Xia Chuli looked at the bowl, remained silent for a while, then took it and asked, "Which imperial chef made this hangover soup?"
Qi Mengmeng was taken aback. She had only asked someone to prepare the hangover soup but hadn't noticed which imperial chef had made it. Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince was going to be picky about the chef?
At this thought, she couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. Lowering her head and pinching her fingers, she said, "This... Your concubine doesn't know that Your Highness has a preference for imperial chefs. Then your concubine will have someone prepare another bowl right away?"
Qi Mengmeng was about to take the hangover soup, but Xia Chuli stood there like a statue, staring fixedly at the soup. It seemed that he had no intention of returning the bowl to her.
Qi Mengmeng panicked a little. "Your... Highness?"
Xia Chuli paused, looked up at Qi Mengmeng, then slowly sat up straight, shook his head and said, "Since it's already made, don't waste it. The hangover soup in the Bian Palace usually contains a lot of tonics. If you don't mind, drink it for me." After saying that, he smiled faintly, reached out and gently stroked the bowl, then changed hands and offered the bowl to Qi Mengmeng.
Qi Mengmeng didn't have time to think too much. Although she grew up in the Qi family, her character wasn't shrewd. Moreover, she was still young and didn't understand many things thoroughly. She took the bowl of hangover soup with both hands. Thinking that this was her first time serving the Crown Prince after their wedding and she hadn't done well, but the Crown Prince not only didn't mind but also showed understanding, she decided that she must drink this soup.
Although Qi Mengmeng was a pawn of the Qi family, she wasn't stupid. She knew that after marrying Xia Chuli, in fact, besides reporting to the Qi family, she had little to do with them. When the Qi family no longer needed her, she would be alone in the Eastern Palace. And in the Eastern Palace, the only person she could rely on was Xia Chuli.
"Your concubine thanks Your Highness for the reward." Qi Mengmeng took the bowl and thanked him. After figuring out the key point, she drank the hangover soup in front of Xia Chuli.
After that, there came a faint sound of porcelain shattering in the room. But the sound was so faint that in this quiet night, it was not as noticeable as a meow.
Xia Chuli threw the unconscious Qi Mengmeng onto the bed, casually grabbed a quilt from the side and covered her with it, then got out of bed. He found a night suit in the room, quickly took off his wedding robe and threw it on the ground. After tidying up, he walked to the window and gently opened a crack, quietly observing outside.
Today was his wedding day, but the entire Eastern Palace was eerily quiet.
The grand spectacle during the day was just to give an explanation to the common people and officials. After the ceremony, everyone left, and who in the palace would still care about him, an unfavored crown prince?
He sneered inwardly. Then, with a flash of his body, he slipped out through the crack in the window.
Xia Chuli knew martial arts. Only the people of the Shen family knew this. In order to protect him, Shen Shiqiu had secretly asked Shen Yu to teach him martial arts. Although he was young and had not practiced for long, under Shen Yu's personal guidance, he was more than capable of using lightness kung fu to avoid the sleepy guards at the gate of the Eastern Palace.
Xia Chuli quickly reached the front of the Bian Palace. Because of his wedding, King Xia Jie had graciously granted an amnesty to the world and allowed the officials to take a day off. Therefore, the imperial guards in front of the Bian Palace were a bit slack. Xia Chuli only used a little trick and climbed over the high city wall, sneaking out of the Bian Palace.
Xia Chuli pulled up his mask to cover his face more tightly and walked firmly in one direction. On the Wutong Avenue at night, because of the curfew, there was no one in sight. Only a few stray cats swaggered across the street, each with a dead mouse in its mouth. They were not afraid when they saw someone coming. Instead, they turned their heads and stared intently at Xia Chuli. Their narrow pupils glowed with a strange green light in the darkness.
Xia Chuli pursed his lips. He gave those stray cats a disgusted look, spat secretly, then picked up his pace and walked away.
He had only one purpose for this trip, which was the place that the voice in his head had repeated many times.
Xia Chuli didn't believe that Shen Qingfeng would be in the Dingbei Marquis Mansion at this time. Even if Shen Qingfeng was in the mansion, he didn't believe that their years of friendship could be replaced by Lu Yan.
However, he had to admit that the voice had made him feel flustered.
He began to waver and became uncertain. He was very afraid that Shen Qingfeng would really be with Lu Yan.
What would they be doing if they were together?
Xia Chuli recalled the nights he had spent with Shen Qingfeng and gritted his teeth secretly.
In the past late nights, Shen Qingfeng would build a fire in the cold and desolate palace, then lean against him, telling him about their future. He would close the window of the Eastern Palace, warm a cup of tea, and have a late-night talk with him by candlelight. He would also lie beside him, reach out and gently hold his little finger, saying again and again, "I'll be with you, A Li."
Xia Chuli bit his lower lip tightly. His whole body felt as if it was tied up and roasted on a fire. The burning tongues of fire licked his skin, causing a sharp pain.
Many times, Xia Chuli didn't realize that it was only when Shen Qingfeng was getting farther and farther away from him that he began to slowly remember Shen Qingfeng's goodness. Those memories that had been sealed away because of habit seemed to well up in his heart as Shen Qingfeng grew distant. When there was no longer Shen Qingfeng's shadow beside him, he began to look at Shen Qingfeng's back. Immersed in memories, Xia Chuli didn't think there was anything wrong with this. He now had an increasingly firm thought, which was -
He didn't want Shen Qingfeng to be so close to Lu Yan. Shen Qingfeng belonged to him.
Although Shen Qingfeng had clearly rejected him, Xia Chuli didn't believe it. He didn't believe that Shen Qingfeng, who had always followed him around, would fall in love with Lu Yan. After all, Shen Qingfeng was angry and left because he was going to marry Qi Mengmeng. But just like a dog that had run away in a fit of temper, it would eventually come back when it was tired.
Xia Chuli stood in front of the Dingbei Marquis Mansion, looking at the closed mansion gate. A confident smile curved his lips.
"The Eastern Palace is our home."
These words were said by Shen Qingfeng, and Xia Chuli would never forget them for the rest of his life. And now, he had come to take him home.
Xia Chuli quietly leaped onto the wall and looked out. For some reason, there was no one in the Dingbei Marquis Mansion. The huge mansion was so quiet that only one wing room still had a light on.
Xia Chuli was puzzled for a while, then thought that since the emperor had given the day off, there was no one in the mansion, perhaps because of this.
He took a deep breath, slowly leaped off the wall, landed steadily on the ground, and walked towards the room with the candlelight.
Qingfeng, look, I didn't consummate my marriage with Qi Mengmeng on our wedding night. I've come to find you. Don't be angry anymore. Come back with me.
Xia Chuli walked slowly, with a prepared speech on his lips. He could almost imagine Shen Qingfeng looking up at him in surprise and joy in a moment. So happy and so beautiful.
He thought that he must hold his hand and take him back to the Eastern Palace later, and never let him out again.
There came some faint sounds from the room in the distance. Xia Chuli didn't pay much attention. He walked forward step by step with a smile on his lips.
Finally, he stopped in front of the door, reached out his hand, and was about to push the door open.
"…Ah…"
A very familiar voice, with a tone he was extremely unfamiliar with, came out of the room.
Xia Chuli was immediately stunned on the spot.
"How about it? One more time? Hmm?"
"No…"
Xia Chuli felt that the blood in his whole body had solidified in an instant. He maintained the posture of reaching out to push the door. The whole person was like being stabbed by countless fine needles, sealing all the acupoints on his body. He stood there like a stone statue, unable to move.
Inside the room, the sound suddenly rose, accompanied by the harsh and irregular rubbing sound of the heavy bed frame.
Two voices that Xia Chuli was all too familiar with were intertwined in a way he had never imagined. Xia Chuli only felt cold all over. He took a sudden step back. Immediately, his vision was filled with a dazzling blur, as if a thunderbolt had exploded in his mind. For a moment, he almost lost his mind.
The sounds in the room rose and fell. Xia Chuli stood there stupidly, his vision turning black. He didn't know how long it had passed. He only felt his whole body stiff, as if frozen. It wasn't until the faint sound gradually changed from sobbing to begging for mercy that Xia Chuli was suddenly struck by lightning and came back to his senses. His temples throbbed, and his heart felt as if it had been punched hard, making him suffocate in pain.
Finally, after hearing a satisfied sigh from the room, Xia Chuli's legs went weak. He couldn't bear the torture any longer. He staggered back a few steps, then fled as if escaping from death.
Inside the room, Lu Yan suddenly heard a noise at the door. He gave a start, jumped up like a carp, casually put on a robe, and walked quickly to the door. With a "bang", he pushed the door open.
But there was nothing abnormal outside the door. There was only a cat that had somehow jumped into the mansion, gnawing on a dead mouse under a pillar.