Chapter 22 Does the Crown Prince also like candied hawthorn?
As long as I'm not crammed into that tiny carriage with the young master, a little breeze is nothing; it's better than suffocating inside.
Changfeng's smile remained unchanged, but his tone was polite and tactful:
“You’re joking, young lady. The front seat is for servants. How could I possibly ask you to condescend to sit there? There’s a heater in the carriage, and also some of your favorite candied fruit. If you sit in the front and catch a chill, the young master will be angry.”
Su Xiaoyu was still unwilling to give up and wanted to say something more. At this moment, the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing Xiao Jingheng's cold and aloof face.
"Come in!"
It consists of only two words, yet it contains an irresistible power.
Su Xiaoyu stiffened slightly, knowing that if she lingered any longer, she might really anger this young master.
With a bitter face, she took one last look at the "freedom" carriage shaft, resignedly took a breath, and bent down to enter the carriage.
This time, Su Xiaoyu was smarter. When she sat in the corner of the carriage, she gripped the carriage door panel tightly with both hands, so that even if there was a sudden stop, she wouldn't be thrown out.
Xiao Jingheng sat upright in the main seat, holding a book. He took in her appearance out of the corner of his eye.
She was tense all over, like a frightened little hedgehog with all its sharp spines raised, practically screaming "Stay away from me!"
Xiao Jingheng looked somewhat helpless.
Is that all it takes to scare her?
The carriage moved smoothly, and the interior was quiet except for the occasional sound of pages turning.
Su Xiaoyu's fingers, gripping the door panel, were starting to ache, but she dared not relax, focusing all her attention on preventing any potential accidents.
This time, however, the carriage traveled very smoothly without even a slight pause.
The car quickly drove to West Market Street, the same market street that Xiao Jingxuan and Xiao Jingxuan had visited last time.
Because today is the Shangsi Festival, the number of people is several times greater than last time, and the streets are lined with vendors selling all kinds of small commodities or food.
Su Xiaoyu's nose twitched involuntarily.
It smells of roasted chestnuts, freshly steamed meat buns... and maybe even the sweet aroma of roasted sweet potatoes...
She felt like her nose couldn't smell everything anymore.
[It smells so good... It's Li Ji's sugar-roasted chestnuts from the West Street corner! Their chestnuts are so sweet and soft, and Wang Po's meat buns have thin skins and lots of filling; every bite is bursting with juicy goodness...]
Although Xiao Jingheng's eyes were on the book, his ears clearly caught her thoughts and the sound of her swallowing.
His hand, which was turning the pages, paused.
Soon, the carriage stopped at the street corner; there were too many people in front, so the carriage couldn't pass.
Su Xiaoyu lifted the carriage curtain and was immediately captivated by the scene before her!
The streets were bustling with people, lined with all sorts of food stalls: sugar figurines, candied hawthorns, wontons...
A dazzling array of goods, vibrant and full of life.
She looked at the glistening candied hawthorn and unconsciously licked her lips.
Xiao Jingheng put down his book and looked up at her.
The girl, who had been like a frightened bird just moments before, was now clinging to the car window, sticking half her head out, her almond-shaped eyes shining brightly!
"Stop the car," he suddenly said, waving to Changfeng.
The carriage stopped abruptly. Su Xiaoyu was startled and quickly withdrew her hand. She looked at Xiao Jingheng in a flustered manner, thinking that she had been scolded for peeking.
However, the next second, Xiao Jingheng instructed Changfeng: "Go buy a string of candied hawthorns, the one with the biggest hawthorns."
Su Xiaoyu was stunned for a moment!
[No way? The Crown Prince likes candied hawthorn berries too?]
[Who would have thought? This aloof and otherworldly man would enjoy snacks like this?]
[I can't believe it! Could this be the legendary...gap moe?]
She stole a glance at Xiao Jingheng and found that he was still sitting upright, his profile cold and hard, looking nothing like the bright red, sweet candied hawthorn.
A short while later, Changfeng returned carrying a string of large, red candied hawthorns covered in a glistening sugar coating, and respectfully handed them to the carriage.
Xiao Jingheng did not reach out to take it, but simply gestured with his eyes in Su Xiaoyu's direction.
Changfeng immediately understood and turned the candied hawthorn towards Su Xiaoyu: "Miss Xiaoyu, here you go."
Su Xiaoyu looked at the candied hawthorn that had suddenly appeared in front of her after turning a corner, and was momentarily at a loss: "Young Master, this..."
"Take it." Xiao Jingheng said succinctly, his gaze returning to the book.
Su Xiaoyu hesitated for a moment before taking the candied hawthorn skewer, only then belatedly realizing what had happened.
so?
Was the Crown Prince originally going to buy it for himself?
[Oh my god! The young master actually bought me candied hawthorns?! Why is he being so nice to me today? Is it because I wrote well yesterday?]
[Wait a minute! Everyone says that those in power love to give a stern warning followed by a sweet treat. Could it be that the Crown Prince is about to punish her?]
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Although her mind was a jumble of thoughts, she couldn't resist the temptation of the delicious food in front of her, and carefully stuck out her tongue to lick the transparent sugar shell.
So sweet!
She ate with a smile on her face, like a satisfied hamster.
[Hmm, the Crown Prince isn't actually that scary, at least... the candied hawthorns he bought were delicious!]
Upon hearing this thought, Xiao Jingheng's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.
Afterwards, the group entered the market. Changfeng led the way, skillfully avoiding the crowds, while Su Xiaoyu and Xiao Jingheng followed behind, looking around as they walked.
Whenever Su Xiaoyu showed interest in something, Xiao Jingheng would buy it for her to try, saying:
"I came out today to observe the local customs and see what the people eat every day. Try it and tell me what it tastes like. Consider it my 'taste' and it will help me understand the people's lives in the future."
Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoyu felt completely relieved.
Anything that Su Xiaoyu set her sights on and bought ended up in her stomach.
Little did they know that at that moment, two probing eyes on the second floor of Zuixianju were taking in the whole scene in the street.
There was no other reason than that Xiao Jingheng had a tall and straight figure, a cold aura, and was dressed in extraordinary clothes.
Wherever he went, the people would spontaneously keep a distance.
Meanwhile, in a private room on the second floor of Zuixianlou, by the window, the Third Prince Chu Yan was casually sipping his tea.
He wore a crimson brocade robe, his hair tied up with a jade crown, and his face was handsome yet carried a hint of effeminacy. His upturned phoenix eyes gleamed with a calculating light.
"Oh!"
He scoffed lightly, put down his teacup, and looked up at the woman opposite him, who was none other than Lin Wan'er.
"Miss Lin, look." Chu Yan pointed downstairs with his folding fan to the location where Su Xiaoyu and Xiao Jingheng were, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery.
"What a rare sight! Our Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, who is known as the 'Iron-Faced Yama,' is actually enjoying the leisure of strolling through the market with a little maid. Look at the way he's doing it, with candied hawthorns and pastries. He's so considerate."
He paused deliberately, looked at Lin Wan'er, observed the expression on her face, and slowly said, "It seems that this 'Iron-Faced Yama'... has been tempted by worldly desires?"
Lin Wan'er looked in the direction he pointed and indeed saw Xiao Jingheng, who stood out in the crowd, and Su Xiaoyu behind him, who was happily eating a bunch of snacks.
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