Cooperation Test (2)
Yan Qing turned around, and Rong Xuan was standing not far away.
It was the Rong Xuan of rumors, completely different from the one I saw with my own eyes.
His delicate eyebrows and eyes were extremely light and subtle, without a trace of aggression. The curve of his lips was just right, making one want to get closer. Suddenly, the snowflakes stopped falling, as if his warm, spring-like laughter had stopped the snowfall.
Such a vivid image is hard not to be captivated by.
Of course, as a modern person who has received a good compulsory education, Yan Qing is well aware of the truth that it's not cold when it snows, but it's cold when the snow melts. Just like now, what appears to be a warm smile to those around him is, in Yan Qing's eyes, icy.
He was very impatient; this was the emotion Yan Qing sensed.
Before Yan Qing could respond, her joyful voice drew everyone's attention.
"Brother Rongxuan!"
It's Deng Chan.
She lifted the hem of her skirt and ran towards Rong Xuan, her face beaming with joy. Once she stopped, she grabbed his clothes and began to accuse the wailing man on the ground, her expression full of grievance.
“Brother Rongxuan, you have to avenge me. I was engrossed in watching the play when this despicable fellow tried to steal my purse. After I caught him, he even dared to speak rudely, saying that I shouldn’t be in the theater.”
"He also said, he also said..." The girl's face flushed red with anger, her breath rising with her words, making it seem as if she was so angry she was about to burst into smoke. As if she couldn't bring herself to say what came next, she stopped after repeating it a few times, only saying that she wanted Rong Xuan to get justice for her.
After learning the details of the matter, even the onlookers began to voice their opinions.
"That guy deserves to be beaten; he always bullies a little girl. Bah, he deserves it!"
"But you can't beat them to death! Just because someone has power and influence doesn't mean they can do whatever they want. Our lives are no different from ordinary people's lives!"
Yan Qing noticed that Cheng Changfeng was no longer hiding behind her, but was standing side by side with her, intently watching the situation over there.
It seems he's also a big fan of Rong Xuan.
Yan Qing shook her head inwardly, marveling at how flawless Rong Xuan's disguise was.
Without making a sound, Rong Xuan freed the hem of his robe from Deng Chan's grasp, his usual smile on his face, and said in a gentle tone, "Chan'er, I'll take you back to your residence first. I'll handle this person."
Yan Qing was 80% certain that Rong Xuan just wanted to resolve the matter as soon as possible, and Deng Chan's anger or grievances were not a consideration for him.
As for the remaining 20%, it's possible that there's some genuine affection between them.
In their few interactions, Yan Qing had come to understand Rong Xuan to some extent, and he was adept at portraying even the slightest affection as something extremely genuine.
Yan Qing was also curious about who Rong Xuan might truly love, and couldn't help but look forward to what would happen next. But unexpectedly, their eyes met.
Yan Qing looked away and noticed that Deng Chan was also looking in his direction, her eyes seeming to brighten slightly.
"I'll leave this person to you, Brother Rong Xuan. I want to wander around some more and will return to the manor on my own!" Deng Chan said, refusing Rong Xuan's offer. After speaking, she strode towards Yan Qing.
Seeing that there was no excitement to be had, the people around gradually dispersed.
Unexpectedly, watching the drama unfold drew everyone's attention to him, leaving Yan Qing in a dilemma.
Fortunately, Deng Chan's target wasn't him. Before she even got close, she cheerfully said, "Cheng Changfeng! You can go out now? I've been to the Cheng residence several times, and the steward said you're being kept in confinement and can't receive guests."
Yan Qing quietly moved around.
"Ah, you can only come out today," Cheng Changfeng said somewhat awkwardly, "and you can't see guests after that."
"Oh? Okay then." Hearing this, Deng Chan pouted, looking a little unhappy, but then cheered up again. "I'll come find you after your confinement is over."
Yan Qing quietly moved around.
Cheng Changfeng did not respond, so Deng Chan continued speaking on her own.
“Let’s go see a play later. A lot of interesting stories have come out while you were gone.” She said, then her voice became a little downcast. “After you were arrested, I even went to my aunt to plead for you. Luckily, you’re alright.”
"Let's go." Cheng Changfeng didn't react to what she said afterward, but simply walked with her towards the theater.
During this time, she glanced back at Yan Qing, looking somewhat embarrassed about her previous formulaic introduction of Deng Chan.
Yan Qing finally moved to Rong Xuan's side, watching the young couple like a spectator. The two kittens in her arms kept fidgeting. When Deng Chan spoke, Yan Qing took the kitten from Cheng Changfeng's hands, silently giving the two of them space, and watched the show from the sidelines.
Cheng Changfeng deliberately walked past the man lying motionless on the ground, seemingly unintentionally stepping on his arm. The wailing that had just stopped a short while ago rang out again, more violently and painfully.
A strange smile appeared on Yan Qing's face.
It seems my guess was wrong. Rong Xuan's little fanboy -1.
Once inside the theater, Yan Qing snapped out of her immersive viewing experience and, remembering that Rong Xuan was standing beside her, her good mood was greatly dampened.
Fortunately, the New Year's banquet is only a few days away, and I will soon be able to leave the Prince's mansion and regain my freedom.
Yan Qing and Rong Xuan rode back to the mansion together.
As she expected, Rong Xuan simply had the man who offended Deng Chan thrown far away, and that was the end of the matter.
Inside the carriage, Yan Qing removed his veil, trying to control his expression. He could only silently criticize Rong Xuan in his heart with a blank expression when his voice rang out.
Why are you here today?
"Cheng Changfeng came today to express his gratitude. He was bored at home, so he came out for a stroll. As for what we said and did, you should ask Fangbi yourself. She will remember it more clearly than I do."
At this moment, Yan Qing couldn't help but reveal a provocative expression, but Rong Xuan didn't care and didn't say anything more, which only made Yan Qing even angrier.
[Cat Number One!]
[Yes, host. Do you need any help?]
[Can you provide live animals?]
[Yes, but only small animals listed in the cat's diet can be provided. The number is limited, and you can only specify their location. The system cannot intervene in subsequent actions.]
[Is 10 mosquitoes okay?]
【OK! 】
Thinking about what she was going to do later, Yan Qing straightened her face, afraid that her expression would betray her.
The carriage stopped in front of the Prince Ning's residence. Yan Qing pressed Rong Xuan's shoulder, pulling him back down as he was about to get up. She then lifted the curtain and jumped off the carriage herself.
[Cat Number One: Ten mosquitoes are released around Rong Xuan's head.]
[Cat #1 received! Distribution in progress.]
Cat Number One isn't very rational either; it gets quite excited when it follows its host in doing bad things.
After jumping off the carriage, Yan Qing didn't run back to her own courtyard with a guilty conscience. Instead, she stood on a few stone steps, ready to enjoy Rong Xuan's embarrassment.
As soon as she stopped, Rong Xuan got off the carriage, shaking his head slightly and frowning as he casually waved his sleeve to shoo something away.
[Hahahaha, this is hilarious! Do you have to be so serious even when swatting mosquitoes?]
Cat Number One did not immediately agree, seemingly struggling with his own professional ethics.
Yan Qing's heart was churning, but she didn't show it on her face. Meeting Rong Xuan's gaze, she urged, "Let's go quickly."
The two walked side by side toward the mansion. When they reached the fork in the road, Yan Qing turned her head and glanced at him again. With that one glance, she could no longer hold back and left Rong Xuan behind, running toward her own courtyard.
Mosquito bites!
[Cat Number One, did you see the mosquito bite on his ear?]
[System notification: This operation is not recommended for the host. See? Hahahaha.]
[It's a pity we can't see him scratching.]
After imagining it for a moment, Yan Qing burst out laughing.
Rong Xuan, looking on with a puzzled expression, watched her laughing and running away. He stood there pondering for a long time, but couldn't figure it out, so he walked away.
Early morning on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
Yan Qing disguised herself, and even upon close inspection, it was impossible to tell the difference between the real and the fake. She changed into a maid's attire and followed Prince Ning's carriage with Fang Bi to the palace for a banquet.
The snow was falling exceptionally heavily today, but it couldn't dampen the festive atmosphere inside the palace.
Yan Qing had stayed in the inner palace while inside and was unconscious when she left. This was the first time she had seen the palace that imprisoned countless people so directly; it was larger and taller than she had imagined.
The New Year's Day banquet proceeded in an orderly manner.
All the officials bowed respectfully, and then withdrew after the banquet.
Yan Qing didn't care about the New Year's Day banquet, nor could she care, since she couldn't participate. The main event was the small banquet in the inner court in the afternoon.
She carefully searched for the little rascal in the inner palace, while also keeping an eye on Fangbi.
This trip was very risky, but Yan Qing had an inexplicable feeling in her heart, as if something bad was going to happen. She wanted to ask if anything major had happened in the palace in the past few days.
Hopefully, the little black cat will be more reliable this time.
This small banquet was the beginning of Yan Congjin's death. Now that Yan Qing has left the palace, is she destined to die just like Yan Congjin?
Even as the small banquet in the inner court began, the little black cat was nowhere to be seen. Yan Qing had no choice but to give up and follow Rong Xuan into the Liangyi Hall with Fang Bi.
Kneeling in the shadows, Yan Qing carefully observed everyone in the hall.
The Emperor and Empress sat side by side on the high platform. Below them, Consort Shu and Consort Cheng were chatting and laughing. Just as Yan Qing knew, the two had an extraordinary relationship.
No wonder the King of Qi dared to stand on equal footing with the Crown Prince.
Consort Shu's maternal family had no foundation in the court in her early years, and her brother's current position as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat is inseparable from Consort Shu. In the harem, concubines mostly rely on their maternal families for support, so the Deng family's situation was rare and inevitably caused discussion. However, as the Deng family's power grew, such voices gradually diminished.
Even with the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat as their support, they were still far from being able to contend with the Crown Prince.
But what if we add the Cheng family to the mix?
Although the Cheng family was neutral in the court, Consort Shu and Consort Cheng had a close relationship. Everyone knew that Consort Cheng had no children of her own and treated Rong Xuan like her own son. Rong Xuan was the biggest link between the Cheng and Deng families.
If the Prince of Qi and the Crown Prince truly break off relations, it's obvious to anyone with eyes to see who the Cheng family will side with.
As Yu Guangzhong pondered, a figure flashed past in front of the hall.
It comes from skill.
She shouldn't be here.
Ever since Cat Number One said the memory module was updated, Yan Qing often sees Yan Congjin's figure in her dreams, and Cong Qiao is always following behind her.
As is customary, the Director of the Imperial Sacrifices Bureau should be waiting in the side room at this time to deal with any unexpected situations that may arise during the banquet.
Anxiety overwhelmed Yan Qing, and she felt a growing sense of unease, realizing that something was wrong with her.
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