Although it was still half an hour before noon, it wouldn't hurt to have lunch now, so Xingxing pulled Zhulin to sit down at the table, called the waiter to order dishes, and prepared to eat while waiting.
Qingyan and Qingluo sat down at another table nearby and ordered food. The other guards didn't come in; if hundreds of them all rushed in, it would attract too much attention.
Just as the dishes were served, a guard led Zhang Xiantao and the others through the inn's main gate. Xingxing called out, "Xiantao, come here quickly, we're here."
Zhang Xiantao, dressed in red, strode over, followed by Zhao Mingyue carrying a child, as well as Zhao Shui and Song Zhaodi.
However, Zhao Shui and Song Zhaodi did not sit at the same table as them when they came in; the couple found their own table and sat down.
"Why aren't your in-laws with you? Why are they sitting at a separate table?" Xingxing asked softly.
Zhang Xiantao waved her hand dismissively, "Let them be. They probably know you're a princess and feel uncomfortable eating with you."
After a moment, she lowered her voice and whispered in Xingxing's ear, "My father-in-law doesn't like to eat with outsiders. He's shy. Don't be fooled by his stubbornness and seemingly unreasonable nature. He just doesn't know how to get along with people and all he does is yell."
Zhao Mingyue listened for a while, but couldn't stand it anymore. She tugged at Zhang Xiantao's sleeve and whispered, "Say less, or Dad will hear you and cause trouble again."
"Okay, I won't say anything then." Zhang Xiantao interrupted, sat down and buried herself in her food, looking like she hadn't eaten in a long time.
"How long have you been hungry? Didn't you have anything to eat on the way?" Xingxing exclaimed in amazement.
Zhang Xiantao looked up and pointed to her face, "Look at my face, doesn't it look much rounder?"
Xingxing looked at it carefully and nodded to indicate that it was indeed true.
"Sigh, I don't know why, but my appetite became really good after giving birth. I get hungry very easily and want to eat everything. My mother-in-law said that I can't diet while breastfeeding, otherwise my milk will dry up. So for the sake of the baby and to satisfy my cravings, I can only eat more."
Upon hearing this, Xingxing looked her up and down and commented, "Although you eat a lot, you don't look that fat. You used to look a bit thin, but now you look just right."
When it comes to maintaining her figure, Zhang Xiantao really had a lot of bitter tears to shed. "Three months after I finished my postpartum confinement, I would get up before 7 a.m. every day to practice for half an hour, practicing a set of spear techniques and then two sets of boxing. I would be covered in sweat. Otherwise, where do you think all the food I ate went?"
"It seems that practicing martial arts can not only strengthen the body but also maintain beauty. I've decided that after returning to Beijing, I will also get up every morning to practice martial arts," Xingxing declared confidently.
Zhang Xiantao and Xingxing have known each other for quite some time. They had worked together on disaster relief before, and she knew that this little girl could be incredibly diligent when she wanted to be, but when she wanted to be lazy, even pigs would be afraid of her.
Therefore, she didn't believe the princess was that self-disciplined and that it was just empty talk. The princess was habitually lazy when it came to practicing martial arts, so her promise to practice every day was questionable.
It would be good if she could last a few days. Besides, she has a high status in the palace, and none of the palace servants would dare to make decisions for her.
However, there was one person who could make the decision for her, but unfortunately, he was a man from outside the palace and could not stay there. Thinking of this, Zhang Xiantao looked at Zhu Lin, who was chatting casually with Zhao Mingyue.
Neither of them are particularly outgoing. They are only warm towards those they care about, and they are usually very sparing with their words in front of outsiders. They also never take the initiative to befriend anyone, so what they say is unlikely to be pleasant to hear.
In the past, these two would never have sat together and chatted. It was because Xingxing and Zhang Xiantao often got together that Zhu Lin and Zhao Mingyue also started to see each other frequently, especially during the years when they were away on disaster relief missions. They became so familiar with each other that they were practically inseparable.
Yes, we're just familiar faces, we'd nod to each other when we meet, but we're not close enough to sit down and have drinks together and reminisce about the past.
Just now, when Zhao Mingyue came over and saw Zhu Lin, she only said, "Long time no see."
Zhu Lin sat up straight and nodded calmly. "Yes, it's been a few months since I last saw you. Your son has grown quite a bit."
“Everyone says so,” Zhao Mingyue sat down opposite him, holding her son with practiced ease. He even considered changing the baby’s diaper on the spot, but remembering someone’s obsession with cleanliness, he asked instead, “I’d like to change the baby’s diaper, you won’t mind, will you?”
"I mind. You'd better go back to your room and change, or I might beat you up." Zhu Lin's peach blossom eyes held a faint smile, a smile that was particularly alluring.
Zhao Mingyue's eyelids twitched. Although he and Zhu Lin were not close, he knew Zhu Lin's personality to some extent. The gentler the smile, the angrier he was inside. No one knew what he would do next.
"Just kidding, this is the lobby, why would I be changing diapers here?" Zhao Mingyue smiled mischievously.
Upon noticing that Zhu Lin's handsome face had turned as black as the bottom of a pot, Zhang Xiantao quickly tugged at her husband's hand, "Mingyue, don't provoke him. We can't beat him, be careful you don't get beaten up."
"Oh, I just wanted to see if he could still eat. If I can't beat him, can't I at least annoy him?" For some reason, Zhao Mingyue suddenly had this childish idea.
The three people present stared at him speechlessly after hearing this, making him feel utterly ashamed.
Xingxing glared at him warningly, "Don't say things like that next time you eat, or I'll flatten you."
Zhang Xiantao also earnestly advised, "Mingyue, we're not children anymore. You need to be hygienic when you eat, or you'll really get beaten up. Be good, okay?"
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