Chapter 6 Boat Trip on the Lake - The Aggrieved Male Lead
Chang'an ran out of the palace in a panic. He had never seen Yue Guanyi so angry before.
When Qiu Daren got promoted, he secretly sent a box of gold under a hidden name.
When Qiu Daren finished her shift, he would take a detour just to pretend to run into her, cherishing even a moment of polite small talk.
As long as it had something to do with Qiu Daren, that vicious and scheming living Yama would change, becoming no different from an ordinary delicate man, anxious and insecure with his heart and eyes full of her, wishing he could bare his heart to her.
Chang'an sighed as he ran.
Men in love!
When he reached the palace gates, it was just the time for officials to finish their shifts, walking out in groups of three or five.
At a glance, they all looked like a group of women wearing similar official robes, but Chang'an immediately spotted Qiu Shuzhi. Even without looking at her face, her figure alone stood out starkly - like a proud crane, fair-skinned, slender, quiet and independent.
No wonder the Crown Princess was so enamored with her.
As he passed by her, he saw Jiang Si, now a Deputy Minister of Personnel, approach her: "Qiu Niang, long time no see. Why don't we go out for a drink?"
Qiu Shuzhi smiled faintly: "Next time. My elder brother is waiting for me."
The incident with Qin Shu was still fresh, and she remained wary of Jiang Si, unsure if she had anything to do with Qin Shu's misfortune, and who had killed that unfortunate flower boy.
Jiang Si tugged at her official robe: "We joined at the same time. You made excuses to skip the last drinking gathering. You can't refuse this time."
Afraid Qiu Shuzhi would decline, she quickly added: "Don't worry, I know you're cautious. We won't go to a boy brothel. We'll just have tea on an ordinary pleasure boat on the lake, alright?"
Seeing no way to refuse, Qiu Shuzhi had no choice but to agree.
"Then it's settled. It happens to be our day off tomorrow. Let's meet at the Mingyue Lake pleasure boat," Jiang Si immediately set the time.
Chang'an silently took note of some details and bought the finest rouge and face powder to bring back to the palace.
Yue Guanyi sat at the dressing table, applying light powder to his face using the newly delivered flower-shaped mirror. His already pale skin took on a misty, hazy quality.
Fine pearl powder was evenly applied under his pale cyan eyes, concealing the weary dark circles. His slender figure, under those clear, cold eyes, was beautifully aloof, like light snow and thin frost, restoring the bearing of the capital's number one beauty.
"How is it? Does it look ugly?" Yue Guanyi asked him.
Chang'an was speechless. If Yue Guanyi was ugly, then men like himself must be monsters.
Yue Guanyi's beauty was universally acknowledged in Da Qi. Even without makeup, he outshone everyone in the capital. Even though days of exhaustion had made him haggard and thin, it couldn't diminish his graceful charm.
"Your Highness's beauty is unparalleled in the world. Any woman who sees you would be moved," Chang'an said.
"She won't. She won't," Yue Guanyi murmured, looking at himself in the mirror.
He felt that everything about himself in the mirror was not good enough - his skin wasn't fine enough, his lips weren't red enough, his eyes weren't alluring enough, his figure wasn't captivating enough.
He was foolish, dull, lowly, humble. How could someone like him gain her favor?
Chang'an couldn't bear to see his master sink into endless self-doubt, so he told him about Qiu Shuzhi and Jiang Si's appointment for tomorrow.
"Jiang Si?" Yue Guanyi was immediately on alert.
Sure enough, at the mention of others, the decisive and ruthless Crown Princess from before returned.
"Jiang Si is neither part of the Qin faction nor close to imperial power. Why approach her for no reason? She must have some scheme," Yue Guanyi's expression tensed.
"Do you know where they're going tomorrow?"
"Mingyue Lake."
A fierce look flashed in Yue Guanyi's eyes: "Send orders. Have the Embroidered Uniform Guard disguise themselves as commoners and guard Mingyue Lake tomorrow. Report to me any move Jiang Si makes."
"Yes."
The banks of Mingyue Lake stretched far with shimmering waves. Weeping willows swayed in the gentle breeze, their shadows intertwining with flower reflections. The spring scenery of the lake was breathtakingly beautiful, attracting countless scholars and artists to enjoy boat trips and appreciate the views.
A pleasure boat was moored by the lake, its exquisite and luxurious decorations drawing the gazes of many passersby.
"Qiu Niang!" Jiang Si called out to Qiu Shuzhi from the bow of the boat.
She was still dressed in plain, light-colored clothes, her black hair cascading down her back like a waterfall, ethereal and unworldly.
Jiang Si, wearing a stand-collar casual outfit, walked down from the pleasure boat.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Qiu Shuzhi said.
"Not at all, I just arrived too." Jiang Si led her onto the boat. The interior of the cabin was just as exquisitely decorated.
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