Confrontation
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yingzhu, who was taking a nap, suddenly raised her head. Jiang Nian was stunned for a moment, then he concealed the sudden surprise in his eyes and nodded calmly.
"We're almost at the State Guest House."
The scenery passing by outside the car window gradually became familiar, and we were indeed arriving.
Although it was just an excuse he found temporarily to cover up his embarrassment, what he said was not wrong.
Xiao Yingzhu hummed lightly and moved his gaze away from her face.
Escaping the fleeting discomfort, Jiang Nian breathed a sigh of relief.
The two of them sat face to face in silence in the carriage for a short time. As Jiang Nian wished, the carriage driven by the coachman was very powerful. Before she was about to be depressed and suffocated by the speechless environment, the carriage stopped at the door of the State Guest House.
After the curtain was lifted, the cool air outside the carriage instantly enveloped Jiang Nian. She suddenly felt a cool breeze, and even the tension that she had not noticed before was relieved.
Jiang Nian took a few steps forward, carrying her handbag. She looked up at the sky that had been stained black by ink, then turned around and asked Xiao Yingzhu what she had been wanting to ask all the way:
"What time tonight?"
Although she hadn't spoken to Xiao Yingzhu for only a day or two, she felt as if she hadn't communicated with Xiao Yingzhu for a long time.
She felt a little strange that he was asking the question now.
Xiao Yingzhu got off the carriage, and the driver immediately turned the carriage around and headed for an unknown place.
He raised his eyelids and glanced at Jiang Nian.
"You decide."
When his words were asked back by the other party, Jiang Nian hesitated for a moment, remembered what he had promised Qin Lan in the afternoon, and calculated the current time.
"Seven quarters past ten?"
"Um."
“…”
They looked at each other in silence. Jiang Nian turned around calmly without saying anything to Xiao Yingzhu and walked towards the State Guesthouse.
After going there several times in the past two days, she was already familiar with how to get to the room. In order to prevent Xiao Yingzhu from noticing that she was eager to escape from his presence, she deliberately walked very calmly.
——But compared to the usual steady pace, the walking speed has increased slightly. So now it seems that there is a hint of urgency to hurry.
Xiao Yingzhu followed her slowly, watching her hands unconsciously clenching her handbag. A hint of thought flashed in her eyes, and then disappeared into her calm and dark eyes.
Considering Jiang Nian's inner thoughts, he did not follow closely.
He was also very sensible in keeping the distance between the two of them at a level that would allow them to protect each other in a crisis situation.
The lotus flowers beside the pond also have a light lingering fragrance at night, which is refreshing when you pass by.
There was an empty space in sight, and since it was almost dinner time, there weren't many people hanging around.
Jiang Nian calmed down and recalled what was recorded in the Princess's diary today, and soon forgot that Xiao Yingzhu was following him.
—
After I put my bag down in the room, there was a knock on the door.
He was a servant who was ordered to come and remind Jiang Nian.
He said that food was prepared downstairs and asked her to go downstairs to eat.
I start in the morning and am busy all the time until the evening. Now I can relax for a while when I am alone in the room.
Unfortunately, during the critical period of the incident, there was not much time to rest.
When Jiang Nian heard the servant talk about "meal", he suddenly realized that he was so hungry that he couldn't feel anything.
After thanking the other party, she did not stay in the room for long. She calculated how long it would take for her to meet Xiao Yingzhu, and was also worried about the gift Ai was going to bring. Without stopping, she immediately followed the servant who led the way downstairs.
—
The dining area was not far from the room. Since no one came with Jiang Nian, she had to remember the way she came at once, in case she couldn't find the way back later, causing trouble for others and delaying the next appointment.
Before coming to Cang County, Xiao Yingzhu mentioned the Flower Festival to her.
Perhaps because of this grand event, there are quite a few outsiders coming and going here at the State Guesthouse. However, judging from the situation, it seems that these guests were invited by the organizers of the event before Yu Hefeng sealed off Cang County City.
The Flower Festival is open to the public.
But there are some precious flower species that can only be appreciated by people of noble status.
Therefore the venue was divided into two sides.
Many people also choose to write down their wishes and confessions at the Flower Festival using local incense and tea.
In short, the difference lies in the venue layout, and there is not much difference in the rest of the experience.
They all come here to exchange feelings.
However, now seeing the men and women walking together in the restaurant, it is also possible to clearly predict that in the upcoming Flower Festival, the theme of love will definitely account for the largest proportion compared to other emotions.
The servant led her into the dining room and then bowed and left.
Jiang Nian looked around, and before anyone noticed her, she turned her head slightly and walked to the corner of the restaurant.
She now looks like she is sixteen or seventeen years old, which is quite a big age difference from the men and women present.
These people seemed to be the people in power in aristocratic families and their wives, all chatting and laughing happily.
Judging from her current age and appearance, it would be hard not to be mistaken for a young lady brought by someone's family and strolling around alone.
“…”
There was no place with relatively few people around. Fortunately, they were all busy talking about what they wanted to talk about, trying to build relationships, or joking and reminiscing about the past. No one looked towards the corners of the restaurant.
Jiang Nian was silent for a moment and was hesitating about where to sit when a maid suddenly came over and asked her.
"Excuse me, are you Miss Jiang Nian?"
Jiang Nian withdrew his gaze from other places and looked at the maid in front of him.
"I am."
"A young master has sent this servant to look for you. Please follow me."
After the maid confirmed Jiang Nian's identity, she nodded to her, turned around and led the way.
The scenery around him was receding, and Jiang Nian looked forward following the maid's lead.
I seemed to have a feeling in my heart. The figure of the person sitting in the silence behind the heavy curtains was familiar. The closer I got, the stronger the feeling in my heart became.
The familiar snow-blue color.
He really prefers sleeves with these kinds of light colors.
The green of bamboo leaves, coupled with the black hair cascading like a waterfall, together create a watery powder painting.
Outside the carved window is the leafy forest behind the house. The gentle sound of the drizzle blocks out the noise not far away, and only fresh and refreshing air can be smelled in the nostrils.
He is elegant and aloof, like a classical painting, with every stroke embedded in the charming scenery.
The fog and rain are continuous, like smoke and dreams.
Ningmi was reluctant to break this dreamlike scene.
Jiang Nian took a few steps forward, came back to his senses, and looked to the side.
The maid who led the way quietly retreated, closed the screen, and separated the inside and outside.
No one will come to bother you here anymore.
The other person sipped tea leisurely, and the aroma of the hot tea rose up, making his eyes warm.
Jiang Nian blinked uncomfortably, and when she met his smiling eyes, the conflicted emotions in her heart suddenly dissipated.
Don't hit someone who smiles at you. Besides, Xiao Yingzhu didn't do anything wrong to her. It would be awkward to care about those things now.
She walked over with a smile on her face, pulled out the chair opposite Xiao Yingzhu, and sat down.
"What are you trying to do now?"
Xiao Yingzhu casually placed the cup in front of her.
"I invite you to dinner."
"..." Even though Jiang Nian just wanted to have a polite conversation, she wanted to laugh when she recalled the process of leading the way just now.
"So this is how the Duke invites people to dinner."
Feeling the other person's gaze on his face, Jiang Nian added another sentence.
"Well, that's quite innovative."
She concealed the mischief that flashed across her eyes and changed the subject to serious matters.
"...Didn't we agree to meet at 7:07 pm? Why are you here now?"
Xiao Yingzhu tapped the wall of the cup with her index finger and said with interest, "Eating and talking don't conflict with each other. We can do both."
That's quite true.
Jiang Nian nodded and turned his head to look at the layers of human figures reflected outside the screen.
"Those people—are they going to participate in the Flower Festival?"
I had some doubts when I first arrived. Men and women should not touch each other, and it is rare to see so many men and women walking together in public.
It would be fine if it were in the European Middle Ages, but the era she traveled through was ancient times.
Xiao Yingzhu followed Jiang Nian's gaze and responded nonchalantly.
"Every year, the Flower Festival invites outsiders to attend in advance. This year, there was an epidemic, so to protect people from being infected, the dinner venue before the festival was changed to this place."
Thinking of the luxurious restaurant where the prefect invited him to a banquet a few days ago, Jiang Nian paused as his gaze fell on the screen.
"What about the one we went to earlier—Zhu Yuting?"
When she went there, although she didn't care much about the people around her, there were still a lot of people coming and going.
"Those are the local nobles and aristocratic families."
Jiang Nian understood and agreed, but then he thought of the Wu Mi people who were still rioting in the city and suddenly became worried.
"When exactly will the Flower Festival begin? The Wumi people should know."
Aren’t you afraid that they will come and cause trouble?
Xiao Yingzhu knew what Jiang Nian was worried about, and replied calmly: "Yu He will send someone to guard it, don't worry."
Thinking of Yu He's decisive and uncompromising style, Jiang Nian didn't ask too many questions.
Judging from the current situation, the Flower Festival should be held in this area where the nobles are the majority.
I have to say that the governor of Cang County was quite capable. When an epidemic broke out, he divided the area and controlled the infection rate.
The next thing to do is to stop the Wu Mi people from using their plan.
The idea in my mind is clear, but it still takes some time to do it, and it won’t be completed quickly.
Jiang Nian was thinking about her next step in her mind, and suddenly remembered the problem that had been on her mind for a long time.
She raised her eyes and looked across, but what she saw was Xiao Yingzhu's beautiful profile.
The light white mist cast a hazy dark light on him, and the flickering candlelight made his beautiful eyebrows and eyes even more beautiful and charming.
The words that he wanted to say were stuck between his lips and teeth.
It's hard to describe how she feels right now.
When they were in the carriage just now, they were still looking at each other in silence.
Now we just had a meal together, and the topic that we couldn't find floated back inexplicably.
Everything seemed so natural, but when Jiang Nian recalled the "bird in a cage" that he had speculated earlier, he remembered that the two servants who had just led the way were also intentionally guided by Xiao Yingzhu.
And it is also his wish that they can get along so harmoniously now.
Jiang Nian couldn't say that she was rejecting it, but rather than rejecting it, she disliked the feeling of being tied up and forced to move forward.
It was as if all my emotions were controlled by the other person.
This is very dangerous.
She didn't want to, and didn't want to.
A few cups of tea away, his light voice seemed to be shrouded in clouds and smoke, blurry and permeated with foreign moisture.
The words were as calm as water, without any ups and downs. They slipped into Jiang Nian's moment of daze and hit her in the heart, hitting the direction that she couldn't find the source of but was engraved in her bones.
"Jiang Nian."
"Your wish is for equality?"
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