Lang Xuan obediently left.
Wei Jun emerged from behind the screen, fuming. Without a word, he sat opposite Linlin, staring at him and tapping his fingers on the table.
--Quickly, give me an explanation!
Linlin: "You should reflect on what you did that made her always feel like you'd hurt me."
Wei Jun:???
He reflects?
Shouldn't it be the person with paranoia who needs to reflect on their actions?
"Your Highness, you don't actually believe her, do you?"
"If I believed her guess, would you still be sitting here?"
Wei Jun breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew that the prince wasn't that incompetent.
But Linlin added, "But you've made her distrust you. Be more careful in the future."
Wei Jun: "..."
Fine, if I can't afford to offend him, can't I at least avoid him?
However, Linlin still wants to take him with her when she goes to the beach.
Wei Jun was so angry he almost vomited blood.
Linlin said, "If you don't go, how can Lang Xuan be worried about me?"
Two days later, everyone set off for the beach.
Lang Xuan originally wanted to ride in a carriage with Yanran, but Yanran wanted to ride a horse.
Ren Yingying beckoned Lang Xuan to come and sit with her, but before Lang Xuan could answer, Qu Nian had already climbed into the carriage.
Ren Yingying: "..."
Lang Xuan quickly waved her hand, indicating that she didn't need to accompany her.
Linlin walked over. "I need to take a carriage today, is that convenient?"
Lang Xuan nodded quickly.
Could he possibly say his carriage was inconvenient?
Moreover, she seems to enjoy being "tortured"—even though being with him is incredibly awkward, she still can't help but want to get closer to him.
Linlin boarded the carriage, sat down next to her, and then reached out to lift the side curtain and hang it aside.
Lang Xuan was a little shy.
--That way, people outside will be able to see her, right?
She tried to hide in a corner so no one could see her.
Linlin pointed outside and began to tell her about the scenery along the way.
He knows so much.
From roadside flowers and plants to the local customs and traditions of Liaodong, and anecdotes about famous figures...
His voice was calm and unhurried, like a gentle breeze that soothed her ears and flowed into her heart.
Lang Xuan's eyes were filled with Linlin, like stars that had been crushed and scattered, sparkling with admiration and love.
She remembered what Yanran had told her about the Little Mermaid.
If she were a little mermaid and Yuwen Duo were a prince, then she would be willing.
Even if I were to become a bubble phantom in the end, I would not bear to harm him in the slightest.
He's so good.
A story that was originally incomprehensible becomes understandable when the person in question is the one you love.
At the same time, Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu rode horses side by side.
Today she was dressed in a dark blue embroidered riding outfit, with a bright red cloak draped over her back that fluttered in the wind, making her look dashing and heroic.
"Cui Xiaoqiu, look over there, is that the sea?" Yanran asked excitedly.
Cui Xiaoqiu laughed and said, "No, that's a lake."
Yanran: "... Oh."
"It will probably take us another two hours to get there."
"Isn't it almost dark?"
"Yeah. But if you catch the low tide, you can go beachcombing."
He had asked and made arrangements in advance.
Yanran was immediately delighted upon hearing this.
In her imagination, the beach should be full of treasures, which she could easily pick up by bending down.
"Cui Xiaoqiu, if you're ever assigned to a post outside the city, remember to choose a place with the sea."
"Okay," Cui Xiaoqiu agreed with a smile.
Actually, he didn't want to be transferred to another post. Only in the capital, by his parents' and relatives' side, could Yanran be happy.
He couldn't bear to deprive her of any joy.
As the sun set, the group finally arrived at the small fishing village by the sea.
At this moment, the glow of the sunset reflected on the sea, making the waves sparkle and be dyed the same color as the sky, magnificent and vast.
Everyone was mesmerized.
Because it was getting late and Ren Yingying was pregnant, the group only enjoyed the scenery for a short while before heading to their temporary lodging.
Zhao Qing came here in advance to make arrangements and has now thoroughly familiarized himself with the area.
The best house in the village was also lent to them; although it was simple, it was kept very clean.
Everyone was assigned to a courtyard and had their own place to live, but they were still able to gather together for meals.
Seeing that they were about to split up, Ren Yingying said, "Why split up? There are only a few of us, and no outsiders. Let's eat together."
It's more lively when everyone eats together.
Yanran loves lively atmospheres, so she naturally joined in.
Linlin didn't agree immediately. She leaned close to Lang Xuan's ear and whispered, "Are you used to it? Don't worry, if you're not used to it, I'll find an excuse to decline."
Lang Xuan was flattered and overwhelmed.
Everyone agreed, and she didn't object.
So she shook her head, indicating that she didn't mind.
Linlin finally relented, and everyone sat around the table in a lively atmosphere.
Since we're at the seaside, the menu will mainly consist of seafood.
Ren Yingying kept saying she wanted to eat raw sea urchin and oysters, Qu Nian could only promise to arrange it for tomorrow.
Eating raw food is too barbaric.
Yanran, while biting into the abalone, reached out to grab some steamed oysters.
Ren Yingying: "Are you stupid? What's so delicious about that! Eat mantis shrimp! Look, it's full of roe!"
She lived in a coastal city in her previous life, so peeling mantis shrimp was a piece of cake for her.
Yanran: "I don't want to eat it, it's too much trouble."
She finds even eating a crab troublesome, let alone a prickly mantis shrimp.
Cui Xiaoqiu had never actually eaten shrimp before, but he had carefully observed Ren Yingying's shrimp-peeling movements and had learned a little bit from her. He quickly peeled out whole shrimp meat and quietly placed it on Yanran's plate.
Yanran didn't think much of it, picked up a long shrimp and took a bite. "It really has roe, it's delicious! You should try it!"
She stuffed the remaining half into Cui Xiaoqiu's mouth.
Everyone present, except for Lang Xuan, was already used to it.
These two have been like this since they were little.
Lang Xuan was genuinely surprised.
She was still clumsily learning to peel shrimp—not mantis shrimp, but prawns—wanting to give them to Yuwen Duo...
The next moment, she heard Linlin ask someone to bring scissors.
Linlin took the scissors and quickly cut the mantis shrimp open, placing the whole shrimp meat into the bowl in front of Lang Xuan.
Lang Xuan: "..."
Seeing this, Yanran was eager to try. "Big brother, let me try the scissors."
She felt she could do it too.
Linlin asked someone to get her scissors, while she continued peeling shrimp for Lang Xuan.
Ren Yingying: "I want to eat it like that too."
Qu Nian: "Give me a pair of scissors."
Qu Hua: "I want to eat too."
"You don't get any!" Qu Nian said bluntly.
Qu Hua: "Hmph, it's not like I don't have hands. I want scissors!"
Lang Xuan was initially very panicked, but she quickly realized that everyone was like this.
It seems like there's no burden anymore.
but...
Mantis shrimp are considered quite valuable by people in Beijing, but they are not uncommon.
Because these things are relatively resilient, they traveled from Tianjin Garrison to Beijing at breakneck speed and arrived still alive.
She ate it once when she was a child.
The fourth wife only received a small portion. At that time, Madam Lang, who was still a concubine, favored her and let her eat it herself, which resulted in her getting a terrible stomachache.
So from that time on, she never ate it again.
Will I get sick if I eat this today?
(This last difficult chapter comes from someone having an allergic reaction to mantis shrimp tonight... We've eaten them since we were kids, but since the year before last, I've felt unwell every time I eat them. Today, I stubbornly refused to believe it and got sick again. But believe me, mantis shrimp around the Qingming Festival are a true delicacy!)