Shen Qinghe was tall and slender, and even standing at the back of the crowd, she could see the entire performance on stage. Princess Danyang, however, wasn't so lucky. She strained on her tiptoes but could only catch a glimpse of a corner of the stage. Annoyed, she asked:
"Young Master Hua Zhang, what did you see?"
Shen Qinghe stared intently at the stage and replied solemnly, "The performers are performing a hundred different shows."
Princess Danyang was so angry she was about to vomit blood. How could she not know that the people on the stage were performing a variety of acts? What she wanted to know was what kind of magic tricks they were performing.
Already furious, when she looked down and saw the little one beside her legs, she became even angrier: "If I can't see him, you certainly can't!"
Unbeknownst to Meng Zhao, a tiny, exquisitely carved figure dressed in a moon-white brocade robe stood between the two. This person was none other than the eight-year-old Crown Prince. The little boy stood at the back of the crowd, straining to stand on tiptoe, but unfortunately, he was too small to even see the edge of the stage. As he stumbled, he reached out and tugged at Shen Qinghe's clothes.
The young prince usually stayed deep in the palace and rarely had the opportunity to go out. He was overjoyed when Shen Qinghe said he would take him out of the palace to visit the lantern festival. However, he not only didn't see anything new along the way, but was also criticized by Sister Danyang the whole time, so he couldn't help but pout.
Shen Qinghe looked down at the young prince's aggrieved expression and asked gently, "Young master, would you like to see the tricks of these entertainers?"
The young prince's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously. Shen Qinghe smiled slightly and said, "Then I apologize for the intrusion." With that, he firmly supported the young prince under his armpits with both hands and lifted him up with a little effort.
Shen Qinghe was already tall and slender, and the little prince in his arms suddenly had a wide field of vision. Just then, the acrobats on stage conjured a brightly colored parrot, prompting the little prince to clap and cheer, "Amazing! Master Shen, look! That bird's feathers have several colors!"
This infuriated Princess Danyang. She had dressed up carefully and even left her maids and servants behind, hoping to be alone with Shen Qinghe. Who would have thought that he would have a little tail following him around? Now the three of them were watching the opera together, but she couldn't even see the corner of the stage.
"Hmph!" She angrily flicked her sleeves, making two neat gestures in the air. In an instant, several tall men appeared, squeezing into the crowd like water cutting through waves, and forcefully clearing a path. Princess Danyang raised her chin and walked to the front row.
Seeing that there was an empty seat, the little prince twisted his body a little shyly: "Master Shen, let's go in too." Shen Qinghe had no choice but to put him down and follow.
The opera troupe that could set up a stage in the most prosperous place in the capital must have real skills. The performer placed a paper figure on the table, and the paper figure actually moved in mid-air, causing the onlookers to gasp in amazement.
Princess Danyang's almond-shaped eyes widened in surprise. "Look! Look! That paper figure can walk by itself!"
Shen Qinghe saw through the trick at a glance and said calmly, "It's just that extremely fine silkworm threads are wrapped around his hands. In the dim light of night, it's hard to see from a distance."
Upon hearing this, Princess Danyang immediately squinted and carefully examined the performer's hands. Although she couldn't see the silk threads clearly, she could vaguely see the shallow indentations left between the performer's index and middle fingers from years of wearing the threads. She was immediately somewhat disappointed.
However, when the performer wrapped the flickering flame with a thin piece of paper, and the paper neither caught fire nor extinguished the flame, the entire audience erupted in thunderous cheers. Princess Danyang also jumped for joy again, and was about to share the news with those around her when she heard Shen Qinghe explain in a serious tone:
"This is because the paper was soaked in alum and borax solution beforehand, making it flammable and not easily burned."
Princess Danyang's smile froze instantly. She could hardly believe that this handsome scholar was such an unromantic blockhead! She immediately lost interest in the variety show.
Just as Princess Danyang turned away in anger, she suddenly caught a glimpse of Shen Qinghe's expression change. His eyes, which had been as calm as an ancient well, now seemed to be lit up by thousands of lights, shining brightly. His usually downcast eyes were now more dazzling than the lanterns in the city.
Princess Danyang's heart skipped a beat, thinking to herself: If I could have those eyes staring at me with such focus, what would it matter if I had the most boring personality?
Just as she was about to speak, she saw Shen Qinghe's face suddenly darken. The gleam in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by a chilling coldness. Princess Danyang followed his gaze and saw a woman standing in front of the carved window on the second floor of a restaurant in the distance, talking to someone beside her.
Qiao Yanhe was always very perceptive. She noticed that Meng Zhao suddenly exuded a faint anger. She raised her eyebrows with interest and was about to investigate the reason when she saw Xiao Youzhi walk over without making a sound.
Xiao Youzhi exchanged a few pleasantries with everyone in the room, then strolled to the window and secretly gave Qiao Yanhe a wink. Qiao Yanhe understood, chuckled, and whispered, "You're following me closely." After saying that, she tactfully got up and walked away.
Xiao Youzhi stood beside Meng Zhao, following her gaze to the dazzling sea of lights below: "Did you see anything you like? I'll have Chen Xiaowu go get it for you."
Meng Zhao then came to his senses and shook his head, saying, "These lanterns are meant to be hung high and viewed from afar; if you actually bring them up close, they'll probably lose their charm."
Xiao Youzhi chuckled upon hearing this, "Since you like it, you should naturally try every means to get it, so that you can feel at ease looking at it every day."
The lamplight outside the window illuminated Xiao Youzhi's profile, outlining his handsome features. Meng Zhao looked directly into his eyes and asked what was on her mind, "I don't quite understand what you mean today?"
Xiao Youzhi said he would introduce her to some people. She originally thought she would meet some of his business partners, but when she arrived, she found that although they were all business people, most of them were about the same age as Xiao Youzhi and looked more like old friends than business partners.
Coupled with the probing gazes and suggestive words from the crowd, she couldn't help but overthink it. She never liked beating around the bush, so she asked directly.
Seeing her so direct, Xiao Youzhi's smile gradually faded, and his expression became much more serious than usual: "Didn't you already guess?"
"You'd better explain yourself more clearly." Meng Zhao's voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable firmness.
Outside the window, a revolving lantern was at its brightest, illuminating Xiao Youzhi's features with exceptional clarity. He looked deeply at Meng Zhao and slowly said, "Many of those who came today are my close friends. The reason I brought you to meet them is to let them know that you are not just a business partner to me."
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