Chapter 13 Springtime Promises, He Keeps His Mouth Closed
Jiuru Lane and the Qiao residence were not on the same route, so Fu Sui told Qiao Zhenzhen not to see him off and that he would ride back on horseback.
The sun had set, and the sound of street drums echoed everywhere. Pedestrians hurried along the streets, rushing home before curfew.
Fu Sui spotted a taro cake vendor. Perhaps the owner lived in the neighborhood, as there was no rush to close up shop. Fu Sui stopped his horse to inquire about the fillings, choosing a few each of sweet red bean paste and mint filling. Just then, he heard someone shout overhead, "Yong'an! Yong'an!"
Fu Sui looked up and saw Tian Ganyou leaning half his body out of the window of a nearby restaurant, calling and waving at her. Passersby looked up at the sight, but Tian Ganyou didn't seem embarrassed and just kept beckoning Fu Sui to come up.
Fu Sui took the taro cakes wrapped by the shopkeeper and turned to enter the restaurant. As soon as he reached the second floor, he saw Tian Ganyou already waiting at the stairs.
When Tian Ganyou saw Fu Sui come up, he grabbed her wrist without saying a word and led her into a room. He was tall with long legs and big strides, and Fu Sui had to jog a few steps to catch up.
Kou Yun, who had already fallen a few steps behind when she stopped her horse after paying, saw Fu Sui being pulled away by Tian Ganyou and quickly lifted her skirt and ran up the stairs to catch up.
Inside the house, Yue Shanling saw Tian Ganyou shout a few times towards the window and then get up to go outside. He assumed Tian Ganyou had run into a friend, but unexpectedly, Tian Ganyou brought a woman with him. Yue Shanling's gaze swept over the woman's clothes and finally settled on her eyes, which were as alluring as the autumn moon.
It's her again.
Fu Sui entered and glanced around, spotting Yue Shanling. Compared to his meticulous attire on the day of the polo match, he was much more casually dressed today. The aroma of wine filling the room dispelled his aloofness, making him appear like a carefree, decadent playboy.
Tian Ganyou released Fu Sui, picked up the wine jar and showed it off to Fu Sui: "What a coincidence, I have some good stuff here, let's have a taste together. Don't say that your brother didn't think of you when he had something good."
He had barely finished speaking when Kou Yun followed him in. Seeing Kou Yun's cold, disapproving look, Tian Ganyou quickly pointed to the table and explained, "We're drinking and eating."
Kou Yun ignored his explanation and said reproachfully, "Young Master Tian is too unruly."
Tian Ganyou begged for mercy repeatedly, saying, "Have you eaten yet? You and your entourage can set up another table, order whatever you want, and it'll all be on my tab."
Kou Yun didn't respond to him, but looked at Fu Sui. Seeing Fu Sui nod, he reluctantly withdrew.
Tian Ganyou muttered, "Your maids are all like brooding hens, so fierce," while searching for an empty chair.
Seeing the woman standing in the house looking directly at him without any fear, and even revealing a provocative smile when Tian Ganyou turned around, Yue Shanling slowly said, "Isn't it inappropriate for a group of men like us to drink with a lady?"
Tian Ganyou waved his hand dismissively: "This is my own sister, she's not an outsider."
Yue Shanling narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze briefly shifting between Fu Sui and Tian Ganyou. Yue Shanling knew that the Tian family had several young ladies, and none of them matched the man before him.
Chen Jingyang stood up as soon as Fu Sui entered, and now finally seized the opportunity to speak, bowing and saying, "I respectfully inquire about the Princess's health."
Princess? When did the Emperor ever appoint a Crown Prince? In a flash, Yue Shanling stared wide-eyed at Fu Sui: She is the daughter of the Prince of Jin.
He sat up hesitantly, some words swirling in his throat, but he ultimately didn't say them.
Tian Ganyou realized, "Oh, you don't recognize her? This is Uncle Jin's daughter, Princess Yong'an." Then he turned to Fu Sui and said, "This is Shuhe. He just returned to the capital recently. We used to share a bed when we were little."
Fu Sui wore a sweet smile on her face: "I have long heard of General Yue's reputation, and today I have finally met him..." She paused, her scrutinizing gaze sweeping over Yue Shanling from head to toe before drawing out her words: "Indeed, he is extraordinary."
Yue Shanling raised an eyebrow; it was the first time a woman had scrutinized and nitpicked him like a horse. Recalling their two encounters, Yue Shanling sensed a long-lost familiarity in Fu Sui. He replied calmly, "Your Highness flatters me; I am unworthy of such praise," but inwardly he compared Fu Sui to the Prince of Jin, ultimately having to admit that the three sharp remarks in those five sentences were indeed more like Qin An's.
Tian Ganyou had already moved an empty chair from the corner to a spot next to Yue Shanling and dutifully greeted, "Why are you all standing? Sit down."
Fu Sui took his seat first, followed by Yue Shanling and Chen Jingyang.
Fu Sui was still holding a bag of taro cakes. The shopkeeper, seeing Fu Sui's distinguished attire, assumed she came from a wealthy family and had specially packed freshly cooked taro cakes, hoping to curry favor and perhaps earn a little extra tip. The taro cakes were still steaming hot, perfectly fragrant and delicious. She placed the taro cakes on the table, unwrapped the oil paper package, and gestured for everyone to help themselves.
Chen Jingyang flattered him a few times but didn't actually take any to eat. Yue Shanling, on the other hand, was quite impolite. He hesitated between the two taro cakes that looked different, and then took one with mint filling.
As if reminded by the taro cake, Tian Ganyou said to Chen Jingyang, "These dishes have all been touched. Go down and ask the manager for a few dishes for Yong'an, and also order a few of your favorites."
After Chen Jingyang left, Tian Ganyou couldn't wait to sidle up to Fu Sui and whisper, "I went to your residence at noon today. They said you went out with A Qiao. Why didn't I see A Qiao?"
"She's home." The street drums outside had stopped; Qiao Zhenzhen never stayed out past curfew.
"That's good. I found some trinkets from the Great Food, divided them into two portions, one for you and one for A-Qiao, and they've already been placed at your residence. Could you please give A-Qiao's portion to her for me?"
"Why don't you give it to her yourself?" The Grand Princess Linhai's residence is closer to the Qiao residence than to Jiuru Lane. Why is Tian Ganyou going to such lengths instead of going to the nearest place?
If he could give it to Qiao Zhenzhen himself, why would Tian Ganyou need to ask Fu Sui? "She is currently living in the Qiao family mansion, surrounded by uncles, brothers, and other relatives. Moreover, Prime Minister Qiao is also there. How can I, an outsider, deliver things to her?"
Fu Sui nodded knowingly, then thought for a moment and realized something was wrong: "You pulled me up here just to say this?" He then gave Yokota Kansuke a disdainful look: "I thought you really wanted to treat me to some good wine."
Tian Ganyou choked for a moment, then immediately put on a determined look and raised his voice: "Of course it's to buy you drinks, everything else is secondary."
He picked up a new cup and placed it in front of Fu Sui, filled it with wine himself, and said to Fu Sui with great magnanimity, "Drink as much as you want, even if you're full, I'll go steal some more for you if you're still hungry."
Fu Sui ignored Tian Ganyou's attempt to subtly take advantage of her in address, and with a smile in her eyes, picked up her glass and took a sip. A cool sensation slid down her throat, and a mellow, sweet flavor slowly filled her mouth. It was truly fine wine; Tian Ganyou hadn't lied.
After swallowing his drink, Fu Sui raised his chin dramatically and asked, "You sent Chen Jingyang away, so why did you leave him behind?"
Yue Shanling took a small bite of a taro cake, leaning back in his chair away from the table, trying to minimize his presence. When Fu Sui called out to him, he looked up at the two of them. The lamplight shrouded his eyes in shadow, blurring some of their sharpness, and the helplessness on his lips softened his expression.
Tian Ganyou didn't care at all, not even glancing at Yue Shanling: "He's tight-lipped."
Fu Sui, with his sharp eyes, noticed Yue Shanling turning his head away and sighing silently. He quickly raised his hand to cover his face with his sleeve, laughing so hard that his shoulders swayed slightly.
Not long after, Chen Jingyang returned, carrying a basket of golden milk pastries and placing it in front of Fu Sui: "The new dishes will take a while to prepare. These golden milk pastries are also the restaurant's signature dish. Princess, please try them."
Fu Sui had already eaten dinner, but unable to refuse the hospitality, she broke off a small piece of golden milk pastry and ate it slowly.
Tian Ganyou had been sleeping in Yueshanling for several days, and they had already finished catching up. Chen Jingyang, however, had a bellyful of questions, but he was afraid of being impolite in front of Fu Sui, so he hesitated several times before speaking. He originally wanted to ask another day, but then he thought that he had a family and a home, unlike Tian Ganyou who was idle. He didn't know when they would meet again, and he figured the princess wouldn't mind too much, so he might as well ask today.
Thinking this, Chen Jingyang asked about the border passes and the war.
Yue Shanling glanced at Fu Sui discreetly, afraid that such fighting and killing would offend the ears of the noble ladies in the capital. He saw Fu Sui holding a piece of golden milk pastry in one hand and a wine cup in the other, drinking happily and occasionally whispering a few words to Tian Ganyou. She seemed to have no time to pay attention to what was happening here, and then picked out some matters unrelated to border defense to discuss with Chen Jingyang.
The group of people present were chatting and laughing happily, and they did not stop Fu Sui from drinking several cups, thinking that a few cups of wine were no big deal. However, they did not expect that Fu Sui had already drunk a lot at Zhuangyuanlou, and now a few cups of wine brought out all the lingering effects of the afternoon's drinking.
At first, Fu Sui listened intently to Yue Shanling and Chen Jingyang's discussion about military affairs, and even moved closer to Yue Shanling to hear it more clearly. Gradually, however, her reaction became more and more sluggish, and she felt that the sound was swirling around her ears but could not enter them.
Suddenly, a small, fair hand snatched the dice from in front of Yue Shanling.
The dice were placed on the table by the shopkeeper for customers to gamble with while drinking. Yue Shanling assumed Fu Sui was just bored with the men's conversation and had taken the dice to play with herself, but when he looked at her, he realized something was wrong. Her eyes were hazy and misty, and her cheeks were flushed; she was clearly drunk.
Fortunately, Fu Sui seemed to have good drinking manners; she didn't cry or make a fuss, and sat there quietly rolling the dice. On the other side, Tian Ganyou had also drunk quite a bit, and his speech was starting to become slurred, so he probably couldn't take care of her. Yue Shanling had no choice but to chat with Tian and Chen while keeping an eye on Fu Sui.
Tian Ganyou got drunk and poured wine into any empty glass he saw, regardless of whose glass it was.
Fu Sui was a little thirsty after drinking too much wine. Seeing that the cup was full, he picked it up and brought it to his lips.
Yue Shanling reacted quickly, reaching out to cover the cup and stopping Fu Sui's movement.
Fu Sui was so drunk that he was in a daze. He saw a hand appear near his mouth and vaguely realized that it was Yue Shanling. He thought about how he had been exposed to the cold wind for half a day and hadn't even seen a polo match. Today, Yue Shanling was even more arrogant and wouldn't even let him drink water.
Fueled by alcohol, she became emboldened and bit Yue Shanling's little finger.
A note from the author:
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