Chapter 309 Sigh, I'm your second choice

In the end, we inadvertently brought up Xie Yunchuan again.

When Li Manyan heard Xie Yunchuan's name, her eyes widened in panic for a moment, and she replied hastily, "Okay, I'll think about it seriously."

Then, before Sheng Sheng could speak again, she quickly changed the subject, "By the way, I just heard the Fifth Prince mention the second young master of the Lu family. I remember their relationship seemed to have improved a bit when they were in the hunting grounds. Now it seems that's true?"

Sheng Sheng's attention was indeed diverted: "Well... actually, Sheng Sheng isn't really sure about this either."

Actually, Sheng Sheng felt that the two of them were like the kind of people who said they didn't like each other, but were actually good brothers, a pair of people who loved and hated each other.

The two originally had no irreconcilable conflicts, and now they can be considered to have "turned enemies into friends".

Li Manyan nodded: "The Fifth Prince has a childish temper, and the young master of the Lu family has taken after General Lu, so it's inevitable that he'll be a bit stubborn sometimes. It's a good thing that their relationship has improved now."

"yes."

The two admired the flowers together for a while, had a light lunch, and before they knew it, it was late afternoon.

The time had come. The Li family was the "host family" this time, so Li Manyan naturally had to go with Madam Li to the entrance of Tonghuawu to greet the guests.

Feeling bored, Sheng Sheng went to find Xie Yunqi, who was playing the pitch-pot game. She thought that when Xie Yunjia arrived, she would go play with her. After all, she had already walked around here and could at least act as Xie Yunjia's tour guide.

Sheng Sheng, swinging her legs, watched Xie Yunqi throw one ball after another and became interested. She walked over and said, "Fifth Brother, Sheng Sheng wants to throw too."

Xie Yunqi was so engrossed in his perfect aim that he didn't even notice when Sheng Sheng arrived.

Xie Yunqi glanced back, continuing to throw arrows. "Oh, you remembered me?"

Sheng Sheng blinked innocently at him, "Fifth Brother, Sheng Sheng has always been thinking of you."

"Hmph, that's not true. You're always clinging to Miss Li the moment you see her. You don't even see me anymore!" Xie Yunqi snorted a few times in dissatisfaction, then sighed, "Sigh, I'm your second choice, your backup plan, the osmanthus cake you're tired of eating, and the Sichuan peppercorns you don't like."

Sheng Sheng: o_O

Sheng Sheng stared at him, puzzled.

From which storybook did Fifth Brother learn these words?

Before Sheng Sheng could figure out the problem, Xie Yunqi blurted out the next sentence.

"It's so quiet. I thought we'd always have something to talk about."

"I know the sky is high enough for birds to fly freely, and I also know that repeating words three times makes them taste bland. From now on, we will never meet again."

"No need to say any more, let's leave it at that."

After saying that, Xie Yunqi put his right hand to his forehead, frowned, and struck a sad pose, transforming into a melancholy god.

Sheng Sheng asked, "...Fifth Brother, where did you read these words from?"

"Are you changing the subject? Okay, I understand. Thank you. I won't bother you again."

"…………"

The silence was profound and still.

If there were any sound, it would be deafening right now.

What a vast sky where birds can soar freely! What a journey through mountains and rivers where we may never meet again!

This was the fifth prince's most eloquent remark.

Sheng Sheng was both amused and exasperated: "Fifth Brother, please stop talking, it's so embarrassing."

Xie Yunqi reluctantly stopped his melancholy pose. "What's wrong? Aren't you handsome?"

"……handsome?"

"Yes, this is the best-selling novel recently, called something like 'Love is Deep and Rain is Drizzling.' Don't you think these words sound mysterious and melancholic, making people unconsciously want to explore them? A lot of people have read this novel."

"Hmm...it is quite mysterious." Sheng Sheng nodded reluctantly.

Xie Yunqi waved his hand, too lazy to discuss the storybook anymore, and said seriously, "To be honest, you and the Crown Prince will soon be leaving the capital. Jin is so far away, and I don't know how long it will be before you can come back. Thinking about it, I'm really going to miss you."

Xie Yunqi threw out the last arrow in his hand, and while talking, he walked over and picked up all the arrows from the pot and the ground. He then walked back to Shengsheng's side and held the arrows for her.

Sheng Sheng understood Xie Yunqi's sadness and joked, "Sheng Sheng hasn't even had a chance to say she's reluctant to part with him yet, and Fifth Brother is already feeling sad."

"Of course! You're my sister! The journey is long and arduous, and we don't know what kind of people or things we'll encounter. What if we run into danger? Haven't you read those stories about the dangers of the martial world and the coldness of human relationships? You're my only sister, so who else would I worry about but you?"

Sheng Sheng had intended to use a joke to dispel the faint sadness spreading in the air, but she was unexpectedly moved by Xie Yunqi's words.

Just as Sheng Sheng was at a loss for words, Xie Yunqi quietly added, "It's not that I'm not worried about the Crown Prince; he's also my elder brother, and I'm worried about him too!"

She chuckled, and his words eased her heavy mood.

"It's alright, Fifth Brother. It's not like we're not coming back. We're just here for the Rejuvenating Herb."

"Sigh, never mind, let's play pitch-pot!"

Xie Yunqi began teaching Shengsheng how to play pitch-pot, and Shengsheng tacitly skipped the topic and played pitch-pot according to Xie Yunqi's instructions.

Pitch-pot is a very simple game; you just need to stand a certain distance away from the pot and throw the arrows in.

He threw all the arrows in the bag, and managed to get a few in, showing great interest.

As they were throwing, Xie Yunjia arrived.

Xie Yunjia knew she had arrived early, so as soon as she arrived at Tonghuawu, she asked her where she was.

"Little dumpling, come here quickly."

The player paused in her throwing-the-pot motion, and upon seeing the newcomer, immediately lost interest in throwing the pot: "Oh, it's Your Majesty!"

Xie Yunqi glared at Xie Yunjia with dissatisfaction, about to protest, when Xie Yunjia immediately said, "Oh, I think I just saw Lu Chi. Did you two make plans? I think I heard him looking for you."

Xie Yunqi immediately lost his dissatisfaction and changed his attitude instantly: "Where is he? Where is he? I've been waiting for him for a long time. Today I'm going to have a showdown with him and make him completely convinced of my skill in the arrow-throwing game!"

Xie Yunjia pointed in a direction, and Xie Yunqi lifted his robes and charged off in that direction with great pride and arrogance.

"Hmph, you came all this way but didn't come to find me. You must be afraid and want to avoid my sharp edge!"

Xie Yunjia rolled her eyes, too lazy to even acknowledge him.

Is a childish younger brother better, or a sweet younger sister?

Xie Yunjia put on a smile and pulled Shengsheng along, saying, "I heard from Yan'er that she has already taken you on a tour of Tonghuawu?"

"Yes, yes, Your Highness, let me show you around. I know where the crabapple blossoms are the most beautiful!"

"Fine, I'll accept it, alright."

Xie Yunjia spoke lightly, but the joy on her face was hard to hide.

Let's go!

Sheng Sheng returned the remaining arrows to the maid beside her, then pulled Xie Yunjia away.