The three of them drank a cup of tea together, and then Li Langxuan hurriedly went to the bridal chamber to comfort Yan Xuening, while Shang Yunlan also leisurely went out to take charge of the overall situation.
Li Langhuan couldn't stay in the back hall forever, since there were many people around and it would be difficult to handle if someone discovered him.
...
Southern Chen, Shu Prefecture.
Qiao Xiuyu arrived in Shuzhou exhausted, but fortunately, Bai Lu, Cheng Chu, and the others who stayed behind in Shuzhou had already received news of his arrival. Their rooms were ready, and meals were prepared.
It had been a long time since they last met, and everyone had a lot to say and a lot to ask. Qiao Xiuyu managed to answer a few questions before she could no longer hold on.
Cheng Chu then realized that Qiao Xiuyu was exhausted, so he quickly patted his forehead and took him back to the county princess's residence, telling him to get some rest.
Bai Lu and Xu Xian followed along. Qiao Xiuyu fell asleep as soon as he lay down, but the two of them kept pestering Cheng Chu, saying they wanted to drink the chestnut chicken soup he made.
Cheng Chu: "..."
He glared at Xu Xian and Bai Lu, who was fanning the flames, with some displeasure: "If you want to drink, make it yourselves. Don't bother me. I still have a lot to ask the Seventh Young Master when he wakes up."
Xu Xian shrank back, but Bai Lu wasn't afraid of him. She glared at Cheng Chu and said, "I'll ask the Seventh Young Master myself. You just stay here and cook the soup. When he wakes up, bring him a bowl. He'll be happy, and so will Lord Xu and I. Isn't that good?"
Cheng Chu was speechless: "But I'm not happy."
Bai Lu looked at him with some confusion, and said in surprise, "You're the only one who's unhappy about this. The three of us are all very happy. Who cares about you?"
Cheng Chu: "..."
He had no choice but to hold his nose and make the soup.
It's not that he's weak-willed; if he hadn't accidentally angered Bai Lu a few days ago and hadn't managed to appease her, he wouldn't have been willing to make soup.
A gentleman keeps away from the kitchen. Although Cheng Chu was not a gentleman, he was still a famous general!
Xu Xian watched Cheng Chu's retreating figure as he walked towards the kitchen, a figure tinged with loneliness and dejection, yet also with a fighting spirit. He asked Bai Lu, somewhat puzzled, "You haven't forgiven him yet?"
Bai Lu snorted coldly: "Who told him to injure my leg when he was teaching me martial arts? Don't you understand the principle of stopping when you've hit someone? Honestly."
For some reason, Xu Xian felt a little jealous, but he didn't delve into the feeling. He just tugged at Bai Lu's sleeve and said, "How about I go with you to practice martial arts another day? If you go alone, he will inevitably focus all his attention on you and will definitely hurt you often. If I go with you, he will have to take care of two people and won't be able to pay attention to you all the time."
Bai Lu initially thought it was a good idea, but then she reconsidered—she and Cheng Chu were learning martial arts while discussing serious matters, so what was Xu Xian, who knew their plans but hadn't joined them, doing with them? Was he trying to gather information?
So Bai Lu didn't agree and decisively refused, saying, "No, I'd rather be beaten."
Xu Xian couldn't quite describe his feelings. He looked at Bai Lu hesitantly, wanting her to agree: "But I feel..."
However, Bai Lu had learned from Shang Shaoyan to be heartless, no, devoid of conscience. At this moment, she simply looked coldly at Xu Xian, her attitude firm: "I don't care what you think, I care what I think. That's how it is. Listen to me, I'm the one who makes the decision."
Xu Xian: "..."
Okay.
He left this place of sorrow with a somewhat dejected sigh, and went back to handle official business.
As Xu Xian flipped through last month's account book, he ate cherries. This year's cherries were especially sweet, and he enjoyed them very much. However, when he tried to take some more, he found that they were all gone.
"No way!" Xu Xian counted the fruit pits; there were ten. But he clearly remembered that he had brought thirty.
Just then, he noticed that the servant who had been waiting by his desk was also gone.
Xu Xian then realized that he used to always think of sharing delicious food with Bai Lu first. Over time, his servants developed a habit: two-thirds of the food that Xu Xian ate while laughing had to be given to Lady Yu; and two-thirds of the food that Xu Xian ate while frowning had to be given to General Cheng and General Tai.
Later on, the servants would deliver the things to him without him even having to say anything.
Xu Xian, recalling this incident: "..."
He wiped his face, staring blankly at the spot where the fruit platter should have been filled with cherries, seemingly lost in thought.
Soon, the servant who delivered the cherries returned and continued to stand by the desk, acting as a mere tool.
Xu Xian: "..."
He cleared his throat and asked casually, "Where did you go?"
The servant was taken aback. After confirming that Xu Xian was asking him, he replied somewhat puzzled, "Naturally, I'm going to deliver cherries to Lady Yu."
Xu Xian confirmed his suspicions and continued to ask, "When you went there, what was Lady Bai... I mean, Lady Yu, doing?"
The servant thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, "I just saw Lady Yu killing a chicken with General Cheng. The scene was quite bloody, so I didn't dare to look any longer and left as soon as I put it down."
Xu Xian nodded, then asked, "So... what was her reaction when she saw the cherries? Or rather, what was her reaction when I brought her food before?"
The servant thought for a moment and said, "Madam Yu is usually stern and cold, but every time she sees something you send her, she smiles, and she smiles quite beautifully."
Xu Xian clenched his fist, then put it to his lips and coughed lightly to hide the wildly upturned corners of his lips.
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