"A smart and lively young friend."
Hearing Ji Lingchuan address her like this, Song Yihuan was momentarily stunned. Her fingers tightened around the veil hat in her hand.
She suppressed the uneasiness in her heart and gently nodded to the lame man. "Sorry to bother you so late."
"No bother, no bother. I haven't seen Brother Ling for a long time. I'm quite happy to see him! Come, come, come in and sit down quickly."
The lame man said with a warm smile. He closed the door tightly, then limped around the room to light all the candles.
"There are no other guests at this time. You can do as you like."
Ji Lingchuan didn't stand on ceremony with him. He calmly walked over to the nearest table and sat down.
Seeing this, Song Yihuan had no choice but to step forward and sit opposite him. Then she quietly sized up this small shop.
This small teahouse wasn't very big. There were only five tables. But the shop was very clean, and the tables and chairs looked as if they were newly made.
Jiang Heng lit the lamps, then brought over a pot of tea and a plate of sunflower seeds. Song Yihuan slightly widened her eyes as she watched his movements.
He limped and his walking posture was unsteady, but the tea and the plate in his hands never tilted even a bit. This showed that he had real skills.
"Speaking of which, why did you two go out so late? There's been a big case in the city recently, and there's a curfew at night. No one is allowed to go out." Jiang Heng said with a worried look on his face.
Ji Lingchuan said, "Brother Jiang, don't worry. The criminal has been arrested by the government. After the interrogation, the case will be closed."
"Really? That's great!" Jiang Heng said happily. "Then you two must try the wine I brewed tonight and have a good celebration. By the way, what would you like to eat?"
Ji Lingchuan said, "Just make your best dishes."
Jiang Heng agreed and said with a smile, "Okay, okay, okay. You two wait. I'll go and make them for you right away!"
After Jiang Heng went into the kitchen, Song Yihuan couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness... Brother Ling, how do you know him?"
Ji Lingchuan said indifferently, "If you, a young lady from a marquis's mansion, can recognize a commoner as your adoptive father, it's not strange for me, a prince's heir, to know him, is it?"
He glanced at the figure bustling in the kitchen and explained, "He and I have a life - saving friendship. His lame leg was even caused because of me. At that time, he didn't know my identity, but he still stepped forward to block the danger for me without hesitation. Since then, we've become friends regardless of age."
"Judging from his tone, it seems that he still doesn't know your real identity?" Song Yihuan asked.
"If he knew, he would only keep a respectful distance from me. It's better that he doesn't know." Ji Lingchuan looked into Song Yihuan's eyes and said slowly.
Song Yihuan lowered her eyelashes, avoiding his gaze. She picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea, pretending to be relaxed.
"Since you're here, just wait patiently. Brother Jiang's cooking skills won't disappoint you." Ji Lingchuan tapped on the table.
Song Yihuan nodded and waited patiently.
After a while, the aroma of food wafted out from the kitchen and gradually filled the small teahouse, making Song Yihuan involuntarily look towards the kitchen again and again.
Before long, Jiang Heng came out of the kitchen with the dishes and walked towards them. He placed three small dishes in front of Ji Lingchuan and Song Yihuan one by one.
"Come, have a taste."
Song Yihuan looked up at Ji Lingchuan. Ji Lingchuan said, "Didn't you say you were hungry?"
Song Yihuan showed a smile and picked up the chopsticks and bowl to taste Jiang Heng's cooking. The dishes Jiang Heng made weren't anything special. There was just a fried fish, a vegetable dish, and a plate of lotus root slices. But the taste lingered on the lips and teeth, making one want more.
Ji Lingchuan said, "How about it? Can it compare with your Uncle Qi's cooking?"
Perhaps because she learned that he was also very close to an ordinary commoner, at this moment, Song Yihuan no longer regarded Ji Lingchuan as the high - and - mighty prince's heir. She felt that he was much closer and more interesting than before. He could even crack a joke.
Song Yihuan also put down her guard and restraint. She blinked and replied, "This is my first time here. I can't tell yet. I'll have to come to Brother Jiang's place often in the future to tell who's better."
Hearing her interesting words, Jiang Heng laughed and said, "You little girl, don't think I don't know what you're up to. You just want to eat and drink for free here, right?"
"Brother Jiang really has sharp eyes. You've seen through me." Song Yihuan said with a smile.
Ji Lingchuan watched her smiling without a care in the world. His throat felt a bit dry, and his gaze became a bit more profound.
Jiang Heng didn't sit with them any longer. Before long, he found an excuse to leave, giving the space to the two of them.
Now Song Yihuan didn't feel uncomfortable being alone with Ji Lingchuan. She even temporarily forgot that he was the heir of Prince Ning. She naturally asked, "Brother Ling, you've led troops in the border for several years. Have you been to all the sixteen border cities?"
Ji Lingchuan knew that she had been copying his "Notes from Yangshan" day and night. He guessed that she was that young friend. His heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously tightened his grip on the wine cup.
"Of course. Why? Are you interested in the border areas?"
Song Yihuan nodded and said, "I recently got a book that describes the scenery and interesting stories of the border areas. In the past, when I heard people talk about the border, all I could think of was the boundless yellow sand. I thought it was a poor and hard - hit place that people should avoid. But after reading that book, I realized that there are actually many beautiful sceneries in the border areas."
Ji Lingchuan deliberately asked, "Oh? Who wrote that book?"
Song Yihuan said, "The author used a pen name, 'Mr. Lingji'."
Didn't she ever think that the book was written by him? That he was "Mr. Lingji"?
Ji Lingchuan felt that his breathing was a bit difficult.
"Then, do you know this 'Mr. Lingji'?" Ji Lingchuan asked tentatively.
Song Yihuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled nonchalantly. "Your Highness is joking. As a young lady in the boudoir, how could I know 'Mr. Lingji'? I just think he's very talented and the book is very interesting."
Ji Lingchuan's hands on his legs clenched into fists. He stared directly into Song Yihuan's eyes. This time, he clearly caught a hint of sadness in her eyes.
She was lying.
Judging from her various performances in the government office today, she was the young friend he knew. The most prominent feature of that young friend was her lively mind. When faced with problems, she never thought of avoiding them but tried her best to find solutions.
But for some reason, she had to hide the fact that she had known "Mr. Lingji" and deny everything related to "Mr. Lingji".
"Then do you want to meet this 'Mr. Lingji' who wrote the book?"