"Princess!"
Chu Qingluan turned around and saw Zhixia had arrived at the door at some point. She was wearing a green dress and had a pair of eyes blinking on her palm-sized face with tears in her eyes. She looked exhausted.
He became darker and thinner.
Chu Qingluan's eyes instantly turned red.
"Zhixia!?"
She was a little surprised and walked over quickly.
Zhixia knelt on the ground with a plop and choked out a sob: "Your Highness, this servant is back."
Chu Qingluan bent down to help her up, looked her up and down, and saw that she was fine except for being a little tired, so she breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm glad you're back. You must have worked hard on the journey. Why did you come back so suddenly?"
Zhixia wiped the tears from her face and whispered, "I followed him in pursuit of Qi Che all the way to the west. Later, Qi Che entered the Western Regions. I couldn't catch up with him and was worried about His Highness's safety. Later, I heard that His Highness had returned, so I thought of returning to the capital first."
"I didn't expect that as soon as I returned to the capital, I heard that General Pei, oh no, His Highness Qin wanted to marry Your Highness, so I went straight back to the mansion."
Chu Qingluan nodded, understanding.
She patted Zhixia's hand and said, "You're back, I'm glad you came back. Go down and have a rest first. We can talk tomorrow if you have anything to say."
Zhixia was just about to nod, but at this moment, a head popped in from outside the door.
Chu Qingluan saw Li Yao's face at once.
Li Yao extended a hand and waved towards Chu Qingluan, saying, "Hi, Princess, long time no see!"
When Zhixia heard the voice, she turned around immediately. Seeing that it was Li Yao, she glared at him.
"You're following me?"
Seeing that he had been discovered, Li Yao had no need to hide anymore, so he simply strode out.
"What are you saying, cousin? If you can come to the princess's mansion, why can't I come?"
"After all, I did help you when we were in Youzhou, right, Princess?"
Li Yao acted so familiar that Zhixia's mouth twitched wildly, but she couldn't get angry.
Who can blame this guy in front of him for being his 'lifesaver' before?
Chu Qingluan observed the interaction between the two calmly, and as if she understood something, she hurriedly said with a smile, "Since you are here, you are a guest. Come in and take a seat. I will order someone to make tea."
Zhixia glared at Li Yao again, then turned around and walked into the flower hall angrily.
Seeing this, Li Yao chuckled and followed Chu Qingluan to the stone table in the corridor without any hesitation and sat down, while not forgetting to steal a glance at Zhixia's departing back.
Chu Qingluan saw everything, but did not point it out. Instead, she said slowly:
"Master Li, are you coming to the capital this time for some special business, or... do you have other plans?"
Li Yao scratched his head and smiled uncomfortably. "Nothing serious. I just heard my cousin was back in Beijing, so I came to see her. Besides, the Princess's Mansion is so lively, wouldn't it be a shame if I didn't come and join in?"
After saying this, he pointed at the gifts and said, "Are these all from His Highness Qin Yuan? He's quite generous."
"They are just material possessions." Chu Qingluan said calmly, "Mr. Li is quite well-informed. He knows all this just after arriving in the capital?"
"Of course. I, Li Yao, do have some connections in the capital." Li Yao patted his chest.
"But Princess, I heard that Qin Yuan even deceived you when he returned to Great Qin. This is too unkind.
Besides, the marriage between these two countries is no small matter, there are many twists and turns involved. After all, he is from the Qin Dynasty, so Princess, you'd better think it through."
Chu Qingluan always felt that there was something behind Li Yao's words. Before she could ask in detail, she saw Zhixia coming back with a tea tray.
She placed the teacup heavily in front of Li Yao, causing several drops of tea to spill out.
"Have tea!"
Li Yao wasn't angry either. He picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp, smacking his lips. "Good tea, good tea. My cousin's tea is still the best."
Zhixia was too lazy to pay attention to him.
It was obvious that she had gone there specifically to pick up the princess, and Li Yao's was just a by-product.
Zhixia turned around and was about to leave, but Chu Qingluan stopped her: "Zhixia, you should sit down too. We are all acquaintances, so don't be so reserved."
Zhixia sat next to Chu Qingluan reluctantly, but kept staring at Li Yao, like a provoked cat.
Chu Qingluan looked at this pair of bickering lovers, and the smile on her lips deepened.
She was originally still worried about the affairs of Qin Yuan and Xie Yunqi, but she didn't expect that Li Yao's appearance would add some life to the dull princess mansion.
"Mr. Li, how long do you plan to stay in the capital this time?" Chu Qingluan asked.
"It's hard to say. Anyway, wherever my cousin is, that's where I'll be," said Li Yao.
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Zhixia was embarrassed and angry. She picked up the snacks on the table and threw them at Li Yao.
Li Yao dodged nimbly and laughed heartily.
Chu Qingluan watched them playing and the depression in her heart dissipated a lot.
——
At the same time, in Zuixianlou, on the second floor, near the window.
Chu Hong poured wine into his mouth one glass after another, as if he couldn't feel the strength of the wine. The wine flowed down the corners of his mouth and soaked his clothes.
The hustle and bustle outside the window and the bustle inside the building seemed to have nothing to do with him. There was only inextricable gloom and irritability in his eyes.
The scene of Qin Yuan proposing marriage in the Golden Palace was like a thorn that pierced his heart deeply, making him feel uneasy.
What made him even more sad was that Chu Qingluan didn't refuse him on the spot. She had clearly said that she would not marry easily again.
"Waiter, bring some wine."
The empty bottle was empty again, and Chu Hong shouted outside the door.
At this time, the door of the private room was pushed open and a tall figure walked in.
"Wouldn't it be lonely to drink alone?"
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