Chapter 45

You Shu walked slowly to the carriage and saw that Zhao Yusong was looking at him with a weird expression. His eyes were shining, his brows were furrowed, and the corners of his mouth seemed to rise, but he tried his best to suppress it due to the misgivings in his heart, which instead twisted his handsome face in a distorted manner.

You Shu has studied micro-expressions and knows that he was trying to control the ridicule and contempt in his heart. Was it because of his appearance? Right at that moment, he suddenly understood. How could Wang Shi inquire about the preferences of the Ninth Prince when she had just arrived in the Capital? Naturally, the only way was to ask her sisters-in-law or send a servant. The messages received by the servants are all transmitted by word of mouth, which was far from the facts. And as for those sisters-in-law who had always hated the first branch of the family, how can they sincerely help? What's more, they would release fake information, waiting to see the first branch become a joke.

No matter how unpredictable the Ninth Prince was, Zhao Yusong, who was his study companion, would more or less know his likes and dislikes. The servants sent by Wang Shi would have definitely gone to his courtyard to ask for information. The Zhao family’s clan rules were extremely strict and the second branch of the Zhao family was even more rigorous. It was impossible for Zhao Yusong to not be aware when other people were snooping around his courtyard.

The expression of expectation and suppressed smile on his face was the result of this, right? His outfit choices were probably also his handiwork? Thinking of this, You Shu wanted to remove the accessories and camellia from his head, but saw Wang Shi rushing over, carefully pinning a delicately crafted purse to his waist, and exhorted, "Mother is warning you, these clothes are not allowed to get dirty or messed up, and you are definitely not allowed to change them as you please! Mother rushed all night to finish it and has seen to it that every stitch and thread was perfect. You can wear it again when you have your coming-of-age ceremony!"

You Shu never ignored or even disregarded other people’s goodwill towards him. He couldn’t have been able to receive such a thing in his past life or even his life before that, so he cherished it greatly in this life. It didn't matter whether it was done deliberately to let people ridicule him; he didn’t mind following along, as long as it made his mother happy. Anyway, mother wouldn't know about things that happened outside and he didn't even care about the strange gazes of others.

Thinking like this, You Shu retracted his hand and obediently agreed, as if he hadn't noticed Zhao Yusong's malice.

The two arrived at Huaniao Lane in a carriage. The street was bustling and crowded, so they had to get out of the carriage and walk. Zhao Yusong kept stifling his smile along the way, fearing that he would get noticed by his younger cousin, and used a jade fan to block his mouth. At a glance, his current looks conflicted with his image as an elegant gongzi.

No matter how weird his gaze was, You Shu didn’t care. He found that Wang Shi really understood him well. Instead of putting spices in his purse, she put a lot of pine nuts in instead. He played around with them in his hand, looking around extra leisurely. The two strolled to the vicinity of a teahouse when they saw someone beckoning and shouting from the second floor, "Brother Cangji, here!"

"We’re here!" Zhao Yusong smiled, waved his fan, and walked towards the entrance.

You Shu originally planned to follow after him, but saw an old man across the street carrying a pile of candied haws. The bright red hawthorn looked very attractive and the strong smell of sugar drifted over. In his previous life, when he spent his days with Song mama, he never had any good food to eat. Only when visiting the temple fair, Baishao would secretly buy him a bunch of candied haws. It was the only sweetness in his bitter years and he would never forget that taste.

Even after he followed his Master and led a life without any worries about food and clothing, he would buy one from time to time, hold it in his hand and lick it slowly, reminiscing about the sweetness and bitterness of the past. The lingering feeling of the different flavors in his heart was very peculiar.

He cautiously put the pine nuts back into his embroidered pouch and ran to the old man without even telling his cousin at all.