The next morning, the sun was shining brightly.
“Miss, our Young Marquis left for Linzhou last night,” the gatekeeper of the Loyalty Marquis Manor said, looking Ji Yu up and down.
She was wearing a pale yellow dress, her hair braided simply down her back with only a matching ribbon, no other ornaments. It was quite different from other girls, yet she was undeniably beautiful. Her skin was fair, her figure slender, and her large, watery eyes were captivating.
“Huh? He went to Linzhou?!” Ji Yu was surprised. She had seen him at Xunfang Tower just a few days ago. What bad luck!
She lowered her head dejectedly, looking at the letter and bamboo whistle in her hand. She had thought that once she found Zhao Ke, justice would be served for Liu Yun and the other victims, and Du Cong would finally be punished.
Now, it seemed they had to wait even longer.
Ji Yu frowned, feeling anxious and helpless. Here she was, alone in this world with no power or connections. No matter how much she wanted to help, she was powerless.
The reason she had snatched Qi Yu away from the other girl was twofold: for the promised reward of gold and a mansion, and specifically so she could use his identity as the Third Prince to deal with scumbags like Du Cong.
Seeing her head hanging low and her long eyelashes trembling, the servant assumed she was heartbroken at not seeing his master. He sighed inwardly. *Another one!*
This was already the fifth girl this month who had come looking for the Young Marquis, holding a letter and a token. They were all probably tricked by his sweet words and promises.
He looked at what she was holding. Usually, the tokens were bracelets, jade hairpins, or gold ornaments. But this girl… was holding a *bamboo whistle*?
He squinted, trying to see if it was valuable, but it just looked like a cheap piece of wood.
“Did your Young Marquis say what he wanted to do?” Ji Yu noticed him staring and quickly put the whistle away.
“How would we servants know the master’s business?” the servant said. “Just go back, Miss. Don’t come again.” *He doesn’t really love you, give up!* He didn’t say it out loud, of course.
“Then when will he be back?”
“It’s not far, but going back and forth takes time. He’ll probably be gone for at least half a month.”
Ji Yu nodded politely. “Thank you for telling me.”
***
“Zhao Ke went to Linzhou.”
Ji Yu handed the bamboo whistle back to Nan Xing, then poured herself a cup of water and gulped it down.
Nan Xing’s eyes flickered. He looked up from the storybook he was reading. “It was my mistake for not considering this.”
“Can’t blame you. Who knew a playboy like him would go on a trip?” Ji Yu took out a paper package, opened it, and took out a pastry. She handed one to him.
“These are Peach Blossom Cakes from Auntie Qiao’s shop! They are super famous and hard to buy. I went early and got the last pack! Try it, it’s delicious!”
There were only four pieces, shaped like delicate pink flowers. They were very popular with girls.
Ji Yu had only tasted a tiny piece once before and had been craving it ever since, but they were expensive and limited. One tael of silver for just four small pieces! It was basically just one bite per piece.
Now that she finally had them, she was over the moon.
***
Nan Xing took the pastry. His fingers trembled slightly as he held it. He stared at it for a long time, not eating.
When Ji Yu finished her first piece and saw him staring, she laughed. “Auntie Qiao’s are the best because they look the most like real blooming peaches.”
“But no matter how pretty they are, they’re just food! Don’t be shy, eat it!”
She stuffed the second piece into her mouth, chewing happily. “I’m going to read my medical books in the yard. Call me if you need anything!”
“Wait, Miss Ji.”
She turned around. He looked hesitant, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.
Thinking he was worried about his injury, she quickly said, “Don’t worry! I will find the antidote for your poison within two or three days, I promise!”
“I trust your medical skills completely,” Nan Xing smiled gently. “I called you to ask about something else.”
He sat up straighter. “Is Auntie Qiao’s shop still open?”
“Of course!” Ji Yu looked at him strangely. “Where else would I buy these? It’s doing great business! No other shop in Qingzhou compares to them.”
She added, “I heard that even the Emperor’s favorite Consort Yao loves to eat these. That’s why they are so famous and expensive now.”
“After all these years… it’s still open?” Nan Xing murmured softly.
“Wait, how do you know it’s been open for over ten years?” Ji Yu asked suspiciously.
“Oh right!” She slapped her forehead. “You said you lived here as a child! Of course you know it. You must have eaten these before, right? Try it and see if the taste is the same as you remember!”
Nan Xing took a bite.
The texture was crisp and sweet, with a strong floral fragrance. But his brows furrowed deeply.
It wasn’t the same. In his memory, the fragrance was light and elegant, not this overwhelming sweetness.
He closed his eyes, unable to hide his disappointment.
He would never again taste the version she made with her own hands…
“What’s wrong?” Ji Yu asked anxiously. “Is it not good? Or do you not like sweet things?”
“It is indeed sweeter than I remembered,” he admitted. “A bit cloying.”
“I told you! Scraping the flesh didn’t make you flinch, but sweet food does? You really have strange tastes!” She poured him some water. “Here, drink this. It will help.”
Nan Xing opened his eyes and saw her worried face. He smiled reassuringly. “I’m fine. I just miss the old days.”
He pushed the remaining piece towards her. “You like it so much, so you eat the last one.”
Ji Yu’s eyes lit up. “Really? For me?”
Seeing him nod, she picked it up and took a tiny, delicate bite, sighing blissfully. “So good…”
She savored it slowly, closing her eyes in pure enjoyment.
Looking at her, Nan Xing couldn’t help but ask, “Miss Ji, do you not get to eat this often?”
Ji Yu froze, feeling a little embarrassed. “Well… they are hard to get, you know…”
*Lame excuse.* Even she didn’t believe it. If you really wanted it, you could buy it. Seeing his obvious disbelief, she confessed honestly.
“Okay, fine. It’s because it’s expensive.”
“Expensive?” Nan Xing looked confused. “Is it really that costly?”
“Of course!” Ji Yu widened her eyes and nodded vigorously. “One tael of silver for a pack! Four tiny pieces! A big mouth could finish them in two bites!”
Nan Xing chuckled. Ji Yu glared at him. *Of course he doesn’t understand! He’s a Prince! What does he know about money?*
“One tael of silver is enough for an ordinary family to eat well for a whole month! Do you know pork is only 30 copper coins per catty? One tael can buy 30 catties of meat! That’s a lot!”
She would never have bought it if she wasn’t craving it and didn’t want to share it with him.
“I know one tael is a lot,” Nan Xing said seriously. “I was just surprised. Ten years ago, this same pack cost only 20 copper coins. And the pieces were much bigger than these.”
Ji Yu stared at him, pointing at the empty wrapper. “Wait… you mean ten years ago it was only 20 copper coins?”
Nan Xing nodded calmly.
In fact, ten years ago, he was the one who had set the price at 20 copper coins.