Chapter 113 Boating An He and Zhao Liangxu were quite unhappy on the boat…

Zhao Liangxu watched as An He ate the medicinal food bite by bite.

"Eunuch An, which tastes better, the medicinal cuisine or the poisoned porridge?" Zhao Liangxu asked deliberately.

Compared to that bowl of bland porridge, medicinal cuisine is naturally better in terms of both taste and nutrition.

Since medicinal cuisine contains the word "food," it must naturally have some flavor, but Anhe simply doesn't like the taste of medicine.

But with Zhao Liangxu watching over him, he knew that Zhao Liangxu cared about him, and the medicinal food didn't seem so unpalatable.

Although Zhao Liangxu made a joke, An He still carefully considered his reply and said, "I think they're both good."

This made Zhao Liangxu really want to laugh.

She then asked, "What does the medicinal food taste like that makes Eunuch An dislike it so much? Let me try it."

Anhe thought Zhao Liangxu just wanted to eat a few bites, so he tried to push the bowl towards Zhao Liangxu.

As a result, Zhao Liangxu leaned close to his face and tasted the flavor of his lips.

It caught people off guard.

Zhao Liangxu also smelled the scent near his face; it was a faint medicinal fragrance.

An He didn't react for a moment, only having time to feel the softness on his lips for a fleeting instant. He looked at Zhao Liangxu's face magnified in front of him, feeling a surge of joy.

Does this mean that Zhao Liangxu is no longer angry with him?

But soon, Zhao Liangxu acted as if nothing had happened and sat back down in her seat, which was neither too close nor too far from Anhe.

"It certainly doesn't taste as good as ordinary food, but given how picky Eunuch An was before, I thought it was even more poisonous than poison."

An He quickly finished the medicinal meal and then asked Zhao Liangxu, "Would you like to sit next to us?"

Zhao Liangxu smiled faintly at An He, then shook her head.

An He was rejected, but he tried to move closer to Zhao Liangxu without making a sound. If Zhao Liangxu didn't come over, he would go to her.

When he got close enough to hold Zhao Liangxu's hand, Zhao Liangxu smiled and slowly withdrew her hand from An He's palm.

She said, "It's only been half a day, and Eunuch An already thinks he can coax people back to their senses."

This inconsistent attitude only fueled Anhe's growing itch.

Now that summer has arrived, Zhao Liangxu feels the weather has become somewhat stuffy, and she didn't eat much for lunch.

She leaned casually against the bookshelf behind Anhe, picked up a few books at random and flipped through them, but couldn't get into them.

"Eunuch An, are there any interesting places in the city? I'd like to go out today."

She asked Anhe out of boredom, and Anhe naturally had to use his brain.

However, he hadn't paid attention to the idle affairs in the capital these past few days, and couldn't immediately recall any places in the city worth visiting.

But Zhao Liangxu asked him because she wanted a satisfactory answer, so of course he would accompany her and make sure she had a pleasant time.

She mentioned several places she frequented, but Zhao Liangxu was not satisfied with any of them.

It's either because of the heat or because of the crowds.

Zhao Liangxu leaned against the window in the study to breathe in some fresh air.

She looked up at the outside and suddenly remembered that the garden in the An family mansion was not far from the study. Thinking of the garden, she naturally thought of the lotus pond.

She asked, "Is it the season when lotus flowers are in full bloom?"

"Exactly."

Zhao Liangxu became interested and said, "Then let's go boating on the lake and admire the lotus flowers. There must be such a place in the capital."

She seemed to have acquired a new toy, and boating on the lake seemed like a good option.

Anhe was still immersed in the word "we" that Zhao Liangxu had said so firmly. Although she didn't want him to get closer, she still cared about him and wanted him to stay by her side.

Zhao Liangxu asked again, "Eunuch An?" He seemed not to have heard her.

Anhe then came to his senses and said, "Okay."

*

Chuiyue Lake is the best place in the capital to enjoy the lake view and take a painted boat. Historically, a famous emperor loved natural beauty and rarely had the opportunity to travel and enjoy the scenery, so he put a lot of effort into the lake and forest scenery.

He was a rare figure among emperors, known for his refined taste and scholarly interests. He was also quite knowledgeable about water features and lakes, and was considered a very virtuous person. He ordered officials to repair and maintain Chuiyue Lake, and advocated that sharing joy is worse than enjoying it alone, so that people from the capital could come to the lake to play.

Over time, it has developed into a beautiful and scenic place.

As summer approaches, lotus flowers gradually bloom in the lake. Talented men and beautiful women often gather on Chuiyue Lake to compose poems and enjoy the scenery. Court officials also set up pleasure boats to host banquets for everyone. In short, the imperial decree from the past has been preserved by some twist of fate, and has become a tacit consensus among everyone to this day.

After all, the lake was very large, and everyone adhered to the principle of not provoking or offending each other.

An He accompanied Zhao Liangxu today, naturally keeping a low profile and not deliberately making a big fuss about the Ninth Prince's trip. He just wanted to make Zhao Liangxu happy.

Although there wasn't a large entourage of a hundred or so people, Anhe still used the power he had personally seized to prepare a small painted boat for the two of them to ride in.

The painted boat, though small, is fully equipped with everything you need: tea, snacks, furniture, and decorations. The small boat rocks gently as it passes through the lotus flowers on the lake. If nothing unexpected happens, it should be a very pleasant experience.

But Anhe's gloomy face clearly indicated that something unexpected had happened.

Chuiyue Lake is exceptionally lively today.

Zhao Liangxu, enjoying the breeze on the lake, lay on the bow of the boat fiddling with the lotus pod in her hand, and said, "I haven't even said anything yet, but Eunuch An looks quite dissatisfied."

Anhe looked at the area where many boats were gathered, feeling quite displeased: "I should have had the Imperial Guards disperse this group of people, leaving only those who wanted to enjoy the scenery on the lake, instead of having their noisy noise ruining their enjoyment."

An He traveled discreetly, naturally not wearing a python robe to attract attention. Today, he wore a dark-colored Taoist robe, a style favored by scholars in the capital. The robe had wide sleeves and fluttering hem, giving him a refined and otherworldly air.

His robes fluttered in the wind, carrying an ethereal air, much like the swaying talent of a scholar.

Now, this Taoist robe, worn by the tall and slender An He, actually gives him a certain charm.

Although Zhao Liangxu acted distant and close to An He today, she was actually no longer very angry. However, she felt that it was too easy for An He to taste the sweetness so early.

But she had no reason not to like Anhe's face.

From the very beginning, she felt that Anhe was particularly special because of his ghostly aura.

She also liked Anhe's appearance very much.

Seeing Anhe dressed like this, she couldn't help but glance at her several times. Looking at Anhe's face, which was silently hating others, and her sinister appearance, she found her particularly endearing.

"The lotus grove wasn't completely overrun, so we stopped in this corner. It's cool and refreshing, and the air is sweet. It's not bad at all."

Anhe, however, was not about to let them off easily: "You wanted to find a quiet place to go boating on the lake, but now they're making a racket and causing a ruckus. We'll have them all sent away, and the person in charge of hiring the performer should be given a good talking-to."

The courtesan of Zuihua Brothel redeemed herself and left quietly.

But you can't be without a top star.

In just a few days, they've produced a girl who's exceptionally good at opera. Her voice and figure are so good that she could be considered a star even in a top opera troupe.

Now is the perfect time to build momentum. During the day, Chuiyue Lake has a refreshing beauty, and at night, when the painted boats are lit with candlelight, a more lively atmosphere will arise on the lake.

The Drunken Flower Pavilion advertised that the girls would be performing in the night lotus pond, naturally attracting many people to come and hear the legendary voices.

And to catch a glimpse of her beautiful face.

Just as An He was about to give the order, Zhao Liangxu stopped him, saying, "Eunuch An."

She reached out to touch the lotus flower without even turning her head. Anhe waited for Zhao Liangxu for a long time without any response, so she could only snort and say, "I know, I won't say anything more."

Zhao Liangxu wasn't the only one seeking tranquility. As another small boat rowed by, Zhao Liangxu happened to scoop a petal from the water and pull herself back inside.

"Brother Chen, why don't you go and see what that opera girl looks like? Today we're all boating, and perhaps a talented man and a beautiful woman could become a romantic couple."

Several young people on the boat were chatting, seemingly wanting to join in the fun, but they ended up in this corner because of one of their ideas.

Chen Qinglie sighed. He had come to Chuiyue Lake with several others, and their original purpose was the same: to see the famous girl.

But for some reason, I felt irritable, so I simply left the area with the crowd on the water.

"Hey, there's a small, expensive-looking pleasure boat here. Who's been squeezed into this corner?"

One of them, seeing this, pointed to Anhe's pleasure boat and said...

Chen Qinglie followed the gaze and saw Zhao Liangxu straightening up.

At that moment, he felt that his restlessness was actually fate, leading him directly to meet Zhao Liangxu...

Zhao Liangxu also saw him.

Before Chen Qinglie could even smile, An He, who had heard the voice, came out.

That excessively pale face...

Chen Qinglie could no longer laugh.

It turns out that Zhao Liangxu came out with An He.

Zhao Liangxu was busy enjoying the breeze and playing with the lotus flowers, while An He talked a lot in the boat, but Zhao Liangxu didn't pay much attention to him.

Although Zhao Liangxu seemed to be in a good mood, she didn't show any signs of using her abilities.

This made Anhe unable to feel happy.

Just now, Anhe heard voices from outside the cabin. Coincidentally, Zhao Liangxu beckoned Anhe to come over, so he gladly went out of the cabin.

As a result, an uninvited guest was spotted at a glance.

He froze for a moment, then became more anxious.

An He walked to Zhao Liangxu's side and looked at Chen Qinglie with his narrow, drooping eyes.

"I really don't know what happened to Chuiyue Lake today, that we've run into someone who's sticking to someone and won't let go." An He said to Zhao Liangxu, but his words were loaded with meaning.

The scholar next to Chen Qinglie frowned and said to Chen Qinglie, "Brother Chen, why is that person acting so strangely, as if he's talking to us?"

Another person said, "Is he deliberately picking a fight?"

An He was very close to Zhao Liangxu. It was Zhao Liangxu who had invited him to her side in the first place, so Zhao Liangxu didn't push him away this time.

She wiped her hands, which had been splashing in the water, with the fabric of Anhe's shirt, leaving a small dent in the front of his shirt.

Summer clothes are naturally thinner than usual. Zhao Liangxu's hand slid across his chest, tickling him through his clothes as if she were doing it on purpose. The fabric quickly became wet, and the area that had been touched felt even cooler. The wind from the lake made it feel icy and the slightly itchy sensation reached his heart.

Zhao Liangxu then tucked the petals she had picked up into the collar of Anhe's clothes and said, "Today I'll add some bright colors to your outfit. I kind of miss seeing you in red or blue."

These few simple movements caused Chen Qinglie's eyes to ache.

The scholar next to Chen Qinglie suddenly muttered a curse: "That woman is pulling and tugging at other people, it's really outrageous."

An He carefully raised his hand, not wanting to touch the petals falling from his chest. He was overjoyed, but then he heard the scholar's words.

Anhe looked up.

He glared at her coldly.

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Author's note: I'm in trouble.