Red rope

Luan Zhengya had been standing alone beneath a tree, lost in thought. Her back looked forlorn. When she turned around, her expression remained icy, and Qin Yuyao felt as if she had returned to the time when they first met.

When his eyes softened instantly and fell on him with warmth, he stepped forward to meet him without waiting for him to walk over.

Qin Yuyao's heart trembled. The two of them were no longer the same as they used to be. Luan Zhengya was now the man who would look at her tenderly, carefully tie her hair, serve her food, and even prepare gifts for her birthday.

"Looking at you like this, it feels like the first time I see you." Luan Zhengya lowered her head and placed a light kiss on Qin Yuyao's forehead.

After blinking, Qin Yuyao suddenly felt her cheeks getting hot and she felt a little shy.

"I feel the same way when I see you." A pair of clear eyes looked at Luan Zhengya steadily, and she subconsciously stretched out her hand to touch his cheek, but the next moment he held the back of her hand and pressed it against her face.

"I suddenly don't want to go out. I might as well stay here for one night." His voice was low and inexplicably hoarse, which made Qin Yuyao blush instantly.

Qin Yuyao quickly withdrew her hand and turned her back: "I have been looking forward to you taking me out for a long time. I have to go out and play today no matter what."

Hearing this, Luan Zhengya laughed softly, reached out and took her hand behind her back, and then pulled her out of the back door of the yard.

This courtyard was located in a very busy area. Outside the back door was a bustling street. The dense crowds of pedestrians almost filled the entire street, and only when the crowds surged could there be some gaps.

Qin Yuyao hadn't seen such a scene for a long time. During the day, she usually went out in a carriage. She rarely had time to see the outside world. Seeing these things today seemed a bit novel.

"I still remember when Nanny Liang took me to the town and caught up with the market, it was just as lively." Qin Yuyao's voice was filled with nostalgia.

Luan Zhengya stood beside her, quietly listening to her talk about Madam Liang. He knew that compared to the Right Prime Minister's Mansion, Taoyuan Village and Madam Liang were her closest relatives.

"When this matter is settled, I will take you and Nanny Liang back to take a look." Luan Zhengya reached out and held Qin Yuyao's hand on her chest, looking at Qin Yuyao deeply with her eyes, her phoenix eyes seemed to contain myriad emotions.

Qin Yuyao lowered her head as she looked at him with such affectionate eyes: "I see. You always say that you want to go back, don't you want to go back?"

The reason why the two of them knew each other was because of the blessing of meeting in Taoyuan Village. If it weren't for the Taoyuan Village, the two of them would probably still have no intersection.

Hearing the meaning in her tone, Luan Zhengya chuckled and put her hand under her lips and kissed it gently: "Of course I miss you, but with you by my side, I'm happy to go anywhere."

These words were spoken with such sincerity that his hot breath sprayed on the back of her hand. Qin Yuyao immediately withdrew her hand and pointed to a stall not far away. "The masks over there are really beautiful. I want to go and take a look."

As she spoke, Qin Yuyao walked over quickly.

The stall owner was a gray-haired but energetic old lady. When she saw the two people coming, she immediately smiled from ear to ear.

"What a beautiful girl, what a handsome boy, you two are really a perfect match!" said the old lady, handing over the bird-shaped lantern she had just made.

She said cheerfully, "This is a Phoenix Lantern, also called a Destiny Lantern. Lovers holding this lantern will be together forever, until the end of time." As she spoke, the old lady took out another red rope.

"I got this red string from the ashes of incense in the temple. It symbolizes good health and a long-lasting marriage. I like this girl just by looking at her. I wish you a happy marriage with the man next to you." As the old lady said this, she tied the red string around Qin Yuyao's wrist.

"Hey!" Qin Yuyao didn't have time to say anything, and she couldn't push the old man away. She could only watch the old man tie the red rope. The next moment, she saw the old man took out another red rope and handed it to Luan Zhengya who was standing beside her.

Because the old man had just said auspicious words, Luan Zhengya was happy to listen and naturally did not refuse. But when the old man handed out another red rope, she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows, and quickly realized her mistake.

Instead, he handed the red rope to Qin Yuyao and looked down at her: "How about, my lady, tie it for me?"

Qin Yuyao turned her head and saw the old man's encouraging expression. She raised her head slightly and looked at Luan Zhengya with indifferent eyes, but her eyes were full of expectation.

She couldn't help but put the bond lamp in Luan Zhengya's hand, and then carefully tied the same red rope on her right wrist around his left wrist.

"Okay, I like such generous girls." The old man said with a smile.

Luan Zhengya stared at her left wrist for a long time before she took out the purse from her waist and handed it to the old man. But the old man waved his hand and said, "No need for money. I'm just giving it to you two because I see you two are a good match. I think you two are out shopping. Go and have fun. Don't waste your precious time here with me."

Seeing this, Qin Yuyao took the purse from Luan Zhengya, took out a silver ingot from it and threw it into a lantern that had not yet been lit before the old lady could speak.

Then he pulled Luan Zhengya quickly into the crowd, and did not look back even though the old man behind him was calling out to him.

The two of them trotted for a while, and Qin Yuyao didn't hear Luan Zhengya say anything for a long time. She couldn't help but turn around to look at him, but he was just staring at her without saying a word.

"I like this red rope very much." Luan Zhengya suddenly looked at her and said this. Amid the noisy sounds around her, Qin Yuyao still heard it clearly at once.

I couldn't help but nod and said, "I like it too. I even like it more than the gemstones and jade you gave me."

Those luxurious things were indeed valuable, but most of them just meant that people outside were saying that she was loved, as if everything was measured by gold and silver.

On the contrary, this worthless red rope has now become the most precious thing.

Qin Yuyao subconsciously reached out and touched the red string on her wrist, a smile breaking out on her face. This startled Luan Zhengya, who had been staring at her, and a wave of emotion also spread through her heart.

"I'm hungry." Qin Yuyao looked at Luan Zhengya, and there was a hint of coquettishness in her eyes unconsciously.

Seeing this, Luan Zhengya swallowed subconsciously and nodded immediately: "I was planning to take you to a restaurant to try it. Many soldiers there have eaten there and said it was delicious."

Qin Yuyao's eyes lit up when she heard that the soldiers in Luan Zhengya's army all said it was delicious. She immediately asked curiously, "Those soldiers will also tell you what they usually eat?"

You know, she'd seen Luan Zhengya treat his subordinates a lot before. Almost all of them became timid after seeing him. It wasn't like Luan Zhengya to proactively talk about what he ate.

This question made Luan Zhengya pause, and she lowered her eyes and looked at Qin Yuyao intently. She couldn't help but cover her mouth and smile: "Okay, I understand."

Jiang He, who had remained silent as a background figure, spoke up at this moment: "Princess, these are all things that the prince asked me to inquire about. He has been preparing for a long time to make sure that the princess has a good time."

Jiang He had barely finished speaking when Luan Zhengya's deep gaze swept over him, and he immediately stopped talking. He only blinked, hinting to Qin Yuyao that what he said was the truth.

"Okay, stop scaring Jiang He. Everyone is telling the truth. You are indeed too cold and hard in daily life, so it's normal that no one dares to tell the truth to you." Qin Yuyao said, reaching out and hooking Luan Zhengya's palm.

"I'm really hungry. Take me to eat." Qin Yuyao pulled Luan Zhengya's hand and shook it, looking at him intently with a pair of eyes, which made him feel defeated.

The two walked hand in hand, slowly walking in the crowd for about a quarter of an hour, and finally found a shop at a crossroads that had no plaque, only a sign made of red cloth with black characters.

The sign reads: Ruyi Restaurant.

Qin Yuyao couldn't help but tilt her head to look inside curiously. She saw a crowd of people surging inside, and there was even a staircase leading up to the back. This didn't seem like the size of a small restaurant, so it was obvious that this restaurant must be doing a booming business.

The two of them only stood there for a moment before a waiter quickly rushed out. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a smile, "Would you two like to sit upstairs?"

It was obvious that they were determined to come to their place for dinner, but before the two extraordinary guests in front of them could say anything, Jiang He stepped forward and took out a sign.

The guy quickly showed surprise and gave up his seat without saying a word, allowing Jiang He to lead the two people in.

"It was a close call. I almost offended our distinguished guest today." The waiter muttered to himself and was soon called away by the shouting voice from the other end.

Qin Yuyao carefully lifted the hem of her skirt and prepared to go upstairs, but Luan Zhengya took the lead and lifted up the hem of her skirt. Seeing that she was a little dazed, Luan Zhengya smiled.

He even stretched out his other hand to support Qin Yuyao's hand that was about to be placed on the handrail of the stairs. Seeing this, Qin Yuyao pursed her lips slightly and put her hand on it.

Jiang He stood at the top step, watching the two people's movements, feeling somewhat redundant. Perhaps he should be the last one to fall behind?

As his mind was full of wild thoughts, he suddenly felt a chill in his gaze. He saw the prince who was supporting the princess glanced at him from below. Frightened, Jiang He immediately continued walking towards the other staircase.

Just at the intersection of the second and third floors, two people suddenly came down.

The staircase of the Ruyi Restaurant was actually wider than that of an ordinary restaurant, but the two people coming down seemed to have drunk a lot. As they passed by Qin Yuyao, a drunken man stumbled and was about to bump into her.

Qin Yuyao had just been distracted by Luan Zhengya's smile, and she had no time to turn sideways when she encountered this sudden change.

Seeing that she was about to be knocked down by the other party, the big hand that had been supporting her exerted force and pulled her into his arms.

"Are you okay?" Luan Zhengya asked in a low voice, his eyes quickly scanning Qin Yuyao up and down. Seeing that she was unharmed, he raised his head and looked at the two drunk people.