Chapter 70 Admiration Abounds

lothes in for me" Rong Jing's voice was slightly hoarse."Where are they" Yun Qianyue asked."At the head of the bed!" Rong Jing replied.Yun Qianyue stepped out from behind the screen and saw a clean, c...Chapter 70 Admiration in Full Measure

Looking at Ye Qingran who had brought the dishes to replace the shopkeeper, Yun Qianyue felt rather speechless after hearing his words.

Did she look like someone who could easily be bullied

Although that fellow Rong Jing indeed bullied her. But she also got back at him. If not for the shopkeeper and Nan Lingrui coming out to spoil her plans, it's possible that Rong Jing would already have become a "Turkish" person.

Thinking of this, Yun Qianyue didn’t see any trace of the shopkeeper behind them but she turned around sharply and glared at Nan Lingrui.

"Eh You're here too" Ye Qingran spotted Nan Lingrui then and stopped in his tracks. He raised an eyebrow at him.

Nan Lingrui also looked oddly surprised by the sudden appearance of Ye Qingran, especially as he saw how serious he was carrying a tray towards them. This look straight hit his heart and after a moment's silence, he raised his eyebrow too, "Little Prince Rong, it has been a long time! I've missed you these past few years."

Yun Qianyue had just taken a sip of tea when she heard this. She spluttered out the whole mouthful.

This was hard not to misconstrue.

Rong Jing, who was sitting next to Yun Qianyue and got her to turn around towards the door, got soaked as a result. Although he quickly used his sleeve to block it, some of it still splashed onto him. He helplessly glanced at Yun Qianyue, whose face had contorted oddly. She must have misconstrued what was meant by that sentence. Rong Jing smiled faintly and added fuel to the fire, "It's not strange for Prince Yingrui to pine away over Little Prince Rong these past few years. You needn't be surprised."

Argh! Yun Qianyue’s face contorted even more.

Nan Lingrui was a bisexual

Rong Jing glanced at Ye Qingran and Nan Lingrui then spoke to Yun Qianyue in his usual gentle voice, "You got my sleeve wet. You better wipe it."

In her mind, all manner of misconceptions were running wild. Hearing Rong Jing’s words, she fished out a handkerchief from within her robe and wiped his sleeve without thinking. She then stuffed the handkerchief back into her robe and continued with her misconceptions, still speaking in between mouthfuls, "Done!"

"Mm," Rong Jing nodded, glancing at his sleeve but not bothering to clean it.

Nan Lingrui looked at Rong Jing’s sleeve then Yun Qianyue. His lips curled up and he was about to say something when Ye Qingran spoke in a cool voice, "Little Prince, I have no desire whatsoever to see you!"

With that said, Ye Qingran walked over and put the tray on the table before sitting down.

"No problem! It’s enough for this prince to think of you," Nan Lingrui stood up at that moment and came over to sit down too.

Yun Qianyue thought Nan Lingrui was indeed one-sided, but she admired his courage. How did he dare make a public declaration when Ye Qingran was known as the little devil Her eyes were on the lotus leaf steamed chicken and her cup and chopsticks had been thrown to the side while she pulled down a drumstick in eagerness.

Rong Jing’s gaze flickered but he didn’t say anything.

"Better be good around me, Little Prince. Otherwise," Ye Qingran’s expression darkened at that moment and he glanced at Nan Lingrui. The moment his eyes landed on Yun Qianyue's unsightly eating manner, he stopped short and widened his eyes in surprise, "Little girl, haven't you eaten for eight days"

"Mmhm," Yun Qianyue muttered while tearing the chicken leg with her mouth.

Seeing how deliciously she was eating it, Ye Qingran reached out towards the tray to grab another drumstick. But before his hand even touched that drumstick, Nan Lingrui’s hand shot out from nowhere and intercepted him. "This is mine!"

"Dream on!" Ye Qingran snorted, holding up a palm.

Nan Lingrui also held up another palm to block his, raised an eyebrow, and said, "I've thought of you for years. I think day and night, eat or sleep not well. You won’t even let me have this drumstick"

"Nan Lingrui!" Ye Qingran lightly called out in anger, then spat angrily, "Back then, I did nothing wrong! Why do you chase after me The person you should be finding is Ye Qian!"

Yun Qianyue’s thoughts were sparked. Was that the name of the first beauty from Nanyang From her reading, she knew the leader of the Southern Tribes had a surname Ye. And Rong Jing said that Prince Qingran and the daughter of that leader felt for each other too. So this Ye Qian was probably referring to the first beauty’s name

Nan Lingrui snorted, "Why would this prince look for her The culprit is you! If not because of you, how could she have discarded me Although I now think that woman isn’t good either. But this grudge I’ll never forget."

"Unreasonable!" Ye Qingran called out in anger.

Nan Lingrui looked at Ye Qingran who was scowling and smiled with spring blossoms blooming on his face, "Moreover, this prince thinks you’re a lot better than that woman. So..."

"So you plan to transfer your affections, take Prince Qingran back from the arms of that traitorous woman" Yun Qianyue finished off her drumstick quickly and saw how Nan Lingrui was still in a deadlock with Ye Qingran while his hands were blocking both sides of the tray so no one could get at the chicken leg. She slowly reached out to grab the other drumstick and continued lazily, "Is that it"

Nan Lingrui froze for a moment, seemingly unable to keep up with her thoughts as he stared blankly at Yun Qianyue.

Ye Qingran was also stunned into staring at Yun Qianyue.

Rong Jing reached out to pick up his chopsticks gracefully, putting a mouthful of tea into his mouth. He glanced at Yun Qianyue and smiled in agreement, "Yes, what you said makes sense. This kind of revenge is more satisfying!"

Yun Qianyue gave Rong Jing an eye contact that implied they shared the same thoughts; she thought this heartless fellow could still be adorable sometimes.

"Little girl, what nonsense are you talking He wishes to kill me…" Ye Qingran suddenly realized something and his handsome face turned black as he glared at Yun Qianyue.

"That's right, that's right. This Crown Prince agrees with your meaning. I want to snatch the little Marquis Ren back from him. Yes… fall in love with someone else!" Nan Lingrui’s corners of his mouth twitched fiercely as he saw Ye Qingran’s face turn black; immediately, he agreed, "Let’s do it this way!"

"You're asking for death!" Ye Qingran was thoroughly angered when Yun Qianyue took the chicken leg. He changed both hands and struck Nan Lingrui with a force that could push mountains.

"If I die, you'll go down with me." Nan Lingrui immediately parried with both palms too.

Instantly, the table trembled; dishes rattled violently. The two of them exchanged palm strikes with a fierce wind whistling past. Yun Qianyue and Rong Jing, who had no martial arts skills, naturally couldn't resist. Yun Qianyue almost dropped her chicken leg while Rong Jing’s chopsticks trembled dangerously, threatening to overturn the table.

"Hey, if you want to fight, go outside! I still need to eat!" Yun Qianyue immediately shouted.

But those two seemed not to hear anything.

Yun Qianyue turned her head and looked at Rong Jing; he slowly said, "Whoever dares to overturn this table will be stripped naked and hung on the South Gate!"

Ye Qingran snorted disdainfully, "What can you do with no martial arts skills Do you still dare harm me"

Nan Lingrui was originally planning to stop fighting but hearing Ye Qingran's words, he hesitated for a moment before continuing the fight.

In an instant, they exchanged another two moves and remained evenly matched.

"If you don't believe me, try it!" Rong Jing glanced at Ye Qingran with his slow voice.

Seeing that the table was about to be overturned, Yun Qianyue immediately threw away her chicken leg and held the platter of lotus leaf-smoked chicken in her arms. She shouted at them, "Yes, you can ignore what this heartless guy says! I don't mind being a little hungry; watching two handsome men stripped naked is quite enjoyable!"

Ye Qingran and Nan Lingrui paused for a moment with their hands raised. They turned their heads to look at Rong Jing who had an unthreatening expression on his face, but he was never harmless – those who offended him would surely suffer great losses. Although he lost all of his martial arts skills, his heartlessness remained. Glancing back at Yun Qianyue, they saw her eyes sparkling brightly as she looked at them with the lotus leaf-smoked chicken in her arms. Both men shivered; they could not continue fighting.

"Today, I’ll spare your life!" After weighing the advantages and disadvantages, Ye Qingran decided it was best to stop. He pulled back his hands and gave Nan Lingrui a cold warning, "I won't risk hanging myself on the South Gate naked; that little girl seems quite interested in watching."

Nan Lingrui also stopped fighting. He said nonchalantly with an air of grace, "I would like to try Rong Shizi’s idea of stripping someone and hanging them on the South Gate. Yes, all the ladies of Tian Sheng will surely go crazy for me! Why not"

Yun Qianyue twitched; as far as being charming goes, Nan Lingrui was number one in the world.

"Don’t know what shame is!" Ye Qingran snorted.

Nan Lingrui reached out to pick up his fan which had fallen on the table. He snapped it open and gave a flirtatious smile, "Life is short; why not make use of every moment Naturally, one should enjoy oneself without delay."

"Yes, that makes sense!" Yun Qianyue grabbed her chicken leg again while nodding.

Ye Qingran coldly glared at Nan Lingrui and reached out to snatch the lotus leaf-smoked chicken from Yun Qianyue’s hands. "Little girl, you’re being too mean keeping it all for yourself. Give me half."

Yun Qianyue held on tightly to the platter; this lotus leaf-smoked chicken was indeed very delicious. She shook her head and said, "You can’t eat it!"

"No way!" Ye Qingran also shook his head but still wouldn't let go. Seeing Yun Qianyue’s reluctance, he reminded her, “Don’t you remember I gave you fish to roast Then we shared a fish…”

“Well… alright!” Reluctantly, Yun Qianyue handed the chicken over to Ye Qingran.

Rong Jing's chopsticks suddenly flew out from his hand and hit the platter when it was being exchanged between Yun Qianyue and Ye Qingran; it landed perfectly, accurately with great force. The platter slipped from Ye Qingran’s hands and fell onto the floor together with its contents.

The plate shattered into pieces while the chicken rolled out of the platter, rolling twice on the ground.

Ye Qingran immediately turned to glare at Rong Jing furiously. "Weakling beauty, what did you do"

"Yes, why did you knock over the plate" Yun Qianyue looked at the lotus leaf-smoked chicken on the ground with regret.

“Sorry, I accidentally dropped my chopsticks.” Rong Jing glanced indifferently at them and calmly said.

"You actually managed to drop it Who would believe that!" Ye Qingran clearly didn’t buy it. He just didn't want him to eat the chicken, don't think he doesn't know. What surprised him was how accurate this guy's aim was even though his martial arts skills were gone, the chopsticks landed right on the bottom of the plate, and when he reacted, he couldn’t catch it.

Yun Qianyue thought that this guy had definitely done it intentionally. She glared at him angrily and said, "A whole dish of chicken! I just ate two drumsticks. You have to replace it for me!"

"Sure thing, I'll replace it for you!" Rong Jing nodded and called out to the innkeeper outside in a gentle voice, "Bring up two more dishes of lotus leaf-smoked chicken!"

"Yes!" The innkeeper didn’t dare come close to the room door but was standing at the stairwell entrance. Upon hearing this, he immediately responded and hurriedly ran down the stairs, quickly giving orders downstairs.

Rong Jing turned back to Yun Qianyue, "Is that better"

"Hmph!" Yun Qianyue hummed as a sign of acquiescence.

Ye Qingran wasn't pleased. "Why two dishes Two of us can eat one dish."

"Enough for you and not enough for others" Rong Jing raised his eyebrows, glancing at Ye Qingran with indifference. "She can finish an entire dish by herself!"

"Right, right, I can finish a whole dish, so we need two dishes!" Yun Qianyue nodded.

Ye Qingran immediately fell silent and glanced at the shattered plate on the ground as well as the smoked chicken that had rolled out of it without legs. His expression was slightly displeased, secretly regretting not being prepared for this weak beauty's tactic.

"Don't worry; if you can’t finish a whole dish by yourself, we’ll eat it together!" Nan Lingrui looked at the three people for a while and smiled with deep meaning, turning to smile at Ye Qingran who had an ugly expression and said.

"You’d better shut up! Otherwise, this little prince will go all out today even if I don’t have anything to eat and beat you into a pig's head." Ye Qingran vented his anger on Nan Lingrui.

“Only when one is full of energy can they fight well. Considering that you’ll be competing with Rong Feng tomorrow, I won't argue with you today.” Nan Lingrui looked at Ye Qingran’s angry expression and waved his fan vigorously while smiling.

Ye Qingran snorted coldly and no longer paid attention to Nan Lingrui.

Yun Qianyue had already picked up her chopsticks and started eating. She tasted a few bites, frowned, and said, "It’s not as good as the lotus leaf-smoked chicken."

"Hmm!" Rong Jing nodded while slowly picking at his food with his chopsticks.

Yun Qianyue ate two more bites and continued her criticism, "Your chef's dishes are still better than those in your house!"

"Hmm!" Rong Jing nodded again.

"Not only is the taste far worse, but the presentation is also far worse," Yun Qianyue continued to criticize while eating.

“Hmm!” Rong Jing still agreed with her, his voice warm and gentle. "Master Medicine’s cooking isn’t something everyone can enjoy. Even Zhao Mama in your courtyard can't replicate Master Medicine's dishes and flavors; the Drunken Fragrance Building's lotus leaf-smoked chicken is okay to eat, but it pales in comparison to what Master Medicine makes. So, if you want good food in the future, it’s best to find Master Medicine at Rong王府."

“Hmm, I agree!” Yun Qianyue thought so too. She had been in this world for a long time and found that although Zhao Mama's dishes were delicious, they still fell short of what Master Medicine prepared. She realized her taste buds had been pampered by Rong Jing’s cooking; ever since she returned from Lingtai Temple and moved into the Rong王府, the food there perfectly suited her tastes.

"You’re already starving, so just make do with this meal!" Rong Jing persuaded her.

“Alright,” Yun Qianyue nodded.

"Little girl, is it really about the dishes I have a chef in my household who prepares very delicious meals. Why would you go to his place for food" Ye Qingran was unhappy that Yun Qianyue had been fooled by this weak beauty and immediately said.

“Hmm Really” Yun Qianyue looked at Ye Qingran.

"Of course it’s true, why would I lie to you" Ye Qingran nodded immediately.

"His chef comes from the imperial kitchen, naturally his dishes aren’t bad. But Prince Regent's Mansion is next door to the Crown Prince's Mansion; do you think you’ll go there and eat" Rong Jing paused slightly with his chopsticks before continuing as if nothing had happened, but instead of putting food in his mouth, he put it into Yun Qianyue’s bowl and said to her: “Furthermore, when it comes to cooking, Master Medicine is recognized as the best in the world; no one dares claim second place.”

"Then forget it!" Hearing that the Prince Regent's Mansion was next door to Night Tianqin's Crown Prince’s Mansion, Yun Qianyue immediately shook her head.

“Who said my residence is next to the Crown Prince’s My residence is next to the Chancellor’s and General's residences!” Ye Qingran immediately retorted.

"Isn’t the Chancellor’s residence right next to the Crown Prince’s too, just separated by one residence in between. What difference does that make" Rong Jing said.

Yun Qianyue's thoughts were instantly shot down again. She told Ye Qingran, "Then I definitely won't go there. Even if his chef cooks better than Master Medicine’s, I still wouldn’t eat there. Night Tianqin, that hateful ghost, I don’t want to see him in my lifetime.

"What if I send my kitchen staff to your residence" Night Qingran asked. He thought this was a feasible solution, but who knew what bad intentions the weak beauty had This little girl loved eating so much that he naturally couldn’t let her succeed in doing so by going to the Honor王府 every day.

"Is that so I’ll think about it." Yun Qianyue’s eyes lit up.

"Do you think this is possible The chef was once the best imperial chef during Emperor Sheng’s reign, but Prince Regent Deyin enjoyed his cooking. Therefore, Emperor Sheng bestowed him upon Prince Regent Deyin. Now, if you send the chef who has been serving Prince Regent Deyin for decades elsewhere, it would be surprising if he doesn’t kill you." Rong Jing reminded her in a nonchalant tone.

Qingran frowned.

Rong Jing turned to Yun Qianyue and said, "Killing his ungrateful grandson is trivial. Prince Regent Deyin has the same explosive temper as your Grandpa Yun, even worse sometimes. If he storms into Yun Manor to demand for the chef’s return because of anger, do you think you can handle him"

Yun Qianyue shivered and shook her head. "Forget it then! I’d rather be killed than accept that!"

"Hmm, so don’t even think about it. Whenever you want delicious food, just go to Honor王府and find Medicine Old Man. He loves you dearly; he’ll do anything for you. For example, lotus leaf braised chicken, magnolia fish soup, snow ear pearl soup, and drunken honey duck…"

Yun Qianyue swallowed her saliva. Every dish Rong Jing mentioned triggered a memory of how delicious they were in her mind. She nodded eagerly, "I want to eat right now!"

"Since you’ve been exhausted today and probably don’t have the energy to go to Honor王府for a meal, I’ll tell Medicine Old Man to prepare these dishes for you tonight and send them over." Rong Jing suggested.

“Sure!” Yun Qianyue agreed happily. Not only did she agree but also beamed with joy, fearing that Rong Jing might change his mind. She immediately followed up by throwing her chopsticks to the side and stretched out her hand towards him palm-upwards. "You said it yourself! No backing out! I want to see these dishes tonight! Let’s seal this promise by clapping our hands together— whoever backs out isn’t a real man!"

"Alright! It’s as I said, and no one can back down on their word," Rong Jing nodded, put aside his chopsticks, lightly clapped Yun Qianyue's hand. The touch made him blink slightly.

Yun Qianyue withdrew her hand, picked up her chopsticks to continue eating with peace of mind. She thought the dishes in front of her were now more appetizing than before. In the past, she never picky about food and thought it was fine as long as she wasn’t hungry. But now that she wanted to enjoy herself after reincarnating, if not making a difference from her previous life, there’s no point living this time around unless she made up for all the good things she missed before. So why should someone else get to eat the delicious food

Qingran glared at Rong Jing speechless.

Rong Jing raised an eyebrow and said slowly, "Young Marquis Qingran, it’s better you keep your chef for Prince Regent Deyin. Otherwise, if you dare to give the chef away, your legs won’t be far from leaving your body."

Qingran thought about how brutal Prince Regent Deyin was and pursed his lips. Considering how much he loved that chef and would starve without him, what this weak beauty said had merit. He couldn’t argue against it but felt不甘心 (unwilling). “I will search the entire world until I find a chef for this little girl! And you, you black-hearted weak beauty, don’t use my chef to scheme against her!”

"If your search is so grand that it causes uproar among the Emperor and four Prince Regents as well as court officials, and everyone in the country knows about it, then congratulations— you’ll be famous for this." Rong Jing said, looking at Yun Qianyue and asked softly, "Do you think a chef who can cause such an uproar could settle down in your Manor And even if he does, his food will have so many people scrutinizing him that would you still be able to enjoy it"

Yun Qianyue immediately shook her head and told Qingran, "Your kindness is noted. Although I love eating, I’m not that precious. Let’s forget about it then! Besides, I won’t have time to go to Honor王府for meals in the future. The Emperor isn’t making me attend classes with those princes and princesses after the Military Scholar Exam And I’ll be managing Yun Manor at the same time— surely I’ll exhaust myself every day and wouldn’t even have the strength left to run for a meal."

Qingran’s face brightened, nodding. "Let’s not look for one then!"

"Nope! Don’t find one," Yun Qianyue nodded firmly. She thought that if Qingran went through such trouble, she might suffer even more. To begin with, Prince Regent Deyin and the Emperor wouldn’t be lenient towards her. It would be better for her to keep a low profile.

Rong Jing remained silent, switched to another pair of chopsticks, and continued slowly enjoying his meal.

South Lingrui looked at the three people: from Qingran to Yun Qianyue and then to Rong Jing. He stared at Rong Jing with admiration and used Secret Sound Transmission so only Rong Jing could hear him. "Prince Shi, if I ever admired you before, it’s tenfold now."

Rong Jing paused in his eating but didn’t look at Lingrui, responding lightly, "Alright!"

Lingrui twitched and waved his fan vigorously. He felt that coming to Drunken Fragrance Tower today was the right decision!

Seeing Yun Qianyue eating so happily, Qingran picked up chopsticks after having a meal himself. Just as he took two bites, something occurred to him and asked immediately, "Little girl, what happened at the Military Scholar Exam"

"Hmm What’s wrong with it" Yun Qianyue didn’t lift her head.

“You petitioned His Imperial Uncle for betrothal. I only heard about this after returning to my residence and now everyone on the streets is talking about it.” Qingran frowned, his face turning sour again as he watched Yun Qianyue. He was mostly confused. How could she suddenly petition His Imperial Uncle to be betrothed to Rong Feng It came out of nowhere!

"Oh you mean this!" Yun Qianyue mumbled while eating, "I think Rong Feng is very good— he’s handsome and skilled in martial arts. He also seems like a great person; I believe marrying him would be wonderful. If I don’t seize the chance now, what if someone proposes to him tomorrow Wouldn’t that make me regret it"

"Just because of this You think he’s good just like that and petitioned His Imperial Uncle for betrothal" Qingran found it hard to accept, "You’ve only met him once! Your first meeting! How can you decide so hastily to marry him"

"Have you heard of love at first sight" Yun Qianyue looked up at Qinggran.

Qinggran’s brows furrowed. "I didn’t see anything special about him. He’s just skilled in martial arts, so am I! And he looks good; I look handsome too! Why haven’t you fallen for me"

Pu! Yun Qianyue nearly spat out the bamboo shoots that were in her mouth. She swallowed them and finally stopped moving her chopsticks, looking at Qinggran with effort to explain, "Love at first sight needs a perfect moment. When I met you, Night Tianqing had a sword pointed at me threatening to imprison me in Imperial Law Jail; I was worried about losing my life so couldn’t afford to fancy anyone at that time! But meeting Rong Feng was different. He looked heroic and graceful as he fought on the high stage— it’s not strange for me to fall in love with him at first sight!"

"That makes sense, but when you met the weak beauty, nobody pointed a sword at you. He is better-looking than Rong Feng and also has better martial arts skills. Why didn't you fall in love with him at first sight" Ye Qingran asked again.

Rong Jing's gaze flickered as he quietly observed Yun Qianyue, seemingly waiting for her to answer Ye Qingran’s question.

Nan Lingrui also perked up immediately and stopped fanning himself. He stared at Yun Qianyue unblinkingly, waiting for her to reply too.

Yun Qianyue felt a shiver run down her spine upon hearing this question. Facing the gazes of three people, she recalled her first encounter with Rong Jing, where in her mind there was only one line of poetry: "The person on that road is as jade-like, a gentleman unmatched in the world." She covered her mouth and cleared her throat lightly, saying in an extremely calm manner without caring about it, "At that time, he came out accompanied by an old eunuch, and his face was hidden under an umbrella. I could only see half of him; do you think there would have been any feelings for him if the situation were reversed"

Rong Jing averted his gaze, looking up at the ceiling with a momentary flash of strange color on his face.

Nan Lingrui stared intently at Yun Qianyue's facial expression before resuming to fan himself again.

Ye Qingran was satisfied with Yun Qianyue’s answer and turned around to snort at Rong Jing, mockingly saying, "I thought all women would be infatuated by you! So it turns out they aren't."

Rong Jing glanced casually at Ye Qingran, nonchalantly replying, "Do you think having a woman fall for him is good He's neither talented nor handsome; he doesn't understand poetry and books, can’t compose poems or songs. He's not skilled in needlework either, has a bad temper, is a wastrel who doesn't listen to teachings, does as he pleases without any law or reason, is lazy and gluttonous, and now even his martial arts skills are fake. There isn't anything good about him; how could anyone want someone like that"

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes fiercely in her heart, hating to think that she would definitely get married one day, making them see if there's anyone who wants her and dazzling their aluminum alloy dog eyes.

"Is this little girl really as bad as you say" Ye Qingran looked at Yun Qianyue. Seeing that although she was sprawled bonelessly on the table with chopsticks and mouth never stopping, her appearance still seemed lively and beautiful, incomparably more pleasant to look at than an upright young lady. He disagreed with Rong Jing and said, "It's because your appreciation of beauty is lacking. I think this little girl is very good!"

"You also thought the first beauty of Southern Jiang was good when you saw her," Rong Jing remarked.

Ye Qingran choked momentarily and grew angry, muttering, "How could I know that she had such a ruthless heart despite her innocent appearance If only I'd known earlier, I wouldn't have set foot in the Nanjiang border."

"It's clear you were enjoying it yet acted as if suffering. Isn't this what they call 'the hardest to endure is a beauty’s favor' It was said that she saved your life back then," Rong Jing glanced at Ye Qingran, his gaze catching the innkeeper who had brought two plates of lotus leaf steamed chicken and stood by the door; he reminded Yun Qianyue looking at him, "Your lotus leaf steamed chicken is here! Do you still have room for it"

"Of course I do!" Yun Qianyue immediately turned to look at the door, thinking that Ye Qingran and Nanjiang's top beauty initially fell in love because she saved his life; he found a woman's favor hardest to endure. Tsk tsk, another story of a beauty saving a hero and turning him around.

"I was indeed saved by her back then, but don't you see who caused me that trouble Apart from her, there is nobody!" Ye Qingran coldly sniffed, seemingly recalling old times with some resentment.

"So it's still a story of a beauty setting up a trap for the hero to fall into," Yun Qianyue muttered.

Ye Qingran didn't hear clearly and looked at her puzzledly, "What are you mumbling about, little girl"

"I said your lotus leaf steamed chicken is here!" Yun Qianyue waved to the innkeeper holding two plates of lotus leaf steamed chicken with familiarity, saying, "Hey, hurry up!"

"Yes!" The innkeeper hurriedly walked forward and placed the dishes in front of Yun Qianyue. Turning around to Rong Jing, he respectfully asked, "Does Young Master need anything else"

Rong Jing looked at Yun Qianyue, "What else do you want to eat"

"No thanks! It's enough," Yun Qianyue waved her hand.

Rong Jing didn't speak anymore; the innkeeper understood and withdrew.

"This plate is for you!" Yun Qianyue handed one of the plates of lotus leaf steamed chicken to Ye Qingran, placing another on her own side.

Ye Qingran took it with his hands. This time no one tried to stop him or snatch the dish from him; he looked at Rong Jing disappointedly, "Why can you hold your chopsticks so tightly now"

"Once is forgivable, but not twice; just now those chopsticks were disobedient, whereas these are obedient," Rong Jing said.

Ye Qingran hummed and ignored Rong Jing.

Nan Lingrui put down his fan and quickly grabbed a chicken leg from Ye Qingran's plate, putting it in his mouth and gnawing on it like Yun Qianyue had done. After two bites, he frowned and said, "This is still not as delicious as what my palace chef makes! Miss Yun Qianyue, when you go to Nanliang next time, I will treat you to a dish of clear water perch; it's unique in the world. And only Nanliang produces that kind of fish. The journey is too far for transportation to Tiansheng, so one can't taste it there. Even if Prince Jing’s old man knows how to make it, he would be at a loss without ingredients."

"Alright, I will go take a look around Nanliang when I feel like it and then visit your palace for that clear water perch," Yun Qianyue nodded immediately; although Nan Lingrui was unfaithful, at least he was more pleasant than Night傾天 (Night Qingtian).

"Perch has poison." Rong Jing reminded her, "You really should learn to read and write properly. Otherwise, you might not even know if you are being poisoned."

Yun Qianyue shook her head, scolding Rong Jing, "Perch's poison is minor, it won't kill a person. Even though I don't study or understand anything, I do know this. At least my poisonous tongue is less toxic than the perch’s."

"You’ve never eaten perch before, how can you say whose poison is lesser" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow.

Cloud Qianyue’s hand trembled, and the plate she was holding almost slipped from her grasp and flew at Rong Jing's head. This bastard, this bastard… Was he telling everyone that she had eaten from his mouth She instantly glared angrily at Rong Jing, "I only ate a piece of perch fish! What do you want to say about it"

"Oh! No wonder you know its poison is less than the poison in my mouth! You've actually eaten it!" Rong Jing suddenly understood.

Cloud Qianyue nearly choked on her breath, fury was no longer sufficient to express the hatred she felt at this moment. She abruptly stood up and stared coldly at Rong Jing, "Do you want to die"

"Ah, your temper is too easily aroused. This isn’t good; it’s easy to injure yourself." Rong Jing ignored Cloud Qianyue's anger as he helplessly shook his head. "A moment ago, weren't you about to kill me You said that we couldn’t let the Wise Prince watch for free. Now there is another person here watching the show. Are you sure you want to perform the scene again in front of the Wise Prince and Young Marquis Yong" He paused and added: “If you wish to, I have no objections!”

“What happened just now What kind of scene was it Why hide what’s being acted out” Night Qingran indeed cared and watched the two people. Feeling that Rong Jing had something hidden in his words while Cloud Qianyue was too agitated by this statement, he asked with a gaze on her furious little face.

“Just now, when I arrived, I happened to catch an excellent scene! Ah, this is the only time I’ve seen such a thing in my life. Prince Regent Jing and Miss Qianyue are indeed rare sights worth seeing! This makes me admire you both with all five of my senses.” Nan Lingrui stroked his chin as he laughed at them with an extremely debauched smile that turned mischievous.

Cloud Qianyue took a deep breath, then another. She suppressed her anger before glaring fiercely at Rong Jing with eyes full of raw warnings. After a moment, she turned and smiled politely at Nan Lingrui, but her gaze was as cold as ice, sharp like thorns. "You’d better forget what happened just now, or I won’t mind using you as an example!"

Nan Lingrui immediately stopped speaking. If he were in Rong Jing’s position at that moment… He shivered.

Cloud Qianyue turned to look at Night Qingran and waved her hand indifferently, avoiding the main issue. "Do we need to say more It’s obvious this heartless weakling has a poisonous mouth. Do you ask us two who know he’s heartless what to think of perch fish We already know that it’s less toxic than his mouth just by knowing him. Isn’t that right"

No matter how much Night Qingran felt something was off, it seemed he still arrived late and missed something important. Looking at Rong Jing who looked calm and composed and Cloud Qianyue who didn’t care, he thought this little girl though easy to bully in appearance, was actually very fierce and wouldn't suffer any losses. Thus he dispelled his doubts and agreed with her words by nodding. "Right! You’re correct. I’ve eaten perch before and indeed it’s less toxic than this weakling’s mouth."

Nan Lingrui looked at Night Qingran strangely for a while, then turned away as if unable to bear looking.

Cloud Qianyue thought about how adorable the child Night Qingran was! How could it be that he had been beaten by the number one beauty of Southern Yi Was there still any hope of her getting him back She immediately discarded this idea. To prevent Old Emperor from pairing them off in a random manner during the martial champion selection, she accidentally acted on impulse and offended Rong Feng; now learning that Rong Jing was his uncle, it made her headache enough. So instead of thinking about how to snatch Night Qingran back, she should think about dealing with the situation.

Thinking of Rong Feng made Cloud Qianyue lose her appetite. She put down her chopsticks and said dejectedly: "I’m not eating anymore, I’ll go home."

"Not eating Little girl, you haven’t touched this platter of lotus leaf steamed chicken yet!" Night Qingran was startled.

"I’m full, no appetite left. I don’t want to eat it anymore. Give everything to me," Cloud Qianyue waved her hand and said she would leave. Without delay, she started walking towards the door.

"You’re going home on foot Wait for a moment; I’ll send you back." Rong Jing also stood up and slowly followed after Cloud Qianyue with his usual unhurried and composed gait.

"Then hurry up!" Without turning her head, Cloud Qianyue said. Since she had caused such a commotion, she didn’t want to be watched all the way back to Cloud Manor by others; it was safer to ride in a carriage.

“Alright,” Rong Jing replied and they quickly left the room to go downstairs.

Nostril Qingran stared blankly as they left, then turned his head to ask Nan Lingrui: “Did I say anything wrong Why does this little girl suddenly look so dejected”

Nan Lingrui withdrew his gaze from the door and waved his fan. "It’s said that she asked the Emperor for a marriage order today but was refused, hence when you mentioned her heartache just now, it naturally made her uncomfortable in the heart. She must be thinking how to make the Emperor agree to marry her to Rong Feng."

"That’s all" Night Qingran furrowed his brows and asked: "What’s so good about Rong Feng He only met her once but won over her heart like that Is she truly determined to marry no one else except him"

“This, this Prince doesn’t know. Why don’t you ask Rong Feng yourself Ask where he impressed her.” Nan Lingrui stood up and walked out of the door, leaving behind a sentence: "I’m going for a tour at Cloud Manor. I haven’t paid my respects to Old Marquis Yun since coming to Skyland so many days ago! You can slowly eat by yourself!"

Without finishing his words, he chased after Rong Jing and Cloud Qianyue downstairs.

Nostril Qingran sat at the table and frowned in deep thought. He couldn’t figure out what was so good about Rong Feng that won over this little girl’s favor. He stood up, thinking Nan Lingrui was right; he should go to Glory Manor to find out from Rong Feng himself. There was no way he would let this little girl act on a whim!

Nostril Qingran quickly walked downstairs but found that the others had already left by then. He hurriedly ran out of the door, only to be stopped by the shopkeeper: “Young Marquis, please stop!”

“What is it” Though in a hurry, Nostril Qingran still paused.

"Young Marquis, Prince Regent Jing told us when he left that whoever leaves last will pay for everything. The total bill is 1812 taels of silver." The shopkeeper bowed and said to Night Qingran respectfully.

Nostril Qingran reached into his chest and fished out some money, but there was only a few tens of taels more than Nan Lingrui’s; he handed them over with a blackened face. “Take these first, I’ll go get the rest from my manor!”

He said this and left through the door in a flash.

—— Outro ——

Thank you to the following readers for their encouragement with donations, gems, and flowers!ersely, "No."Nan Lingrui said as he staggered out of the pavilion, “Don’t try anything funny while I’m gone.”The moment Nan Lingrui stepped outside the cabin, Yun Qianyue felt the shipboard beneath he...