When the two large bowls of noodles were brought out, Gu Ruizhe looked at the bowl in front of him, then at the one in front of her. The difference was like a small hill facing a mountain. Just how much did she think he could eat?
Fifteen minutes later, the entire large bowl of noodles was gone. Even so, he still felt slightly unsatisfied. He picked up a mulberry cream puff and ate it.
“Mu Jianxi, what new thing did you make this time?”
“Mulberry cream puffs, and mulberry lemon tea. Do you want some?”
He nodded.
She brought three bowls over again and served three large portions. Gu Ruizhe looked at it—it was dark in color. Just as he was about to drink it, he felt how cold the bowl was to the touch. After taking a sip, he tasted tea fragrance mixed with floral aroma, refreshing and icy cold, extremely pleasant.
Ye Li, sitting beside him, finished his bowl in one go. He turned to Mu Jianxi and asked, “Miss Mu, this is amazing. Is there more?”
She pointed to the jar. “There’s plenty left, but it can only be kept for one night. I can’t finish it anyway. You can take some back for your brothers when you leave.”
When Ye Li went over to scoop it, he saw ice cubes inside.
“No wonder it’s so cold—Miss Mu, you even added ice. That’s rare!”
At this, Mu Jianxi looked surprised. “Ice is rare here?”
Gu Ruizhe saw her reaction and explained, “It is. Only nobles and high-ranking officials can use it. It’s usually stored for cooling in summer. I didn’t expect you to use it to make drinks.”
Then he changed the topic, his gaze turning thoughtful as he looked at her.
“Tomorrow I will leave the capital. I’ll be gone for a few days.”
She replied directly, “Then go. Why are you telling me?”
“I mean—you will come with me.”
Mu Jianxi froze instantly and stood up. “Why? I don’t agree!”
“If things go well, I’ll give you a shop when we return. Didn’t you want to do business? Without a proper shop, you can’t start. Think about it.”
A sharp, calculating light flashed in his eyes, certain she would agree.
“I can go with you,” she said, “but you can’t interfere in anything I do.”
“Agreed.”
“When do we leave?”
“Tomorrow morning. Someone will come to call you.”
“Alright.”
That night, lying in bed, Bao Bao couldn’t help but ask, “Master, why did you agree to him?”
“He makes sense,” she replied. “In a place like the capital where every inch of land is expensive, buying a good shop with our current funds isn’t possible. If he’s willing to give me one, why not accept it? It doesn’t cost us anything. We can also travel, see the world, and maybe find new ingredients.”
Bao Bao thought about it and realized it made sense, its doubts disappearing.
The deep blue of the night faded completely, replaced by the crystal clarity of early morning light, with the sky glowing under the rising sun.
She brought along all the mulberry cream puffs and mulberry jam from yesterday. The cream puffs wouldn’t last long anyway, so she planned to eat them on the way.
When she arrived at the prince’s residence, she saw only one carriage.
“Where do I sit?” she asked.
“You will sit with this prince.”
She turned around and saw Gu Ruizhe approaching.
“Fine.”
The carriage began moving. As they passed through the streets, Mu Jianxi lifted the curtain. The moment the people saw the carriage of the Xuanyou Prince’s residence, they immediately scattered in fear. No one dared to speak loudly; even the street vendors trembled.
Some brave citizens secretly looked up—and saw that beside the “demon-like prince” was a young woman. They silently prayed for her, hoping she would not be killed by him.
She lowered the curtain and couldn’t help teasing, “So your reputation as a terrifying demon is really deeply ingrained. Everyone shakes like a sieve when they see your carriage.”
The driver and the four shadow guards surrounding the carriage tried desperately not to laugh, biting their lips until their shoulders shook.
Indeed, this was exactly how it always was whenever their master went out.
Gu Ruizhe’s face darkened instantly. His cold gaze locked onto her, and his hand on his knee tightened slightly—clearly displeased.
The temperature inside the carriage seemed to drop.
Mu Jianxi shivered and felt the danger behind her gaze. Realizing he was truly angry, she simply closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.
Half an hour later, she was fast asleep, slumped like a log. As the carriage swayed, her head leaned onto his shoulder.
Gu Ruizhe stiffened completely.
He lowered his gaze. Her sleeping face was so close. The faint jasmine scent from her body drifted into his nose, and his heartbeat inexplicably quickened.
At that moment, she moved slightly in her sleep, groping around as if searching for something—and suddenly grabbed his hand, interlocking their fingers tightly.
She was dreaming of childhood, when she would hold her grandmother’s hand whenever she felt unsafe.
Gu Ruizhe felt her small, cold hand in his. It was soft and delicate. He hesitated for a moment… then did not pull away.
Two hours later, she woke up and immediately froze.
She was leaning on his shoulder. Her hand was still tightly holding his.
“What the hell did I do?!” her mind screamed.
Seeing he was still asleep, she quickly pulled her hand back and moved to the corner, sitting stiffly as she replayed everything in her head.
Gu Ruizhe opened his eyes. He noticed the empty hand and frowned slightly, displeased. Then he saw her sitting stiffly in the corner, looking as if she had suffered a huge shock.
He said nothing. Instead, a faint smile curved his lips—so light it almost seemed unreal. His gaze toward her carried a hint of warmth, almost indulgent.
If the four shadow guards outside had seen that expression, they would have thought they were dreaming. In their memory, their master never smiled.
“Stop!” the coachman called.
The carriage came to a halt.
Gu Ruizhe stepped down first. Mu Jianxi followed.
“We’ve been traveling all day. We’ll rest here tonight.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Leng Li, Leng Han, go hunt some game nearby.”
“Yes, my lord.”