Chapter 18 Buying Cakes

“Shall we split it in half?”

Xuan Rui looked at Xiao Ziqi, whose emotions were nearing collapse, and consented: “Go ahead, retrieve all of Ziyan’s belongings.”

“Yes.” The nine-foot-tall man now had red-rimmed eyes, choking back sobs as he withdrew.

Seeing Xiao Ziqi leave with the maidservant, the remaining people at the dance house largely understood what needed to be said.

Two years ago, this place had changed owners and had secretly committed numerous atrocities. Perhaps they had offended some deity, for retribution had finally arrived today.

The subsequent interrogation proceeded smoothly. After listening quietly for nearly an hour, Xuan Rui had roughly formed his assessment.

Though Ziyan and the others were city defense generals, they had long been stripped of real power by the Bai clan.

His attempt to bribe the dance house people with treasures must have stemmed from detecting unusual movements in the city, hoping to extract information from them.

The territories his brothers had fought for with their lives had fallen back into King Bai’s hands within just three years.

Not only did Xiao Ziyan and the others die unjustly, but the over three thousand Daliang soldiers who perished here years ago also rest with unclosed eyes.

Before the prince issued orders, he needed to uncover the truth—to identify who had been secretly colluding with the enemy these years, and who had suppressed the information that led to their wrongful deaths here.

Just then, someone entered to report: “Boss, we’ve found the person at the Bai family’s suburban villa.”

Bai Yao’er, what exactly have you done—

Having delayed long enough, it was time to meet the mastermind.

Xuan Rui stood up, sweeping a cold gaze around: “From this day forward, I take control of Qing He Dance House. Those who disobey will be executed without exception.”

~

Li Youqing’s heart was currently pounding with terror.

The thought of Xuan Rui discovering her lies and impaling her with a broken glass bottle made her instinctively cover her chest in fear.

Countless times she had wanted to flee, but she was always accompanied by a shadow guard who would promptly appear and persuade her to return whenever she wandered too far.

Left with no choice, she aimlessly roamed the city, buying novelties she spotted to ease her tension.

This was Li Youqing’s first time spending money herself, and she quickly became addicted. Moreover, commoner goods were so inexpensive that her hands were full of purchases while her money pouch remained bulging.

Passing a gem shop, she bought two rings she liked and asked the shopkeeper for a bag to store her smaller items.

Among them was a small double-sided carved hand mirror she kept playing with, occasionally admiring her newly bought earrings.

Suddenly bumping into someone, she looked up displeased to find a man staring at her with a cold, stern expression.

Her recently relaxed mood instantly tightened again.

“Why aren’t you watching where you’re walking.” Xuan Rui had seen her from afar gazing at the mirror as if the path were empty, completely unaware of potential dangers.

This was a bustling market district. Had pedestrians not been wary of An Shiyi walking behind her and made way early, who knows how much trouble she might have caused.

“These people have eyes—they’ll avoid me on their own. Why should I watch the road?” In Li Youqing’s understanding, yielding to others was unheard of.

Being scolded so abruptly now made her chest ache with stifled emotion.

What right did he have to lecture her? How she walked was none of his concern.

Xuan Rui shook his head, his gaze falling on the carved mirror in her hand. “Finished shopping? I’m taking you to see Bai Yao’er now.”

“No, I haven’t finished browsing—” Li Youqing felt increasingly stifled, stepping back a few paces until her heel accidentally struck a vendor’s stand, causing her to lose balance and stumble sideways.

The man’s long arm steadied her shoulder firmly until she regained her footing.

Yet Li Youqing recoiled as if scalded, her face turning deathly pale.

She truly regretted coming to find that woman today, as if bewitched.

“Miss Yang’s constant delays—could it be you’re afraid to accompany me to see her?” Xuan Rui’s brow furrowed with impatience as he turned toward the carriage by the roadside.

Her thoughts exposed, Li Youqing felt a wave of guilt.

Fortunately, he had already turned away; otherwise, seeing her fluctuating complexion would surely have aroused suspicion.

With matters having reached this point, escape was impossible. She had no choice but to steel herself and follow him into the carriage.

The carriage interior was spacious, with Xuan Rui occupying most of it, while she silently shrank into a corner, not daring to make a sound.

In the enclosed space, a faint scent of blood from the man was discernible.

Li Youqing took out a sachet she had just bought from her bag, held it to her nose, and inhaled deeply to suppress the nausea.

The elegant fragrance of jasmine spread, mingling with the sweet scent from the young woman, overpowering the man’s cold, harsh aura. Soon, the air inside the carriage grew cloyingly sweet.

Xuan Rui ignored her subtle actions, leaning his head against the carriage wall with his eyes closed, resting.

Among the several armies stationed in the northern deserts, the Zhenbei Army had always been Daliang’s sharpest blade. The soldiers fought with their lives to expand Daliang’s territories and would never wish to see such an outcome.

Ziyan and the others’ deaths were not accidental but a warning from the enemy.

These past few days, one thought had persistently occupied his mind: whether his adoptive father was involved in this matter.

From the recent interrogation at Qing He Dance House, even Ziyan and the others had noticed unusual movements in Wu City. The many hidden sentinels in the city must have received the news as well.

The fact that it had been suppressed and not reported suggested two possibilities.

Either Bai Yao’er had defected, or the message had bypassed the Zhenbei Army entirely and gone straight to the Zhenbei Royal Mansion.

Ziyan’s actions before his death led him to examine the entire matter more rationally.

The Zhenbei Army had never been anyone’s puppet, and he, Xuan Rui, was even less so—

“Gurgle, gurgle…” Li Youqing, having skipped lunch, felt her stomach suddenly rumble.

This was not a sound a lady should make. She bit her lip, remaining silent, but her cheeks slowly flushed red.

Xuan Rui lifted his eyelids and cast a cool glance at her.

“N-nothing…” Li Youqing shrank back further, trying to minimize her presence.

But then, her stomach betrayed her again with another rumble.

“You haven’t eaten?” Xuan Rui frowned, a trace of mockery appearing in his eyes.

It was normal to lose one’s appetite after witnessing him kill someone at the dance house.

Li Youqing was taken aback, feeling disconcerted. “I ate the buns the General brought back this morning. Now… is it time to eat again?”

In the palace, fruits and pastries were frequently brought to her; she never had to think about such matters.

Xuan Rui couldn’t help but feel suspicious. How could such an innocent, unworldly woman seem like an overlooked concubine’s daughter in her family?

Just then, the constant cries of street vendors echoed outside the carriage.

Xuan Rui had the carriage stop and went to the roadside to buy her a flatbread.

The freshly baked beef pie emitted a savory aroma. Li Youqing swallowed hard, waiting for a moment, but he did not hand it to her.

Xuan Rui placed the paper bag on the redwood coffee table before her, letting her take it herself as he leaned back to rest with his eyes closed.

Li Youqing hesitated, unsure whether the pastry was bought for her or for himself.

What if he got angry after she ate it?

With his terrible temper, he might scold her again for this.

But she was so hungry right now—

Maybe they could split it in half?

Xuan Rui opened his eyes and saw her torn between hunger and hesitation, his gaze growing even more mocking.

Was she unwilling to touch anything he had handled?

Earlier in the dance hall, she had been clutching his sleeve seeking protection one moment, only to show disgust and walk away without looking back the next.

He was a wicked man drenched in the stench of blood, despised by all…

Li Youqing noticed his gloomy stare fixed on the meat pastry and felt relieved she hadn’t taken it to eat.

But the rich aroma of beef filling the carriage was too tempting to ignore, and she couldn’t help stealing another glance.

If it cooled down, it probably wouldn’t be edible anymore.

Well, when under someone’s roof, one must bow their head.

Summoning her courage, Li Youqing looked up and offered him an ingratiating smile. “How about we share it? Half each?”

The air suddenly fell silent. Xuan Rui’s brow furrowed, and he was rendered speechless for a long moment by her words.

Seeing him frown, Li Youqing’s breath hitched.

As expected, her request was too much.

He was such a burly man—a whole pastry wouldn’t even be enough for him. Why would he be willing to share half with her?

Besides, he had already given her money this morning. She had forgotten to eat, so how could she have the nerve to take part of his pastry now?

Li Youqing quickly waved her hands. “It’s fine if not! I’m not really hungry anyway, General. You can have it all.”

Despite her words, she couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

In the past, she wouldn’t have even glanced at such common food.

A phoenix in distress is not as good as a chicken—now she was no different from a beggar.

Hugging her stomach, she quietly shrank into the corner, swallowing her saliva alone, her eyes reddening with grievance in an instant.

Seeing her on the verge of tears again after those baffling remarks, Xuan Rui rubbed his temples and helplessly handed her the pastry.

Li Youqing’s heart leapt with joy. Afraid he might change his mind, she leaned in and took a big bite directly from his hand.

The savory taste of fresh meat made her mouth water.

She glanced at him somewhat sheepishly. “Just a few more bites, and I’ll be done.”

With that, she leaned in and took another bite.

Completely unaware that it was improper to let someone eat her leftovers, she also didn’t notice that with each bite, the tip of her tongue inadvertently brushed against the man’s fingers.

Soon, only the half he was holding remained.

The man hadn’t uttered a word the entire time, leaving her uncertain whether he was willing to part with it or not.

Li Youqing contemplated and tentatively took another bite.

But there wasn’t much left exposed, and this time her teeth grazed his fingertip.

Tasting the slight saltiness of his finger, she licked her lips, only to hear his deep voice tinged with anger: “Enough!”Startled, she sat up straight obediently, her small face full of grievance.”

Was it really necessary? It was just a pastry—how could he be so petty?

Xuan Rui tossed aside the remnant, took a handkerchief, and meticulously wiped his hands, not missing a single finger.

Li Youqing also took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth. Seeing that his expression seemed to have softened slightly, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

“There’s something you might want to know.” Xuan Rui inexplicably wanted to find a topic to ease the current mood. He sifted through the jumbled information he had previously obtained in his mind before turning his gaze toward her: “News of mourning has arrived from the capital—the Third Princess has passed away.”