The Test of Cooperation (1)
Yan Qing responded with a confident smile and said.
"Whether it's a bluff or not, we'll find out soon enough. Besides, the target is still there anyway, and a useful target will always be a troublesome one. Prince Ning wouldn't have made the wrong choice."
Rong Xuan completely ignored her meaningless threat, casually picked up a bamboo scroll, and spoke in a nonchalant tone.
"Why are you so agitated after just a few words? What will you do if my options don't suit Miss Yan's taste?"
"Then I'll have to put more effort into finding someone else. The Prince of Qi or the Crown Prince would be good choices."
The implication was that approaching Rong Xuan was simply more convenient and would require less effort, but it did not mean that he was the only option.
Rong Xuan pushing her out will cause her a lot of trouble, but it's not without its advantages. For example, right now, Yan Qing doesn't need to act subservient in front of him.
No matter what she says or does, Rong Xuan cannot touch her for a while, otherwise he might not be able to explain it to the Cheng family.
"Hmph~ You've got some nerve." Rong Xuan casually tossed the bamboo slip in his hand onto the table with a thud. "Give me a reason to cooperate with you at the New Year's banquet."
On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, snow fell softly, and the world was covered in a vast expanse of white.
Yan Qing was practicing the disguise techniques she had learned from the disguise master. She hadn't seen Rong Xuan since that night when they talked.
Since she had nothing better to do in the courtyard, she found a disguise master to learn his skills, thinking that she might be able to use them in the future. After several days of learning, she was able to complete the basics.
From a distance, it was clearly an unfamiliar face.
"Miss Yan!"
The sound of hurried footsteps, accompanied by loud shouts, came from the courtyard.
Yan Qing removed her disguise and went outside, only to find an unexpected person.
Cheng Changfeng shed his disheveled appearance from that day, revealing a dashing figure in red beneath his fur coat.
Upon seeing Yan Qing appear, he quickly walked up to her, revealing a wide smile, "Miss Yan?"
Cheng Changfeng was a little excited and for a moment forgot the difference between men and women, and the hem of their clothes touched.
He was too enthusiastic, and Yan Qing couldn't handle it. She took a step back, only to see Cheng Changfeng suddenly take a big step back, blushing bright red.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to offend you, I was just a little agitated."
Seeing his face turn as red as a monkey's bottom, Yan Qing chuckled and said, "It's alright, sit down first."
Cheng Changfeng was only fifteen or sixteen years old, and he couldn't hide anything. His thoughts were all laid bare on his face. Right now, he was turning his head away, not daring to look Yan Qing in the eye.
Seeing his expression, Yan Qing was afraid that further teasing would drive him crazy, so she asked seriously, "Why are you here today?"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Changfeng stopped being coy and explained, "I've come to deliver your invitation! Father originally wanted a servant to deliver it, but I really couldn't stay at home any longer, and I really wanted to see you, so I begged my father and brothers to let me deliver it. I heard from Prince Ning that you got separated from your family on your way to the capital, so Mother wanted you to come to the Cheng residence to celebrate the New Year together, and also to properly thank you for saving my life."
The boy's eyes shone with even brighter admiration, which Yan Qing found hard to resist. "You flatter me. I was merely stating what I had seen. The main force behind it was Prince Ning."
To everyone's surprise, the boy became excited again, his eyes shining. "Having strength but no clues is all for naught. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't even know there was such a person!"
Yan Qing opened the red invitation card, which read: "We hope you can attend the banquet. If you have nowhere to stay in the capital, you can consider the Cheng family your home."
The entire post was filled with writing, without a trace of official business, but full of the loving kindness of an elder.
"This was written by my mother herself. Before she left, she told me that I must bring you back, or I'd be in big trouble," Cheng Changfeng rambled on from the side.
Yan Qing hesitated.
The New Year's banquet was one of the few occasions where both the Crown Prince and Prince Qi were present, and it was also Yan Qing's best opportunity to understand them. However, she couldn't let go of the Cheng family connection, after all, they were a protective force that had been secured at the cost of her safety.
After thinking for a long time, she confessed to Cheng Changfeng, "I have other plans for New Year's Day and I'm afraid I can't attend the banquet."
“It’s alright. Mother arranged it for New Year’s Day because she was worried you’d be lonely. You can come anytime,” Cheng Changfeng quickly said.
The invitation said the same thing, so Yan Qing was relieved and said with a smile, "I will visit you again after New Year's Day."
"Alright, just treat the Cheng residence as your own home. You're welcome to come anytime..."
Cheng Changfeng was about to say something more when he was interrupted by a meow from a cat at the door.
Xuetuan lightly leaped over the threshold, stretched her body, and then jumped into Yan Qing's arms.
These were the large cats Yan Qing had encountered in the alley. Unable to leave in a short time, and with the winter growing increasingly cold, she had no choice but to take them back to the Ning Prince's residence and raise them in her own courtyard. The night she brought them back, heavy snow fell in the capital, and the large cats were thus named Snowball.
Yan Qing scratched its chin, and Cheng Changfeng, who was standing to the side, also stopped talking and opened the box he had brought. Instantly, it glittered with golden light.
Her hand, which was stroking the cat, froze in place. She subconsciously opened her mouth slightly, her eyes fixed on the gold ingot in the box. Xue Tuan rubbed against her in dissatisfaction. Only then did Yan Qing come back to her senses, and Cheng Changfeng's embarrassed voice rang out at the right time.
"I didn't know what you liked, and I didn't know what to give you as a thank-you gift, so I took some gold, thinking you could buy something you like." Her voice grew weaker and weaker, as if afraid of offending Yan Qing.
Cheng Changfeng thought he couldn't come empty-handed, but he couldn't think of what to give as a gift. He also felt that he couldn't entrust this matter to others, so he reluctantly brought his own little savings.
It's like everything I needed came to me.
Yan Qing was planning that once the cooperation with Yu Rongxuan was finalized, she would move out of the Ning Prince's Mansion and establish her own household.
Her eyes were still glued to the gleaming box, counting the gold ingots. She didn't answer Cheng Changfeng for a moment, but he took it as an offense and moved the box a little closer to himself.
"How about I give you something else instead..."
"No need!" Yan Qing quickly raised her hand to interrupt him, nodded intently, and said sincerely, "I just like practical things like this."
Yan Qing accepted them without any burden. These dozens of gold ingots were extremely valuable to Yan Qing, but they were just a drop in the ocean to the Cheng family or Rong Xuan. He didn't bother with any pretense of refusal.
Cheng Changfeng breathed a sigh of relief, his smile returning, and was about to continue expressing his admiration when another meowing sound came from the doorway.
This time, five kittens appeared, with the same calico coloring as Xue Tuan; they were all very beautiful calico kittens.
Cheng Changfeng was stunned by the scene. He said, "So you like cats. If you want more, I'll find you the best ones in the whole city."
As they were talking, a little kitten climbed onto Cheng Changfeng's lap. He didn't know what to do, his body stiffened, and he tentatively poked it with his finger. The kitten, which was already unsteady, fell straight down and lay on his thigh, meowing in dissatisfaction.
Yan Qing watched as Cheng Changfeng hurriedly picked up the kitten and gently placed it in his hands. She chuckled and put the kitten back on the ground, then let Xue Tuan take them back to their bedroom.
He looked embarrassed, then changed the subject and suggested, "You've only been in the capital for a few days, and haven't had a chance to stroll around the streets yet, have you? How about I take you for a walk?"
Last time, because of the search notice, Yan Qing didn't stay outside for long and was not very familiar with the capital. It would be good to hear his introduction.
The falling snowflakes gradually subsided and seemed to be stopping. The three of them set off together towards the busiest Suzaku Avenue, each carrying a small kitten.
To be on the safe side, Yan Qing still wore a veil, intending to reveal her true face after some time.
Although he said he wouldn't bother Yan Qing, Cheng Changfeng couldn't help but chatter on and on, introducing the various shops on the street to Yan Qing.
They talked non-stop about which restaurant had the best wine and which had the most delicious dim sum.
Yan Qing didn't understand any of this, and he didn't find it annoying. However, the kitten he was holding in a stiff position would occasionally whine in dissatisfaction.
The part-time tour guide suddenly stopped explaining, and Yan Qing and Fang Bi both looked over.
The kitten in Cheng Changfeng's arms had urinated; indeed, dark water stains spread across his sleeve. Suddenly pulled from under his fur coat, the kitten seemed to be chilled, meowing and trying to burrow back inside.
Yan Qing found it somewhat amusing, but couldn't laugh out loud, so she pursed her lips and was about to take the kitten.
To everyone's surprise, he smiled broadly and was very happy. "Does this mean the kitten likes me? I've heard that small animals usually mark their territory this way, right?"
Kittens do have a sense of territory, but the current situation is certainly not what Cheng Changfeng understands.
However, Yan Qing did not expose him, but instead smiled and agreed with him.
"That's it! How about we call it a day? Young Master Cheng, go back and change your clothes."
He waved his hand, "No need, no need. The Embroidered Uniform Pavilion is just ahead. I can just change into anything. There are still many places I haven't shown you. I don't know when I'll be able to come out again after this trip."
As its name suggests, the Jinyi Pavilion offers a wide variety of exquisite clothing at astonishingly high prices. Even the cheapest garments can cost an average person a year's worth of expenses.
It's really casual; Yan Qing has a deeper understanding of Cheng Changfeng's wealth and arrogance.
After he finished tidying up, the three of them walked out of the Jinyi Pavilion. Unexpectedly, a person flew straight out of the theater across the street and crashed heavily to the ground.
The man couldn't get up for a long time and could only curl up on the ground, panting.
Then several people rushed out of the theater and began punching and kicking the man on the ground, showing no mercy and seemingly intent on beating him to death.
Yan Qing frowned deeply, but did not make any rash moves.
A clear, willful voice rang out, and a gorgeously dressed young girl walked out of the theater, her pretty face full of anger.
"Give him a good beating! You blind fool, how dare you offend this young lady."
"Who is this?" Yan Qing turned her head and asked Cheng Changfeng in a low voice.
"Deng Chan is known as the 'Little Tyrant of the Capital.' Her father is the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and her aunt, Consort Shu, dotes on her." Cheng Changfeng lowered his voice and started gossiping with Yan Qing, "Speaking of which, she and Prince Ning are quite close. I heard that Consort Shu intends to pair her up with Prince Ning."
As he spoke, he hid behind Yan Qing, afraid that Deng Chan would see him.
Just as Yan Qing was about to ask Cheng Changfeng again, a voice came from behind her.
"Yan Qing."
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