguing with Cui Ying. If he didn't argue for a day, he would feel restless and start imagining her voice.

Xiao Qiyu unconsciously tightened his grip on the reins, his knuckles turning white, and his brows furrowed into a knot.

No.

He wasn't thinking about her at all.