Chapter 37 (Bonus Chapter) - First Release on Jinjiang Literature City

Although they used false identities, with Chaolu's abilities, they entered the prefectural city smoothly.

It was around 5:15 PM, and there was no curfew in the Great Zhou Dynasty, so the city of Liangzhou was bustling at night. The streets were filled with a dazzling array of goods, which was quite a sight to behold.

From the moment Ruan Yu entered the city gate, she couldn't control her eyes. She looked around, getting excited about everything she saw, and feeling an extraordinary sense of familiarity with everything she saw.

Chao Lu naturally took all of this into account. Although he wasn't particularly interested, he still silently followed behind Ruan Yu the whole way in order to accompany her.

Turing was also walking next to his fourth brother.

Hela and Buhe, on the other hand, seemed to have completely fallen in love with the place. They followed Ruan Yu and strolled around the bustling streets, extremely excited.

Buhe wanted everything he saw—candied hawthorns, baby face masks—he fell in love with each one he saw. Before he had even finished exploring the street, his hands were overflowing with things.

Hela wanted to pay, but Chaolu stopped her and gave her the silver instead.

Buhe: "Thank you, Uncle!"

Chao Lu patted his head, then looked at Ruan Yu: "Don't you want to buy anything?"

Ruan Yu smiled and shook her head: "I'm not a child. Although it looks familiar, I don't intend to buy it."

Before she could finish speaking, Ruan Yu suddenly opened her eyes wide and walked towards a stall in front of her.

It was an inconspicuous little stall, surrounded by children. The stall was run by an old man who was quickly spinning a ball of maltose with a bamboo skewer. With his movements, a lifelike little sugar figurine appeared in front of us in no time.

Buhe's eyes widened again: "Aunt! What is this!"

Ruan Yu explained, "These are sugar figurines."

"Is it made of sugar? Can you eat it?" Buhe was extremely curious and walked over without realizing it. Ruan Yu also liked sugar figurines, not because they tasted particularly good, but simply because she enjoyed watching the process...

"It's edible. It's made of maltose and it's very sweet."

Hela was also drawn in, and the three of them stood at the front. Chaolu stood behind them, glanced at them, and pursed his lips.

The old man had just finished selling his sugar figurines and looked at them with a smile: "Gentlemen, would you like some sugar figurines?"

Buch immediately nodded: "Yes, yes, I want one! Hmm... what should I get..."

The old man glanced at him and smiled, "How about I make a little Nezha? Little boys all like that. If you don't like it, you can make one that looks like yourself."

"You can even sculpt yourself?" Hela was very surprised.

The old man smiled and said, "That's fine."

After saying that, he saw Ruan Yu, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes: "This young lady is simply like a fairy descended from heaven... I wonder if I could sculpt a replica of her..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chao Lu's face darkened, but Ruan Yu smiled and replied, "Okay, old man, go ahead and do it. I want to see."

"Okay, okay..."

Buhe: "Then I want a little Nezha! And Uncle, could you make one for my mother too? My mother is very pretty!"

Hela: "Buher..."

The old man glanced at Hela and smiled, "Of course, no problem."

As he spoke, he began to work with his hands, taking out two new skewers, scooping a lump of sugar from the bubbling pot, and starting to stir it rapidly...

Chao Lu stood behind Ruan Yu, watching expressionlessly.

The first one to be sculpted was Buhe's little Nezha. He was overjoyed when he received it: "Uncle! Little Uncle, look! So cute!"

Turing smiled and said, "It is quite cute. Would Buhe be willing to eat it?"

Buch's eyes widened. "Eat...?"

He couldn't bear to part with it.

Chao Lu: "But sugar figurines are meant to be eaten."

After saying that, she glanced at Ruan Yu again. The other person had already started sculpting in her likeness, and was very fast. Before long, a lifelike little figure was presented to Ruan Yu.

Buhe and Hela both looked over: "Wow, it really looks like it!"

Ruan Yu accepted it with delight, saying, "Thank you, sir."

Even if the appearance is not exactly the same, being able to imitate her hair, clothing, and demeanor to about 80% shows that this person has some real skills.

Although Chaolu seemed indifferent, he clearly couldn't resist leaning forward to take a look.

Just as he was about to speak, the old man suddenly said, "I'll give the young lady another ideal husband, free of charge."

After saying this, Chao Lu's face instantly darkened. "You old..."

"cough--"

Ruan Yu turned around and suddenly glared at him, causing Chao Lu to catch his words in his throat.

Forget it, why bother arguing with an old man?

Why bother arguing with a sugar person!

Chao Lu continued watching with a cold face, wondering what else he could sculpt. In a short while, the other man had sculpted a handsome young scholar and handed it to Ruan Yu with a smile: "Miss, you are as beautiful as a fairy. I wish you will find your ideal husband soon."

Ruan Yu wanted to laugh. She had styled her hair like a young girl's, no wonder the old man had misunderstood.

"Hey, hey, hey." Chao Lu suddenly stepped forward.

This is intolerable!

He suddenly pulled Ruan Yu into his arms in front of the old man, saying, "You're very good at sculpting. Make one that looks like me too."

The old man was stunned for a moment, staring at the two of them intently.

Ruan Yu couldn't help but smile. "This is my husband."

The old man suddenly realized: "I'm so sorry, I was mistaken..."

Then, he immediately continued sculpting, and this time, he indeed sculpted a brave general in the style of Chao Lu.

"I am blind, young master, you are brave and you and young lady are a match made in heaven."

Chao Lu reached out and took it, looking at it several times. "Hmm, not bad."

After saying that, he handed the other party a large silver ingot, saying, "We'll take all of these, including the scholar you sculpted."

The other party was stunned for a moment, and Ruan Yu smiled helplessly, "Take it, I like it very much too. Could you make one for my sister as well, and for my brother as well? We'll take them all."

Upon encountering such a generous customer, the old man was naturally beaming with joy: "Of course, of course!" and then quickly continued on his way.

Chao Lu held his own sugar figurine in his left hand and took the one of the scholar-looking people from him with his right, and then—

In front of Ruan Yu.

With a snap, the scholar's head was bitten off.

Ruan Yu: "..."

After finishing his meal, Chao Lu remarked with feigned seriousness, "It tastes good."

As he spoke, he pressed his own and Ruan Yu's together, a smile playing on his lips.

Behind them, Xuan Niang and Qing Guo couldn't help but purse their lips, and A Fu also smiled.

Ruan Yu endured it for a long time, but suddenly couldn't resist. She snatched the one from Chao Lu and took a bite of it as well.

Chao Lu paused for a moment, his eyes suddenly becoming somewhat deep.

"You're not allowed to eat mine!" Ruan Yu was afraid of his revenge, so she deliberately hid her own behind her back.

Chaolu simply smiled and said nothing.

The old man had almost sold out of all his sugar figurines and happily packed up his stall.

Holding these sugar figurines, they arrived at the inn's entrance.

Chaolu booked five upper rooms. He and Ruan Yu shared one, Haila and Buhe shared another, Turing stayed alone, and the rest were for Afu and Xuanniang to rest.

Chao Lu was very generous with the money, and the waiter happily led them upstairs.

"The top floor is usually the best room, but we already have distinguished guests arriving today. However, we'll take you to one of the best rooms available, and it'll be quiet!"

Chao Lu preferred quiet, so he slipped another string of cash to the waiter: "Bring hot water and the best food."

He was so generous it was almost excessive; the waiter was grinning from ear to ear.

"No problem, no problem! You two should get some rest. Just let me know if you need anything!"

Chao Lu nodded and led Ruan Yu into the room.

This room...

It's really good.

Everything was provided, and the window didn't face the street, but rather the garden behind it.

Chaolu checked the doors and windows, then walked to the bed, glanced at it, and frowned, saying, "Isn't this bed a bit small?"

Ruan Yu: "...No, that's not true. This is a standard four-poster bed."

“That’s how it is for me.” Chao Lu suddenly looked at the person and smiled. “But, smaller is better…”

Ruan Yu didn't immediately grasp the deeper meaning in his words and went to wander around the bathhouse in the back.

The room layout here is entirely in the style of the Central Plains, which made her feel somewhat at home.

Before long, the waiter brought hot water and dinner.

"We can also add dishes to your menu. Is there anything else you would like?"

Chaolu didn't let anyone in; he went to the door himself and brought it in.

"That's fine."

"Then I shall take my leave."

"Eat first." Chao Lu placed the food on the table and turned to call Ruan Yu. He saw Ruan Yu stick the sugar figurine into a small bottle on the table. Chao Lu's eyes darkened: "You really don't plan to eat?"

Ruan Yu: "Eating candy at night will make you fat and rot your teeth, so I won't eat it. I just think it looks pretty."

"What good is looking good? It'll all melt away sooner or later."

"It's winter now, so cold, I won't."

Ruan Yu sat at the table, her appetite whetted by the sight of the dishes laid out before her. They were all her favorites, and there were no large chunks of simply boiled meat.

Chaolu ate some with her. Although he wasn't used to these delicate dishes, he wasn't picky.

However, during the meal, Chao Lu would stare at her from time to time.

Ruan Yu thought he didn't like these things, so she said, "How about we have someone send some braised meat? Or roast chicken?"

Chao Lu shook his head: "No need, I have other plans."

Ruan Yu found it strange, but did not insist.

After finishing her dinner, she went to wash up first. When she returned to her room, Chaolu had already changed his clothes.

He was carefree and didn't like wearing those long robes, so he just wore a middle garment and leaned against the couch with his eyes closed to rest.

"Go wash up," Ruan Yu said as she walked over and dried her hair. Suddenly, Chao Lu opened his eyes, reached out, and pulled her into his arms.

"Let me help you." He took the handkerchief from Ruan Yu's hand and gently twisted her hair.

Ruan Yu found him a bit strange, and her gaze suddenly fell on the small bottle she had placed on the table. She asked in surprise, "Where's my sugar figurine?"

Chao Lu reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"I ate it."

Ruan Yu: "..."

"You just ate one of mine, so I have to make it up to you."

Ruan Yu: "How stingy of you! You even bit that scholar!"

"It's because that old man can't speak properly. I even gave him money, which is quite generous of me."

Ruan Yu had nothing to say.

Suddenly, she felt a chill on her chest and looked down sharply.

Chao Lu was holding a string of candies in his hand, but it wasn't hers; it was another ordinary fruit-shaped candy.

Chaolu just left that thing with her...

Ruan Yu's eyes widened and widened...

Chao Lu's voice grew increasingly hoarse: "I was just teasing you. I didn't eat that, but now I'm going to eat it."

After saying that, he bent down.

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Author's Note: What happened? (O_o)