Nowhere to eat

Xiao Lie had thought a reunion between mother and son would call for a few touching words. Who knew the very first thing his mother would say upon seeing him was that he had gotten uglier!

Bai Lixi had been feeling awkward and nervous about meeting Xiao Lie's family, but the Empress Dowager's remark made him burst out laughing.

His laughter made Xiao Lie even more indignant. "Come on, you're all going too far. I've been away for so long, and none of you missed me at all? Why does every one of you have to stab me right in the heart?

"First my sister—couldn't you see me standing right there? You went straight for A-Xi. And Mother, didn't Yuanqi say you missed me terribly? Why was the first thing you said when you saw me that I'd gotten uglier? Besides, how have I gotten uglier? I look exactly the same as before! No, actually, I'm even more handsome now."

Only after finishing his complaints did Xiao Lie belatedly realize something. Had he told everyone after coming in that Bai Lixi was his beloved? He was sure he hadn't, so why did everyone seem to know Bai Lixi was the man he loved? Had he missed a step somewhere?

"Wait, I didn't say a single word when I came in. How did you know Ah Xi was my beloved?" At Xiao Lie's words, Bai Lixi caught on as well.

Neither of them had known how to explain their relationship, and they had been so preoccupied with that question that much of what they heard had gone in one ear without ever really registering.

Seeing that neither of them knew anything, Princess Kangning asked in puzzlement, "Didn't Jinyi and the others tell you on the way how they knew you were outside the city?"

At his sister's words, Xiao Lie turned to look at the two men who had been standing unobtrusively to one side ever since they came in.

Xiao Jinyi was one thing. He had always been a man of few words, so it was perfectly normal for him not to say anything.

But Xiao Yuanqi was different. While he wasn't exactly a consummate social butterfly, he wasn't the sort to barely utter a word throughout an entire journey, either.

"Yuanqi, don't you owe me an explanation?"

Xiao Yuanqi looked at Xiao Lie innocently. "You never asked, Uncle. Didn't you complain before that I talked too much? So when I went to fetch you this time, I did my best to keep quiet, and you still found me annoying. Uncle, aren't you a little too hard to please? Next time you come back, I won't go fetch you."

Xiao Lie was so irritated that he nearly kicked him. If Xiao Yuanqi hadn't looked so frail, and Emperor Wu'an hadn't been standing right there, he would have done it already.

The feud between uncle and nephew dated back to the first time Xiao Lie left the imperial palace. Back then, Xiao Yuanqi had been deeply worried about this uncle who was only a little older than him and whom he had grown up with.

So, late on the night before Xiao Lie's departure, he had gone to Xiao Lie's palace, squeezed into the same bed, and spent the entire night rattling off reminders about anything and everything.

Remember to put on more clothes when it was cold, remember to eat when he was hungry, don't trust people too easily away from home, never eat anything someone else gave him, and don't let a pretty face bewitch him—the prettier the person, the more dangerous they were...

In all the years Xiao Lie had known Xiao Yuanqi, he had never realized he could be such a nag. Although he knew it was for his own good, Xiao Yuanqi's tone, as though he were instructing an idiot, irritated him enough to smack him on the head.

"I'm your uncle, and I'm older than you. Could you stop talking to me as if you're giving instructions to a child? I'm not an idiot. Do you think someone's going to sell me off the moment I leave home?

"And I watched you grow up. How did I never know you were such a nag? You're worse than Grand Tutor Qiu. Which one of you is over seventy—you or him?"

Xiao Yuanqi had felt terribly wronged. He was only worried about Xiao Lie's safety. He admitted he had rambled a little, but Xiao Lie still shouldn't have made him out to be a seventy-year-old man!

And so, when they suddenly met again after barely seeing each other for years, Xiao Yuanqi took his revenge, even though Xiao Lie had already forgotten the incident.

Didn't you say I talked too much? Then I won't say anything at all. I'll leave you hanging and let you find out what it feels like to be on tenterhooks.

Xiao Yuanqi's words reminded Xiao Lie of what had happened the night before he left the palace. He hadn't expected the fellow to still be holding a grudge after all this time.

"How do you get more petty the older you grow?" Xiao Lie grumbled, then turned to Xiao Jinyi, who stood behind them with an impassive expression, practically part of the scenery. He could have asked someone else, but Xiao Jinyi looked the most dependable of everyone present.

Xiao Lie had a feeling all the others were full of mischief.

"Jin Yi, tell your uncle. How exactly did you all find out about A-Xi and me?"

Xiao Lie even wondered whether his brother had assigned hidden guards to follow him, but on second thought, that seemed unlikely. His martial arts were far from weak. If someone had followed him every day for years, there was no way he wouldn't have noticed.

So he really was curious how Emperor Wu'an and the others, all the way back in the Capital, had learned that he and Bai Lixi were together.

Xiao Jinyi told them about Shen Shixu, leaving both Xiao Lie and Bai Lixi stunned. Xiao Lie marveled, "I've traveled far and wide for so many years, but this is the first time I've ever heard of someone so extraordinary. That ability is practically on par with an immortal's."

Bai Lixi had heard his tribe's elders speak of people with wondrous powers, but none of them were as impressive as Shen Shixu. He was curious about the man and wanted to meet him.

Xiao Lie saw what he was thinking. As it happened, he wanted to meet Shen Shixu too, so he said to Xiao Jinyi, "From the sound of it, you're quite close to Lord Shen. Introduce us sometime, so your uncle and your auntie can get to know him."

Xiao Jinyi had been thinking the same thing. Ever since learning that his auntie was the Southern Border Saint, he had wanted to introduce him to Shen Shixu. That would give Shen Shixu a chance to get a few Gu insects from Bai Lixi to play with.

"All right. I'll arrange it."

Meanwhile, Shen Shixu, who was on their minds, had finished work and was leaving the Court of Judicial Review, wondering where to eat. The girls' school had officially opened two days earlier, and Xu Qing had packed her bags and gone there. They had only enjoyed a few days of hot meals before finding themselves with nowhere to eat again.

They still hadn't found a suitable cook, so these past few days they had been forced to eat at street stalls or restaurants.

As Shen Shixu walked along, wondering which place to choose for lunch, he heard passersby talking about Ten-Mile Home. Apparently, it was holding a promotion and had invited the Top Courtesan from Spring Breeze House to perform. Plenty of people were heading over!

Hearing the familiar name Ten-Mile Home, Shen Shixu remembered what the waiter at Heavenly Fragrance House had said about the establishment stealing their business.

He had heard that the decor was lovely, the food was decent, and the prices were low. Now they had added performances too. It did sound quite appealing.

Shen Shixu had been heading toward the nearby wonton stall, but he turned left instead and followed the others to Ten-Mile Home.