Lu Yinghuai dared not look at Yun Ling, but Yun Ling dared to look at him.
"Young Master, are you...?"
“The wind has stopped,” Lu Yinghuai hurriedly withdrew his hand and took a step back. “Second Brother, have you thought about where to stay when you go to Bianjing?”
Yunling paused, swallowing the words, "Are you in love with me?" that were on the tip of her tongue. She believed Lu Yinghuai treated her specially and was incredibly kind to her. His actions just now, and that exaggerated heartbeat, had stirred something within her, and she couldn't help but want to ask that question.
But it seems that this is not what she thought. He was probably afraid that she would complain about him calling her out in this cold weather, and he was also afraid that she would catch a cold, so he did this.
fortunately,
Fortunately, she didn't ask, otherwise he would have misunderstood and thought she wanted him to take responsibility for her, which would have caused a huge misunderstanding.
Yunling swallowed, bit her lower lip, and after gathering her thoughts, said:
"I haven't thought about it. I'll figure it out when I get to Bianjing. Anyway, I have money in my pocket, so I'm not worried about not having a place to stay."
"Why don't we rent a house to stay in? I'll be staying in Bianjing for quite some time this time, and it will take you a long time to find a reliable merchant. It would be better if all of us stayed in the same house, so we can look after each other. It's much more convenient than staying in an inn."
Yunling thought Lu Yinghuai's words made sense, and if they lived together, they could spend some of the three thousand copper coins, which would be a way of repaying him.
“Okay, but I’ll have to pay for the rent.”
"When everyone's gathered at the dock, we'll hire a carriage together and head there, shall we?"
"good."
Yunling agreed, and Lu Yinghuai was very happy. Without saying much, worried that Yunling's loose hair would catch the wind, he walked back with her.
Liu Erlang and his gang, who had been hiding nearby, crept over in the dark. They were still seething with resentment because they had lost the polo game during the day and had been teased by Yunling. They were planning to find an opportunity that night to teach Yunling and her friends a lesson.
Unexpectedly, after searching high and low in the ordinary and VIP rooms, they ventured into this top-class room with great courage, only to find the two embracing each other.
However, it was truly pitch black, and even with a few small candles on the ground in the passageway to light the way, it was difficult to see anything clearly, which aroused a lot of suspicion.
"Hey, do you think these two are the ones riding the same horse?"
"They look like them, but what are they doing up here? The people who live here are not to be trifled with."
"Hehe, you guys are all so silly. These two are hugging each other, what else could they be doing up here? Of course they're having an affair. If these two men are hugging each other in broad daylight, people will definitely gossip about them, so they're hiding up here."
Liu Erlang felt a strange feeling in his heart. He had always thought that Yunling was a young woman, and how could she hug and ride alongside a man in public? It was simply improper.
But if she really is a man, why can't it be him who is embracing her?
He seems much better than that pretty boy in every way, doesn't he?
"Erlang, they've left. Should we chase after them, give them a good beating, and have some fun while we're at it, and get those three thousand strings of cash back?"
"That's enough. Let's avoid making too much noise when we beat them up and disturb the important people living here. Consider them lucky this time. If we meet again, we'll beat them to death."
The group dispersed like smoke, and Yunling had already returned to her room. Tang Ling quickly went to greet her and draped a towel heated by charcoal over Yunling's hair to dry it.
"Young lady, you should dry your hair promptly after washing it, otherwise you'll easily get sick."
"It's all that's to blame... I won't talk about him anymore, he's such a spoilsport."
Tang Ling smiled. The young master Lu's intentions were obvious. She just didn't know what her boss's intentions were. Speaking of which, they were a perfect match, both talented and beautiful.
Yunling took off her shoes and heavy clothes, lay down on the bed, and pouted, saying:
"Tang Ling, do you think it would be more convenient for us to rent a house in Bianjing than to stay in an inn?"
Tang Ling pulled Yun Ling's hair out from under the soft pillow and gently wiped it with a towel.
"Of course, young lady. Are you planning to rent a house? You love lively places, so you could live south of the Imperial Street, past the Zhou Bridge. There are many houses and shops there, making it quite lively. Alternatively, you could go to the east wall of the Zhuque Gate, where there are many brothels, entertainment venues, and night markets. Or you could go near the Longjin Bridge, close to the Imperial Academy and the National Academy."
Yunling was filled with endless imagination and curiosity just by hearing the name. She crossed her legs and asked:
Is the Great Xiangguo Temple among the places you mentioned?
"Daxiangguo Temple... is located in the southeast corner of Xinlingfang, near Zhouqiao Bridge."
Yunling's eyes lit up, she clapped her hands, and said as if she had made up her mind:
"Then let's stay near Zhouqiao."
The next morning, everyone packed their things, ate a vegetarian meal at the dining hall, and then rode fast horses to the dock in Mincheng. They did not dare to delay along the way and managed to arrive in the town before dark the next day.
After the group of five randomly found an inn to check in, they went about their own business: some bought charcoal, some bought snacks, some strolled around, some took baths and rested, and some knocked on room doors.
Once on the ship,
Perhaps it was because the next stop was Bianjing, but everyone felt a strange sense of anticipation. So much so that even though it was winter, they didn't feel cold. They were only thinking that the ship could go faster and faster so that they could get there as soon as possible.
Fifteen days later, the ship slowly sailed into the Bianjing area. Yunling stood on the deck and saw a long bridge hanging in the air in the distance. The bridge had no pillars and was made of huge wooden pillars suspended in the air, like a flying rainbow, which was very unique and strange.
Further on, stalls lined both sides of the road, and various stalls were also set up on the bridge, with enthusiastic shouts of vendors rising and falling, creating a lively scene.
"This is Bianjing?"
"This is Bianjing. The bridge you see is the Rainbow Bridge. Look over there, those are the Upper Earth Bridge and the Lower Earth Bridge. Aren't they very similar? And that one is called the Shunchengcang Bridge."
Yunling looked around in the direction Chengbo pointed, her mind also on the vendors on both sides of the bridge. She was so overwhelmed by the sights that she couldn't keep up.
"Uncle Cheng, where shall we moor our boat?"
"Stop near Zhouqiao."
"Zhouqiao...is that a very lively place?"
Chengbo nodded and smiled:
"Yes, the shops along the Zhouqiao to Longjinqiao area are close together, and at night it's so lively it's like people are grabbing goods for free. More importantly, the main street west of Zhouqiao is where fruit shops buy and sell fruit."
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