Cui Zhiling lowered her eyes, clutching her sleeve as she pondered. Before leaving, she wanted to go to Hongcheng to see Brother Jingyue and say goodbye.
**
Red City.
Cui Zhiling sat in a roast duck shop, ordered a duck, and slowly ate it.
This duck almost cost her all her money.
Half a tael of silver per animal is really too expensive.
But it is precisely because of this that this roast duck shop is particularly famous in Hongcheng, and Jingyue especially likes to eat here.
I can buy a duck here almost every few days.
She came here just to try her luck; if she didn't run into him, she wouldn't have bothered to personally visit the Wei family to find him.
She still cares about her reputation as a young woman.
So this is the only place we can meet.
That way, we can save face and pretend it was a chance encounter.
"Qingluan, I've wanted to bring you here to try the duck for a long time. The duck at this shop tastes especially good. I often come here to eat."
A voice came from the doorway, and Cui Zhiling's eyes lit up as she looked up.
Brother Jingyue?!
It really is Brother Jingyue!
He really came!
When his gaze fell upon a figure in plain clothes beside Wei Jingyue, the light in his eyes immediately faded, and the smile on his lips disappeared.
Xue Qingluan!
It's that woman again.
Why can't I get rid of this woman no matter where I go? Why does she always have to follow Brother Jingyue around? It's obvious she wants to steal Brother Jingyue from me!
Although he was furious inside, he forced a smile onto his face, put on a smiling face, and pretended to be surprised by the chance encounter as he went to greet her.
"Oh, Brother Jingyue, it's you! It really is you!"
Wei Jingyue was taken aback when he saw the person who suddenly ran over and stopped in front of him. "Zhi Ling? What are you doing here?"
"What a coincidence! I never expected to run into Brother Jingyue while just coming here to eat duck."
Wei Jingran, standing to the side, pursed his lips and crossed his arms, scrutinizing Cui Zhiling.
"Huh? Was it a coincidence? I don't think so."
Cui Zhiling glared at Wei Jingran and emphasized, "It was a coincidence."
Wei Jingran clearly didn't believe it, and his words had a slightly sarcastic tone.
"That's really interesting. You've come all the way from your Jincheng to my neighbor Hongcheng to eat duck. Don't you have ducks in Jincheng?"
Cui Zhiling's face flushed red as she retorted angrily.
"No, it's just that the duck here tastes amazing. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to eat duck here again after I left, so I came here specifically to eat duck."
"Huh? Left? What do you mean?" Wei Jingran's mocking smile paused, and he blinked, staring at Cui Zhiling.
Cui Zhiling bit her lip and looked at Wei Jingyue. "My Cui family is about to leave Jincheng and will be going to Baicheng in a couple of days, which is why I wanted to come here..." Cui Zhiling's voice trailed off at the last sentence.
She didn't see any lingering affection or reluctance in Jingyue's eyes. He really didn't care at all whether she left Jincheng or not.
When she said she was leaving, he showed no emotion, except for a slightly surprised expression.
"I really didn't expect that Zhiling would be going to Baicheng so soon. Although I had heard my mother say before that your Cui family seemed to be planning to settle down in Baicheng."
"So close to the capital, right under the emperor's nose, in a city of prestigious families, it's wonderful." Wei Jingyue sighed, leading Xue Qingluan past Cui Zhiling and into the city.
"Brother Jingyue, you'll come to see me in the future, right?" Cui Zhiling followed Wei Jingyue, ignoring Xue Qingluan, and asked with a grin.
Wei Jingyue found an empty table, sat down, and smiled.
“I really want to go there for a visit and have some fun.” As he spoke, his gaze turned to Xue Qingluan. “I’m going with Qingluan. Qingluan has never been to Baicheng either.”
Azure Phoenix! Azure Phoenix again! The words "Azure Phoenix" are always on his lips.
Cui Zhiling's smile froze for a moment, then she put on a smiling face and nodded, her words carrying a hint of sarcasm.
"Yes, Miss Qingluan grew up in Hongcheng, so naturally she has never seen the world there. I'm about to go and see for myself."
I'll write to Brother Jingyue then and tell you about how prosperous it is over there.
The speaker meant something, and the listener was also interested; Xue Qingluan paused in her tea-pouring motion.
Wei Jingyue didn't understand anything, but simply told the waiter to order three ducks.
Wei Jingran smiled and smoothed things over, helping Xue Qingluan out of the predicament.
"Sister Qingluan, if you have the chance in the future, come to Baicheng with my brother. Although there are many famous families there, it's not like we can just go there to play, right, Sister Qingluan?"
Xue Qingluan smiled, nodded slightly, and continued pouring tea.
Cui Zhiling bit her lip, her hands clenched tightly under her sleeves.
The Wei family seems to really like Xue Qingluan. If she leaves Jincheng, leaving Xue Qingluan here to see Brother Jingyue every day makes her a little uneasy.
Although Xue Qingluan seems indifferent to Jing Yue, it's hard to guarantee that she won't develop feelings for him, given how good he is to her and his good family background.
In this red city, he is considered the best son-in-law candidate.
Choosing such a husband means having both substance and prestige.
“Brother Jingyue, if you go to Baicheng, remember to write to me. Come stay at my house for a while, and I’ll take you around to see the sights.”
Wei Jingyue exclaimed in admiration, "Your Cui family actually managed to get into Baicheng, that's impressive. I'll definitely pay you a visit when I go there in the future."
"My mother and the others probably don't know about this yet, right?" If they did, they would have told them. The fact that I haven't heard from his mother means that the news hasn't reached her ears yet.
“My mother and your wife are close friends and have always been on good terms. She would definitely come to your door to discuss this matter in person.” As she said this, Cui Zhiling glanced at Xue Qingluan with a smug and provocative look.
Xue Qingluan blew lightly on the tea in her cup, seemingly oblivious to the smell, her expression indifferent and revealing no emotion.
"Sister Qingluan, the duck here is really delicious. My family only eats duck from this shop now. When it's served, try it and see if you like it. If you think it's good, I'll ask my mother to send some to your house so your mother and the others can try it."
Xue Qingluan smiled and replied, "Okay." She wouldn't mind sending some chicken, duck, fish, or meat to the manor—these inexpensive little things that wouldn't cause any misunderstandings.
Cui Zhiling glanced at Wei Jingran, who always protected Xue Qingluan.
This Xue Qingluan really knows how to win people's hearts, making everyone fawn over her and speak up for her. I wonder what methods she used to get Wei Jingran to protect her like this!
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