Chapter 86 Truth and Falsehood
With a gentle squeeze of the hand on the back of Chu Jiubian's neck, he was forced to tilt his head back and endure the man's somewhat rough kiss.
Qin Xiao wrapped his other arm around the young man's waist, pulling him tightly into his embrace.
The man's hot breath brushed against his lips, Chu Jiubian's Adam's apple bobbed, his lips parted slightly, and his breathing became somewhat erratic.
He clenched his fists and held them at his sides, without touching Qin Xiao.
Her lips tingled slightly, her tongue was touched, Chu Jiubian's eyelashes trembled, she felt dizzy, and her heart pounded like a drum.
He felt like a drowning man, unable to grasp any floating material, as if he were about to drown in the man's arms.
Qin Xiao released his grip on the back of Chu's neck and lifted Chu Jiubian up with his strong arms, one arm around her waist and the other supporting her buttocks.
Chu Jiubian instinctively hugged his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist to prevent herself from falling.
A few steps later, Chu Jiubian was led to the table.
Qin Xiao had written countless words and read countless books at this table, and sat at it for many days and nights.
Now, Chu Jiubian was brought over by him and sat on the edge of the table.
Just as Chu Jiubian regained her senses, the man's kiss landed on her again.
He tried to pull his hand back, but Qin Xiao grabbed it and made him wrap his arms around his neck again.
But Qin Xiao's hand loosened his belt.
Although it was already March, the house had been uninhabited for a whole winter, so it was slightly chilly.
Chu Jiubian felt a chill on his chest, but the next moment, the man's warm, calloused palm rubbed against his fair and tender skin without any obstruction.
For the past six months, Chu Jiubian has no longer needed to maintain his weight or control his diet, so although he is still thin, he has gained some weight compared to the beginning.
He didn't have much muscle, so his skin was even softer.
The woman was touched rather roughly by the man, and soon a large area of her skin turned red.
Qin Xiao's kiss landed on the young man's lips and chin...
Feeling a numb and itchy sensation in her chest, Chu Jiubian shuddered, her muddled thoughts suddenly clearing as she raised her hand to push the man away.
But Qin Xiao was too heavy. Even with his strength, he could only push him away slightly, and he was still trapped in the other's arms.
Qin Xiao raised his eyes, his deep gaze revealing obvious longing and infatuation.
Chu Jiubian's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly avoided his gaze, unaware that her clothes were half undone, her shoulders trembling slightly, and her bright red ears creating a striking image.
Qin Xiao's Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't move again.
Chu Jiubian nudged him again, and Qin Xiao moved further away.
Chu Jiubian gathered his robes and lowered his eyes to tie the sash, but his hands were trembling and he couldn't tie it properly for a long time.
Qin Xiao looked down for a while, then reached out and slowly helped him tie it up.
Soon, everything seemed to return to normal, yet nothing at all.
Chu Jiubian sat on the table with his eyes downcast, while the man remained standing in front of him, his hands resting on the table on either side of him.
"I'm sorry," Qin Xiao said first, his voice low but gentle. "I was confused when you looked at me like that just now."
The young man's expression—wanting to distance himself from him yet unable to resist drawing closer—was truly...
Chu Jiubian looked up at him: "How was I looking at you?"
Qin Xiao paused for a moment, then asked tentatively in a soft voice, "Just now, did you feel sorry for me?"
Heartache?
Chu Jiubian recalled what had just happened in the palace.
He was clearly struggling with whether to stay away from Qin Xiao or something else, so why did he say he felt sorry for him?
But when she met the man's gaze, the rebuttal that was on the tip of her tongue just wouldn't come out.
Chu Jiubian didn't refute, and Qin Xiao understood, his heart pounding even harder.
Since his elders passed away one after another, he never thought that anyone would care about him.
Chu Jiubian looked at the intense emotions in his eyes, subconsciously looked away, and looked somewhat embarrassed.
"Qin Xiao," he said, his voice slightly hoarse.
“I am not what you see,” he said.
Qin Xiao looked at him quietly without saying a word.
Chu Jiubian stopped talking.
After a while, Qin Xiao wrapped his arms around him, picked him up again and put him on the ground, then helped him straighten his clothes and said, "Let's go, don't keep His Majesty waiting."
Chu Jiubian looked up at him, his brows furrowing slightly.
What does this mean?
"I was impolite this time." Qin Xiao lowered his eyes slightly to meet his gaze and said with a smile, "It won't happen again next time."
next time?
There will be a next time?
Chu Jiubian frowned even more deeply.
"This is my courtyard in the Qin family's house." Qin Xiao changed the subject again, saying, "I was a bit rushed today, I'll bring you back later."
Chu Jiubian paused, as if his attention had been diverted, and turned to look into the room.
This is where Qin Xiao lived for several years; everywhere bears traces of his life. This is his true home.
However, time was short, and they were still worried about Baili Hong, so after regaining their composure, they quickly set off for the West Market Restaurant.
at the same time.
Shenwu Street was almost packed with people, densely packed from south to north.
Whether they were wealthy and powerful or ordinary people, they all gathered together today, craning their necks to look in the direction from which the drums and music were coming.
The Imperial Guards and City Defense Forces were all mobilized, standing guard on both sides of the street, their long spears held horizontally in front of them, one after another, to prevent the civilians from having a chance to rush into the street.
The gongs and drums were deafening, and the sound grew closer and closer.
"They're here! They're here! The official who's been praising us is here!"
"How exactly is the official praised? It looks to me like a long procession of horses."
"It's a cavalry team, they're all riding horses."
"My God! Look at the people on horseback, my goodness, they look so impressive!"
The cavalry approached from afar, with An Wuji leading the troops at the very front, followed by students riding tall horses in the middle, and finally the imposing Imperial Guards at the very back.
On this main street, the East Market and West Market are completely different on the left and right sides.
But the shops along the street were mostly restaurants and inns, and all the windows along the street were open, with countless people peering out of those windows, watching the procession of officials approach from afar.
If you look closely, you'll find that no matter which restaurant it is, the people peeking out are all prominent figures in the capital.
Not only were there scions of prominent families like Wang Qichen and the Situ siblings, and noble children, but also high-ranking officials of the imperial court and princely families—things that ordinary people would never even dare to dream of.
These people already knew the direction the procession of the officials was heading, so they had booked their seats in these restaurants well in advance.
Even those who were originally appointed by minor officials obediently gave up their positions, not daring to go against these high-ranking officials and powerful figures.
The largest restaurant along the street in the West Market is owned by the Wang family, but more specifically, it belongs to Old Madam Wang and has now been handed over to Wang Qichen to manage.
It was here that Wang Qichen saw the procession of the vassal kings entering the capital and silently greeted Si Tu Zhaoling.
The best private room in the restaurant was reserved for Chu Jiubian.
Chu Jiubian had previously told Qin Xiao about the location, and Qin Chuan had been in the capital recently, so he heard about it from Qin Chaoyang.
Therefore, after arriving with Baili Hong, he went directly into the restaurant.
Wang Qichen arrived at the building early today. When the two of them came in, he was sitting downstairs listening to a storyteller telling the story of "Sacred Star God".
The other people who booked the restaurant included Wang Zhiyuan, Minister of Rites; Wang Pengyi, Vice Minister of Revenue; the Wang family of Southern Frontier; and the King of Pingxi, among others. A host of powerful and high-ranking officials were also scattered throughout the hall.
Everyone was stunned to see a masked man leading a child dressed in a dragon robe into the main hall, followed by a young eunuch.
However, everyone quickly realized what was happening and hurriedly got up to greet them.
The storyteller knew that important people would be coming today, but he didn't expect so many to come. They were a powerful prince, a princess, and a prince.
Compared to this, even the Minister and Vice Minister of the Wang family's main branch don't seem so intimidating.
But he never expected that he would have the honor of seeing the Emperor's face today!
That magnificent golden dragon robe, that tiny figure—it could only belong to the current young emperor!
His legs buckled first, and he knelt down in the direction of the door.
The other servants, seeing this, naturally realized what was happening and quickly knelt down.
Even those who hadn't guessed Baili Hong's identity could tell from all the high-ranking officials and dignitaries in the hall that the newcomer was an extraordinary figure.
Seeing that his appearance had caused such a commotion, Baili Hong quickly put one hand behind his back and waved the other hand in a very mature manner, saying, "Gentlemen, there's no need to stand on ceremony. I'm just here to join in the fun."
The child's voice was sweet and childlike, and it was so funny to see him acting like an adult.
However, no one dared to laugh, except for Si Tu Zhaoling, who secretly raised her eyes and looked over from behind her father.
Seeing the child's soft, chubby face fills me with joy, and I inwardly scream with utter defiance—
So cute!
I really want to pinch His Majesty's little face!
Everyone still greeted His Majesty in unison, and Baili Hong told them to rise and dispense with the formalities.
Wang Zhiyuan and Wang Pengyi both secretly glanced at Wang Qichen, who was standing not far to their side. This restaurant was his property, so it was only right that he led His Majesty upstairs, which would also allow him to show his face in front of His Majesty.
Now that the Wang family, led by Wang Qichen, has decided to pledge allegiance to the imperial court, they will soon find a way to replace Wang Huanzhi as the head of the family, after which the Wang family will be handed over to Wang Qichen.
As the next head of the Wang family, it would be ideal if Wang Qichen could maintain a good relationship with His Majesty.
However, the reason why Wang Zhiyuan and Wang Pengyi did not take the initiative to greet him was to see how Wang Qichen would react. If he panicked when he saw His Majesty, then he was not a suitable candidate to be the head of the household.
Fortunately, Wang Qichen was not intimidated at all.
He stepped forward, bowed respectfully to Baili Hong, and said with a smile, "Greetings, Your Majesty. I am Wang Qichen, the young master of the Wang family, and the owner of this restaurant. The Grand Tutor has already reserved a private room upstairs. If you are not satisfied, we can change it for you."
Baili Hong looked up at him, his eyes lighting up.
He was confined to the palace all day long, and apart from the powerful officials and princes in the court, he had never seen any outsiders.
Wang Qichen, however, was the most handsome man he had ever seen besides his uncle and teacher.
No one dislikes good-looking people.
Not to mention that the child had been staying by Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao's side all the time, as well as the eunuch Hongfu and Xiaoyuzi, and the other nannies and palace maids, all of whom were very well-behaved.
Therefore, he tends to be more affectionate towards good-looking people.
"Then take me up there first," Baili Hong said.
Wang Qichen then led the three of them up to the second floor, to the best and most spacious private room.
He didn't ask anyone to serve him; he personally brought in tea and pastries.
Seeing that Baili Hong had no further instructions, he then left the room.
After closing the door to the private room, he turned and went downstairs, a hint of inquiry in his eyes.
Of the two people who were with His Majesty just now, the younger one was a eunuch, while the other one looked very familiar to him.
It seemed that he had met the other person once before, and at that time the person was also dressed in a similar way, completely covered up.
At the time, he thought the other party was a retainer of some powerful family, but he didn't expect that it turned out to be His Majesty's man.
Wang Qichen stopped thinking about it, went downstairs, and sat down with Wang Pengyi and Wang Zhiyuan again.
None of the three mentioned whether anything had happened upstairs, but they all knew perfectly well that Wang Qichen had definitely left an impression on His Majesty.
Si Tu Zhaoling and Si Tu Zhaoyao sat together, eating the dried fruit in their hands, their eyes fixed on the table in front of them.
The storyteller was recounting how the Holy Star God displayed his divine power in Hexi County, providing a continuous supply of food and medicine. The two listened with a sense of awe and admiration.
As expected of a god on par with the High Priest, they are both so powerful.
However, compared to the High Priest, the God-King's divine power seemed to have been sealed off after he was reincarnated and descended to the mortal realm, which is why he could not do whatever he wanted.
But the God Lord sacrificed all of this for the sake of the tribulation of love, for Prince Ning, Qin Xiao.
This is very touching.
But Si Tu and his sister felt even more sorry for the High Priest. He had silently sacrificed so much for the God, and seeing the God being affectionate with others must have made him extremely sad.
The siblings were sometimes filled with admiration and sometimes shaking their heads in regret.
Fortunately, Baili Hao and Si Tuanli were already used to their two children's personalities, and they didn't take it seriously at all.
There were too many people around, so it wasn't a place to talk. Therefore, the siblings never mentioned anything like "High Priest" when they spoke. In any case, those who knew, knew.
Wang Qichen glanced at the siblings out of the corner of his eye, and the smile on his lips became more genuine.
Although they were complete strangers to outsiders, having only met a few times, they were as close as family behind the scenes. It was quite an interesting feeling.
At that time, the procession of the officials had already reached the main street of the East Market. After a while, they would circle around to Shenwu Avenue, pass through the street in the middle of the West Market and the East Market, and then turn into the West Market.
Many people in the court abandoned their duties and rushed over.
Liu Junqi, the Vice Minister of Works, was a student of Minister Wang, so he naturally arrived at this time and greeted his teacher.
Wang Zhiyuan stood up with a smile and said, "It's about time, let's go upstairs."
"good."
As soon as they moved, the others in the lobby realized it was almost time, so they also got up to go upstairs.
The building has three floors. On the first floor, all you can see are crowds of people, so you can't see anything. The third floor is also a bit high, so you can't feel the lively atmosphere. Therefore, the second floor is the best spot.
Most of them were on the second floor.
As soon as they took a few steps, they heard a waiter's greeting from the doorway, addressing them as "Sir."
Everyone instinctively turned around and saw two figures dressed in crimson official robes.
One was slender and tall with a cool and aloof demeanor, while the other had an upright posture and imposing presence.
It was none other than Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao.
The two of them naturally noticed the people in the hall, and stepped forward.
Qin Xiao smiled, while Chu Jiubian remained aloof as always, though his expression softened, unlike when he was firing on all cylinders in court.
Moreover, Chu Jiubian's lips were full and red today, and she looked exceptionally well, even more beautiful than usual.
No one dared to look too long. They exchanged greetings and then went upstairs one after another.
Wang Qichen had made a deliberate selection process, and even asked Wang Pengyi and Wang Zhiyuan to help with the screening. Therefore, those who booked this restaurant were all officials and princes who were close to the court and the emperor, and the atmosphere among them was exceptionally harmonious.
Once upstairs, everyone went back to their own rooms.
Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao pushed open the door to the private room and saw the little boy standing on a chair, sticking his bottom out and leaning against the windowsill, looking down at the building.
Qin Chuan stood with his arms crossed, his gaze always fixed on the child, ready to protect him should the child lose his balance.
Hearing the door open, the child quickly turned around and saw Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao. He relaxed and smiled, saying, "Teacher, Uncle, come quickly! I can already hear the gongs and drums!"
Chu Jiubian's coldness vanished completely. He smiled and walked to the window.
Qin Chuan then stepped back a few paces to make room for him.
Xiao Yuzi was originally standing guard on the other side of Baili Hong. Now that he saw the two adults coming over, he stepped back a few steps and greeted them.
Qin Xiao raised his hand to dismiss his formalities and said, "Your Majesty doesn't need any special care here. Go and have some fun by yourself, but don't go too far."
Xiaoyuzi was only ten years old, a child of about half a year old, and it was her first time leaving the palace, so she must have a lot of curiosity.
Xiaoyu's eyes lit up, and she quickly thanked him and walked out.
"Wait a minute." Chu Jiubian called out to him, adding, "Don't stray from the area where the Imperial Guards are stationed."
Xiaoyu is beautiful and has never left the palace. The capital is now a mixed bag of people, and it would be bad if something happened to her.
Xiaoyu knew that the two officials, like His Majesty, were kind to their subordinates.
Now, feeling a warmth in his heart, he smiled and said, "This servant understands."
Baili Hong hurriedly said, "Remember to bring back a few strings of candied hawthorns for me."
Xiaoyuzi has Baili Hong's money bag, making her even richer than Baili Hong himself.
He agreed, then bid farewell to everyone and happily ran downstairs to go outside.
The crowd was dense, but he took advantage of his thinness to squeeze through the crowd and eventually made his way to the front.
But there were too many people, and when an old lady next to him bumped into him, he swayed to the side and stepped on someone on the other side.
"Oh dear!" the man exclaimed softly, then quickly stopped.
Xiaoyu knew from the voice that it was a young lady, so she quickly turned her head to apologize. But when she looked up after apologizing, she found that the person in front of her was dressed as a young man, but was wearing a bamboo hat and half of his face was covered by a mask.
His attire somewhat resembles that of the person who guarded His Majesty earlier.
But the person in front of me just now clearly spoke to a woman, and she sounded quite young.
Perhaps they came out to play without telling their families.
Xiaoyu didn't look at him much. After apologizing, she saw the other person wave his hand and then ignored him.
The sound of drums and music grew closer and closer. Not only Xiaoyuzi and the woman beside her, but everyone else also had no energy to chat. They all craned their necks to look into the distance.
"They're here! They're here!"
A large crowd gathered.
Chu Jiubian and Baili Hong stood together, one big and one small, both peeking out slightly.
Qin Xiao and Qin Chuan stood in front of another window. The two brothers did not speak, but it was the first time for them to stand together openly like this.
Chu Jiubian glanced in their direction, and Qin Xiao's words, "Do you feel sorry for me?" seemed to reappear in his mind.
His ears felt hot, so he raised his hand to touch them.
"Wow! Here he comes!" Baili Hong grabbed his hand and exclaimed excitedly, "Sir, look! It's Lu Yao!"
Chu Jiubian looked outside and saw that the procession of the officials had indeed arrived nearby.
When they first passed through the main street of the East Market, all the students, including Lu Yao, were stunned by the scene of cheering along the street.
So many people are watching them and cheering for them.
Everyone's eyes held envy, amazement, and感慨...
These students, who had lived as ordinary people for many years, never imagined that one day they would be admired and envied by so many people. The pride that arose in their hearts dispelled their inferiority and timidity, making them stand taller.
Even a student as talented as Tan Yuzhu, who had been renowned since childhood, experienced an unprecedented sense of satisfaction along the way.
From a young age, she knew that she was just a woman and that her best outcome was to marry into a good family, to marry a man who could accept her literary talent and who could be as tolerant of her as her father.
But she knew it was too difficult.
As she grew older, she became increasingly unhappy.
She even thought that if one day her father and mother stopped loving her and decided to force her to marry, she would become a nun.
But now, she has found a better home.
Along the way, she saw some men looking at her with resentment or disdain, and some older women shaking their heads in confusion, pointing and whispering.
But what she heard most often was people calling her "Lady Tanhua".
She saw the envy and admiration in the eyes of the men, the worship and joy on the faces of many women, and she even heard a bold girl loudly wish her "a meteoric rise to the highest position in the court."
She wanted to become an official, to dedicate all her talent and ability, and to give her entire life, for the sake of Da Ning, for the people, for His Majesty and the Grand Tutor.
The procession slowly made its way to the main street, passing under the restaurant.
Lu Yao had long guessed that high-ranking officials and dignitaries were watching them from the restaurants on both sides of the main street, so he kept an eye on them and sure enough, he saw Chu Jiubian and Baili Hong at one of the windows.
Qin Xiao and Qin Chuan stood at the window closest to them.
Lu Yao raised his hand and cupped his hands in their direction, revealing his first smile of the journey.
Baili Hong's eyes crinkled with laughter, but mindful of his status and knowing that many people were watching him—including many ministers staring at him from the windows across the street—he remained composed and simply nodded to Lu Yao.
Chu Jiubian smiled and nodded at Lu Yao.
Lu Yao then looked at Qin Xiao and Qin Chuan. Qin Xiao smiled and nodded to him, just like Chu Jiubian.
Qin Chuan's entire face was hidden under a mask and hat brim, but Lu Yao could tell that the other person was definitely smiling.
Lu Yao was not surprised at all that Qin Chuan would stand with Qin Xiao, because the two brothers had similar builds and gave off a similar vibe.
This is something inherent in blood ties; even though Qin Chuan always disguised himself and never revealed his true face to him, Lu Yao could still tell.
These people, one or two, all have multiple identities; people are indeed very complex.
Lu Yao withdrew his gaze and continued leading the group forward.
Chu Jiubian's gaze swept over the people downstairs who had already begun to move towards the main street of the West Market. He saw that they were having difficulty moving, but with the Imperial Guards and City Defense Army watching over them, they were not allowed to crowd too tightly.
Looking again at the windows of the restaurants across the street, Chu Jiubian indeed saw many familiar faces.
Suddenly his gaze paused.
In the opposite window, Baili Yan, the Drunken King of Liang, was still watching the commotion with a smile when someone knocked on the door behind him.
As soon as the door opened, a portly man rushed in, looking flustered, and knelt down directly in front of Baili Yan.
"System, buy a lip-reading book," Chu Jiubian decided immediately.
[Good host.]
The knowledge from the book instantly filled Chu Jiubian's mind.
He blinked, then looked at the man again, and was able to translate the man's lip movements directly into his mind.
The other person said, "Your Highness! Your Highness, please help me! My daughter is so naughty that she ran away to watch the commotion, and the servants and guards have lost her! It's too dangerous for a young girl to be out there all alone in this chaotic place!"
Baili Yan hurried over and helped the man up. Judging from their appearance, the two seemed to know each other.
Moreover, the man's clothes were made of very luxurious material, with the style of the Min-Zhe region, suggesting that he was a wealthy merchant from Baili Yan, who had brought his family to the capital to see the excitement, but his daughter had gone missing.
Baili Yan had already ordered the windows closed, so Chu Jiubian could no longer see them.
After watching the commotion, Baili Hong was about to jump off the chair when Chu Jiubian picked him up.
“Qin Xiao,” Chu Jiubian said.
Qin Xiao turned around and walked over: "What's wrong? Are you going back to the palace?"
"no."
There were no outsiders in the room, and there were guards around. The room that Wang Qichen prepared for them was also the best soundproof.
Therefore, Chu Jiubian spoke without restraint, saying, "Just now I saw that something happened at the Drunken Liang King's place. It must be a wealthy merchant who lost his daughter and asked the Imperial Guards to keep an eye out for her."
Qin Xiao nodded and said, "Okay." At the same time, one of the hidden guards quietly left to report to the Imperial Guards.
With so many people downstairs, it's normal for them to get separated in the crowd. Maybe the girl will go back on her own in a little while.
But just in case, it's always good to be extra careful.
"Uncle, shall we go back to the palace?" Baili Hong asked obediently.
He knew his place and was already grateful to have come out to see such a spectacle, so he didn't insist on staying any longer.
Qin Xiao nodded and said, "We'll go back when Xiaoyuzi returns."
“Okay.” Baili Hong obediently agreed.
He sat down at the table, and Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian sat down beside him.
The three of them looked at Qin Chuan again. Qin Chuan paused, but did not move.
"Have a seat," Qin Xiao said.
Qin Chuan then looked at Baili Hong.
Baili Hong naturally had no objection, and smiled at him, revealing his white teeth, saying, "Sit down."
In the palace, Hongfu, Xiaoxiangzi, and Xiaoyuzi all respected the rules.
Although Chu Jiubian came from a later era, he knew that some rules could not be changed in this era. As a servant, one must have awe and respect for one's master, otherwise one might accidentally overstep the boundaries.
Therefore, he would not deliberately correct the attitude of Hong Fu and others, because their exemplary respect was actually for Baili Hong's good, and would make other servants also treat Baili Hong with utmost respect.
Insolent servants often bully their masters, and Hongfu, having been through similar experiences, naturally takes precautions in advance.
Baili Hong was used to maintaining a certain distance from his servants in his behavior, and now that he saw his uncle and teacher calling this mysterious "secret guard" to sit at the same table with them, he became a little curious.
The child's clever little mind worked out, and he felt that this person was probably not an ordinary bodyguard. Moreover, there was a feeling of closeness and reassurance about the other person, somewhat like an uncle or a teacher.
Could he be his relative?
Baili Hong propped his face up with his hands and tilted his head to stare at Qin Chuan.
Qin Chuan sat down opposite him, looked up and saw the child staring at him, and was speechless for a moment.
Chu Jiubian found it somewhat amusing.
Under the table, he suddenly felt his leg being gently brushed, and he was startled.
He looked up and saw Qin Xiao staring at him.
Both of them have long legs, and the table isn't big enough, so it's perfectly normal for them to bump into each other.
But when their eyes met, Qin Xiao smiled.
Chu Jiubian: "?"
The next moment, he felt Qin Xiao's leg forcefully squeeze between his legs.
Chu Jiubian felt as if he had returned to the Qin residence, to Qin Xiao's room, and back to the time when the man had trapped him between his arms and the desk, forcibly...
His face darkened, he glared at Qin Xiao, and then stomped heavily on Qin Xiao's foot.
Qin Xiao raised his eyebrows, his smile deepening.
The four sat inside, and for a moment no one spoke.
Time passed slowly, but Xiaoyuzi never returned.
Xiaoyuzi isn't a clueless person. He'll definitely come back after watching the commotion downstairs; he won't follow the crowd.
Even if they were pushed along and went a bit further, or went to buy candied hawthorns, they should be back by now.
Chu Jiubian frowned slightly.
Is something bad going to happen?
Fortunately, at that moment, there was a knock on the door, and Xiaoyuzi's voice came from outside, slightly out of breath: "Your Majesty, my lord, this servant has returned."
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