Chapter 247

Qi Yanzhou caught the look on his mother’s face and took a bite of the steamed fish.

“Still, Atang’s pickled-fish dish has much more flavor. I’ll go to the market tomorrow morning and buy a fish. How about we have it for lunch?”

His words immediately dispelled the suspicion that had just begun to rise in Old Madam Qi’s heart.

She had remembered that Ye Chutang had eaten fish during their journey into exile.

Ye Chutang knew Qi Yanzhou was helping her cover up the truth, so she smiled and nodded.

“Sure. I’ll teach you how to make it.”

Qi Yanzhou agreed with a smile. “All right.”

After dinner, everyone chatted for a while before retiring to their rooms.

Ye Chutang had just finished administering acupuncture to Qi Yanzhou when she collapsed onto the bed, too exhausted to move.

She had sensed that the fire poison in his body was about to flare up. She had infused every needle with her inner power, leaving herself completely drained.

Seeing the sweat beading on Ye Chutang’s forehead, Qi Yanzhou wiped it away with his sleeve.

“Atang, you’ve worked hard.”

Ye Chutang forced open her heavy eyelids and looked at him sternly.

“If you feel even the slightest discomfort, you must tell me immediately. Once the poison erupts, not even an immortal will be able to save you.”

“All right. I’ll rest with you.”

When Ye Chutang woke up, Qi Yanzhou was no longer beside her.

She sat up, stretched, and got out of bed to push open the window.

Their room was on the southeast corner of the third floor. It was not only spacious, but also offered an excellent view.

It was past dusk, and the sun had begun its descent in the west.

The scorching heat poured into the cool room, making even the air feel thick and sticky.

Ye Chutang closed the window, put on a breathable linen robe, and went downstairs.

The Qi family was sitting in the main hall on the first floor, chatting.

When Qi Qingyu saw Ye Chutang come down, she quickly called out to her.

“Sister-in-law, come over and have some chilled watermelon.”

Ye Chutang sat down beside Qi Qingyu and asked, “Where did you get watermelon?”

Because of the severe drought, the farther north they traveled, the poorer the watermelon harvest became.

Watermelons had become a rarity—something that was difficult to buy even if one had the money.

Qi Qingyu said with a smile, “A melon farmer brought it over. We couldn’t very well refuse, so we paid him for it.”

As she spoke, she took a watermelon about the size of a human head from a bucket filled with ice.

“Sister-in-law, don’t let its size fool you. It’s very sweet. Try some.”

Watermelon was considered cooling in nature, but as long as a pregnant woman did not eat too much, it would not cause any problems.

Just as Ye Chutang cut the watermelon in half, Sun Chu came downstairs.

He said unceremoniously, “Give me half.”

Watermelon was best eaten by scooping it out with a spoon!

Seeing that there were still two watermelons in the bucket, Ye Chutang gave half to Sun Chu.

She cut her own half into small wedges and asked, “Where’s Azhou?”

Old Madam Qi replied, “He went out to take care of something. He said he’d be back before dinner.”

Ye Chutang nodded and continued chatting with the Qi family after finishing her watermelon.

As dusk deepened, Qi Yanzhou returned to the inn.

He arrived carrying the heat of the outdoors, his clothes nearly soaked through with sweat.

“I’m going to wash off.”

The inn’s rooms had bathing tubs, and there was also a bathing area in the rear courtyard.

Qi Yanzhou went upstairs and fetched a clean set of clothes.

When he came back down from the third floor, he looked toward Ye Chutang.

“Atang, we’re going out tonight. Why don’t you change into something else?”

Before Ye Chutang could answer, Old Madam Qi said with a smile, “It’s rare for you two to go out and relax. You should put on something nice. Go on.”

“All right, I’ll go change.”

By the time Qi Yanzhou had finished washing and returned to the main hall, Ye Chutang had just come downstairs.

She was dressed in a light-orange gauze dress with a strapless bodice, her hair arranged in a simple, elegant style. A delicate tassel hairpin adorned her coiffure.

With every step she took, the tassels swayed gently, lending her an enchanting grace.

Even without a trace of makeup, Ye Chutang was beautiful enough to seize everyone’s attention.

Sun Chu could not help grumbling inwardly, Why wasn’t I the one who crossed over into a body with such a good-looking face?

Qi Yanzhou wore a moon-white brocade robe. His features were strikingly handsome, and his wheat-colored skin made him look even more masculine.

“Father, Mother, Atang and I are going out for a while. We won’t be eating dinner at the inn.”

Old Madam Qi smiled. “Go on, then. There will be a lot of people in the streets tonight, so be careful.”

“We know, Mother.”

With that, Qi Yanzhou left the inn with Ye Chutang.

The sky seemed to be draped in a layer of black gauze, blurring their view.

Shopfronts and street stalls had all hung up lanterns of various colors, illuminating the dim streets.

The most common lanterns for sale were magpie lanterns and qiaoguo pastries.

Many shops had arranged activities related to the Qixi Festival.

Those who managed to “win the skill” could not only receive a prize, but also enjoy discounts on anything they bought in the shop.

Because of their striking appearances—and because the townspeople all knew who they were—Qi Yanzhou and Ye Chutang became the center of attention wherever they went.

Ye Chutang disliked being watched so closely, so she bought two masks from a stall that covered the upper halves of their faces and put them on.

There were plenty of young men and women wearing masks in the streets, so the two of them did not look out of place.

Qi Yanzhou took Ye Chutang’s hand and asked, “Atang, shall I buy you a magpie lantern?”

Ye Chutang shook her head. “It wouldn’t be much fun just to buy one. Let’s win one instead.”

She pointed toward the restaurant ahead.

“How about that place? If we win, we’ll not only get a magpie lantern, but also a discount on our meal.”

Qi Yanzhou led Ye Chutang to Lingxiao Tower.

The restaurant was one of the finest in Jizhou City. It hosted many activities, and its prizes were both exquisite and luxurious.

Seeing that the pair had an extraordinary bearing, the shop assistant waiting at the entrance hurried over to greet them.

“Sir, miss, are you here for the Qixi activities or for a meal?”

The corners of Ye Chutang’s lips lifted, her voice clear and melodious.

“For both.”

“This way, please. Our restaurant has many Qixi activities. Is there a particular one you’d like to try?”

Ye Chutang raised her chin toward Qi Yanzhou.

“Ask him.”

Before the shop assistant could say anything else, Qi Yanzhou replied, “I want the finest magpie lantern in your restaurant.”

“This way, sir.”

The shop assistant led Qi Yanzhou to the section featuring lantern riddles and poetry.

“All these riddles and poems are related to the Qixi Festival. If you can complete five of each, you’ll be able to take home this glazed magpie lantern.”

The colorful glazed lantern was exceedingly beautiful. Once lit, it not only shone with a radiant glow, but also cast a romantic scene of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl meeting on the Magpie Bridge.

Many people had wanted it, but the proprietor had deliberately made the lantern riddles and poems extremely difficult.

Even the most learned scholars in Jizhou City had suffered defeat.

Qi Yanzhou was highly knowledgeable. If he had taken the imperial examinations, he might not have come first, but he certainly would have placed among the top three.

He studied the riddles and the half-lines of poetry, his sword-like brows drawing together slightly.

They really were quite difficult.

He was not completely confident that he could win the glazed magpie lantern.

Qi Yanzhou selected the five riddles and five poetic lines he was most confident about.

Before handing his answers to the shop assistant, he showed them to Ye Chutang.

When ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‍it came to scholarship, he was no match for her.

Ye Chutang had known only that Qi Yanzhou was highly skilled in martial arts; she had known nothing about his literary talents.

After reading the poems he had completed, admiration flickered in her eyes.

The poetic answers were all correct, but one of the lantern riddles was slightly off.

She picked up the brush, changed a single character, and handed the answers to the shop assistant.

The shop assistant did not understand the answers, so he immediately took them to the proprietor of Lingxiao Tower.

After examining Qi Yanzhou’s riddle answers and poems, the proprietor personally presented him with the glazed magpie lantern.

“Congratulations, sir. You’ve taken first place. If you dine at our restaurant, you’ll only need to pay half price.”

“All right. Do you have a private room available?”

“We do. Someone, show the gentleman to the second floor.”

Qi Yanzhou held the lantern in one hand and Ye Chutang’s hand in the other as they followed the shop assistant upstairs.

At that moment, a plump man in brocade robes, reeking of drink, was making his way down.

The staircase was wide enough for people going up and down to pass without getting in each other’s way.

When the man approached Ye Chutang, he was captivated by her graceful figure and reached out to grope her.