Chapter 629 - 632: Expressing Goodwill

Chapter 629: Chapter 632: Expressing Goodwill

Li Ji had initially agreed to enter the capital with the Xiliang Delegation to use their status as cover for himself.

But that was before he knew that Manman and Ah Qi had almost gotten married.

Now that he knew Prince Xiliang was Ah Qi, and he knew about Manman and Ah Qi’s past, he was filled with regret.

He would rather have taken the long way around than let Manman and Ah Qi have anything to do with each other again.

Even though Manman had already made her stance clear, and Li Ji believed she had no romantic feelings for Ah Qi, he still felt a knot of discomfort in his chest. It was like a thorn stuck in his throat, a constant, nagging irritation.

For the rest of the journey, Li Ji stayed by Manman’s side, never leaving her for a moment. He gave her no opportunity to have any contact with Ah Qi.

Along the way, they passed a post station, and the group stopped to rest.

With nothing to do in the evening, the Xiliang Delegation had the accompanying Cloud Crane Opera Troupe perform in the courtyard.

It wasn’t just the people at the post station who came to watch; Manman, Li Ji, and their group also found a place to sit nearby. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

Manman had often watched operas with her maternal grandparents as a child, so she knew a fair bit about them.

She was watching, captivated, when a Xiliang guard suddenly approached, holding a tray.

On the tray were sunflower seeds, peanuts, and some tea snacks.

The Xiliang guard placed the tray in front of Manman and Li Ji.

Meeting Manman’s questioning gaze, the Xiliang guard, who couldn’t speak the official language of Great Zhou, simply pointed ahead.

Manman followed his gesture and her eyes met Ah Qi’s.

Ah Qi gave her a slight smile.

Hua Manman understood at once. Ah Qi had sent someone to bring them snacks.

She gave a slight bow, a gesture of thanks for his gift.

Ah Qi looked away and went back to watching the opera.

Hua Manman casually grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and began to crack them open. CRACK, CRACK.

Suddenly, Li Ji’s voice sounded coldly in her ear.

"Has he recognized you?"

Startled, Hua Manman’s hand trembled, and she nearly spilled the seeds.

She instinctively glanced at Ah Qi and saw he was still focused on the performance, not paying any attention to them.

She lowered her voice and asked, "What makes you say that?"

Li Ji stared at her, his gaze heavy and his tone icy. "If he hadn’t recognized you, why would he send someone to bring you snacks?"

Hua Manman looked baffled.

"Who says these were just for me?

Weren’t they for both of us?

You’re the owner of the opera troupe, and we’re sitting together.

It’s just a gesture of goodwill. Is there anything strange about that?"

Li Ji snorted. "I say one thing, and you give me a whole speech in return."

Resigned, Hua Manman put the sunflower seeds back on the tray.

"If you’re unhappy, I won’t eat them. Don’t let your imagination run wild. Let’s just keep watching the opera."

Seeing this, Li Ji said no more.

Hua Manman focused her attention on the opera. A moment later, something was pressed into her hand.

She looked down and found a handful of shelled sunflower seeds.

She glanced at the man beside her and saw him still shelling seeds. A small pile of husks had already formed on the table next to him.

Li Ji noticed her gaze and said flatly,

"I’m not telling you not to eat. I just don’t like seeing you eat things from another man."

Hua Manman asked, "If you don’t like it, why are you shelling them for me?"

Li Ji said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Even though someone else gave us these seeds, I’m the one shelling them for you. If you round things up, it means the seeds you’re eating are from me."

Hua Manman couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

She picked up a shelled seed and popped it into her mouth.

They were five-spice sunflower seeds, but to her, they tasted incredibly sweet.

「After two acts of the opera, everyone returned to their rooms.」

「The next day, they continued their journey.」

For a long stretch ahead, there was no official road, so they had to take mountain paths. This meant there would be no post stations for them to rest, and they would have to camp out in the mountains, braving the elements.

The temperature in the mountain forest was low at night.

Hua Manman sat by the campfire, warming her hands.

The kitten, Little Flower, dozed at her feet.

The trusted aides set an iron pot over the campfire, poured in the rice they were carrying, then added peeled, chopped pumpkin and a little sugar.

A pot of steaming hot pumpkin porridge was soon ready.

The pumpkin porridge was sweet, soft, and smooth. One mouthful warmed her entire body, making her feel utterly comfortable.

The members of the Cloud Crane Opera Troupe were also given some pumpkin porridge, and they all buried their faces in their bowls, eating eagerly.

The Xiliang Delegation had their own campfire going. They had hunted a wild boar from somewhere and were now roasting it.

As the pork roasted, the fat on the skin charred, sizzling as oil dripped out.

They sprinkled on a handful of cumin and salt and pepper, and a rich aroma immediately wafted through the air.

It was so enticing that the members of the Cloud Crane Opera Troupe kept glancing over.

Compared to the rich wild boar, the pumpkin porridge in their bowls suddenly seemed bland.

Even Hua Manman couldn’t help but look over at the Xiliang Delegation’s camp.

Li Ji shot to his feet, looking as if he were about to leave.

Hua Manman quickly grabbed him.

"Where are you going?"

Li Ji said with a stern face, "I’m going hunting."

’It’s just wild boar meat.’

’If Manman wants to eat it, I’ll catch every last wild boar on this mountain for her!’

Hua Manman didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Where are you going to hunt? It’s pitch-black out. Besides, I’m not that hungry. It’s better to have some porridge at night. Pork is too greasy and hard to digest."

Hearing her say that, Li Ji finally gave up the idea of going hunting in the middle of the night.

He sat back down and continued to eat his pumpkin porridge.

He wasn’t looking for trouble, but trouble came looking for him.

A Xiliang guard walked over, carrying a tray.

On the tray was a fragrant roasted pork leg.

Li Ji recognized him at a glance—it was the same guard who had brought Manman the sunflower seeds and peanuts last night.

The Xiliang guard placed the tray in front of Hua Manman and Li Ji, then pointed in Ah Qi’s direction.

When Hua Manman looked at Ah Qi, she saw him smiling at her.

Now, she didn’t even have to turn her head to know how dark the expression on the man beside her must be.

She waved her hand at the Xiliang guard and said in clumsy Xiliang,

"Thank you, but we won’t be having this."

The Xiliang guard was clearly surprised she could speak the Xiliang language.

But since she could, he no longer had to gesture like a mute.

He replied in the Xiliang language,

"Our Prince sent me to deliver this food. If you don’t accept it, the Prince will blame me."

Hua Manman didn’t want to make things difficult for him. "Then wait a moment," she said.

She had someone fill a large bowl with pumpkin porridge and asked the Xiliang guard to take it back as a return gift for the roasted pork leg.

With this exchange, they were even.

The pumpkin porridge was presented to Ah Qi.

He tried a mouthful. The taste was surprisingly good, so he invited the other members of the delegation to have a taste.

They were already feeling a bit weary of the greasy roasted meat, so the refreshing pumpkin porridge was the perfect thing to cut through the richness.