Chapter 122 - 121: The Courtiers Constantly Vying for Favor
Chapter 122: Chapter 121: The Courtiers Constantly Vying for Favor
The assistant, the middle-aged man, and Old Sir Xu’s group all turned their heads.
Shi Changying was still wearing her Jianghuai High School uniform, her backpack slung over her right shoulder. She walked unhurriedly, yet exuded an aura as if the Emperor herself had arrived.
Shaoyuan walked shoulder-to-shoulder with her. His imposing manner was restrained, but a single sweeping glance from him was enough to strike terror into one’s heart.
It was hard to imagine how these two incredibly young high school seniors, no more than eighteen years old, could make a group of seasoned business veterans feel so constrained and on edge.
The scene fell into a temporary silence. Other than Old Sir Xu, no one recognized Shi Changying, including the several high-level executives from the Xu Group who had come along this time.
Old Sir Xu’s gaze froze. He watched Shi Changying follow Ning Liuyu into the private room next door, his brain unable to process the sight for a good while. A few seconds later, his mind short-circuited completely. How could Shi Changying be here?!
The middle-aged man asked in astonishment, "The guests Miss Ning is hosting are... two high school students?"
The assistant looked a bit embarrassed. "If we hadn’t bumped into them by chance today, I wouldn’t have known either."
"Even though we’re at the same restaurant, we absolutely must not disturb Miss Ning." The middle-aged man waved his hand and also entered their own private room.
Old Sir Xu suddenly snapped out of his daze and hurried forward. "Mr. Zeng, that person is..."
Mr. Zeng didn’t answer, merely smiling. "Old Xu, we don’t discuss business at the dinner table. Let’s eat first. We can chat about other things."
Even though Old Sir Xu’s heart was filled with shock and confusion, he could only agree. "You’re right. When it’s time to eat, one should focus on eating."
After sitting down, Old Sir Xu felt restless. He kept thinking about Ning Liuyu’s identity and why she would invite Shi Changying to dinner. Whenever he thought about it, it felt like countless ants were crawling all over his body, an unbearable, agonizing itch. He wanted to text Shi Changying to ask what was going on, only to realize he didn’t even have her contact information. Letting out a heavy breath, Old Sir Xu forced himself to shift his attention back to the dinner table.
In the private room next door, Ning Liuyu invited Shi Changying and Shaoyuan to take their seats.
But she suddenly found herself struggling with how to address Shaoyuan. Calling him "Young Master Shao" felt a bit awkward to say, and calling him "Mr. Shao" made him sound like a Young Pioneer. A spark of inspiration hit Ning Liuyu. "Young Master." Yes, that was it. It rolled right off the tongue.
Shi Changying asked thoughtfully, "Why do you address him like that too, Miss Ning?"
Looking a bit embarrassed, Ning Liuyu explained her thought process, then added, "It’s my first time encountering the surname Shao, actually."
Shi Changying raised an eyebrow. "The Young Master’s surname is indeed quite rare." It was just a pity that the Shao family’s ancestors had never produced a single Emperor.
As if knowing exactly what she was thinking, Shaoyuan let out a chuckle of ambiguous meaning. "Still, it can’t compare to the Eldest Miss’s surname, which was once the national surname."
The Xuan Dynasty being brought up again made Ning Liuyu’s heart tremble. She pursed her lips and quickly found another topic. "I wonder how Miss Shi did on the exam this time?"
"I answered everything I knew, and filled in the multiple-choice questions I didn’t," Shi Changying said casually as she picked up her chopsticks. "Three longs and one short, choose the shortest. Three shorts and one long, choose the longest. If they’re all the same length, just pick C."
Shaoyuan tapped his finger lightly on the table. "Hmm, the treasure box does indeed have such a guessing technique."
Ning Liuyu couldn’t help but laugh. "Looking at you two makes me feel quite a bit younger myself." They were high school students, after all—so vibrant and full of life.
The dishes were served one after another, perfect in color, aroma, and taste, greatly whetting Shi Changying’s appetite.
Shaoyuan tilted his head. Catching sight of her extremely dark and deep eyes instantly lighting up, he was once again reminded of the orange cat he used to feed. It would only condescend to approach him when there was delicious food to be eaten. At all other times, it would just arrogantly raise its tail and walk away, ignoring foolish humans.
DING. Shi Changying’s phone chimed with a new message.
[Thanks]: Your Majesty, I have finished arranging the ancient zither, sheng and xiao, and Pipa versions of the piece. May I bring them over to you now?
[Only I am the first]: No need. I’ll come find you to pick them up after I finish eating.
Xie Qingshi looked at this reply and fell into a brief silence, wondering who she was eating with and why they couldn’t include him.
After pondering for a few seconds, Xie Qingshi sent a red packet to Qingyuan.
[Qingyuan]: ?
[Qingyuan]: One cent? What do you mean by this? Are you planning to play poor and act pitiful in front of Sister Ying? You won’t get the chance.
[Xie Qingshi]: Just checking if you deleted me.
[Qingyuan]: Lord Xie, you’re not only childish but also mentally unstable.
Qingyuan had replied instantly. If she were the one having dinner with Shi Changying, she wouldn’t be playing on her phone at all. If it wasn’t Qingyuan, then who could it be?
As Xie Qingshi calmly pondered the possible candidates, he received a red packet of his own. It was from Pei Xuan, and it also contained a single cent.
[Pei Xuan]: To think you haven’t deleted me. Very good.
Xie Qingshi wasn’t angry when he saw this message. He even opted to invite Pei Xuan to meet by the seaside.
Jianghuai had already entered the season of short days and long nights. By a little past six o’clock, the sun had completely set, and the moon and stars had climbed into the sky. Looking out, the sky and the sea met in a deep, dark blue, creating a uniquely tranquil beauty.
SCREECH! The sound of braking shattered the momentary silence, startling the birds along the beach.
Pei Xuan stepped out of his car, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he strolled forward. Even from a distance, Xie Qingshi heard the commotion, but he didn’t turn his head.
"This is truly a rare occasion. Usually, it’s me looking for you, and you always avoid me." Pei Xuan clicked his tongue. "I never thought the day would come when you, Xie Qingshi, would actually seek me out. Speak up. You wouldn’t be here without an ulterior motive, so what is it?"
He let the sea breeze blow his coat open, revealing a thin shirt that barely concealed his lean, powerful muscles underneath.
Xie Qingshi said calmly, "I just got a bit curious while reading the history books."
"History books?" Pei Xuan laughed coldly. "How many sentences in those are actually true?"
"The history books say that Your Majesty took a liking to your face and forcibly brought you into the Imperial Palace, and later appointed Lord Pei Jiang as an official," Xie Qingshi said with a faint smile. "But I know full well that it was actually you who got promoted because of Lord Pei Jiang."
Pei Xuan’s smile vanished. "What exactly do you want to know? I have a younger sister, and you don’t. Is that why you’re jealous of me?"
"Hmph, jealous?" Xie Qingshi was noncommittal. "I’m just curious about the first night of the first year of Taichu. What was the real reason you stayed overnight in the Imperial Palace?"
Pei Xuan scoffed softly. "What do you care about my reasons? I could stay overnight, and you couldn’t. That’s the difference."
"I’m afraid Young Master Pei didn’t just stay overnight in the Imperial Palace; rather, you were forced to stay behind because of something you did," Xie Qingshi said, looking at him. "When Your Majesty first ascended the throne, complaints filled the streets. You were naturally resentful of evil, so you went to assassinate her."
Pei Xuan’s eyes narrowed bit by bit. Danger pooled in the depths of his pupils, like the harbinger of an impending storm. "Xie Qingshi, how do you know that?"