Watching the other woman's relaxed, gentle expression, Gu Qing's lips curled into a slight smile.
He casually plucked the most beautiful red rose blooming nearby.
Then he stood up and crossed the soft grass to her.
Gu Qing held out the rose in his hand.
His movements were effortless, without a trace of awkwardness.
"There's a Lantern Festival in Heaven Dou Imperial City tonight."
"Want to come walk around with me?"
At the sound of Gu Qing's voice, Qian Renxue abruptly came to her senses.
She instinctively reached out and took the red rose he had offered.
The moment her fingertips touched the stem, all the unpleasantness from last night and this morning in the dining hall flooded back into her mind.
The handsome face before her immediately became loathsome again.
The softness vanished from Qian Renxue's expression.
Frowning, she casually tossed the rose she had just taken onto the dirt at her feet.
Then she put on a cold, unapproachable air.
"Boring."
"I'm busy. I'm not going."
Faced with such a merciless rejection, Gu Qing showed no anger.
He shrugged, looking completely unconcerned.
"Suit yourself."
After those four words, Gu Qing didn't even spare her another glance.
With his hands casually tucked into his pockets, he walked right past Qian Renxue.
He strode out of the courtyard, leaving her alone where she stood.
Watching Gu Qing's retreating figure, Qian Renxue stood among the flowers, her chest rising and falling slightly with anger.
Only when his figure disappeared around the corner
did her gaze slowly lower, landing on the rose she had tossed to the ground.
The only sound in the quiet surroundings was the rustling of leaves in the breeze.
Qian Renxue hesitated for a moment.
In the end, she bent down and picked up the flower, now flecked with a little dirt.
Her fingertips gently brushed the soft petals.
Gu Qing's composed manner as he had offered her the rose replayed in her mind.
Thinking it over, aside from his sharp tongue and his arrogant ways,
the man didn't seem all that hateful.
There was even something carefree and graceful about his easygoing bearing.
Qian Renxue brought the rose to her nose and gave it a gentle sniff.
She knew perfectly well that the reason she was so resistant to him
was, in the end, that she was deeply upset that her mother, Bibi Dong, had forced her into this engagement.
It was the helplessness of having her fate controlled by someone else that had made her so rebellious toward Gu Qing.
But as she looked at the flowers filling the courtyard, the hard shell of her defenses seemed to soften ever so slightly.
Night fell right on schedule.
The Lantern Festival brought lively festivities to Heaven Dou Imperial City.
Colorful lanterns of every kind hung along both sides of the broad streets.
Crowds streamed through the streets and alleys, their laughter and cheerful chatter blending into a sea of merriment.
Inside the Crown Prince Mansion,
Qian Renxue sat before her vanity, absently toying with the rose in her hand.
At first, she really had been determined not to set foot outside the mansion.
She had only wanted to put Gu Qing in his place.
But the entire afternoon passed, and that man didn't come to invite her again.
He hadn't even shown his face.
As the sky darkened outside and the distant bustle of the streets drifted in,
a powerful mix of curiosity and restlessness stirred in Qian Renxue, like a cat scratching at her heart.
What on earth was that man doing at the market all by himself?
In the end, she couldn't suppress her curiosity.
She got up and went to the wardrobe, taking off the prince's python robe she usually wore as Xue Qinghe.
In its place, she put on a plain, elegant dress fit for an ordinary young woman.
To avoid drawing attention, she also covered her breathtaking face with a thin veil.
Only her cool eyes remained visible.
Once her disguise was complete, Qian Renxue silently climbed over the courtyard wall and headed alone for the Lantern Festival.
The night market in Heaven Dou City was enormous.
Qian Renxue followed the crowds down two streets, searching for the familiar figure among them.
Just as she reached an arched bridge over the water,
a rhythmic chorus of cheers suddenly rose from an open space not far away.
"Say yes!"
"Say yes!"
The noisy shouts immediately drew the attention of passersby. People gathered around to watch.
Qian Renxue stopped, too, and watched curiously from the edge of the crowd.
An open space had been cleared in the middle of the gathering.
Oscar knelt nervously on one knee, holding an exquisitely crafted lantern made especially for the occasion.
His eyes were fixed on the young woman in a green dress standing before him.
The girl facing him was Ning Rongrong, the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Oscar took a deep breath, summoned every last bit of courage he had, and shouted the words he had rehearsed for so long.
"Rongrong, I like you!"
"This lantern represents my sincere feelings."
"Be my girlfriend!"
His bold confession instantly set off a wave of excitement.
Not far behind Oscar stood a group of Shrek Academy students in matching uniforms.
Dai Mubai, Tang San, and the others were all mixed into the crowd.
They had come out today specifically to act as Oscar's audience and cheer him on.
Seeing their brother finally kneel and confess, Dai Mubai immediately led the crowd in shouting.
"Rongrong, Oscar's sincere about you. Hurry up and say yes!"
With the Shrek students leading the way, passersby who knew nothing about the situation joined in, loudly urging Ning Rongrong to accept.
At the center of everyone's attention, Ning Rongrong looked deeply embarrassed.
She clutched the hem of her skirt in both hands, her palms slick with sweat.
Faced with the hopeful look in Oscar's eyes, she felt no joy at all—only deep resistance.
She simply didn't like Oscar.
Neither his background nor his somewhat sleazy Food-type Martial Soul came anywhere close to meeting her standards for a partner.
But now that so many people were watching, they were all pressuring her to nod.
She was trapped between a rock and a hard place.
If she rejected him outright in front of everyone, Oscar would lose face, and the people from Shrek Academy would be humiliated along with him.
But if she agreed against her will just to keep the peace, she would be ruining her own life.
Ning Rongrong bit her lip, her eyes turning slightly red with distress.
Just as she was caught in this miserable dilemma,
a leisurely set of footsteps sounded from the back of the crowd.
The onlookers seemed to part on either side as if pushed by an invisible force.
With his hands in his pockets, Gu Qing strolled in from the edge of the crowd.
He walked straight over to Oscar and looked down at the kneeling boy.
Then he reached out and gave Oscar's shoulder two firm, unapologetic pats.
"Hey, man. You've got to pick the right moment to confess."
A playful smile tugged at Gu Qing's lips. His voice wasn't loud, but every person there heard him clearly.
"Using the crowd to pressure someone into accepting you in public isn't exactly what a gentleman would do."
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