Thirty people stared at him blankly.
Chen Qing waved his hand dismissively.
"First row, squat down! Second row, stand up straight! Anyone who disobeys, I'll have Brother Ba move another stone!"
Splash!
The thirty people stood in perfect formation in an instant.
Chen Qing turned around and smiled obsequiously at Batuer.
" Brother Ba, how was your work?"
Batuer looked at him.
His lips twitched twice.
She handed over the roster.
Chen Qing accepted the document with both hands, holding it to his chest as if receiving an imperial edict.
"Don't worry, Brother Ba. I'll handle things; you just need to rest."
He turned and yelled at the thirty people again.
Did you all hear me clearly?!
"Cleared!"
"From now on, whatever the Shopkeeper Ba says goes! Anyone who dares to utter a word more will have their legs broken!"
Zheng Hao stood at the alley entrance, his folding fan half-closed, his expression complex.
He watched as the top spy of the Prince An's Residence directed thirty ruffians to run in formation, sweating profusely as they ran back and forth for a burly man...
He closed his folding fan.
I don't want to think about it anymore.
Thinking too much gives me a headache.
The backyard of the former royal palace.
Gu Moran leaned back in that large bamboo rattan chair.
Su Yao took half a step forward.
The sketch of the entire Yi Prefecture district in her hand was too large to fit on a single sheet of paper, so she simply placed the bottom half of the drawing on Gu Moran's lap.
The person leaned closer as well.
Half of her body was almost pressed against Gu Moran's shoulder.
The fabric of the moon-white brocade robe was extremely thin.
Gu Moran could clearly feel the warmth.
Su Yao rested her left hand on the armrest of the rattan chair, held a charcoal pencil in her right hand, and pointed to several locations in the south of the city.
"These three rice shops are strategically located at the intersection of the main street. If we want to convert them into warehouses, we have to go through a hidden ditch in their back alley."
She leaned forward slightly as she spoke.
One of the brocade buttons at the collar was loose.
Gu Moran tilted his head slightly.
My gaze followed that moon-white hue and slid in.
Large, delicate, and dazzling images rushed into my eyes, shimmering with a soft, luminous light.
The curve rose and fell with Su Yao's breath.
Very close.
Even the very fine, pale blue veins on the side of the neck were clearly visible.
What does Your Highness think?
Su Yao turned to ask him, her warm breath brushing against his earlobe.
Gu Moran didn't move, but his gaze was completely calm. He casually raised his right hand and placed it directly on the back of Su Yao's hand that was holding the pen.
Her hands were slightly cool, and her fingers were slender.
Su Yao's fingers stiffened for a moment.
She tried to pull away, but Gu Moran held her firmly in his hand.
"I think," Gu Moran, guiding her hand to draw a circle at the southern corner of the city on the sketch, "We need to add a gate here."
Their hands were pressed together, and the pen tip moved across the paper.
Su Yao's ears started burning at a visible speed.
Her breathing became erratic, and her chest heaved even more violently.
"Cough."
A chilling snort came from the right.
Shen Ling'er had somehow appeared two steps away.
She was holding a small white porcelain plate.
Su Yao immediately straightened up, forcibly pulled her hand out of Gu Moran's palm, and shifted her gaze back to the sketch, pretending to be calculating the dimensions.
Shen Ling'er walked to the rattan chair.
Two dark red balls were placed in a white porcelain dish.
The surface is covered with icing.
" Sister Su, your hands must be sweaty from drawing, right?" Shen Ling'er's voice was soft and sweet, but her eyes were like knives. "Your Highness, you look quite energetic too?"
Gu Moran leaned back and spread his hands out.
"I am engaged in important business."
Shen Ling'er didn't respond.
She placed the white porcelain plate on the small table, stretched out two delicate white fingers, and picked up a dark red dumpling.
Pinch it very lightly with your thumb and forefinger.
His finger went straight to Gu Moran's lips.
Her nails were neatly trimmed, and the pads of her fingers still felt cool from touching a porcelain plate.
My hands are sore.
Shen Ling'er lowered her eyelashes and looked at his lips. "Doesn't Your Highness always complain about the bitterness of medicine? This is a newly developed sweet pill, good for replenishing qi. Would you like to try it?"
The cloying sweetness of the icing sugar wafted into my nostrils.
Her fingers were too close together; her fingertips pressed against his lower lip, applying slight pressure.
A red mark was pressed out.
Gu Moran looked at her.
Her pretty face was expressionless, but the force in her fingertips clearly indicated her dissatisfaction.
He opened his mouth.
He put the pill and half of Shen Ling'er's fingertip into his mouth.
The tip of my tongue deliberately curled up.
Warm and slippery.
Shen Ling'er jerked her hand back as if she had been electrocuted.
Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she abruptly turned her hands behind her back, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing together inside her sleeves.
"You..."
"It's sweet." Gu Moran smiled at her.
The next second.
The smile froze on her face.
After the frosting melted, the filling inside exploded with a pure and intense bitter taste.
It's so bitter it's astringent, so bitter it makes your tongue feel numb.
Gu Moran's face turned green.
Shen Ling'er looked at him and let out a mischievous laugh.
"Your Highness is too hot-tempered." She glanced deliberately in the direction where Su Yao had been leaning over. "You need to cool down."
Gu Moran forced down the extremely bitter pill.
His Adam's apple bobbed twice.
Turn your head to the side.
On the open space to the right of the courtyard.
Lin Qingdai was holding the long sword that was still sheathed.
The sword was not drawn, but it was swung with incredible speed.
The wind howled and the cranes cried.
"Call--"
The sheathed longsword swept horizontally, cleaving a falling old locust leaf in two with perfect precision.
Two withered leaves swirled and drifted down to Gu Moran's feet.
Lin Qingdai sheathed her sword.
The hilt of the knife rested against her waist, and her black, form-fitting outfit accentuated her slender waist, making her legs appear long and straight.
She didn't look at the rattan chair; she only stared at the open space in front of her.
But with that chopping-wood-like force, even a fool could tell what he was chopping.
Gu Moran touched his numb tongue, drawing out the sound.
" Guard Lin."
Lin Qingdai didn't move.
"You practiced that sword too aggressively; it hurt your back."
Gu Moran patted the edge of the empty rattan chair next to him.
"This rattan chair of mine may not be very big, but if Guard Lin's back aches, he can squeeze in and another person can sit down."
Su Yao's plan came to an abrupt halt.
Shen Ling'er's eyes widened.
Lin Qingdai tightened her grip on the knife abruptly.
The knuckles pressed against the scabbard, producing a very subtle friction sound.
She turned her head and gave Gu Moran a cold glance.
From her neck to her ears, it was as red as dripping blood.
"Not sour."
She uttered two words, turned around, and strode towards the side room.
The door slammed shut.
The backyard was completely quiet.
Gu Moran leaned back in the rattan chair, rolled up the sketch on his lap, and tossed it to Su Yao.
"Have Uncle Fu handle the warehouse renovation tomorrow."
Su Yao caught the sketch, glared at him, and turned to leave.
Shen Ling'er picked up the empty white porcelain plate and bit his shoulder again before leaving.
Not heavy.
"Reduce the heat."
Then they ran away too.
Gu Moran rubbed his temples.
The back alley of Mixue Ice City.
Inside one of the guest rooms, an oil lamp burned dimly.
Chen Qing sat at the table, holding a wolf-hair brush in his hand. He dipped the brush tip into the inkstone again and again, but hesitated to put it down.
His eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed.
It wasn't from staying up all night, it was from crying.
On the left is a chipped, rough porcelain bowl.
That was the bowl Batuer drank from this afternoon.
There is also a very shallow notch on the rim of the bowl.
Every time Chen Qing glanced at the bowl, her heart ached.
" Brother Ba..."
He sniffed, his voice choked with emotion.
"Why should a hero like you suffer such humiliation in the Prince Yi's Residence?"