Chapter 144: Pinned Down and Bullied by Him

Chapter 144: Pinned Down and Teased by Him

"With this many people, it should be..."

The next day, on the bustling street, Qin Jiao propped his chin on one hand, frowning at the crowd before him.

"Right! It should be 'packed like sardines—what a squeeze!'"

Beside him, Xie Nai clapped his hands: "The young master has mastered the lesson."

The two were currently seated at a small noodle stall. Lingbei's breakfast was famous, and the spicy, fragrant plain noodles were absolutely mouthwatering. He Zhao had brought Qin Jiao to try them once, and he'd been craving them ever since. Coincidentally, Xie Nai had just arrived, so Qin Jiao dragged him over first thing in the morning.

While waiting for the food, Qin Jiao reviewed the "knowledge" He Zhao had taught yesterday.

Soon, the stall owner brought over two bowls of noodles. The fragrant noodles were topped with crispy fried chili flakes, giving off a toasty aroma, and a perfectly fried egg with a runny yolk that made one's mouth water.

"Your Highness, try it!" Qin Jiao pushed one bowl toward Xie Nai. "See which you like better—this or the capital's crab meatballs."

"Which does the young master prefer?"

Xie Nai didn't answer, instead asking Qin Jiao in return.

"Me..."

Qin Jiao's eyes sparkled as he smiled at the person before him. "I like Xie..."

"Oh?" Xie Nai paused his chopsticks and raised an eyebrow. "Xie what?"

"Crab meatballs!"

Qin Jiao answered firmly, then lowered his head and happily slurped a big mouthful of noodles. "So delicious! These noodles are truly 'a monk comes home—temple (tremendous)!'"

"..." Xie Nai fell silent, staring at him, his voice slightly hoarse. "Indeed, they're tremendous."

"Then eat up!"

Having managed to tease Xie Nai, Qin Jiao was in high spirits, chuckling to himself as he ate.

Xie Nai watched Qin Jiao, who was happily eating with his head down, and smiled helplessly. The young master couldn't handle spicy food well, and now he was eating a bit too quickly—the tip of his nose and his ears had flushed an enticing red, just like when he was pinned down and teased last night.

Xie Nai closed his eyes for a moment to steady himself, then handed Qin Jiao a cup of cold tea. He also reached out to smooth his tousled hair.

From a distance, on the bustling street, Xie Nai's movements were casual and natural. Beneath the shade of green trees, the young master looked up with a smile as radiant as a blooming flower. The perfect sunlight fell upon both their faces—a sight so beautiful that passersby would stop and stare.

"Qing Yi, what are you staring at?"

Si Lu, who had just finished shopping, looked at Qing Yi hiding by the wall corner in confusion. Following his gaze, Si Lu paused. "Isn't that the young master we met at Fengwu Tower earlier?"

Si Lu observed more carefully. "Now that I look at it, you two really do look alike."

Si Lu said it without thinking, but Qing Yi took it to heart. Thinking of the name Ning Zhong had moaned in bed, and the real reason he had purchased his freedom, Qing Yi's heart felt as if it were being pierced by countless red-hot steel needles.

Why should his sincere love be reduced to a substitute for his cousin's loneliness?

"Hmph, he's not even worthy of competing with me."

Qing Yi spoke so quietly that Si Lu didn't catch it. "Compete? Compete with who?"

Qing Yi didn't answer Si Lu. Seeing the serious look on his friend's face, Si Lu couldn't help asking, "Qing Yi, why are you hiding here watching them?" He thought for a moment, then glanced at Xie Nai beside Qin Jiao. "Do you know the man next to that young master?"

"No."

This time, Qing Yi answered without hesitation.

Si Lu was even more confused. "Then what are you doing—?"

Qing Yi's face was full of resentment and bitterness. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was out to catch a cheating lover.

Just as Si Lu was puzzling over this, Qing Yi suddenly grabbed his arm and started running. "Quick, they're leaving! Let's follow them!"

"Hey, wait, Qing Yi, slow down..." Si Lu stumbled as he was dragged along, confusion clear in his eyes. "Wait, we came out to buy wine! Why are you following them?"

Si Lu wasn't the only one confused by Qing Yi's actions—Luo Yue was too.

As a capable and thoughtful subordinate, Luo Yue figured that since his master and the young master hadn't seen each other in days, he wouldn't crowd them by staying too close—he'd just keep watch from a distance.

However, little did he know that his thoughtfulness would conveniently allow Qing Yi and Si Lu to tail them.

"Someone's following the prince and the young master." Luo Bei, equally considerate as Luo Yue, had also noticed something unusual.

Luo Yue nodded, sword in hand. "Mm, it's those two male courtesans from the Guanhua Troupe."

"It's the young master's cousin, Ning Zhong."

Luo Yue: "Huh?"

Hearing this, both Luo Bei and Luo Yue looked stunned.

"What, did they skip their meds this morning? Why are they all tailing our master and the young master?"

The sharp-tongued Luo Yue didn't know whether to laugh or get angry. "Do they think I'm invisible? I'll go deal with them right now!"

Luo Yue was about to charge forward when Luo Bei held him back. "Hold on."

Luo Bei explained that Xie Nai had certainly already noticed all three of them. Since he hadn't given any orders, they might as well wait and see—perhaps their master had other arrangements.

Luo Yue figured that was reasonable. After all, the young master's cousin was there too, and it wouldn't be good to make things too awkward.

So Luo Bei and Luo Yue played the oriole to their mantis, watching to see what tricks they'd pull.

Meanwhile, Xie Nai and Qin Jiao had stopped at a stall selling silk umbrellas. Qin Jiao was examining a garishly colorful silk umbrella.

At a nearby corner, Qing Yi and Si Lu followed cautiously, while Ning Zhong—completely unaware he'd been spotted—clenched his fists, his face full of anguish.

In truth, Ning Zhong had been following Qin Jiao and the others for quite some time. After Qin Jiao had said he liked Xie Nai, Ning Zhong had numbly taken Qing Yi back to the residence. Though he'd satisfied his physical desires with Qing Yi, his heart still felt empty.

He couldn't accept it, and he wouldn't give up. That was why he'd come to see Qin Jiao again. But when he saw how intimate Qin Jiao and Xie Nai were, and realized he didn't even have the right to ask, it hit him—he truly had no chance anymore.

Regret and anguish tormented Ning Zhong. At the same time, Qing Yi suddenly spotted Ning Zhong. Instantly, a tangle of complex gazes crossed in the air like a spider's web, chaos ensuing...

Xie Nai watched it all through the bronze mirror at a nearby stall, a disdainful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Qin Jiao, completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere around him, tugged at Xie Nai's sleeve. "Your Highness, look—this umbrella is so flashy. He Zhao would totally love it."

During his time in Lingbei, He Zhao had taken good care of Qin Jiao, so he thought he'd buy a little something for him.

"This one's pretty good too."

Xie Nai looked away and handed Qin Jiao another silk umbrella.

Qin Jiao took the umbrella and opened it. This one was even more dazzling and eye-catching than the one he had just been holding.

"Nice, super loud and flashy." But Qin Jiao suddenly hesitated, "However, 'umbrella' sounds the same as 'scatter' in Chinese. Doesn't that seem unlucky?"

"Nah, it's fine." Xie Nai chuckled, "If He Zhao runs off, Xiao Baiyu will just go after him."

Qin Jiao: "..."

He couldn't argue with that logic—he totally agreed.

----------------------------------------