As expected, Zhu Jiayu did not go out for dinner in the evening.
After Wei Qinglou learned the reason, he remained silent for a moment, put down his chopsticks and bowl, got up and went to the kitchen to cook a bowl of noodles for Zhu Jiayu.
Carrying the bowl of noodles to Zhu Jiayu's room, he lightly knocked on the door. Zhu Jiayu, who was inside, heard the knocking, put on his coat, and asked, "Who is it?"
Wei Qinglou coughed lightly and said, "It's me."
His voice was slightly cold, with a jade-like quality, which sounded somewhat gentle in the rustling night breeze.
Zhu Jiayu opened the door and saw the clear soup noodles in his hand. Wei Qinglou held it out to her and said, "I cooked it myself, so give me some face, okay?"
Zhu Jiayu took the bowl of noodles with some skepticism, and couldn't help but glance at Wei Qinglou again.
A noble young master from the Duke's mansion can actually cook?
Isn't that a bit too absurd?
She took the bowl of noodles to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down. She took a small bite to taste it and was surprised to find that it was actually quite good. Although there were not many seasonings and the soup base was just plain water, at least there were some chopped green onions, ginger and garlic, so it wasn't too bland.
After taking the first bite, she felt relieved and began to eat heartily.
As Wei Qinglou watched her eat her noodles, he suddenly recalled his trip to Heling not long ago. Back then, he arrived late at night, and Zhu Jiayu cooked him a bowl of noodles. But now the roles were reversed, and he was the one cooking the noodles.
It's kind of funny to think about it. He's incredibly wealthy, with gold and jade piled up in his house, yet the first time he invited a girl to dinner, it was to a place like this, and all he got was a bowl of soup noodles.
If the people in Yujing knew this, they would probably laugh their heads off.
But he found the scene incredibly moving.
This reminded him of how his mother would cook porridge and soup for him every night when his father stayed up late working. What was a very ordinary scene in an ordinary family was a rare and heartwarming sight in their home.
It was a rare treat; he had never imagined that he could experience such warmth.
He had seen how his second brother and sister-in-law got along. They respected each other but weren't very affectionate. When he was young, he would secretly ask his second brother if his sister-in-law would do what his mother did, like adding clothes and bringing food to him when he stayed up late.
The second brother just smiled helplessly and didn't say anything.
He didn't understand then, but as he grew older, he finally realized that aristocratic families are aristocratic families after all. Even marriage is mixed with calculations of interests. If a couple is not truly in love, where does so much sincerity come from?
In prominent families, couples like his parents are ultimately a minority; more often, they are like his elder brother and sister-in-law, whose relationship is merely a facade. They use their life's most important event to uphold the dignity of their two families.
He had thought he would do the same, and had even prepared himself to marry a suitable marriage partner at the appropriate age. But tonight, he suddenly felt that if that person were Zhu Jiayu, it wouldn't be so bad.
He strode over, about to speak, when he heard Zhu Jiayu also speak up: "Lord Wei's cooking is truly excellent. Please take the bowl back to the kitchen. After you've eaten and drunk your fill, I'd like to take a nap, how about that?"
“…Okay.” Wei Qinglou paused, then nodded.
Zhu Jiayu yawned and lazily went back into the house.
Wei Qinglou shook his head and chuckled, then took the bowl to the kitchen.
He thought he'd talk about it another time.
The next day, Songjiang City welcomed an uninvited guest.
The man led a large group of men to the city gate. When the soldiers guarding the city saw him, they immediately went to find Wei Qinglou and reported the matter to him.
Wei Qinglou mounted his horse and went to the city gate, loudly asking the people in the carriage, "Who comes here, and what brings you here?"
The person inside the carriage lifted the curtain, revealing a face of exquisite beauty. He smiled slightly and said, "My name is Rong Heng. I am a friend of Miss Zhu. I heard that Miss Zhu is in Songjiang, so I thought I would do my part to help. There are some grains and medicines on the cart. Lord Wei can send someone to check them and then decide whether to let us into the city."
Wei Qinglou nodded, and the soldiers guarding the city understood. They all stepped forward to check, and soon returned to report to him: "Reporting to Your Excellency, it is indeed as this person said."
Wei Qinglou then turned his horse around and said in a loud voice, "Since you are Ayu's friend and have come to do your best for the people of Songjiang, please come in, young master."
Having said that, he leisurely rode his horse back to his residence. However, he couldn't help but wonder what the relationship was between this man who called himself Rong Heng and Zhu Jiayu. Were they truly friends as he claimed?
But why would ordinary friends come to Songjiang at this critical juncture?
He thought for a while, then summoned a guard and asked him to invite Zhu Jiayu.
Zhu Jiayu had just woken up. Upon hearing that Rong Heng had arrived, she disregarded everything else and came to the hall with a bare face. She looked around and, finding no sign of Rong Heng, asked Wei Qinglou, "I heard there are guests?"
Seeing her like this, Wei Qinglou's already suspicious feelings about their relationship intensified, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy: If they were just ordinary friends, would she be in such a hurry?
However, he did not reveal anything on his face, and only smiled faintly: "The person is still behind. When I heard that he was your friend, I thought I would have someone invite you over so that you could catch up with your old friend. However, I didn't know that you had such an old friend. Just now, I caught a glimpse of this young master Rong, and he was indeed a man of great bearing and outstanding demeanor."
Zhu Jiayu pursed her lips: "Lord Wei is no less impressive."
Seeing that she seemed unwilling to talk to him about Rong Heng, Wei Qinglou felt a pang of tenderness in his heart.
Is it really necessary? Saying a few more words won't hurt him.
He also became sullen, and his eyes turned cold.
Just as the two were in silence, Rong Heng arrived. He was dressed in an apricot-white robe, with a smile on his face, and had a gentle and refined appearance.
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