Chapter 797: Hungry, Not Enough to Eat!

Chen Changsheng asked, "You went to all this trouble just to clear out a few people?"

Prince Wei blinked. "What else should I do? Wiping out so many of them with just a Temple Fair—isn't that a good thing?"

Either way, it wasn't a loss.

Chen Changsheng glanced at him but said nothing.

It couldn't possibly be that simple.

Prince Wei must have had a plan in mind for a long time. The Temple Fair merely provided him with a convenient opening. His true target was absolutely not these spies scurrying around Weidi.

Yet, hearing Prince Wei say these words aloud...

...it was hard not to wonder if he was telling the truth. Was he really just acting because it wasn't a loss, with no deeper motive?

This kind of misdirection made his true intentions impossible to read.

To put it bluntly, it was impossible to tell if Prince Wei was truly foolish or just playing the fool.

"That sounds like you," Chen Changsheng said.

Prince Wei smiled. "Naturally."

The turmoil in Qingshan City didn't settle until dawn was fast approaching. That night, the Qingshan City Yamen's prison cells were packed to the brim. Without exception, every single prisoner was someone of unknown identity.

Over the course of a single night, quite a few of those prisoners died. With poison hidden in their teeth, they committed suicide right in their cells.

After Chen Changsheng and Yunxiang departed from Prince Wei's Manor.

Only then did Prince Wei finally stand up. He had seen Chen Changsheng to the door, and as he watched the man's figure fade into the distance, his eyes narrowed.

He observed for a moment before returning to his courtyard.

He made his way to the backyard where they had heard noises earlier. A glance revealed several heavy sandbags scattered across the ground. They looked as if they had been dropped from a great height, their shapes deformed by the impact.

The truth was, no one had actually infiltrated Prince Wei's Manor.

Given how heavily guarded this massive estate was, it would have been a humiliating disgrace if those assassins had actually managed to slip inside.

A shadowy figure stepped forward and bowed with cupped fists. "My Lord, last night a total of seventy-four people attempted to infiltrate the manor. Two escaped; the remaining seventy-two were all taken down."

Prince Wei nodded. "Watch them closely and don't let them die. No food, no water. Starve them for a while first."

"Understood."

Prince Wei departed, and his subordinate vanished from the yard as well.

As dawn approached.

Ruyi, who had been dozing on the roof, caught sight of Uncle Chen. Lihua was already fast asleep, sprawled out right beside her and pressing close as if for warmth.

Chen Changsheng and Sister Yun were walking side by side, chatting quietly about something.

Ruyi was about to call out to Uncle Chen, but seeing how happily the two of them were talking, she held her tongue.

Chen Changsheng and Yunxiang parted ways in the alley.

They exchanged a smile before saying goodbye. Sister Yun's eyes were brimming with affection for the man in front of her, enough to make anyone watching feel a tinge of sour jealousy.

"Get some rest, Miss Yun."

"You as well, Mister."

"Mhm."

Chen Changsheng watched Yunxiang retreat into her courtyard and close the door behind her.

He let out a soft breath before turning and stepping through his own courtyard gates.

After coming in, he sat down and said, "Are you going to keep staring? Get down here."

Realizing she had been spotted, Ruyi scooped up Lihua and hopped down from the roof.

"You clearly saw me ages ago, Uncle Chen, but you didn't even say a word. You were too busy being all lovey-dovey with Sister Yun."

Chen Changsheng gave a helpless smile. "What kind of nonsense is that?"

Ruyi carried Lihua over and plopped down next to him, pouting. "The times really have changed. Now that I've grown up, you don't even want to pay attention to me anymore, Uncle Chen. Sigh."

Chen Changsheng reached out and flicked her forehead. "You're quite the busybody for a little kid."

Ruyi rubbed her head. "I'm all grown up! Stop calling me a kid, Uncle Chen."

"If you aren't a kid, who is?"

"Right, right, right. I'm a kid."

Ruyi huffed. "You should just go back to Sister Yun."

With that, she stood up, hugging Lihua to her chest, and marched straight out the door.

She turned and headed right back to the old courtyard.

Chen Changsheng watched this and chuckled helplessly. Shaking his head, he got up, went to the Kitchen, and brewed some tea.

He settled into his rocking chair and rested.

A moment later, Ruyi's head popped up over the courtyard wall. She peered over, only to see that Uncle Chen already had his eyes closed.

"You really didn't even try to stop me!"

Ruyi puffed her cheeks in anger. "See! I knew you'd changed!"

Chen Changsheng opened his eyes, gazing at the head peeking over the wall. "Are you coming back, then?"

Ruyi glared at him. "No!"

She let out another huff, and she dropped back out of sight.

Chen Changsheng pillowed his hands behind his head, preparing to rest again.

A short while later.

A loud crash suddenly rang out.

"Bang!"

Startled, Chen Changsheng sat straight up.

He looked over, only to see the courtyard gate fall flat on the ground.

Ruyi stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips, glaring at Chen Changsheng. She looked absolutely furious.

Chen Changsheng blinked. "The latch wasn't even locked. Why did you kick the door down?"

"Because I felt like it!"

Ruyi crossed her arms, staring him down. "You get a wife and completely forget about me. What kind of uncle does that?"

She levied her accusations.

Chen Changsheng let out a speechless laugh. "What are you talking about? Who said anything about a wife?"

Ruyi marched into the courtyard and sat down under the eaves right next to him.

When she was little, this was exactly where she would sit whenever she was sulking.

Now, it was exactly the same.

She was just mad. She had waited all night.

But Uncle Chen had purposefully waited until he was already inside the gates before saying a word to her.

He hadn't even tried to make her stay, and when she got angry, he hadn't done a single thing to comfort her.

In short, she was furious.

Ruyi raised her head. "Aren't you even going to ask how I've been doing these past two years, Uncle Chen? Aren't you going to ask if I got bullied, or if I had enough to eat?"

Her words drew a laugh from Chen Changsheng, but he quickly sobered up a bit. "Alright, then. Have you been bullied these past few years? Did you get enough to eat on the road? Did you ever go hungry?"

"I went hungry. I starved! I rarely ever knew where my next meal was coming from."

"Is that so..."

Ruyi lifted her head. "I'm still hungry right now, too."

She had earned a few copper coins performing with Lihua last night, but the Temple Fair had dispersed before she had a chance to buy anything to eat. Now that Qingshan City was under martial law, all the shops were closed. She hadn't eaten anything all night, and right on cue, her stomach let out a loud rumble.

Chen Changsheng asked, "What do you want to eat?"

Ruyi thought about it for a moment. "Leftovers."

"Leftovers?"

"Mhm."

Chen Changsheng looked at her and said, "What's so good about leftovers?"

He let out a breath, then rose to his feet.

Reaching out, Chen Changsheng gave Ruyi's head a gentle pat. "Just wait right here. Uncle Chen will go make you some food. Once you eat, you won't be hungry anymore. Once you eat, you won't be hungry."

Ruyi blinked. She looked at Uncle Chen, feeling a sudden sense of oddness.

Truth be told, she had never seen him act like this before.

The way he spoke just now reminded her of the elderly folks she'd met on her travels, always repeating their words twice over.

Yet it also brought a certain sense of reassurance.