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墨書 Inktalez
He wouldn't, would he? Hmm, he can be trusted; he won't spill anything, definitely not.
I rode on horseback, galloping alongside Nie Qiuyuan, the sound of hooves echoing like a sudden downpour, while my heart raced with anxiety.
Autumn showed no signs of being different from usual. Before we mounted in the early morning, he had even taken the time to drape a thick velvet cloak over my shoulders, which he had asked the shopkeeper to buy for me. It felt wonderful to be cared for by my idol.
But I was worried that Night Phantom might inadvertently reveal that I had called out another man's name in my sleep.
It wasn't just any name; it was a natural reaction triggered by my sixth sense picking up on an important clue. Moreover, I called out Zhang Yang's name because he died in my dream. If Night Phantom had died in my dream, I would have certainly called out his name—it's that simple.
However, if this matter reached my idol's ears, it would be disastrous. We had finally made some progress between us; if he misunderstood and thought I was fickle, that would be terrible.
I recalled the conversation I had with Night Phantom that night.
"Night, there's one more thing I want to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"You have to promise me first."
"Okay, I promise you."
"You don't even want to ask what it is before agreeing?"
"Whatever it is, I promise you."
"Then you must not tell Nie Qiuyuan that I called Zhang Yang's name in my dream!"
"Well, I won't tell him... Hey, what are you thinking about?"
"He'll misunderstand."
"Zhenzhen, do you trust me?"
"I do, why?"
"Then you can trust him too. From my perspective, he might care deeply, but he won't misunderstand or hold any grudges. Because you've left everything behind to come to his side; isn't that a stronger proof than anything else? So, he'll only think about one thing: how to keep you in this world forever, never letting you feel like leaving again as you did last time, and ensuring that no one can hurt you or take you away from him."
"How do you know? You're not a mind reader! Ah! Did you tell him about my situation?!"
"No! How could I? I'm afraid of getting struck by lightning! I haven't told him anything; if anyone is going to tell him, it should be you."
"Then, just make sure you don't say too much!"
"Okay, I won't..."
Can I really trust his words? But when he said those things, his tone was not rough at all; it was unusually gentle, which made me feel uneasy, as if something was off.
Ugh, I can't think about it anymore!
The journey took quite a while, and we finally entered Chang'an City when it was already dark.
Chang'an truly lived up to its reputation as the capital—grand and imposing. Even though it was late, the streets were still bustling with lights and crowds. It seemed that the nightlife of ancient people was quite vibrant.
However, I felt no sense of awe or excitement. As a woman from the Outlaws background entering the imperial capital, I should have been overwhelmed with emotions, but I simply didn't feel that way.
Isn't it Xi'an? I've traveled there before! Xi'an is a fantastic city, and there are still many famous attractions I visited that you haven't seen yet. For example, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, which was built during the third year of Yonghui, to preserve the Buddhist Scriptures brought back by the monk Xuanzang from his journey to the West. Then there's the Huaqing Pool, a bathing place exclusively for the stunning beauty Yang Guifei, who was born many years later. The Chang'an I have seen is far more complete than what you all have experienced!
However, the ancient capital has its own charm, and the bustling old city fills me with joy and curiosity. Just thinking about how I might have stepped on the same ground in modern Xi'an where my own footprints were left a thousand years ago makes me feel so excited.
Perhaps these random thoughts manifested as a somewhat dazed expression on my face, as I noticed my crush secretly smiling at me. Oh no! I quickly composed myself, pressed my lips together, and switched to my cute girl mode.
"Do you want to take a stroll? Or are you tired?" Nie Qiuyuan kindly offered two options.
Of course, going shopping with my crush is something I would never pass up! But we had set out in this cold wind without much brightness, and after running around for quite some time, I was feeling a bit worn out.
Seeing my conflicted expression, my crush smiled gently.
"Let's go to the Inn. I believe Da Chun and Melan will arrive before us; they should be waiting for us at the Inn."
"But..."
"Whenever you want to come out and explore, I'll accompany you," Nie Qiuyuan said softly.
Well, it seems like I've been having some good luck lately!
We walked side by side toward the Inn, slowly riding our horses. There were still quite a few pedestrians on the street; perhaps it was because handsome men and beautiful women stood out so much that they attracted envious glances from all around. I felt quite pleased with myself.
Suddenly, we were drawn to an advertisement on the street.
It was hard to miss the advertisement because it was not only large but also surrounded by a crowd of onlookers. My curiosity piqued, and I desperately wanted to see what it was about. I cast a pleading glance at Nie Qiuyuan, who smiled slightly and led me through the crowd toward the advertisement.
As we got closer, I could finally see that it was an advertisement for a competition. In three days, it would be the fortieth birthday celebration of Yan Shunqing, the owner of Tongfu Guild, one of Chang'an's wealthiest merchants. The Tongfu Guild is a nationwide chain of Silver Houses with an enormous business empire, so to celebrate their big boss's birthday, they were hosting an Arena Competition. The prize was mouthwatering: the winner of the Arena Competition would receive one thousand taels of silver along with an invaluable rare gem known as “Autumn Scissors.”
Hearing that name, it must be a precious Cat's Eye Stone! I wonder what it looks like; it must be beautiful. With such a grand prize, it's no wonder there are crowds everywhere. As I focused my gaze on the competition item, I was taken aback.
It turned out to be a Cooking Competition!
The rules stated that during Boss Yan's birthday, participants would present their homemade dishes for Boss to evaluate. Only the dish approved by Boss would be declared the winner.
However, the competition wasn't about letting the contestants showcase their best skills freely. The organizers required them to prepare a specific dish called "Seven Spice Chili Noodles."
Such a simple challenge for such a grand prize? I couldn't help but feel astonished.
At that moment, someone beside me began to complain, "Sigh, every time the shopkeeper celebrates his birthday, it's always this competition. It's always Seven Spice Chili Noodles, and no one ever gets selected. Isn't this just unfair?"
Someone else replied, "Well, it's not entirely unfair. Although no one ever wins the grand prize, the Tongfu Guild isn't upset. Every participant who makes it to the finals gets a subsidy of one or two silver coins. Last year, over two thousand people were deemed finalists; isn't that spreading wealth?"
So that's how it is! It's just like a lottery; even though the grand prize is predetermined and not awarded, everyone receives a consolation prize. It seems like a marketing tactic! I suddenly found it uninteresting and signaled Nie Qiuyuan not to join in on this excitement.
We rode to the Inn, and by then it was quite late. After presenting our identification documents, the Inn arranged accommodations for us. Just as we were tying up our horses, we heard an excited voice behind us.
"Liuying! Ah! Is that really you, Liuying?"
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