The Remaining Candied Hawthorn Skewers Were Given to the Little Beggar

Yun Jing's eyes already held a hint of anger.

This young girl was only eighteen, and yet this scoundrel was getting so close to her.

He really wanted to break the scoundrel's legs.

Yet, he also felt that the young girl's gaze towards him held no ambiguity.

It seemed she was intentionally provoking this scoundrel.

Even if he didn't understand her intentions, he shouldn't interfere.

Meng Anli looked at the lump of clay in her master's hands; it was already losing its shape.

She gently nudged the Crown Prince. "Brother Shaoguang, we need to watch Master. This way, Master can observe us better and sculpt us."

The Crown Prince reluctantly turned around.

Yun Jing looked approvingly at Meng Anli. "You speak the absolute truth, young lady. You're quite considerate of this old man."

Meng Anli: "..."

It seemed her master's words held a hidden meaning.

She was breaking out in a cold sweat.

The Crown Prince was quite curious about what could be sculpted, so he cooperated and remained still.

Meng Anli sat up straight, feeling as if thorns were on her back, not daring to speak.

The Crown Prince occasionally glanced at her, finding her incredibly cute in this posture.

Yun Jing looked at her like this, his heart softening.

He decided to hold back the scolding he had intended, lest he frighten her.

He finished sculpting quickly.

Meng Anli was pleasantly surprised; it truly looked like them.

Master was indeed Master, with such skill.

The Crown Prince was also delighted, feeling that his own work was exceptionally good, especially the little Ying he sculpted. She was endearingly clumsy yet full of spirit, truly capturing her essence.

He had even sculpted the candied hawthorn skewers in her hand.

The Crown Prince didn't hesitate to place a gold ingot on the table. "No need for change. The rest is for you."

"Thank you, sir. You are most generous," Yun Jing said perfunctorily.

Meng Anli quickly departed. Only when she could no longer feel her master's gaze did she raise her hand towards the Crown Prince.

"My little clay figures..."

"They're all mine." The Crown Prince put away both clay figures.

Without their master present, Meng Anli could act freely again. Her cheeks suddenly flushed red.

"But... that's me~"

"It's my money that was spent~"

Meng Anli stomped her foot and pretended to be angry, running into the crowd.

The Crown Prince chased after her with a smile, like a young man smitten by love.

Meng Anli thought about what the Crown Prince had told her in her past life – the things Meng Shiwan had done with him, like floating river lanterns and setting off fireworks.

But none of that was happening now; they would have to wait until the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth of the first lunar month.

There was also a slightly sour phrase she wanted to say.

For now, she couldn't bring herself to say it.

Meng Anli then took him to eat noodles from a roadside stall.

The Crown Prince ate everything with novelty.

Naturally, it was the Crown Prince who paid.

Meng Anli rubbed her belly and let out a satisfied burp, saying reluctantly, "Thank you, Brother Shaoguang. I've never had such a joyous time, but we must part ways now."

The smile on the Crown Prince's face vanished instantly. "Part ways? What do you mean? I can escort you home."

Meng Anli shook her head, her eyes turning red. "Let today be like a dream. You are still the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Realm, and I am just your little Ying."

"No!" The Crown Prince grabbed her wrist. "Come back to the Heavenly Court with me."

Meng Anli bit her lip, her eyes full of reluctance. "My mother wouldn't agree. She was ruined by my father, and she fears people from the Heavenly Realm the most."

"How was she ruined?"

"I'm sorry, I can't say. I have to go now." She gave the Crown Prince a deep look. "I will always remember you, Brother Shaoguang, the one who illuminated my entire life."

Shaoguang's eyes trembled slightly. "Little Ying..."

Meng Anli turned and disappeared into the crowd.

She felt utterly disgusted by that sentimental phrase and knew she wouldn't be able to hold back if she stayed any longer.

Shaoguang strode forward to pursue, but was blocked by a stall being packed up.

When he looked up again, little Ying was nowhere to be seen.

He was so angry he kicked over the cart, sending the stall owner and her cart tumbling several times.

The old woman finally stopped and looked up to question him, but upon seeing Shaoguang's dark face and his luxurious robes, she swallowed her words.

Shaoguang's eyes darkened inch by inch.

"Little Ying, if you don't tell me, I will investigate. I will seek justice for all the grievances you've suffered."

As his words fell, he walked into the alley and, unnoticed, disappeared back to the Heavenly Realm.

Meng Anli let out a sigh of relief and resumed her original appearance. Just as she was about to emerge from the alley, she felt her foot sink.

She looked down and met a small, dirty face. Beneath the messy hair, she could faintly see bright eyes.

Her clothes were tattered all over, but there wasn't a single patch.

It was a little beggar who had grabbed her leg.

The little beggar looked at the candied hawthorn skewers in her hand and swallowed.

Meng Anli bent down, patted his head, and handed him the skewers.

"Here, thank you for helping me solve my problem."

She wouldn't eat anything the Crown Prince had eaten.

She also felt it would be a waste to throw them away and wasn't sure how to deal with them.

The little beggar let go of her leg, took the skewers, and looked a bit confused, "Thank me?"

"Yes," Meng Anli patted his head again. "I'm leaving now. I wish you well."

The little beggar watched her retreating back, touched his head, then raised the skewers and smiled.

Meng Anli went to find the old woman. Someone had already helped her up.

The old woman clutched her waist, groaning in pain.

Meng Anli took out a pill from her bag, then took out an ingot of gold, and pressed them both into her hand.

"Grandma, I'm so sorry. This pill will restore you to your former self."

She had implicated this old woman.

The old woman repeatedly pushed back, "I can't accept this."

"Please take it. It's nothing to me."

The old woman tearfully accepted and was about to kneel, "You are a living bodhisattva!"

Meng Anli quickly supported her, "Please don't do that. It was my fault for implicating you."

The old woman shook her head, "It was that man who hurt me. What does it have to do with you, miss?"

Meng Anli's heart warmed. What a kind old woman.

She didn't explain, comforted her a few more words, and then hurried to the clay figurine stall.

The craftsman making the clay figurines was now an ordinary person.

Master must be very angry, right?

But she had to return to the palace first, and then go to Master to beg for forgiveness.

Meng Anli quickly arrived at the palace.

There was still candlelight in the main hall of the Cold Palace.

Meng Anli gently knocked on the door, "It's me."

Meng Ying opened the door and led her inside.

Empress Chu looked surprised, "It's only been a day."

"I'm not here to rush you, it's just..."

Meng Anli looked a bit embarrassed and avoided Meng Ying's gaze guiltily.

Empress Chu noticed this keenly and guessed, "You want Meng Ying to go to the Heavenly Realm too?"

Meng Anli waved her hands repeatedly and put down her package first. "Meng Shiwan didn't confiscate these clothes from you."

Empress Chu was not surprised. "If she didn't confiscate them, she didn't. When I gave them to her, I thought she might not accept them now that she's wearing nice clothes."

"Mmm..." Meng Anli glanced at Meng Ying again.

Meng Ying was gnawing on a chicken leg, looking at her with clear eyes, "Why do you keep looking at me?"

Meng Anli decided to say it all at once.

"The Crown Prince of the Heavenly Realm happened to be at Qilian Mountain. He was looking for Meng Shiwan. I didn't want the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Realm to ally with the Meng family, so I used Meng Ying's appearance to ruin the Crown Prince's meeting with Meng Shiwan.

Then, I took on your appearance and deliberately flirted with the Crown Prince, making him interested in you..."

Meng Anli recounted everything she had done with the Crown Prince, not omitting even their conversations.

"Ah?"

Meng Ying stopped chewing her chicken leg, her mouth full of meat.