Lu Yan simply couldn't stand Xu Ruhui's endless chattering. After threatening to deduct one month's salary if he said another word, Xu Ruhui finally quieted down and sat silently in the carriage all the way. However, even when he didn't speak, his eyes still darted around, and he stuck his head out of the carriage window, looking here and there.
The distance from the Bian Palace to the Shen Mansion wasn't far. But as the festival was approaching, the streets were bustling with a lot more people. Everyone was shopping for things needed for the New Year. Along the way, cries of peddlers and bargaining voices never ceased, and the atmosphere of the marketplace rushed towards them.
Lu Yan sat inside the carriage, closing his eyes to rest. Although he was handsome, after years of being tempered by the harshness of the northern country and the battlefield, when his face showed no expression, no matter from which angle, it gave people a feeling of being scolded or about to be scolded. Elegantly speaking, it was called domineering; vulgarly speaking, it was just being cocky.
Of course, this cocky air didn't have any impact on Lu Yan's admirers. Paired with his appearance that already fascinated women, it actually gave off a kind of cool and charming feeling. Although no one knew why everyone had two eyes, one nose, and one mouth, when combined on Lu Yan's face, it was especially charming. This charm once made the men around Lu Yan reluctant to look at him too much, like Xu Ruhui.
So Xu Ruhui would rather look at the vegetable - selling grandpa with moles on his face on the street than sit in the carriage and stare at Lu Yan's face.
"Um um um!" Xu Ruhui suddenly shivered all over, staring at a certain place outside the carriage window. Because he was worried about his salary, he didn't want to speak, but just kept making some unclear syllables.
Lu Yan was extremely annoyed and turned his head, ignoring him.
"Um um, um um um." Xu Ruhui seemed to be addicted to this game. Seeing that Lu Yan ignored him, he even started humming a tune in this non - human language.
Lu Yan was so annoyed that his head was about to explode: "What are you doing!"
"Um?"
"Speak like a normal person." Lu Yan gritted his teeth.
"Um um."
"... If you don't speak, I'll cut you down with a sword!" Lu Yan directly drew out half of the long sword at his waist.
Xu Ruhui stopped teasing him and returned to normal: "Look quickly, Shen Qingfeng."
Lu Yan was stunned for a moment, then instantly jumped up from his seat like a fierce tiger, rushed to the window and leaned out to look. But after looking for a long time, he didn't see the familiar figure.
"Where?" Lu Yan turned his head and asked.
"He's gone far." Xu Ruhui shrugged: "Didn't you tell me not to speak? So I had to find another way to communicate. Who knew you couldn't understand, senior brother."
"You!" Lu Yan was so angry that he really wanted to cut Xu Ruhui down with his sword. The sword was about to be completely drawn out.
Xu Ruhui quickly pointed in a direction: "He went that way! Hurry up, senior brother!"
Lu Yan trembled all over, then glared at Xu Ruhui, directly jumped out of the carriage window, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Tsk tsk tsk... Senior brother, what's wrong with you?" After Lu Yan left, Xu Ruhui leaned against the carriage window, looking at the direction where he disappeared. A knowing look flashed in his eyes.
-
"Lanterns, gold and silver paper money, ribbons, melon seeds and peanuts..." Shen Qingfeng looked at the list he had made long ago, checking the items as he walked. His slender fingertips glided across the paper and finally stopped at a certain place: "I still need to buy some incense."
Hearing this, Shen Yu beside him said, "Let's buy the incense at the Shifang Zhai in the East Fang. The incense there is good."
"Okay." Shen Qingfeng nodded. At Shen Yu's request, he wasn't wearing a bamboo hat now, but simply dressed in a white robe. For convenience, he tied up the two cuffs with ribbon ties. Although his long hair still hung loosely on his shoulders, compared to his previous sickly appearance, he looked much more energetic.
Shen Qingfeng was born with the appearance of a gentle and elegant young master. He was extremely good - looking, the kind of person that passers - by couldn't help but turn their heads to take a second look after a casual glance. Because of this, after several passers - by took a closer look, some recognized him.
Who wouldn't recognize a noble young master who had caused a ruckus in the Shanhe Hall?
"Aman, do you want to eat candied haws?" Shen Qingfeng didn't mind the looks from the passers - by at all. He walked generously to a candied - haw stand. After all, he hadn't cared about such things back then. There was a stubborn streak in Shen Qingfeng's bones. He could do whatever it took to achieve his goal. So back then, he had resolutely rushed into the Shanhe Hall and caused a ruckus, without any regard for how others would view him. Now that he had been reborn, he cared even less about these things. The only difference was that in the past, he had regarded his family as "others", but now it was different. That was why he had worn a bamboo hat when going to see Lu Yan. It wasn't because he was afraid of the gossips, but because he was afraid that those words would hurt the Shen family.
"Yes, I want to eat!" Aman carried a small bamboo basket on her back and bounced over to Shen Qingfeng. Because she was running so happily, the gold and silver paper scraps in the bamboo basket jingled.
"Um..." The candied - haw vendor seemed to recognize Shen Qingfeng. He forced a smile, rubbing his hands nervously and wiping the sweat off his forehead with the towel on his shoulder. He said apologetically, "Which flavor would you like, young master?"
Shen Qingfeng smiled slightly at Aman and rubbed the top of her head: "Come and see which flavor you want?"
Aman was short, so she could only stand on tiptoe, put her hands on the stand and stretch her head to look. Her bright eyes darted around for a while, then she pointed at a candied haw with a red strawberry on top and said, "I want that one, sir."
Shen Qingfeng nodded, then suddenly turned to Shen Yu and asked, "Brother, do you want to eat?"
Shen Yu, who was in a daze beside them, was stunned for a moment. Then a blush appeared on his face, and he scolded coquettishly, "You're teasing me again, little brother!"
"Haha..." Shen Qingfeng covered his mouth and laughed. His laughter was very pleasant, like a gentle breeze and a bright moon, which made the vendor stunned for a moment.
"How much is that?" Shen Qingfeng pointed at the candied haw Aman had just asked for, looked at the vendor and asked.
"Ten... ten cash." The vendor stuttered inexplicably when being stared at directly by Shen Qingfeng.
Shen Qingfeng took out a string of cash from his bosom and handed it to the vendor: "Keep the change."
There was a sparkle in Aman's eyes. Seeing that Shen Qingfeng had paid the money, she immediately grabbed the candied haw. Before the words "Thank you, young master" had even left her mouth, she had already put the strawberry on top into her mouth.
"Let's go." A warm look flashed across Shen Qingfeng's eyes, and then the group walked side by side again.
When Shen Qingfeng and the others had walked far away, the people around the vendor suddenly surrounded him.
"Was that just now the young master of the Shen family, Shen Qingfeng?" Passer - by A asked.
"Definitely! My nephew works in the palace and has seen him with his own eyes. He's that disgraceful homosexual!" Passer - by B spat.
"They all say that Shen Qingfeng has a wild and unruly personality, is arrogant and domineering, and is hopelessly in love with the crown prince. When he came to buy candied haws just now, didn't he give you any trouble?" Passer - by A asked.
The vendor was a bit dazed. Looking at the string of silver in his hand, his eyes were also full of disbelief.
"In my opinion, Shen Qingfeng is a disaster. His love for men has become public knowledge. The Shen family is a noble family. How could they produce such a person? He has shamed the entire Shen family!" Passer - by B sneered, pointing at the place where Shen Qingfeng had just stood. With a look of disgust on his face, he said to the vendor, "You'd better take down this stand and make a new one quickly, so as not to be unlucky—ahh!"
Suddenly, Passer - by B let out a scream. Everyone looked up and saw that a tall figure suddenly appeared behind him. It was Lu Yan, who had been quietly following Shen Qingfeng and the others. At this moment, his face was gloomy, and one hand was clasped on that man's shoulder. As soon as his eyebrows frowned, Passer - by B let out another miserable scream and knelt on the ground in pain. His entire left arm even drooped directly, hanging in a distorted way. It was actually dislocated by Lu Yan.
This sudden change left all the townspeople gaping in astonishment. Seeing Lu Yan in his luxurious clothes, clearly from a wealthy family, everyone didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
Lu Yan's eyes were full of fierceness. His sharp eyes swept across the faces of everyone present one by one: "Whoever dares to gossip about Shen Qingfeng again will end up like this man!"