Chapter 62, first published on Jinjiang Literature City, Chapter 62 (2nd update) Fishing...
The Lantern Festival is an important festival that follows the Lunar New Year's Eve. On this day, Lingzhou Prefecture is bustling from the suburbs to the city center. The streets are filled with lanterns. The imperial court does not impose a curfew, and people are free to go out, stroll, eat, drink, play, and guess lantern riddles. Fireworks are set off by the river at midnight.
Since Chaolu said he was fine, Ruanyu didn't want to miss the opportunity, so she had Xuanniang and Qingguo prepare the arrangements for the trip the night before.
Hurile and Lady Qiu also settled here. When the Great Khan appeared before everyone wearing Central Plains clothing for the first time, everyone was stunned for a moment.
“Father Khan, you…” Chaer wanted to say something but didn’t dare, but Chaolu went straight to the point: “Father Khan looks like a peddler from the Central Plains.”
The courtyard fell silent for a moment.
Hurile: "..."
Madam Qiu suppressed a laugh.
This wasn't anyone's fault; given the suddenness of their arrival, they had to buy clothes from ready-made shops. For someone of Hurile's size, finding suitable clothing was indeed difficult, leaving them with little choice. Besides, in the Central Plains, clothes of this size were generally reserved for manual laborers… most scholars and literati probably couldn't fit into them…
Hurile: "You're no better!"
Chao Lu scoffed, "Father Khan, you're lying through your teeth. I have more clothes than you do. Back in Liangzhou, Yu Yu personally picked out the fabrics for me. They're all custom-made. Even this belt looks more exquisite than yours."
"..."
Ruan Yu had just come out when she heard these words, and instantly felt reluctant to go forward.
Madam Qiu laughed and said, "Don't show off here. I'll make arrangements for your father when I go to town today. But since you've changed your identities, you should be careful about how you address each other from now on."
"Yes, Father..."
Hurile nodded in satisfaction: "Your mother and I are going on a day trip alone today, so please don't disturb us."
Chao Lu: "I also traveled alone with Yu Yu."
Charles: "Me too."
Turing: "...So I'm all alone?"
Everyone burst into laughter, and Charles suddenly said, "Turing, why don't you take Baoyin with you? It'll keep you company."
Turing glanced at Baoyin, who smiled and said, "I'm sorry to have troubled Sixth Brother."
Turing nodded: "Okay, no problem."
Chao Lu suddenly spotted Ruan Yu and hurried over: "Yu Yu, why are you standing there and not coming over!"
Today, Ruan Yu wore a light blue dress with a snow wolf cloak, which made her look gentle and quiet.
She smiled and bowed to her father and mother. Madam Qiu smiled and said, "Then we'll take our leave first. You're all feeling a bit awkward here."
Chaolu couldn't see any restraint in his father. He was clearly anxious and couldn't wait to pull his mother away.
Chao Lu also looked at Ruan Yu, "Then we should also..."
Ruan Yu: "No rush, let's all have breakfast first?"
Charles and Turing immediately agreed.
Chao Lu: "..."
After finally finishing breakfast, the carriage was already waiting outside the door. Chao Lu insisted on taking Ruan Yu away first.
Turing wanted to speak to him but didn't get a chance.
When Turing came to his senses, he turned to his third brother and said, "Fourth brother is keeping an eye on me, right? Afraid I'll follow you?"
Charles chuckled. "Well, here's the thing: you don't have a wife, what do you say?"
"Third Brother, what you're saying..."
"I'll be going now. Baoyin is in your care."
Turing: "..."
Well, everyone dislikes him!
Once in the carriage, Ruan Yu said with a hint of helplessness, "Actually, it wouldn't be a problem to travel with Sixth Brother and the others?"
Chao Lu grumbled, "It's fine on ordinary days, but not today."
"Why?"
"For no reason."
Ruan Yu couldn't get a clear answer from him.
The carriage in Lingzhou was more cramped than those on the grasslands, after all, their status was different now. However, this made it easier for Chaolu to be closer to Ruanyu. Ruanyu was too lazy to say anything. Chaolu was still sensible, at least he wouldn't touch her inappropriately in the carriage, so she ignored him and leaned back lazily.
Suddenly, Ruan Yu thought of something: "Why take a carriage? Why not go into the city to play?" Today is the Lantern Festival, so it's so lively. There must be a lot of people in the city. Taking a carriage would be too slow.
Chao Lu: "What's the rush? The lantern festival doesn't start until tonight. You won't see anything if you go now. Eating, drinking, and having fun won't take up a whole day. I'll take you for a stroll in the suburbs."
Ruan Yu stared at him for a long time before she understood that Chao Lu had made arrangements long ago.
Chaolu does have those arrangements, but they're not urgent. He's only concerned about something else right now—
Ruan Yu's dress today was cleverly designed, with a noticeably tighter waist. Compared to when she first arrived on the grassland last year, she had become much more open, and her breasts visibly jiggled when the carriage went over some bumpy sections of the road.
Chaolu hadn't noticed it at first, but on more than one occasion, it became difficult to miss.
"Aren't you feeling unwell?" He had held back for a while, but he couldn't help asking.
"What?" Ruan Yu was fanning herself with a fan. It wasn't that she was hot, but rather that she felt a bit stuffy. She didn't understand Chao Lu's nonsensical words either.
But she soon understood.
Chao Lu's gaze was too obvious, and when she looked down, her cheeks instantly turned red.
Ruan Yu couldn't hold back any longer and immediately tapped him with her fan: "What on earth have you been thinking about all day!"
"I miss you," Chaolu said shamelessly.
"..."
Now that he had been discovered, Chao Lu made no attempt to hide it. He suddenly moved closer, wrapped his arms around the woman's slender waist, and buried himself in her.
Ruan Yu pinched him several times, but couldn't move him. Afraid that the coachman, guards, and maids outside would hear, she could only keep a straight face, but she was helpless.
...
"Fourth Master, we've arrived."
Has's voice came through, and Chao Lu lazily replied, "I know, you can all go and rest."
"yes."
He sat in the carriage, clumsily tidying up Ruan Yu's hair.
Ruan Yu glared at him, but even her angry eyes were so beautiful. She smiled at Lu, leaned in and kissed him again: "I promise I won't bother you anymore later."
He turned around and got off the carriage first, and when Ruan Yu came out, he reached out to help her off the carriage.
Ruan Yu kept a straight face and didn't look at him.
until……
The carriage stopped outside a grove of trees. After taking a few steps forward, Ruan Yu suddenly saw a large lake. A gentle breeze blew, and sunlight scattered shimmering light across the lake's surface, making it sparkle...
Ruan Yu paused in amazement.
Chao Lu stepped forward with a smile: "How is it?"
"So...you were going to take me boating on the lake during the day?"
How come she didn't know there was a lake in Lingzhou?
Chaolu helped her tighten her cloak: "Don't think I don't know these things just because I've been on the grasslands all year round. There are fewer people boating on the lake in winter, so I chartered a boat. I think you call it a painted boat? We'll fish and cruise on the lake here during the day, and then I'll take you into town for dinner and to see the lanterns at dusk."
Ruan Yu's anger subsided...
Chao Lu smiled and took her hand. After taking a few steps, Afu ran out of the woods as if he had been waiting for a long time. He pushed out a small boat and said with a smile, "Fourth Master, Madam, I'll take you aboard."
Ruan Yu pursed her lips and glanced at Chao Lu: "When exactly did you prepare for this?"
Chao Lu: "A few days ago, it won't take much trouble."
Ruan Yu pursed her lips and finally smiled at him.
Once aboard the pleasure boat, Ruan Yu found the environment to be excellent, with everything readily available, even fishing gear.
"Are you really going to go fishing?" Ruan Yu asked curiously. Hunting was fine in Chaolu, but the grasslands were short of water, so he might not be good at that.
"Want to have a competition?" Chao Lu had already gone to get his fishing rod.
Ruan Yu raised an eyebrow: "Compete!" Was she afraid?
Chao Lu's smile deepened: "Sure, but what shall we compete in?"
What are we comparing...?
Ruan Yu looked at him, puzzled.
Chaolu spoke on her behalf: "If I win, you have to promise me one thing. I won't put you in too much trouble or go too far. If you win, I'll let you do whatever you want for the whole day."
Ruan Yu laughed: "If I wanted to order you around now, wouldn't you let me?"
Chao Lu: "...Then you tell me."
Ruan Yu couldn't think of anything either, "I'll leave it for now... I'll think of something later."
"Alright, whatever you say." Chaolu didn't care about that.
It seemed certain that she couldn't win.
Ruan Yu's temper flared up, and she gritted her teeth, choosing a seat to sit down first.
Xuan Niang, Qing Guo, and A Fu all boarded the boat and covered their mouths to chuckle from a short distance away.
Chao Lu moved a stool over and sat down next to her.
He picked up a bucket and slowly began to knead the bait.
Ruan Yu was using the rod that Afu had prepared in advance, and she had already cast it. Seeing him rubbing it here and there, Ruan Yu looked at him curiously and asked, "What are you doing?"
Specialized fish bait.
Ruan Yu smelled a odor and realized that he had used some small insects, and it seemed that there were also internal organs.
"That's cheating..."
Chaolu laughed: "You can use it too."
Ruan Yucai didn't want to get involved in these things.
"Then help me."
Chao Lu was somewhat surprised: "That's more like it."
"We're competing in fishing skills! The conditions have to be the same."
Chao Lu gave her a deep look: "Fine, I can't argue with you, I'll get it for you."
In the end, only his hands were dirty. Ruan Yu sat leisurely to the side, glanced at his hands, and thought to herself that he wouldn't be able to touch her tonight.
Finally, I can start fishing.
Ruan Yu became serious.
Fishing isn't just for men; she also did it back in Chang'an, and more than once.
Therefore, she doesn't think she will lose to Chaolu in this respect.
There was a gentle breeze on the lake at that moment, but Ruan Yu was dressed warmly and not cold at all. She was completely focused on her fishing rod.
Sure enough, not long after, Ruan Yu's eyes lit up—
It's here!
She immediately began to tighten the fishing line, while Xuan Niang and Qing Guo cheered her on silently from a distance. Ruan Yu successfully caught a small fish fry.
Although it was very small, she first looked at Chao Lu's side, and there was no movement at all.
Ruan Yu glanced at him triumphantly, then smiled at Lu, "Quickly put it in the bucket, lest it slip and get lost later, since it's so small."
Ruan Yu gritted her teeth and glared at him.
The second one is from Ruan Yu.
The third one is still her.
Ruan Yu was already thinking about the conditions she hadn't mentioned earlier.
"Bang--"
Suddenly, there was a movement on Chao Lu's fishing rod. He frowned, immediately stopped pulling, and with a few quick movements, a large, fat fish that was clearly not small jumped up.
Ah Fu: "Fourth Master is amazing!"
Ruan Yu: "..."
Chao Lu's one is worth three of hers, but it doesn't matter, it's about quantity, not weight.
Unfortunately, for some reason, after that, the fishing rods on Chaolu's side started moving more and more frequently, while Ruanyu's side remained completely still.
"What's going on...?"
She even suspected that Chaolu had secretly sabotaged things.
After the sixth fish had landed on the Chaolu side, Ruan Yu couldn't help but say, "Let's switch positions and change fishing rods."
Chaolu smiled faintly again and agreed to everything she said.
Unfortunately, it still didn't work...
There are already more than a dozen fish in Chaolu's bucket, but she still only has the original three.
Finally, another one came up, and it was a small one.
Ruan Yu was getting a little anxious.
"Time's up..." Afu reminded him.
Chao Lu smiled and looked at her.
Ruan Yu couldn't help but bite her lip.
"How about I give you one more chance, and add half an hour?"
Ruan Yu stared at the person, then suddenly smiled sweetly.
"My husband."
Chao Lu's brow twitched. A honey trap?
However, this was indeed quite pleasant, because Ruan Yu rarely took the initiative to run to his side, leaning on his shoulder and breathing fragrantly. The delicate fragrance made Chao Lu lose focus for a moment, but in that instant, Ruan Yu picked up his bucket and poured it all into her own bucket!
"Qingguo, come and count! These are the fish I caught!"
Afu was dumbfounded...
You can do that...
Ruan Yu looked at Chao Lu triumphantly, but Chao Lu smiled without saying a word after regaining his senses.
"Are you happy? Like this?"
He suddenly stood up, moved a few steps closer to Ruan Yu, and waved his hand. Xuan Niang, with great tact, led A Fu and Qing Guo away.
"Yu Yu, you can cheat, so can I..."
Ruan Yu suddenly took a few steps back, somewhat regretting her decision: "Forget it! Let's call it even!"
"offset?"
Chao Lu suddenly whispered in her ear with a smile, "Alright, you do me a favor, and I'll agree to your conditions in return. That'll settle things."
Ruan Yu was confused by his words: "I... I didn't mean that, I meant..."
She didn't want to agree to anything he asked; even a fool could tell it wouldn't be anything good...
"That won't do." Chao Lu suddenly pinched the man's waist.
"You're so naughty, I really want to bump into you right here."
-----------------------
Author's note: Yu Yu, fishing isn't for you, you should play Chao Lu instead.
I'm outta here.
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