From the moment she entered the back courtyard, Xiao Yu had been closely observing Yan Qing’s expressions, and when she was caught spying, he even seriously said to her,
"If you want to look, you can take your time later; there’s no need to sneak around."
Boom, Xiao Yu’s face uncontrollably turned red to her neck roots: "No, I wasn’t spying on you!"
As the two arrived in the living room, since all the furniture was original, Xiao Yu distinctly noticed that he comfortably leaned back in the host’s seat and even nodded toward the chair next to him: "Sit!"
"Oh, I’d better not, I’ll go and make you a cup of tea?"
"No need to fuss, I, uh, I’m not thirsty; I just ate a lot, and I can’t drink right now; you sit, I have something to ask you."
Once Xiao Yu obediently sat down, the man suddenly leaned forward, resting one hand on the table, and gazing intensely at her. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel~fire~net
"The noodles in this noodle shop of yours, they haven’t always just been these few varieties, right? I remember you previously made that red, very tasty one for me, what was it called?"
"Tomato sauce noodles?"
"Ah, yes, yes, yes, besides that, there was also a spicy one, it seemed to be called Spicy Small Noodles; why haven’t you made those anymore?"
"Don’t worry, after selling these noodles for half a month, there will naturally be new types added. But, don’t you ever get tired of eating noodles every day?"
Yan Qing touched his bloated stomach, "If it weren’t for your cooking skills, I probably would’ve gotten tired of it long ago."
Xiao Yu twitched her mouth and thought about it; instead of beating around the bush, she might as well ask outright: "Is this shop yours?"
Yan Qing casually turned his head, "Hm? What did you say?"
"I’m saying, your Highness Prince Qing, is it appropriate for you to sell the gold building to me at such a low price?"
Yan Qing raised his eyebrows, clearly not expecting her to find out so quickly: "Why not? This way, wouldn’t I be able to eat your cooking every day? And when Ze comes back, he could see you every day."
Xiao Yu hadn’t expected his prompt admission. Realizing that he was a high-ranking Prince and she just a commoner, she quickly stood and approached him, pondering how to perform a proper bow when the man frowned at her: "What are you doing?"
"You are His Highness Prince Qing, I, no, how could a commoner like me sit on equal terms with you?"
Yan Qing let out a cold laugh, laced with self-mockery, "But if it weren’t for you, a commoner, I fear I would’ve been long lost to the sea, with my bones untraceable! Besides saving my life, the prescription you gave also played a significant role in Yan Country. Without that prescription, how could I possibly have been assigned as Prince Qing?"
"If my Crown Prince elder brother and I were not born of the same mother, I would have been driven out of Beijing along with being crowned. So, you are my benefactor, and to me, your merit must not be overlooked. I merely traded a shop under disguise, so you needn’t concern yourself!"
Xiao Yu looked up at him in surprise; she hadn’t expected him to reveal so much, let alone that he and the Crown Prince were full brothers, and it seemed their fraternal relationship was quite good?
"My mother is the Empress, the Father Emperor is unwell, and now the Crown Prince Regent rules. I have supported my brother since childhood and have no interest in the throne, so my elder brother indulges me a lot. The reason I was rescued by you five or six years ago was due to falling into a trap set by King Wu Wen. If not for you, I might not have returned. He is also my brother but the biggest rival of the Crown Prince. Even as a Vassal King, he never gave up, do you understand what I mean?"