Chapter 19: Luring the Snake Out of Its Hole – Admitting that knowing his preferences was overstepping boundaries…
A deep, magnetic voice rang out clearly and melodiously in the bustling tavern. Xue Rongyue's ears tingled; she recognized the source of the laughter almost instantly.
Looking up, one could indeed see Qin Jin standing behind the screen, his tall figure graceful and vigorous, exuding youthful energy.
His pomegranate-red brocade robe made his fair, jade-like skin stand out. With his sparse eyebrows and bright eyes, he stood out from the crowd. As he stepped forward, a smile played on his lips: "Gentlemen, how have you been? I was just studying this painted screen and did not mean to frighten you."
"..."
Liu Ruyu's lips twitched.
Xue Rongyue asked bluntly, "How did you end up here?"
With a casual glance at Xue Rongyue's almond-shaped eyes, Qin Jin replied nonchalantly, "We came here, naturally, to drink and make merry."
Xue Rongyue didn't believe it. Her gaze swept over the servants he had dismissed, and she raised an eyebrow to probe, "In that case, why doesn't Prince Qin sit down and have a drink with us? Wherever we drink doesn't matter."
She and Qin Jin lived in the Princess's mansion and knew each other's whereabouts perfectly. It just so happened that after only a few days of staying at home, Qin Jin followed her to the tavern tonight.
Just for drinking?
How could that be?
A strange look appeared on Liu Ruyu's face, and her gaze lingered on the two of them. After a moment of silence, she took the initiative to invite them, saying, "Sharing happiness is worse than enjoying it alone. This place is spacious and can definitely accommodate Prince Qin."
"Bring a few more jugs of the popular spring wine." He beckoned the shopkeeper over, then asked Xue Rongyue, "Miss Xue, would you like to add any other dishes?"
Perhaps because she was dressed as a man but was addressed as "Madam," the shopkeeper couldn't help but glance at Xue Rongyue a few more times. Liu Ruyu realized she had misspoke and was about to apologize when Xue Rongyue interrupted her: "Since the young master is at the same table, bring another pot of pear wine, a plate of chestnut cake, and one serving each of stir-fried bamboo shoots with vinegar, peony swallow's nest, and hibiscus meat rolls."
Qin Jin's smile froze, and he looked at Xue Rongyue in disbelief—
These dishes and drinks were all his favorites.
How could she possibly know his preferences?!
When did she realize what the purpose was, and why he had never had such a clear understanding before?
A series of surprises and doubts welled up in my mind, and after the initial shock, vigilance and suspicion arose spontaneously.
The translucent jade thumb ring spun restlessly on his fingertip. Qin Jin narrowed his eyes, his probing gaze filled with cold, dangerous intensity.
Everything that has happened in recent days seems to have deviated from its original path, especially starting with that bowl of non-toxic hangover soup.
Spying, showing goodwill, joining forces.
These signs gave Qin Jin a sense of crisis that the situation was spiraling out of control and he could not get his hands on it.
What exactly is Xue Rongyue plotting?
Liu Ruyu also sensed something amiss in the words, and the faint smile on her face almost crumbled: "Madam Xue seems to know Prince Qin's preferences very well?"
That's natural.
Xue Rongyue felt that this was a matter of course.
She also noticed Qin Jin's wary gaze, which was within her expectations.
As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated." If she didn't understand Qin Jin, how could she possibly overpower him?
The reason she hadn't shown it before was twofold: firstly, she wanted to achieve a surprise victory by devising a killer move tailored specifically for Qin Jin; secondly, she hadn't needed to woo Qin Jin before, knew what he liked to eat, and wouldn't have been so foolish as to fawn over him.
Not only food, she once bribed the servants who served Qin Jin to compile records of his daily life, including what he ate, used, drank, and went every day, how long he spent in the toilet, and how many times he groomed the king's feathers.
Unfortunately, the servant was later expelled from the Marquis's residence, and the register only recorded half of it.
Recalling this matter, Xue Rongyue pondered that she could have Jingnu fetch the "Qin Jin Daily Record" in a couple of days so that she could use it to compile a more detailed Qin Jin strategy, making it easier to launch a fierce attack on Qin Jin later.
She lowered her head and remained silent, which, in the eyes of others, was naturally interpreted as tacit agreement.
Qin Jin frowned, his annoyance compounded by his unease.
Does she realize that, regardless of her ulterior motives, admitting to knowing his preferences is a transgression?
Especially in front of the man she was about to marry.
Does she even know what she's doing?
Seeing that the two young men in front of her looked rather strange, Jingnu kindly tried to make amends for Xue Rongyue: "My lady has lived in the palace with Prince Qin since she was a child, and they have had a lot of contact. My lady is also intelligent, so it is only natural that she knows a little about it."
Two days of arguing and three days of punching and kicking, how can that not be considered a relationship?
Liu Ruyu almost lost his composure, a crack appearing on his refined face: "So you were childhood sweethearts, inseparable since you were little..."
Is that what she meant?
Jingnu fell into deep thought.
The sake, filling a golden cup, rippled as it trembled, leaving Qin Jin bewildered.
Could he and Xue Rongyue be considered childhood sweethearts?
...
absurd!
The four sat facing each other, each harboring their own secrets. For a moment, no one spoke, until Jingnu tugged at Xue Rongyue's sleeve, pulling her from her thoughts and glancing in the direction Jingnu indicated.
After disguising himself, Luo Zhen stood up, threw a cherry into the wine, and then drank the wine in the cup in one gulp.
This was a pre-arranged signal. Once Zhong Yuan left the tavern and prepared a deceptive escape route to Chang'an, she would use this signal to proceed with the next step.
Having no time to deal with the two any longer, Xue Rongyue quickly got up, put on her veil, said she was feeling unwell, refused Liu Ruyu's offer to stay, and went down the steps to leave the tavern.
She walked quickly, her figure blending into the night, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"Knock knock knock!"
The dancers' exquisite dance moves drew continuous applause and cheers from the audience, bringing the atmosphere to a climax.
However, the deafening drumbeats on the east side of the second floor could not mask the awkwardness. Xue Rongyue hurriedly left with Jingnu, leaving only Liu Ruyu and Qin Jin at the banquet.
The two sat side by side, and could feel the friction of each other's clothes as they moved.
"..."
Qin Jin took a deep breath.
As if gripping a golden cup tightly with his fingers, he only regretted that he shouldn't have come along tonight.
Now he was certain that this was the new method Xue Rongyue had devised to torment him. Although he had not yet figured out its secrets, he had clearly already suffered greatly from it.
As expected, he's full of cunning tricks!
Qin Jin was furious. He stood up and said coldly, "I am not fortunate enough to enjoy this meal. Farewell, Young Master Liu."
Liu Ruyu's back stiffened and his eyes darkened. In a flash, he suppressed his cold and angry expression, put on his refined gentlemanly demeanor again, and said with a light smile, "Young Master Qin, please take care."
Watching Qin Jin leave, Liu Ruyu gritted her teeth, her clothes heaving with increasingly heavy breathing. The shopkeeper approached tremblingly and whispered, "Boss, Young Master Qin and Madam Xue have already left..."
With a crash, Liu Ruyu smashed the wine pot, the ear-piercing sound of which startled the shopkeeper into silence.
Liu Ruyu's face was cold and sinister: "What a Qin Jin, what a Xue Rongyue!"
He sat down with a flick of his sleeve, his resentful gaze falling on Xue Rongyue's wine cup. He picked up the unfinished cup and drank it down in one gulp. The cool wine slid down his pale lips and was then roughly wiped away.
He forced a cold laugh from his chest: "For the sake of your eyes, I'll put up with you a little longer!"
The shopkeeper shuddered at the thought of his employer's cruel and unknown fetishes, and instinctively lowered his head even further.
The night breeze was cool, and the sky had just darkened. Chang'an was not yet under curfew. Zhong Yuan, carrying the gold and silver valuables he had collected from the tavern, successfully escaped from Chang'an.
Sparse as the morning stars, only a bright moon hangs high above the treetops, its light as cold as white frost, inexplicably making one uneasy.
Zhong Yuan dared not look back. The rustling wind had already silenced her. Large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. She didn't have time to wipe them away. She gritted her teeth and rushed into the depths of the forest.
Whew.
A strange voice sounded from above.
His stiff neck slowly straightened, Zhong Yuan's breath caught in his throat, and he looked up in fear—
The masked man hung from the layers of overlapping green leaves with one hand and held a large knife in the other. When he met her gaze, he grinned menacingly, then leaped up and slashed at her with his knife!
At this moment, Zhong Yuan's breathing stopped. Her face was deathly pale, her limbs were weak and limp, and fear controlled her limbs, making her want to collapse to the ground against her will.
She screamed in terror, but thankfully she reacted in just one breath, sprinkling the powder hidden in her palm at the masked man, and then scrambled away to escape.
"Clang!"
The swords clashed violently, sending sparks flying.
Luo Zhen leaped into the air, his long sword flashing like a cold moon, slashing the masked man's body deeply. Crimson blood and flesh splattered into the night. He stood alone behind Zhong Yuan, blocking the masked man who was about to give chase.
Blood continued to gush from his injured arm. Bu Hui closed his eyes, realizing he had made a mistake.
Xue Rongyue's carriage stopped deep in the bamboo forest.
Jingnu anxiously lifted Wei Chang's robe and looked outside: "I wonder what the situation is, whether Lady Zhong is out of danger."
Instead of worrying about her, you should worry about yourself first.
The night was as dark as ink, with a thin mist drifting in. Several figures, blending into the darkness, appeared behind the carriage at some unknown time. The one in the lead was slender and tall, his face covered by a black cloth, revealing only a pair of indistinct eyes.
Jingnu's expression changed drastically. He immediately jumped out of the carriage and tried to drive away.
However, the man in black was faster. He lightly touched the carriage with his toes, swung his knife into the horse's head, and the horse let out a deafening neigh. The horse's body lurched violently, and the carriage crashed to the ground with a loud thud.
"Is Madam Xue so terrified that she dares not come out?"
The man in black seemed to let out a short chuckle, then swung his knife forcefully at the carriage!
Jingnu quickly rolled out, a few drops of blood staining her face. Her eyes suddenly curved into a cunning smile, and at that moment, a hidden weapon concealed in her sleeve shot towards the throat of the man in black!
The man in black noticed the attack keenly and deflected the hidden weapon with his knife. Jingnu drew his sword, a mocking smile curving his lips, and cursed, "Fool!"
His eyes darkened, and the man in black immediately understood.
Just as he was about to escape, two sharp whooshing sounds suddenly rang out from in front of and behind him. Two long arrows pierced the night, carrying a sharp killing intent!
The murderous intent startled the forest, causing the bamboo leaves to rustle.
The biting east wind lurked under the cover of night, casting dappled shadows. The moonlight turned to frost, and Qin Jin and Xue Rongyue stood facing each other, their gazes colliding as the cold arrows were shot out.
A note from the author:
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Next chapter preview:
A heartbroken Xue Rongyue: How could you say that to Qin Jin?! [Angry]
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