In the evening, the setting sun melts gold.

The autumn wind blows from the land to the North Sea.

Wutong Street in the east city of Duyou City is close to the seaside cliff in the east city and leads straight to the seaside, which is where the wind is noisy.

A man who changed his clothes five times a day... No, it was a young scholar, dressed in a long gown with a front opening and rolled up his sleeves. He walked out of a mansion in the center of Wutong Street with a plaque named Qinglian Bureau, followed by a slender girl with double buns and lively eyes.

The girl with pigtail hair, whose heart was pregnant with a first-class flying sword, happily followed Brother Rong'er. At this moment, she playfully raised one of her slender feet, supported herself with one foot, and jumped over the threshold with a childish hop.

"Brother Rong'er, look... Hey, wait for me."

After Zhao Qian'er jumped past, she clapped her hands in satisfaction. But when she looked up, she saw Zhao Rong walking away quickly alone without looking back at her, so she pursed her lips and called out to him.

The autumn wind was blowing, Zhao Rong crossed his arms and tightened his clothes. Hearing this, he came back to his senses a little. He slowed down his pace, and while walking, he glanced sideways, along the straight Wutong Street, at the slowly setting sun.

Zhao Qian'er quickly followed, stretched out her little hand and held his right hand.

In fact, she was not so playful and cute in Taiqing Mansion on weekdays, and she didn't walk that slowly, so she didn't need others to wait for her.

However, once Zhao Qian'er was with the man in front of her, she couldn't help but become childish. Even if he didn't wait for her when they were walking, she would be a little panicked and anxious.

At this moment, Zhao Qianer looked up at Zhao Rong's expression, squinted her eyes and said crisply, "Brother Rong'er, what are you thinking about? This is what I will be like when I come back this afternoon."

"Ah, nothing. Some things at the academy... a little annoying."

"Oh." Zhao Qian'er responded softly and stopped asking questions to disturb him.

The little girl stood on tiptoe and raised her hand to pull Zhao Rong's collar, which was untidy due to the hasty change.

Zhao Rong looked down at this time, then turned around, smiled at her, and patted her little hands.

Zhao Qian'er held his hand, hugged his arm, and smiled sweetly.

Zhao Rong turned his face away and took a deep breath.

Xiao Qian'er couldn't help but talk to him again: "Brother Rong'er, we are going to take the Yunhai ferry back to Dali at 2:15 pm. We can rest for a while after dinner, and then rush to the outside of the city to wait for the ferry."

"Um."

"Brother Rong'er, why did you think of inviting the teachers and classmates from the academy out for dinner today?" Xiao Qian'er asked curiously.

Zhao Rong smiled and said nothing.

The two of them left Wutong Street and walked towards a relatively quiet alley not far away. At the end of the alley, there was a small restaurant with a plaque of "Xia Chong Zhai" hanging on it. There were few customers. There was an old man guarding the door, nodding and dozing on the bench...

Zhao Qian'er glanced at that and said with a smile: "But when you suddenly asked them to come over for dinner, the young lady got really anxious and ran around."

Zhao Rong was helpless. "How could she be so busy? I told her to just eat casually, whatever is convenient for her. Just like I told her this morning, let's find a nice inn in the city and have a meal. Why make it so formal and troublesome? When Zhu Yourong and the others come later, they might feel a little restrained when they see her being so formal."

Zhao Qian'er tilted her head and corrected:

"Brother Rong'er, you think it's a bother, but my lady and I don't think it's a bother at all. You've finally brought your classmates and teachers over for dinner, so of course we have to treat them well.

"Besides, this is not formal at all. It's not like we're having a banquet or sending out invitations. We've listened to you and we're not having it at Qinglianju. Let's eat at Xiachongzhai in Jingwa Lane. You see, this restaurant is so small and there are so few people. Isn't it just what you want, a casual meal?"

Zhao Rong frowned slightly and looked at the small restaurant at the end of a remote alley not far ahead. It was dusk and the lights were dim.

Wutong Street is a place in East City where only the rich and powerful live. It is strange that there is a run-down alley next to it. However, it is probably a dark alley because there are private residences here and few people around. Right now, the small restaurant at the end of the alley facing Beihai but named Jingwa has very few customers.

Zhao Rong nodded slightly, but after looking at it for a while, he asked suspiciously, "Why are there so few people? Is this a private restaurant, the kind that requires reservations? Wouldn't that be very expensive?"

Xiao Qian'er looked honest and sincere, "No need to make an appointment, come whenever you want, and eat anytime. This is the off-season, and the store owner's business is so bad that he can hardly open. He is eager for the young lady to come and eat with us, so let's go."

Without asking Zhao Rong any more questions, she took Zhao Rong's hand and walked towards Xia Chong Zhai, while continuing:

"Miss has some connections with the owner of this Xia Chong Zhai. You can ask Miss to go to the kitchen to cook some dishes and serve them together with the dishes in the restaurant. It just meets Miss's and your requirements. It's also close, so it's a good choice."

Zhao Rong wanted to speak.

But Xiao Qian'er, who didn't look back, seemed to know what he was thinking and said:

"Besides, it's only natural for your wife to cook a few dishes for your friend and teacher. Just let her do it. If you don't let the young lady do it, she will be unhappy."

However, Zhao Rong shook his head.

"No, I mean, Qingjun can only cook porridge." He thought for a moment, "When did she learn other cooking skills and how to fry a fried egg?"

Zhao Qianer: “…”

The little girl looked back and said sincerely, "Brother Rong'er, luckily you said it in front of me, otherwise the young lady would have fried you in the pan as well."

Zhao Rong smiled.

Why would he go through so much trouble to be fried like an egg by Qingjun? He could just say to her, "Let me introduce you to Xiaoxiao..." It would be simple... He laughed at himself in his heart.

At this time, Zhao Rong, who had relaxed a little, had some leisure time. He pulled the corner of his mouth and tapped Xiao Qian'er's head:

"By the way, why doesn't my second wife join in the cooking? It's too unreasonable to let the first wife do it alone."

Zhao Qianer puffed out her lips.

She turned her pretty face away and snorted, "I won't help her. I told her about Su Qingdai in Dali this afternoon, and she narrowed her eyes and pulled my ears until they turned red... Brother Rong'er, she doesn't respect me, the second wife, and she is too petty. Humph, I won't help her cook."

Zhao Rong's eyes drooped, "Oh? What did she say about Su Qingdai?"

Zhao Qianer glanced at the calm Ronger and said, "The lady said at that time...I will talk to you again during dinner."

Zhao Rong nodded.

At this time, the two were not far from Xia Chong Zhai.

At the door of the deserted restaurant, the sleepy old gatekeeper seemed to hear the footsteps of the rare guests and looked up at them.

Zhao Rong didn't look at it for long, but looked up at the sky and stopped.

"It's almost time. I'll go to Wutong Street to pick them up. You go in first. No need to follow me. I already know the way."

Xiao Qian'er didn't think much about it and responded crisply, "Yeah."

She walked forward alone, greeted the old man guarding the gate, pointed at Zhao Rong behind her, said something, and then walked lightly into Xia Chong Zhai.

The young scholar stood quietly for a while not far from the restaurant. After Xiao Qian'er's figure disappeared at the door, his straight shoulders and waist suddenly collapsed, and he could hardly hold on any longer.

Zhao Rong grinned, his face looking somewhat painful, and rubbed his waist which had just fallen in the afternoon, oblivious to the people around him.

The old man sitting on a bench at the entrance of the restaurant raised his eyes to glance at the young scholar who was taking a breath and holding his waist.

Seeing that he kept staring at him, Zhao Rong turned around and glared at him.

Haven’t you seen a handsome guy holding his waist?

The old gatekeeper lowered his head, put away the bench, and walked in.

Zhao Rong looked at the sky again, muttered something, and walked towards Wutong Street.

On the way, a scene from the afternoon appeared before his eyes again.

At that time, the little fox demon in red clothes hurriedly ran to help him up, then suddenly pushed him away, then pounced forward and pressed on Zhao Rong, staring at him with red eyes and taking a deep breath:

"I...I want to know, who is she? Is her real name...Qingjun?"

Zhao Rong shook his head and was silent for a moment. "That's her nickname. Her name is... Zhao Lingfei, a student of Taiqing Xiaoyao Mansion."

The little fox demon's body trembled and then collapsed.

"She...it's her." He seemed to have thought of something.

…

At this time, at the intersection of Wutong Street, a young Confucian scholar was waiting quietly at the agreed place, with his sleeves rolled up, and pursed his lips in the autumn breeze.

I don't want to have this meal so formally, because I'm afraid of scaring some weak and silly girl...