Gradually becoming numb
Early in the morning, Yan Qing was awakened by a noise on the door, followed by Deng Chan's voice.
"Sister Yanqing, Sister Fangbi, Sister Heyi, come out and have a snowball fight!"
Pushing open the door, she found the courtyard already covered in a blanket of snow. She reached out to catch a few snowflakes, but her palms remained cold. She then realized that she was under the eaves and the snowflakes were not yet reaching her hands.
Such a scene inevitably evokes some emotions. Last year, during the first snow, she was all alone, surrounded by dangers. But now, she has a group of friends with whom she can laugh and play.
The Cat Tea House has become a private residence, but the signboard is still preserved. The front yard is still the place where the cats play, but the back yard has been greatly changed into three residences for Yan Qingfangbi and He Yi to live in. The three of them don't care about having their own yard or not, and just laugh and play here every day.
A perfectly round snowball came straight at her. When she looked up, she realized that Fangbi and Heyi had already changed their clothes and joined Deng Chan. The three of them were standing in a row at the bottom of the steps, tossing the snowballs they had just made towards Yan Qing.
Amidst the laughter of the three, the snowball flew towards Yan Qing again. She quickly closed the door to block the attack and shouted outside, "You just wait!"
After saying that, he hurriedly changed into warm clothes and pushed open the door aggressively.
As a result, he was hit by a snowball.
Yan Qing wasn't angry. Instead, she gathered the scattered snowflakes into balls, startling the three of them into scattering.
A sudden blizzard hit the courtyard, and the four people who started it were drenched in sweat, as if they were in the sweltering heat. Finally, they all stopped cooking and lay on the snow to let the remaining heat from their bodies dissipate.
After recovering from the shock, they realized the cold had seeped into their bodies, and the four of them quickly retreated back into the house.
Yan Qing suddenly realized that something seemed wrong; she hadn't seen Cheng Changfeng since she returned.
She had visited the Cheng residence several times, but had never seen him. She assumed he had gone out with Deng Chan again, but now she realized something was wrong.
How come only one of the two inseparable people is here?
"Where is Cheng Changfeng?" Yan Qing asked.
Deng Chan's cheeks were still flushed, but her smile suddenly dimmed. "He hasn't come back yet."
Now it was Yan Qing's turn to be puzzled. She hadn't paid attention to his movements these past few days, never expecting that he hadn't come back at all.
"Didn't the war in the North end long ago? Didn't he return to the capital with the main force?"
"He didn't come back; he stayed behind in the North."
Upon hearing this, Yan Qing sighed, "Then he probably won't be able to spend the New Year in the capital this year. The northern border is bound to be stormy again this winter."
"You're going to personally lead troops to subdue the northern barbarians?" Yan Qing was somewhat surprised; this news was rather sudden.
Rong Xiao nodded and said, "I'll leave things in the capital to Miss Yan."
This decision itself was not surprising, and it was entirely beneficial for Rong Xiao.
If he can truly lead his troops to completely subdue the foreign tribes and solve the problem that has plagued the dynasty for more than a decade, one can imagine how high his already soaring reputation will rise.
It seems that, although we do not know Rong Xuan’s true thoughts, it is undeniable that no one is competing with Rong Xiao for the throne anymore, so he doesn’t need to do this, and he is not indispensable on the battlefield.
But Yan Qing was not surprised by his decision. After all, even if he decided to seize the highest power, nothing could surpass the people in his heart.
There's no point in saying more; I can only wish him a triumphant return.
However, given his incredible fighting prowess, no one on the battlefield should be able to harm him in the slightest.
Yan Qing could finally put her mind at ease.
In that case, it seems that Rong Xiao is the only one who can truly be called both a scholar and a warrior, and he is indeed the King of Qi who is the heart of the people.
For some reason, Yan Qing inexplicably thought of Rong Xuan.
She quickly shook her head and threw the guy, whose brain tissue appeared to be incomplete, out.
Speak of the devil and he appears. No, not even when he said it, but just a thought came to mind and Rong Xuan was standing right in front of him.
"Stop, don't pass by." With that, Yan Qing left quickly, not giving him a chance to say anything.
Opportunities are something that, once missed, are missed forever, but for Rong Xuan, they are still easy to create.
As a result, Rong Xiao felt he needed to leave the capital, and the misunderstanding between Yan Qing and Rong Xuan was deep-seated and had recently taken a strange turn.
So he arranged a meeting, hoping that the two could reconcile and work together for the court, so that they wouldn't have a major falling out as soon as he left the capital.
I know you meant well, but don't do it again next time.
The moment Yan Qing saw Rong Xuan, this thought arose in her mind.
He could certainly guess what Rong Xiao was thinking, but wouldn't it be too outrageous to invite only her and Rong Xuan to the farewell banquet?
As Rong Xuan strode in like he was walking a fashion show, Yan Qing couldn't help but notice his jingling outfit.
Everyone loves beauty, and she couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.
To be fair, Rong Xuan's appearance is outstanding, but she usually either fakes a smile or frowns, and these expressions are very off-putting and annoying to look at.
Looking at it closely now, Yan Qing felt both admiration and a secret regret that such a beautiful appearance had been given to such an unpredictable master.
As if her gaze was too intense, Rong Xuan also looked over, but Yan Qing smoothly looked away a second before their eyes met.
The meal was rather dull. Yan Qing rarely spoke, while Rong Xiao did the talking the whole time. However, since it was outside of politics, Rong Xiao also had nothing to say. In the end, he probably realized that even after talking until his throat was dry, he couldn't sway Yan Qing in the slightest, so he gave up and let the two of them leave.
After leaving the Prince Qi's residence, Rong Xuan didn't take the sedan chair and followed Yan Qing at a distance. She was too lazy to turn around and ask, and the only answers she got were "passing by" and "on the way".
At times, Yan Qing couldn't help but admire Rong Xuan's shamelessness. For example, when he decided to follow her, Rong Xuan was very determined. No matter how Yan Qing tried to avoid or drive him away, his determination did not diminish in the slightest. He would only silently increase the distance between them.
For example, right now, Yan Qing sighed and, thinking that if she couldn't get rid of it, she might as well use it, she walked to the corner and stopped as soon as she turned the corner.
The footsteps behind me quickened, then stopped abruptly.
Yan Qing leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, smiling at him. This smile made Rong Xuan feel a little dangerous.
Before he could turn and run away, Yan Qing reached out and grabbed him, asking, "Are you Rong Xuan, the ruthless killer from before?"
He leaned forward, trying to create the impression that they were whispering, and that even if he told the truth, no one else would know.
Unfortunately, Rong Xuan looked puzzled and explained in a low voice, "It blinks."
Yan Qing didn't get the answer she wanted, so she straightened up and said to him, "Since you're coming along, then tell me why you don't want the throne. Your behavior before didn't seem like you didn't want the throne at all."
It was clear that Rong Xuan was somewhat conflicted, as if he was wondering whether he could tell her everything. Before he could even begin to answer, Yan Qing gave up on pressuring her.
She suggested, "Then let me guess, and you can just nod or shake your head, okay?"
Rong Xuan, like a chick pecking at rice.
"Did you never intend to fight for the throne from the very beginning?"
Rong Xuan nodded.
"You've suddenly become interested in politics because the crown prince fell from power?"
Rong Xuan hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Having received the answer, Yan Qing murmured to himself, "So you want to get involved in politics because the Crown Prince fell from power? Why is it like a war of attrition?"
Rong Xuan nodded in agreement, but she was lost in thought and didn't see it.
"Okay, you can go back now, I'm home."
Rong Xuan looked up, still feeling unsatisfied, and realized that they had already arrived at the Cat Tea Garden.
There was nothing he could do but stand there and watch Yan Qing enter before leaving on his own.
After this conversation, Rong Xuan seemed to notice that Yan Qing's attitude had softened, so he started hanging around her every day.
Therefore, Yan Qing had to discover something very obvious.
That is, Rong Xuan has been wearing the same clothes lately, and even her accessories are the same.
It wasn't that Yan Qing paid much attention to him, but rather that he had been wearing this outfit for over ten days straight.
In the past, he wore a different outfit every day, and his accessories were all kinds of different. During that time, Yan Qing felt like she was visiting a museum.
Don't ask her why she remembers; it's the same old story.
Everyone has a love for beauty.
On another note, Yan Qing looked at the person sitting not far away and couldn't help but frown.
When did he become so unhygienic? He hasn't changed his clothes for so many days. He's supposed to be a respectable person, how can he not wash up every day?
Before Yan Qing could continue thinking, Rong Xuan stepped forward and asked, "You don't like crabapple blossoms?"
Yes, he's become much bolder lately and now dares to go up directly to Yan Qing and ask her questions.
"ah?"
This seemingly nonsensical statement left Yan Qing somewhat bewildered, but she understood its meaning in the next second.
Only when you get closer do you realize that the dark pattern on Rong Xuan's purple brocade robe is actually a begonia flower.
After a brief silence, something even more scathing came next.
"Do you still think the cloud pattern looks better?"
Uh, oh, bro, stop messing around.
She must not have done anything heinous, so why would such a bizarre thing happen to her?
Because of Rong Xuan's strange behavior recently, her bottom line has been lowered again and again. It really can't go any lower. No matter how beautiful she is, it can no longer sway her!
Yan Qing was about to speak to him again to save his energy when He Yi's distant voice interrupted their conversation.
"Qingqing! Look what I bought!"
This was clearly more appealing, so she immediately turned around and saw He Yi carrying a lot of boxes. She stood up to take them, asking, "What are they? Pastries?"
“Yes!” He Yi nodded happily and said, “This is peanut brittle that I asked someone to buy from my hometown. It’s absolutely the most authentic one. You can’t find this taste in the capital.”
After saying that, she took out half of the peanut brittle and put it into Yan Qing's arms, saying generously, "Here, you can take it and eat it. If you can't finish it, you can give it to someone else."
Then he hurriedly picked up the rest and went to call Fangbi, without giving Yan Qing a chance to refuse.
Looking at the enormous amount of food in her hands, Yan Qing was a little troubled. How long would it take to eat all this? But when she looked up, she met a pair of burning eyes. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but there seemed to be a light shining in them.
At this moment, Yan Qing really wanted to scratch his head. Would he be seen as possessive of his food if he didn't give it to him?
After some hesitation, Yan Qing picked up the top box and handed it to him.
It was caught by both hands.
Giving away this box of peanut brittle wasn't without its advantages; at least Rong Xuan said "goodbye" after receiving it and left.
It's as if he came here just for this box of peanut brittle.
Yan Qing lay down again, estimating that Rong Xuan had already returned to the manor, and began to pull up the cat map to track him.
Unexpectedly, Yan Qing saw a scene that shocked her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
