These words caused Qi Guze and Xu Yuehuai to exchange a glance.
Qi Guze saw the disappointment in Anan's eyes and explained, "Anan, your parents must have looked for you, but it's possible that someone impersonated you."
After he finished speaking, a glint flashed in Anan's eyes again; he remembered—
He remembered that when he was last captured and thrown into the dungeon, Ah Qi came and said that he was inferior to him in some way.
"Anan?" Xu Yuehuai interrupted him when he saw that Anan was lost in thought.
“I remember seeing Ah Qi in the dungeon last time, and he said…” Ah Nan’s voice trailed off.
Qi Guze and Xu Yuehuai exchanged a glance; they were certain that Anan was the Crown Prince.
The two decided to tell Anan. Qi Guze patted Anan on the shoulder and said, "Anan, Aqi is the one who impersonated you."
Xu Yuehuai then looked tenderly at Anan and asked, "Anan, do you want to go home?"
Anan hesitated.
He looked at Xu Yuehuai and couldn't help but ask, "Manager Xu, if I become the Crown Prince, will Ah Qi lose his life?"
Xu Yuehuai paused.
She never imagined that after suffering so much, Anan's first thought would still be for others, not for herself.
She sighed, "Yes."
“But he deserved it.” As Xu Yuehuai said this, she felt her heart bleeding.
Having spent so much time with Ah Qi, she naturally hoped he would be alright. However, despite her subtle and overt hints, Ah Qi remained unrepentant, revealing his ambition.
Qi Guze held Anan's hand and said, "You don't need to feel guilty."
“Anan, you are your parents’ biological son. It is only right that you return to their side. It is Aqi who is wrong. He took your parents away. You don’t need to pity him anymore. Just make him step down.”
“If your parents can’t find you again, they will blame themselves for the rest of their lives. Can you bear to see your parents so sad?”
Anan immediately shook his head.
Even though he is no longer by his parents' side, he hopes they are doing well.
"When will I be able to see them?" He was still a child, and a little longing remained in his heart.
Qi Guze and Xu Yuehuai exchanged a glance and said, "We'll have to wait until we return to the Central Plains, Anan. Don't worry, we won't let you wander outside forever."
Anan nodded and snuggled into Xu Yuehuai's arms.
After Xu Yuehuai had coaxed the person to sleep, she looked at Qi Guze and said, "I was thinking, tomorrow you should come with me to Tianxiang Tower to see what's going on along the way."
“Alright, but we still need to go find Lord Zhao first. I’m worried about Chen-ge’er and Anan staying with Zhang Ting and that old woman,” Qi Guze said.
Xu Yuehuai meant exactly that.
The two hit it off immediately and left right away.
...
The next morning, just as Xu Yuehuai was about to go out, she saw yellow sand rising everywhere outside.
Forget about going to Tianxianglou, even going out will result in sand and dust getting into your eyes.
Therefore, she could only stay inside the house, staring blankly at the sandstorm outside, while her mind wandered freely, dreaming of going out.
Zhang Ting appeared behind Xu Yuehuai at some point. After glancing at the sandstorm, she smiled and said, "Every year when summer turns to autumn, sandstorms rise in the Mingyue Kingdom, making it impossible for anyone to go out. Yesterday happened to be the first day of the sandstorm, but I didn't expect the sandstorm to arrive today. In previous years, we would have to wait two or three days."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yuehuai's heart stirred. After regaining her composure, she guessed that the fact that there were no people on the road yesterday was likely related to the sandstorm.
"How long does this sandstorm usually last?" Xu Yuehuai asked, putting aside her own guesses.
Zhang Ting shook her head and replied, "It would take at least a month or two, but I don't know how long it would take. However, I've heard..."
Before she could finish speaking, the little princess yawned and came down. "There are people in the palace who are in charge of calculating these things. They are all top-notch people. If someone can get into the palace, they will naturally know when it will end."
As she spoke, she glanced at Zhang Ting, implying that she wanted Zhang Ting to brave the sandstorm and go to the palace.
When Zhang Ting saw the little princess looking at her, she instantly guessed what she meant. She glanced at the sandstorm outside and couldn't help but take a small step back. Going out at this time would be no different from courting death.
Xu Yuehuai also felt that the little princess's words were meaningless, but she didn't say anything. After all, she meant well, but she just hadn't considered the actual situation.
But she sensed something from Zhang Ting's retreating steps, so she sniffed, snorted, and went upstairs.
No sooner had the little princess left than Zhang Ting moved closer to Xu Yuehuai.
The latter thought she was dissatisfied with the little princess's behavior and was about to apologize on her behalf when he heard Zhang Ting say something else.
"Manager Xu, may I learn to cook from you?"
She was puzzled; why did she suddenly want to learn to cook? Being straightforward, she asked directly.
Why did you suddenly want to learn to cook?
Unexpectedly, Zhang Ting became shy upon hearing this and said softly, "A woman should marry when she comes of age, but my cooking skills are not good enough. I will inevitably be disliked by my husband's family after I get married. It's good that I'm by your side now. I'm in a good position to learn. I will definitely regret it later if I don't learn."
After hearing this, Xu Yuehuai still had some doubts in her heart.
Learning to cook isn't a big deal, and she really couldn't refuse. But her intuition told her that Zhang Ting wasn't hiding anything good.
Just as she was hesitating, Zhou Wan suddenly spoke up: "Miss Zhang Ting's request is really excessive. Our A Yue's recipes are all secrets. My third sister and I were able to learn these from her because we became her disciples. If you can also obediently become her disciples and swear a solemn oath not to pass on these methods, A Yue will naturally be able to teach them to you."
These words made Zhang Ting want to back out.
Her hands have been used for gathering herbs since she was a child, and she rarely cooks. In addition, her parents doted on her, and she has never let anyone suffer any injustice over the years.
Even the people of Chessboard Peak treated him with great courtesy.
But when did Ziran become the person that everyone dislikes?
She pursed her lips, unsure of what her next step should be.
“Zhang Ting, I can also teach you cooking, but I want to discuss one condition with you,” Xu Yuehuai said.
A gentle smile played in her eyes, making Zhang Ting almost believe her: "What are the conditions?"
Once she learns these skills, she can give Maimaiti an explanation, and then she might be able to retreat unscathed to Qipanfeng and continue living her old life.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com