Chapter 69: Watching Opera and Giving Money

  Two lips touched, a cool sensation instantly reached the heart.

  Yun's body trembled, her beautiful eyes wide open, staring straight at Rong Jing. Her mind was a complete blank, all thoughts flew away, she wanted to remember something, think about something, but everything was forgotten. All she felt was the white snow in front of her, with mist, surrounded by the fragrance of snow lotus, clear and clean, the snow lotus bloomed instantly in the snowy mist, overwhelming all other flowers.

  This kiss is so real, yet so illusory.

  The clouds were shallow and the moon was still, as if it had turned into a statue, leaving only an empty shell of a body. Her soul had flown away to heaven. The only feeling she had was that the lips on hers felt cool, so cool that they chilled her heart, making her whole body tremble from the inside out.

  "With just this little bit of courage?" Rong Jing suddenly let out a sneer, moved away from Yun Shang Yue's lips by a hair's breadth, raised an eyebrow at her, and blew a warm breath on her face, "You still thought you were fearless!"

  As soon as the evil sound entered her ears, Yun Shallow Moon suddenly turned around, and all her senses gathered together in an instant. Her eyes focused on Rong Jing's face, which was like a poem or a painting, with that sneering expression in his eyes. Suddenly, her heart violently contracted, and she burst into anger, "You bastard!"

  Rong Jing's eyes narrowed slightly, his voice low and smooth, "What did you say?"

  "I was going to say you... uh..." Yun Qianyue's anger soared, all the curses in her mind gathered at once. Before she could utter a word, her lips were sealed again. There was no deeper kiss, just a heavy, steady, and firm press on her lips, blocking any words from escaping.

  Yun's mind reeled again as a wave of dizziness washed over her, the clarity she had just gained slipping away once more to leave her blank.

  Rong Jing's lips covered Yun Qian Yue's for a moment, his lips slightly opening to envelop hers.

  A refreshing and soft touch, as well as a breath like snow and lotus, filled her heart and lungs in an instant. Yun Shallow Moon only felt a loud rumble in her brain, and her heartbeat stopped for a moment. The Snow Lotus flower broke through the clouds and fog, and directly opened into her heart, she almost couldn't breathe, or rather, forgot to breathe, and only felt dizzier.

  "Is that all you've got? I guess I overestimated you!" Yun Shang Yue was suddenly released by Rong Jing, who flicked his wrist lightly, sending her body flying back onto the soft couch where she had been sitting. His eyes, which had been dark and intense, now seemed to hold a warm, gentle light, but it was veiled by a thin layer of mist, making his gaze appear hazy and ambiguous, as if he were smiling, yet not quite smiling, teasing, yet not quite teasing.

  Yun Qianyue was originally dizzy, and now she had been tossed around like a rag doll. Her soft body was thrown back onto the soft couch, as if she had fallen from the clouds to the bottom of the valley. She lay on the soft couch for half a day without regaining her senses.

  Rong Jing just looked at him, his thin lips slightly pursed, and if you looked closely, you could see that his originally pale lip color seemed to have been painted with a faint rouge, and the base of his ears also had a subtle flush, like a poem or painting, his beautiful face was as resplendent as misty clouds.

  The clouds were shallow and the moon was sinking quietly for a moment, her soul returned to her body, and in her heart rose infinite resentment and anger, angry at herself for not fighting back. Wasn't it just a kiss? How could she be so spineless? Not even a little control, being played by others like a fool. Losing face! She gritted her teeth, her small face suddenly turning red and white, and she sat up abruptly, glaring furiously at Rong Jing, "You..."

  "Hmm? Want to try again?" Kong Jing raised an eyebrow.

  Yun Shallow Moon's body trembled, recalling the scene just now, her head spun again. She stared at Rong Jing, her beautiful eyes wide with anger, and shouted: "Bullying a weak woman, what kind of skill is that?"

  "Bully you? I don't think so!" Rong Jing smiled faintly as he looked at Yun Shangyue, his eyebrows rising another fraction.

  "You scoundrel..." Yun Qianyue looked at Rong Jing's smiling face and felt like punching him, her anger simmering.

  "Hmm? Not enough?" Rong Jing slanted a glance at Yun Shangyue.

  Yun Qian Yue swallowed back the words that were about to spill out of her mouth. With just a bit of strength, she found herself unable to defeat him, but was she going to suffer in silence? No way! She glared at Rong Jing, gritting her teeth in anger: "You're just a scoundrel! What's wrong with me not being enough?"

  Rong Jing was taken aback, seemingly not expecting this sentence to lose its effect, and for a moment he was stunned.

  Yun Qian Yue seized the opportunity, instantly standing up from the soft couch, taking a stride forward, and in the blink of an eye, she grabbed Rong Jing's wrist, pinning him under her body. Her legs pressed down on his, a series of movements smooth as flowing clouds, done in one breath. She looked at Rong Jing's face, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "I just scolded you as a bastard! What about it? Not enough? How about that? You'd better speak up!"

  His long eyelashes blinked, wanting to move his body, only to find that he was pinned down with great professionalism and skill, unable to budge. His eyes sparkled, but he remained silent.

  "Can't say it?" Yun Shangyue raised an eyebrow, her eyes staring at Rong Jing with a dark gaze.

  Rong Jing remained silent, wave after wave of soft body fragrance wafted over, his head spun dizzily for a moment, and his eyes surged with whirlpools, misty and heavy, with thick intentions like the sea.

  "How do you want me to torture you?" Yun Shangyue leaned in close to Rong Jing's face, her breath spraying onto his skin, slightly scorching hot, her voice like a gentle hum, soft and subtle, "Should I bite off your ear? Or should I bite off your nose? Or should I bite out your eyeball? Or should I bite off this poisonous mouth of yours?"

  Rong Jing lifted his eyelids and gazed at Yun Shangyue with a faint look, then lowered his eyelashes again.

  "Do you understand now? Unfortunately, it's probably too late." Yun Shallow Moon stared at Rong Jing's snowy jade skin, seemingly studying where to enter his mouth. Because she didn't dare relax her vigilance in the slightest, both hands and feet were used to restrain this man's two hands and feet, with only her own mouth as her sole weapon.

  Rong Jing remained silent, like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, eerily quiet, with even his breathing barely audible.

  "If I don't bind you with the law today, I won't be called...". Yun Qian's soft and gentle tone suddenly turned cold and menacing, her mouth opening as if to bite down on Rong Jing's ear. She thought to herself that she should first take a look at whether the earless Rong Jing was still so demonic.

  "Ah..."

  Just then, a sudden cry came from outside the door, followed by a loud crash of dishes and plates falling to the ground, shaking the sky.

  Yun's lips had just touched Rong Jing's ear when a loud shout and the sound of something crashing to the ground made her jump, causing her to turn her head towards the door.

  Rong Jing opened his originally closed eyes, lifted his eyelids and also looked towards the door.

  Only the entrance was a mess of broken dishes and scattered food, with rice, vegetables, meat, fish, and desserts all over the floor. The entire entrance was filled with it. Standing at the entrance was a person, who was none other than the shopkeeper from earlier. It was clear that he had let out the cry of surprise. At this moment, the shopkeeper's face was frozen in shock as he stared at Rong Jing being pinned down by Yun Qianyue. He looked stunned and numb, his soul seemingly having flown away.

  Yun Shallow Moon frowned, extremely dissatisfied with the old man who had ruined her good deed. Without a hint of shame at being caught, she angrily shouted: "What are you yelling about? What's all the commotion? Can't even serve a meal without making a big fuss! Get your boss over here! I'm going to complain!"

  She had already forgotten that this was ancient times and there was no such thing as filing a complaint. She was clearly infuriated.

  The shopkeeper seemed to have not heard what Yun Qianyue said, still with a look of shocked bewilderment.

  "I think this broken place should be closed! What kind of people are these? Can't even get a meal. Hey, you say it's not?" Yun Shangyue asked Rong Jing, who was extremely dissatisfied with the people here. Guests hadn't seen big days before, so that's fine, but the host welcomed and sent off every day, no guest was empty-handed, what kind of person hadn't been seen? What scene hadn't been seen? Yet it's also this kind of never-seen-big-days appearance, if she were the boss, she would have fired these people long ago! The sky is falling and they're still making a fuss about it!"

  "Yes!" Rong Jing nodded in agreement, deeply convinced.

  The scene fell, and the person outside the door suddenly woke up. An old face turned pale white, "Plop" sound knelt on the ground, "World... son forgive me... Shallow Moon little... Miss forgive me..."

  "Hmm?" Yun Qiu Yue looked at the shopkeeper, seeing that he was not ashamed of his messy appearance and was kneeling on the ground begging for mercy. She slightly furrowed her brow. This ancient behavior of constantly kneeling was really not good.

  "The crown prince forgives your crime, old man unintentionally ran into... ran into..." The old man's words were incoherent, and he was terrified for no reason.

  "Go on! Set up another table. Otherwise, some people will starve to death, haven't you seen that they can't wait and are about to eat each other?" Rong Jing said calmly, looking at the shopkeeper.

  "Yes, old man, I'm going..." The old man immediately got up from the ground and rolled down.

  "Are you the boss here?" Yún Qiūyuè thought that if it were an ordinary person, this shopkeeper wouldn't need to be so afraid. She recalled the old man's every move when she first came in and felt that he was excessively humble towards Róng Jǐng.

  "No!" Jung Jing shook his head, very decisively vetoing it.

  Yun Shang Yue sized him up, seeing that he didn't seem to be lying. She snorted and sneered: "Look at you, everyone who sees you looks like they've seen a ghost. You say you're the number one prodigy of Tian Sheng, but isn't it a bit too much? Aren't you supposed to be admired by everyone? Why is it that now everyone avoids you like a snake or scorpion?"

  "That's because you're by my side!" Rong Jing let out a helpless sigh, explaining to Yun Qian Yue.

  Yun Qian's face sank, looking at Rong Jing's helpless expression, she opened her mouth slightly, with an obviously fierce expression, but her tone was soft and sweet, "Do you think we should continue? This time, no one will come to disturb us, right?"

  Rong Jing remained silent.

  "Are you biting your left ear or right ear?" Yun Qianyue asked again, blowing a breath on Rong Jing's face.

  Rong Jing's body stiffened, and she remained silent.

  "Huh? What's going on? Which side?" Yun Qiu Yue asked.

  "Left side! The left side is closer to you, you don't need to exert yourself to bite." Rong Jing kindly offers advice.

  "Alright, then left!" Yun Qianyue leaned in close to his face, her lips reattaching to his ear, opening wide as if to bite.

  "Haha, it seems that I, the crown prince, have arrived at an inopportune moment! I've disturbed the two of you's good affair! Who would have thought that Prince Jing likes this heavy flavor pose?" Suddenly, a loud laughter came from outside the door, followed by a charming and flirtatious voice. The beaded curtain was lifted with a swoosh, and the person not only didn't retreat but also boldly walked in, bringing the smile with him as he entered.

  What the hell is wrong with her again?

  Yun Shallow Moon suddenly turned her head and stared viciously at the person who came in. It was a young man, about the same age as the person she was pinning down. He wore a luxurious brocade robe with golden crown and jade belt, the robe had exquisite gold trim, fine needlework, and embroidered dragon patterns that were extremely vivid and lifelike, obviously only a top-notch embroidery artist could complete it. His feet were clad in golden-edged boots, and he held a jade folding fan, on which was an image of a jade maiden reclining horizontally, as he swayed the fan back and forth, the jade maiden's posture was extremely flirtatious.

  Awesome! This is truly elegant!

  Yun Shang looked at the man with a mixture of admiration and annoyance, thinking that his handsome face was a stark contrast to Leng Shao Zhuo's dull and unremarkable appearance. She couldn't help but praise him, but she was still angry about how he had disrupted her plans. Raising an eyebrow, she asked coldly, "Who are you? Do you know what happens to someone who ruins a lady's good fortune?"

  This is what a rich girl should say? She was born to be a rich girl, no mistake!

  The man's footsteps paused, and he stared at Yun Shang Yue for a moment before looking at Rong Jing's calm appearance and bursting into loud laughter. The sound of his laughter shook the air, probably audible throughout the entire Drunken Fragrance Building. The golden crown on his head wobbled with his laughter, and the jade belt was shaken, fluttering up. At this moment, no one could surpass him! Even the smoke from the incense burner in the room seemed to be embarrassed, hiding away in shame.

  Yun Qian Yue looked at the man, still pinning Rong Jing down without getting up, staring at his smiling face and said word by word: "It's said that Nan Liang Rui Taizi is unmatched in his romantic escapades, today I see it's indeed true. I was thinking that Su Su from the Smoke Willow House isn't quite skilled enough. After serving Taizi for a night, she still let him come out energetic and lively, her number one courtesan signboard should be smashed."

  The laughter stopped abruptly.

  Nan Lingrui stared blankly at Yun Shuoyue, seemingly unable to fathom how a young woman could be so bold and unbridled in her words and actions. How could such frivolous and licentious remarks come from a woman's mouth? But when he saw that even Gong Jing, who was normally aloof and untouchable, was being suppressed by her, he suddenly didn't find it strange anymore. If she could brazenly touch the unapproachable mountain that was Gong Jing, what was there that she wouldn't dare say or do?

  "Indeed, the number one lady of Tian Sheng! The reputation is well-deserved, I am impressed!" Nan Lingrui bowed his head to Yun Qianyue, what he admired more was that this woman had guessed her identity at a glance. If his memory served him right, they hadn't met before, had they?

  "Each other, each other!" Yun Qianyue accepted Nan Lingrui's admiration without a hint of blush on her face. She waved her hand at him disinterestedly, "Nothing to see here, move along. The Crown Prince should know better than to intrude on others' good fortune, lest he suffer the consequences."

  Nan Lingrui was taken aback again, looking at Yun Shangyue, seeing that she had already turned her head around, her body pressed against Rong Jing's, pinning him down tightly, with no gap in between. He looked for a moment, then saw only her back, and shifted his gaze to Rong Jing who was facing the door. Rong Jing had an expression of resignation, as if saying "help yourself". Nan Lingrui stared at Rong Jing again for a moment, before bursting out laughing with a "pfft" sound.

  "Why haven't you left yet?" Yun Shangyue felt that the person behind her wasn't moving, and she urged him again.

  "Jing Shizi, when did you become so generous?" Nan Lingrui ignored Yun Qiuyue and smiled at Rong Jing.

  Rong Jing smiled faintly, although being held back by Yun Shangyue's words, but that smile was still calm and composed. He spoke with a gentle tone, without any awkwardness: "Let Rui Taizi laugh at me! She can't wait for the food to arrive, so she wants to eat me instead. I couldn't conjure up food, so I let her eat me."

  Nonsense! He's really good at talking nonsense! Yun Shang looked at him with a discerning eye under the dark moon, but didn't see through him.

  "Oh? Starving like this? Doesn't the Yun Wang Fu feed Miss Shallow Moon?" Nan Lingrui didn't show any signs of leaving, instead, she swished her skirt and plopped herself down on the soft couch where Yun Shangyue had just sat, smiling brightly as she raised an eyebrow.

  "She hasn't eaten all day!" Rong Jing said with a hint of understatement.

  "I heard that today, Shallow Moon Miss made a big splash at the Wu State Conference, doing something earth-shattering. Outside, it's being spread around that Rong Feng Gongzi is handsome and talented, with exceptional martial arts skills, winning over Yun Wangfu Shallow Moon Miss's heart, refusing to marry anyone else; also saying that Shallow Moon Miss fell in love with Rong Feng Gongzi at first sight during the Wu State Conference, immediately asking the Emperor for permission to grant their marriage; also saying that Night Prince was furious and resentful, smashing the study room of the Taizi Mansion... " Nan Lingrui spoke clearly, his voice bright and clear.

  "How come you have so much to say?" Yun Shangyue turned her head again to look at Nan Lingrui. Thinking that this person's face was so thick that they couldn't be driven away, and also too clueless.

  "I've just come all the way here, and I've heard all sorts of rumors. It's hard not to listen!" Nan Lingrui closed his folding fan with a "slap" and said with great regret: "Today, the Crown Prince didn't attend the Martial Arts Champion Conference, so he didn't see it with his own eyes or hear it with his own ears. This earth-shaking event is really a lifelong regret."

  "If you were dead, wouldn't this regret be buried with you in the underworld forever?" Yun Shangyue raised an eyebrow and asked.

  "Probably, maybe, should be, might be!" Nan Lingrui nodded slightly.

  "Fine! You can die with your eyes open then!" Yun Shangyue stretched out her hand and pulled, the two hairpins on her head flew towards Nan Lingrui's brow and heart like lightning.

  Nan Lingrui didn't expect Yun Qianyue to be so quick and fierce, with a technique he had never seen before. He wanted to reach out to catch the hairpins, but they seemed to have a piercing power that could break through even the strongest steel. Even if he managed to catch them, he was afraid of getting hurt. If he tried to open his fan to deflect them, his precious treasure might be destroyed in an instant. In shock, he could only jump up and dodge, using his lightness skill to avoid the attack. However, despite his quick reflexes, the hairpins still grazed his shoulder, leaving him gasping for air. He then heard two loud "popping" sounds as the hairpins pierced through the wall, about three inches deep.

  Nan Lingrui's eyes widened as she stared at the two hairpins, and suddenly turned her head to look at Yun Shangyue with a ghostly expression.

  Yun Qian Yue raised an eyebrow at Nan Ling Rui, "How's that? Exciting enough? Want to try again?"

  Nan Lingrui was clearly shocked, shaking his head at Yun Shangyue. He turned to look at his shoulder and found that his good brocade had been torn open, not just the outer garment, but also the inner one, revealing the muscles on his shoulder. A clear blood mark was left on his shoulder. He looked incredulous for a while before turning back to Yun Shangyue.

  Yun Qian Yue gazed at Nan Ling Rui with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. Finally, she saw that the handsome face no longer had a flirtatious and charming smile. She felt that her two hairpins were truly deserving of praise, able to break through the peach blossoms blooming on his smiling face.

  "The Crown Prince heard that Yun Wangfu's Shallow Moon Miss had lost her martial arts, wasn't it like this?" Nan Lingrui stared at Cloud Shallow Moon, unable to imagine that she didn't see any murderous aura on her body, yet her moves were so swift and decisive. He thought that there were only a few people in the world who could hurt him, but those few people would never include Cloud Shallow Moon.

  "The Crown Prince of Nanliang seems to be not only a flirtatious and lecherous big radish, but also a gossip-loving busybody who likes to stir up trouble. Cloud Shallow Moon snorted in laughter, she had just made her move without mercy, but she also knew that this Crown Prince of Nanliang was no pushover, or else she wouldn't have dared to be so ruthless."

  "Haha, Miss Shallow Moon is indeed a wonder to behold! I, the Crown Prince, have learned my lesson!" Nan Lingrui suddenly burst out laughing again, ignoring the wound on his shoulder. With a "slap" sound, he opened his fan and fanned himself twice with an air of elegance, shrugging his shoulders at Yun Shangyue's unpleasant expression. He turned around and sat back down on the soft couch, saying with a thick smile: "You all continue, pretend I'm not here. This morning, I missed a good show and regretted it, but now Heaven has given me a second chance, how can I waste this opportunity?"

  After he finished speaking, he leaned back comfortably against the soft couch, his peach blossom eyes staring steadily at Rong Jing and Yun Shallow Moon, with an air of "even if the sky falls, I won't be driven away".

  Yun's face turned dark as he thought that this Southern Liang Rui Taizi was also a top-notch master!

  "Ah, it seems you won't be able to eat me after all!" Rong Jing sighed and clenched his fists.

  "That's not necessarily true!" Yun Qianyue hummed, still pressing down on Rong Jing, and asked Nan Lingrui bluntly, "Do you want to watch the play?"

  Nan Ling's eyes sparkled and she glanced at Rong Jing, nodding slightly, "Mm, okay!"

  "Want to watch me and him act?" Yun Shangyue asked again.

  "Besides you two, I'm the only one in this house, so it should be the two of you putting on a show for me to watch." Nan Lingrui said again.

  "That's good! Do you have money?" Yun Qianyue said slowly: "It depends on the price of our play. Generally, people can't afford it even if they sell their heads."

  Nan Lingrui fanned herself twice with the fan in her hand, reached into her sleeve and pulled out a jade pendant, shook her wrist, and tossed it at Yun Shangyue, "See if this is enough for me to watch one play?"

  Yun Qian Yue immediately released one of Rong Jing's hands, reached out to take the jade pendant, which was engraved with a dragon-shaped pattern and had a "Rui" character carved on it in plum blossom script. Crystal clear, warm and smooth, not at all inferior to the jade pendant she had pried from Rong Jing, naturally worth a lot of money, especially not just about the money, but also representing Nan Ling Rui's identity as the Southern Liang Crown Prince. She nodded, clenching the jade pendant in her hand, "Enough!"

  "A single jade pendant can buy you off?" Rong Jing's voice came from under Yun Qianyue, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the jade pendant clenched in her hand, "When did I become so cheap?"

  Is his jade pendant really cheap? Nan Lingrui's mouth twitched, and that was how bold Zong Jing dared to be!

  "It's better than having no one at all!" Yun Qiu Yue also raised an eyebrow, "Don't refuse if you don't have to!"

  "Uh, yeah!" Rong Jing nodded, seemingly pondering for a moment before reminding him, "But I think you'd better not take that jade pendant. How should I put it? He's the Crown Prince of Nan Liang, do you think his personal jade pendant is something anyone can just take? Don't forget about that broken bracelet."

  Yun Qian's hand, which was tightly grasping the jade pendant, suddenly loosened, and her heart felt a chill. Oh no! She had forgotten about this, so it couldn't be used after all! She immediately flung the jade pendant at Nan Lingrui, "This won't do, exchange it for something else, like silver notes or whatever? Do you have any?"

  Nan Lingrui caught the bracelet, staring at Yun Shangyue in disbelief. It seemed he had never thought that his treasured jade pendant, which many people wanted but couldn't get, was not only given away by him with great difficulty, but also thrown back to him in disdain. She looked at Rong Jing and Yun Shangyue, speechless for a long time.

  "There's no silver ticket, anything with a value will do!" Yun Qianyue retreated and sought secondary options, thinking that today she could still swindle something. With great difficulty, she bumped into a rabbit against the wall, not killing it would be a waste.

  But she forgot that the person in front of her was not someone else, but the Crown Prince of Nanliang. When would the Crown Prince of Nanliang wear silver ingots and silver tickets on his body? So, Nan Lingrui patted himself and found that except for the jade pendant, he only had the fan in his hand. He handed the fan to Yun Shuangyue, "Will this do? This is something I think is more important than the jade pendant. The Jade Maiden picture on it is a masterpiece of the world's number one painter!"

  "Nothing doing! Except for silver, gold and silver notes, everything else is off the table!" Yun Shangyue glanced at the fan handed over by Nan Lingrui, pouting her mouth. The Jade Maiden picture wasn't even painted as well as hers, yet he claimed to be the number one painter in the world? What a fame-seeker!

  "That's... it!" Nan Lingrui shook his head somewhat dejectedly. The two things he treasured were being rejected like trash, and now he had nothing left on him except for these two items. Where was the dignified prince who used to carry silver notes on him? He tentatively asked Yun Shangyue, "How much do I owe?"

  "Owing what?" Yun Shallow Moon heard and seriously considered.

  "Is there such a good thing in the world? You and I are not food, eating first and paying later. Wouldn't that be too cheap for us? Besides, owing money is the most unreliable thing, if you owe it for long, you won't pay it back." Rong Jing said slowly.

  "Not bad! Not owed!" Yun Qian Yue nodded in agreement.

  Nan Lingrui looked at the two of them with a feeling that he couldn't say anything more. He usually brought attendants with him, but today he had sent all his attendants away, where could he find someone to bring silver for her? He felt somewhat depressed, realizing for the first time that money was a good thing. But even without money, this was still something worth watching, a rare spectacle that came once in a hundred years, and he wouldn't leave even if you killed him. He made up his mind, looking at Yun Shangyue, "I don't have what you want, but I'll owe it to you, I'll definitely pay it back, the prince's promise is worth a thousand gold, you deal with it."

  "Rui Taizi indeed had a reputation for being true to his word. He was said to have taken a liking to one of the concubines of the King of Southern Liang, and vowed to marry her. Later, the King of Southern Liang gave that concubine to him as a gift. On their wedding night, before the candles had even gone out, the concubine died in bed, clutching a divorce letter in her hand." Rong Jing's voice was neither high nor low.

  Nan Lingrui was taken aback, "Where is it? When did this happen and how come I don't know?"

  "Rui Taizi played in a cluster of flowers, countless pinks, this kind of old thing is probably forgotten early." said Rong Jing.

  Nan Lingrui furrowed his brow in thought, lowering his head and muttering to himself, "Impossible, the Crown Prince's memory has always been very good."

  "Think again, in the year of Tian Sheng 102, on the winter solstice, didn't King Nan Liang give you a concubine as a gift? That was your birthday. The concubine was as beautiful as a flower, and King Nan Liang loved her dearly, but you had always liked her, and after getting drunk, you blurted out that you wanted to marry her. Later, King Nan Liang, doting on his son, gave the concubine to you." Rong Jing reminded him gently.

  "Ah, right! There was such a thing, the crown prince remembered!" Nan Lingrui patted his forehead and praised: "Jing Shizi's memory is indeed better than the crown prince. The crown prince admires!"

  Rong Jing didn't care about him and instead turned to Yun Shangyue, saying: "Someone who even covets his father's concubine, can you trust his character?"

  Yun Qian Yue shook her head and looked at Nan Ling Rui with disdain, her stance was very firm, "I don't believe it!"

  "That's it, then. Do you think we're still acting? Being watched for free by others without spending a single silver coin, is there such a good thing in the world?" Rong Jingde concluded and asked Yun Shangyue.

  "That's it! Not today! I'll get you another day!" Yun Shangyue immediately released her grip on Rong Jing's hands and feet, and sprang off him with a nimble movement.

  Nan Lingrui's eyes widened in shock, he truly witnessed Rong Jing's skills today! He stretched out his hand with a folding fan pointing at Rong Jing, unable to speak for half a moment.

  "Rui Taizi, do you have any opinion?" The slender fingers of the elegant and refined lady gently smoothed out the wrinkles on her moon-white brocade robe, which had been creased by Yun Shangyue. She then elegantly tidied up her disheveled hair, and afterwards fastened the buttons at the neckline of Rui Taizi's collar, covering the red marks on his neck. The redness had faded away, leaving only a small patch that didn't look like it was caused by being pinched, but rather seemed to be a result of some other activity.

  Nan Lingrui stared at Rong Jing until he covered the red mark on his neck, then he withdrew his gaze, with an expression as if he had been struck, and said irrelevantly: "I didn't expect that this jade-like ice-hearted Buddha would also be tainted! I thought that day would never come! Today is indeed a blessing from heaven for me!"

  "Hmm, Heaven has been very kind to Rui Taizi in many ways." Yong Jing uttered a sentence with unclear meaning.

  Nan Lingrui looked at Rong Jing's face, shivered, turned her head to look at Yun Shangyue, saw that she was staring at her, and immediately asked: "Do you know what year, month, and day it is this year?"

  "What's this for?" Yun Shang glanced at him with a pale face. She seemed to really not know! Since she came, she hadn't paid attention to the time, only knowing it was June now, but which year she didn't know.

  Nan Lingrui's expression was once again one of being struck, and he solemnly said to Yun Shangyue: "Today is the 117th year of Tian Sheng, June 20."

  "Oh!" Yun Qianyue nodded as if she remembered something.

  Nan Lingrui saw that she had no other expression, and continued to press her: "It has been exactly fifteen years since the winter solstice of Tian Sheng's 102nd year. I am eighteen this year, and at that time I was celebrating my third birthday. Just remembering things, how could I have a romantic night with one of my father king's concubines?"

  Yun Qian Yue was stunned on the spot.

  Nan Lingrui took a detour and broke through Rong Jing's trap, his eyes fixed on Yun Shangyue without blinking, expecting her to explode at Rong Jing. Thinking that this was going to be a good show after all.

  Nan Lingrui's momentary triumph was short-lived, as Yun Shuoyue snorted in disdain and looked at him with even greater contempt. "Your character is even more despicable, thinking about your father's concubine at the age of three. No wonder you're such a philanderer now, it seems it's just your nature."

  Nan Lingrui let out a sudden "ah" sound, seemingly unable to anticipate that she would have such thoughts. For a moment, the triumphant look on her face froze in place.

  Rong Jing smiled softly, her laughter like a clear spring splashing against rocks, or a small stream flowing through the water grass, gurgling and babbling.

  Yun Qianyue turned her head and hummed at Rong Jing, glaring at him. Fifteen years ago, he was crystal clear about everything, not a good thing either. Probably nothing to do with listening to others' gossip.

  The sound of laughter stopped, but the eyebrows and eyes couldn't hide that shallow smile. The whole person was elegant and warm, clearly a calm and serene person who didn't get stained by worldly dust, yet at this moment seemed to have walked out of a painting, looking incredibly real.

  Nan Lingrui sighed, "Indeed, the Crown Prince has not been to Tian Sheng for many years. The water and soil of Tian Sheng have changed its nature, and the people it nurtures are one after another, making the Crown Prince look at them with new eyes!"

  Yun Qianyue felt that her stomach was already protesting, rumbling and growling, too lazy to care about Rong Nanlingyi, rubbing her empty stomach and staring at Rong Jing, "Where's the food? If it doesn't come soon, I'll really eat you!"

  As soon as she finished speaking, her stomach cooperated with a growl.

  "Sure enough, Miss Shallow Moon is starving to the point of eating people! This is the first time in the history of Drunken Fragrance Pavilion that a guest has been starved to this extent, what a wonder!" Nan Lingrui said lazily, looking at Yun Shangyue's hand pressed against her stomach without regard for her image.

  "Besides, you're eating with me!" Yun Shangyue felt truly hungry now. She hadn't eaten much for breakfast and after all the commotion this morning, it was no wonder she was starving. She warned Nan Lingrui.

  Nan Lingrui saw Yun Shangyue's hungry appearance and wisely shut her mouth.

  "Don't worry, if you don't come again, I'll let you eat." Rong Jing stood up and walked to the table, sat down with a gentle smile, and beckoned to Yun Shangyue, "Come over, sit down!"

  Nan Lingrui gazed at Rong Jing with an eerie expression, his eyes flashing with a strange, sparkling light.

  Yun Qian Yue let go of her hand, lazily lifted her feet and walked over. She had only taken two steps when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs, followed by a wave of delicious food smells. She immediately quickened her pace, and in the blink of an eye, she was sitting down at the table, picking up her chopsticks, her eyes fixed on the door. "Finally arrived! My lotus leaf smoked chicken!"

  Rong Jing smiled slightly and poured her a cup of tea, handing it over to her.

  Yun Qianyue was staring at the door, listening to the footsteps getting closer and closer. She clearly smelled the fragrance of lotus leaf smoked chicken and couldn't help but lick her lips in anticipation. When the footsteps reached the door, the bead curtain lifted, revealing the person's face and clothes. Yun Qianyue was taken aback, her voice rising in surprise as she exclaimed: "Ye Qingran?"

  Only to see Ye light dyeing the end of a large tray, on which several dishes were placed, with a large plate of lotus leaf smoked chicken in the middle. Hearing Yun Shallow Moon call him, he smiled and walked over slowly, "I'm afraid you'll be bullied by the weak beauty, come and take a look, just in time to help the shopkeeper bring the food!"

  Digression

  Thanks for the understanding and unconditional support from many relatives, the most precious wealth I've gained! Love you all, infinite love~

  Thanks everyone below!

  13056713572 (5 diamonds), zhouyan0796 (3 diamonds), duoli123 (3 diamonds), 480pv Dan (2 diamonds), wendychi (2 diamonds), xing cheng mo (1 diamond), elliy05588 (1 diamond), 18684934356 (1 diamond), xing yun er1985 (1 diamond), mooloveyou (200 rewards), lm (1 diamond), ling liu (1 diamond), xi er (1 diamond), ruo yi (1 diamond), su qian suqian (1 diamond), raphaellion (1 diamond), bi an ming xue 00 (1 diamond), annwu1995 (1 diamond), bobo22333 (100 rewards), sui liu liu shang (4 flowers), ji an xiao (3 flowers), pangada (2 flowers), qi jian (2 flowers), jing qiao de qiu (1 flower), lisa (1 flower), melon123 (1 flower), huan wu lian yue (1 flower), xiao lu fei fei (2 flowers), xu xiaojie (1 flower), o (n_n) o~