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The two were conversing, completely ignoring Zhong Xue's presence. Qing initially wanted to say goodbye, but with her pulling him along, he had no choice but to follow.
Even from a distance, he could sense the color radiating from Zhong Xue's face, which must have been quite beautiful.
Qing found it somewhat amusing and asked, "How did you end up with Chengyang Jun?"
"It was all a coincidence."
She herself didn't know what was going on with Zhong Xue; she just found herself in this situation without much thought. However, if Qing knew that she had managed to escape and ended up with Chengyang Jun, he would probably want to hit her.
Feeling a bit guilty and wanting to take the initiative, she lightly huffed, "Qing asked me, so why are you with Chengyang Jun?"
Qing hesitated for a moment. "I need his help with something."
San Chun wanted to ask further, but he wouldn't allow it. The expression on his face was one of sour heartache.
She knew he had something on his mind. Although he had never mentioned it to her directly, she could sense that it was very important to him.
"What do you want to do? Tell me, maybe I can help." As long as she went, Zhong Xue would probably agree.
Qing shook his head; his matter involved too much and he really didn't want to drag her into it.
He comfortingly patted her shoulder and smiled. "You just need to live your life steadily and worry less, especially don't get too entangled with that Chengyang Jun."
San Chun also smiled and patted his shoulder back, looking like good buddies. "Don't worry; someone like Chengyang Jun is not someone we two pickled vegetables and stinky tofu can aspire to."
Qing quickly interjected, "I'm the pickled vegetable." Implicitly meaning that she was the stinky tofu.
San Chun was amused by this and laughed until her stomach hurt. The reference to pickled vegetables and stinky tofu stemmed from a year ago when there were no dishes at home for lunch, just two bowls of plain rice. She chewed without any flavor and sighed while tapping her chopsticks: "No dishes; even some pickled vegetables or tofu would be good."
Qingbai glanced at her and said, "There are no pickles, but we do have some tofu, though it's stinky. It suits you well."
At this moment, recalling their carefree days, both of them couldn't help but sigh. Once they left the village, everything truly changed, and their past lives could never return.
Qing sighed, "I can fight and struggle for myself, but I just hope you can marry a good husband and have strong children. Let the men handle those troublesome matters outside."
San Chun knew he meant well. Since he didn't want her help, she couldn't force it. Hearing him mention children, she deliberately teased him, "If you won't marry me, who should I have children with?"
Qing smiled and replied, "Wait for me three years; I might be able to marry you then."
Their words were playful, but they sounded very different to others. Just as they finished speaking, a voice came from nearby with a sarcastic tone, "After talking about a plate of pickles and a plate of stinky tofu for so long, are we already discussing marriage?"
San Chun turned around to see Zhong Xue slowly approaching and suddenly felt her scalp tighten.
For a man who was both jealous and cunning, any explanation would be troublesome. She lowered her head, hoping to slip away while he was looking at Qing. But after just two steps, she felt a sharp pain in her neck as if someone had grabbed the back of her collar.
She sighed and turned back to face Zhong Xue, forcing a smile that was brighter than the mountain flowers.
"Lord Jun, why are you so free?"
Zhong Xue snorted coldly, "If I weren't free, I suppose even stinky tofu would give birth to pickles."
His words were quite sour; she instinctively touched her cheek and felt a bit uncomfortable.
Qing chuckled but didn't elaborate further. He bowed slightly and took his leave.
Watching his bowing posture, San Chun felt embarrassed. How had she once thought that such formalities were appropriate? It was surprising that no one had scolded her yet; she must be quite lucky.
However, right now, Zhong Xue looked as if she wanted to hit her. Although he didn't make a move, his gaze felt like a whip striking her fiercely.
San Chun wanted to pretend not to see, but some people were just impossible to ignore. She couldn't stand it anymore and asked him, "What exactly do you want?"
Zhong Xue suddenly leaned down, his incredibly handsome face close to hers, as if he could lick her face with just a flick of his tongue.
Of course, he wasn't a gecko, so he said, "Marry me."
She touched her cheek, feeling a real pain in her teeth this time—not the dull ache but a sharp, genuine pain. She had seen forced proposals before, but none were as direct and unrestrained as his.
Her hand moved away from her cheek and instead caressed her face. "I am a woman. If Lord Jun wishes to propose, you should go to my father. To speak so easily is truly shameful."
Zhong Xue almost laughed at her shy demeanor. Neither the former Yan Dan nor the current San Chun could ever be associated with shyness.
The former Yan Dan was absolutely bold; she never hid her relationship with Ji Xun from anyone. When someone mocked them for being a pair of lesbian, she never explained and even publicly asked a mocking gentleman, "I simply love Lord Ronghua; what do you think?" The gentleman was left speechless.
Thinking back on that past made her grip tighten unconsciously. Once she had Ji Xun by her side; now there was another named Qing. How many more times would she let him hurt before her heart belonged only to him?
A sharp pain shot through her heart, and she tightened her grip on San Chun's hand, causing San Chun to wince and roll her eyes in exasperation.
"Disgusting," Zhong Xue muttered softly, reaching out to touch her eyes. "You are not allowed to roll your eyes anymore."
San Chun began to grin; he really was overstepping his boundaries.
*
For noble children, discussing marriage was never something that could be accomplished in just a few words—especially when it came to marrying off a legitimate wife between two countries' nobility. Moreover, Ju Rong was not fond of this unexpected son-in-law at all, so he found many reasons to refuse. First, they needed the approval of the King of Yan, then they had to inform San Chun's mother. After that, they would need to negotiate how to present gifts and arrange the wedding.
Zhong Xue was at a loss when faced with such cunning individuals. If she were an orphan without any connections, it would be one thing, but now that she had a father, it wouldn’t be appropriate to pressure her into marriage too harshly. Although he did indeed think that way.
After much discussion on both sides, Ju Rong managed to persuade Zhong Xue with his eloquence. He wanted to take San Chun back to Yan State first, and if he truly had intentions, he could propose in Yan State.
Zhong Xue was reluctant, but she didn’t want to push her future father-in-law too hard, so she could only nod in agreement.
She secretly pondered that once the matters in Qin State were settled, she would hurry to Yan State. Perhaps they would arrive just as he did; nothing should go wrong, right?
That was her thought, while Ju Rong already had plans. His visit to Qin State was primarily for trade discussions, and he wouldn’t stay long. He instructed San Chun to prepare her belongings early and to return to Yan State immediately after attending the banquet at Qin Palace.
San Chun only learned about the banquet at Qin Palace early that morning. She hurriedly dressed up and entered the palace with Ju Rong.
The Qin Palace was rugged and imposing, built mainly of stone. The grand palaces were complemented by thick stone walls, giving an indescribable feeling. It was somewhat like Qing; at first glance, he seemed cold and distant, but upon closer inspection, he was quite intriguing.
Thinking of Qing made her smile involuntarily. Although she faced obstacles from Zhong Xue, it was still nice to see him.
There were many guests attending the palace banquet today; besides envoys from other states, many ministers from Qin State were also present. As the daughter of Chengyang Jun, Zhong Xue was among those invited. When he saw her, he didn’t show much reaction; he merely nodded and gave her a warning look to behave herself.
San Chun touched her nose; had she not been behaving all along?
This time, Ju Rong brought her out mainly to introduce her as his daughter. The incident regarding Ju Dan's disappearance had spread widely; some said he eloped with a lover while others claimed he was taken away. When she asked Ju Rong about it, he refused to elaborate, saying some things were better left forgotten. This time, perhaps he wanted to inform everyone that his daughter was neither dead nor missing.
Upon first seeing San Chun, even Qin Wang was taken aback by her beauty. Dressed in white like snow with hair as dark as ink, she stood tall and graceful. Her delicate features were serene and gentle; her calm black eyes exuded an unfathomable tranquility akin to the deep sea. She looked like a tranquil fairy. However, those who knew her well understood that this was merely a facade.
Having experienced the previous incident, San Chun wasn’t as afraid of being watched anymore. Looking around, she noticed that the Crown Prince of Qin happened to be absent; otherwise, she feared someone might point at her and shout: “This is the prince’s runaway concubine.”
Her presence was merely an interlude; when Qin Wang asked, “Who is this beauty?” there was no further discussion.
Zhong Xue and Qin Wang were having a pleasant conversation. Perhaps due to his special status, his several cases were placed beside Qin Wang, enjoying the treatment of a king. From a distance, the two looked like very good friends of different ages, though it was unclear whether they were discussing important military affairs or trivial matters.
After a while, Chengyang Jun suddenly said, "I wonder what the Crown Prince is doing; why hasn't he arrived at the banquet today?"
"He should be arriving soon," Qin Wang replied with a furrowed brow. The Crown Prince's tardiness at a royal banquet was embarrassing for him.
To be honest, today's banquet was specially prepared for the influential Chengyang Jun of Wei Kingdom. He had already heard about the situation in Chu and dared to storm into Chu Palace with just a few thousand men; anyone would feel apprehensive upon meeting such a person. Qin Wang wanted to maintain a good relationship with Wei Kingdom, at least to avoid reaching the point of armed conflict, so he could not afford to offend Chengyang Jun.
Zhong Xue had just intentionally mentioned some recent military strength of Wei Kingdom, and indeed saw Qin Wang smiling in response. He was originally testing the waters, and now that he felt it was the right moment, he smiled and said, "Your Majesty, it doesn't matter if we can meet the Crown Prince today, but there is someone I would like to introduce to you."
"Who is it?"
Zhong Xue smiled and clapped his hands a few times. Outside the hall, someone shouted, "This is the main hall; do not approach."
Zhong Xue glanced at Qin Wang, who quickly said, "Bring that person into the hall."
A man dressed in black walked in from outside. He wore a large hood that covered most of his face and kept his head lowered. He knelt on the ground and performed a bowing ceremony; when he stood up, his hood slipped down.
He wore dark blue-black clothing and had an expressionless handsome face that contrasted sharply with the festive atmosphere of the banquet. His tall and straight figure had a healthy tan complexion, sharp eyebrows, a high nose bridge, thin but tightly pressed lips, and a pair of pitch-black eyes.
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