Chapter 284: Gu Shuo Returns to the Capital

Qian Zhuye walked out, glancing back every few steps.

"What do you want to say?" Gao Qi asked.

Ye Qianning turned and stared at him. Startled, Gao Qi immediately took two steps back.

"..."

Gao Qi was only a little taller than Ye Qianning.

At six, she was the size of a four-year-old, while Gao Qi, at eleven or twelve, looked more like he was seven or eight. The two of them standing together made for a confusing sight.

Though Gao Qi was scared, his little face was full of defiance. "I told you not to get so close to the Eighth Prince. Why didn’t you listen? You even fed him pastries with your own hands. That’s a complete breach of etiquette."

"If you’re so afraid of me, why are you following me?" Ye Qianning asked.

"Who... Who’s afraid of you?"

Ye Qianning stared at him with wide eyes, saying nothing. She suddenly raised her hand.

Gao Qi flinched instinctively.

"See? And you said you weren’t scared."

"I’m not." Though somewhat embarrassed, Gao Qi refused to back down.

Ye Qianning rolled her eyes, speechless. ’So stubborn,’ she thought.

"Whether you are or not, my business is none of your concern. Stay away from me from now on."

"Why? My father said that you’ll be..."

"I can’t stand the sight of your father. Don’t mention him in front of me," Ye Qianning cut him off.

Gao Qi’s little mouth trembled. He sniffled, a wronged look on his face. "But... but our families are supposed to be joined by marriage."

"Marriage? Heh." Ye Qianning laughed.

"What are you laughing at? Isn’t marriage a good thing?" He actually quite liked her.

"I hold grudges. Your father injured my Fourth Granny. It was merciful of me not to take his life. And you still want a marriage alliance? I’m afraid your Prime Minister’s estate won’t be around to see that day." Ye Qianning’s smile vanished, her eyes turning grim.

"But my father said that once we’re married, the relationship will naturally improve."

"There is absolutely no possibility of that. If your father drops this matter, the Prime Minister’s and the General’s estates can coexist peacefully. If he brings it up, our two houses will be locked in a battle to the death."

Gao Qi was so shocked by her words that he was left speechless. ’A battle to the death?’

"Go back and tell your father to get this idea out of his head at once." Ye Qianning hoped he would understand.

It took Gao Qi a long moment to process this. "But we don’t have some deep-seated feud. Why would it be a battle to the death?"

"...The marriage *is* the deep-seated feud."

"Why? I like you a lot."

"I don’t like you."

Gao Qi froze. His small face crumpled, and his voice grew thick and nasal. "You... You’re so mean and so fat, and I don’t even mind! How can you not like me?"

"I just don’t." ’What does a little kid know about love, anyway?’

"How can you... how..." The more he spoke, the more upset he became, until he burst out crying with a WAIL.

"..."

"WAAAH!" Gao Qi just stood there, mouth wide open, crying his wronged little heart out.

"Stop crying."

"You... don’t... WAAAH..." Gao Qi sobbed, unable to form a complete sentence.

His crying stunned Ye Qianning. "You’re a big boy. Stop crying."

"SOB SOB... COUGH COUGH."

"..."

The more she spoke, the harder he seemed to cry. Utterly helpless, she took a pastry from her storage space. "Here, have this. Just stop crying."

Gao Qi turned his back on her, crying heartbrokenly.

Ye Qianning walked over, took his hand, and stuffed the pastry into his arms. "Go home when you’re done crying. And remember to tell your father what I said when you’re home for the recess."

With that, she turned and walked out the door.

’I hope Prime Minister Gao knows what’s good for him. If an imperial edict is issued, I won’t show any mercy.’

Gao Qi cried his heart out. He was only discovered at nightfall when an instructor on patrol found him in the classroom and urged him to go back and rest.

Sniffling and clutching the pastry, Gao Qi ran into Sang Qi before he even made it back to his own courtyard.

"You, come here," Sang Qi called out.

Gao Qi walked over, sniffling. "C-Crown Prince."

"What are you crying for?"

"I... I... SOB..." The question only made Gao Qi feel more aggrieved, and he started crying again.

"Shut up," Sang Qi said, displeased.

Gao Qi sniffled, wanting to cry but not daring to.

Sang Qi looked at him with disdain, his gaze falling to what the boy was holding. "What’s that you’re holding?"

"It’s... It’s a pastry Ye Qianning gave me."

’Pastry?’

Sang Qi remembered the fragrance from the classroom earlier. His mouth twitched. "That fatso gave you a pastry? Are you two that close?"

Gao Qi nodded, then shook his head vigorously. "No."

"If you’re not close, what are you doing with her pastry? Give it here." Sang Qi held out his hand.

Gao Qi hugged it tighter. "Ye Qianning gave this to me."

"I hate her, so I hate anything she gives out." Seeing that Gao Qi wouldn’t hand it over, Sang Qi simply reached out to grab it.

"You... If you hate her, then hate her! Why are you snatching my pastry?" Gao Qi refused to let go.

"I’m taking it to throw it away." Sang Qi snatched it away, huffed, and returned to his courtyard.

Gao Qi watched Sang Qi walk away, his pastry gone. He felt even more heartbroken and sat on the ground, wailing his lungs out.

***

Dense clouds filled the horizon, holding back the rain, but thunder rumbled faintly in the distance.

The spring winds kicked up, and heavy rain fell for several days straight.

In the blink of an eye, the Beili Emperor’s birthday banquet was fast approaching. Envoys from the three kingdoms arrived in the Capital City one after another, and the city became much livelier.

Lou Mountain Academy also suspended classes for seven days for the Emperor’s birthday banquet—a time of universal celebration, so to speak.

Seated in her carriage, Ye Qianning lifted the curtain with a small hand. The city was indeed more bustling than usual. Most of the Vassal Kings had also entered the city for the Beili Emperor’s birthday banquet.

The number of guards at the city gates had multiplied, and the authorities had also dispatched numerous soldiers to patrol the streets.

Ye Qianning had looked into the envoys who had just arrived in the Capital City. The envoys from the various nations were all important figures—either Princes or other high-ranking royals.

She figured that the more distinguished the guests, the more likely they had ulterior motives.

’Still, whatever their motives, it has nothing to do with me or my father.’

"Young Miss, the road ahead is blocked. Should we take a detour?" Luo Wen reined in the carriage.

"No need. We’ll wait."

"Yes, Miss."

Ye Qianning lifted the curtain to look. Several carriages were parked side-by-side, blocking the road. People could squeeze past, but carriages couldn’t get through.

A closer look left her speechless. Wasn’t that Sang Qi’s palace carriage, the one with the glass bells, that had just come down from the foot of Lou Mountain?

’He came straight here to buy pastries after coming down the mountain? Has Nianyunjian really gotten that popular recently?’

"I already told you, Nianyunjian’s pastries don’t taste like this! Go and buy more," an angry voice reached Ye Qianning’s ears.

Ye Qianning looked toward the source of the voice.

Sang Qi had the curtain lifted and was throwing a box of pastries at a young eunuch.

"Your Highness, these *are* the pastries from Nianyunjian," the young eunuch said in a panic.

"If I say they’re wrong, they’re wrong! Go and buy one of every flavor they have inside," Sang Qi snapped.

"Calm your anger, Your Highness. This servant will go at once."

Sang Qi puffed out his cheeks. ’The fatso’s pastry tasted completely different from Nianyunjian’s. That flavor... Of all the pastries he had ever eaten, none were as delicious as the one from that day.’

"That fatso."

He couldn’t help but curse. As his gaze swept aside, it landed right on Ye Qianning, who was peering out from behind her carriage curtain. He froze.

Ye Qianning’s mouth twitched. ’If I’m not mistaken,’ she thought, ’that "fatso" was directed at me.’