章 15: To become my woman, you are still not qualified
Fan City, also known as Fan City, signifies prosperity and wealth. It boasts convenient transportation with numerous roads, facilitating frequent trade among various countries. The commercial development here is remarkable. Standing on the city walls, one can see the streets lined with tall shops on either side. If Yan Capital is the political center of the Yan Kingdom, then Fan City undoubtedly deserves the title of the economic capital.
It was evening, and the night had not yet fallen. The sunset painted the sky with vibrant colors.
As the first lights began to glow, the night market was just starting, with stalls filled with cosmetics, luxurious clothing, and various enticing small goods, along with an array of delicious snacks that made one's mouth water.
At this hour, the streets should have been bustling with activity. Indeed, there were many people on either side of the street, but a quick glance revealed that they were mostly elderly, children, and women in coarse clothes with unappealing appearances, with not a single young and beautiful woman in sight.
Among the bustling crowd, the delicate young girl in white stood out, especially with the few distinguished men behind her, particularly the man in purple, who seemed to overshadow even the bright lights around him.
"What a beautiful hairpin, is it handmade?"
The black and white beads shaped like a butterfly had a hint of pale pink on the wings, making them appear lively. When held and waved gently, the wings fluttered as if a butterfly was dancing.
"Master Lan, isn't it beautiful?"
Xian Yue turned around, shaking the hairpin in front of Lan Ruyuan, her smile full of joy. Her bright and clear eyes sparkled, and with her plain white dress and unadorned face, she resembled a fairy who had fallen from the heavens.
"En, it's very beautiful."
Lan Ruyuan nodded slightly, "If you like it, then buy it."
He reached out to take the hairpin from Xian Yue's hand to pin it in her hair, but she laughed and dodged him, her white attire fluttering. She had already positioned herself next to Lan Ruyuan, standing on tiptoe, holding the hairpin to his ear while smiling at Lei An and Lei Yun: "If your master were a woman, even the world's most beautiful woman, Hua Chuxue, would feel inferior."
As Xian Yue laughed heartily, the expressions of Lei An and Lei Yun changed. They glanced at Lan Ruyuan, relieved to see his expression remain unchanged.
"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
Seeing their cautious looks, Xian Yue looked at Lan Ruyuan.
"No."
Lan Ruyuan shook his head, took the hairpin from Xian Yue, and pinned it in her hair. After a moment of inspection, he smiled and nodded, "It has a bit of femininity now."
"What do you mean?"
Xian Yue quickly came to her senses, seeing Lan Ruyuan elegantly turning away. She called out, raising her hand to take the hairpin out of her hair: "What do you mean? What's with the bit of femininity? Where do I lack femininity?"
As if sensing her intent, Lan Ruyuan suddenly turned around just as she reached for the hairpin: "Don't take it off."
After a pause, he added, "It looks good like this."
Xian Yue pondered for a moment and then rushed after him: "In that case, it might be worth a few silver coins next time I run out of money."
"Wow, is that a meat sandwich?"
"It's just an ordinary meat pie; is it really necessary to make such a fuss?"
Lei An gritted his teeth, feeling angry. They were all servants of the master, yet they had never played the role of porters. But that woman, seeing anything, would buy it without a hint of self-awareness, and being seen with her was just ruining the master's image.
"Roast duck."
"Purple flower cake."
Xian Yue darted between the various stalls, moving like a nimble rabbit. Each time she left with her hands empty, she returned with her mouth full of grease. The stall owners on both sides of the street looked at her in shock, wanting to say something but hesitating.
Lan Ruyuan followed behind, allowing Xian Yue to gorge herself, enjoying the delicious food while never touching any of it, no matter how much she invited him.
"Ah—"
With her stomach full, Xian Yue leaned against the wall, licking the grease from the corner of her mouth and sighing in satisfaction.
"Are you full?"
Xian Yue straightened up, patting her belly, which made a loud sound. It felt as if she had eaten too much.
"Overeating isn't good."
Xian Yue nodded, her face pouting: "You wouldn't understand my pain, Master Lan. I'm tired."
Lan Ruyuan replied, "Lei An is at the inn ahead. A place has already been arranged for us."
Upon hearing this, Xian Yue's face instantly lit up, and she patted Lan Ruyuan's shoulder: "Master Lan, you're truly a good person."
"Master, everything has been arranged."
As Lan Ruyuan and Xian Yue arrived at the inn, Lei An and Lei Yun came out to greet them. As they reached the stairway, the innkeeper, who had been busy with his abacus, suddenly looked up and was startled upon seeing Xian Yue. He quickly set down his work and walked out: "Miss, are you staying at the inn tonight?"
Xian Yue was slightly taken aback, looking at the nervous innkeeper and suddenly burst into laughter. Wasn't this a question with an obvious answer? With an inn available, would she consider sleeping on the street?
"Then please be careful tonight, and take good care of your wife."
What? Wife? Was this innkeeper blind?
"Innkeeper, can you see clearly?"
Xian Yue leaned closer to the innkeeper, pointing at Lan Ruyuan beside her: "How could someone like him be my husband?"
The innkeeper stepped closer, carefully scrutinizing both Xian Yue and Lan Ruyuan. The man exuded noble elegance, while the woman, though not conventionally pretty, had an unrestrained demeanor, unlike the delicate and pretentious daughters of officials. Together, they made quite the perfect pair.
Lan Ruyuan suddenly chuckled, giving Xian Yue a thorough look-up and down: "To become my woman, she is still not qualified."
Xian Yue wasn't angry. Looking at the innkeeper, she wore an expression that said he was hopeless: "We don't find each other appealing."
After saying this, she looked at Lan Ruyuan: "We need separate rooms."
Hearing this, the innkeeper hurried after Xian Yue's retreating figure: "Miss, that's not acceptable!"
Xian Yue turned around to face him. They weren't a couple, and they were indifferent to each other; it was perfectly reasonable to sleep in separate rooms. What was wrong with that?
"You must be from out of town."
Xian Yue nodded.
"No wonder you're unaware. When you came earlier, didn't you notice there wasn't a single young lady on the street?"
Xian Yue nodded, having noticed it herself. She found it odd that the stall owners looked at her strangely.
"There are many beautiful young women in the city who have been mistreated, and the next morning, their naked bodies are hung at the city gate, bringing shame to their families. It's pitiful for those young girls."
The innkeeper sighed: "Many families with daughters have sent them out of Fan City, while others can only hide at home, hoping they won't be discovered by that flower thief. It's really unsafe for a girl like you to stay at an inn alone."
So that was the case; no wonder every woman on the street, if there were any, was among those ugly women.
A flower thief? Xian Yue felt a surge of blood rushing to her head, a smile unconsciously appearing on her face.
"That flower thief must be blind to look for her."
Lei An pointed at Xian Yue and scoffed.
Xian Yue clapped her hands, pointing at Lan Ruyuan while smiling at the innkeeper: "Master Lan has a kind heart and a compassionate nature; he surely wouldn't allow that flower thief to wreak havoc in the world."
Lan Ruyuan smiled slightly, his demeanor calm: "Since Xian Yue is a chivalrous woman, she must uphold justice and seek revenge for the victims."
Xian Yue turned to leave, and Lan Ruyuan chased after her, halfway through when Xian Yue suddenly turned around: "Together."
"Then let's go together."
One was gritting his teeth, full of anger, while the other exuded grace and elegance, radiating warmth.
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