7
Why was Xiao Jingyao here? Shouldn’t he be in the imperial palace?
Yu Shu froze in place, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
The unexpected encounter made her want to turn around and leave immediately, to put as much distance as possible between herself and Xiao Jingyao, never to cross paths with him again.
But reason quickly asserted itself. If she turned and walked away now, it would be far too suspicious. With Xiao Jingyao’s sharp instincts, he would undoubtedly start questioning her motives. Leaving abruptly wasn’t an option.
By now, Xiao Jingyao had already lifted his head, his gaze sweeping over Yu Shu and her companions. On the surface, his expression seemed calm and indifferent, a casual glance at most. But in truth, his eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s, observing everything with razor-like precision.
Instinctively, Yu Shu raised a hand to adjust the veil on her hat, ensuring that the white gauze concealed her face. Xiao Jingyao wouldn’t be able to see her features clearly.
After a brief glance at them, Xiao Jingyao lowered his gaze again and picked up his teacup, sipping leisurely, as if he hadn’t given them a second thought.
But Yu Shu knew better. Though he appeared to be sitting alone in this humble tofu shop, with not even a single attendant in sight, she was certain that his guards were hidden throughout the shop, watching her every move. If she dared to turn and leave now, it might very well provoke a deadly response.
Given the circumstances, Yu Shu knew she couldn’t afford to act recklessly. Since she had already entered the shop, she had no choice but to play along, pretending to be an ordinary customer who had wandered in by chance.
Her mind worked quickly, analyzing the situation in mere moments. Forcing herself to remain calm, she continued walking into the shop, feigning nonchalance. Pointing to a table by the window, she said to Qingli and the others, “Let’s sit over there.”
Yu Shu strode over to the table, choosing a seat that faced away from Xiao Jingyao. Qingli sat beside her, while she discreetly signaled the four guards to split into pairs and sit at the other two tables nearby.
The shop owner approached with a cheerful smile, asking what kind of tofu pudding they’d like.
Yu Shu had always preferred savory tofu pudding, but knowing Xiao Jingyao was here and fully aware that he knew her taste—she hesitated. Worried that ordering savory might catch his attention, she decided to be cautious. “One bowl of sweet and one of savory tofu pudding,” she said. “I’ve never tried the ones here, so I’d like to taste both.”
The others followed her lead, each ordering the same.
In an instant, they’d ordered twelve bowls of tofu pudding, leaving the shop owner beaming with joy as he hurried off to prepare their order.
Yu Shu sat at the table, her back to Xiao Jingyao. Though she didn’t turn around to look, she couldn’t shake the feeling of an intense, scrutinizing gaze fixed on her. Her hand tightened around the teacup in front of her, and she tried to reassure herself. He shouldn’t be able to recognize me.
“This, sir, is your order—two bowls of savory tofu pudding,” the shop owner announced as he placed the bowls in front of Xiao Jingyao.
Yu Shu’s ears perked up, and she blinked in surprise. What’s going on? Xiao Jingyao? Savory tofu pudding? She distinctly remembered that he’d always preferred sweet tofu pudding in the past. When did his taste change?
Qingli turned her head slightly to glance at Xiao Jingyao, her expression puzzled. “Miss, that man is so strange. Why would he order two bowls of savory tofu pudding for himself?”
Yu Shu quickly tugged at Qingli’s sleeve, urging her to lower her voice. “It’s not that strange. Didn’t we order two bowls as well?”
“No,” Qingli said. “He only ate one bowl and placed the other on the empty seat next to him.”
Yu Shu paused, confused. “…What?”
Qingli continued, “He only has one bowl, but he scooped some of the tofu from his bowl and placed it into the other, as if… as if someone were sitting next to him, and he was sharing his tofu with them.”
Yu Shu’s face turned pale, and she tightened her grip on Qingli’s hand, quickly whispering, “Stop looking, and don’t pay attention to others.”
Feeling Yu Shu’s sudden tension and seriousness, Qingli realized her mistake. After all, they weren’t in Xijiang anymore, everything had to be done cautiously.
“I understand,” Qingli replied, lowering her gaze and refraining from glancing over at Xiao Jingyao.
Just then, the shop owner brought over the tofu pudding. Yu Shu quickly placed one bowl in front of Qingli. “Eat quickly. We’ll head back afterward.”
Qingli nodded obediently, digging into her meal.
Yu Shu had one sweet and one savory bowl of tofu pudding in front of her. She really didn’t like the sweet version, but after a moment’s hesitation, she decided to start with the savory bowl.
As the first spoonful of tofu pudding entered her mouth, the familiar taste brought a sense of comfort—nothing had changed. It was exactly the same as before. Yu Shu was so happy, she almost felt tears welling up.
It felt so good to still be able to eat the things she loved. Life was truly wonderful.
Qingli took a few bites of the tofu pudding and smiled. “This tofu pudding is so delicious, and the soybeans are perfectly crispy and fragrant.”
Yu Shu also enjoyed it. “This is the specialty of this shop. If you like it, you can ask the owner to add more for you.”
Behind them, Xiao Jingyao paused for a moment, his hand gripping the spoon tightly. He turned his head to look at Yu Shu’s table, where she and Qingli were happily eating. In his mind, he could almost hear a familiar female voice saying, “Jingyao, this shop’s tofu pudding is so good, you should try it. Their soybeans are so fragrant and crispy, golden and perfect—it’s their specialty!”
Xiao Jingyao’s gaze flickered. Something was on the verge of coming to the surface. He quickly turned to look at the empty seat beside him, as if the beautiful woman who was so deeply etched in his heart was sitting beside him, smiling at him with gentle eyes.
Unable to control himself, Xiao Jingyao slowly reached his hand out, as if to touch her face.
Suddenly, a loud clattering sound broke the moment—a bowl toppled over on the table with a sharp, jarring noise.
The sound sliced through his reverie like a sword, snapping him back to reality.
The empty seat beside him was still vacant, no one was there. What he had seen was merely an illusion.
Xiao Jingyao winced in pain, pressing his fingers to his temples and closing his eyes in exhaustion.
Meanwhile, Yu Shu remained completely unaware of what had happened behind her. She simply wanted to finish her tofu pudding and leave quickly. However, she really didn’t like the sweet tofu pudding. After only a few bites, she put down her spoon, unable to continue eating.
“I don’t want to eat anymore. Let’s go.” The others had already finished, and Yu Shu, not feeling like eating any longer, stood up and walked toward the door. Qingli quickly paid the bill and led the four bodyguards to follow Yu Shu.
After they left, Wei Zhuo, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards dressed in civilian clothes, swiftly approached Xiao Jingyao. Lowering his voice, he asked with concern, “Your Majesty, is there anything wrong?”
Xiao Jingyao’s headache had subsided, and he opened his eyes. “It’s nothing, just an old ailment.”
Wei Zhuo was still worried. “I will accompany you back, Your Majesty, and have the Imperial physician take a look.”
Xiao Jingyao waved his hand in refusal, clearly opposed to the idea. “No need for the Imperial physician. I’m fine now.”
Unable to convince him, Wei Zhuo mentally noted to mention it to Xu Daman when they returned to the palace, hoping he could find a way to persuade the emperor to see a doctor.
Xiao Jingyao turned back to glance at the table where Yu Shu and the others had been sitting, but seeing that no one was there, he asked, “What happened to those people?”
Wei Zhuo replied, “They left just now. Should I send someone to follow them?”
A trace of coldness flashed across Xiao Jingyao’s handsome face, accompanied by a hint of disdain. “Send a few quick-witted people to follow them. Find out who leaked my movements to the Ninth Princess of Xijiang. The Xijiang delegation just arrived in the capital yesterday, and today she managed to find this place. Their information network is impressively fast!”
From the moment Yu Shu and her companions entered the tofu shop with Qingli and the four bodyguards, Xiao Jingyao had already guessed their identities. Yu Shu, accompanied by her maid and bodyguards, clearly wasn’t an ordinary person. Moreover, her bodyguards were tall and muscular. Although they looked similar to the people of the Daxia Dynasty and wore its clothes, their movements were awkward and unnatural, clearly unfamiliar with the attire. It was obvious that they were not from Daxia. With just a brief thought, Xiao Jingyao immediately knew who they were.
Fortunately, at that moment, they hadn’t done anything suspicious, so Xiao Jingyao didn’t take any action either, merely observing them quietly. However, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t investigate the entire matter thoroughly!
If someone had leaked the emperor’s whereabouts, it was a very serious issue. Wei Zhuo, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, was responsible for the Emperor’s safety. If anything happened to the Emperor, Wei Zhuo’s head would be on the line!
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Wei Zhuo immediately replied, “I will send people to investigate right away.”
Xiao Jingyao nodded. “Go ahead.”
Wei Zhuo left to carry out the orders.
Xiao Jingyao cast one last glance at the spot where Yu Shu had been sitting. The Ninth Princess of Xijiang, was it? She seemed quite interesting! But no matter what she intended to do, he would make sure she wouldn’t succeed!
**