136 Separated
Dang Gui and the coachman sat on the shaft. Only Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan were in the carriage.
They faced each other, eyes locked.
Yu Niaoniao was still thinking about the two hundred taels of silver.
She had another plan. She suddenly smiled ingratiatingly and asked eagerly.
“Your Highness, you must be tired after working all morning. Shall I massage your shoulders and legs?”
She had already thought it through. A hundred taels for the shoulders and a hundred for the legs. Together, it was two hundred taels.
If he dared to think that it was expensive, she would cry and say that she would put down her status as a rich young lady to serve him. Was it not worth two hundred taels?
She expected him to be too ashamed to not pay.
Xiao Juan was thinking about Granny Xiu Yan’s instructions.
Nanny said girls had to be protected. How could he let her do the service?
Hence, Xiao Juan rejected her.
“Thank you, but there’s no need.”
Yu Niaoniao’s scheme to cheat money had failed before it even began.
She snorted softly and thought that he was quite cautious!
The carriage stopped in front of a restaurant.
Xiao Juan jumped out of the car first. He turned and reached out to Yu Niaoniao, ready to help her out of the car.
In the end, she placed her hands on the shaft and easily jumped down. Xiao Juan could only silently retract his hand.
Yu Niaoniao saw an old procuress selling pears across the street.
The pears were piled in wicker baskets. They were big and round and looked as if they might be delicious.
Yu Niaoniao could not help but swallow.
Xiao Juan walked towards the restaurant. After taking two steps, he realized that Yu Niaoniao had not followed him. He could only stop and look back at her.
“Why did you stop?”
Yu Niaoniao wanted to eat pears, but she was afraid that Xiao Juan would take the opportunity to cheat her of her money again.
She could only say coyly, “I’m very curious. Are those pears sweet?”
After saying that, she looked at the pears across the street with longing.
The implication was, arguably, quite clear.
Xiao Juan understood.
Although he felt that this behavior was a little childish, he still remembered Granny Xiu Yan’s instructions to try to satisfy Yu Niaoniao’s request and make her happy.
So he strode across the street.
When the Madam saw the Eagle Guard uniform on Xiao Juan, her face immediately turned pale.
She stammered a question.
“Officer, what can I do for you?”
Xiao Juan asked expressionlessly, “Are your pears sweet?”
The procuress had obviously not expected such a question. She paused before speaking hesitantly.
“They should be sweet… right?”
Xiao Juan frowned. “Make yourself clear. If they’re sweet, say they’re sweet. Don’t be vague!”
The procuress was so frightened by his stern tone that she almost cried on the spot.
“Sweet, sweet, very sweet!”
She spoke quickly, afraid that if she was too late, the man opposite her would draw his knife and cut her down.
Xiao Juan left in satisfaction after receiving the answer.
He returned to Yu Niaoniao and spoke to her seriously.
“Those pears are very sweet. Can we go now?”
Yu Niaoniao was speechless.
She was deep in thought.
Which link had gone wrong?
Was her implication not obvious enough, or was there something wrong with his understanding?
Why was it that the previous development was clearly normal, but the final outcome was far from the question?
A moment later she concluded that it was because she and Duke Lang were not fated enough to stay together. Perhaps separation was the best ending for them.
Yu Niaoniao sighed and turned to walk in the opposite direction from Duke Lang.
“All good things must come to an end, Your Highness. I think we should part…”
Xiao Juan said, “I’ll treat you to a meal.”
Yu Niaoniao turned quickly back to him and gripped his hand.
“It’s impossible to be apart. We’ll never be apart!”