As the weather gets colder, people put on their winter clothes and lit charcoal fires in their homes.
Heyue stayed indoors every day, either reading, writing, or playing shuttlecock to warm herself up, becoming increasingly reluctant to go out.
Heyue was afraid of the cold since she was a child. Once winter came, she would hibernate like an animal. Therefore, even the usually playful Sixth Sister stopped inviting Heyue out to play after being rejected a few times. She stayed in the mansion all day, sighing and complaining. She would only come to Heyue's place occasionally to talk and watch Heyue practice calligraphy.
After practicing for several days, Heyue found that her mind had become calmer and she could outwardly appear as a proper young lady from a respectable family.
However, such appearances usually only last for about half an incense stick's time before reaching their limit.
Even so, Heyue was already very satisfied.
Just then, Yan Yue walked in. Seeing how seriously she was practicing calligraphy, she went behind her, looked at her, patted her shoulder, and sighed, "You're really getting better and better at sitting still. Are you sure you don't want to come out with me?"
"Sixth Sister knows I'm afraid of the cold. I'd rather stay indoors than go out. I'd rather practice these tedious characters than go out in the cold wind." Heyue sighed, slightly troubled.
If she could, she wouldn't want to stay indoors and get moldy all the time, since she's become even more afraid of the cold since she came here.
"Sigh, I had made plans with Yi Duli to eat Peking duck at Deshenglou Restaurant, and I was even thinking of taking you along to see it, but who would have thought that even that couldn't entice you." Yan Yue sighed behind her, sounding very regretful: "Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go with Yi Duli by myself."
He Yue's heart skipped a beat, and she grabbed Yan Yue's hand. Her brows furrowed, but she couldn't suppress the craving in her stomach. She chuckled and said, "Sixth Sister, I want to go too."
Heyue is also interested in food, and she certainly doesn't want to miss out on good food.
Yan Yue smiled smugly: "Then you'd better get ready, the carriage is already waiting outside."
Heyue immediately called Yuying and Hailan to help her change her clothes. She put on a white fox fur cloak and a hood, revealing only her small face, and left the mansion with her sixth sister.
They boarded the carriage parked outside the mansion, driven by Ittori as always, and set off for the busiest market.
Because of the cold weather, there weren't many people outside, only a few people who were forced to travel outside due to the hardships of life.
When the carriage arrived at the entrance of Deshenglou, Yiduli instructed the waiter to drive the carriage to the backyard and led Heyue and the other two inside.
There weren't many people in the restaurant; only a very few were eating and drinking at the tables.
He Yue wrapped her cloak tightly to keep out the cold wind, and stepped onto the wooden stairs to go up to the private room on the second floor.
Sitting down, Yi Duli ordered several specialty dishes, two servings of roast duck, and a pot of wine from the waiter, who smiled and left.
After closing the door, the private room, which was warmer than outside because of the underfloor heating, was much warmer. Heyue took off her outer cloak and handed it to Yuying behind her, while looking around at the surroundings.
"Sixth Sister, do you come here often?" Seeing how familiar they were with the place, Heyue asked her question.
"Of course," replied the sixth sister, raising her eyebrows with a smug look. "This is the best restaurant in the capital, and their roast duck is the best in the city. Sometimes when we have nothing to do, I come here with Yiduli to try something new."
It was Heyue's first time dining in such a place, and she curiously looked around at her surroundings.
It's clear that the owner has a good eye; the room is decorated in a very elegant and comfortable way.
His gaze drifted out the window and suddenly stopped, fixed on the slender figure being helped into the restaurant by a maid.
How did she end up here?
Since that incident at Prince An's residence, Heyue had never seen her again. She had asked Hailan to deliver a letter to her, asking her to explain to the Fourteenth Prince. After that, everything was peaceful, nothing happened, and no one in the palace punished her. The matter was thus dropped.
She asked the Thirteenth Prince, who said that the Fourteenth Prince had already apologized to him, so it seems that she was the one who explained things to the Fourteenth Prince.
The thought that had churned in my mind countless times was stirring again, but I never had the chance to see him again, nor did I know how to ask.
Now that she had unexpectedly met the person she wanted to see, He Yue really wanted to go over and talk to her. However, although she had seen that she had entered the place alone, she thought that there was probably someone else she wanted to see here, and it would be inappropriate for her to rush over. So she suppressed her thoughts.
After thinking for a moment, Heyue said to her sixth sister and Yiduli, "I'm going to change my clothes."
Yan Yue nodded and said "okay," and He Yue let Yu Ying stay and took Hai Lan out of the private room.
Once outside, Heyue whispered something to Hailan, whose eyes lit up. Hailan nodded and went downstairs.
Heyue stood there for a while, then went into the inner room and explained to her sixth sister, "I asked Hailan to go and buy some things."
Neither of them suspected anything.
A short while later, Hailan returned. Heyue didn't ask any questions, and Hailan acted as if nothing had happened.
The roast duck was served quickly, along with several vegetarian dishes.
The rich aroma of roast duck whetted Heyue's appetite, and the group began to eat with gusto.
Because there was wine, which is good for warming the stomach, Yan Yue poured herself some wine and sipped it slowly. He Yue, who hadn't drunk wine in a long time, also poured herself a glass.
Iduli reached out to stop him, his thick eyebrows furrowed: "You can't drink alcohol."
Heyue looked at him expectantly and pleaded, "I'll just drink a little bit, just a little bit, okay, okay?"
Iduli had no choice but to agree, but emphasized, "Just this one cup."
Heyue laughed happily, tilted her head back and sipped the food slowly. Her stomach immediately felt warm, and she smiled contentedly.
"Sixth Sister, can you sing?" He Yue asked Yan Yue with sparkling eyes after drinking some wine.
Yan Yue shook her head: "No."
"I can sing. Look, we have wine and food today, how can we not have a song, right? How about I sing you a song?"
He Yue offered suggestions.
Yan Yue's eyes lit up, and she nodded in agreement.
Looking at her, Iduli worried that she might be drunk and wanted to stop her, but Heyue had already stood up and started singing.
He Yue was indeed drunk. She used to be able to drink a lot without getting drunk, and she thought she wouldn't get drunk. However, she overestimated her body's ability to handle it. After all, she was still young, and after only one drink, her mind became a little unclear.
She only knew that one song, so she immediately sang that very familiar tune.
The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl are separated by the Milky Way.
With slender, delicate hands, she deftly weaves at the loom.
He could not compose a single piece of writing all day, and his tears fell like rain.
The Milky Way is clear and shallow, how far apart are we?
...
As Heyue sang, she twirled around. Yuying and Hailan, worried that she might fall, rushed forward to watch over her, ready to help her up at any moment.
Heyue pouted in dissatisfaction, "Why are you two being so cautious? I'm not going to fall down."
Although she was drunk, she still retained some rationality. Perhaps because she had something on her mind, she only got a little drunk today and then let loose.
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