Cooking
Summer gets terribly hot, let alone autumn.
This border town is different from the capital. The capital is sweltering, and the sweat sticks to your body, making you feel uncomfortable. Here, it's dry and hot, with a scorching sun that could fry an egg on the ground. Yan Shu felt like she was being dried into jerky, listless every day, and especially missed that metal box that could blow out a cool breeze at the touch of a button.
The only good thing about this place is that it gets cool as soon as the sun sets, and with the evening breeze, you can finally catch your breath.
She calculated the days and realized that the Qixi Festival should be approaching soon.
A bittersweet feeling welled up inside her. Last year's Qixi Festival was still fresh in her mind. On the bustling Zhuque Street in the capital, she and Lingyuan, wearing masks and carrying lanterns, secretly linked hands in the crowd... and once they did, they never let go.
In just one year, they arrived at Xiayun City, a thousand miles away.
She asked Ayun, who was wiping the table, "Ayun, is the Qixi Festival lively here?"
Ayun immediately perked up: "It's so lively! So many girls on the street are wearing Western Region skirts, they're so beautiful! Would Your Highness like to go look at some clothes? I'll take you!"
Yan Shu figured that Ling Yuan wasn't around anyway, and it would be boring to stay in the courtyard, so she nodded and said, "Okay, let's go for a walk."
The streets of Xiayun City, though not as bustling as those of the capital, possessed a unique charm. The atmosphere of the Qixi Festival was already in the air, with vendors hawking their wares, selling all sorts of novelties. The most eye-catching were the Western Region dresses, brightly colored and adorned with sequins that jingled in the wind.
"Madam, take a look at the clothes! This red color suits your skin tone best!" The proprietress held up a bright red dress and compared it to Yan Shu.
Yan Shu smiled and looked away, her gaze sweeping over the pile of clothes. The red and gold ones were too eye-catching, so she looked up and saw a purple set hanging in the corner.
The purple was deep, embroidered with subtle patterns, and adorned only with small pearls at the hem and cuffs, paired with a veil of the same color.
“I want this,” Yan Shu said, pointing.
After buying and wrapping the clothes, her melancholy suddenly dissipated, and she began to look forward to seeing Lingyuan in them.
---
In the military camp outside the city, Lingyuan and Lingying entered the main tent.
A burly middle-aged man turned around; his features resembled those of Consort Lin.
“Uncle.” Ling Yuan stepped forward.
Lin Kong patted his shoulder forcefully: "Yuan'er! Long time no see!" Then he looked at Ling Ying, "Ling Ying is here too!"
Ling Ying clasped her hands in greeting: "General Lin!"
"Your dad's been talking about you, hurry up and go."
Ling Ying looked at Ling Yuan, who nodded slightly: "Go ahead, come find me in a little while."
Ling Ying bowed and quickly left.
Only the uncle and nephew remained in the tent. Lin Kong's smile faded: "What happened to the couple?"
Ling Yuan was silent for a moment: "Yes. They are not unrelated to Mother's death."
Lin Kong's eyes flashed sharply: "He deserves to die!" He paused and then said, "Let's leave the first thing you did here for now. The key thing next is the ledger. Chen Li is just a pawn. We need to find out who's behind him."
“Yes,” Lingyuan said. “Also, Xuan Gui is coming to the Northern Territory to discuss trade matters with the Western Regions.”
Lin Kong frowned: "Let him come? From the capital..."
“We suspect someone deliberately lured him here.”
Lin Kong said, "Then let's wait until he arrives." He then changed the subject, "Why didn't you bring your princess? I've heard about what happened between you two. It's sad to lose a child, but you're still young, so it's important to take care of your health."
Ling Yuan lowered his head: "I didn't tell her to come see your uncle. After what happened, she just wants to stay away from those conflicts. I don't want her to get involved anymore, please forgive me, Uncle. I will bring her to see your uncle when the time is right."
Lin Kong looked at him, sighed, and didn't press him further: "It's good that you know what's going on."
At this moment, the tent flap was lifted again, and a middle-aged man who bore a resemblance to Ling Ying walked in, followed by Ling Ying. Upon seeing Ling Yuan, the man was about to kneel and pay his respects: "This humble general, Ling Yu, greets Your Highness! Thank you for your care and protection of my son over the years!"
Ling Yuan immediately stood up, stepped forward and took his arm: "Uncle Ling, please get up, there's no need for such formalities."
Ling Yu then stood up, and the group sat down again to discuss border military affairs and the situation in the capital.
---
On her way back to the city, Ling Ying stopped in front of a jewelry stall.
He picked out a magnolia hairpin, paid for it, and carefully tucked it into his pocket.
Ling Yuan raised an eyebrow and looked at him.
Ling Ying's ears turned slightly red: "The Qixi Festival is coming soon... A-Yun saw this hairpin a few days ago, but couldn't bring herself to buy it." So, he made a note of it.
Ling Yuan chuckled. Ling Ying had been with him for so many years, remaining unfazed even amidst the clash of swords, yet she was blushing over a hairpin.
This interruption reminded Lingyuan that the Qixi Festival was approaching.
However... he's really not good at giving gifts.
On the Qixi Festival, Lingyuan and Lingying went out before dawn.
When Yan Shu got up and didn't see anyone, A Yun said, "The Prince and Brother Ying went to buy groceries and told us to wait at home."
Yan Shu was stunned: "Buying groceries?"
How could a prince who doesn't even know where the kitchen is buy groceries?
She suddenly realized—today is the Qixi Festival.
It seems someone is planning to... cook for themselves?
It was almost noon when the two returned, carrying large and small bags.
Ayun gasped, "Buying so much? Are there other people coming too?"
Yan Shu was also worried; how could they possibly finish all this food?
Ling Ying looked at Ling Yuan helplessly.
Ling Yuan remained calm: "I found the vegetables and meat acceptable, so I paid directly, and the stall owner gave me all the money."
Yan Shu: "..."
Ayun: "..."
Yan Shu chuckled. She could imagine the scene—her prince, walking up to the vegetable stall, probably didn't even know to ask the price or how much to ask for; he just thought the produce was good and pulled out a silver ingot to hand it over. The stall owner, seeing such a large ingot, would probably be overjoyed and wish he could pack up the entire stall and stuff it into his hands.
This isn't grocery shopping, it's a raid.
We had a quick lunch. After the meal, Ling Yuan put down his chopsticks and said, "You don't need to do anything for dinner. Ling Ying and I will take care of it."
Ling Ying almost choked on her food.
Yan Shu and A Yun exchanged a smile: "Okay."
The kitchen was filled with clanging and clattering all afternoon. The sounds of chopping vegetables, spatulas, and occasionally... Ling Ying's exclamation.
Yan Shu and A Yun sat in the courtyard drinking tea, reading books, and laughing as they listened to the sounds coming from inside.
As the sun began to set, dinner was finally served. But its presentation... was really not very appealing.
Ling Yuan and Ling Ying stood by the table, their foreheads damp with sweat and their expressions tense.
"Try it." Ling Yuan looked at Yan Shu.
Yan Shu picked up a piece of stir-fried meat and carefully put it in her mouth.
"How about it?"
She picked up another piece and put it in Lingyuan's bowl: "Your Highness, please try some too."
Ling Yuan ate it, and his furrowed brows immediately relaxed.
Surprisingly, the taste wasn't bad. The saltiness was just right, and the meat was cooked through.
A smile appeared in his eyes: "Not bad."
Yan Shu nodded and said, "It's delicious!"
The four of them drank some fruit wine, and Yan Shu and A Yun's cheeks turned red.
After the meal, Yan Shu pulled A Yun into the house, saying, "Wait a moment."
A moment later, the curtain was lifted.
Ayun came out first, dressed in a black dress, looking mysterious and charming.
Then Yan Shu came out.
The long purple dress accentuated her fair skin, and her face was half-veiled, revealing only her smiling eyes. Her exotic charm blended perfectly with her refined elegance, creating a uniquely captivating allure.
Ling Yuan's breath hitched, and he couldn't look away. If Ling Ying and A Yun hadn't been there, he almost wouldn't have been able to control himself and would have immediately pulled her into his arms.
Yan Shu walked up to him, tilted her head, and asked, "Your Highness, is it beautiful?"
"It looks good." He said in a low voice.
On the other side, Ling Ying took out a jade hairpin and put it on A Yun's head. A Yun touched the hairpin with delight, her face full of joy, "Brother Ying, I didn't expect you to remember!"
Yan Shu pulled Ling Yuan up: "Your Highness, shall we go up to the roof and look at the stars?"
Ling Yuan put his arm around her waist and lightly leaped onto the roof. Ling Ying followed with A Yun.
The four sat on the rooftop. The night sky over Xiayun City was exceptionally clear, the Milky Way was brilliant, and the sky was streaked with stars, a breathtaking sight.
Looking at the starry sky, Yan Shu felt a sense of fulfillment. She quietly took out the pair of small fish-shaped jade pendants from her waist, which Ling Yuan had given her before. She took Ling Yuan's left hand, found his ring finger, and wrapped the silk thread of the jade pendants around it, circle by circle.
Ling Yuan looked down at her serious profile, without moving, letting her do as she pleased.
“I’ve read in a picture book that if lovers wear matching rings on their ring fingers, they can stay together forever,” she said softly. “We don’t have rings now, so how about we use this instead? It’s like Huaiyu is always by our side.”
She raised her left hand, and Lingyuan imitated her by wrapping it around her arm.
The two raised their hands at the same time, and the little fish, shimmering softly in the starlight, swayed gently.
Ling Yuan turned his head to look at her, reached out and gently lifted her veil, then lowered his head and kissed her.
The kiss carried the coolness of the starry night, the sweet aroma of fruit wine, and his unique, reassuring scent.
Seeing this, Ling Ying blushed and instinctively looked away. Just as he was about to turn his head, A Yun suddenly leaned over and kissed him.
Ling Ying froze, his ears turning bright red. Looking at A Yun's blushing face, he gently lifted her chin and carefully returned the kiss, as if the feelings that had been building up in his heart for eight years had finally found an outlet.
The night breeze, though gentle, cannot dispel the warmth lingering on the rooftop. The Milky Way shines above, quietly guarding the tranquility and sweetness of this small town.
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